Clean eats: Health & Wellness Supplements + Foods to Love

Nutrition was hands down, one of my favorite classes that I took in college.

If I were to do it all over again, I’d probably select it as my minor, instead of biology. I had this amazing professor who was an RD and always brought a bunch of food to class. The very first time I had almond milk, was actually in that class. Ever since then, I started paying closer attention to what I eat. I eventually made the acne-dairy connection and by cutting it from my diet completely, I healed my stubborn and very painful cystic acne. A few food-documentaries and books later, I decided to go plant-based.

The thing about being on a plant-based diet is that it takes a bit of planning. I don’t really like going out to eat anymore, because it’s a pain for me and I just refuse to eat out- especially if we’re taking chain restaurants. It’s not just about staying healthy or me being picky- a lot of the foods that I grew up eating (things that are fried or have a ton of dairy, butter, and meat in them) are just way too heavy for my sensitive stomach. In the past, if I did happen to eat out or if we ordered takeout, I had to make sure that I have Pepto and Tums by my side. Changing my eating habits took away all my digestive problems and even though it’s not always easy and especially annoying to my husband or friends whenever the dreaded question comes up (“soo.. what are we eating, you guys wanna order something?“) I wouldn’t go back.

There are a few things that I always make sure I have in my pantry, that I usually get on Amazon. Like Oats- which is my favorite way to do breakfast, I like making my banana breakfast bars because they’re easy to make the night before and you can just grab them on the go and I LOVE overnight oats. Carob powder is great for baking (or making a healthier version of hot chocolate) as is cacao powder. I’m also never without coconut palm sugar and coconut oil (duh!). Almond meal, coconut flour, millet– these are also dry ingredients that I always have around. Even though there are quite a few health foods stores around my area, I sometimes still find some products difficult to find, which is why I usually get most of them online. These are all great to have around when I want to make banana bread, vegan brownies, etc.

Raw Complexions Skintox* that goes into my smoothies- already talked about it in this post. When it comes to supplements, two that I take religiously are Omega-3 and Vitamin B12. I think that the best way to get in your vitamins is through a healthy, well-balanced diet and I like to believe that I do that. I can’t go without Omega-3 though as it helped me clear up my cystic acne and I swear that it improves my mood (some research proves that Omega-3 can be as effective in treating depression as Prozac). Right now, I’m still on the lookout for a non-fish supplement that will be just as effective as what I’m taking right now. So far I had no luck so I despite being on (mostly) plant-based diet, I still take fish oil supplements. These are the ones that I currently take and they’re made with sustainable salmon, so they’re better for the environment.

This is the only plant-based protein powder that my skin doesn’t seem to hate. Protein shakes aren’t something that I have every single day, but I like to have them after a tough workout or during busy mornings- I just mix it with almond milk and ice in my blender bottle (which, by the way, is the best little invention, ever).

Rescue Plus Sleep gummies. These have melatonin and taste like strawberries, they’re also natural and non-habit forming. I no longer have trouble falling or staying asleep (which has been a problem for me for YEARS after graduating and changing my crazy work and school schedule) but these are great to use on occasion when I’m having a stressful day and I’m really restless at night. Kind of a weird reason why I like these: they don’t give me strange dreams (I also love magnesium– it really helps you unwind after a long day and acts as a natural muscle relaxer). I always have some sort of sleep-aid in my nightstand, just in case, and a lot of the ones I’ve used in the past would give me really strange dreams. Like me borrowing money for makeup from a drug cartel. I kid you not. You can’t really get restful sleep when you dream about stupid shit like that. :)

*PR Sample/Gifted Items