PB&J protein smoothie

You know how a song, smell, or a bite of something can take you back to a moment? That’s what this PB&J smoothie is going to do for you too! Right back to being a kid eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but better.

This one is packed with about 25g of protein to build lean muscle and burn fat, healthy fats to curb cravings, and an immunity boost we could all use right now!

And the best part? It will talk you less than 2 minutes to make!

PB&J Smoothie Ingredients

• 1 cup frozen strawberries (or other berries you love)
• 1 cup unsweetened oat milk
• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 scoop LSF Vanilla Plant Protein or LSF PB Plant Protein
• 1 scoop LSF Wing Woman Immunity Boost

Smoothie Directions

Add all ingredients above in the order listed to a blender. Blend on high until smooth and enjoy!

Get Your Peanut Butter On

This smoothie is honestly great ANY time of day. It has a perfect balance of healthy fats, carbs, and proteins so you can’t go wrong. I love making this one for breakfast (maybe throw in some spinach for greens you won’t taste!), but it also makes a perfect post-workout snack too!

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Why I ditched my 12-Step Skincare

For years I had dull, tired-looking skin that I spent so much time and money maintaining. And even then, I was never quite happy with the options out there – harsh ingredients, expensive treatments, 12-step routines… none of it was for me. Nobody’s got time to do that stuff every night! Since I’m all about efficiency, I wanted a product that would give me great skin without all the hassle. With that, I’m about to reveal my biggest secret so YOU TOO can clear your skin effortlessly!

SO what’s the solution?

I’ve been researching and working with our lab to formulate the perfect blend! We invented something that’s different than anything else on the market…Introducing the brand new, Natural Beauty! It features all of the hard-working, brightening, plumping, wrinkle-reducing skincare ingredients I love in a deliciously drinkable solution. (plus, it has the delicious dragonfruit flavor!)

The beauty benefits

• Reduce wrinkles
• Increase firmness & radiance
• Improved hydration
• Regulates good gut bacteria
• Limit breakouts

Created with some of your favorite topical skincare products, our highly effective ingredients make Natural Beauty more than just a pretty face, it is also more than just a collagen blend.

I’ve tested and I’ve seen major results.

My skin has been significantly different the past year testing this product. Like I said, Natural Beauty is so much more than just a collagen supplement. So let’s dive into the top ingredients in this magical bottle to help you understand why:

• WTF is Naticol®?: Not your average marine collagen. Widely recognized as one of the purest formulas on the market, Naticol® is made from sustainably-sourced fish collagen peptides. It’s been clinically tested to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and improve skin elasticity.
• Hydrate with Hyaluronic: Chances are, you’ve probably seen or heard of Hyaluronic Acid from your favorite topical skincare brands. Hyaluronic acid in the skin binds to water to help increase moisture and reduce dryness.
• PreticX®: The Gut-Glow Connection If something is off-balance in your gut, your skin is usually one of the first places you’ll see it. PreticX® is a stable prebiotic that helps nourish friendly bacteria in your gut and is clinically shown to increase bifidobacteria – responsible for helping to reduce inflammation and skin sensitivity. 

Have you ever seen any collagen powder with these powerful ingredients? I sure haven’t! I’ve waited so long for you to try it yourself and now it’s finally

Naturopathic nutritionist and health coach Claudine Thornhill joins Happiful’s podcast to share practical tips around optimising your nutrition, managing your wellbeing and becoming an expert on yourself in perimenopause

Claudine Thornhill is an advocate for women’s mental, physical and nutritional health and, as she shares with Happiful, believes that with good nutrition, self work and self-compassion we can navigate the perimenopause and menopause more positively.

Speaking on our I am. I have podcast, Claudine outlines some of the practical and everyday ways we can address, support and protect our wellbeing.

Symptom tracking

• One of the key things is really just to increase that connection and awareness with your body and your emotions. That's the first step. This will help you if you’re speaking with a GP or a healthcare professional.
  
  
• Come from the position as the expert on your own body. Track your symptoms. Whether you use a period tracking app, note things down on your phone or write it on a piece of paper, tracking your cycle, sleep, your stress levels and also what you've eaten as well is important. See what patterns there might be.
  

Nutrition

• If we eat in a way that balances blood sugar levels, that’s a good way to go and that includes a decent amount, in quantity and quality, of carbohydrates. It might be whole rolled oats, butternut squash, sweet potatoes and white potatoes as well. This should make up around a quarter of your meal plate.
  
  
• Protein is also important as we move through perimenopause. Osteoporosis can be a concern and so thinking about the protein and minerals that will support our bone health is key. So lean chicken, fish and foodstuffs like that. Also, if we’re starting to see unwanted weight gain around the middle, protein will help keep us fuller for longer. This should make up around a quarter of your meal plate too.
  
  
• Vegetables play a key role in our diet at this time of life, particularly dark leafy vegetables, as they support our liver function which is vital. Vegetables will also provide energy, which we all need. Veggies should make up half of your plate.
  
  
• Be mindful around stimulants like sugar, alcohol and caffeine which can cause insulin spikes or have an impact on cortisol, the stress hormone. Try not to drink caffeine too late in the day, and choose green tea which still has some caffeine for that kick but also contains flavonoids.

Wellbeing

• Address stress! Find activities that help you cope and destress. That will be different things for different people but breathwork, meditation, drawing

Sometimes we find ourselves in need of a little pick-me-up. I get it! We all have those days. 

Maybe you’ve had a long week or you didn’t sleep great last night. Maybe your hormones are throwing you off. You could be stressed, traveling, under a tight deadline, or not getting the nutrients your body needs from your diet.

There are pretty much a million things that could be making you feel tired. So if you’re looking for a way to fight your tiredness and boost your energy naturally, add these things to your arsenal.

#1: Eat a nutritious diet

Your body is a complicated system and it needs a lot to keep it functioning at its best. If you’re filling it with junk like sugar or alcohol, it’s going to make you pay for it, usually with fatigue. And if you’re not getting the nutrients you need from your diet, the same is true. Making bad food choices is like putting only a tiny bit of gas in your car — and then expecting it to make a major road trip. 

You might already know that I recommend eating whole foods above everything else. The closer you can get to the natural source, the better. That means choosing food with limited processing and added ingredients — and loading up your plate with lots of fruits and veggies. If you’re not quite sure what you should be eating to feel like your best, most energized self, I can help. All of my nutrition plans include meals that will supply your system with the nutrients it needs. And when you need a quick and easy way to get more goodness in, you know you can always turn to our LSF Plant Protein.

#2: Get Pep (Rally) in your step!

We all have days where you need a pick-me-up. I mean, I do!

That’s why I made our newest boost, Pep Rally! I teamed up all the natural energy-boosting powerhouses, like matcha and ginseng, to give you a pep in your step when you need it most. I can’t wait for you to try it!

#3: Move that body, girl!

A sedentary lifestyle (that basically means sitting around a lot) makes you feel even more sluggish. You don’t have to take my word for it. Studies show that getting moving on a regular basis can decrease your fatigue by 65%. That’s a pretty big drop!

My general recommendation is to get 30 minutes of exercise with the LSF App five or six days a week. But I know that if you haven’t been moving much, that can sound like a lot. Don’t be afraid to ease yourself in. Even 10 minutes a day can still do wonders — and I legit have the Daily 10 for this purpose. Getting moving can be way easier than you might think. A brisk walk around your neighborhood counts. So does literally any workout from our LSF App

It’s def possible to have too much caffeine. On top of that, certain situations — like coffee on an empty stomach — can give caffeine a bad rap, even when it’s really the other things at play causing the problems. 

All this said, I’m pro caffeine, just in moderation. Too much caffeine is going to literally jack you up, especially consuming too much at one time. But how much is too much? I’ve got you, girl.

Your recommended daily dose of caffeine

The FDA says people shouldn’t have more than 400 mg of caffeine each day. That’s roughly equal to four eight-ounce cups of coffee. 

Note that we’re saying eight-ounce cups. That’s pretty small. And if you opt for an energy drink, be extra careful. A lot of options can have as much as 250 mg of caffeine in one eight-ounce serving. 

Is going over that cap really a big deal? If you only do it every once in a while, probably not. But if you do it too much, you risk caffeine toxicity.

Plus, even a single day with too much caffeine can leave you with some pretty unwelcome side effects.

Side effects of excess caffeine

No surprise here: one of the main issues with too much caffeine is sleep problems. Besides insomnia, though, too much caffeine can cause:

• Jitters
• Anxiousness
• Dehydration
• High blood pressure
• Heart palpitations
• An upset stomach
• Heartburn

Clearly, too much caffeine can cause a bunch of problems that leave you feeling way worse than you started. You’d probably didn’t want to trade that tiredness for the side effect you’re feeling, right?

To help you avoid these nasty side effects, I recommend:

• Mixing in other stuff with caffeine. Consider what you consume along with your caffeine. I love matcha green tea because it has caffeine, but it also has L-theanine, which has a calming effect. Or you could always add some ashwagandha into the mix to ward off jitters. 
• Timing your consumption. When you have coffee or tea on an empty stomach, it can upset your digestive system. If you start your day with caffeine, eat something with it. This could be as simple as a quick shake with our protein powder or a banana. Then, mind your caffeine intake at night. It can take your body as long as six hours to metabolize even half of the caffeine you’ve consumed. If you’ve been having sleep problems, you might be able to blame your afternoon consumption. Some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others, so pay attention. If cutting out caffeine after noon helps you get good sleep, that’s well worth it. 
• Avoiding too much at once. Too much caffeine can literally be toxic. And even when you don’t reach potentially health-hazardous levels, a lot all at once is often behind the jitters or nausea. Stick with about 75-160 mg at a time. That’s roughly one or two eight-ounce cups of coffee. Wait for about half an hour and see how you feel. If you’re still pooped, you can always have more. But there’s no way to undo too much caffeine other than to wait it out (yikes). 
• Getting smart about where your caffeine comes from. Some caffeine sources (looking at you, energy drinks and pre-workout) have so much that your risk for side effects is already super high. To give your body a boost without having to pay for it, look to natural caffeine sources like matcha green tea, smaller cups of coffee, or our NEW! Pep Rally Energy Boost!

Just