How do we teach our kids to eat less sugar without making sweets feel completely forbidden? I’m sharing how I approach sugar with my family - from setting healthy boundaries and choosing better treats to helping kids understand how food makes their bodies feel, while still leaving room for birthday cake, Halloween candy and a little fun.
Read MoreBest Healing Postpartum Foods + 4 Favorite Recipes
I recently shared 10 tips that helped me recover after birthing my children, and now I want to delve a little deeper into the FOODS that have helped me during this “4th trimester” to nourish myself, heal, promote healthy digestion, and keep up my energy (despite sleepless nights).
I promise that what you eat makes all the difference in your recovery! A healthy nourishing postartum diet is important to:
Replenish nutrients depleted during pregnancy
Support a successful and speedy recovery from birth
Create a healthy supply of (and good quality) breastmilk
Support hormonal balance
Here are the key HEALING FOODS that I was eating daily in my first 40 days postpartum (and continue to enjoy almost daily during my “4th trimester”), and 4 of my go-to recovery RECIPES.
Read MoreMatcha Pistachio Vanilla Protein Energy Balls - english & spanish recipes
I’m a huge dessert addict, but in order to stay healthy, not spike my blood sugar, and not gain weight, I make sure my desserts are mostly homemade and always: nutrient-dense, packed with superfoods, protein, healthy fats and low in sugar (NO added sugars for me!).
These balls are also a great source of FIBER (primarily soluble fiber) which helps to:
promote a healthy digestion and good, regular poop
lower cholesterol
slow absorption of carbs (supporitng healthy blood sugar) and increase satiety
support hormonal balanced hormone
And they’re SO delicious! Check out the recipe - in both English and Spanish!
Read MoreTwo ingredients to include in your healthy snacks (and 5 easy snack options for you and your kids!)
MOST of your typical go-to snacks, even that banana (and especially those packaged crackers/cookies/bars, etc. that are filled with sugar and preservatives) can lead to a large glucose spike. And this is something we need to minimize if we care about our health and our weight!
So today I’m sharing with you 5 of my go-to healthy, easy “sweet” snacks - for both me and my toddler.
NOTE: For all of these sweet snacks, in order to support blood sugar regulation, I add two KEY INGREDIENTS:
NUT/SEED BUTTER (and/or a little nuts/seeds)
a pinch of CINNAMON
Find out WHY, and get my 5 easy to prep snacks for when you’re on the rush and ant to be prepared for when the sugar craving comes in.
Read MoreMulti-Seed Chocolate Protein Granola (recipe in ENGLISH & SPANISH)
I’m a HUGE fan of granola, but the reality is that most granolas are NOT healthy. Most are packed with sugar and consist primarily of oats, making them very high in carbs and lacking in protein and healthy fats - so they’re very likely to create a big spike in your blood sugar.
For this reason, I like to make my own, using a few tweaks to make it lower carb and super nutritious.
Today I’m sharing a delicious and super healthy granola recipe that is supportive of stable blood sugar, and an excellent option for a sweet breakfast or snack, given its high level of protein and fiber. I add tons of “superfoods”, including pure cacao to make it a chocolate treat. Check out my recipe below!
Read MoreA Healthy, Happy Halloween
Happy Halloween!! This is such a fun time especially for the kids, but candies and sugary treats are floating around everywhere, and the sugar temptation is huge! It's once a year, so enjoy this funky spooky holiday... but make this year a HEALTHIER one - for both you and your family.
It CAN be done with just a bit more AWARENESS. Today I’m sharing TIPS on keeping your body healthy this Halloween, plus better alternatives to traditional Halloween candy (and more). Check out all my links, and please share with your family and friends so they can stay healthy, too!
A Day of Healthy, Blood-Sugar Stabilizing Meals
The foods we eat have SO MUCH power over our blood sugar, hormones, weight, mood, energy, and essentially, our overall health and happiness. If we want to FEEL good (and LOOK good!), we have to focus on eating heathy, balanced meals that help keep blood-sugar stable.
What does a day of glucose-stabilizing meals look like?
Here is one of my go-to days of blood-sugar balancing delicious meals (which I enjoy in large portions, with dessert, too!):
Upon rising: Lemon water + probiotics (and sometimes glass of AG1 greens)
Pre-workout (after my meditation and playing a bit with my daughter); Matcha latte
Breakfast Post-workout (usually a 30-45 min barre or power yoga class): Green Protein Smoothie Bowl or some version of this one (and I’ll have any vitamins I’m taking)
Lunch: green appetizer salad (usually lettuce, avocado, microgreens, sauerkraut & Tahini dressing) follwed by zucchini noodles with meatballs OR this delicious veggie & protein-packed lasagna
After lunch: decaf “mushroom” coffee with cinnamon and almond milk + 1-2 squares dark chocolate
Dinner: A huge bowl of my Chickpea Vegetable Minestrone Soup OR this delicious Lentil Vegetable Soup (a favorite of my daughter Chiara), sometimes with a side of an avocado toast
Dessert after dinner: Chocolate Avocado Mousse (my keto version with no banana) - topped with cacao nibs, coconut & almond butter
My secret to make any dessert delicious without added calories
If you’re looking to make your own healthy treats at home – which I highly recommend as you can modify the recipe to your liking and make it healthier than any store-bought option – try adding these 3 “secret” ingredients and you’ll make your sweet treat way healthier and tastier.
Read MoreLactation Energy Balls - the perfect bite for any mom (or dad!)
These no-bake treats take minutes to throw together, are filled with good-for-you ingredients, and make for the perfect quick snack or healthy dessert that are satisfying and won’t spike your blood sugar.
These energy balls are the perfect healthy dessert or snack for anyone, especially new moms. They contain anti-inflammatory healthy fats along with tons of fiber and cinnamon which can help control blood sugar and cravings, promote healthy digestion AND can help with postpartum weight loss. Lastly, these bites help promote milk supply and healthy lactation. Not to mention - they’re so good they’re borderline addictive!
Read More3 Date Recipes (perfect for pre-labor!)
Dates are packed with nutrition and provide lots of fiber and energy, plus are naturally very sweet, making them ideal for making healthy desserts.
Also, they’re said to be amazing for preparing your cervix for a natural birth, so with that “excuse” in mind, I’ve been making lots of easy, delicious date recipes to have in my last weeks of pregnancy.
Today I’m sharing 3 of my favorite date recipes– all of which are super nutritious, vegan, gluten-free, no added sugar and raw (no baking required!) - and don’t spike your blood sugar (as they’re packed with extra fiber, protein and healthy fats!).
Carob brownie energy balls
Almond & Peanut chocolate butter fudge
Balance with Mariana’s basic energy balls
Read MoreFavorite Healthy Snack / Dessert Recipe - Mariana's Energy Balls
Today I’m sharing one of my all-time favorite recipes (in both English and Spanish) - my super healthy, fiber-packed, gut-friendly Energy Balls. The recipe is super easy and I proved different options (including my favorite Chocolate energy ball version)! You can make them in 15 minutes, store them for weeks in the freezer, and you have the perfect healthy snack or dessert on hand - which is balanced, with healthy fats and plant-based protein that won’t spike your blood sugar.
Read MoreLooking For a Healthy, Sweet Treat this Valentines?
Although Valentine’s day is a bit of a cliché “Hallmark” holiday, I like to use it as an excuse to do something special for me and my loved ones. Like most other holidays, it offers a nice reminder to be thankful for each other and for what we have. It’s also traditionally a “date” night, which gives us that extra push to pamper ourselves and dress up – which ultimately is a way of giving love to ourselves.
It’s also a great excuse to indulge in chocolate, and look for new healthy chocolate treats to make for myself and my family. The good thing, that all chocolate lovers should know, is that good-quality dark chocolate is amazing for your health. READ MORE HERE about why you should be eating more chocolate.
Last Valentines, I shared with you my delicious (and VERY EASY) healthy chocolate dessert recipes – my Chocolate Coconut Date Balls and my Chocolate Mousse. If you haven’t tried them yet, I highly suggest you give them a try. They’re simple to make, and don’t require baking!
But this year, I’m living in Nicaragua, and still learning where I can get all my ingredients locally, as it’s a whole different market as the US. So making all my recipes isn’t always as easy. Therefore, I’m also scoping out the local scene for new healthy spots and treats made by other foodies, health-fanatics, and entrepreneurs like myself.
Last week I happened to meet the beautiful Alexandra Perez in Nicaragua, and tasted her yummy energy balls. So for those of you Nicaraguans feeling a bit lazy to make your own, I highly suggest you try these Fit Girl Snacks.
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