Almondy protein bar/dessert

This is a recipe I have slightly adapted from a blog I read recently. It definitely has a distinctive flavour but if you're wanting to cut down on refined sugar but still have a sweet craving I would recommend it - anyway you need to try things a few times before you decide you don't like it so don't give up straight away! ;)

I would recommend making it and then trying it the next day - I wasn't keen on it the day I made it but by the next day it had seemed to sweeten over night and I think it tastes like a less sweet banana cake. If it really is far too unsweetened for you maybe try adding 1tbsp of honey or 1tsp xylitol to it.

Ingredients: (obviously double/triple for a bigger batch, this will make about 8slices)
1-2 bananas
1 egg
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Pinch salt
130g almond flour
60g frozen or fresh blueberries or cranberries.

In a bowl whisk the egg and oil together. Add in the mashed banana. Then add the dry ingredients and mix together. Spread into either a cake tin or a glass dish (as pictured below) and sprinkle the berries over the top. Bake at 180C for about 25 mins or until the top is browned.

Motivation

Sitting here at my dining table eating a large ramekin full of yogurt looking at the rain pouring outside, it's hard to remember how beautifully sunny it was this morning. For the first time in what feels like a long long time the sun was out and it actually felt warm! I couldn't wait to get outside and enjoy it, so off I went for a run. So glad I did - looking outside now I definitely made the most of it.

It made me think - some days motivation to exercise is much easier to find than others. This morning the sun did all the motivating for me! But other days when the rain's pouring and I'm feeling worn out from the day it takes all the energy I've got left just to get my kit on! But I always feel so much better and more alive for it and as soon I'm back I wonder what all the fuss was about!

We all need motivating or to motivate ourselves in different ways. I've definitely learned to identify when my motivational tools are not great - running because I've had a 'fat day' or because so and so looked thinner than me today or because I've got to be better at running/training than the next person is NOT healthy for me or a good reason to workout. These motivations just highlight insecurities in me. Over time I've become quicker at recognising these things in myself and making sure I'm doing it for the right reasons - far from perfect yet though!

Enjoying being outside, fresh air, building a strong healthy body, pushing myself out of my comfort zone, being with friends, knowing how much better I feel afterwards...these are some of my motivational tools these days :) These things keep me going on days when I'm tired or my body won't do what I want it to and keep it all in perspective. Sometimes a good song (namely 'Greyhound' - Swedish House Mafia - http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hBRKSIj2tMc) gets me through a good old spin class or a sunny day lures me outdoors when I'm tired and wakes me up again.

We've all got our own ways of motivating ourselves - what are yours?

A thought...

Been thinking about how much of my identity is tied up in my fitness. I feel I am definitely still on a journey of not just being healthy in my body but having a healthy mind too in the way I think about healthy lifestyle and fitness stuff. I'm on a journey of knowing my motives for doing things too - I feel like Gods definitely helped me to be motivated in this stuff for good and healthy reasons but know deep down there are other motives that still need weeding out.
Anyone else find this?!

Carrot cake...as requested :)

This is my favourite carrot cake recipe - and it's gluten free. The cake itself is dairy free too :) here's the recipe...

Ingredients:
3 eggs
150g brown sugar
175ml olive oil
175g gluten free flour (can use regular flour)
1tsp baking powder
2tsp cinnamon
60g raisins
140g finely grated carrot

With an electric whisk, whisk the 3 eggs together. Then add in the brown sugar and olive oil and whisk again.

Add in all the dry ingredients and stir together with a wooden spoon.

Finally add in the raisins and grated carrot.

Grease either 2 round cake tins and line with greaseproof paper or one medium sized baking tray lined with greaseproof paper for a tray bake style (this is how I usually do it, it's easier to freeze half if you don't need it all at once).

Bake for 30-35minutes on 180C. The cake will spring back when you touch it if it's ready.

Frosting:
Beat 1 large tablespoon of cream cheese, adding icing sugar slowly until it is thick enough to spread. Add to the top of the cooled cake.

Snacking...

Fancy a snack and want to fuel yourself with some good stuff? How about some of these (a few based around natural yogurt 'cos I love it!)...

1. Mix Greek/Natural yogurt with a couple of teaspoons of conserve instead of a shop bought yogurt...there's so much extra sugar added to supermarket yogurts plus a load of additives. Conserve has less added sugars etc than regular jam too.

2. Make your own mix of nuts for a protein boost keeping you fuller for longer

3. For on the go - how about making up a mix of sultanas, dried cranberries, dried blueberries and dried apricots to put in your bag for later? Delicious.

4. Make yourself a quick fruit salad a drizzle some natural yogurt over the top.

5. Hummus with whichever chopped up vegetable you like for dipping :)

6. Bananas are a great energy giving snack pre or post exercise.

7. Natural yogurt with granola and fruit

8. Buy corn seeds and make some plain homemade popcorn - add a little salt for a Pre work out snack.

Gluten/dairy free and Vegan friendly delicious chocolate cake!

This recipe is for any vegans or those who can't have dairy or gluten - and it still tastes delicious! Its not the healthiest but a nice treat occasionally all the same :)

Ingredients:
180g gluten free flour (you can use normal plain flour if you don't need gluten free)
200g sugar
50g cocoa
1tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1tsp vanilla essence
70g olive oil
250ml warm water

Mix all the ingredients together, dry ones first, then add the rest. Bake at 180C for 30 minutes.

Once it is cool add the glaze:

100g sugar
3 tablespoons or margarine (soya variety or normal, depending)
2 tbsp milk or soya milk
2 tbsp cocoa
2 tsp vanilla essence

Melt the ingredients together in a pan until boiling point. When it starts to boil, turn the heat down and allow the mixture to simmer for 2 minutes. Then take off the heat and stir for another 5 minutes. Add to the top of the cooled cake. Decorate how you like!

Mixing it up...

In October last year I really felt like I needed to change my fitness regime. At the time I was running pretty much everyday with the occasional exercise class thrown in, but not very often. Although my muscles had become used to this routine my legs never really got time to recover and I think that  I'd lost some of the enjoyment of running.

Anyway, about the same time I heard about a new performance centre called 'NPC' in Loughborough and decided to go and have a look. It this amazing warehouse that for anyone who knows about crossfit looks a bit like a crossfit gym - lots of weights, frames for strength work and suspension ropes as well as bikes, boxing equipment, a rowing machine and sprint track. Not a treadmill in sight - hallelujah, I hate treadmills! The idea behind the place is a fitness centre that is accessible to all, not the meat heads that just want to lift huge weights but for people to get fit for life and be able to live life WELL. I loved the ethos of the place immediately and decided to sign up for classes.

Since then I've made it my new routine to be down there at least three times a week. I do a boxing with circuit training class, an intense spin class and a boot camp session that includes flipping huge tyres, sprints, kettle bells, boxing and more. And I LOVE it! I'm still running but not everyday and when I do, guess what...I feel SO much stronger!

Basically this is to encourage anyone who, like me, has got into a fitness rut, to MIX IT UP :) You will find different muscles get used in different sessions giving others a break and time to recover meaning your strength improves. I've really noticed it just going about day to day jobs, things are easier and tasks that used to feel quite hard work (carrying heavy things over distance for example) seem so much easier. If you don't want to spend money on a gym or fitness centre, there's no need. Crack out a few of the workouts below (or similar - there's loads on the Internet) a week to mix up you routine.

More importantly for me, it has made me realise again how much I love fitness stuff, pushing myself and making friends in the process :)

Check out NPC Loughborough: http://www.npcfit.com/