Tuesday Treats- Raw Chocolate Almond Tart

Hey Guys! 

I have decided to try and blog more regularly as I feel I have abandoned it a little recently due to so many other commitments, so here is my first Tuesday Treats post. It is my healthier alternatives of my favourite desserts and treats.

This week I tried the Jessica Sepel Raw Almond Chocolate Tart - you can find the original recipe here. I absolutely LOVE her recipes and she is such an inspirational person so definitely check her out!

I decided however to ever so slightly tweak the recipe so here is how I made it with the tiny changes: 

For the Base:

1/2 Cup Almonds

1/4 Cup Pecans

1/4 Cup Coconut Oil

1/8 Cup Raw Honey

6 Mejool Dates Pitted.

-First of all soak the almonds and pecans for around 4-6 hours before making the nut base.

-Then mix all of the ingredients in a blender until they make a dough like mixture.

-Line a circular baking dish with the nut mixture and leave to set in the fridge.

For the Chocolate Topping:

1/4 Cup Raw Honey

1/2 Cup Raw Cacao

1/4 Cup Coconut Oil

-Melt down the coconut oil then mix with the raw cacao and honey.

-You may want to play and adjust the amounts of ingredients to get it to a perfect thick chocolatey mixture.

-Take the nut base out of the fridge and pour the chocolate on top, put back in the fridge and let it set.

Serve and enjoy :)

I absolutely love this tart, it is so yummy and the perfect decadent treat but with so many benefits from the nuts, dates, raw cacao and coconut oil!

Let me know if you try it!

Feeling Burnt Out?

Are you feeling burnt out? Following a low fat/low carb, high protein "healthy" diet? Putting in hours at the gym lifting weights and running long distances but not feeling that healthy or a lasting sense of wellness? You are probably burning yourself out, we don't need to do hours of cardio a day to be fit and healthy in fact if you do too much you will just be wearing down your body and its complex systems, making sure you move your body for 30 minutes a day in a variety of different ways makes sure you don't overdo it and keeps it interesting, anything from Pilates and yoga to interval training, jogging or even brisk walking. Unless you want to achieve a muscular or athletic body I beg you to stop paying attention to the pressure that says you need to be in the gym for at least an hour a day, it probably isn't healthy for you and you will end up burning out your immune system resulting in injuries and illnesses and diseases. Don't even get me started on diet, don't believe the clever marketing tactics of low fat low sugar packaging on food in the supermarket just because it says low fat it doesn't make it good for your body, have you ever asked yourself how they've magically got rid of the fat? Most of the time they have just added sugar- which I think we all know is not healthy or good for you. The healthiest diet is surely to eat food as unprocessed as possible that is closest to it's natural form. Stop counting calories from packets instead work out the level of vitamins you need for optimal health (I'm not talking RDAs here) and I promise you will start feeling healthier. Forget your six pack show me what you can do with your life, since when has optimal health suddenly become about a muscular lean body and less about how your body is functioning and your mental wellbeing. Is someone with 6% body fat spending hours a day trying to achieve the perfect muscular physique in a gym really "healthier" than someone with balance and variety in their active ness and life who may not have the "perfect" body as portrayed by the media but is happy and their body is functioning as it should be?What are your opinions?

Healthy Pancakes

Hello all you lovely people,

More experimenting in the kitchen this week has lead to these beauties.

So many people believe that eating a healthy and clean diet means boring and complicated recipes but they couldn't be more wrong, I made these pancakes with 5 ingredients and they took around 10 minutes, so they couldn't be simpler!

I couldn't recommend these more to anyone who wants a little treat while still eating well!

Ingredients:

1 mashed banana

1 egg

1/2 cup oats,

Coconut Oil

Berries of your choice.

Method:

-Heat some coconut oil in a frying pan

-Mix the banana, egg and oats in a bowl.

-Pour the mixture into the frying pan and fry on each side for a few minutes.

-Serve up with berries of your choice and raw honey if you want to sweeten.

Let me know if you try these out and if you love them as much as I do. They taste amazing with blueberries in too!

Have a great healthy weekend.

My Healthy Morning Routine

 Hello friends, 

I wanted to share with you my morning routine, granted this doesn't always happen every morning because other things can get in the way, but I am a firm believer that having a routine in the morning can keep you energised and refreshed. So here is my routine I try to stick to as often as I can.

I wake up between 6-6:30am and start with a few deep breaths and a few positive mantras for the day.

I then head to the kitchen and make myself a hot water and lemon to drink to cleanse my digestive system before eating I am sure you have heard this over and over again but it is one of the best things to do in the morning as it also kick starts your metabolism for the day. 

This is followed by 30ml of noni juice diluted in water. Noni juice is a drink high in superfoods that can boost your immune system, but make sure you don't drink more than 30-40ml a day!

On the days I have to head off to work I then dry body brush starting at my feet and working my way up to my heart- this is so great for draining the lymphatic system and it also helps shift any cellulite, doing this 3 times a week is extremely beneficial for the body. Body brushes are inexpensive and should definitely be a beauty staple as they give you glowing skin as well as all the health benefits!

I then jump into the shower to wake myself up, followed by a lovely homemade breakfast- this is normally overnight oats or an oaty fruity, granola mix in a mason jar that I can eat on the train and will keep me going throughout the morning. 

For days that I am not in work I sit in bed and catch up on emails or read, while eating a nice nutritious breakfast. It is such a lovely time to get immersed in a new book, in winter and the colder months I LOVE porridge with nuts and fruit or homemade granola with warm almond milk. But anything with fresh and organic ingredients is fine by me :)

An hour after having breakfast (to make sure my food is digested), I like to go for a run down the canal. There is something so peaceful about running near the water with all the greenery around the city....it's like a little haven out of bustling city life.

When I get home I light some candles and practise yoga  for an hour to stretch out my muscles, challenge myself with some arm balances and inversions and centre my breath and my thoughts for the day.

Then of course it is dry body brushing before a bath or a shower to energise my body for the rest of my day.

I think it is so important to establish a routine in life to centre your mind and body.

Do any of you have a morning routine? Do you find you are more energised when you have one?