Earth Runners 2.0

Have you heard of Earth Runners? I first found out about them through Hilary Bromberg, co-founder of the company Barefoot Provisions. These minimalist sandals are made with conductive laces and inserts that allow the energy of the earth to flow through to the body. Now, before I lose you for being too "woo woo" (which is what I used to think too), hear me out. 

There's actually quite a bit of support behind the benefits of being outside and being in contact with nature. Those who regularly do so tend to be in better health overall, not to mention have stronger immune systems and a more positive outlook. While this could all be attributed to taking a break from our modern lifestyle and relaxing a bit, research suggests that it could also have to do with the magnetic frequencies that we're exposed to. If you're interested in learning more about this, check out Earth Runners' write-ups on it here. 

Even if you're not so interested in the earthing aspect of these sandals, there's no denying their comfort! I love how light they are on my feet, and their simple style goes with anything. I got my first pair over a year ago now (leather laces, suede top, conductive inserts) and after a couple of weeks of breaking them in, I quickly found myself slipping them on more often than any of my other sandals. I also love their durability. 

Earth Runners recently upgraded their laces to improve their conductivity, and I opted in to test them out! I went with the black rubber top this time and the black nylon laces. I wasn't specifically going for a vegan option, but if that's important to you, then these would fit the bill! What I immediately noticed is that they were 100% comfortable straight out of the package. This could have been due to the difference between needing to break in the leather straps a bit and not the nylon ones, but regardless, I've been totally loving them. 

As to the conductivity, I can't say that I've noticed a tremendous difference, probably because I haven't been comparing them side by side. However, I I trust the folks at Earth Runners and the research that they do! I know that I feel best when I'm outside and exploring, and whether it's placebo effect or not, having on a pair of Earth Runners makes the experience that much better. And if these ever wear out (doubtful, with their durability), I'll definitely be back for more. 

If you're interested in trying out a pair for yourself, head over to the Earth Runners website. They have all different combinations of laces and colors to suit your needs, and I'm sure that you'll love them as much as I do!

Note: I was provided with a free pair of sandals for this review, but all opinions expressed are my own. I do not promote companies that I don't believe in. 

Meal Prep 10/10/16

These past few weeks I've been playing around with my macros to see how I feel the best, aiming for 40% fat, 30-40% carb, and 20-30% protein. I've been used to eating much lower carb for so long that it takes such a conscious effort to get that amount of carb in! Generally I plan my week, plug it into My Fitness Pal for an estimate, then tweak from there. I'm still focusing on low-FODMAP carbs, as I definitely do better on those. This week I planned everything out and found that I needed to add in a snack of frozen pineapple, white rice to my soup, and use coconut water in my smoothies to get to my carb goal!! So those things didn't quite make it into the picture :)

Breakfast: "Chocolate Covered Strawberry" Shake // 1 scoop PureWOD Chocolate Build + 1 scoop Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides + 5 oz strawberries + 8 oz coconut water + 1 tbsp cocoa + 1 tsp maca + 1 tsp L Glutamine 

Snack: Kitchfix Grain-Free Granola

Lunch: Burrito Bowl // seasoned ground beef + cauliflower rice + roasted tomatoes and zucchini + caramelized onion and bell pepper // In short, I roasted the chopped zucchini and tomatoes with some oil in the oven while I sautéed the onion and bell pepper in one skillet and the cauli rice in another skillet on the stovetop. Then after transferring the cauli rice to my pyrex dishes, I cooked the ground beef in the same pan!

Snack: 1 cup frozen pineapple tidbits

Dinner: Creamy Lemon Kale Chicken Soup with Broth-Cooked White Rice // I LOVE this recipe by AIP Lifestyle and come back to it time and time again! This time I made it in the Instant Pot. I cooked the chicken first (simply salted the whole bird, placed it in the pot with nothing else, and cooked at high pressure for 30 minutes. It came out SO tender!!), then while that was cooling so that I could pull the meat off, I put everything else for the soup in the IP and cooked at high pressure for 15 minutes. I cooked the rice on the stovetop at the same time. Done!

Snack: Primal Kitchen Dark Chocolate Almond Collagen Bar 

Have a great week!!

Coconut Flour Shortbread Cookies (AIP, GAPS)

I whipped up these coconut flour based shortbread cookies so that I could have an AIP and GAPS friendly treat, and they turned out so well! The flavor is true to the shortbread I was dreaming of, and they come together in a flash. 

The recipe is super simple:

• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup Tin Star Foods brown butter
• 1 tbsp honey
• pinch of salt
• optional splash of vanilla

Mix well, then place little mounds on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. (They don’t flatten or spread at all, so if you want a more traditional flat cookie, be sure to spread them before you bake them.) Top with a dash of cinnamon (or not) and pop in the oven at 350 for 6-8 minutes. I got 9 bite sized cookies out of the batch!

Basic Gummies

These are not your average Jello Jigglers! Packed with gut healing gelatin and real fruit for flavor, I make these gummies as a snack all the time. 

Here's the recipe:

• approximately 3 cups liquid/fruit puree (I usually start with about 16 oz thawed frozen fruit + 1 cup liquid, or 3 cups liquid only)
• 1/2 cup gelatin
• optional sweetener to taste

First you'll toss everything in a high powdered blender and blend until smooth. Then transfer the puree to a saucepan and whisk over medium heat until smooth. Pour into molds (a glass dish works also!) and refrigerate 2-4 hours until set! 

Some of my favorite flavor combinations:

• 1.5 cups lime juice + 1 can full fat coconut milk 
• 1# frozen cherries + 1 cup lemon juice
• 1# frozen strawberries + 1 cup lime juice

Basic Meatballs (aka Sweet Potato Meatballs)

When in doubt, make meatballs! They're such an easy protein to keep on hand, they cook quickly, and they're so versatile.

Here's my basic recipe:

• 1 lb ground meat of choice
• 1 tsp Himalayan pink salt
• herbs of choice
• 1/3 cup cooked, mashed sweet potato or winter squash

Mix all ingredients together until well combined, then form into balls (I use a 1 ounce cookie scoop to make 16 meatballs out of each pound of meat) and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees. 

Some of my go-to herbs and spices are garlic, rosemary, sage, oregano, and thyme. Sometimes I throw a teaspoon of each in, because not only does it boost the flavor, it also boosts the nutrition!