Eat...DETOX TIME

'ello explorers...

Happy new year to you all and what is that is most said at this time of year? 

I love this time of year. Time to set new goals, make resolutions, create challenges and generally reassess your life to make it better than the previous year.

Some of the population like to stick to the same routine, stay in the same area and enjoy their pace of life without any change. Maybe their resolution would be to stop smoking or walk everyday. Which is fine...for them.

I however, like a challenge.

I posted a few weeks back, writing about my goals for 2015 and what areas I wanted to achieve certain tasks. I want to make 2015 THE BEST YEAR YET!

I simply asked myself the follow questions to help me set my goals:

• What did I accomplish?
• What were my biggest disappointments?
• What have you learned from above?
• How do I limit myself?
• In which areas of my life am I not achieving what I want?
• What do I say to myself to explain these failures?
• What are my personal values? 
• What are my top ten goals for the next year?
• How can I make sure I achieve my top ten goals this year? 

After writing them back in November I was excited and already planning this year, I loved my job the people I worked with and was in a really happy place.

Then

Towards the end of last year I found myself thinking something I thought I would never think...I was on my way home after my last appointment of the year (which didn't turn up) crying my eyes out. I hated my job, I hated what I was doing and I was really tired. All I could think I wanted to do was to give up on my own business and get a random job working 9-5. On the other end of the phone was my poor boyfriend, not knowing what to say but in shock to hear me say this. I hated feeling like this and something needed to change, 

Apart from making some essential changes in my business I decided to Detox in January. I wanted to get my energy back, to feel confident, strong, in control and most of all...HEALTHY.

My second on line network marketing business helps me in every way possible with this and makes what may seem like a hard task...actually quite easy.

I was to stop:

• Wheat/Gluten
• Dairy
• Refined Sugar
• Alcohol
• Soy
• Corn

Start

• Eating regular balances meals
• Experimenting with new whole foods
• Having two 'no meat' days a week
• Trying plant based protein
• Planning and Preparing all meals

This is to remove all of the excess sugars and chemicals from my body that have built up over Christmas and before. (yes, even I who like to eat well normally, can have a naughty snack now and again). I want to start a fresh, feel clean and get in to a good habit to carry on for the rest of the year.

DID YOU KNOW, IT TAKES 30 DAYS FOR A TASK TO BECOME A HABIT.

I have almost completed a week and so far I feel great. Plenty of energy, no bloatedness and enjoying every bit of food. But missing chocolate, sweets and cheese.

I have a supporting team and network of around 200 people all joining in on the Detox. If you would like to be a part of if, contact me.

I will let you know at the end of the 30 days challenge what my results are. I have a lot panned for this year....I NEED to be fit and well for it all to happen.

For Now

xx

Breakfast BanCake

'Ello Explorers...

The temperature has suddenly dropped here in Sunny Cornwall meaning warm food and drink are now officially on  the menu. I don't know about you but there are only so any times I can bare to have oatmeal everyday of the week.

Let me introduce to you the BanCake...

Ok, I'm a scruffy cook. Sorry...about...that.

 It looks like a Pancake, tastes like a pancake and is treated like a pancake but it doesn't contain the heavy pancake ingredients. In fact it's rather healthy.

For one you will need:

Put the banana and the cracked egg in to a blender until it forms a smooth paste. You will notice a few air bubbles, so bang the bottom of the blender on the work top until they disappear.This is so the batter stays together in the pan.

Pour the mixture into the pan and cook on a medium heat for a few minutes until it is golden on the underneath, then flip it over.

It will only need one minute on the new side before you can place it on your plate.

Then the fun bit...toppings. You could put pretty much whatever you wanted, from healthy to not so nutritious. Just make it up. 

Here are some suggestions:

Put vanilla in the BanCake Mix

Peaches and Walnuts

Add Blueberries to the pan with the fresh mix.

Use seeds, warm apple and cinnamon for the toppings.

The Cheeky one:
 Peppermint in the mix - sprinkle cocoa powder on top.

The Carby one:
Vanilla in the mix - Honey, oats and yoghurt.

The Protein one:
Vanilla protein in the mix - nuts and Greek yoghurt on top.

Eat...Cooking with Sam

Cooking with Sam.

Last weekend I went to help one of my good friends prepare food for the week ahead.

She is a Fitness Instructor and teaches many classes a week. But has always ate whatever she wanted.

For the month of October, she decided to eat clean and see what happened.

Here's how our evening went:

APPLE SLICES:

Get some apples, carefully slices them finely. Then place on a lined baking tray. Place in the oven at around 150*C and turn after 20 minutes or until golden. Please keep checking they're not burning.

 Roasted Chick Peas: 
For the easy option use tins of chick peas The harder version would be to use dried and follow the instructions on the packet.
You will need:
-2 tins of chick peas.
-2 table spoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
-1/2 tsp of paprika
-1/2 tsp of cumin
-1/2 tsp of salt.

Method: Place all ingredients on to a baking tray and mix up. Put them in the over at 150*C for around 30 minutes, shaking regularly.

Seeded Nutty Flap Jacks:

We made this up on the night with the ingredients we had, but used:

-1 Banana

-1 pot of Honey

Nuts

Dried Fruit

Enough oat to make a flap jack consistency.

All the ingredients went in to a pot on the cooker to combine together. Then on to a lined baking tray and placed in the oven until golden brown,

Bean and Quinoa Burgers:

These are one of my favourites which I wrote about last week. Take a look HERE

Chocolate Muffins:

Ingredients:

-1 ¾ cup of Oats

-3 Egg whites
-3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
-1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
-1 tsp. Vanilla extract
-1/2 cup Plain Greek yogurt (or regular plain low fat yogurt)
-1/2 tsp. cream of tartar (or 2 tsp. vinegar)
-1 ½ tsp. Baking powder
-1 ½ tsp. Baking soda
-1/4 tsp. Salt
-1 cup Hot water
-1/2 cup Baking stevia OR 1 cup sweetener of choice that measures like sugar
-1/2 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method:

In a blender or food processor, mix all of the ingredients together, except for the chocolate chips. Blend until oats are ground and the mixture is smooth. Place mixture in a bowl and gently stir in ½ of the chocolate chips (set the rest aside). Scoop mixture into prepared and lined muffin tins. Place muffin tins in the oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove muffins from the oven (but don’t shut the oven off), and distribute the other half of the chocolate chips on top of each muffin. Place the muffins back into the oven for an additional 2-5 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. *Note: you could skip this step and put all the chocolate chips into the batter at once and bake the muffins for 12-15 minutes straight. Cool muffins before removing from pan.

Chocolate Quark:

Serves 1:

-1 tbs of Quark

-1/2 tbs of Cocoa Powder

-1/4 tbs of Honey

Method:

Put it all in a bowl and stir. Then eat!

She has found that the muffins and quark help to sort the sugar cravings and the snacks help her to staty away from the convenience foods. 

Why don't you give it a go too.