Is there even a better way to start your day than with a healthy smoothie bowl & energizing yoga flow?

Today on The Skinny Confidential, we have Claire back sharing her favorite breakfast & an energizing yoga flow suitable for beginners. If you haven’t met Claire already, let me give you a refresher…

I met Claire in Gstaad, Switzerland.

We were introduced by our mutual girlfriend, Neda, of Healthy With Nedi at a fun, crazy restaurant. I liked her immediately- she is warm, strong, likable, smart, & knows her shit when it comes to fitness.

So when did I decide to invite her on The Skinny Confidential for a series on health & wellness? EASY. When she pulled out a tiny vitamin case with vegetarian digestive enzymes & offered me one after a meal of salad, pasta, steak, & cucumber/mint Nedi martinis ( as Neda always says: “the trick is to keep cocktails as simple as possible & avoid sugary mixers. I drink almost EVERY DAY unless I am sick. Alcohol does not cause weight gain, sugary mixers do. So, I keep it simple with a vodka on the rocks, 3 lime wedges, & a splash of water. My boyfriend calls this ‘The Nedi Drink’- LOL. If I am feeling like a cocktail then my go-to is a vodka martini with muddled cucumber, mint, & a tiny splash of fresh lime juice.” YUM ). Anyway, back to the digestive enzymes Claire gave me. Immediately I needed to know: 1.) tell me everything about how these enzymes work, 2.) what brand? ( this brand if you’re wondering ), & 3.) ok now can I pick your brain about supplements on the blog? ( she agreed ! ). We definitely had some funnnnnn that night! Digestive enzymes x cucumber/mint vodka martinis mix very well. And of course, I bought them immediately.

SO! Let’s do this: quick intro for you guys: Claire Grieve is a highly sought-after yoga teacher, stretch therapist, plant-based health coach and wellness writer. Claire underwent extensive yoga training with some of the world’s top yogis and is also a certified Health Coach. Claire has dedicated the last decade of her life to spreading joy through yoga and wellness. Claire wasn’t always as healthy and radiant as she is today. 10 years ago, before she discovered yoga, Claire experienced an array of health problems. She suffered from chronic headaches and inflammation, joint pain, bad digestion, depression & insomnia. Her growing interest in yoga lead her to begin to explore her health from a holistic perspective & she became obsessed with her natural wellness journey.

Today, Claire feels healthier and more vibrant than ever before and is inspired to share the practices that transformed her life with the world.

She is a health boss !! She also happens to be Rosie Huntington-Whiteley go-to yoga guru & best friend. Claire is a super bright light in this space & I think she brings a lot of value, so it’s my pleasure to have Claire back to share her tips & secrets with you guys.

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Hi! I’m Claire Grieve, a Los Angeles based yoga teacher and health coach. I work with clients who lead really high stress lives and I help them create both inner energy and calm through yoga, meditation, self care and plant-based eating. I love reading The Skinny Confidential, so I was really excited when Lauryn asked me to share two of my absolute favorite natural energizers with the community – a yoga flow and a green energizing smoothie bowl. Enjoy!

Green Energizing Smoothie Bowl

This smoothie bowl is my go-to blended treat. I eat a variation of this delicious concoction almost every single day. It is full of so many delicious fruits, vegetables and superfoods, it is like a blast of nutrients and eating it truly energizes my day.

INGREDIENTS
(Makes 2 bowls) 

1 cup of frozen pineapple  
1/2 avocado  
1 cup of spinach
1 cup of romaine
1/2 cucumber
1/2 lemon, squeezed
1 tbsp ginger, chopped
1 scoop vanilla plant protein (or 1 tbsp of hemp seeds)
1 teaspoon matcha green tea
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

DIRECTIONS

♡ Blend all ingredients until smooth. Add ice for extra thickness.

♡ Garnish with pomegranate, coconut shreds, goji berries or bee pollen.

*Use organic produce when available- it’s fresher and tastes delicious*

Energizing Yoga Flow

Beginning your day with a powerful yoga flow can help you find a natural vitality from deep within. In my opinion, post-yoga energy is way better than anything a cup of coffee could deliver.

♡ Chair Pose
Chair Pose is an amazing strengthening and energizing pose. As you practice this pose you will feel your heart open and your foundation become stronger and stronger.

How to: Inhale and raise your arms up to the sky. Allow your shoulders to relax away from your ears. As you exhale, start to bend your knees and lower your hips down as if you are sitting in a chair. Now sit down even lower. Lift from your heart and hold for up to 1 minute.

♡ Crow Pose
Crow pose is a fun and effective way to strengthen your upper arms and core. Hold this challenging pose for up to 60 seconds. 

How to: 1. Bend your knees and lower down into a squat. Place your hands on the ground shoulder width apart with your fingers spread wide. 2. Keeping your feet close together, place your knees on your upper arms. Keep your gaze forward as you activate your core and begin to lean forward lifting one foot at a time towards your butt. 3. Touch your toes together, draw your belly in, breath and hold for 30 – 60 seconds.

♡ Plank Pose
This is my go-to power move. Plank pose is amazing because it strengthens your entire body and builds up a fiery energy while holding a very simple pose.

How to: Start in a push up position. Place your palms shoulder distance apart and your knees hip distance apart. Reach through the crown of your head to the heel of your feet and engage your core. Hold for up to 60 seconds.

♡ Warrior 3
Warrior 3 is a challenging pose that creates energy, balance and focus.

How to: Start in Crescent Pose. Engage your core as you begin to lean forward gazing a few feet in front of your foot. Release the back foot from the floor and flex your foot as if pressing into an imaginary wall. Breathe deeply and hold for 30 seconds.

♡ Standing Split
This is a fun and challenging variation of a forward fold that will put your balance and coordination to the test. The inverted position of Standing Split pulls your focus inward and brings fresh oxygen to your brain, clearing space for deeper concentration and attention.

How to: From Warrior 3, place your fingertips on the floor on either side of your front foot or around your calf. Extend your back leg to the sky as high as you can while keeping your hips aligned. Relax the crown of your head toward the floor or your shin.

♡ Vinyasa through Chaturanga and Upward Facing Dog
As you come down from Standing Split, lower through a Chaturanga and Upward Facing Dog or Vinyasa. Chaturanga is an energizing and toning super star. In under a minute, practicing Chaturanga will help you boost and tone the upper and lower body. Upward Facing Dog is a fantastic heart opener that will energize you from the inside out.

How to Chaturanga: Start in Plank position with your hands, elbows and shoulders stacked. Keep your core activated and your entire body aligned parallel to the floor. Roll forward on your toes and begin to lower down so that your arms are at a 90 degree angle, hugging your elbows into your ribcage. Draw your shoulders away from your ears and spread your collar bones. Press back on your heels and reach through the crown of your head as you hold the pose.

How to Upward Facing Dog: From Chaturanga, push up until your elbows are almost straight. Roll over your toes, keeping your hips lifted off the ground. Take a deep inhale and extend your heart chakra to the sky.

♡ Camel Pose 
This incredible pose can immediately lift your energy. It also fights of fatigue, anxiety and stress, gets your blood pumping and kick starts your day!

How to: Start on your knees. Place your hands on your sacrum with your finger tips pointing down and extend your heart to the sky. In the full expression, your hands will reach your heels.

Looking for more yoga flows, plant-based recipes & self care tips? Check out Claire’s e-book ENERGIZE, & explore a few more of her favorites here.

Be sure to follow Claire on Instagram & Facebook.

+ Read more on why I love yoga for mental clarity.

++ If you like Claire’s smoothie, you have to try the TSC Pink Detox Drink.

SHOP THE POST

The post How to Energize and Elevate Your Morning appeared first on The Skinny Confidential.

Other than the obvious ( fruit, arugula, rolled oats, eggs, blah, blah, blah ) I definitely have some serious favorites from Trader Joe’s.

Here’s five ways to keep these staples clean & skinny:

1.} Quinoa: instead of eating boring, old quinoa try making quinoa oatmeal. Use almond milk, a sprinkle of cinnamon, a packet of Stevia, & throw some blueberries on top! This is one of my favorite AM staples. If possible, eat your carbs early as opposed to at night!

2.} Cornichons: I love using these sexy little pickles for this egg salad recipe. They’re also the perfect GNO ( girl’s night out ) treat. Lay these on a platter with some celery sticks ( + soy nut butter ), a handful of raspberries, & a few slices of light cheese. Enjoy with chilled white wine! Cheers!

3.} Hot & Sweet Mustard: ummm…this is amazing for turkey roll-ups ( this way tastes delish ). Hot & sweet mustard is also fab on scrambled eggs, turkey burgers, & veggies burgers.

4.} Salsa Verde: the best salsa ever! So delicious with blue corn chips & skinny street tacos. This particular kind has no preservatives & it’s all-natural.

5.} Healthy 8 Chopped Veggie Mix: the best find ever! I discovered this from my friend, Lindsay’s blog– you can mix into an arugula salad, enjoy it with chopped watermelon, &/or add to any chicken dish. It’s literally.the.most.perfect.mixture ( esp to take to the workplace ).

What’s your favorite TJ find?

x.L

The post My Trader Joe’s Favorites <3 appeared first on The Skinny Confidential.