Easy and Great Tasting Protein Balls

These are the BEST protein balls! I make a batch and store them in the freezer and take one out when I need one.

500 g dates

1 cup water

200g LSA (linseed – sunflower seed – almonds)

3 scoop Chocolate protein powder

150 g desiccated coconut

2 tablespoons cacoa powder

3 tablespoons tahini

Place the dates and water in a saucepan and place over medium heat until soft and water has been evaporated. Allow the dates to cool. Place all the ingredients into a food processor and mix together until the mix comes together. Roll the mixture into balls and place onto grease proof paper and place in fridge. May I also suggest to place some in the freezer as they taste really good on a hot day!

These are gluten free, low gi, protein and omega 3!

Green Tea X50

I recently purchased this product to see what all the hype was about! I originally took just one serve a day but increased it to the two serves as suggested on the pack to help with weight loss. I was keen to see if it could live up to its promise of increased energy, as well as a detox for my insides and a way to speed up metabolism to help with weight loss. From the first day I took it I noticed how much more alert I was, even after a hard day at work! I also have noticed that I am flushing out more toxins with more visits to the ladies, which as much as its annoying I also see it as a good thing! It's too early for the feedback on weight loss but I am not really too worried about that part. All in all I am very happy with the benefits I have received so far and have found ways to incorporate the tea into my everyday routine. I purchased the multi flavor pack that has raspberry, tropical and original and don't mind the tastes of all three. The original I have mixed with my protein smoothie and it tasted great! 

SO here is a list of what yo can expect from Green TEA X50

Why is GreenTeaX50 the best for you? Because GreenTeaX50….

• Stimulates metabolism, promotes a weight loss detox, weight maintenance, helps burn body fat
• Each serve is the antioxidant equivalent of up to 20 cups of green tea & 25 glasses of red wine
• Reduces Visceral and subcutaneous fat
• Boosts energy, detox and cleanses liver & kidney
• One of natures most potent antioxidants with over 200 health benefits
• Improves & regulates cholesterol levels
• Helps lower blood pressure
• Diabetic friendly. Low GI, Sugar free and aspartame free. Sweetened with Xylitol
• Increases insulin activity, helps prevent insulin resistance & blocks glucose absorption
• Boosts immune system
• Highly concentrated blend of green tea & resveratrol

To find out more or to purchase a box see the guys in at HF World of Supplements, inside Health and Fitness World Launceston, 69 Williams Street. Or check out the facebook page HF World of Supplements 

Re Hashed Clean Chocolate Mousse!

Ok so I have been playing around with my Clean Chocolate mousse and have come up with a slightly different version!

3 tsp coconut freeze dried water
1 cup water
2 Avocados
2 bananas
1/4 cup cacao powder
2 tsp vanilla powder
2 tsp coconut oil melted
1 and 1/2 cups dates ( combine dates with 3/4 cup water in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until water is absorbed. Allow dates to cool completely

Combine all ingredients together in a food processor and whizz till all combined. Allow to cool in fridge for approx. 2 hours.

Enjoy!

Quick Healthy Snack

Ok so I am the worlds worst sweet tooth by a long way! I could easily finish a family size block of chocolate ( which I must say I ain't proud if) but when a sugar hit is needed it's needed!!! Today I was starving and had just finished a big gym session and was looking for a hit!!! So I came up with this new wonder that's going to become a staple to eat from now on when I get sugar crave!
Ingredients
1 medium size banana
1 tsp Loving Earth raw organic coconut chocolate butter
3 tbs light Greek yogurt
2 Vita Wheat lunch slices ( I chose the sunflower, oats and chia)
The how to
Mash the banana in a small bowl then add the coconut chocolate butter and Greek yogurt, mix till combined together.
Spread over the Vita Wheat and enjoy!!!!!
Side Note
You could also eat the mixture without the biscuits, especially if you want something sweet that's at least clean!!!!

YUMMMMMM!!!!!!!

CLEAN Chocolate Mousse

This is the best ever chocolate mousse I've tasted, and its clean!!!!!!
Ingredients
1 avocado
1/2 cup raw cacao powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla bean powder
1/2 tsp stevia
1/2 tsp freeze dried organic coconut water powder
1/2 cup water
1 tsp coconut oil
6 dried dates
1 medium sized banana
The How To
Put all the ingredients into a food processor and zap till well combined.
Place the mousse into a plastic container with air tight lid and leave for at least 2 hours to chill.
Serve with sliced banana, mixed berries or if your a chocolate lover eat it straight!

Gluten and Dairy Free Buckwheat Pancakes

Today we experimented with buckwheat and made some pancakes!

Ingredients

1 cup buckwheat flour
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
1 teaspoon gluten free baking powder
1 egg
Pinch salt
1 cup unsweetened almond milk

The How To

In a bowl combine the buckwheat flour, coconut sugar, baking powder and salt, combine together and make a well in the middle of the mixture.
Next add the milk to the middle of the well and the egg, use a whisk to combine.
Heat a frypan on the stove at a medium heat, and give it a light spray of olive oil. Add 1/4 cup of the mixture to the pan and cook one side, then flip and cook the other.



Ideas for Topping

1 cup light Greek yogurt, 1 scoop protein powder, and 1/2 cup raspberries : Mix the yogurt and the protein together and half the berries. Place on top of the pancake and finish with the remaining berries.

Almond, brazil and cashew spread on the top and a dollop of Greek yogurt.

Cut a banana up with some Greek yogurt.

The ideas are endless!

Zucchini Bread

So much zucchini this time a gluten free zucchini bread!




Ingredients
450 g grated zucchini
4 eggs (large)
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon nutmeg
1/4 cup Rice bran oil
2 teaspoons gluten free baking powder
3 cups Almond mill
1 cup coconut sugar

The How To
Preheat oven to 160 degrees for fan forced or 180 degrees for convection.
Combine zucchini, eggs, oil, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt into a bowl. Mix till combined.
Add the almond mill, baking powder and coconut sugar and mix till combined.
Prepare a loaf tin with spray and line with baking paper.
Place mix into prepared tin and cook between 1 and 1/2 hours or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Remove from oven and leave in pan for an hour to cool, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store in an air tight container.

Kale Chips

Over the weekend I picked up some fresh Kale and decided to give making my own chips as a health alternative seeing the loving earth brand are some yummy!



Ingredients

Fresh bunch of Kale
Olive oil
Season All
Dried Garlic Flakes

The How To

Wash and rinse the kale. I put mine in a salad spinner then left it over night to fully dry.
Line a baking tray with grease proof paper.
Add the kale and drizzle olive oil over the top and sprinkle with the Season All and onion flakes.
Place in a pre heated oven of 160 for a fan forced for about 10-15 minutes.
Remove trays from oven and allow to fully cool. Once cooled store in air tight containers.
Result is a healthy crunchy low calories replacement to chips!

Other Stuff
My kids seem to be allergic to anything healthy so I have chopped up the kale chips and added to burgers and can even add them to the zucchini fritters!

Zucchini Frittatas

Well we were given a massive zucchini and I have been determining what we could make and decided on 'Zucchini and Sweet Potato Frittata'


Ingredients

300g finely grated zucchini
200g finely grated sweet potato
3 eggs
3 spring onions
2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil
1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
1 tablespoon Season All
1 cup almond mill
1 cup brown rice flour

The How To

Grate the sweet potato and the zucchini and squeeze out the excess water. Put it into a strainer to continue removing excess water.
Add all the ingredients except the flour. Mix together.
Gradually add the flour 1/4 cup at a time to get it to a good consistency so it binds together.
Heat a frypan and add a little olive oil and place a good tablespoon of mixture to the pan. Cook for approx. 2 minutes each side so that it is lightly golden on each side.
Serve with salad or as a burger in a roll with salad!

Other Ideas
You might like to make it non vegetarian by adding shredded ham or grated cheese.

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Les Mills GRIT STRENGTH

Ok so most people who know me know I am a gym junkie, and that I have trained in and certified in a few Les Mills program's, body pump and body combat. But my recent training has been in the new program out GRIT strength and let me tell you if you haven't tried it yet you really need to!!!! I've been doing it now for about 2 months and I LOVE how it makes you stronger. It is only a 30 min class but it will leave you burning calories up to 12 hours once you have finished, so when your sitting at your desk or having a drink with friends your still burning fat, how cool is that!!!!
It is recommended to do the class two times a week with a rest day between, like with all weight program's so you shouldn't be working the same muscles two days in a row as it allows them to repair and get stronger! The beauty of GRIT is that it is fast and it makes you go heavier in your weights to challenge yourself but it also adds plyometric training in to activate the fast twitch muscles!

Check out the video below to find out more
 

If your keen to try it and live in Launceston area come in and try a casual visit at Health and Fitness World Launceston in Williams Street LAUNCESTON. So far I have not met someone who isn't hooked to keep coming back!!!

Gluten Free and Dairy Free Graham Crackers

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups gluten free flour mix ( see recipe below for this)

1/2 cup organic coconut sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup water

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

2. In a food processor or mixer combine the first 6 ingredients.

3. Add coconut oil to the mix and pulse/mix until it resembles coarse meal.

4. Add honey and water and continue to mix until it all combines. May need to add a little more water to make the mix combine.

5. Remove and shape the dough into a flat disk and place between two pieces of parchment paper.

6. Roll dough between two pieces of grease proof paper until 1/4 inch thick. Cut into crackers or shapes.

7. Place cookies on a baking sheet or parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

8. Cool and serve.

**Gluten Free Flour Mix**

This mix makes 1 kg so it can be used for other baking projects as well.

700g white rice flour

200g potato flour

100g Tapioca flour

Cashew Protein Cookies

So of late I have really been branching out with ideas of cooking and today I knocked up some little cashew gems! I had seen a post on a site where they made them but I wanted to play around with the recipe to suit our taste buds.

Ingredients

200g cashews
2 tablespoons rice bran oil
60g vanilla protein powder (I used my hydroxyburn pro clinical)
1 tablespoon almond mill
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
2 tablespoons light coconut milk
20g milk choc chips (or to keep it healthy you can use cacao nibs)
2 teaspoons stevia or I used Hermesetas granulated sweetner

How to Make

Pre heat oven to 180 degrees or 170 if using a fan forced. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
In a small bowl mix the protein powder, almond mill and the stevia (or sweetener). I
Place cashews in a food processor and grind, then add the oil and grind again so it comes together like a cashew butter. Place the cashew mix in a bowl and add the egg, vanilla and coconut milk and stir together. Add in the dry ingredients and mix well. Next add the choc chips or cacao nibs and mix well. I used a teaspoon and made 24 balls that I placed on the trays and flattened slightly by pressing with the back of a fork. Bake for approx 12 minutes or until slightly browned.
Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly on trays then place onto a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.

Nutrition if you make 24 biscuits is per biscuit- Calories 88, Protein 5.5g, Carbs, 4.5g, Fat 6g,

The finished result!!!!

Balsamic, Beetroot, Fetta and cashew dip

Recently we got a dip from the shop that was really good so I have tried to replicate it and it was pretty easy but tasted better cause it was fresh!

Ingredients
1 medium Fresh beetroot
150g Danish Fetta cut into cubes
1-2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar more if needed to make it smooth
1/4 cup Raw cashews
Salt to taste

What to do
Cut the beetroot in half and remove the ends and wrap in aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 40 minutes until soft. Remove from oven and cut into smaller pieces, allow to cool a little.
In a food processor place raw cashews and pulse until chopped. Add the Danish  Fetta and the beetroot. Add a little balsamic vinegar to help pulse the ingredients together and to smooth out. Add a touch of salt for taste. I even left my cashews a little chunkier for a bit of texture.
You can use this dip with fresh vegetable sticks, crackers, we even put a little on some scotch fillet steak. Other ideas is to use in a wrap with a salad.

Banana Bread Wheat Free

I originally made this using wheat but have tweaked the recipe to make it a wheat free and a few other healthier options.

Ingredients
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup lupin flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup rapture
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
125g organic coconut oil
3 eggs
4 bananas mashed

What to do
Turn oven to 180 degrees or 170 if fan forced, grease a loaf tin and place baking paper inside so it overhangs.
Combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon in a bowl.
Place the coconut oil in the microwave to melt then set aside to cool slightly, once cool add the eggs and whisk together. Put the oil egg mix and the banana in with the flour and stir to combine. Place the wet mix into the tin and cook for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes then place on a wrack to cool, or serve warm.

William loved it served warm with a little hazelnut spread! 

Angela's Anzac's

Ok so I decided to have a play around with a new recipe today and incorporate some more healthy options into the making of Anzac biscuits and here is the result!

1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup organic coconut sugar
1/2 cup organic rapadura
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup desiccated coconut
120 grams tasteless coconut oil
1 tablespoon golden syrup
2 tablespoons boiling water
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda ( add a little more water if mixture is too dry)

1. Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees or 170 degrees for a fan forced oven.
2. Put grease proof paper onto biscuit trays or use a silicone reusable mat.
3. In a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients together.
4. In a microwave jug put the tasteless coconut oil and golden syrup and heat until coconut oil is melted.
5. In a small bowl add the boiling water and bicarbonate soda.
6. Add the bicarbonate of soda water mix to the golden syrup and tasteless coconut mix and stir until it froths up.
7. Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and stir in well and is not too crumble, if the mix crumbles add a small amount of water to make it stick more together.
8. Using a teaspoon size amount of mix roll into balls and place onto the prepared trays. The biscuits will spread so leave a good amount of room between each spoon mix.
9. Place in the oven and cook for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Remove from oven and let cool slightly on trays before transferring to cooling racks.
11. Allow Anzacs to cool then eat and enjoy!

Note:
For those who don't know rapadura is a form of sugar that is the dehydrated juice from the sugar cane. It is whole and unrefined with only the water removed. To read more about the health benefits of rapadura click  HERE.

To read more about the benefits of raw organic coconut sugar click here.

Are you feeling like your always hungry???

Do you often find yourself eating a lovely meal through out the day and then fins an hour later your tummy is rumbling again??? Well if this is you it could mean you are not eating enough  protein!

The University of Sydney did a study that found people who skimped on protein in their meals in fact ate more calories than those who did. It discovered that people who were on a 10% protein diet ate more calories overall, with 70% of these coming from snacks, when compared to people on a 15% protein diet.

Therefore is has been suggested that we should aim to get 15-20% of our daily calories from protein rich foods, which include things such as lean meat, fish, legumes and nuts.

Are you feeling Foggy!!!!

Do you often feel a little afternoon foggy and want to reach for the chocolate???? I know I do BUT instead of the chocolate, which is the not so health option you reach for the scrambled egg! Yes that's right how about some scrambled eggs or hard boiled eggs. Eggs contain amino acids which activate orexin cells in the brain, that will help the brain to wake up according to a report from the University of Cambridge scientists. So not only is eating eggs a great source of protein BUT you are also able to help get rid of that foggy feeling! So why not keep a hard boiled egg in the fridge for those moments!

Calcium are you getting enough?

So do you know how much calcium you need in a day?

If your a woman aged 19-50 you will need 1000mg per day and women over 50 need 1300mg per day!

So how can you get that amount?

200g plain low fat yoghurt contains on average 420mg
40g cheddar cheese contains 327mg
1/2 cup tofu contains 285mg
15 almonds contains 40mg
100ml fortified orange juice contains up to 80mg
100g cooked spinach contains 100mg
250ml skim milk contains 320mg
1/2 cup canned salmon contains 402mg

So next time your planning your day perhaps you might think of your calcium and if your getting enough as a lack of calcium for women can cause such things as osteoporosis!

Easy Home Made chicken Sausages

Last night I made the yummiest chicken sausages that were easy as!

500g chicken mince (if you have a mincer you can do your own using chicken breasts)
1 stem of spring onions cut up really small
1 tablespoon dried Italian Herbs
2 cloves of fresh garlic (minced)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or if you like it hot add more)

Mix all the ingredients together and roll into sausages. I made mine into small chipolata size as I was putting them into wraps.
Lightly spray a non stick fry pan and cook over a medium heat until cooked through.

Serving ideas:

I actually put mine into a wrap and had lettuce, tomato, little BBQ sauce, some sweet potato home made chips, red onion, and a shaving of parmesan cheese. Was very yummy and low in fat.

Also could roll the chicken mix into mini meat balls and serve over some pasta with home made or jar pasta sauce. Instead of putting the mince into wraps could just serve over a salad or with some vegetables.

Challenge!!!!

Has anyone joined up to this????

1 MILLION KILO CHALLENGE 

Check it out!