Spoiler alert: we don't always play by the rules. As much as we love that our smoothie kits blend easily with just ice + water, sometimes it IS fun to get creative.  And creative is exactly what our community has been lately! For your blending pleasure, here is a roundup of creative ways Everipers have been personalizing their smoothies. Warning: tummy grumbles ahead!

Catrina: Recipe Creator and Blogger at 'Planted Families'

 Catrina is one of our favorite follows on the 'gram. She fills our feed with delicious-looking plant-based meals that are fun and kid-approved. Did we mention her yummy food is all dairy free?! 

"I think it's obvious, I love making nice cream! I freeze three bananas and then blend with one Strawberry Bananza Everipe Smoothie Kit and a splash of coconut milk in my Vitamix. Perfect texture every time!"

Follow Catrina on Instagram and explore more of her recipes at plantedfamilies.com. 

Youmie Jean Francois: Founder, 'Fley-N-Fly' 

Youmie is an entrepreneur, yogi, artist and world traveler. Flex-n-Fly is her wellness company that provides stretching/relaxation classes to travelers before they board flights. AND she creates the most gorgeous yoga mats! As a fellow female entrepreneur, Yumi has been a huge inspiration and support for Everipe throughout our journey, including in how she brings are smoothie kits to life: 

Youmie’s Smoothie Bowl

• 1 Unbelievaberry Smoothie Kit
• 1 cup oat milk
• 1 cup ice
• Pinch of Burdock Root powder 
• Pinch of Horsetail powder 
• Top with almonds, shredded coconut, and nut butter
• Enjoy with a smile :) 

 

Follow Youmie on Instagram and shop on flexnfly.com. 

Lee: Recipe Creator and Blogger at 'The Rogue Brussel Sprout' 

Lee *is* a rogue in the kitchen, so we knew she would be someone to really mix it up with our smoothie kits! 

“When I make my Everipe smoothies, I like to use a frozen banana and some unsweetened soy milk for ultimate creaminess. I love using Everipe smoothie kits to create bowls dressed up with all sorts of fun toppings!"

Follow Lee on Instagram and check out more of her recipes at theroguebrusselsprout.com.  

Gelsey: Founder, 'Planting Wellness with Gels' 

Gelsey brings the positive vibes to holistic living. She’ll be your new go-to on plant-based recipes and how to focus on self care. Oh, and how to make an epic superfood popsicle!

Gelsey’s Positive Popsicles 

• 1 Strawberry Bananza smoothie kit
• 1 Banana
• 1/1.5 C  milk (go by your preferred texture) 
• 1-2 scoops of vanilla protein powder
• Blend and add to popsicle molds and freeze. (This recipe made 8 popsicles.)

Follow Gelsey on Instagram and check out her websites at plantingwellnesswithgels.com. 

"Inflammation" isn’t exactly the first word people want to hear when it comes to the state of their body, but inflammation isn’t always a bad thing. After all, inflammation is your body’s natural response to protect itself against harm, removing harmful and foreign stimuli (think bacteria and viruses) to begin the healing process. That being said, not all inflammation is created equal. Inflammation can be acute (like a scrape on your knee) or chronic (like too much stress) and there are some *major* differences between the two. 

Acute vs Chronic Inflammation 

A familiar scenario: you’re chopping up veggies for dinner and slice your finger. This triggers acute inflammation and white blood cells rush to the site of the cut to protect the body. That is why cuts, scrapes, and bruises can be red and/or swollen. Acute inflammation works similarly inside the body, for illnesses like the flu or pneumonia. Without that inflammation, these things could actually be deadly.  Acute inflammation=good!

Chronic inflammation is a slow-moving inflammation that lasts for months or even years. As you might imagine, your immune system holding down the panic button for that amount of time is very taxing to the body and can create a ripple effect of negative consequences that we often associate with the word inflammation: things like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis.

Chronic inflammation can come from a variety of sources, including continued exposure to environmental toxins and autoimmune disease. But everyday habits like lack of exercise, not eating the foods your body needs, and stress also trigger inflammation. And when factors like these trigger your immune system to go into fight mode without anything to fight and heal, immune cells can actually begin to attack healthy arteries, organs, and joints.  

No matter the source, chronic inflammation is nothing to take lightly. Chronic inflammatory diseases are the most significant cause of death in the world, so much so that the World Health Organization (WHO) ranks chronic diseases as "the greatest threat to human health." That's some serious stuff. But thankfully, there are things we can do to control inflammation: that 30-minute workout, 10-minute meditation, and morning smoothie really do matter to your overall health. 

Signs and Symptoms of Chronic inflammation

The start of chronic inflammation can be tricky to detect, because the symptoms are vague...as in “starts with fatigue” vague. That’s why it’s important to see a doctor when something feels off; a blood test can give much more insight into what’s going on. According to Scripps, “The most common way to measure inflammation is to conduct a blood test for C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), which is a marker of inflammation. Doctors also measure homocysteine levels to evaluate chronic inflammation. Finally, physicians test for HbA1C — a measurement of blood sugar — to assess damage to red blood cells.”  Let's leave the diagnosing to the experts, shall we?

Over time, the damage from chronic inflammation to arteries, joints, and healthy tissues can get serious, and those major diseases like cancer, heart disease, and obesity can rear their ugly heads. That’s why it is super important to jump on this early.  Making sure you get your annual physical is a great way to start.  Because we all know the best offense is a good defense, right? 

Ways to Prevent Chronic Inflammation (That Are Totally Reasonable and Easy to Start Now) 

Your defense against chronic inflammation starts with lifestyle. Eating right, exercising, and managing stress are all great ways to manage inflammation, and all will have a positive effect on your life overall.  According to Harvard Health, diet and exercise have an especially strong impact on managing chronic inflammation, since they both also can help control weight and improve sleep. 

Controlling your blood sugar is super important in an anti-inflammatory diet. Foods and drinks with added sugars, refined carbs, and processed meats all can spike blood sugar, so it’s best to limit those foods. Cutting back or eliminating inflammatory foods (think processed foods, trans fat, hydrogenated oils, and fried foods) will help, too. 

Controlling inflammation through diet isn't only about what we're taking out.  The good news is, there are *plenty* of delicious foods you can eat to help your body fight back against (or decrease even if it's started) including fruits, veggies, fish, healthy fats, and herbs. Short version: eating an anti-inflammatory diet is a total win for your taste buds, too! If you’re looking to zero in on the best anti-inflammatory foods, the honor roll looks something like this: foods high in omega-3s like salmon, tuna, tofu, grass-fed beef, walnuts, and flax seeds; foods high in polyphenols (which help fight free radicals, a common source of chronic inflammation) like celery, garlic, olive oil, all types of berries, cherries, plums, red grapes, onions, turmeric, ginger, green tea, and dark green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale. 

Regular exercise can help fight off diseases caused by chronic inflammation, like heart disease and obesity. A 2017 study showed that even 20 minutes of moderate-intensity daily exercise can have an anti-inflammatory effect on the body. So doable, right? 

And, of course, there's stress. We might not be able to control everything that causes us stress (hello, living through a pandemic) but we can work to control how we deal with stress. Yoga, meditation, and getting enough sleep shouldn’t be put off until retirement—they all go a long way to help you manage stress. Don’t discount things like quality relationships and hobbies to help manage stress, too.  (And maybe the occasional glass of wine or bowl of ice cream, because we’re realists, too.)

Want to start kicking chronic inflammation to the curb? Here are a few real-world tips from our team:

“Most days, I have an Unbelievaberry or Tropical Zing smoothie. Yay for anti-inflammatory foods and polyphenols!”  -Colleen 

“I’ve recently discovered the app Insight Timer and it’s made starting (and maintaining) a meditation practice so much easier." -Lindsey

“Even a brisk 20 minutes walk with my golden retriever Kingston to break up the WFH day does wonders for my body and my mind!” -Kerry

Fun fact: pollinators are responsible for bringing us one out of every 3 bites of food. Not so fun fact: pollinator populations are declining globally, due to major issues like habitat loss, pesticides, invasive species. Big problems for pollinators means big problems for the foods we eat. June is National Pollinator Month, a time to spread awareness about the challenges pollinators face, and what we can do to support them. 

While there are over 100,000 different pollinators on earth, one of the most visible pollinators are, of course, bees.  We’ve got a particular affinity for bees, as they produce one of our most treasured superfoods: bee pollen, the nutrient-packed morsels found inside Tropical Zing. 

Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds are all super important pollinators that can thrive in your yard, with a little help. Here are four tips from the National Wildlife Federation on how to support healthy populations of bees and other pollinators.  

Plant your garden and yard with the needs of pollinators in mind. This includes planting native plants that will give pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds access to the food and shelter they need to survive and multiply. Pollinators are near-sighted, so arrange your plantings in clusters of 3-5--also called drifts--to mimic nature and make it easier for pollinators to hit their target. And don’t forget the herbs--pollinators love ‘em. Bees are particularly fond of mint, oregano, basil, dill, fennel, and rosemary flowers.  Oh, one more thing: native trees and shrubs are great additions to a pollinator-friendly yard! 

Here’s a species-by-species plant list to attract your favorite pollinators: 
Butterflies: Salvia coccinea, Mexican sunflower, yarrow, butterfly weed, blazing star, butterfly bush
Hummingbirds: honeysuckle, torch lily, salvia (all types), hummingbird mint, trumpet vine
Bees: Bee balm, purple coneflower, dill, mint, sunflower 

Give bees nesting places.  Most of the 4,000 bees native to North American (ICYMI: honey bees were imported from Europe) don’t actually form hives. Instead, they lay their eggs in decaying wood or sandy soil. Leaving tree snags, unmulched soil, unmowed grass, or a hedge near your garden will help pollinators raise their young safely.  Yes, this means part of  your yard might look like a mess, in this case your mother (nature) says it's okay! 

Avoid pesticides.  Pesticides aren’t doing anything by way of helping to increase pollinator populations.  If you must use them, try doing it at times when bees aren’t active (early evening) and refrain from using them on flowers in bloom.   Click here for more tips on cultivating a pesticide-free garden. 

Plant native milkweed. Here’s an alarming stat: monarch butterfly populations have declined 90% perfect over the past two decades.  Sounds about time to hit the panic button, doesn’t it? We can do our part by planting milkweed, which is also on the decline and the species’ only caterpillar host plant.  And just to be clear, milkweed is totally OK for your garden--here’s a great piece on busting milkweed myths. 

Further resources:

The Benefits of Bee Pollen 

National Wildlife Federation's Plants for Pollinators List 

Children's Programs and Resources from the Planet Bee Foundation

Order Milkweed Seeds from Save Our Monarchs 

 

 

Summer is here (woohoo!), meaning summer temps...and summer sweat (oh, right).  Whether you’re catching rays at the beach, tending to your garden, or pounding the pavement, your hydration needs are most likely changing with the season, so your game plan should, too. Here’s what you need to know about staying hydrated this summer...and how to enjoy it. 

Do I really need to pay more attention to my water intake in summer?

Water intake is important year-round, but anytime you’re sweating more than you normally would, the answer is yes, you do. And during the summer months, high temps mean there’s a good chance you are sweating more than you usually do.
 
It’s important to pay attention to your own body’s signals; thirst is a more accurate indicator of hydration needs in a healthy adult than any “glasses per day” graphic you see in a fitness mag. Another hydration indicator is the color of your urine. You’re aiming for light yellow--like the color of lemonade.  Everyone will be different, and these are the ways our bodies communicate our individual needs.

Another caveat in hydration worth noting: when you sweat, you’re losing more than water. Sweat contains sodium, amino acids, lactate, and even fats. (We didn't know that, either!) If you’re exercising for more than 50-60 minutes or have been outside for long periods of time on a hot day, you’ll need to keep this in mind. Outside of these scenarios, drinking straight water is entirely fine. 

Got it. So is it possible to consume water from other sources besides, you know...drinking water? 

We hear your question. This is a safe space.  It's OK not to love drinking water!

Even if you’re not lugging around a glass water bottle all day (we know, we know—it’s a commitment), so long as you’re eating, your body is likely getting *some* hydration. In fact,  20% of your hydration comes from food! 

Fruits and veggies are notoriously hydrating—watermelon, strawberries, cucumber, lettuce, and peaches are some favorites around here—but other foods, like starches cooked in water and even meat, are also contributing to that 20%. Food also provides other good stuff, like sodium and potassium, which help our bodies hold onto the water it needs.

Smoothies are a great way to stay hydrated, especially if drinking water is low on your favorite things list. Water, milk, or plant milk all make for hydrating bases for smoothies. And the ice counts, too! Plus, fruits are hydrating and can help balance electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals lost in exertion. The verdict is in: smoothies are a totally delicious weapon against dehydration. 

So do I *really* need that electrolyte or sports drink?

If you’re looking to hydrate yourself quickly, a combination of water, sodium, and carbohydrates is best—that's the typical combo you’d find in most sports drinks, but also easily achieved by drinking some water and eating food. “Drinks containing some carbohydrate in the form of sugars and electrolytes, usually sodium, can be absorbed by the body more quickly than pure water and therefore allow rehydration to happen more rapidly,” Bridget Benelam, a public health researcher with the British Nutrition Foundation told Time.  (Shameless plug: superfood smoothies are a great way to combine food and water.)

Where do coffee and tea land in all of this?

As for coffee and tea, good news: most experts agree that they do count towards your body’s hydration needs. As for alcohol, it’s unfortunately not helping in the hydration department. Try drinking a glass of water in between cocktails to keep hydrated.

Even after you’ve eaten hydrating foods, blended up a hydrating smoothie, and enjoyed your morning java, you might still have a bit of a way to go on the hydration front. To mix things up, try flavored seltzers, mineral water, or creating your own fruit-infused concoctions.

Let’s hear a little more about that other stuff in sweat. 

To reiterate: water alone is perfectly fine for replenishing fluids in a healthy sweating adult. But when your day involves some serious exertion (more than 50-60 minutes of intense exercise), really high temps (have you ever attempted a walking tour of Washington DC in August? Just us?) or illness, it might be time to consider the bigger picture. 

Water’s nutrition facts (which read nothing, btw) don’t give a glimpse into how important it is to every single system in our bodies. But our bodies also need electrolytes, which are essential minerals, like potassium, sodium, and calcium, in order to keep our cells happy and functioning properly. Here are some tips to keep your electrolytes in balance:

You don’t have to reach for that sports drink. Chugging a sports drink can be oddly satisfying, but rest assured replenishing your electrolytes doesn’t have to involve the added sugars and food dyes found in most varieties. There are plenty of options with much less complicated ingredient lists. Read on.  

Make your own mineral water. Salts are electrolytes, and in water, salt dissolves into mineral ions. Combine a pinch of Himalayan or Celtic salt into your glass of water and voila: mineral water that will help balance your electrolytes. (Warning: It may also make you feel like you’re enjoying a late lunch on a veranda in Tuscany.)

Know your potassium sources. While coconut water isn’t necessarily more hydrating than regular water, it does contain potassium, sodium, and sugar which will help your body hydrate quickly. Bananas and yogurt are also great sources of potassium and make for a creamy and nutrient-dense addition to a smoothie.

Appreciate the hydrating power of milk. Fun fact: skim milk is actually extremely hydrating! And most plant milks are fortified with vitamins and minerals that will help your body hydrate faster, too. Making you own nut milk? Add a sprinkle of salt. Your taste buds and your insides will thank you. 

Looking for more inspiration on smoothie bases? Check out our full rundown here.  

 

The homemade smoothie is having a moment. They're catching magazine headlines, showing up in drool-worthy IG posts, and thanks to months of being at home, they've totally inspired the novice home chef to experiment in the kitchen. And while that homemade smoothie might look amazing and even taste amazing, the truth of it is that not all smoothie ingredients are created equal. It's time to take a closer look at what's really ending up in your glass. 

Let's start with a quick Google search. "Easy homemade smoothies" brought up 10 pages of search results. Like we said, super popular. The top hit is a “frozen fruit smoothie” recipe that calls for orange juice, honey, and vanilla yogurt. The end result is a frozen concoction that contains 58 grams of sugar per serving. To put this in perspective, a serving of Ben & Jerry’s Half Baked contains 36 grams of sugar per serving.

So what's a smoothie lover to do? Get those readers on and take a look at ingredient labels. 

Let's Take A Closer Look At That Ingredient List

Some popular smoothie ingredients are like a Trojan Horse to your homemade smoothie: they sound healthy and harmless on the outside, but on the inside could be adding countless grams of sugar to your glass.  

Trojan Horse #1: Yogurt. 1 cup of flavored yogurt can add an additional 20+ grams of sugar. If you love the creamy texture that yogurt gives your smoothie, your best bet is plain greek yogurt with just 5 grams of sugar per cup. 

Trojan Horse #2: Juices. A smoothie with a fruit juice base might make for a tasty smoothie, but it’s also loaded with sugar. The proof is in the nutrition label: there are 24 grams of sugar in a cup of unsweetened apple juice, 21 grams of sugar in orange juice, and 23 grams of sugar in a 1 cup of papaya juice. The defense rests. 

Trojan Horse #3: Nut Butters. Unfortunately, not all nut butters are created equal.  Many contain added sugar, which then, of course, goes directly into your smoothie. That being said, with a little label-sleuthing, you’re sure to find sugar-free options on your grocery store shelves. 

Trojan Horse #4: Milks. Flavored and/or sweetened plant milks can also pack on the sugar content of a smoothie. One cup of sweetened (often called 'original') or flavored varieties can add anywhere from 9-16 grams of sugar to your smoothie. Unsweetened and/or unflavored versions are definitely the way to go. 

Trojan Horse #5: Added Sweetener. We almost skipped this, but after watching one of our favorite Food Network stars add *an entire can of sweetened condensed milk*  to a tropical smoothie bowl recently (cue the collective gasp), we decided this needed to be said: your smoothie can be delicious without added sugar, maple syrup, honey, agave, or any other sweetener.  A lower-sugar fruit smoothie recipe can be unbelievably tasty, and we’re here to prove it. 

Dare to Compare

Now that we're sugar sleuths, let's take a look at the sugar total in a typical homemade strawberry-banana smoothie recipe:

Strawberry Banana Smoothie 

• 1 cup strawberries  
• 1 banana 
• 1 container vanilla low-fat greek yogurt 
• 1 cup "original flavor" almond milk

Total Sugar: 40 grams 

Everipe Strawberry Bananza Smoothie Kit 

• Banana 
• Mulberries
• Strawberries
• Chia seeds 
• Plant-based hulled hearts 
• Ground almonds
• Goji berry powder
• Mango
• Raspberries
• Cherries

Total Sugar: 19 grams (blended with ice + water)

At Everipe, we appreciate the conundrum of making a delicious tasting smoothie but managing the sugar content. It is a delicate balance, especially when you're trying to coax a picky eater (hint: this is sometimes ourselves!)  into trying healthy superfoods they would otherwise reject. We believe that healthy, lasting habits are best developed through enjoyment not deprivation; that if your smoothie isn't delicious then it's something to be endured. It is that exact feeling that causes many diets to end in failure and frustration. Head to head, our blend contains less than half the sugar of this typical homemade smoothie, and undoubtedly there are other smoothies with lower sugar than Everipe. But we're proud to stack ours against other recipes when considering the relationship between taste and health.   

Low on Sugar, Big on Nutrition, Huge on Flavor 

Did you know a key indicator of a healthy gut is the diversity of plants inside of it? Our smoothie kits use a variety of plant-based ingredients full of vitamins, minerals, and essential macronutrients--the foods that actually make you feel better when you consume them. We set out to create our recipes with a wonderful breadth of fruits, nuts, and seeds while keeping each smoothie under 20 grams of sugar, which is about the same as 1 large apple. 

Yes, you read that correctly: our smoothies contain the same amount of sugar as 1 large apple.  

How do we do it? As much as we're fans of winging it in most aspects of life, our smoothie recipes are chef-created and nutritionist-approved. We're pretty particular about what—and how much—goes into each blend. Because nutrition shouldn't come at the cost of flavor, and flavor shouldn't come at the cost of added sugar. And none of it should come at the cost of feeling good about what you and your family are consuming.  

Ready to meet your new favorite healthy (and easy!) smoothie? Shop all our blends here. 

Bee pollen is often buzzed about because it looks oh-so-pretty atop perfectly styled acai bowls on Instagram, but its good looks only scratch the surface on the powers of this superfood. Jam-packed with nutrition and healing properties, bee pollen is *way* more than decoration--it's your new pantry must-have. (We take our superfoods seriously around here. And our puns.)

Meet Bee Pollen: Valedictorian of the Superfood Class

In the world of superfoods, bee pollen’s resume is impressive. Bee pollen is one of nature’s most complete foods, as it contains nearly all nutrients necessary to sustain life. How’s that for the first line of a resume?

Bee pollen is a complete protein source (read: it has all the essential amino acids) and can pack up to 2g of protein per tablespoon--that’s more than the amount found in chicken, beef, or eggs of equal weight. It’s also an excellent source of vitamin A (an important immune-booster) with B vitamins, magnesium, iron, zinc, enzymes, and fatty acids. Its fiber content isn’t too shabby, either, coming in at 1.5g per tablespoon. Like we said...killer. resume. 

Thanks to health-conscious celebs, ala Victoria Beckham and Gwyneth Paltrow, bee pollen has been in headlines in recent years. But its powers were understood long before lifestyle brands and swipe-ups. Hippocrates and Pythagoras both prescribed bee pollen for its healing properties. The ancient Egyptians, Romans, and Chinese considered pollen a panacea. Native Americans wore pouches containing bee pollen around their necks on long journeys to help sustain their energy. (So...maybe it could be the tired mom cure-all? Here’s to hoping.) 

Bee Pollen is...what, exactly?

As honeybees bounce from flower to flower collecting nectar, pollen collects into little clumps on their hind legs. These clumps are sealed with a mix of saliva and honey or nectar, and brought back to the hive and packed into combs as a food source, creating the small granules we know as bee pollen. And now for the secret sauce: those bee secretions create a fermentation process that makes the nutrients of the flower pollen more readily available and gives bee pollen the nutritional density it’s known for. 

Bee pollen is collected as bees enter the hive and pass through a screen that gently scrapes their hind legs.  Think of it as a welcome mat at the hive for the bees to wipe their pollen-filled feet. 

Images and recipe courtesy of Planted Families. Thanks, Catrina! 

Opening up the kitchen to family-friendly culinary adventures is always a good idea, but especially in times like these. But busy hands in the kitchen isn't always easy, and your kitchen pantry may not be as readily stocked as it usually is (anyone else facing a flour shortage on their grocery store shelves?) 

That's why we were so inspired by this kitchen activity from one of our community members that we just had to share. 

Today's kid-approved Everipe hack is courtesy of Catrina of Planted Families: Nice Cream Cones! For those unfamiliar with the lingo, "nice cream" is ice cream made with more nutrient-dense ingredients than typically found in the freezer aisle. It's quick, creative, requires only a handful of ingredients, and the result is a nutritious sweet treat you can feel good about. Plus, the steps are all super kid-friendly, making it the perfect activity for a day at home. Talk about a total win.  

 

 

Ingredients 

• 1 Everipe Smoothie Kit (we recommend Strawberry Bananza, Cocoa Mojo, or Unbelievaberry) 
• 2 frozen bananas, halved (you can also use 1c ice, but frozen bananas give the best consistency)
• 1/4 cup milk of your choice (Catrina used coconut milk) 
• Ice cream cones
• Ice cream toppings & sprinkles

Tools 

• Food processor or blender 
• Spatula for scraping
• Spoon for serving
• Freezer-safe storage container w/ lid 

Directions 

Have your kitchen helper assist you in adding the smoothie kit, frozen banana halves, and milk to food processor.  

Pulse or blend until desired consistency is formed, stopping to scrape down the sides occasionally. Stopping for an occasional taste test is A-ok, too!

Consistency too thick? Add a splash of milk at a time. This is a great time to ask your child his/her opinion on the thickness, and if it is too thick, to come up with an idea on how to fix it. A science lesson made delicious!

Spoon and serve immediately or store in a freezer-safe container.  

Tips for serving: if your child is old enough, allow them to help scoop the ice cream into the cone. No cones? No problem! Scoop directly into a bowl.

Add an assortment of your favorite ice cream toppings in small bowls and allow the littles to customize their "nice" cream creations! 

 

 

Stay home.  Has the world ever been so unified under one single idea? As we each do our part for the greater good, we decided it was time to round up some resources for all social-distancers of all ages to find some solace during these hard times.  In times of crisis, Mr. Rogers tells us to look for the helpers--and there are amazing people and companies doing so much to help brighten this unsettling situation.  Here's our roundup of resources that might help you make it through these days at home: 

HEALTH 

Headspace: The meditation app has curated a collection of free resources tailored to the general public, employers/HR professionals, and teachers. Even better? Headspace is offering all healthcare workers working in a public health setting free access to Headspace Plus. Click here for more. 

Journey Live:  For those craving a side of community with your daily om, this meditation app offers live meditation classes, usually for a monthly or annual fee.  But for the rest of the month of March, Journey is giving users access to their live meditation classes for free.  Click here to sign up. 

YogaWorks: Join YogaWorks for free live stream classes throughout the day. The schedule is jam-packed with classes (around 3 offerings an hour!) for all levels.  

Fitness classes: The fitness world has risen to the occasion, finding creative ways to connect with their communities online.  This roundup of promotions (like 90 days free on the Peleton app) and classes (like Barry’s Bootcamp going on IG live) should cover most of your favorites. 

Also worth mentioning: keep tabs on your favorite local fitness/meditation studios or IG influencers who are also working hard to offer tons of free resources or low-cost options on their platforms.  Let's support local however we can! 

CULTURE

Art, Museums, and Music: If your brain can't take any more Netflix binging, it might be time to lean into some culture. From the comfort of your couch, you can visit some of the best art galleries and museums in the world, and even tune into a symphony or opera.  Click here for more. 

Libby: Anyone else trying to do their part by *not* overdoing it on the Amazon orders? So with many local libraries closed, we're giving our carts a rest and switching over to Libby, a free app that lets you borrow ebooks and digital audiobooks from your local library.  Click here for more. 

Masterclass: Take cooking classes from Gordon Ramsay, perfect the smoky eye with Bobbi Brown, or learn writing from Malcolm Gladwell.  For those of us who thought we wouldn't get around to learning for pleasure until retirement, now could actually be the time to dive into that hobby you've always wanted. 

KIDS

Brooklyn Public Library: Come for their daily virtual storytime, stay for the virtual Dungeons and Dragons. 

Virtual visits: Hang out with the animals (our fave: the baboons!) at the San Diego Zoo, ocean life at the  Monterey Bay Acquarium, or explore the surface of Mars with NASA's Curiosity Rover.  

DreamBox Learning: DreamBox is an adaptive, online K-8 math learning curriculum (you select your state's proficiency standards, the platform handles the rest) and is offering free access for parents for 90 days.

Lunchtime Doodles with Mo Willems: If you can snag a spot live, join Mo Willems in his studio for a lunchtime doodle each weekday.  End up number 28,371 in the queue? (Yes, that happened to us.) Fear not--lunchtime doodles are recorded and can easily become breakfast doodles the next morning. 

Mindful Schools: Mindful Schools is offering free Zoom classes Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.  We didn't make it into Thursday's class (the Zoom was at max capacity) but did get an email with the recording. 

And while our collective sanity is important, most of all we want to wish you and your loved ones good health during this difficult time.  For those of you directly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic or fighting it on the front lines, our hearts are with you.  

 

Are you eating the foods your immune system loves? Here's a rundown of some immune system basics, the vitamins and minerals it needs to thrive, and some of our favorite foods to find them in.

New year, totally new thing on the blog: our first official guest post!  And if that wasn't exciting enough, in this post our superfoods are taking a break from the blender and heading into the OVEN.  The very first Everipe superfood baked good has been created.  The recipe is simple, healthy, and totally delish. Enjoy! 

Guest written by Maria Fernanda Lopez of Purely Healthy Living:
We all have our own holiday classic. Every culture has its own signature Christmas/holiday recipe, and orange cranberry is one of those classic recipes we enjoy during this season. Taking inspiration from that combo, I created my own variation with the ingredients I already have in my pantry.

I used Everipe's Unbelievaberry smoothie kit containing berries, chia seeds and hemp seeds for the berry.  For the orange touch I used sweet orange essential oil. Have you tried using essential oils for cooking? It's a simple way to add extra flavor with just a few drops.

The combination of berries and orange is just AMAZING. So flavorful! Definitely obsessed with this recipe. Those drops of orange essential oils really make a difference; I usually get my essential oils at Marshalls or TJ-Maxx. 

These muffins were made using paleo ingredients so these will be:
- Wheat Free
- Gluten Free
- Lactose Free
They are are also low carb thanks to the monk fruit, a natural sugar that doesn't give us glucose spikes. Added bonus: it's keto and diabetic friendly! 

As with most of my recipes, this is a simple recipe with simple steps. Healthy foods meet convenience and flavor--one of my mottos when it comes to cooking. 

Orange Berry Paleo Muffins

By Maria Fernanda Lopez

Serves 12
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup of coconut flour
- 1/4 cup of almond flour
- 1/4 cup of ground flaxseed
- 1/3 cup of monk fruit sweetener 
- 1 tsp of baking powder
- 1 tsp of cinnamon
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup of nut milk or water
- 1/4 cup melted ghee or coconut oil
- 1/3 cup of dried berries (no sugar added)
- 3oz. of low carb chocolate pieces
 
Method
1. Preheat the oven at 350F.
2. Mix the dry ingredients, skip the dried fruit and the chocolate.
3. Add the wet ingredients and mix well.
4. Pour the mix into twelve muffin cups.
5. Top with berries and chocolate.
6. Bake for 24 minutes.
7. Let them cool down and ENJOY!
Nutritional Information (per serving 152 kcal)
Fat: 11.8g
Carbs:10.3g
Fiber: 5.8g
Protein: 4.2g