BANANA AND OAT FIT MUFFINS (VEGAN-GLUTEN FREE)

Hey guys! Two weeks ago I started a new 3 month exercise plan, as part of the challenge of the Bikini Body ebook guide from Australian trainer Kayla Itsines (@kayla_itsines), who has everyone raving on Instagram. They are basically timed plyo circuits (with resistance, either dumbbells or weight of your body) 3 days a week, and cardio all the other days to burn fat rapidly. This is no joke, they are HARD, but good.

I was investigating about the best types of breakfast (which is also my pre-workout meal), and found that ideally you should mix complex carbs, protein and good fats. Searching, I discovered a good recipe for vegan muffins in the book "Happy Hervibore: Light and Lean" and modified it to make it gluten free and extra fit. Right now is definitely my brekkie addiction (after workout I have my green smoothie with spirulina, chlorella and all the goodies). I usually combine these gems with a teaspoon of almond butter (while I devour), or I add some slivered almonds in them for extra protein and good fats.

Here is the recipe, enjoy!

VEGAN COOKING CLASS: CHICKPEA BURGERS WITH SPINACH MISO DRESSING

As a Valentine's day gift, my husband surprised me by giving me a vegan cooking class with the super talented Pamela Wasabi (http://pamelawasabi.com), a blogger who has a wonderful talent for healthy cooking. I loved the experience as it was a Sunday at her lovely home, super personal and special, as it felt like we were old friends cooking and chatting. We talked about our evolution into healthy eating, and how this lifestyle transformed us and make us feel, we cooked and tested, and then we sat down to eat our delicious dishes. That day we made a yummy green smoothie, these burgers (you can do with your favorite grain) and black beans brownies for desert that tasted like heaven ( recipe on a future post). That day, when I got to my house I prepared them for Savy with white and black beans (about 12) and froze them for the whole week, he loved them. It's an excellent and easy to prepare option for your family and yourself. I hope you enjoy!

IT'S TIME FOR THE BLOG TO COME BACK...I LOVE YOU VENEZUELA

Hello! How I've missed writing here. I feel like a millennia have passed!

First of all I apologize for the absence, but many things came together that make me decide to take this break. My mom came to visit for a month in January and I didn’t saw her since June. My mom and I are incredibly close, and I really needed the time to be with her without distraction. Something that makes me sad about living here is that I miss the people I love every day of my life. A week later I went to New York with my husband (who had never been there) to meet my best friend Susana and I set a goal to experience all the vegan restaurants that I could  (there are only three or four in Miami). We had such an incredibly time, we freezed but it was so fun. Afterwards she came to Miami to spend her vacation and we decided to make a trip to Disney! I can only say  that our house felt very lonely and sad in February. At that time I was ready to return to the blog, but a movement exploded in my country, Venezuela, an awakening of young people fighting for freedom without censorship and for the rights of all the Venezuelans who have been pressured by the government. Honestly, the last thing I saw convenient was talking about food, fun or health (also had no mind for anything).

I've had millions of anxiety attacks ( that I try to channel through exercise) because all my family and friends are there, and while on one hand I'm happy that this is happening because the situation is increasingly unlivable, it angers me that the government uses violence and causes the death of people that only wants a safest place to live, through a protest that has consistently been peaceful. I want this social division to be over, I wish that all Venezuelans realize the millions of lies that this regime feeds them, and that has gradually led us to our ruin. So many times I wish this government never existed, because I would probably still live there, but on the other hand I do feel like it has taught us to love our country that we were usually very apathetic about, to respect the Venezuelan who has and the who doesn’t, to want to be better if given the opportunity, living in an organized and different country. And I have faith that this will be resolved with the help of God and putting our eyes on Him, but I think it’s a process that will take time, perseverance and endurance, and I really feel like I need to drain through the blog. I respect and admire each and every Venezuelan who risk their lives for a better country, and I fully understand if you are not in the mood to read me for now. I 'll be here for you, and when our dream of freedom become a reality, through these pages you will have the content for a plentiful and healthy life. Venezuela I’m far but not absent, I think and pray for you every day,  I visualize you as I want you to be in the near future, and I hope above all you are very proud of me.

Here I added photos of what I did during January and early February while I was absent. Life is beautiful but sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to see the light, it happened to me personally... I got to the lowest emotionally and spiritually that you can get, and I’m proud to say that today I feel fully alive with my path aligned to God and my mind set on my dreams. The one who gets tired, loses.

HOW TO DO A JUICE CLEANSE IN ORDER TO START 2014 WITH THE RIGHT FOOT

Many people have been asking about how to do a juice cleanse properly now that we are starting a new year, so I decided to make this post as a guide from personal experience and investigation, sorry it’s a bit long but it needs to be detailed. Many people think it’s complicated and so they buy pre-made cleanses which unless you're traveling or you are an extremely busy person I don’t recommend (not because they are bad but because fresh is always better). Here I provide you with several tips for people who have no idea how to do it.

A detox is tough, and the more toxic your life is, the more difficult it hits you, but after the first two days you start to feel really good, in fact after doing my first detox I was feeling so positive and great that I decided to transfer to a vegan diet.

Are you ready to start? 

MERRY CHRISTMAS! OUR DELICIOUS CHRISTMAS EVE DINNER

First of all, Merry Christmas to all! from the depths of my heart I pray to God that you enjoy a thousand blessings this new year that is about to start, and I wish that you decide to take charge of your health and start introducing small changes that will ultimately improve and lengthen your life. Remember that every decision you make will have a big impact in the future. Set small goals that you can accomplish so you don’t get discouraged by trying to do too much at once. Add a green juice every morning, make green smoothies with fresh fruit, avoid products that come in cans/containers (processed) and prepare your dishes with real wholefoods in which you control the ingredients, stop artificial sweeteners and sugar, using Stevia instead, "move" every day either by doing yoga, dancing, jogging, pilates, jumping rope, climbing stairs, lifting weights…whatever inspires you, try not to eat animal protein in all your meals and substitute for veggies, beans, nuts, seeds and algae (chlorella, spirulina), drink more water, meditate, do what you really love and learn to say no.

We were alone this Christmas (most of our family lives in Venezuela), and my husband is a DJ (works every night of his life), so we decided to make an early, fully vegan dinner filled with super delicious recipes. All I can say is the meal exceeded our expectations (especially the beet ravioli!). I hope you also prepare it and enjoy at home.