I am that predictable girl who always scans the menu for some plain and boring (as if) avocado smash on toast. Of course with some poached eggs, some greenery and Persian feta you cannot go wrong. Oh and smoked salmon too is always a good final touch. I have found my top 10 breakfast places in Canberra and put their smashed avocado and toast specialties to the test. Here are my reviews. Hope I don’t offend anyone – I am a tough critic… especially when it comes to soggy toast or hard eggs!! #RAGE Continue reading “BEST AVO SMASH IN CANBERRA”
Tag: favourite
NN DAY 14 – THE BIG FAT TRUTH
IF YOU WANT TO LOSE FAT – YOU HAVE GOT TO EAT FAT
Now for some this does sound crazy I understand … but honestly I could not offer a better tip that just that. Although as usual there is the fine print with such a statement. You have to eat the RIGHT types of fat which are essential to our diet and important for good health. These are the GOOD FATS. But what are the different types of fats and which ones are good or better than others??
Simple!! Here is a quick and easy explanation to help you understand.
SATURATED FATS; These fats are usually solid at room temperature ie fats in meat, coconut, butter and cheese. These fats are important however eating excessive amounts of these fats are NOT good for our overall health.
UNSATURATED FATS; There fats ARE IMPORTANT to our health and should be consumed on a daily basis. Unsaturated fats decrease the risk of heart disease, lower cholesterol and reduce/prevent belly fat (yes please). There are TWO TYPES of unsaturated fats – Mono and Poly;
Mono-unsaturated fat; are the omega 3 fats found in chia seeds and oily fish ie salmon and omega 6 fats found in some oils and nuts such as sunflower oil and brazil nuts.
Poly-unsaturated fat; found in olive and canola oil and nuts and seeds such as cashews, almonds and flaxseeds.
UGLY TRANS-FATS; trans fats are unsaturated fats that have been processed and as a result act as saturated fats. eating trans fats ARE BAD!!! they are found in most packages foods and also in some butters and margarines. Use food labels to seek out these trans fats.
YOU SHOULD BE FOCUSSING ON INCLUDING AS MANY UNSATURATED FATS AS POSSIBLE INTO YOUR DAILY DIET
Here are 5 healthy unsaturated fats that you should include in your diet tomorrow! See how many you can get on your plate and make the smart swap!!
1. Avocado
2. Almonds and cashews
3. Salmon or tuna
4. Olive oil
5. Peanut butter
I happily eat every single one of the above 5 favourite fats on a daily basis and my body could not thank me more for it!! (satay salmon stir fry topped with cashews followed by avocado mousse for dessert?) A lot of people have always thought that products with ‘low-fat’ or ‘diet’ written on them are always the better choice. However I personally believe this is incorrect. The only reason such products are ‘low fat or fat free’ is because the fat has been artificially extracted and most likely replaced with sugar and chemicals. (hello chemical sh*t storm) Eat whole products like whole fat milk and whole fat yoghurt. Fat will keep you fuller for longer and avoid sugar spikes or cravings meaning you are less likely to pig out on junk foods and the ugly trans fats.
Have a generous thumb size amount of fat in EVERY meal or snack. It digests slowly, so you feel satisfied for a longer period and eat less overall. Reach for a few of these heart healthy fats every day!!!
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
NN DAY 5 – GRAB ‘N’ GO SNACKS
(above) Lunch box packed for the flight back to Perth last week – all the goods!!
If there is something that I excel at in life… it is snacking! Road trips, aero plane flights, weekend escapes, movie dates… you name it, I’ve got the snacks covered. I am honestly like a child. The only way to keep me happy is occupying me with food. When it comes to planes, boats and cars I blame this on my motion sickness. For some reason the only way to keep the nausea away is by eating. Literally as soon as I finish chomping my last mouthful, the motion sickness sets in. So that’s why I always have food handy!
And my draw at work. Well that is another whole kettle of fish. Unlike the limited space of a woman’s handbag my draw is STOCKED full of the essential snacks to keep that HANGRY feeling away. Nothing gets me in quite a rage like being so insanely hungry that it turns to anger. Admit it – we have all been there.
Here are my 5 favourite grab-and-go snacks kept on hand to avoid the “hangry” stage;
1. Rice cakes with nut butters, fruit, cottage cheese or avocado. (photo sourced from @mb_motivation)
2. Banana and handful of nuts/trail mix
3. Protein bars or homemade muffins (banana date muffin recipe HERE)
4. Carrot sticks with hummus
5. Medjool dates with peanut butter or almonds
Try and combine healthy fats, protein and carbohydrates into the one snack for optimum nutrition. That’s why you cant go wrong with the above snacks!!
K