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: 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.

Review: Dang - Toasted Coconut Chips

These chips are so good. I can't find anything like it for sale here, so every time I make an iHerb order I get these.

You can eat them as is, or add them to your oats, cereal, yoghurt, salad etc.

Nutrition: 115 calories, 7g fat (7g saturated), 12g carbs (3g fibre, 8g sugar), 1g protein, 115mg

Ingredients: Coconut, Sugar, Salt

Taste: Since these are coconut chips, they obviously have a very strong coconut flavour, so anyone who doesn't like coconut will not like these. They are quite sweet, so you can taste the sugar in them, but it's not overly sweet.

Texture: They are the same texture as chips, although in this lot I did find there were a couple that were a bit hard.

Value: These cost $4.59 USD on iHerb plus whatever you pay for shipping. So to me, that is quite pricey for only 90g/3.17oz but definitely worth it. There is another brand of coconut chips on iHerb that is cheaper, but I much prefer these.

Overall: 9/10

The only complaint I have about these is the price/value of the product. But any coconut lovers must try these.

You can buy them here, remember to use my code LDJ484 for a discount on your first order.

Food Review: Ceres Organics - Peanut-Almond Butter

I am a big peanut butter fan. I recently tried Justin's Vanilla Almond butter and loved it. But since my latest iHerb order was looking pretty pricey, I decided to just get a peanut/almond mix from the supermarket.

Ceres Organics is pretty much the only brand of almond butter we have at the supermarket here. 

I had tried their version of cashews before, since cashews are my favourite nut. But I found it was really dry and impossible to spread. But then I later tried a different brand of cashew butter and didn't like it either.

I had high hopes for this one, since it's half peanut butter - and I know I like that!

For my usual peanut butter I use Sanitarium no added salt/sugar.

First of all, there is so much oil in this jar. Even when I stuck a knife in and stirred it round (as it says to on the jar) it is still ridiculously runny. Very hard to spread on crackers etc because it is just so oily. I'm not a big oil fan either, so not a good start.

Ingredients: Peanuts (65%), Almonds (35%), Sea salt (0.5%)

All ingredients are certified organics.

Nutrition: 84 calories, 3.2g protein, 7.7g fat (0.7g saturated), 2g carbs (0.8g sugar), 42mg sodium

I tried it out yesterday on a vita-wheat cracker (with cinnamon, because I'm addicted). I have to say, I'm not a fan.

Taste: I think because I'm used to no added salt that this tastes really salty to me. Even though there is only a tiny amount of sea salt and only 42mg per serve, I can really taste it. You can definitely taste both the peanut and the almonds in it. 

Texture: If you like oily nut butters then this will definitely be a good one for you. However it is far too runny and oily for me, as mentioned above. 

Overall: 4/10

The oil ruins this for me. It has an alright taste, but it won't be something I will use that often and I won't be buying another jar for $10.00 (NZD). I'm better off sticking to my usual peanut butter, and paying a bit extra for Justin's almond butter.

What's your favourite nut butter? Do you prefer more oily ones?

Recipe: Beetroot, Pineapple, Carrot, Celery, and Ginger Juice

I've been into making juices at home a bit lately, and experimenting. Today I made a beetroot, pineapple, celery, carrot, and ginger juice.

Makes 1

Ingredients: 

• 5 baby beetroot/2 medium
• 3 small carrots (1 large or 2 medium)
• 1/4 - 1/3 pineapple (depending how sweet you like it)
• 1 (long) stalk of celery
• small cube of ginger (depends on taste...I like it strong. add small amounts until happy with it)

Directions:

Juice all ingredients and pour into a glass. Add small amounts of ginger inbetween adding other ingredients.

Nutritional Info:

165 calories, 1g fat, 38g carbs (8g fibre, 26g sugar), 4g protein, 230mg sodium

Food Review: R.A.W Food Bar (Cashew)

I've seen these R.A.W food bars around a bit, but never tried one. I got one the other day from the supermarket since it was on special.

Brand: Ceres Organics

Ingredients: Cashews (50%), dates. - Pretty raw ingredients! 

Nutritional Value (per bar): 217 cal, 4.9g protein, 12.3g fat (2.1g saturated), 21.4g carbs (18g sugar), 4mg sodium

While obviously high is fat and sugar, both ingredients are natural so it's still a good option for a treat (over a regular bar anyway).

Taste: Pretty good, it is quite small (50g) for the amount of calories, but it keeps you satisfied if you're looking for something small and sweet in the afternoon! The flavour isn't anything amazing, just a slight cashew taste. So I wouldn't bother if you don't like cahews.

Price: What you expect for a health bar. Around $3.00, sometimes cheaper if it's on special.

Overall: 7/10

I would buy this again for a good raw snack, I just wish it had more flavour.

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?