Energy Boosting coffee!!

This morning I was in need of one huge big energy boost so I decided to finally try some coconut oil in my coffee... DELICIOUS!!!

I made coffee like I normally do and put it into the blender and added a tablespoon of coconut oil. It was amazing...it went a bit lighter than usual, a bit thicker and had amazing froth on top.
It was so good that I made extra for my clients to taste before their kettle bells class.

Having coconut oil in your coffee instead of a meal before your workout is a good source of energy and it doesn't have to be before a workout... you can have it in the mornings to boost your energy and keep you feeling full for a little longer than usual.

Coconut oil has many other benefits other than giving you a nice big energy boost. Here are a few other benefits of coconut oil that is being unfolded at the moment:

Kills viruses

Kills bacteria

Kills fungus and yeast

Boosts energy and endurance

Improves insulin secretion

Kills tapeworms, lice and other parasites

Reduces cavities

Prevents obesity

Softens skin

Protects skin from the sun

Controls dandruff

Prevents wrinkles

Grain Free 1 Cup Cake

I Looooove grain free recipes but what I love more is when they are simple and easy to make!!
I'm a huge fan of the 1 cup recipes because you put all the ingredients into a cup, mix it well and stick it into the microwave.

I usually make a nice chocolate one but I don't always have bananas so today I tried a vanilla one. It spelt amazing...I'm not sure if it is the coconut flour that smells so good or the vanilla essence but I can for sure do with the kitchen smelling like that everyday!!

They came out perfect and aren't a hassle to make at all!!

The Recipe is:

1 Tbs Coconut Flour
1/4 Tsp Baking Powder
a pinch of salt
1 Tbs Honey
1 Egg
1 Tbs Butter
1/2 Tsp Vanilla Essence

Mix it all together in the cup...really mix nice and hard until it is smooth and creamy and pop into the microwave for 1min 45 seconds.

I kept mine in the cup but it sits nice and loose in the cup so you can pop it out into a plate and decorate or you can decorate it inside the cup.

I drizzled some cream over mine just for some extra taste and it was HEAVEN!!! It tasted like it was made in some Masterchef episode!! It isn't dry at all and you would never tell that there is no wheat flour inside!!

You for sure need to try this out!!

Cool Website

I was on Pinterest looking at all the yummy recipes (food porn ;) ) and fitness pins and saw this cool site.

You put in your details and it gives an idea of what you look like and then you place your goals in and it shows what you should look like after reaching your goals and you can also personalise it a bit by adding your hair colour and outfits and a few more other goodies!

Here's the link:

http://modelmydiet.com/women.html

Diet? No Diet? How about just eating healthy?

The word diet is like saying Voldemorts name in Harry Potter... none of us want to hear the word but who says we have to follow a diet to lose weight and be healthy?? I say we just eat healthy and in my opinion that isn't very hard at all but maybe that is because I'm wheat and gluten intolerant but then again I do crave for yummy and delicious looking things like everyone else.

Anyways... My new way of eating healthy is following a few of the Paleo diets guidelines... so I have cut out grains but I haven't gone full blown Paleo so I still have sugar, dairy and peanut butter but just by cutting out grains I have a ton more energy and I feel a lot healthier because I have far more energy. I would like to go complete Paleo but I believe in easing into things and not just jumping into the deep end.

So if you would like to know a bit more about Paleo to try out and see what benefits it has for you here are some of the basic guidelines:

Basically avoid grains, legumes, dairy, preservatives and refined sugars. Oh and processed food...if it has a nice long shelf life it is for sure a big no!
You can have all kinds of meat, fish and seafood's, eggs, loads of veggies and fruit and then some nuts and seeds.

So the Paleo diet I don't see as a diet, I see it as healthy eating and even though I don't do it properly I am feeling the benefits without a doubt.

A yummy breakfast recipe to try is pancakes...actually they are more like flapjack goodies.

Your ingredients are:
1 Banana
1 egg
Pinch of salt

If you want to make double the recipe then it is obviously 2 bananas, 2 eggs and pinch of salt.

How to make it:
Beat the egg and mash the banana and then add the salt and mix it well. You could actually even add some cinnamon.
Use coconut oil for your frying and scoop out spoons into the pan and fry.

These are super quick to make and they actually taste very good!!

A definite MUST TRY!!

Banana Coconut Smoothie

I have been sooooo addicted to coconut goodies lately and now I found this yummy coconut and banana smoothie recipe. It isn't on the healthy side the because it contains alcohol but it is pretty yummy and can be used for a dessert after a good lunch with friends.

Ingredients:

2 Ripe bananas, mashed
4 oz coconut cream
6oz rum
4oz banana liqueur
3 cups crushed ice

Makes 4 servings

To make it:

Combine the bananas, coconut cream, rum, banana liqueur and ice in a blender.
Blend until smooth and pour into glasses to serve.

Pelvic curls

Pelvic curls are one of the very basic pilates exercises and is very beneficial. To most people it does seem like a very simple exercise but if you look at the image below you will see that so many muscles get used performing a pelvic and it relaxes your spine and stretches it out for you.

I like to use pelvic curls in all my classes because it is a nice spine and abs warming up but more because it stretches your hip flexors which is super important because if your hip flexors are tight you will have a tight lumbar spine. The other reason why I like it so much is because it is a good exercise to teach the right breathing and how to work into your deep abdominals to control your spinal movement.

If you have a tight back give these a try....

Lie onto the mat with your knees bent and your feet hip distance apart. Imprint your spine onto the mat and place your pelvis into a neutral position and making sure there is no space between your back and the mat.Walk your hands down to your heels to ensure your shoulders are relaxed onto the ground.

Keep your abs nice and tight.

Inhale: To prepare
Exhale: lower your ribs into your abs making one strong connection and squashing any gap between your back and the mat and roll your pelvis up until you form a nice straight line with your body. Remember you want to lift one vertebrae at a time so you are using your abs to roll up.
Inhale: Pause
Exhale: Roll all the way back onto the mat one vertebrae at a time with a nice tight tummy to control the movement down. You want your ribs to roll down first, then the middle of your back then your lower back all the way to a neutral pelvis.

A neutral pelvis is when your hip bones arent higher than your pubic bone and arent lower than your pubic bone. 

Raw Chocolate pudding!!

I have just finished making a Raw chocolate pudding!!! It is gluten free,dairy free tasty and all healthy...ok wait... there is quite a bit of honey in it BUT it is still healthier than what you would get out of an instant pudding mix box. 

It is called a raw pudding because it's all natural ingredients and nothing from animals and that has been processed. It also does not get heated above certain temperatures because once food gets heated it loses all the good nutrients.

My first raw pudding is in the fridge for 30 min and I'm dying for the 30 minutes to pass so I can eat it :):)

Want to try it out?

Here is the recipe...

Raw Chocolate Pudding

2 avocados, peeled 

1 ripe banana, peeled
1/4 cup raw honey
3 tablespoons coconut oil in liquid form or filtered water
1/3 cup raw cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Combine all the ingredients in a blender until it is well mixed and then put it all into a sealed container and straight into the fridge for 30 minutes. 

After 30 minutes.... Enjoy the goodness of a healthy chocolate pudding!!!!