How to fuel your movement with Luminary Ally Born

FUELING TO ELEVATE

Yay! The new Spring line “Elevate Your Movement” is here! I hope you are just as excited as I am for the beautiful pastels, geometric designs, and gorgeous goddess-inspired tops. When I heard about the theme of the new line, it got me thinking about how I elevate my own movement.

For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Ally and I move in so many ways. If I’m not flowing on my yoga mat, you can find me swimming laps in a pool, running my local trails, or spinning my legs out on my bike as I train for my next triathlon! But I’m not just talking about physical movement here, I also care about a greater movement. Like Inner Fire, I care a lot about education; I am a full-time researcher for projects focused on education in developing countries.

So when I got to thinking, “How do I elevate all of my movement?” the thought that came to mind was fuel. With proper fueling, I have found I am able to perform the best I can by how I fuel myself.

For this blog, I want to share tips and tricks for how I fuel myself to elevate my movement. I encourage you to reflect on how you elevate your movement as well, and maybe give one or all of these ideas a try! I hope you also join us for the Instagram challenge to explore healthy fuelling for the entire body, mind, and soul #fueltoelevate.

ALLY’S EASY SMOOTHIE RECIPES

Ever since companies like Jamba Juice and Robek’s Juice came out, I was hooked on smoothies. To cut on costs, I started making my own and have been making smoothies for years now. Both of these recipes are completely adaptable for whatever diet or routine you have going on. The fun in smoothie-making comes with the experimentation! Inhale smoothies, exhale positivity!

GREEN SMOOTHIE

This is my favorite smoothie. It can be a perfect to-go breakfast or healthy afternoon pick-me-up. If you’re new to green smoothies, don’t be alarmed if this doesn’t float your banana boat right away. The “green” flavor might be a bit strong at first! 

To make, blend the following ingredients:

• 2 handfuls of spinach or kale – Put  this in your blender first so the weight of the other ingredients helps push the greens down!
• 1 banana – If you aren’t a fan of bananas, try an avocado instead!
• ½ cup of fruit – I usually use frozen pineapple chunks, blueberries, or mangoes, but I love using fresh fruit when it’s in-season. If you use all fresh fruit, add ice so your smoothie isn’t too “warm.”
• 1 cup of liquid – use either water, juice (be careful with the amount of sugar), watermelon juice, or coconut water
• Other things to add: ginger, turmeric, chia seeds, flax seed powder, superfood powders, etc. The possibilities are endless!

Pour into a glass and enjoy! If your smoothie is way too thick, scoop into a bowl – and look! You made a smoothie bowl. Top it with granola and make it pretty.

Prep trick: Bag up your frozen items ahead of time each week that way they are easy to grab from the freezer in the morning. 

PROTEIN "MILKSHAKE"

I love making this milkshake after a hard workout to refuel my muscles and aid in my recovery. I recommend using Unico Nutrition protein powders (use ALLYKB for a discount). They come in so many flavors and have vegan options too! 

Blend:

• 1 banana
• 1 scoop of protein powder
• 8-16oz of almond milk, and ice.
• Other things to add: scoop of peanut butter, granola, cinnamon, fruit, etc. 

MY NEW FAVORITE WAY TO MAKE COFFEE (AND KICKSTART THE DAY!)

Have you heard of BulletProof Coffee? Well, rather than typing everything out, I suggest you read this  blog post. I learned about this coffee last year when I went to the Wanderlust Yoga Festival with Inner Fire in Whistler, Canada. Essentially, it’s a morning beverage that not only wakes you up, but it also fuels and fills you up! 

1. Make your coffee per usual
2. Pour 8-12 ounces of coffee with a tab of grass-fed butter (yes, buy the fancy butter) and 1 teaspoon of Bulletproof Brain Octane Oil for about 25 seconds. (If you’re like me and you were scared of what your blender would do with a hot beverage, only put 8 ounces of coffee to start, leave a tiny opening in the lid for heat to escape, and put a towel on top just to be safe.)
3. Pour frothy concoction into a mug, get cozy, and enjoy!

If you’re thinking, do I really need the grass-fed butter and the fancy oil? My answer is, if you’re going to go through the extra time it takes to make it, why not make it the recommended way? It’s delicious!

Pst…If you’re vegan, you can substitute the butter 1-2 tbsp of non-dairy milk.

TIPS FOR FUELING WHILE TRAVELING

I travel a lot for fun and I also travel for work. Here’s what I’ve learned from my experiences traveling to places like Ireland, Ethiopia, Peru, and even visiting other states.

1. Pack healthy snacks! I love GoMacro bars. They are gluten-free, soy-free, and vegan so I know I won’t run into any stomach aches. If you have shorter flight plans, this allows you to skip the expensive and sometimes unhealthy, yet tempting, airport food. But if you have longer layovers, take the time to find food that you know will help you feel good, rather than lethargic. Your body already goes through a lot when you travel! 
   
   
2. Bring a reusable water bottle to help you stay hydrated, and try to limit alcoholic beverages until after you arrive at your destination.
   
   
3. Wear comfy clothes (maybe definitely Inner Fire😉) and don’t be afraid to stretch a little in the airport, especially if they have a yoga-designated area! If public yoga terrifies you, walk up and down the terminal to keep moving. 
   

Feel free to message me on Instagram @allykborn if you have any questions about stuff in this blog (or even stuff not mentioned in the blog)! Thank you for reading! Now go elevate your movement and head on over to Instagram to join our challenge this week!