Body Love + my fave Fab Four smoothie
Hi friends! How are you? I hope that everyone is enjoying the week and that my American friends enjoyed a safe and festive 4th!
I have lots of pics to share with you with our festivities (and posted a lot of IG stories!), but for now, I’m excited to tell you about one of the latest reads I’ve been enjoying this week: Body Love.
I’ve been following Kelly on Instagram for a while now, but didn’t learn about her book until the most recent Skinny Confidential Him and Her podcast. (<— also highly recommend. It’s real, hilarious, and I always learn something.) She dropped so many knowledge bombs that I knew I needed to order it up. Also, she’s Jessica Alba’s RD so I had a feeling she was doing something right.
(Also worth mentioning that this post isn’t sponsored or anything like that. I just like sharing the good stuff with you guys, and sharing the love when fellow bloggers and women are kicking a** and doing amazing things. I’m 99.97% sure the author has no clue who I am.)
A little bit about Body Love (from the sales page):
Celebrity favorite health and wellness consultant Kelly LeVeque shares her secrets for losing weight, attuning ourselves to our bodies’ needs, and freeing ourselves from food drama in this essential wellness guide, which includes 88 delectable recipes!
In this inspirational yet practical book, the nutritional consultant and holistic healthcare expert who has helped celebrities such as Jessica Alba, Molly Sims, Chelsea Handler, and Emmy Rossum improve their health and achieve their goals shows you how to get beyond the food drama of cyclical fad diets and feel and look great by eating well.
Kelly’s Food Freedom program helps you set yourself up for success, eliminating cravings, mood swings, and other symptoms caused by food drama. Start your day with her Fab Four Smoothies, including a Strawberry Shortcake Smoothie and a Mango Kale Madness Smoothie, which pack protein, fat, fiber, and carbs to balance your blood sugar and keep you full and happy. After breakfast, you’ll thrive with her Fab Four recipes, including Turkey-Stuffed Delicata Squash, Spicy Salmon Nori Burritos, and Anti-Inflammatory Detox Salad, which include the Fab Four food groups—protein, fat, fiber, and greens—that play a role in day-long satiety. Kelly also teaches you how to elongate your blood sugar curve to stay full and happy, and make yourself insulin aware.
Kelly has studied the science behind familiar diets to understand how they trigger the body to lose pounds—and why they aren’t sustainable. Instead, she offers a better choice: her four-step Food Freedom program that helps you find your wellness balance between eating enough and deciding how you feel. Once you find your balance, you will lose weight, lose fat, increase lean muscle mass, and drop at least one size. You’ll also enjoy thicker, shinier hair; clear, glowing skin; a remarkable improvement in your overall appearance; reduced joint pain and other inflammations; increased energy; and better sleep.
Filled with tips and resources on supplements and cleansing, dozens of delicious, healthy recipes and advice on how to adjust your eating when traveling and on vacation, Body Love is your one-stop resource to living clean and happy!
Why I like it:
Drop ALL THAT SCIENCE ON ME. I love that she explains nutrition in a way that’s very straightforward (without dumbing it down too much), especially when it comes to sugar intake, macronutrients, and reducing inflammation. It’s easy to read and understand, but also enjoyable to read. It’s not a snore and it’s packed with lots of helpful info. The tips on balancing blood sugar levels and increasing energy are golden. I’ve been using some of the strategies with the girls’ meals and found that hanger hasn’t been making as much of an appearance. (For example, I’ll add some chia seeds and coconut oil to their blender pancake batter.)
You can apply it to your life. There’s a week plan of what this would look like, including meal timing and workouts. It would be easy to mix and match with ideas from the book to create your own plan.
The focus on intuitive eating. I LOVE that she doesn’t demonize certain foods, and she insists that we should feed our bodies according to how we feel and what we’re craving. Instead of snacking mindlessly throughout the day, each meal has a purpose, and since the meal suggestions and ideas are so satisfying, you don’t feel like you’re missing out. This book is truly a lifestyle, which I applaud wholeheartedly. It’s not a “quick fix”; instead, they’re suggestions for living a healthy, balanced life.
The Fab Four mentality. I like to say, “Eat like a PRO” (with PROtein and PROduce) in each meal, but she takes this to an entirely new level. The Fab Four components are protein (essential amino acids through animal protein, clean protein powders, etc), fat (MCT oil, almond butter, nuts, seeds, avocado), fiber (like chia or flax) and greens (greens powder, or any leafy green, especially micro greens because they’re even more nutrient-dense). This is SO easy to remember, and since I’ve been trying to focus on getting more of the Fab Four in each meal, I’ve found myself feeling more energized, less snack-y, and craving sugars less often.
When she describes her Fab Four smoothies, she actually suggests nixing the fruit since it can raise blood sugar. At first I was like, “OMG a smoothie without fruit is not a smoothie” but then I tried it. And it was delicious, filling, and something I’ve been making more often.
Here’s my current favorite smoothie with Fab Four ingredients:
-1 cup almond milk
-1 heaping handful spinach (greens)
-2 scoops of Raw Cacao Whey protein (protein)
-1 tablespoon almond butter (fat)
1 tablespoon chia seeds (fiber)
-Pinch of sea salt, and lots of cinnamon
-Handful of ice
It’s creamy, rich, and so delicious.
What I didn’t like about this book:
– I wanted more recipes, but I guess I can go to her website and find some more. 😉
What’s something inspiring or eye-opening that you’ve read lately? Any delicious smoothie combos I need to try?
Don’t forget, Summer Shape Up will be here in 1 1/2 weeks!! The fun starts Monday, July 17. If you want ALL of the info in advance, be sure to join my newsletter by signing up below:
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Hi Gina,
I’m curious to know what other protein powders you would say compare to shakeology. I am using it right now but want something a little less expensive. Even with the coach discount it’s $$$! What do you suggest?
shakeo is so expensive because it’s a meal replacement; not just a protein powder. i wish the ingredients were organic for the cost. i’ve been using raw cacao whey from thrive market and beef it up with my own extra supplements, like fresh greens, mushrooms (reishi, cordyceps), seeds, nut butters, and healthy fats
A girl at my gym just published her first book which is all about eating with your cycle to support a healthy lifestyle. It’s on my must-read list and she knows her stuff. Definitely recommend – https://www.amazon.com/Female-Fat-Solution-Achieving-hormones/dp/0996445730/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499255576&sr=8-1&keywords=the+female+fat+solution.
i’ll definitely check it out- thank you!
Im not a huge reader (except for blogs!), but that sounds like a great read. I love reading books that i can gain value from. Will pass the rec on!
yes! and it’s the type of book you can pick through and skim for ideas
Thanks Gina for introducing me to someone new. I LOVE the idea of the Fab Four, just as I’ve always loved your idea of PRO eating. It really resonates and I’ll definitely be digging deeper into Kelly’s website.
yay, happy to share the love 🙂 hope you enjoy it, too!
I’ve always felt smoothies can be a sugar bomb which is why I try keeping the amount lower or I used cucumber or zucchini instead of fruit. Zucchini you can’t even taste!
cucumber!! i haven’t tried this!
I just heard about Kelly on The Skinny Confidential podcast too! I immediately searched and downloaded a bunch of other podcasts Kelly was on haha I felt like her tips seemed realistic and not restrictive. I ordered her book and it should be delivered today — can’t wait. I liked her suggestion about not snacking and eating 3 solid meals to give your body time to digest. I never thought of it that way before.
what other podcasts has she been on? i’m always looking for new ones to add to the rotation 🙂
She has also been on “That’s So Maven” (where I first heard about her!) and “The Balanced Blonde”! If you search her name through the podcast app, it will pop up with anything she has been on. 🙂
I love books like these — I recently read The Body Book by Cameron Diaz and am anxiously anticipating Candace Cameron Bure’s book that launches soon!
the body book is excellent! oooh i’ll be on the lookout for that one
I may need to go get that book — I need a motivation jolt to get back on the healthy eating wagon! I eliminated [most] sugar from my diet a while back & it helped SO MUCH with inflammation & migraines. Going to at least go get some of these ingredients and try that smoothie!
it’s crazy how it makes such a difference. i LOVE SUGAR but it makes me feel terrible. definitely worth skipping out on the most part
I’m not usually too into fitness/food books (other than cookbooks!) but that one sounds resourceful and smart. I want to try that smoothie! I love fruit in smoothies too, but it could be nice to switch it up once in a while and cut down on the sugar (even if it’s natural sugar).
same! it’s been a nice change 🙂
This sounds really interesting, I have a trip coming up, I may need to order this to read on the flight. Thanks!
yes, it’s a good one! highly recommend the nightingale if you haven’t read it yet 🙂
Yes! I loved Kelly on the Him & Her podcast as well. I’ve been doing her suggestions for smoothies ever since and am loving it! 😀 I’ll have to check out her book now. <3
she was SO GOOD on the podcast. <3
I’ve been making a smoothie almost exactly the same as that but mine includes frozen riced cauliflower. Have you tried cauliflower in a smoothie yet? This is the perfect place to give it a try! Makes the smoothie really thick & creamy 🙂
ok, so i’m a little creeped by the cauliflower thing. i still haven’t tried it!! i will definitely do it now and report back 🙂
I thought it was weird too, but you can’t taste it . Plus, it’s a nice break from spinach and having green or dirty looking smoothies, haha
hahah seriously! liv ran to the kitchen yesterday and was like “i want some smoothie!” and when she saw its grey color she said, “never mind”
Thanks for sharing the recipe. I tried it for dinner and I was surprised that I really liked it. I only regret not adding more cinnamon. It really made the smoothie. I will definitely need to get the book.
so glad you liked it, too! at first i was very skeptical, but i loved it. yes, cinnamon totally makes it 🙂
Hi! I downloaded the audio book this afternoon and haven’t stopped listening. I hear you on the science. I eat a smoothie every day – am a Shakeology coach – and when I eat in the way she describes I feel so much better. I am excited to incorporate The Fab Four smoothies into my days. Thanks for the great post.
so happy to hear you’re loving it, too! <3
I just read Wired To Eat and really liked it. Lots of science and fats. Huge points for explaining personalization!
I am loving frozen cauliflower and avacado in my smoothies =)
I almost never put fruit in my smoothies. But I guess I don’t call them “smoothies”. I call them shakes. This is exactly how I make them. . . Protein powder, almond milk, spinach, nut butter. Never thought to add chia, good tip. . . I’ll try that today. Yesterday I made a shake with mattole valley naturals vanilla whey protein, almond milk, spinach, and PB2 powder. It was awesome ! I suppose PB2 powder would be considered too low in fat though
Gina, what are you using to sweeten your coffee lately? Sugar? Stevia? Have you tried this stuff?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002LMBIVA/ref=gp_aw_ybh_a_150?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=Z4HY9NZ6D1YY9T8Y7DS4
I like this smoothie advice! I’ll have to look for the book at a library but I’m curious why are chia and flax the only ‘fibers’ she uses, at least in the 3 recipes I looked at? Chia and flax have almost as much fat as fiber, not that there’s anything wrong with that. But the OCD in me wants to understand why those and not other fiber-rich veggies, since she’s already including a separate fat? Did the book explain, or offer alternatives to flax and chia? Thanks!
I just heard Kelly on the “That’s So Retrograde” podcast (my favorite). Great post – looks like I’ll be buying the book!
She is not an RD