Holistic Yoga Flow Teacher Training Recap

Holistic Yoga Flow Teacher Training Recap:

This weekend was, to say the least, amazing! Travis Eliot created a powerful, dynamic, and relative yoga experience that pushes the body and mind to the highest limit. I knew a little bit about him because of the popularity of his recent DVD series "The Ultimate Yogi", which comprises of 14 DVD's and is in the similar style of P90X and Insanity. "The Ultimate Yogi" is a 108-day journey that literally transforms the mind and body, and brings it to it's full potential. 
 

Here is a link to his website: 

http://www.traviseliot.com/

 Anyways, because of all the hype that this DVD series is getting, I went into the teacher training this weekend with high expectations. I paid a lot of money for this weekend experience, and I wanted my money's worth :)
 

The weekend began on Friday night, at Purple Yoga in Tustin. I have to give a quick shout out to this studio, because it is my fav! It's such a beautiful space, and I have always had great instructors. About five years ago I went to a hot yoga class and passed out (who goes to a hot yoga class when fasting? Oh yeah, anorexic Beth. Good thing those days are over!), and the instructor Joe (who owns the studio) knew exactly what to do. He was super nice about the whole fiasco, and when the peramedics left he gave me two huge bottles of coconut water. yay. 

Here is a pic of a yoga class at Purple Yoga in Tustin: 

That is the room we practiced in :) 

 

Moving on. 

Friday night, Travis did a Vinyasa flow class that kicked my butt. Seriously. We are talking like SO many vinyasas. Not to mention holding Warrior III for 2 minutes. The Saturday morning flow was centered around twists and backbends, and it was in a vinyasa-power style so I was sweating buckets. Yin yoga in the aftternoon, and I had never done a restoritive class before, so it was very interesting. I didn't sweat at all, but the deep hip stretching felt amazing, especially after the previous crazy-intense classes. Each pose was held for a total of 3 minutes, which made the streches that much deeper and more intense. It was more difficult mentally than physically, because I have a hard time sitting still. The Sunday flow was straight up power yoga, and we held each pose for what felt like ever. My hamstrings were so sore afterwards! Sunday afternoon was a Mountain Pose series, and like the Yin yoga, it wasn't as physically difficult as it was mentally. I became super sleepy and had a difficult time concentrating on the movements. 

Travis also led a meditation class, which was also new to me. He led the meditation by asking us to think of someone in our life that needs help, or is stuck, and then he told us to essentially pray for that person during the meditation. It was so cool! I don't take enough time to pray for people (just being honest), and it was a really cool experience just sitting in one place for 30 minutes praying for this person and thinking about God. 

A few things I love about Travis' classes:

1) Physically exhausting/challenging

2) Mentally challenging

3) I feel amazing afterwards - completely worked, stretched, and relaxed

4) He utilizes hands-on adjustments

5) The way he words things makes you feel confident in your ability to complete what feels like an impossible feat

6) Never once did I feel like he was showing off

7) He genuinely cares 

Lauren Eckstrom also came to assist Travis for the workshops. She is GORGEOUS, and is so so so knowledgeable. I would seriously love to study under her if she didn't live in Santa Monica. Sad face.

www.laureneckstrom.com

He taught quite a few practicums, but my favorite was on Auyrvedic medicine. It's this whole philosophy based on natural medicine: essentially, you are what you eat, and you are what you do. Auyrvedic medicine aims to find the source of your medical issue instead of treating the symptoms. I think about the times I have been to the doctor (like when I had my knee issue after the 1/2 marathon), and they ask you what's wrong and then say, okay, well, I will write out a prescription for you...blah blah blah. Anitbiotics, pain meds, whatever you want. 

It's actually kind of scare just how easy it is to obtain pills.

I also think it's ironic how doctors will shell out medication but won't put unhealthy people on diets. I understand that you can't force people to eat a certain way, but nutrition is SUCH a huge factor when it comes to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, digestive issues, skin issues, etc. And stress has a huge impact on health as well! 

Anyways, what I love about Ayurveda is that the Ayurveda "doctor" asks you tons of questions, like what do you eat, how to do you sleep,where do you work, what shampoo do you use, what kind of car do you drive, etc, and then asks a ton of questions regarding your symptoms. They search for the root cause, and once they find out what that is they will develop a nutritional/herbal/lifestyle change that will heal the root cause of your symptoms. This type of medicine also takes time and sometimes the symptoms dont' go away immediately because the chemical/cellular structure of your body has to change in order for the root cause to be healed. 

This type of medicine really makes sense to me. I understand that medications are important and whatnot, especially if a condition is high risk (like diabetes), but treating symptoms will never make the problem disappear. For example, I have a skin condition called rosacea, and when I go to the doctor they give me antibiotics or birth control to clear my skin...but the rosacea is still there. When I stop taking the medication, the rosacea returns. 

Of course this is all to say that I am definitely buying some books on the subject so that I can learn more and more :) 

This approach to medicine kind of reminds me of Kimberly Snyder and _________ 's approach to healing diseases. Green juice, baby. Green juice. 

Random side note: I LOST MY JUICER!!! How does one lose such a large object? I have NO idea. But I am sad. At least I have an amazing blender to get me through this tough time. And it's a great blender. But still. I don't like to blend celery and cucumbers, you know?

All to say, it was an amazing weekend of yoga.

Now, all I have to do is keep practicing, and hopefully avoid smashing my nose into the ground :)

=<3 Beth

My Yoga Journey: Teacher Training?

I have been doing yoga since I was about thirteen years old. At the time, my sole focus in life was ballet; the second was to be as fit as possible. I took it to an obsessive level. I did Pilates all over the house, when I woke up, before I lay down to sleep at night. The “500” was my go-to when watching a movie. I was constantly moving, always looking to burn five more calories. I was not naturally thin, and I had to compete with my 80 lb friends at the studio for parts.

At some point, my mom brought home a tape (yes, VHS), enclosed in a cover that pictured a pretty blond wearing a turquoise sports bra and matching leggings, eyes closed, in and handstand backbend. She was placed in some kind of tropical location. “Yoga: Vinyasa Flow” showed bright blue above the picture of the girl. I saw the picture, and I wanted to be her. I wanted that beach, her hair, her peaceful aura. 

I pushed the tape into the VHS player, and the next 30 minutes were…difficult. As a dancer/Pilates nut I wasn’t used to holding a position for longer than ten seconds. My arms burned. My legs burned. My patience suffered. Rainbeau Mars had the softest voice; she told me to let go, to relax, to breathe, to think about what was happening inside my body as I lengthened and stretched and poured sweat.

After the 30 minutes were over, I laid in corpse pose for the first time and a warm tingling sensation flowed over my whole body. My muscles were limp, my neck softly sunk into the ground, my feet naturally flopped in some variation of first position. Rainbeau told me to thank God. I said a short prayer, thanking the Trinity for giving me my body and my breath.

And my life was changed.

I would describe a good yoga experience as a good massage, combined with an intense workout, coupled with mindful peace and forced rest. The combination is, to say, 100% blissful. You leave the mat feeling energized, relaxed, alert, and at peace. Because I am a Christian, I also leave the mat with a sense of spiritual renewal as I have learned how to focus on God and pray through my practice. For me, there is nearly nothing like it.

Needless to say, because I love doing yoga so much I naturally gravitate toward teaching it. I have looked into countless teacher training programs (and there are countless programs in Southern California), but never felt like I foudn “the program” for me, until I stumbled upon Purple Yoga in Fullerton about 4 years ago. It had previously been a Bikram Yoga studio, which I liked, but when I took my first Purple Yoga class it was like a light bulb went off in my head. Hot-Power-Vinyasa yoga, in a beautiful studio and the best instructor I had ever come in contact with?

I later found out that they had a teacher training program, and I immediately wanted to do it. At the time, I couldn’t because of college and then getting engaged and then getting married and being poor (lol).

Now, however, I feel pretty ready to take the plunge and become a certified instructor. Because the full program is two months of jam-packed sessions and studying, I decided to take a “mini” teacher training intensive this weekend to see if it’s “for me”.

I begin On Friday. The intensive will be led by Travis Eliot, creator of The Ultimate Yoga series. He’s becoming a bit famous in the yoga world so I am beyond excited to be studying with a renowned teacher. The weekend includes seminars on vinyasa, nutrition, wellness, yoga sequencing, relaxation, and MORE. I seriously can’t wait. 30 hours of YOGA!? Yay.

I Lifted Weights!!!

Breakfast this morning: 

It has been a crazy week! Luckily, I have been able to be very consistent with my nutrition and training schedule to fit into my bridesmaid dress on March 22...only a half inch in my chest/ back to go!

On another note...I LOVE that Jamba Juice gives out Competitor Magazine for free!! It is such an inspiring read. Next time you are getting some juice (remember to stay away from the sugar infested smoothies!!) grab a copy of this mag...it might motivate you to sign up for a race!

There is a really great article in the current issue about race training for speed.

Dinner Last night: 

Eggs, Tomato & Mango salsa, bell peppers, steamed asparagus, 1/2 avocado

My Breakfasts and Lunches have been looking like this lately: 

Hard boiled eggs, salsa, celery, chicken, fruit, avocado. 

ANNOUNCEMENT:

I took a Body Pump class last night and finally tried weight training! 

I liked it except I wished there was more of a focus on abs/butt isolation...I'm also not that sore, which shows that maybe I didn't lift heavy enough? I don't want my arms to get too buff! Everyone tells me that my arms won't get buff by lifting heavy, but my arms are already pretty toned/buff and I don't lift at all!

I am going to try another class tonight and see if lifting heavier makes a difference. You would think after doing 150 (or more?) squats my legs/ butt would be sore...but no. 

I am going sign off and devour a bag of fruit.

 

Cheers! 

<3 Beth

National Eating Disorder Awareness Week

 

 As last week was the National Eating Disorder Awareness week, I thought it appropriate to re-blog this article to promote awareness. Katie Levans is a blogger (you might have also seen her on the latest season of The Bachelor) I follow on the reg, and I love her approach to health, fitness, and body-image. The following article was originally found on Elephant Journal's website. 

 

To read the original article, click here.

To view Katie's blog, click here.

 

Beyond the Body: Yoga & Disordered Eating. ~ Katie Levans

Photo: Courtney Linnehan

February 24 – March 2 is National Eating Disorder Awareness week.

I remember when I stopped eating. It was Christmas break of my junior year of high school. The holiday was over and we had a little over a week before returning to classes. I don’t know why or how but I made a very clear, very conscious decision not to eat until New Year’s Eve.

I’d always had a preoccupation with weight and appearance. I wasn’t obese by any stretch of the imagination (or medical definition), but I certainly held on to my “baby fat” well into adolescence and therefore, never got behind that ’90s girl trick of tying one’s shirt into a crop top with a knot on one side. (In the end, I suppose that’s a fashion bullet I artfully—albeit accidentally—dodged.)

I preferred baggy sweatsuits and leggings and wouldn’t wear a pair of jeans until middle school. Swimsuits were absolutely out of the question unless paired with an oversized t-shirt, an accessory that—let’s be honest—only drew more attention to my feeble attempt to disappear.

Today I’m a full-time yoga teacher and I live and breathe in nothing-left-to-the-imagination spandex, grateful every single day for a strong, healthy body that carries me through life and for the practice that taught me to finally love and appreciate that body.

But growing up my body was at no point something to celebrate. I never saw it as a living, breathing miracle of science rapidly replicating cell upon cell, building a framework of flesh and bone and blood that would house my soul for the rest of my adult life. Instead I always saw it as something shameful, something imperfect, something to change.

Where did I learn this? Certainly not from my mom who didn’t allow scales in the house and always disapproved of plastic surgery horror stories on the news, shaking her head and reminding us we were perfect the way we were. In fact, I can’t recollect a time I have ever heard her speak negatively of her own appearance let alone mine.

I guess I could blame TV and movies, airbrushed magazines that misrepresent what the human form is, and the resulting “beauty ideal” that is neither attainable nor existent.

And, really, it’s a combination of all of the above. The fact is we’re born into an image-obsessed world that is constantly telling us to be something and someone else: thinner, taller, tanner, sexier.

Skinny jeans not working with your actual genes? We can lipo that! Pale? Spray on a tan! Pudgy? Pop a diet pill! Perfect? Impossible!
It’s sick, really.

My decision to stop eating in high school didn’t seem so abnormal to me at the time.

Everyone was dieting. Lots of girls wanted to lose weight. What started as a week of seemingly innocent weight control quickly spiraled into a lifetime of disordered eating behaviors, including extreme calorie restriction, crash dieting, binging and exercise-induced anorexia, all habits that people around me seem to consider “normal” girl behavior.

I always choose my words carefully here: “disordered eating” instead of “eating disorder.” Part of it’s because it sounds, ironically enough, a little prettier. A little less crazy, if you will. And part of it’s that I’ve never had an actual diagnosis and I feel that claiming an eating disorder without really having one trivialize the estimated eight million, sometimes fatal clinical cases in the US.

What I’ve experienced is what’s called an Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS), a catchall classification in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) that covers any pattern of disordered eating behavior that doesn’t fit the definition of Anorexia Nervosa or bulimia.

Unfortunately, the sad reality is that 70 percent of all eating disorders fall under this category and, therefore, are largely undiagnosed and untreated. In fact, our view is so warped on the subject that clearly disordered behaviors have somehow become the norm: skipping a meal to save calories, over-exercising to compensate for an indulgence, eliminating entire food groups, bingeing (even without purging) and an unrelenting preoccupation with food are all disordered eating behaviors.

I’m not saying that healthy eating and weight loss are to be abandoned, but an unhealthy preoccupation with either can be more damaging—mentally and physically—than most people realize.

Photo: Wanda Koch

Recovery from eating disorders is rare, and while treatment programs can help to normalize and stabilize, most associated behaviors will last a lifetime.

Personally, I’ve never sought professional help, but I have found—quite by accident—some semblance of normalcy only through an unexpected practice of yoga.
When I first started practicing yoga six years ago, I did so (not surprisingly) to lose weight (and ideally look like Jennifer Anniston, who I heard through the tabloid grapevine was on her mat on the regular). But what started as an exercise rooted in a preoccupation with my appearance quickly taught me to transcend beyond my physical body to something bigger.
I don’t recall one specific moment of clarity or the ever-elusive sense of enlightenment yogis chase, but I do know that over time I slowly stopped viewing my body as something to torture and starve and punish with exercise and instead looked at it as an incredible machine capable of carrying me through seemingly impossible poses and into a life of unlimited possibility. For the first time ever my body became something to celebrate.

Photo: Courtney Linnehan

While my experience is anecdotal, I know my story is not the only one of its kind. In fact, there is even some emerging research that supports yoga as a successful adjunctive therapy to standard eating disorder treatments.
One study in the Journal of Adolescent Health found a decrease in eating disorder symptoms and decreased food preoccupation in a group of boys and girls ages 11-21. And another in the Psychology of Women Quarterly found that women who practice yoga report lower self-objectification, greater body satisfaction and fewer disordered eating attitudes.

What’s so beautiful about yoga, I think, is that the practice uses the body to ultimately disconnect us from the body.

It seems counterintuitive at first, but dedication to a physical yoga practice is what led me to the realization that I am not my body, that I am not limited by its physical limitations nor defined by its dimensions. And for that, I am forever grateful.


Katie Levans is a full-time yoga teacher, writer, fighter of hunger and dietetics school dropout with a Master of Science in Nutrition. She lives, works and plays in Charlotte, North Carolina.
www.katielevans.com | twitter: @sweettaterblog | katierlevans@gmail.com

Goin' Paleo

Happy Thursday Lovelies!

In my previous post, I wrote about my goals for 2013. One of the serious ones (the ones I am dead-set on accomplishing) is to EAT LESS SUGAR. When I followed the Eat Clean Diet, I was only consuming corn syrup/sugar once a week, which was awesome, but it still didn't break my sugar cravings. Additionally, I never completely gave up honey, which I added to my afternoon green tea.

About a month ago, Joel asked me a very surprising question: "Hey, Beth, what do you think about going Paleo in January?"

My reaction: "Paleo? A whole month?"

Let me explain. A few of my husband's friends are avid Crossfit junkies. They love to lift weights. They love to grunt. They love to pat each other on the back.

They also love Paleo.  Or hate Paleo. Or a combination of the two.

Paleo is not a "diet". It is literally a lifestyle change. The theory stems from "cavemen" eating - if you can't hunt/gather it, you can't eat it. This means anything PROCESSED is out of the picture. The diet also excludes dairy (the theory is that no other animal drinks another animal's milk, so why should we? some liberal-Paleoists believe that dairy is okay if it is unprocessed, raw, organic, and whole) gluten (which should not be in any human's diet due to the fact that is makes your intestines polluted...eww, gross), and refined sugar (including any processed sweeteners, like stevia).

So, "Paleo" is pretty much incredibly incredibly difficult and annoying.

The CEO of the company I work for is Paleo (he is also gluten intolerant) and he told me that he has never felt so good in his entire life...he never craves sugar, is full of energy, and sleeps better than he ever has! After hearing his story, I became a bit more inclined to trying it out, and since Joel had mentioned doing it, I thought to myself "well, what the heck? Let's give it a go."

Here is a list of "allowed" food: 

Meat (beef, poultry, fish, pork, etc.)

Veggies (except corn and peas)

Fruit (they encourage to go light on bananas since they are high in fructose)

Nuts (again, these should be limited due to high calorie and fat content)

Sweet Potatoes, in moderation (regular potatoes are not allowed because they were not "invented" until the agricultural revolution - sweet potatoes have been in South Africa since the Paleozoic era, so they are okay)

Here is a list of "banned" food:

Anything processed - the list is insurmountable, so I will not try to surmount it.

All dairy - Why? because dairy was not consumed by our ancestors, and if/when it was, it was completely organic, raw, whole milk, which pretty much doesn't exist anymore. Maybe at a Whole Foods. But still.

All gluten/high lectin foods: Why? Because it causes weird stuff to go down into your stomach/digestive tract, causes many forms of auto-immune diseases, and can also stimulate insulin production much like sugar. This includes all wheat and bean products.Additionally, our bodies were not made to digest foods that had to be cooked (beans and wheat have to be boiled/soaked) - they were made for animals like birds.

All Alcohol -  Some liberal Paleoists believe vodka and red wine to be appropriate, but strict Paleoists drink no alcohol whatsoever

 All Sugar - This includes artificial sweeteners too! Most Paleo-ists allow honey in its raw, wild form, as it can be found in the wild (hence, the name "Wild Raw Honey". Go figure.)

My Take on the Whole Thing:

Okay, so, I really want to stop craving sugar. And lattes. And did I say sugar? So, I believe that Paleo will help me battle my taste buds and possibly even win one for a change. Ha. I also love trying new things, and I am constantly on the hunt for ways to make my headaches/migrains go away, and I love cleansing my body of gross chemicals and toxins.

I am officially on Paleo day #2 and I am CRAVING sugar. Like reeeeal bad.

It's probably because of the Christmas cookies that are staring at me from my kitchen counter.

Oh, that reminds me, I need to throw away all of my tantalizing food. Blast.

Although I highly doubt this Paleo business will last longer than February, I am glad I am doing it, and it's kind of fun planning all of the recipes and cooking and shopping...especially with Joel!

Tonight I'll post my first Paleo recipe...hopefully it inspires you to eat more veggies!

<3 Beth

Have a Skinny Holiday!!!! Tips and Tricks :)

The holiday season is here!!! 

Joel and I are, for the first time ever, participating in Black Friday craziness.

More on that later. 

I know that as the winter and holiday season approaches, we tend to eat a bit more and work out a bit less...and over time, we gain 6,7,8,9 pounds. 

Depending, of course, what kind of mom/husband/wife you have. 

I don't know about you, but this is what I want to look like in January: 

 

 

(Thank you Pinterest for the Fitspiration!!! Follow me HERE.)

These girls are all super hott but not because they are SKINNY! They are FIT and STRONG.

Now that is sexy :) 

Every year, before the holiday season begins, I make a list of fitness goals that I stick to to help me get through the holidays without gaining pounds. This is, of course, no easy task, especially since Joel works at a church and everyone brings him delicious sweet things to bring home and lay out on the kitchen counter for all of the world to see.

(source)

But here is an incredible, almost unbelievable fact:

Last year I actually LOST two pounds over the three month holiday season.

And, if you are wondering, I didn't deprive myself, and I didn't say no to cookies. 

Here is a practical list of tips that I followed that will not only help you maintain your current weight over the holidays, but will help you LOSE it once and for all:  

Please note that this is only what I have learned from personal experience! I am not a professional dietitian. 

1. Sweat once a day. 

20 minutes on the elliptical is better than nothing.

Go for a 30 minute jog. If you live in So Cal, you can't use the weather as an excuse to stay on the couch. 

If you can't leave your house, here are some youtube channels that have 

great follow-along workouts:

Pop Pilates

Sarah Fit 

 

Body Rock TV 

Also, exercise is one of the ONLY WAYS to naturally bring sugar levels down, as your muscles will use the sugar as fuel for your workout! See this Live Strong Article , it explains it really well :)

****NOTE****

 IF YOU WANT TO BURN A TON OF CALORIES IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME, OPT FOR HIGH INTERVAL TRAINING CIRCUITS . 

 

(source)

  Below are some links to a few great HIIT workouts (click on the links): 

Shape.com HIIT Workout

Oxygen Magazine HIIT

And here is a great follow along HIIT video:

Pop HIIT 

 

Now, with these awesome links, you have no excuse not to sweat at LEAST once a day. Even if your workout is only the ten minutes before you get in the shower, that short workout can speed up your metabolism so that you can eat more food without gaining inches. (The Pop HIIT is really short, too, so I KNOW you can find time to do it).

And who doesn't want that???

  

2. Drink tons, and tons, and tons, of water.

Holiday food is usually loaded with salt and sugar, two substances that can make you dehydrated, which will make you retain water and gain water weight (eww gross).  I try to drink a gallon of water a day (about 128 ounces) when I know I will be consuming large amounts of sugar/salt, and it helps SO MUCH! You know that gross bloated feeling you get when you over eat? Drinking tons of water will prevent/help that!!

3. Drink warm lemon water (with real lemon squeezes!) in the afternoon.  

According to Live Strong (gosh I love that website!), this lovely beverage will cleanse your system, aid in digestion, and stimulate your liver. Even better, is GREEN TEA WITH LEMON! The caffeine and antioxidants in the tea will give your metabolism an extra boost.

4. Simply don't overdue it.
Have a cookie, and stop after one, okay two, okay three ;)

If you drink alcohol, set a limit, don't exceed it. Alcohol is SO fattening and will actually slow your metabolism down! Very, very bad.

5. Enjoy the holidays outside the realm of food.

 Walk through twinkling neighborhoods. 

Go to parties.

Volunteer for a charity and serve your community.

Make ornaments with friends. 

Watch a Christmas movie. 

Read the Christmas Story. 

Decorate your house. 

Go to church. 

Drive to the mountains (or, if you have snow in your backyard) and have a snowball fight. 

Paint your nails a sparkly red or green or gold. 

 Shop for presents. 

Write an encouraging card. 

The list can be endless!!! Start to make memories around activities instead of around a table/counter consuming an excessive amount of sugar :) 

Comment below and share YOUR favorite Christmas activities and your skinny tips and tricks!

 <3 Beth

Fall Inspiration

Fall is my favorite time of year...the anticipation of Thanksgiving and Christmas, combined with the warm scents of cinnamon and warm cookies, make pre-winter months both exciting and full of hope. 

In a couple of days we will be sharing a meal with friends and family. 

What will your Thanksgiving look like?

 

 

Sigh. Don't you love Pinterest?

IMPORTANT:

 

Don't forget to push the cardio this week, and burn those calories so that the holiday week doesn't set you back. 

You still want to look good in those tight leather leggings, right?

Or perhaps, a backless dress?

Or, you just want to look dang fine?
 







 

 


 

(Can you guess what my favorite colors are???)

Either way, don't neglect your body. It's the only one you have. 

If you want to follow me on Pinterest, you can find me here.

Happy Travels,

<3 Beth

Paleo/Gluten Free/Vegan Home-made Ice Cream

Like my post titles?? I am very creative. 

I also love apples. 

Sigh. Fall is so my favorite season. 

 

 

Anywho!

Last night I was CRAVING (ladies, you know what I'm talking about) ice cream. Like really badly. Like, I-am-going-to-drive-to-the-store-and-eat-an-entire--pint-of-Ben & Jerry's kind of craving.

Here's how I deal:

Pumpkin Banana Home Made "ice cream". 

 It's brilliant, because it makes your craving go away and it's super good for you AND low in cals! 
 

Here's what you need:

1 1/2 cups Pumpkin (the can needs to say 100% pumpkin!)

4 frozen bananas

1 tsp maple syrup

Cinnamon

Cocoa powder

Dash of almond/soy milk

Just in case you were interested:

Here are six reasons why you should eat tons of pumpkin: 
 
1. It's loaded with cartinoids.
2. It contains 3 grams of fiber per serving.
3. It promotes production of the anti-oxidant beta carotene.
4. It contains the amino acid tryptophan, which helps the production of serotonin. 
(aka it makes your mood happy)
5. One cup has 564 milligrams of potassium (oh daaaang). 
6. 1 Cup contains more than 200% of your daily intake of Vitamin A.

(source)
 

Anyways, 

Now that you know why you should make this incredible dessert, all you need to do is blend all of the ingredients in a food processor and voila!!!!

 

Happy Travels!

<3 Beth

 

Saturday in Pictures

Here are some fun pics my BFF Lauren and I took in Laguna Beach yesterday...

You can check out Lauren's photography here.

Have a fabulous weekend!