Well hey there!
Today I have a deeeelicious recipe, tips for picking the right protein powder for YOU, plus an exciting product review and I can't wait to dish all about it so lets gooooo!
I want to start by saying that for those of you who aren't familiar with my product reviews I am REALLY picky about products I try. For reals a lot of people and companies reach out to me about trying their products and I won't even try a product that I feel is not inline with the integrity of the paleo ballerina and the standard I've set here for all of you. I take this responsibility seriously and if you see something on here please know that I have personally used it. On top of that I have a policy of trying any product before I will recommend it. Just because something SHOULD be great doesn't always mean that it is. #sorrynotsorry
It's also important to note that there are a lot of random things I can't eat or drink because I'm nursing. That means still no caffeine for me, no eggs (they make my babes tummy hurt), and there are other random things like mint etc etc that I have to avoid these days.
Okay onto the actual content of today's post!
Naked Nutrition
Today I want to tell you a little bit about this awesome little company called Naked Nutrition. The thing in general that I like most about them is that they make NAKED protein powders and super clean supplements. Now that does mean they're all perfect BUT they have some really amazing options if you're looking to drink some clean ass dranks.
NAKED GOAT WHEY
As far as the products I tried - I had their naked goat whey as those of you who follow me on Instagram have probably seen, and I've been using it A LOT for smoothies etc.
Literally the only ingredient is goat whey. I mean how awesome is that? It's just about impossible to find products that are that pure these days and Naked Nutrition impresses the hell out of me for making them. The nice thing about a naked protein powders like the goat whey I tried is that its insanely versatile. You can create unlimited mixtures, flavors, and concoctions and you know EXACTLY what's going in it unlike other "natural flavors" in most protein drinks.
It really doesn't get much better than that for those of us who are CONSTANTLY combing through ingredients 24/7 aka me and probably every other clean/paleo/vegan eater out there who's trying to optimize health and not eat crap. And hey if you're trying to clear you skin - I'd recommend you get just a little bit anal about ingredients too. It's kind of important!
With that being said I know a lot of you just about had a shit fit that I was 'drinking dairy' - but I've been able to tolerate goats milk yogurt and cheese without breaking out for awhile. I try not to have it daily or anything, but my body does just fine!
You may not be there yet aand that's totally cool. Goats milk in general is easier to digest so whenever you do try to reintroduce dairy I suggest you start with goat!! But for now if you're not into Goat Whey here are other options I would explore that are 100% clean, some paleo, some vegan, and all clear skin friendly (depending on your body). Depending on your body different ones might work better for you. How do you know if it "works" for you? Check for bloating, breakouts, and gas. Here are some alternative options for you in order from best to worst in MY book:
2. Pea Protein
Another cool thing they have are "less naked" proteins meaning there are other things added to them, so they are not just the good ol protein. They also have naked peanut powder (if you're into peanuts) and peanut cacao powder. Essentially they have all of the things but in NAKED form so without additives. I mean that's pretty cool right!? Talk about versatile and offering something for EVERYONE!
There are sample packs also so you can see what works best.
As for the goat whey it doesn't have much flavor on it's own, but it certainly made my smoothies REALLY light delicious and fluffy which I love. Overall I was impressed, but I also want to try their Rice Protein because like I mentioned - I don't really love doing goat everyday.
And that's about all I have to say in regards to the goat whey. I've thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm just about at the end of my massive container. Oh one warning - the powder can get a little messy. It's pretty fluffy and kind of flies everywhere when you scoop it.
WATERMELON BCAAs
The other product I tried were their newer Watermelon BCAAs. Now I generally find BCAAs to taste gross in general. Like for real they work really well to help keep on lean muscle mass while speeding up recovery BUT I have never liked the taste.
Generally I had been drinking a Raw BCAA by Scivation and just mixing it with a smoothie or coconut water in an attempt to mask the taste because again - BCAAS TASTE GROSS YA'LL. But I decided to try out what Naked Nutrition had to offer because the idea of a yummy but clean BCAA sounded too good to be true!
In this case I agreed to these before reading the ingredients list because I was like I'm sure these are greeaattt! Well unfortunately there are two things about this particular BCAA that I'm not thrilled about: 1. There is sugar in it 2. There's no glutamine.
INSERT SAD FACE :(
Now I'm not gonna lie - I still drank and am drinking these BCAAs even with the sugar in there (it's a tiny amount btw only 2g) because I'm not sugar detoxing or anything and well, they do work really well for my muscles! They have a naked one as well so that's an easy solve if you're avoiding sugars! My husband has been drinking them as well and said it has helped SO MUCH with his muscle soreness and recovery! So while I wish they tasted better, I've come to terms with BCAAs just tasting gross. But the thing that REALLY does disappoint me about both the watermelon flavor AND the Naked one they have is that they sell glutamine separately and do not add it to their BCAAs.
Why do I care? Because L-Glutamine helps to heal and seal your gut lining if you have leaky gut ie it helps clear your skin. Glutamine is crucial for those of us with acne and I love that BCAAs typically provide a one stop shop for gut health and muscle recovery.
Alas, you'd have to buy them separately which I have done. I just prefer as few supplements as possible personally. I used to drink just a plain glutamine back in the day but once I discovered this BCAA hack I turned my back on it. #sorrynotsorry
Overall for ME I think I'll stick with my old brand even though it tastes like pure ass. At least there are no additives (which again Naked does offer as well) and I don't have to buy my glutamine separately.
WRAPPING UP
Overall I really am so impressed and happy to have been able to try out Naked Nutrition's products! I think they're a great transparent company doing things the right way and I'm very grateful that they wanted to send me some products to try! I would be glad to work with them more in the future!
NOW with alllll of that being said - let's get to the recipe!
I have to admit - this delicious treat was out of this world! I didn't even expect it to come out as well as it did and I am very happy to be sharing it with you!
On top of it's great taste this little bowl of pudding packs a MEAN punch of protein and healthy fats! Can we say treats without the guilt? Not just guilt free but actually super nourishing!
Okay let's do it!
Snickerdoodle Chia Seed Protein Pudding
Serves 1 - 2
INGREDIENTS:
6 tbsp Chia Seeds
1 Ripe or Over Ripe Banana (use green tipped for 21DSD)
1/2 Can Full Fat Coconut Milk
1 tsp MCT Oil (optional)
2 Scoops Protein Powder (I used Naked Goat Whey)
2 Scoops Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of Himalayan Pink Salt
Optional: liquid stevia, honey, or maple syrup to taste (I think it's sweet enough without!)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Smooth pudding: place all ingredients into a high speed blender and blend. Pour mixture into glass mason jar and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight is best.
Chunky pudding: place all ingredients EXCEPT the chia seeds into a high speed blender and blend. Pour mixture into glass mason jar & add chia seeds. Stir until well combined - the better stirred the more even your pudding will be. Refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight is best.
Remove from fridge, stir, garnish with cinnamon and enjoy!
Thanks so much for joining me today, I so appreciate each and everyone of you!
Also also alsoooo!!! Before I forget....
I recently relaunched Discovering You Podcast and I am suuuper duper excited about it! I'm so excited that I'm doing a giveaway of my favorite water bottle - HYDRO FLASK! I'm not affiliated with them at all but they're my fav! So to say thank you to my amazing listeners, readers, and followers I wanted to give ya'll a gift!
I'm so happy it's BACK and I'm BACK and it's really so different than it used to be and better now I think!
I hope you are excited about it being back too because I have some great topics for you! Go check it out over on iTunes, Stitcher, or Sound Cloud - Episode 16 may or my not be the episode where I announced the giveaway and told you how to enter also!!!
So go listen while you make some chia seed pudding and don't forget to ENTER the GIVEAWAY!
As always thanks for being here and if you make this pudding be sure to shoot me a message with your thoughts or tag me in a picture! I love sharing your creations!
Have an amazing weekend!
