Healthy Chocolate Desserts for Valentines

Dark Chocolate has awesome HEALTH BENEFITS, as it contains polyphenols - a powerful antioxidant (like that found in green tea, berries and red wine) that helps defend against free radicals and diseases like heart disease, cancer and chronic inflammation. Dark chocolate is also high in minerals (including copper, iron & magnesium), has anti-inflammatory properties, can improve insulin sensitivity, lower blood pressure and LDL cholesterol, and is even good for your mood! 

BUT because large amounts of SUGAR is most definitely harmful (for everyone!), I make sure to enjoy chocolate without all the sugar (nor milk nor additives) that comes in regular commercial chocolate. I buy organic 70%+ dark chocolate, or I make my own desserts using raw cacao.

My “go-to” is a chocolate chia pudding (email me for this recipe!), but for special occasions, I like playing with different recipes, ones that are maybe a bit sweeter and delicious for just about anyone!

Since Valentine’s Day is coming up, I got inspired to try new chocolate recipes. I’m not someone that tends to make a big deal about this holiday, but I love It as an excuse to indulge in some rich chocolate (and some roses are much appreciated as well!).

After some experimenting, I found 2 recipes that I love (without being too sweet), and think you will, too!

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Why Diets Don't Work & What Does

I know this is a controversial topic as many people LOVE diets. It's a great excuse to pig-out today because you're starting a diet tomorrow. If that's you, I get it, you want a quick solution to lose a few pounds, and want to indulge in everything else when you’re not dieting. But let me tell you why I firmly believe that is the wrong approach, and what you can do instead.

I myself tried what seemed like every single diet in my 20’s, and can personally attest to the fact that these fad diets don’t work. They’re short-term solutions, and usually based on too much restriction. Not to mention, you have to keep doing them, or trying new ones, because the results never last! I can't begin to tell you how much time and money I wasted over the years!

Very often the diets provide the foods for you, or they make you count calories (or “points”), but don’t really teach you sustainable healthy habits to continue post-diet. Or they might have you focus on eating specific foods that they claim “help you to burn fat”, but then you end up ignoring a lot of other delicious and healthy foods. And after a while, you naturally give up – you get tired of the small portions or bland food, and lose the energy to keep tracking every food/ingredient/calorie. As a result, you go back to your old ways and the weight that was lost is re-gained. 

Even worse, all this yo-yo dieting can do damage to your gut and overall health, especially if you’re not getting enough healthy fats, veggies and fruits on a regular basis.

To lose weight sustainably you need to learn how to adapt healthier habits into your day-to-day. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

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10 Foods That Fight Inflammation

Inflammation in the body is one of the biggest issues leading to chronic disease, such as obesity, arthritis, heart problems and even cancer.

But inflammation doesn’t necessarily show up through puffiness and redness. Most often, we have internal inflammation that isn’t visible to us, but is present inside our bodies (aka silent inflammation). It’s building up, and it’s causing (for now) just minor things such as digestive issues, allergies, and basic skin problems. And if you don’t work NOW to control this inflammation, it will leader to more serious illnesses down the road.

The easiest and most effective way to taper inflammation is through your diet. After all, food is your best medicine. Start by eliminating processed foods, and then adding in naturally anti-inflammatory foods, including a variety of high-quality spices and herbs.

The following 10 foods, herbs and spices are among the best natural sources for reducing inflammation. I’ve also included tips for easy way you can start incorporating them into your day-to-day diet.

1.  Omega-3 fatty acids – from fatty fish like wild salmon, krill, as well as vegetarian sources like flaxseeds, chia seeds & olive oil. You can also consider taking a fish-oil supplement.

Tip: Try adding 1 tbsp of ground flaxseeds to your morning oatmeal / yogurt / smoothie.

2.  Dark Leafy Greens – These are some of the healthiest foods period, and among other things, they help with your body’s detoxification, flushing out some of this inflammation. They also contain lots of fiber and water which help with weight loss and contributes to beautiful skin and hair (among so many other benefits)! These greens include leaves such as: kale, spinach, arugula, swiss chard, collard greens, mustard greens, escarole and watercress.

Tip: Start having a fresh or cold-pressed green juice once a day, either with breakfast or as a snack between meals.

 3.  Berries – Berries contain flavonoids which contribute to their blue/purple/red coloring and have powerful anti-inflammatory benefits. These include goji berries, blueberries, blackberries raspberries, cranberries, cherries, and less common ones such as bilberries, mulberries, elderberry and gooseberry.

Tip: Add a handful of berries to your breakfast porridge or yogurt, to your green smoothies, and/or enjoy them as a snack with a few raw nuts.

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4 Swaps for Healthier Snacks

Most of us need a small snack in between meals in order to stay energized, to keep our blood sugar stable, and to avoid over-eating at meals.  So snacking can be healthy and nutritious, but a little planning is key. 

Grabbing pre-packaged processed snacks on the go can often be the main culprit of weight gain for many people, as it’s the time when we mindlessly grab whatever is available.  Especially if we’re hungry, our defenses go down and we’re more likely to give in to the unhealthy snacks roaming around the office, such as candy, pastries and chips.

 

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3 Swaps for Healthier Breakfasts

Starting your day right with a healthy breakfast is one of the most important pillars to a healthy diet and to sustainable weight loss.

I know that most of us need a bit of carbs in our breakfast, and that’s totally fine as long as we make them HEALTHY carbs, and cut out the white starches and sugars. Even wheat bread can be inflammatory and quickly add on additional, unnecessary calories.

Here are my favorite breakfast swaps to make your breakfast healthier, lighter and more nutrient dense.  Not only that, these breakfast swaps will help boost your metabolism and aid in weight loss.

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A Healthier New Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR. I hope you were able to read through my last few emails of 2015 and take some of my advice for having a healthy, balanced holiday.

I personally took advantage of my long vacation to relax, spend time with family, eat delicious, local, healthy food, enjoy good wines, and of course, I always made time for some long walks, quick jogs, and/or yoga in the morning.

Even though I really nourished myself, I still feel the accumulation of a bit too much sugar (yes I allowed myself to indulge in delicious Freddo ice cream) and a bit too much wine and champagne (during my vacation, there was no notion of weekends vs. weekdays, every day was like a Saturday!). And I know this is the case for many of you. Which is totally OK on occasion, especially if you enjoyed it in a guilt-free way as I did.

But now the new year has started and the vacation is coming to an end (or has ended for most of you). So it’s time to get back on track and give our bodies a break from the toxic sugar (and alcohol) that we enjoyed over the holidays. Because even small amounts of sugar can quickly become addictive, and start messing with our hormones and our body’s metabolism and digestion. The best thing to do is to keep sugar (especially the processed kind) to a minimum in our day-to-day, and once a season, do a good 7-14 day detox where we have NO processed sugar (nor processed anything that turns into sugar or contains sugar). Same applies to other substances that can cause inflammation and irritation in our bodies, such as caffeine, gluten, dairy, processed meats, and GMO-foods such as soy and corn. It is HUGELY beneficial to give our bodies a short break from these foods a few times a year (or minimum once a year) to allow your body to “reset” and focus on getting rid of accumulated toxins.

Which is why I have created a seasonal 10-day detox, which I change up a bit depending on the season. Starting Tuesday January 19th (day after Martin Luther King holiday), I will be doing a small group coaching for a Winter Detox. I will give you all the tools you need in order to make this detox easy and successful, so you can feel all the amazing benefits from a proper detoxification without much effort. You will even enjoy it! I will provide you with a detailed guide for your detox, including suggestions for a 3 day “pre-cleanse” to do over the weekend prior to starting the detox, as well as suggestions for coming off of the detox. So it’s a 10-day detox but I’ll give you over 2 weeks of support. The best thing is that its completely doable for anyone. More details can be found on my website, and if you have any questions, shoot me a message to ms@balancewithmariana.com.

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Having Friends Over? My Easy, Healthy “Go-To” Dish for Entertaining

I don’t know about you, but I love entertaining and wish I could do it more often. Why don't I? Because it’s time consuming and so much work! I host dinner parties sometimes with the help of someone (say for ex., my wonderful boyfriend who cooks up an awesome churrasco) which makes it so much fun, but it’s once in a blue moon. 

But having friends over should be easy and fun. Plus, if I'm hosting, I know that I can keep it on the healthy side - a huge plus. So what becomes my solution? I invite people over for some wine and a few appetizers. And while it’s much easier to just buy some pre-made hummus and pita chips, it's more special (and healthy!) to make a dish or two of my own.  

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11 Natural Remedies to Fight a Cold

It’s that time of the year when the seasons are changing, and for many of us (in the northern hemisphere), the days are getting shorter and the temperature is dropping. So it’s especially important during these times to nourish our bodies, in order to make the seasonal transition easier and keep ourselves from getting sick.

The healthier you are and stronger your mind-body connection, the easier it is to detect an oncoming cold in its earliest stage - which is key. Its important to take action at the first sign of sickness by drinking tons fluids, getting plenty of rest and incorporating some additional natural remedies.

So in lieu of the season, I want to share my top 11 tricks to beat an oncoming cold. These are natural remedies that are focused on giving your body the extra nourishment it needs. These tips are easy, more affordable than medicine and also better for your body (no negative side effects!).

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5 Veggie Packed Meals for People Who Don't Love Salads

As a Health Coach, I place lots of emphasis on eat clean, whole foods, at least 80% of the time. This includes fresh vegetables, organic meat/poultry/fish/seafood, legumes, whole grains (such as quinoa & brown rice), nuts/seeds and fresh fruit. No processed flours or sugars. And it means avoiding things that come in a package, unless it has only 1 ingredient (ex. lentils). That includes whole wheat bread!

Additionally, I believe in eating PLENTY of vegetables every day, ideally at every meal. The more veggies and the wider variety, the better. Vegetables are nutrition powerhouses, with each different vegetable offering its own set of much-needed vitamins and minerals. I tell my clients to fill their plate half way with veggies, and always add some health protein (animal or vegetarian, so this can include lentils and quinoa, etc) and healthy fats.

Eating this way will help anyone be their healthiest self, and shed unwanted weight.

However, I often come across people who struggle to “eat clean” and eat enough veggies because they’re not salad fans. So they tend to turn to sandwiches and wraps for lunch, or meat with rice or potatoes and one cooked vegetable. As a result, their diet lacks in both quantity and variety of vegetables, and usually includes too many refined foods. Essentially, it lacks in nutrition!

For those of you out there like this, who don’t love raw green salads (or have trouble digesting them), I want to share 5 of my favorite clean, healthy and delicious meals – filled with nutritious veggies- that anyone will love, and that are easy enough to take to work.

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Craving Pasta? Try These Healthy, Guilt-Free Alternatives

Everyone loves pasta, but sadly, it's not so good for our bodies.  While a small portion of pasta is OK to have on occasion, it's one of those foods that unfortunately should be eliminated from your regular diet if you're aiming for sustained weight loss.

Why?  Because pasta is made from wheat flour that scores very high in the glycemic-index, meaning it causes a spike in blood sugar and insulin levels, which ultimately leads to weigh gain.  Also, wheat flour contains gluten, and it’s now well known that many people do better with no or limited amounts of gluten in their diet, myself being one of them.  Gluten causes inflammation in the gut, which can lead to a whole host of more serious issues.  

Therefore, I’ve discovered other pasta-like options that are not only gluten-free, but also higher in nutrition.  

Here are some amazing and healthy alternatives to your regular wheat flour pasta, all of which are gluten-free:

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Low-Carb Swaps for Lasting Weight Loss

In my experience, the best way to lose weight and get the body you want is by making small step-by-step improvements in your diet.  Super strict diets that require a complete overhaul of your diet are overwhelming and of course, hard to maintain. 

While some effort is required, making healthier choices is easier than you may realize. 

We all hate to give up our favorite not-so-healthy foods, and while there are some that are best avoiding all together, there are others that can easily be modified to make them lighter and healthier.  With some easy swaps that I’m about to share with you over the next few weeks, you'll see that we can keep these foods (with a few adjustments) in our regular diet while staying healthy and not gaining weight. 

Today I want to share my favorite swaps for SANDWICHES & WRAPS, as well as RICE, and I'll share 2 fabulous recipes that you can try this week!

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A Delicious Pumpkin Recipe for the Holidays

I have to admit that one of my favorite things about the Halloween/ Thanksgiving/ Christmas holiday season is the FOOD. And I know I'm not the only one!

However, it can be difficult to stay healthy especially with the abundance of desserts that are constantly served and so hard to resist!

The key is to allow yourself to indulge a bit, while finding ways to stay as healthy as possible.  And to stay on that healthy path, I always suggest dedicating some effort to planning ahead.  

I personally like to cook a lot during this season, and come up with healthier versions of the traditional heavier holiday meals. 

I challenge you to make this holiday season your healthiest yet, by finding the holiday foods you love and making healthier versions of them.  It's fun and easier than you may think! 

Today I want to share my healthy version of one of my favorite holiday desserts - Pumpkin Pie.

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Traveling? An Easy Recipe For Your Next Long Haul Flight + 4 Key Supplements

The month of August has been non-stop traveling for me, from California, to Spain, to Nicaragua.  As fun as it has been, all the traveling poses a big challenge to my healthy lifestyle.  My body is very sensitive to changes in setting, time zone, air pressure, and of course, changes in routine.  My body KNOWS when its not at home. 

Luckily I've learned a few tricks over the past year (as traveling overseas has become a monthly occurrence) that really work well for me.  I’ve made it my mission to find ways to have my body adjust as much as possible, and avoid the bloating and fatigue that often comes with these long flights. 

It all starts with the flight itself, which is always one of the most challenging things for me.  For starters, I’m someone who has a big appetite, and cannot go more than a few hours without eating.  And, similar to many of you I'm sure, I have a hard time sleeping more than two consecutive hours on a flight.  So if it’s an overnight flight, I’m tired, restless, and my body naturally craves food.  Therefore, I would usually end up eating eat plane food (even though the food isn’t great, and of course, it’s highly processed!) just because I was bored and couldn’t sleep.  And since the meals are quite small, I would eat almost everything, including the sugar-loaded dessert.

So what have I done to improve my long flights and disruptive travels? 

First and most importantly, I’ve come up with a go-to recipe for healthy food that I can take with me on the flight, through security with no problem, and that tastes delicious even at room temperature.  It’s my Sweet Vegetable Bake.  I make a large batch, and take that with me, together with some raw nuts and fruit, and I’m set for the entire plane ride.  This way I fill up on healthy homemade food, and can avoid the airplane food filled with chemicals and preservatives, and most importantly, I am able to resist the unnecessary desserts.

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A Superfood That Will Change Your Life

Do you have any digestive issues? Cholesterol concerns? Heart concerns? Are you catching a cold? Want to build more muscle? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you should be eating chia seeds!

Chia seeds are packed with Omega-3’s, fiber, protein, calcium, iron, zinc, antioxidants - that help lower cholesterol, reduce risk of heart disease, build muscle, and improve bowel movements.

They’re also packed with phytonutrients that boost the immune system, support bone-building health, and improve hair, skin and nails.

Lastly, because of the high protein and fiber content in each small serving, chia seeds will suppress your appetite by making you feel full, therefore a great tool for weight-loss!

And in my opinion, the KEY to making the introduction of chia seeds into your diet a GREAT one, is learning how to make Chia Pudding. With these 3 recipes that I will share with you, you’ll see how simple yet delicious chia pudding can be. Enjoy for breakfast, or a smaller portion for dessert or snack.

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A Key Ingredient to a Healthy Life: HYDRATION

Happy July everyone!  

From where I'm sitting, it is HOT, and I have just finished an entire batch of my homemade lemonade (well, lime-ade) in under one hour!  Clearly my body was in need of extra liquid given the heat I just walked through on my way back from yoga. 

So today I thought it would be relevant to address a crucial part of a healthy lifestyle, especially during this time of the year: Hydration.

We need to be drinking LOTS AND LOTS of water.  I literally can't say it enough to my clients.  Most people are not drinking enough, and it really is a key ingredient to optimal health.

Drinking plenty of water throughout the day will make a huge difference in your digestion and energy, as it flushes your intestines and helps eliminate toxins.

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A Tasty, Detox-Friendly Way to Spice Up Any Meal

Today is the last day of my 10 Day Summer Detox, during which I have taken the time to experiment with a lot of gluten-free and dairy-free recipes. I've had so much fun, and come up with so many new recipes that I can't wait to share with you!

One simple recipe that I found myself using a lot during the detox was my Pumpkin & Hemp Seed Pesto.

I literally add it to almost anything, but my favorite is to use it as a spread/sauce over grilled fish.  I also like to mix it in with some plain cooked quinoa, to make a delicious twist on my regular quinoa side-dish. You can throw it on top of some brown rice pasta as well, with an extra drizzle of olive oil and maybe some cherry tomatoes, for an amazing gluten-free pasta dish. This sauce is so versatile, yummy and most importantly, detox-friendly!

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Struggling With Breakfast? 4 Easy, Healthy Breakfasts to Keep You Full All Morning

Happy Wednesday Morning everyone!

Today I wanted to talk about one of my favorite topics - Breakfast!

Many of you have heard me say this before, but I will say it again - breakfast is SO very important!.  It is definitely one of the most important and valuable tools for achieving a healthy lifestyle.  And it can be so yummy! 

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10 Easy Dairy and Gluten Substitutions to Try Now!

Summer starts this month, and we're all hoping to look amazing this bathing suit season...  

Regardless of whether or not you will be detoxing this summer, I really think it's worth it for everyone to start exploring with cutting back on diary and gluten (check out my blogs: 5 Reasons You Should Stop Consuming Dairy and Some Truth Behind this Gluten Free Trend ), and today I thought it would be helpful to give you a few ideas to make your dairy & gluten free experimentation a bit easier.  

Below are 10 easy swaps (5 gluten and 5 dairy substitutions) that I have started incorporating into my regular cooking.  Give these a shot, and please share some of your favorite gluten and dairy-free swaps!

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My Favorite Breakfast Smoothie Recipes

By popular demand and as a follow-up to my Beginners Smoothie Guide from last month, today I'm sharing some easy and super healthy smoothie recipes that I make almost every morning.  These smoothies make a filling and delicious breakfast that will keep your blood sugar stable, rev up your metabolism, and serve as a great tool for weight loss.  Plus, they're quick to make and easy to take on the go!

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Tips for Traveling and Staying Healthy Abroad

As it's Holy Week and Spring Break is around the corner, I thought it would be relevant to touch upon Healthy Traveling!  No - its not an oxymoron, and it actually is possible!  Of course it’s hard for all of us (myself included) to stay super healthy and focused when traveling, but I have found little ways to make it better, to keep it pretty healthy while still enjoying my vacation.  

Here are my top 5 tips for traveling:

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