Garden of Life | Best Organic Greens, Proteins + Prebiotic Powders

To tell you the truth – I’m not a huge fan of using protein powders + protein bars in my diet – I prefer the real thing… however with the amount of surgeries I’ve had in the past few years (5 in 3 years!), I really needed to up my protein in a major way (60 grams a day in the months leading up to each surgery), + these supplements from Garden of Life have been just what I needed!

If you’ve been following me on my Breast Cancer Journey, you know that for a number of years I’ve followed a very strict, organic, plant-based, anti-inflammatory diet – which included very little animal protein, if any at times.

But, as my surgeries started getting more + more complex over the last few years, I really started feeling like crap (low energy, no color in my skin, slow recovery), + my bloodwork showed I wasn’t getting enough protein or certain vitamins from my diet or supplements – so, I had to add some animal products back in (bone broths + stocks, eggs, grass-fed butter, etc.), + found this was primarily one of the best ways to do it (for me). 😔

Protein Powders

• Garden fo Life Organic Plant Protein (Smooth Vanilla) – by far, my FAVORITE Protein Powder (let alone Plant Protein Powder) ever! I’ve been using this one pretty consistently for a few years now + am almost never, ever without it! It’s got 15g of highly digestible plant protein, live probiotics + enzymes, plus 19 naturally occurring vitamins + minerals. See my go-to smoothie recipe below! Love, love, love!
• Garden of Life Organic Grass-Fed Whey Protein (Vanilla) – My Integrative Doctors have been recommending I add Grass-fed Whey to my diet, so I finally gave in + tried it. This is one of the cleanest, most accessible + reasonably priced ones I’ve been able to find so far. It’s got 21g of protein, which play a critical role in building muscles, bones, cartilage, skin, blood, hair, fingernails, serum albumin, keratin + collagen. It’s also got 2 billion CFU in Probiotics.
• Garden of Life Goatein Pure Goat’s Milk Protein – I sort of originally got this as a back up plan to the Grass-fed Whey Powder (incase it bothered me) since as a baby, I was allergic to Cow’s Milk + seemed to do ok with Goat’s Milk. I tend to prefer the Whey Powder over this (no real particular reason though), but continue to switch back + forth between both – especially since I know how much better it can be for you. It’s really easy to digest + can be tolerated by many who can’t digest cow’s milk – so, if you need some animal protein, then this might be the way to go if you don’t do well with regular milk. It’s got 13g of protein + is an excellent source of complete protein containing all eight essential amino acids.

Protein Bars

• GOL Organic Protein Bars (Chocolate Coconut + Blueberry) – I’ll admit, these are not my favorite (neither are any other protein bars though, Lol), but they’re some of the best ones around with the cleanest ingredients. They each have 12g of milk protein + are made with super-simple ingredients. They’re definitely an acquired taste (for me anyway), but they get the job done! I go back + forth between the Chocolate Coconut + the Blueberry although I haven’t tied any of the others yet, + always keep one in my bag incase I’m out so my blood sugar doesn’t get low.

Greens Powders

• Garden of Life Raw Organic Perfect Food Green Superfood Powder (Original) – I juice several times a week, but I definitely rely on this powder pretty regularly whether I have surgery coming up or not! I always have a container ready to go for when I run out of either fresh or frozen greens (yep, frozen spinach is a great back up for when I can’t get fresh! No excuses not to make a smoothie). I love adding fresh or frozen strawberries, pineapple + coconut water to this! It’s got freshly juiced greens that are 6x’s more concentrated that Whole Leaf Grass Powders. It also has 34 Nutrient-dense greens, sprouts, + veggies, live probiotics + enzymes that help with energy, detoxification + alkaline balance! Must-have!

Prebiotic Fiber Powders

• Garden of Life Dr. Formulated Organic Prebiotic Fiber – Formulated by Dr. David Perlmutter (love him!) with 5g of prebiotic fiber from 5 super-nutritious organic superfoods: Organic Acacia, Organic Orange Peel, Organic Baobab Fruit, Organic Apple Peel + Organic Cranberry Fruit to support healthy elimination + help maintain healthy blood sugar. I usually use this post-surgery to help get everything moving again + get everything back into balance. I just add a spoonful to my usual smoothies or mix it into my yogurt.

My Favorite Protein Smoothie Recipe!

I don’t drink this one all the time because it’s a little on the “sweet-treat” side, but it’s my absolute fave! You can also sub in whatever kind of protein powder you have in place of the Organic Plant Protein Powder. Just add all the ingredients into a high-powdered blender, like a Vitamix + blend until smooth! Enjoy! 🥤✨

• 1 Frozen Organic Banana
• 2 Tbsps of Organic Almond Butter
• A Drizzle of Wedderspoon Manuka Honey
• Pinch of Himalayan Pink Salt
• 1 Scoop of Garden fo Life Organic Plant Protein Powder (Smooth Vanilla)
• A Few Ice Cubes
• Organic Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

I haven’t tried their Organic Protein Shake Powder or their Raw Organic Protein Powder yet, but they’re next up on my list! I’ve just been so happy with all of these so far – that I’ve been a little hesitant to fix something that’s not broken, Lol.

FYI – For some reason, I alway go with buying Vanilla Protein Powders because they go with pretty much anything I’d ever want to add. If I want Chocolate, I just add a spoon or two of Unsweetened Raw Cacao Powder + ta-da! It’s Chocolate! You’re welcome. 😉

Have you ever tried any of these? Leave your comments below + let me know what you think!