Easter = indulging in WAY too many delicious chocolaty sweet treats and hot cross buns… which can only mean one thing – a big green smoothie bowl is on the cards!! Continue reading “DETOX CLEAN GREEN SMOOTHIE BOWL”
Tag: CLEAN
PEPPERMINT CRISP CHOCOLATE STICKS
This recipe is by the incredible Adriana Harlan, author of “Living Healthy With Chocolate”. If anyone knows a thing or two about healthy clean chocolate treats it’s Adriana – and so I wanted to share this amazing recipe with you as choc mint is one of my serious weaknesses!! You will love it! P.s Mum – when you get back from your travels you MUST make this for Dad!!
PEPPERMINT CRISP CHOCOLATE STICKS – Paleo, GF, SF, DF
6 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
4 tablespoons raw cacao powder
4 tablespoons almond butter
2 tablespoons raw honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon peppermint extract
pinch of salt
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
½ cup pecans
METHOD:
- In a large bowl stir together the coconut oil, cacao powder, almond butter, honey, vanilla, peppermint extract and salt
- heat the mixture slowly on low heat over simmering water for 5 to 10 minutes until all ingredients are combined
- chop the pecans in a food processor
- add the chopped pecans and shredded coconut to the melted chocolate mixture and stir together
- pour in a brownie/slice tin lined with baking paper
- freeze until chocolate is set then cut into sticks. Store in airtight container in freezer.
Happy baking
K
NN DAY 15 – KNOCK ONE BACK
Dear Red Wine drinkers; I have wonderful news… your red wine habit also happens to come with some happy health benefits, such as protecting your ticker and even slimming your waistline. Winding down with a glass of vino is a good call all round.
Red wine is good for your heart; it contains resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant compound which protects your heart and arteries against the effects of saturated fats (which we now know all about after yesterdays post HERE) and can prevent the formation of blood clots as your levels of ‘good’ HDL cholesterol rises.
Red wine contains antioxidants; containing a number of other antioxidants which can slow the signs of aging, osteoporosis and prevent degenerative illnesses like diabetes. These antioxidants can also help fight off a cold, prevent tooth decay by hardening the enamel and protecting the gums, AND believe it or not prevent the growth of fat cells which essentially block the pathways necessary for immature fat cells to mature and grow.
Red wine controls your blood sugar; the skin of red grapes – which is where the rich antioxidant sources lie – actually help diabetics regulate their blood sugar levels. Researches suspect that resveratrol may help stimulate insulin secretion or activate protein that helps regulate glucose and insulin sensitivity.
But above all, red wine makes us happy! It creates an atmosphere that is social, fun and gives us that extra boost of confidence we need to kick off our heels and let our hair down. And lets be honest, we all know the more vinos we consume the louder, more funny and sexier we get right?? Until we cross the line of TOO MANY and it’s time to go home … (and eat the entire fridge contents and sleep << please note this behaviour is NOT promoted) If you get hangovers have a read of my healthy hangover cure on the blog HERE.
Although red wine has well known health benefits, drinking any alcoholic beverage in excess can lead to serious health problems, so of course limit yourself to not more than 2 glasses a day. Now how many of you just read that and thought… “well if I don’t drink Monday – Thursday does that mean those 8 glasses can be added to my Friday’s 2 glass allowance so I can knock back 10 glasses and still be under the ‘healthy’ limit….” well NO!! Sorry is doesn’t work that way. Stick to two glasses a day! (except for special events and one off occasions) remember it matters more what you do everyday than what you do once in a while!
Fun fact; pinot noir grapes have the highest resveratrol content
SAY CHEERS TO GOOD HEALTH
K
NN DAY 10 – THE CHOCOLATE FIX
Chocolate is just one of those things that makes us happy. FACT! It’s actually scientifically proven too!! OH YOU BETCHA. Chocolate is a very nutritious source of antioxidants which are good for our inner health, skin, brain function and hormones. Personally I don’t need much more reason than that and that’s why I rarely go a day without some form of chocolate. And why should we?
As someone with an ‘all or nothing’ streak in their body I am not the greatest at self control (or portion size mind you) and the more ‘artificial’ the chocolate… the more addictive it is. Our body gets a taste of the sweet sugar and we simply cannot stop. Ever gone to the pantry to have ‘just one piece’ and ended up demolishing the whole block? yeahhhhh about that!! This is why a lot of health magazines and websites/blog recommend dark chocolate because the higher the cocoa content the lower the sugar and therefore the better it is for us. Lindt dark coconut intense anyone?? YUM or any of the intense dark Lindt range for that matter. Although the lime flavour… hmmmm interesting!!
Here are my 5 favourite chocolate fixes for ANY TIME of the day. Any one of them is going to make you feel all gooey inside and satisfy the chocolatey goodness you are craving without causing a blood sugar insulin spikes followed by a lethargic slum.
1. Banana-choc coconut smoothie (RECIPE HERE FROM NN DAY 08)
2. Luvju organic raw chocolate by the amazing company Loving Earth. Website HERE. YOU HAVE GOT TO TRY THIS!!! I bought a whole box and then some – it was the most exciting (and healthy) delivery package I have ever received!!! Hello work draw!
3. Homemade cacao chia cookies – Recipe to come in the near future! stay tuned!
4. Instant avocado cacao mousse – recipe will be posted in a couple of days
5. Homemade cacao protein balls RECIPE BELOW
CACAO PROTEIN BALLS
2 cups medjool dates (soaked overnight is best)
2 scoops protein powder (chocolate or vanilla)
1/2 cup shredded coconut (plus extra for rolling)
1/2 cup coconut oil
2Tbs honey
2Tbs cacao powder
1/2 cup nuts (almonds, cashews or brazil)
1/2 cup Goji berries (optional – but a wonderful little addition if you have them handy)
Place all ingredients into a food processor or Vitamix and blend.
Roll into medium sized balls and cover in extra cacao powder or coconut if desired. Refrigerate until firm! Can store in fridge for up to 4 weeks and freezer for 3 months! Trust me – they WONT last that long!
2-3 of these sweet chocolatey bliss balls make for the perfect after work or after dinner snack with a cuppa and are completely guilt free!! Happy Baking!!!
REMEMBER CHOCOLATE IS NOT AN ENEMY! IT CAN BE YOUR BEST FRIEND!!!
K
13 TOP FOODS FOR WEIGHT LOSS
With so many fad diets circling social media and the health and fitness industry it is hard to know what to eat. It certainly doesn’t help that the ‘gluten free’ diet is becoming a bit of a fashionable trend and people are focussing more on what NOT to eat, than what TO eat!
The amazing fitness health queen Lorna Jane stands by her quote “STOP DIETING – START NOURISHING” and proves this with some delicious and nutritious recipes in her latest cookbook Nourish – if you haven’t already got it, go and buy it now!! It’s a goodie.
Here is a list of the 13 top foods for weight loss; in no particular order these amazing wholefoods are simply designed to kick start your metabolism and burn that unwanted fat whist you munch. See how many you can fit in your day!!
- Apples
- Beef
- Eggs
- Bananas
- Oats
- Brown rice
- Blueberries
- Chili
- Avocado and Olive oil
- Chicken
- Peanut butter
- Greek yoghurt
- Almonds
How many did you mentally check off in your head? Or how many of you took one look at the list and felt like a dog with his tail between his legs?
Want to know how can you achieve all of these foods in the one day? SIMPLE – I would say that I easily consume 90% of this list EACH day… Chili is finally growing on me but that would probably be my least consumed. Side Note: Have you had that chili hummus dip? With the big red blob in the middle… fair to say the hummus part contains no heat AT ALL but that red bit… ouch it is 100% chili/ harrissa paste so either stir the whole thing up before you scoop or avoid the red like the plague unless you have a cucumber and glass of milk handy! I’m just going to stick to the plain or beetroot hummus thanks!
Please note these meal plans are based around what I consume daily. Different people require different levels of nutrition and portions to suit their physical activity and goals. I eat 3 meals, 2 snacks a day, drink 1 coffee on arrival to work (and then fight myself all day for a second until the coffee shop is shut) and have an after dinner treat 2-3 times a week!
Below I have constructed two examples of a simple one day meal plan that incorporates all of the 13 top weight loss foods: Try it one day this week… you won’t go back!
EXAMPLE ONE:
Breakfast:
Overnight soaked blueberry oats topped with a banana and dollop of Greek yoghurt
Mid-Morning snack:
Flat white
1 apple sliced and 1-2Tbs peanut butter
Lunch:
Grilled chicken, avocado, almond and feta salad. Health blogger, nutritionist and wellness coach Jess Sepel from ‘The Clean Life’ has an amazing recipe worth trying. http://www.jessicasepel.com/recipes/lunchdinner/alkalizing-salad-with-zatar-chicken/
Mid-Afternoon snack:
Handful of almonds/trail mix
2 boiled eggs
Dinner:
Beef mince chili con carne served on brown rice with steamed greens and diced avocado on top. My fave recipe for this is by Teresa Cutter; The Healthy Chef – check it out…. http://www.thehealthychef.com/2012/04/chilli-con-carne/
After dinner cleanse/snack:
Piece of fruit with a couple of slices of cheese (apple/cheddar or watermelon/ feta are some good combos)
Medjool dates are also the perfect sweet to fight those cravings. Otherwise have a piece or two of dark chocolate to give your body an antioxidant boost!
EXAMPLE TWO:
Breakfast:
Green brekkie smoothie; 1/2 large frozen banana, 1 cup frozen blueberries, ½ cup oats, 1 raw egg (you honestly cannot taste the egg and it ups the protein content) big handful of spinach and milk
Mid-Morning snack:
Flat white
175gms Greek yoghurt topped with seeds/nuts or granola (I am all about the toppings/textures and the crunch factor)
Lunch:
Thai beef salad with rice noodles
Great recipe by nutritionist Katherine Rothwell on the Eat Fit Food blog here:
Mid-Afternoon snack:
2 brown rice cakes with 1-2Tbs peanut butter and ½ large banana sliced (leftover from brekkie)
OR
Slice of warmed banana bread with 1-2Tbs peanut butter, 1/2 large banana with chia seeds and cinnamon (This is a serious fave – pictured as the feature image) recipe for banana bread by The Healthy Chef here: http://www.thehealthychef.com/2013/01/gluten-free-banana-bread/ perfect when you have those funky looking brown bananas lying around and even better to bake, slice and freeze!
Dinner:
Chicken and red apple curry with almond couscous
Simple weeknight curry recipe from Clean Eating Magazine here: http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/recipes/chicken-curry-with-almond-couscous/
After dinner cleanse/snack:
Avocado raw chocolate mousse; simply mash/combine 1 avocado with 2 Tbs honey and 1Tbs cacao powder for instant creamy mousse; Serves 2)
It is THAT simple. There you have it – 13 weight loss super foods in the one day all designed to target fat loss, not to mention taste delicious.
There are so many different combinations of these foods that you can incorporate into your daily eating plan…Eggs for breakfast, yoghurt dolloped on or in your next curries, peanut butter in your stir fry or avocado in your smoothies. Get creative!
Your body requires a balance of carbohydrates, good fats, proteins and fibre to thrive and get the best results.
“Fail to prepare – prepare to fail”
K
KATIE MORGAN 