This time around, we will post once a month for the year of 2019, in tandem with The Pro Player Timeline posts.
Sarah Blomgren is another California-Christian-Volleyball-Crazy who has played in England, Finland, Serbia, and will now play in Spain. Sarah adds a deeper dimension to being a professional athlete abroad with her commitment to maintaining a plant-based diet based on vegan guidelines, developing her professional profile, and growing as an athlete and person.
Sarah and I met through Elite Volley, and we have been a part of Athletes in Action online Bible study groups for professional athletes overseas. It only seemed fitting for us to also share our idea space for 2019 to better equip and encourage our fellow athletes and expats abroad!
Inspiration
John 7:38 says, "Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them." These are the words of Jesus, and I take them to mean that whoever is a true follower of Christ, they will literally have these "rivers of living water" just pouring out of them. I think every person could have a different expression of these "rivers;" for some, it could be energy, love, compassion, positivity, etc. For others, it could be patience, kindness, generosity, truthfulness, etc. Ultimately, our faith should be pouring out of us like a river, in whatever way God has blessed us!
Smoothie Mixmaster
Tropical Breeze
Handful of frozen pineapple, mango, and guava
Orange juice (or water)
Unsweetened coconut flakes
Coconut cream
1 date
Squeeze of lime
*Blend it all up and suddenly you'll find yourself on island time!
Dig Deeper Recommendation
Okay, disclaimer: I haven't read this one yet but I'm super excited to dig into it! A Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan is an allegory that illustrates the highs and lows of the Christian's journey through life, and the ultimate reward: eternity with Christ. They have children's adaptations as well that are easy for kids to grasp and relate to, while exposing them to the Christian faith. A good friend not only recommended it to me, but gave me her copy. That's probably the sweetest gift, a book that has touched someone you respect. It also adds a little pressure to read it fast so you can tell them your thoughts, ha! Give it a whirl, I know I will!
Stay on-task and motivated throughout the month for FREE!
Plant-Based Meal
One of my favorite vegan food bloggers goes by the website name of Rainbow Plant Life! I recently was craving pancakes for breakfast, and I found her recipe that was unique, and not what one would typically think when pancakes comes to mind. So, of course, I had to give it a try. What was cool is that I didn't have quinoa flour (so I made my own, which was easier that you think). I also didn't have buckwheat or buckwheat flour, so I took a risk and subbed it for half almond and half coconut flour. (But I recommend you try to use her original recipe.)
It gave the pancakes a nutty and earthy flavor that cut through the usual sweetness of the sugar, maple syrup, etc. So give these bad boys a try!
Vegan Quinoa & Buckwheat Flour Pancakes
Yoga Move
The Double Pigeon Pose is a MUST for the hips! It can take several weeks/months to actually be flexible enough to do it properly, but it does slowly become easier. Eventually, both of your ankles will cross onto your knees and your hips will thank you for it.
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| From SublimelyFit.com |
Vegan Dessert
These Simple Vegan Oatmeal Cookies are not too tricky to make, and can have raisins, cranberries, or chocolate chips added, of course!
1 and 1/2 cups (144g) Rolled Oats
1 cup (125g) All Purpose Flour
1 cup (80g) Dried Coconut (dessicated)
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 cup (200g) Brown Sugar
1/2 cup (112g) Vegan Butter
3 Tbsp Golden Syrup (or Maple Syrup)
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Tbsp Soy Milk
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
Add the rolled oats, flour, coconut, baking soda, salt and cinnamon to a mixing bowl and mix together.
Cream the vegan butter and brown sugar together and then add the syrup and vanilla.
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients by hand. Stirring until the mixture is very crumbly.
Add the soy milk and mix in. Check if you can roll some of it into a ball – it should be sticky enough to do so. It will still be crumbly and look almost as if it’s still too dry, but when you try and make a ball you’ll find it’s also very sticky. If it’s still too crumbly, add a tiny bit more soy milk until it’s sticky enough to roll into balls. When rolling, you’ll find that you’re more pressing them into balls than rolling, this is fine, press into a ball and then roll a bit to make it nice and round and even.
Place the rolled balls onto a parchment lined baking tray.
Bake for 15 minutes. The edges should be firm and the tops lightly browned. They will be soft but will firm up while cooling.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before transferring to wire cooling rack to cool completely.Recipe borrowed from Loving It Vegan!
Hey, friends. I'm Sarah. In addition to what Christy mentioned above, I played indoor and beach volleyball in college at The University of South Carolina where I earned my bachelor's degree in Exercise Science. I then went on to get my master's degree in Clinical Exercise Physiology and continued my volleyball career at Northumbria University in Newcastle, England. My first pro season was in Finland, then in Serbia, and now I'll be playing this season in Spain.
Since then I've become 100% plant-based (vegan) and I absolutely love this world of plant-based nutrition. One fun fact about me would be that I have an obsession with doughnuts! No, not like Krispy Kreme; like actual artisan, small-batch, crazy flavor doughnuts! I try to use all my traveling as an excuse to visit doughnut shops around the world. Besides that, I love Jesus and I'm just here to figure this thing called life out the best I can through His eyes.
Ćao from Serbia!
Connect with Sarah on Facebook, Instagram, and her website.
You can contact her directly via email for more information on Juice Plus+® sarahblomgren[dot]provolleyball[at]gmail[dot]com.
Add the rolled oats, flour, coconut, baking soda, salt and cinnamon to a mixing bowl and mix together.
Cream the vegan butter and brown sugar together and then add the syrup and vanilla.
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients by hand. Stirring until the mixture is very crumbly.
Add the soy milk and mix in. Check if you can roll some of it into a ball – it should be sticky enough to do so. It will still be crumbly and look almost as if it’s still too dry, but when you try and make a ball you’ll find it’s also very sticky. If it’s still too crumbly, add a tiny bit more soy milk until it’s sticky enough to roll into balls. When rolling, you’ll find that you’re more pressing them into balls than rolling, this is fine, press into a ball and then roll a bit to make it nice and round and even.
Place the rolled balls onto a parchment lined baking tray.
Bake for 15 minutes. The edges should be firm and the tops lightly browned. They will be soft but will firm up while cooling.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before transferring to wire cooling rack to cool completely.Recipe borrowed from Loving It Vegan!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hey, friends. I'm Sarah. In addition to what Christy mentioned above, I played indoor and beach volleyball in college at The University of South Carolina where I earned my bachelor's degree in Exercise Science. I then went on to get my master's degree in Clinical Exercise Physiology and continued my volleyball career at Northumbria University in Newcastle, England. My first pro season was in Finland, then in Serbia, and now I'll be playing this season in Spain.
Since then I've become 100% plant-based (vegan) and I absolutely love this world of plant-based nutrition. One fun fact about me would be that I have an obsession with doughnuts! No, not like Krispy Kreme; like actual artisan, small-batch, crazy flavor doughnuts! I try to use all my traveling as an excuse to visit doughnut shops around the world. Besides that, I love Jesus and I'm just here to figure this thing called life out the best I can through His eyes.
Ćao from Serbia!
Connect with Sarah on Facebook, Instagram, and her website.
You can contact her directly via email for more information on Juice Plus+® sarahblomgren[dot]provolleyball[at]gmail[dot]com.
Let us know in the comments below if you try any variations of these delicious recipes, yoga moves, or have the chance to check out Sarah's recommendations!