A Healthy Start

So, a few of you have asked me what vitamins I take and for some breakfast ideas, so I thought I would do a post on what a morning usually looks like for me!

On Mondays and Thursdays, I have be out of the house by 7:15 so I like something fast and easy. I have never been much of a breakfast person (unless it's made for me) so I often skip it. Recently though, I started trying to eat regularly each morning and I can't believe the increased amount of energy that I have during the day! Usually I'll eat a banana and yogurt, or granola (I make my own) with almond milk. Last week though, I decided to make smoothie packs for the freezer (got the idea from Pinterest) so that I could have something to take with me on the go. I've made 2 so far and LOVE them! Such a great way to make sure you get some fruit in the morning! Here's how I made them:

Ingredients (for 8 - 9 packs) 
- 32 oz container yogurt (I got greek yogurt but you could use whatever you like)
- Frozen fruit (try buying 3 one pound bags of whatever you like. I got a 6 lb bag at Costco so I could double the amount of packs)
- 4-5 Bananas, peeled

Directions
- Divide the yogurt into a muffin tin and freeze until solid. (I was able to get nine 1/2 cup servings from a 32 oz container)

- Divide your fruit into 8-9 quart size freezer bags. (about 1/2 cup per bag. This is the fruit I got at Costco. I was able to double the amount of freezer packs.)

- Cut 4 bananas in half and place one half into each freezer bag.

- Place one frozen yogurt cup into each freezer bag and seal.

That's it! All you have to do is store the bags in your freezer until you're in the mood for a smoothie!

Serving Day
When you want to blend a pack up, just make sure you have some sort of liquid on hand. To make it a "green" smoothie I like to add the Green Monster Naked juice blend. It has all sorts of vegetables and fruit blended in it and it doesn't taste "green" at all...it's so good. Orange juice, almond milk or regular milk would work too!

Vitamins
Every morning I take the following vitamins:
- Omega 3 (good for brain function, cardiovascular health, inflammation and skin/nails)
- Co-Q 10 (this is especially good for gluten free diets since the main ways to get this enzyme is through grains and fish. It's good for fatigue, immune system, and helps fight heart disease)
- Vitamin D3 (This one is SO important. My dad, who is a physician here: Everything Well has found that the majority of Americans have extremely low and insufficient vitamin D levels, and we aren't able to get the amount we need just from laying out in the sun. It's good for so many things including maintaining your calcium balance, cell differentiation, immune system and blood pressure regulation.)
- Buffered C (we all know that Vitamin C is good for us right?!?!)
- Echinacea (my immune system has always been pretty bad, and this herb is used to support a healthy immune system. Can't hurt right?)

At night I usually take 3 mg of Melatonin to help me get to sleep.

I also do B12 injections twice a week. I love them and can always tell when I skip a week. They give me so much energy!

When I feel a cold or sore throat coming on I ALWAYS take Reacted Zinc and Vitamin D3. I swear they make it go away by the next day. Also, I LOVE "Throat Coat" organic tea by Traditional Medicinals (available at Publix). My vocal chords are always happier after a few cups of it!

That's it for today! I have a great recipe to share with you tomorrow!