Hello my friends, readers, clients and family.
Someone of you know me as the owner/creator of Balance Market (in Managua), some of you know I’m an ex-finance wall street gal turned into a borderline hippie yogi, barre lover and healthy food fanatic. Some of you know me as a mother of 2 children who loves them to death but struggles with all things motherhood (as almost any other mom!). And many of you know me as the health coach, founder of Balance with Mariana, and health & wellness obsessed girl who loves to write.
I’m all those things. I’m also normal, imperfect, boring at times (or so I’m told, though happy to be!), but what I can say with total conviction is I am passionate about what I do, and there’s a rhyme & reason to what I do. (See video here for more on my health journey that brougth me to what I am today).
My main motivation is always to help more people FEEL BETTER, using the power of just simple food and lifestyle habits. I love sharing what I learn, I love helping others in the small ways I’m able to, and I love creating yummy healthy foods that I think you’ll love 😊. Every time I get a positive testimonial from a client it warms my heart and makes me so happy to be doing what I’m doing. Theres no going back to finance for me!
I created Balance with Mariana because holistic health changed my life, bot only did it help me solve my gut and hormonal issues, but it helped my self-awareness and self-confidence - and I wanted to help others do the same. Plus, I’m a healthier person and healthier mom because of it.
I created Balance Studio (barre studio 2017 – 2023) because I was passionate about more personalized and “feminine” workouts that were low-impact, therefore less stressful for most women, yet effective, and I knew Nicaragua needed a barre studio. Many of my clients can attest to the positive impact barre has had on their lives!
I then created Balance Market because I am so passionate about the PROFOUND positive change that we see and feel when shifting to a “cleaner”, more balanced, anti-inflammatory and truly nutritious diet. Balance Market has an array of healthy alternatives to our typical condiments, comfort food and snacks, plus top quality supplements, and our own line of homemade foods. Balance Market was created because I want more people every day to realize that healthy food can be, and should be, delicious. I also wanted to provide plant-based options that are healthy, filling, yet not loaded with carbs and refined oils.
My kitchen in Balance Market is gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free, but also is focused on creating snacks and meals that are BALANCED, high in fiber, antioxidants and nutrients, that don’t spike blood-sugar and that make us feel good – while still tasting amazing. Plus, I use only “clean” and high quality ingredients because I believe in the importance of everything we put into our bodies.
I LOVE what I do, and I love sharing everything with you.
But I also realized that many people don’t know much about ME as a person, so today I thought it would be fun to share 10 things I LOVE that I think are part of who I am. So here goes!
10 things I LOVE:
Reading romance (sexy) novels. My guilty pleasure.
Nature walks. I need this once a week. A walk in the woods or on the beach, whatever I can access. It helps “reset” me.
Veggies. Roasted veggies above all. I love them. All of them (except for cucumbers!). And yes with a good drizzle of extra-virgen olive oil. I don’t skimp! And I eat an abnormal quantitiy daily.
Dark chocolate. I go for 80-90% cacao, preferably organic dark chocolate. I love almost any/all healthy chocolate desserts, especially raw, fudgy ones. I love making them, too! I eat chocolate every day, usually twice a day.
Matcha Latte - it’s my daily morning obsession. I add a pinch of cinnamon, acacia fiber (sometimes), unflavored collagen peptides and my homemade almond milk. It brings me so much confort and I look forward to it every morning.
Traveling. I love seeing new places. I love it all – cosmopolitan cities, beaches, mountains. I love going to new restaurants, trying new experiences. I also love trying new healthy markets and even new yoga/barre/pilates classes when I’m traveling (to cities)- if I’m not traveling with the kids and can sneak in the time 😉.
Beautiful shoes (and purses). I am a girly girl and I’ve always loved fashion. I spend A LOT LESS time on fashion since I’ve become a mom, but a nice purse or pair of shoes can make any simple jeans/tshirt outfit (my go-to) feel chic. It’s an automatic pick-me-up.
Kitchen appliances. I could buy them all. I go for non toxic of course. My current favorites are Our place (one pan is a must, but I’ve bought so many of their things even their knives), and always the classic LeCreuset; I love all their things.
A good relaxing facial and/or massage. Almost any face or body treatment brings me joy, and it adds to my self-care, so it’s something I try to invest in at least once a month.
Fitness and all Movement. I’m an exercise junkie. I now KNOW my body cannot take too much exercise (especially if I’m under-fueled) so I’m careful not to overdo it. I also know my body prefers low impact. So I do what feels best. But almost any exercise feels amazing to me, and I know I’m lucky to love it. It’s never a chore for me; it’s literally joyful. My favorite types of movement are yoga, barre and pilates, strength training (my new obsession) and walking in nature (as mentioned earlier). I also love dancing in parties, and skiing in snow.
OK, I know this is cheesy but I feel I need to add an 11th thing… I love my kids (their giggles, hugs, when they sleep,.. it overwhelms my heart with love), my hubbie, my entire family and I love myself (thank god).
So now you know me a bit more, and maybe you’ll join me in an upcoming detox, try out my coaching, or if you live in Nicaragua, I hope you try one of my delicious snacks or meals at Balance Market.
Lastly, I THANK YOU for being part of my community, and I invite you to share more about YOU. What brings you to my blog? What do YOU love?
One last reminder and words of encouragement… Let's get healthier together, and help our families and communities get healthier. Let's create a positive ripple effect!
Love & Wellness,
Mariana