Energy Balls

A few months ago, I posted this recipe for healthy no-bake energy snacks.  They are so good, check them out.  

I found a new recipe online and tweeked it a little bit and came up with some new ones.  They are a little bit more rich and satisfy that chocolate-peanut butter addiction I currently have. 

Just mix together all the ingredients, chill in the fridge for a little while and then roll into bite sized balls.  

• 1 cup oats
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup ground flax seeds
• 1/3 cup agave nectar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tbs chia seeds
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Healthy No Bake Snacks

I came across an old friend and co-worker's blog the other day and tried out one of her recipes.  They are delicious little no bake snacks packed with healthy ingredients.  You can see her original post here.  I might start experimenting with different ingredients because these are so easy and are perfect for guilt free snacking.

I doubled her recipe because the first time I made them, I liked them so much I felt we needed a bigger batch :)

All you have to do is throw...

• 2 cup of pitted dates (I'm obsessed with these right now)
• 1 apple (whatever kind you like)
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2/3 cup flax seeds
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• 1 cup almonds
• 2 tbs melted coconut oil

into the food processor, roll the mixture into bite size balls, and put into the fridge.

Vegan Avocado Chocolate Mousse

I'm no vegan, but I do try to be as healthy as possible and this is a healthier version of a classic chocolate treat.  This mousse is made with avocado instead of dairy so it's also great for someone who can't handle dairy products.  You can taste the avocado, slightly, but not in a bad way.  It has a really rich chocolate flavor that over powers the avocado flavor.

I got the recipe from Giada's Feel Good Food book, which is her healthier recipe book.

• 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
• 4 very ripe avocados, chopped
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup agave nectar
• 1 tbs. plus 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
• 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
• Fresh raspberries and mint leaf for garnish.  I also used chocolate sticks that I stole from work :)

Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler until smooth and set aside to cool slightly.  Combine all ingredients in food processor or blender and blend until smooth and creamy.  Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 1 day.  

Healthy Banana "Ice Cream"

I have been seeing this around the internet a lot and decided to give it a try.  Hopefully I will be able to fool Blake with it for a little while at least.  It is actually really good and a great alternative to actual ice cream since I'm trying to be a little more healthy post baby.

All you have to do is slice some bananas and freeze them.

Put them in a blender or food processor.  I added a scoop of peanut butter.

The bananas will start to look crumbly and you have to scrape the sides and blend a few times.

Eventually it will look smooth.  It takes about ten minutes.

Re-freeze the smooth soft serve-like bananas, scoop and enjoy :)

Three bananas made 2 portions

  Mmmm delicious!

New Green Smoothie

• Baby Kale
• Baby Spinach
• Lime Juice
• Coconut Water
• 1 Green Apple
• 1 Banana
• Ice

Mmmmm, healthy :)

Kale Smoothies

I have been making smoothies lately.  Depending on what I have in the fridge, I put in frozen berries, milk or juice, yogurt, banana, kale or spinach. 

It's amazing how much of the greens you can put in without changing the color or taste.

100 Workout

This only takes about 30 minutes.  (Possibly more if you have a dog like mine that trys to jump up and attack you while you do jumping jacks and lick your face while you do crunches)  

It's great if you have limited time and don't have gym equipment and/or can't leave your house.  I found the idea from a pin on Pinterest but I modified some of the exercises to some I personally like better.

This is all legs and abs so I might try to make one up that is an upper body workout, then alternate days.

Portion Control

This is something I really struggle with.  I love food and I love to eat.  But...I have been packing on the pounds in record time since I have gone off my ADHD medicine.  It's really getting out of my control and I'm starting to freak out.   So, I'm going to try it the old fashioned way--diet and exercise.     

I decided that portion control might help since I really eat pretty healthy already.  

It turns out that the serving size for Grape Nuts, which I eat just about everyday, is 1/2 a cup.

I probably had triple that in my bowl.  Oops.

Below is what the actual serving of Grape Nuts should look like.

It looks a little sad but honestly I was just as satisfied in the end from the smaller bowl of cereal.

Lesson Learned :)

Side-by-side comparison:

It Hurts So Good

Foam rolling or myofascial release is my new favorite thing.  It's cheaper and actually more relaxing (in the long term) than a massage.  It can also help reduce injuries and eliminate those annoying things like shin splints.  It releases that tight, stuck fascia (connective tissue) around your muscles.  It can hurt a little bit while you are doing it, especially certain muscles but it's so worth it.  You just get a foam roller like this:

And then get yourself into a routine.  I have read online that it is best to start slow (no longer than 15 mintues) in the beginning.  I have also read that it's best to start toward the middle of the body working out to the extremities.  Just roll up and down the muscle using your own body weight from one joint to the next.  Example- from the hips down the quads to the knees and back (one leg at a time or both together).  Stopping on those tight/painful areas and holding or rolling back and forth to release it.

Most of your time will be focused on those big muscles of the legs.  I also roll out the muscles on my back and on my sides under my arms.  I think you can pretty much do it anywhere if you feel like that muscle needs it.


Here are some pics to give you an idea:

 Also, don't forget the bottom of you feet.  Roll them out with a tennis ball or golf ball.

 **Warning: I'm not a doctor, duh, so please research this on your own or ask your doc before starting anything new :)

Green Juice

The new juices at Starbucks are packaged just like Naked Juice although when you read the label, they are a lot healthier.  They taste really good and are not nearly as sugary.  I tasted about 5 while I was there and came home with the green one.  

They also claim to have a special pasteurization technique that involves pressure not heat so that it does not kill off the vitamins in the veggies :)