Fitness and Food: August 2014

The beginning of the month is always a good time to make goals, and a new plan for the month ahead.

Fitness

This month I am going to make a 3-day plan. I usually have a 4-day plan but lately have been finding it hard to fit it all in. So this month I am going to try 3 days, and if I fit in an extra day or two, it's just a bonus.

A. Chest/Back
1. Dumbbell Chest Press
2. Barbell Rows
3. Dumbbell Incline Flyes
4. Lat Pulldown
5. Floor Chest Press, one arm at a time
6. Deadlifts

B. Legs
1. Leg Press
2. Hamstring Curls
3. Dumbbell Lunges
4. Calf Press
5. Goblet Squats
6. Leg Extenstion

C. Full Body (Circuit Style)
1. Dumbbell Shoulder Press
2. Russian Twists
3. Jumping Lunges
4. Push Ups

1. Kettle Bell Swings
2. Reverse Crunches
3. Bicep Curls
4. Jumping Squats

Incline Treadmill Walking

I also plan to walk to work when I can, now the weather is slightly better and there is only one more month until Spring!

Food
I have quite a few social things on this month, but I still need to try and eat well and be healthy. I find it pretty easy to get back into bad habits, so I really need to make some healthy habits.

One of my biggest things I need to focus on, is not buying snacks from the supermarket. Pick n mix lollies and corn chips are my biggest downfalls. So my plan to stop that, is if I want a treat, I need to go out somewhere and have a single serving. I.e cake at a cafe, frozen yoghurt at soyo, etc.

I have a couple of dinners planned with friends, my anniversary with my boyfriend, and an awards night with work. Cheat meals are always acceptable in my plans, so I will be able to work them in no problem. A balance of life, and healthy living is so important. My biggest focus will be on snacks.

Now it's getting closer to warmer weather, I'm hoping I will have more motivation and stick to my goals!

Review: Artisana Coconut Butter

In my most recent iherb order (which is quite a while ago...I am in need for another!) I decided to try coconut butter. I never really liked coconut oil, so thought I might like this better. I love coconut.

To be honest, it's not a whole lot different to coconut oil. It does have more of a coconut taste, but the texture is only slightly softer.

It is often used as an oil replacement when cooking, and supposedly this butter version is better for spread. It can also be added to smoothies, energy bars and more.

My favourite way is to spread it onto crackers or toast and sprinkle cinnamon over top.

This raw, organic food is made only from whole coconut flesh. 

A serving size is 2 Tbsp (32g):

Nutrition: 186 calories, 18g fat (16g saturated), 7g carbs, 5g fibre, 1.9g sugar, 2g protein, 10mg sodium.

Obviously high in fat, it is low sugar and has a good amount of fibre.

Taste: A mild coconut taste. You can taste it a lot more than coconut oil, so I prefer it.

Texture: I wouldn't really describe it as "butter" it's more of a softer version of the oil. You can always warm it up to make it smoother. It melts in your mouth, which is nice.

Value: Pretty expensive, but it is raw and organic. I bought it for $11.05 USD on iherb for 454g (16 oz)

Overall: 6/10

It's just okay. For those looking for an alternative to butter and oil, it will be great for those who love coconut and want that subtle taste added to their food. It's good to have in the cupboard, and I prefer this over coconut oil. But I don't think I will be using it too often.

Want to try it out for yourself? You can get your own here, and use my code LDJ484 to get 5-10% off your first iHerb order.

Review: Bean Supreme - Vegetarian Sausages:

After deciding recently to incorporate more vegetarian meals into my diet I bought vegetarian sausages. The Bean Supreme brand (NZ) has three different flavours of vege sausages. I tried out Sundried Tomato and Kalamata Olive.

These (as the company name suggests) are made out of beans - soy beans. The ingredients list for this product isn't too long, and most of the ingredients are ones you would have in your pantry.

A serving size is two sausages, there are 6 in a pack.


Nutrition: 194 calories, 8.5g fat (4.8g saturated), 13.1g carbs, 4.3g sugar, 16.3g protein, 688mg sodium.

Pretty good calories with high protein, and better fat than regular sausages. The sodium is quite high but that's expected.

Taste: These look like real sausages. I just put them in the oven until browned. I first tried them chopped up into a bowl with rice and veggies. I like the taste of the sausages, but for me, this flavour is far too overpowering. A plain flavour would have been much better.

Texture: Like I said above, the texture of these is really good. This flavour has chopped sundried tomato throughout.

Value: These are about $7.00 NZD on special at the supermarket. Probably what you expect for a product like this, and with 2 to a serving you get three meals out of it, which isn't so bad.

Overall: 6/10

I really like the texture of these, but I just didn't enjoy this flavour. It was far too strong and overpowering and ruined it for me. I like sundried tomatoes and olives, but it was just too much. I have since tried the Rosemary and Sage ones and they are better. I'll definitely be buying the other flavours.

Review: Sambazon Organic Freeze-Dried Acai Powder

In one of my recent iHerb orders, I finally decided to try out Acai powder. It's a pretty popular superfood, but I wasn't really what sure what to do with it. It's a purple berry that grows in the Amazon forest and is used in smoothies, yoghurt, and other drinks.

The brand I got is Sambazon, it was $18.49 for 90g, which serves 30. 

Acai (pronounced A-sigh-ee) provides powerful antioxidants and helps boost your immune system.

So far I have added it to my smoothies and greek yoghurt.

It's purple in colour, and to be kept in the fridge after opening. It comes with a little scoop, which is so cute, and handy.



Nutrition: 20 calories, 1.5g fat (Omega 6 and 9), 1g carbs, and plenty of vitamins and minerals.

Taste: It's not a sweet powder, so you would want to add some sweetener too if you have a

sweet tooth. It just tastes like what it is - dried berry. It's a little bit dull, so I think it really depends what you mix it with.

Texture: It does have a bit of a powdery texture, but mixes in well with yoghurts and drinks.

Value: While quite pricey for a reasonably small tub, I think it will last me quite a while. A little goes quite a long way.

Overall: 6.5/10

I don't know if I would purchase this again, as the taste isn't really my thing, but if it really does boost your immune system

If you want to purchase Acai berry you can purchase from here, and get a 5-10% discount off your first iHerb order by using my discount code LDJ484.

Recipe: Protein Packed French Toast

I've actually only ever had real french toast once. But on occasion I make my own protein french toast. It's an easy, quick breakfast that makes a nice change every once and a while.

You can top it with a variety of toppings and use another flavoured protein for a different flavour.

In the image below I topped it with blueberries, maple syrup, and a mixture of greek yoghurt, peanut flour, and stevia.

Makes 1 serving

Calories/Macros per piece: (no syrup/topping)

320 calories

9g fat (2g sat)

30g carbs (7g fibre, 3g sugar)
26g protein

480mg sodium

(These values may change slightly depending on what brands you use)

Ingredients:

• 2 slices of toast, uncooked
• 15g (1/2 scoop) protein powder (I used vanilla whey)
• 1 egg 
• Dash of cinnamon
• Toppings and fruit of your choice

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius (350 farenheit)
• Mix together protein powder, egg, and cinnamon in a wide bowl.
• Lay first piece of toast in the mixture and coat both sides, repeat with second slice.
• Place slices onto a lined baking tray and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes until they are slightly crispy and toast it cooked.
• Drizzle over your toppings and fruit.

Notes:

You may want to add stevia to the mixture if you prefer it sweeter. 
If you don't like eating the egg yolk, you could use two egg whites instead.

Enjoy! 

Recipe: Peanut Butter Protein Fudge

Instead of easter eggs this year, I'm going to be making my own fudge. I made it a few months back, and it was so good. The only problem - trying not to eat it all at once!

Makes 10 pieces

Calories/Macros per piece:

45 calories

3.4g fat (2g sat)

1.8g carbs (.4g fibre, 1.4g sugar) 2.3g protein

4.1mg sodium

(These values may change slightly depending on what brands you use)

Ingredients:

• 20g (2.5T) coconut oil, melted
• 15g (1T) liquid honey
• 20g (3T) whey (I used vanilla, because I don't like chocolate whey - but that would be good)
• 10g (1.5T) cocoa (or cacao) powder
• 20g (2T) peanut butter (or any nut butter, I used crunchy PB which means there are little chunks of peanut throughout)
• 10ml / splash milk or water of your choice
• Stevia to sweeten if needed

Instructions:

• Mix all ingredients together, until well combined. Add the milk/water until a good consistency.
• Roll out on a large piece of glad wrap.
• Fold the glad wrap over so it is covered and press down to smooth it out. 
• Put in the freezer until frozen (not sure how long it would take, I put mine in overnight).
• Cut into 10 pieces and store in the freezer.

Notes:

Because of the coconut oil it will melt fairly quickly when in room temperature, so make sure to keep it in the freezer. 

Enjoy! 

What is your favourite "healthier" easter treat?