Mad for Muesli

 

Hi Lifters!

Not much to chat about this week – other than these scrumptious muesli bars!! For some reason I was really craving them and decided that it wouldn’t be so hard to up the protein content in them. Give them a try and let me know what you think!!

Chewy Protein Muesli Bars

These are great to throw in the bag for an on-the-go snack AND feel free to make your own modifications – I would have loved to add pepitas and almonds but there were none in the pantry. Get creative! 🙂

Ingredients:

2 cups rolled oats

¼ cup chia

¼ cup shredded coconut

1 Tbsp sesame seeds

1 Tbsp sunflower seeds

½ cup (55g) vanilla whey

Pinch of salt

¼ cup coconut butter

1 tsp vanilla essence

¼ cup sugar free maple syrup (or honey, or regular maple syrup)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celcius
2. Mix all dry ingredients
3. Whisk together coconut butter, vanilla essence, and maple syrup (it may be necessary to soft the coconut butter by putting it in the microwave for 10-20 seconds first)
4. Add coconut mixture to the dry ingredients and mix
5. Add a splash of water if too dry (mixture should be sticking together but not sloppy – I added only about 1 tsp of water)
6. Line a baking tray with baking paper, and spread mixture out evenly. I used a 30cmx24cm tray but if you want thicker bars, use a smaller tray
7. Bake for 10-15 minutes – longer if you want the bars to be crunchier or if you have thicker bars
8. Once cooked, allow to cool slightly before slicing into bars (I divided mine into 16)

Learn constantly, Love your body, Lift yourself higher x

Escape from Study

Study. Seriously it is taking over my life. My only escape is an hour or so of exercise per day!! So as you can imagine, it’s my favourite time of day :). In order to create a little extra break, as well as sneak in some more cardio (which I’m constantly avoiding), I’m going to put together a 30 minute plyometric circuit that I can do at home in the mornings – a great way to start my day. Within the next couple of weeks I’m going to post this workout on my facebook page and would love to have people doing it with me so that we can keep each other accountable! Please let me know if you’re interested.

Motivation: Paige Hathaway

 

I only have a couple of recipes to share with you this week, but they’re both really yum.

 

Greg Plitt Cookie Dough from www.gregplitt.com – my boyfriend absolutely loves these!! He makes them every week

Serves 12 (although make them as big/small as you want)

2/3 cup chopped almonds

2/3 cup chopped walnuts

2/3 cup oats

1 tbsp salt

1 tbsp vanilla essence

1 tbsp cinnamon

200g dark chocolate

¼ cup sugar-free maple syrup/agave syrup

3 scoops of whey protein (not part of the original recipe but I think it makes them better)

Blend/process all of above ingredients

Roll into golf-ball sized portion and place on baking paper

Freeze

Nutritional info: per serve

Calories: 214.8

Total fat: 15.1g (5.5g sat)

Total carbs: 10.4g

Sugar: 5.3g

Protein: 9.0g

 

Banana Nut Protein Bars from www.proteinpow.com – these are awesome as breakfast-on-the-run or a pre-workout snack

Serves 6

1 small banana (~55g)

1/2 cup oats

1/4 cup almonds

4 brazil nuts (I subbed 10g of hazelnuts)

2 tbsp coconut flour

3/8 cup whey powder (I used vanilla)

3/8 cup milk (I used lite coconut milk)

1 tsp of chicory powder – I could NOT find this anywhere!!! Very frustrating. It’s optional but apparently adds a nice flavour kick

Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celcius

Blend everything together and press the batter onto a small non-stick brownie pan

Bake for 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean

Nutritional info: per serve

Calories: 163.3

Total fat: 7.9g (1.7g sat)

Total carbs: 14.2g

Sugar: 2.3g

Protein: 9.6g

 

I’m looking forward to creating this morning workout and hope you can join me in burning those fat cells!!! 🙂 x

 

It Must Be Love

My man has stuck with me for two whole years… it must be love!! I can’t believe he’s put up with me even when I’ve been carb-craving-crazy; whinging about muscle pain; hangry due to being 15 minutes late for a meal; sulking about missing a gym sesh; talking him out of pizza for dinner…. if that doesn’t scare him off, then nothing can haha.

Motivation: Emily Skye

 

 

Paleo Shrimp Scampi from paleocupboard.com – I made this for my boyfriend and we absolutely loved it!!

Serves 4

1/2 cup arrowroot powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

1/2 cup coconut oil (I replaced this with just coconut oil spray because it seemed like excessive oil)

1kg shrimp/prawns – shelled, deveined, tails removed

3 cloves of garlic

1 spring onion – finely chopped

1/2 cup fresh parsley – finely chopped

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/3 cup chicken stock

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp lemon zest

Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

Lemon wedges (optional, for serving)

Rinse the shrimp and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside

Combine arrowroot, sea salt, black pepper, parika, and cayenne pepper in a large mixing bowl and  break apart any clumps

Add shrimp to the bowl and toss to thoroughly coat in the mixture

Place a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add coconut oil

When oil is heated, add shrimp and saute for 4-5 minutes, turning often

Transfer the shrimp to a serving plate with tongs/slotted spoon, leaving the oil in the pain

Add garlic, shallots, oregano and parsley to the pan and stir constantly for about 2 minutes

Add chicken stock and lemon juice and boil for 1 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits

Add lemon zest and stir to combine, then season with salt and pepper

Remove the pan from the heat and add the shrimp to the pan, tossing to combine with the sauce

Serve with additional chopped parsley and lemon wedges

Nutritional info: per serve

Calories: 284.3

Total fat: 1.3g

Total carbs: 16.2g 

Sugar: 0.9g

Protein: 51.6g!!!!!!

 

Berry (Cherry) Protein Bars from chocolatechillimango.com

Serves 12

3 large egg whites (not from the packet)

15 serves Stevia

12g coconut butter

1tsp vanilla essence

10g chia seeds

50g whey protein

120g quinoa or coconut flour or almond meal (or a combination) – I used 1/2 almond meal, 1/2 coconut flour

3 tsp baking powder

165mL unsweetened almond milk

50g frozen blueberries (the original recipe used 120g fresh/frozen pitted cherries)

100g dark chocolate

10g coconut butter

Preheat oven to 180 degrees

Line a brownie pan (18cm x 28cm) with baking paper and set aside

Beat the egg whites and sweetener until frothy

Add all other ingredients, except the berries, and mix well until smooth

Stir in the cherries

Pour the batter in the pan and bake for 15 minutes

Remove and set on a wire rack to cool

Melt the dark chocolate and coconut butter together

Pour over the cool berry bar slab and spread evenly

Cut into 12 bars

Allow the chocolate to set at room temperature

Nutritional info: per serve

Calories: 141.3

Total fat: 8.8g (4.4g sat)

Total carbs: 8.3g

Sugar: 3.6g

Protein: 7.3g

 

15-Minute Chicken and Pea Sauce from www.theironyou.com – this may sound really simple and boring, but it’s really nice!! The thyme really shines

Serves 6 (next time I’ll divide the mixture into 4 serves I think)

200g chicken mince

1/2 cup frozen green peas

1 small carrot – finely chopped

1 celery strip – finely chopped

1/2 onion – finely chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup white wine (or stock – I used salt-reduced chicken stock)

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tbsp fresh thyme

Black pepper to taste

Warm oil over medium heat in a frying pan

Add onion, carrot and celery, and saute for 2 minutes or until everything is fragrant

Stir in the chicken mince

When the chicken is almost completely brown, pour in the white wine/stock and add salt

Lower the heat, cover with a lid, and cook for 6 minutes

If it looks dry, add some broth one spoonful at a time

Remove from the heat, season with pepper and sprinkle with thyme

Nutritional info: per serve

Calories: 86.5

Total fat: 4.4g (1.0g sat)

Total carbs: 3.8g

Sugar: 2.1g

Protein: 7.8g

 

Constantly challenge yourself – it reminds us that we are alive 🙂

The other day I was talking to my mum about how stressed I was and she said “it means you’re pushing yourself honey – would you rather a boring life?” x

Introduction to General Practice

Last Monday I met the General Practice Clinic that I’ll be spend half of this year – and it’s great! The consultants are really enthusiastic and eager for me to become a part of the team. They’re really motivating and willing to help me :). I’m so excited for this year – I think it will be an amazing experience!! But unfortunately we’re going to be bombarded with assessments… so that’s something I won’t be looking forward to! Oh and I was concerned about finding a gym in the small town where I’m placed but turns out I have access to the hospital gym – $3 a week and it has plenty of weight and cardio equipment. Yay!! I can’t wait to get into the swing of things.

Motivation: Jessica King

 

I’ve got a bunch of awesome recipes to share with you 🙂

 

Lemon Protein Slice from www.proteinpow.com – YUM!! Love these!

 

Serves 6

For the crust:

1 tbsp coconut flour

6 tbsp oat flour

1/4 cup vanilla whey protein

1 tbsp pea protein (or vanilla casein)

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

4 brazil nuts (could sub with almonds)

1 tbsp grated fresh lemon zest

1/2 a big lemon’s worth of lemon juice (20mL)

1 serve Stevia

For the filling:

2 tbsp fresh lemon zest

1 big lemon’s worth of lemon juice (40mL)

1/2 cup vanilla whey protein

3 tbsp coconut flour (or almond meal)

15 macadamia nuts (could sub with cashews)

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

Blend the crust ingredients together and press the doughy matter onto a cake pan

Bake at 190 degrees Celcius for about 10 minutes

Meanwhile, blend the filling ingredients together

When blended and crust is cooked, press the filling batter onto the crust and put back in the oven for no more than 20 minutes

I then sprinkled coconut powder on top but this is entirely optional 🙂

Nutritional info: per serve

Calories: 200.8

Total fat: 8.4g (2.2g sat)

Total carbs: 13.6g

Sugar: 2.0g

Protein: 17.7g

 

Bittersweet Chocolate Quinoa Cupcakes from dessertswithbenefits.com – these have an amazing texture; so soft! It took me a little while to love the taste because they weren’t as sweet as I’d hoped, but they’re still really yummy! Next time I think I’ll add more sweetener.

 

Serves 12

For the cupcakes:

1 cup quinoa flour

1/2 cup brown rice flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tbsp ground flaxseed

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup + 1 tbsp fat free Greek yoghurt

1/2 tsp instant coffee 1 tsp vanilla extract

1 serve Stevia

1+1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

For the frosting:

2 tbsp coconut oil

1/3 cup light coconut milk

6 serves Stevia

2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

2 scoops chocolate whey protein

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and line/spray a cupcake tin

In a small bowl, whisk together the quinoa flour, brown rice flour, cocoa powder, flax, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and Stevia

In a large bowl, whisk together the yoghurt, coffee, vanilla extract, then whisk in the milk

Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet

Whisk batter for ~20 seconds, or until batter is fluffy and even

Scoop the batter into the cupcake tins and bake for ~20 minutes, or until surface springs back when tapped

Take the cupcakes out of the pan immediately after removing from the oven, let cool on a wire cooling rack

In a medium-szed bowl, add the coconut oil and coconut milk, and (if coconut oil is solid) microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring between each one, until the coconut oil has melted

Stir in the Stevia, then the cocoa powder, then the protein powder

Frost the cooled cupcakes and serve!! I found that I needed to put the frosted cupcakes in the fridge before serving to help the frosting set

These aren’t very sweet, so feel free to up the Stevia in the cupcakes!

Nutritional info: per 1 muffin

Calories: 143.4

Total fat: 5.6g (3.2g sat)

Total carbs: 5.2g

Sugar: 1.6g

Protein: 7.4g (even without protein powder!)

 

Chicken Cashew from crunchymama.net – my boyfriend’s new favourite lunchtime bulk-cook recipe 🙂 super yummy!! Also, my boyfriend divides the recipe up into 4 serves instead of 6.

Serves 6

1 kg chicken – cut into chunks

1 cup roasted cashew nuts

1/2 red pepper – diced into same size as chicken

3 spring onions – cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 tbsp ginger – grated

For the marinade:

1 egg white

2 tbsp reduced salt soy sauce OR Bragg’s aminos

1 tbsp tapioca flour aka arrowroot

For the sauce:

4 tbsp reduced salt soy sauuce

2 tbsp cooking wine

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp honey

1 tsp tapioca flour/arrowroot

Combine marinade ingredients and mix chicken into marinade for at least 30 minutes

Combine sauce ingredients in a separate bowl and set aside

In a large non-stick pan, cook the chicken pieces for 2-4 minutes until just cooked

Drain chicken onto some paper towels

Saute the spring onion and ginger for a minute

Add capsicum and sauce. Cook until it is thick and bubbly

Add chicken back to the pan and stir until the chicken pieces are covered in suace

Throw in the cashews, stir, and serve

Nutritional info: per serve

Calories: 248.9

Total fat: 4.4g (1.0g sat)

Total carbs: 6.8g

Sugar: 2.7g

Protein: 42.0g

Sodium: 676.9mg (this would be reduced if you replace the soy sauce with Bragg’s aminos)

 

Casein Pancake

Serves 1

1/3 cup egg whites

1/2 scoop vanilla casein protein

1 tsp cinnamon

Mix the ingredients together

Pour into a hot non-stick pan and cook

I served this with sugar-free maple syrup 🙂

Nutritional info: per serve

Calories: 97.9

Total fat: 0.5g (0.2g sat)

Total carbs: 1.8g

Sugar: 0g 

Protein: 20.0g

 

 

Stop wishing for something – go out and do it!! 🙂 x

Holiday’s Over :(

I have been so so busy! Last week we had orientation to introduce us to what we will be doing this year (general practice, paediatrics, women’s health, and psychiatry) and I had temporary accommodation with some of my fellow students. I didn’t want to wake people with my breakfast preparations every morning (sorry blueberry pancakes) so I made these and I think they’re really great!! Easy grab-and-go breakfast that is yummy, filling, and healthy :).

Motivation: Ellie Gonsalves

Protein and Fiber Breakfast Bars from www.proteinpow.com (altered slightly to suit me)

Serves 4 (1 serve = 2 bars)

1/4 cup psyllium husks

1/4 cup whey protein (I just used vanilla)

1/4 cup casein protein (again, I used vanilla)

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

2og walnuts – chopped

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees

Mix the ingredients together, except for the walnuts

Fold in the walnuts, then pour the mixture into a small brownie pan

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean

Nutritional info: per 1 bar

Calories: 90.5

Total fat: 3.3g (0.9g sat)

Total carbs: 8.0g (4.5g dietary fiber)

Sugar: 1.7g

Protein: 7.9g

 

Feta-Filled Protein Crêpes, again from the amazing Anna at www.proteinpow.com

Serves 1

1 large egg white

1/8 cup pea protein powder (I used vanilla flavoured because that’s all I have)

1/8 cup lite coconut milk

25g low fat feta

Optional: feel free to add herbs and spices to the crêpe before cooking it

Mix the ingredients together (except the feta) and pour into a hot hot non-stick frying pan

Flip the crêpe

When cooked, fill with the cheese (or with whatever you want!)

Nutritional info: per serve, with low fat feta

Calories: 153.5

Total fat: 6.0g (4.5g sat)

Total carbs: 0.5g

Sugar: 1.3g

Protein: 23.3g

 

 

Hopefully I’ll get into the swing of things very soon and my posts (both on my blog and on my facebook page) will become more frequent and regular :). Don’t give up – if you’re sick of starting over, just give up giving up!! 🙂 x

Theme Parks and a LOT of Cooking!

Sorry I’ve been so MIA – my boyfriend took me for a trip to the Gold Coast for my Christmas present so I decided to take that time to just spend with my boyfriend and not stress about blogging, exercise, and even splurging on ice cream and wine :). We went to Wet ‘n’ Wild and Movie World, and spent a lot of time relaxing on the beach or by the pool; it was nice to just have some time to ourselves! I didn’t eat very well when I was up there, although I did try to have healthy options (e.g. poached eggs for breakfast, grilled fish without chips), and I admit that it was nice to come home and start eating clean again. Sometimes it’s necessary to have that bit of a break to remotivate yourself.

 

Motivation: Claire Rae

 

I’ve been doing LOADS of cooking since getting back from Queensland!!

 

Prawn and Basil Mediterranean Salad

Serves 1

12 cooked, peeled prawns

2 cherry tomatoes – halved

Handful of fresh basil leaves – torn

25g pitted olives

1/4 lebanese cucumber – diced

1/4 spanish onion – thinly sliced and soaked in cold water

Salt and pepper

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1/4 lemon

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Just throw everything together and enjoy!!

Nutritional info: per 1 serve

Calories: 189

Total fat: 9.8g (2.1g sat)

Total carbs: 3.6g

Sugar: 3.2g

Protein: 21.4g

 

Almond and Quinoa Based Protein Pizza from www.proteinpow.com

Serves 2

1/8 cup pea protein

1/8 almond meal

1 tbsp coconut flour

1/2 cup quinoa flakes (could sub with oats)

1 whole egg

3 egg whites

1/8 cup lite coconut milk

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp salt

Put everything in a blender

Cook in a hot hot hot non-stick frying pan like a pancake

Top with whatever you want, then grill for 10-15 minutes (I topped mine with pizza sauce, tomato, grilled chicken, lite ricotta cheese, and fresh basil)

Nutritional info: per serve (without the toppings)

Calories: 248.8

Total fat: 9.0g (2.6g sat)

Total carbs: 24.0g

Sugar: 1.6g

Protein: 16.8g

 

Black Chocolate Protein Brownies from femmefitphysique.wordpress.com

Serves 12

2 scoops chocolate whey protein powder

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2/3 cup black bean puree (rinse about 1 cup canned, low sodium black beans and blend with a splash of water)

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

12 serves Stevia

2 tbsp oat flour

3 tbsp coconut oil

2 egg whites

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

OPTIONAL: 1-2 tsp coffee grounds (I left this out)

In a medium bowl combine dry ingredients

In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients and blend well

Add wet to dry and mix (don’t overmix, just until all ingredients are blended)

Bake at 180 degrees for about 20 minutes or until cooked to the centre

Let them cool before cutting them

Nutritional info: per serve

Calories: 98.5

Total fat: 5.2g (4.4g sat)

Total carbs: 5.3g

Sugar: 0.9g

Protein: 6.7g

 

Smoked Salmon and Rosemary Low Carb Protein Quiche (Gluten Free) from http://www.proteinpow.com – I could not believe how good this was!! Tastes just as good, if not BETTER than normal quiche!! Yum yum!!

Serves 2

Base:

1/4 cup egg whites

1/4 cup pea protein powder

1/8 cup coconut flour

1/8 cup milk

1 tbsp almond meal

1 tsp dried rosemary (optional)

1 tsp onion flakes (optional)

Filling:

3 eggs

1 egg white

Splash of milk

50g salmon (I just used canned)

Spring onion

Rosemary

Blend the ingredients for the base, then press into either a medium-sized pie/quiche/tart tin or into a few small ones

Bake this 200 degrees for about 15 minutes or until it starts to brown

Allow the base to cool

Whisk together the eggs, egg white, and milk

Add salmon, spring onion and rosemary to the filling mixture

Poor into the base, then cook at 200 degrees for 15 minutes, then reduce to 160 degrees and bake for a further 10 minutes or until the filling is set

Nutritional info: per serve (including the filling)

Calories: 291

Total fat: 9.7g (3.7g sat)

Total carbs: 7.8g

Sugar: 2.0g

Protein: 39.3g!!

 

I have many more new recipes that I cooked this week but I’ll save them for another post 🙂

 

Enjoy the journey 🙂 x

Merry Christmas and a Happy 2013!!

I hope you are all spending plenty of time with loved ones, and not stressing too much about being strict on your diet!!! A little treat here and there (especially for the sake of celebrating) won’t ruin progress :). However, aim for moderation (something I’m not very good at when it comes to sugary foods) and keep that determination to get back training and eating clean as soon as possible.

 

 

Motivation for the new year – can’t go past my fav!! Jenna Webb haha

 

In order to resist some of the yummy treats laying around our house at the moment, I’ve whipped up a couple of healthy alternatives and yummm they really hit the spot!!

 

Sugar-free Pavlova – inspired by www.ultimateperformancesupplements.com/banana-and-mango-pavlova/

For those of you who have never tried a pavlova (I’m looking at those non-Aussies out there) you MUST!! This is so delicious and is one of my favourite desserts. And this version tastes JUST like the real sugary one!! I’m so excited haha

Serves 6

4 eggs

15g Stevia (the powder version, not liquid)

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Topping:

100g Greek yoghurt

1 scoop vanilla whey powder

Stevia to taste

Add whatever topping you want! I sliced up two kiwi fruits and grated some dark chocolate on top

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees fan forced

Line a flat oven tray with some baking paper and lightly grease with coconut oil

Separate the egg whites from the yolks and beat until soft peaks form, then add the Stevia and cream of tartar slowly while still beating – the mixture should become glossy and retain it’s shape when lifted with a spoon.

Scoop the egg whites onto the tray and fashion into a circular shape with a spatula, retaining as much height as possible. Work quickly!

Put in the oven for 45 mins (do NOT open the door to check progress because your pavlova will flop)

Once cooked, open the oven door a little bit and turn off the heat. Leave to dry out for a further 30 minutes to an hour

Just before serving, put together the topping by mixing the yoghurt, vanilla powder and Stevia (your amounts may differ from mine, because I just threw everything in and then tasted and added more of ingredients until it tasted perfect)

Top the pav with the yoghurt mixture, then throw whatever you want on top! Other yummy combinations would be banana and chocolate, strawberry and chocolate, banana and mango, just dark chocolate etc etc

Nutritional info: per 1/6 serves, with kiwi fruit and a little grated choc

Calories: 61.2

Total fat: 0.7g

Total carbs: 5.8g

Sugar: 3.5g

Protein: 8.4

 

Healthy Snickers Slice from www.tasty-health.se (mine didn’t turn out quite as pretty though haha see second picture)

Warning – these are addictive

Serves 12 (2 squares)

Bottom layer:

About 10 dates (100g)

1 cup almonds

1/2 scoop chocolate whey protein powder

2 tsp unsweetened cocoa

Filling:

150g natural peanut butter

2 scoops vanilla whey protein powder

3 serves Stevia

30g salted peanuts – coarsely chopped

About 1 cup water

Toppping:

60g dark chocolate

Grind the almond in a food processor until you have a flour with some larger almond chucks in it

Add the dates, choc protein powder and cocoa, and process until you get a fine pulp – if you are unable to shape the mixture, add more dates (ok so for me this was where the original recipe failed me… I added a heap more dates and still the mixture refused to stick together. I think next time I might add some water or milk… maybe try this and let me know how it goes!)

Press the almond mixture into the bottom of a foil-lined pan – I used a couple of tupperware containers

Mix the peanut butter, vanilla protein, Stevia and peanuts, then add a little water at a time and mix to a paste with the consistency of peanut butter (although I found it better to make the liquid more runny because it went further)

Spread the peanut batter over the bottom layer, then put in the freezer

Melt the chocolate in a bowl in the microwave and spread over the peanut filling

Set in the fridge/freezer until the chocolate is set

Cut into 24  squares and store in the fridge/freezer

Nutritional info: per 1/12 serves (2/24 squares)

Calories: 194

Total fat: 9.3g (only 2.2g saturated fat)

Total carbs: 12.4g

Sugar: 9.0g

Protein: 10.6g

 

Have a wonderful time bringing in the new year everyone!!! If you’re ever waiting for a time to make changes and set goals, now’s the time to do it!!! xx

Do Not Take Anything For Granted

There are few things I want to talk about in this blog post, both reminding me on how grateful I am to be surrounded by my loved ones and to be so healthy…

Firstly, the horrific shooting in Connecticut. All of those innocent lives taken way before their time… there is not a single person that has not been deeply horrified and sickened by this awful event and my heart goes out to those that lost a loved one on the 14th of December 2012. I feel so blessed to have my family, my boyfriend, my friends, and cannot imagine how awful it would be to have any of them taken from me, especially in such a stupid, pointless way. Too many angels headed to heaven that day. RIP

Secondly, I accompanied my boyfriend and his family to visit a friend in hospital this weekend – their friend had been in a big motorbike accident and his family had asked all of his friends to come together at this one time to give him strength and support. When we were there we discovered that he is now a quadriplegic and has been told he will  never walk again… and he has given up all hope. This man had been one of the most outgoing, courageous and active guys and it’s terrible to hear that he has thrown in the towel. He refused to see any visitors that day, but it was heartwarming to see so many people gathering together, wearing his favourite colour blue, and writing down words to hopefully inspire and motivate hope. I am so lucky that I have my health, that I live so comfortably and have no limitations. I am so grateful for everything I have.

Please take the time to reflect on everything that you have – even though you may stress about things, and may have pressures or debts etc, think about all that you can be grateful for, because without a doubt there is someone in the world who would give anything to have what you may take for granted.

These things have made me more motivated to take care of myself.

 

Here are some new recipes:

 

Jamie Oliver’s Chicken Salad (my version….) – this looks to basic, but it’s really yummy!!

Serves 2

1/2 head of broccoli

2x 120g chicken breast

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1 cup cooked quinoa

1 spring onion

1/4 bunch fresh mint

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1&1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp sunflower seeds

2 tbsp no fat Greek yoghurt

1/2 lemon

Cook the broccoli in boiling salted water for 4 minutes (covered)

Coat the chicken with salt, pepper and ground coriander, then bash to flatten to ~1.5cm thick

Grill chicken until golden brown and cooked through

With tongs, remove broccoli from water when finished, then put on a grill until nicely charred

Trim and finely slice the spring onions and the mint, then toss in a bowl with the oil and vinegar, and season to taste

Grill the sunflower seeds

Throw it all together on the plate and serve with a dollop of Greek yoghurt and lemon wedges

Nutritional info: per 1/2 serves

Calories: 394.2

Total fat: 13.1g

Total carbs: 30.2g

Sugar: 4.1g

Protein: 40.4g

 

Clean Chocolate Icecream

Serves 2

100g low fat cottage cheese

1 tbsp cocoa

1&1/2 scoop choc protein powder (whey/casein)

2 serves Stevia

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 tbsp natural peanut butter (or 2, if you love your PB!)

2 tbsp dessicated coconut

Splash of almond milk

Blend everything together until smooth, then freeze for 1&1/2 hours, stirring every 20 minutes

Nutritional info: per 1/2 serves

Calories: 330

Total fat: 20.4g (all good fats!!)

Total carbs: 7.6g

Sugar: 4.3g

Protein: 29.4g!!

 

Baked Peanut Butter Chocolate Protein Bars from http://www.littlebshealthyhabits.com – I was craving peanut butter and wanted to have it in a baked protein bar but all of the recipes I could find were unbaked! These were a great mix of chocolate and PB, but next time I’m going to add more PB so it really satisfies my cravings!!

Serves 12

1 cup out flour

4 egg whites

2 scoops protein powder

1/4 cup (or 12 serves) Stevia

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

3 tbsp unsweetened baking cocoa

113g unsweetened almond milk

1/4 cup all natural peanut butter (next time I think I’ll up this to 1/3 cup hehe)

4 tbsp non fat Greek yoghurt

Throw it all in a bowl and mix

Throw in a brownie pan and bake at 180 degrees for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean

Nutritional info: per 1/ serves

Calories: 109.6

Total fat: 4.6g

Total carbs: 7.0g

Sugar: 1.6g

Protein: 9.0g

 

I also wanted to do a shout out to slimkicker.com – it’s a free site that helps you track your meals, exercise etc, and – the best part – it helps keep you motivated by setting you challenges and reminding you to reward yourself when you reach them!! I think  it’s great :). They’ve got a mobile phone app as well (I have it on my iphone), so it’s quick and easy to log your info.

Be grateful 🙂 keep healthy xo

Role ?Model?

Oh how I love holidays. I’m sorry to rub in that I’ve got so much free time at the moment, but I feel like I deserve to revel in it for a bit haha. I’ve been doing plenty of cooking, which both I, and my mother, are really happy about! Also this week I helped out my sister by modelling some clothes that she has designed and made for her folio –

I’m not very good at it haha I’m so awkward. It was fun though!

I’m still trying to organise my personal trainer course (I need to contact my uni for ‘official’ approval and they’re not very good at replying promptly to my emails…) but I can’t wait to get started!!

Latest girl crush and fitness motivation: Ellie Gonsalves!! She’s Australian and hot hot hot

 

I have a heap of recipes to share this week!! They’re all scrumptious 🙂

 

Tandoori Chicken

Serves 4 (1 serve = 1&1/2 skewers)

1&1/2 cups no fat Greek yoghurt

2 tbsp onion – grated

1 tbsp fresh ginger – peeled and grated

1 tbsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground red pepper (I used black, and I think that’s why it’s not a pretty red colour)

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

3 garlic cloves – minced

500g chicken breast

Mix all ingredients except chicken

Add chicken and allow it to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours (the longer the better)

You can cook this however you like, but because it’s summery weather here at the moment I decided I wanted to chuck it on the BBQ in skewer-form

I ate leftover in a psyllium crepe with avocado, cherry tomatoes and mixed lettuce (see the recipe in the menu on the right >>) – delicious!!

Nutritional info: per 1/4 serves (please note that this includes the marinade, although most of it gets chucked out anyway)

Calories: 179.4

Total fat: 1.7g

Total carbs: 6.9g

Sugar: 4.2g

Protein: 32.7g

 

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Protein Bars from proteinpow.com

Serves 6

1/2 cup chocolate whey powder

1/2 cup ground oats

4 tbsp coconut flour

1&1/2 tbsp peanut butter

1/4 cup lite coconut milk

25g dark chocolate

Mix all of the ingredients except the milk and the chocolate

Slowly add the coconut milk until the consistency is firm enough to form into 6 little bars

Melt the dark chocolate (I like to do this in the microwave)

Dip the bars into the chocolate

Pop in the freezer until set

Nutritional info: per 1/6 bars

Calories: 163

Total fat: 6.7g

Total carbs: 12.5g

Sugar: 2.5g

Protein: 12.5g

 

Krispy Kale – I’ve been soo looking forward to trying this and finally found kale in our woolworths supermarket!!! This is a very basic seasoning and you can pretty much sprinkle anything on it!! Get creative 🙂

Serves 1

130g kale – just the leaves, remove if connected to a stem

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt/pepper/garlic salt/rosemary/parmesan….

Preheat oven to 150 degrees

Wash and dry kale

Toss in olive oil and seasonings

Put on a nonstick baking tray or on foil

Bake for about 10 mins (keep a close eye on them, you want them crispy but there can be a fine line between delicious and burnt)

Nutritional info: 

Calories: 65

Total fat: 0.9g

Total carbs: 13g

Sugar: 0g

Protein: 4.3g

 

Based on the Thai Lime Chicken from cleaneatingmag.com – this is pretty nice, but wasn’t as wonderful as I was hoping!

Serves 4

500g chicken breast

2 tbsp garlic powder

2 tbsp ground ginger

1 lime

2/3 cup peanuts – crushed

Preheat oven to 180 degrees

Mix garlic, ginger and peanuts

Squeeze lime over chicken breast, then dunk in peanut mixture

Bake for 25 minutes, or until not longer pink in the middle

Nutritional info: per 1/4 serves

Calories: 284.5

Total fat: 12.2g

Total carbs: 2.7g

Sugar: 0.9g

Protein: 34.4g

 

Apple Maple Walnut Protein Muffins from theguiltlesslife.wordpress.com – YUM!! That’s all I can say haha

Serves 8

1/3 cup ground oats

1/3 cup coconut flour

1 scoop vanilla whey protein

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 apple – diced

1/4 cup no fat Greek yoghurt

1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese

6 tbsp unsweetened applesauce

1 egg

1 tbsp sugar free maple syrup

2 tbsp chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 190 degrees

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl

Separately blend yoghurt, cottage cheese, applesauce and egg until smooth

Add wet to dry and stir until JUST combined (don’t over-mix)

Fold in the diced apple

Fill 8 muffin tins with the batter

Sprinkle walnuts on top, then drizzle the maple syrup over the muffins

Bake for 15 minutes or until springy to the touch

Nutritional info: per 1/8 muffins

Calories: 120.9

Total fat: 3.6g

Total carbs: 12.9g

Sugar: 4.2g

Protein: 8.2g

 

I hope you’re all sticking to your nutritional plans, pushing yourselves in the gym, and living life to the fullest 🙂 x

Taking it that Step Further

Hi all! I’ve been very busy during this first week of holidays – doing plenty of cleaning, exercising, cooking, creating a facebook page for my blog, and now I’ve been doing research on personal trainer courses here in Australia!! I’m so excited, I’ve been wanting to do Cert III and IV in fitness for a while now. In this post I’ll show you some of the information that I gained during my research so if you’re considering doing something similar it will be a lot easier for you to compare and choose a course best suited for you.

 

Motivation: Sylvia Narvaez – love love love LOVE her legs!!!

 

 

As posted on my facebook page this week – Orange and Goji Berry Whey Protein Bars from proteinpow.com

Serves 8

1/2 cup vanilla whey protein powder

3/4 cup ground almond

1/4 cup coconut flour

3/4 cup goji berries

1/4 cup lite coconut milk

1 tbsp vanilla essence

1 tbsp orange rind (I used mandarine and it worked just as good)

1/2 tsp hot chilli powder (or to taste… this is optional but gives it a nice kick!! Plus it revs up your metabolism)

50 dark chocolate

Mix all ingredients except the dark chocolate

Melt the chocolcate (I prefer to do this in the microwave but be careful not to burn it – I tend to put it on 30sec intervals to keep a close eye on it)

Dip bars into melted chocolate

Freeze until chocolate is set

Nutritional info: per 1/8 bars

Calories: 228

Total fat: 11.5g

Total carbs: 19g

Sugar: 3.9g

Protein: 11.8g

 

Double Chocolate Protein Muffins from theguiltlesslife.wordpress.com – these are sooooo yummy!!! I cannot speak highly enough of them, you HAVE to try them

Serves 6-8 depending on the size of your muffins

1/3 cup coconut flour (I subbed half of this with almond meal just for fun)

1/3 cup flour

1 scoop chocolate protein powder

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

4 serves Stevia, or to taste (I used 12…)

2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tbsp chocolate chips (instead of chips I chopped up 25g of dark chocolate)

1/4 cup nonfat Greek yoghurt

1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese (I prefer to use ‘creamed’ cottage cheese because of the texture)

6 tbsp unsweetened applesauce

1 egg

Preheat oven to 160 degrees

Combine dry ingredients in one bowl, and combine wet ingredients in a separate bowl – (I chose to put only half of the chocolate chunks into the mixture, then sprinkled the rest on top before cooking)

Add wet to dry, mixing until only just combined (overmixing = tough muffins)

Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean

Nutritional info: per 1/6 muffins

Calories: 153.6

Total fat: 7g

Total carbs: 12.5g

Sugar: 4.5g

Protein: 8.1g

 

I’ve created this table for easy comparison of the main personal trainer courses that I found, hopefully it’s helpful!!

	Max duration	Cost	Features	Qualifications
AFA	6 months	$2250	Face to face	– Cert III in fitness
AFA	6 months	$1200	Online	– Cert III in fitness
AFA	6 months	$2550	Face to face	– Cert IV in fitness
AFA	6 months	$1200	Online	– Cert IV in fitness
AIF	6 months	<$400	Face to face 2/7International recognition	– Cert III & IV in fitness- Cert IV business management & sales- Master trainer
PT Train	6 months	SALE$2497	Face to faceTrain children & >50 yr olds	– Cert III & IV in fitness
PT Train	6 months	SALE$1997	OnlineTrain children & >50 yr olds	– Cert III & IV in fitness
AFN	6 months	$3990 or $3290 (upfront)	OnlineInternational recognition, including Canada	– Cert III & IV in fitness

Useful websites that I found:

• http://training.gov.au/ – to find out if a course is registered and national recognised
• http://www.fitness.org.au/
• http://www.fitnesseducation.edu.au/ – AFA
• http://www.fitness.edu.au/ – AIF
• http://www.pttrain.com.au/ – PT Train
• http://www.fitnessnetwork.com.au/ – AFN

Also, some Australians may be eligible for State or Commonwealth funding (students in Qld, Vic and SA) to do the course, and if you have a health care card and cost drops even more!! For example, for me to do the online certificate III in fitness with AFA it will only cost me $150!!!

 

Anyway enough about that, I’m off to the gym!! xx