Updates from Leah Negrin

Chocolate Protein Crunch Bars

Chocolate Protein Crunch Bars
Sometimes you just need to have a little treat! And these are DELICIOUS!!

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup Organic peanut butter without any sugar or palm oil
  • 1 cup Maple Syrup
  • 3 cups Rice Puffs Cereal
  • 1 1/4 cups Vanilla Protein Powder
  • 1 1/2 cups Dark Chocolate Chips
Instructions:
  1. Line a pan with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, add the peanut butter and maple syrup and mix well to combine. Add the cereal and protein powder and mix well with a spatula until thoroughly combined.
  3. Transfer the cereal mixture into the prepared pan, pressing down to create an even layer.
  4. Add water to a double boiler or fill a small pot halfway with water and place a heat-safe bowl on top. Bring the water to a boil and add the chocolate chips to the bowl. Melt the chocolate, stirring often. Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate chips in the microwave on 30-second intervals.
  5. Pour the melted chocolate over the cereal, spreading it out to create an even layer. Transfer to the fridge until the chocolate has completely set, about 45 minutes, or overnight.
  6. Remove the cereal bars and slice into rectangular pieces. Enjoy!

One Pot Creamy Red Curry Pasta

One Pot Creamy Red Curry Pasta
This is a delicious weeknight dinner that is super easy to throw together and it has a little kick to it, which I love!

Ingredients:
  • 2 tsps Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1/4 cup Shallot (chopped)
  • 3 1/2 cups Water
  • 2 cups Canned Coconut Milk
  • 1 tbsp Thai Red Curry Paste
  • 2 cups Brown Rice Penne
  • 1/3 cup Dry Red Lentils (rinsed)
  • 2 cups Broccoli (cut into florets)
  • 1/2 Lemon (juiced)
  • 2 cups Baby Spinach
Instructions:
  1. Add the oil to a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the shallots. Sauté until fragrant.
  2. Add the water and coconut milk and whisk in the red curry paste to combine it well. Then, add the penne, red lentils, and broccoli. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a low simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente.
  3. Stir in the lemon juice and baby spinach. Serve and enjoy!
Notes: this red curry paste is one that doesn’t have too many ‘bad’ ingredients, a lot of the ones in stores are NO. If you can’t find one that doesn’t have a bunch of added sugar you can do chili powder, turmeric, cumin, coriander, garlic salt and some paprika - with a little bit of gluten-free soy sauce (TamarI).

Watermelon-Lime Vitality Sherbet

Watermelon-Lime Vitality Sherbet
This light, refreshing citrus treat is perfect for cooling you down even on the hottest summer days while satisfying that sweet tooth. With only a few ingredients, it’s simple to make and incredibly delicious!

This recipe makes two servings.

Ingredients:
4 cups frozen watermelon cubes
¾ cup whipped coconut cream, homemade or store bought
2 drops Lime Vitality

Simply blend it together and enjoy!

Adapted From Young Living Blog

Importance of Gut Health While Pregnant

Importance of Gut Health While Pregnant
Let me give you a heads up incase you didn't know.... nearing the end of your pregnancy be prepared for a v swab to test for this strain of bacteria, knowing as GBS (Group B streptococcus). This bacteria can cause health issues for baby if it is present when mom delivers.

There are a lot of different reasons that it is important to care for your gut while you're pregnant. One that was at the forefront of my mind when I was carrying my little guy was maternal Group B streptococcus (GBS) specifically in the v💮ginal canal.

If you test positive for GBS in certain settings you will be prescribed an antibiotic during labor (and sometimes before) and I wanted to avoid that as much as possible, which I knew was possible.

Enter the gut health focus.

I had been taking a probiotic before pregnancy and continued to do so during, especially containing two strains, both of which have over 25 years of clinical data supporting their supplementation during pregnancy. lactobacillus rhamnosus, GR-1 and lactobacillus reuteria, RC-14.

The other idea with this is to help your baby be seeded with healthy bacteria during birth, which can absolutely impact your baby's gut health too.

These two strains were used in a well designed, randomized trial of 99 pregnant women who tested positive for GBS at 35-37 weeks. Half of the women received probiotic treatment (containing 10 billion CFU of each strain), while the other half received a placebo.

The women were tested again for GBS when they were admitted to the hospital for delivery and among the women who received probiotics 43% tested negative for GBS compared to only 18% in the placebo group.

Besides a probiotic you can get these strains in sweet potatoes, or yams, artichokes, and beans, some yogurts, Fermented milk/kefir, Sauerkraut, Miso, Kombucha.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Whether enjoyed as a morning indulgence with a steaming cup of coffee/tea or as a sweet afternoon pick-me-up, lemon poppy seed muffins are a timeless classic that you can never go wrong with!

Ingredients: 
  • 1/2 cup Coconut Flour
  • 1/3 cup Maple Syrup
  • 6 Egg
  • 1/3 cup Coconut Oil (melted)
  • 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
  • 1 Lemon (zested and juiced)
  • 1 tbsp Poppy Seeds
Instructions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF (177ºC) and line a muffin tray with liners.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine coconut flour, maple syrup, eggs, coconut oil and salt. Stir well to combine. Add in lemon zest, lemon juice and poppy seeds. Mix well.
  3. Use a ¼ measuring cup to ladle the batter into the muffin tray. Place in oven and bake for 35 minutes.
  4. Remove from oven and let cool. Enjoy!

 
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Meet Leah Negrin

 
I am a bold, beautiful, sometimes timid, usually happy, essential oil, nutrition junkie. Although at 39 I feel as if I've had several careers over a lifetime (or at least sometimes when I look back at my resume that is what shines through). I've been a paralegal, an office manager, an administrative assistant, worked in commercial lending and have finally landed on nutrition.

My journey to nutrition started many years ago when my sister was diagnosed with celiac disease and food had to change for the family. From there, along my own health journey I’ve helped people not only figure out what to eat but how to do it so that it can work for them sustainably. For almost seven years I’ve been counseling people on their nutrition and weight loss journeys. 

Finally getting some sunshine in Southern California *Photo credit  Brittany Hassett 

I am knowledgeable about what purpose food serves your body and I focus on finding sustainable options when it comes to food; this also led to my love of essential oils. I had the opportunity to attend a workshop where a registered dietitian spoke about using essential oils in her practice to help her patients. I was floored. I knew that #plantsheal but I didn't realize that others in the 'conventional' medical community thought that as well!! Learning that it was possible to incorporate these magical little bottles gave me a huge sense of hope.


Alina, myself and Caitlin (oily bffs) *Photo credit Anne Negrin

 
As I learned more about these oils I was diagnosed with increased intestinal permeability or as many of us know it, leaky gut. Leaky gut has been around for quite awhile but many of us are just learning what this is or why this is even more common these days than ever before. Many issues can be related to leaky gut including autoimmune diseases. Receiving this diagnosis just led me down a path further to learn about nutrition and how to best serve my body and take care of myself.


Enjoying a vegan ice cream cone in Budapest! *Photo credit to Michelle Owen 

Since birthing our sweet baby boy at home earlier this year I’ve been incredibly passionate about helping other women too who are pregnant and new mothers with their nutrition. Eating healthy for your pregnant body and your postpartum self is a game changer for both mother and baby.

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