You've gotta try this delicious vanilla chia seed pudding!

Full of protein, good fats, fibre and good carbs, chia seeds are a super nutritious way to start your day.
So easy and quick to make the night before, a chia seed pudding can be so versatile and you can make them into any flavour that really floats your boat.

Chia pudding will fill you up, keep you hydrated, regular and provide your system with deep nourishment.

I said you're the good kind of fat!

Okay so we all know there is no secret spell to instant weight-loss or ultimate physique improvement; there are no magic pills, no special slimming drinks, no perfect quick fix diets either.

It is all about the healthy, sustainable approach to getting your results. An equation almost, the more you put in-the more you get out. But, there are tricks and tips for speeding up those results or ways of ensuring success.

I have 2 words that may scare you when you think of losing weight and they are: FATS and CARBS and it is such a common misconception that these food groups are the enemy. They are not, in fact we need them in our diets in order to function let alone to have a healthy body and lifestyle. 

A lot of people take on the idea that removing fat from your diet ultimately removes fat from you. So instead you might make the mistake of choosing low fat alternatives to common full fat products, -and I don't want to be the one to break it to you, but more often than not these are doing you more bad than good. Low fat products tend to replace the fat content for sugar in order to keep it edible and tasty. You won't notice the difference in taste with low fat products because they are made to be pleasing (sugar sugar sugar) but you may just see the consequences on your waistline. 

So, instead focus on getting the right healthy fats that are imperative foods for maintaining healthy skin, weight-loss and all round body health. 

Healthy Fats that you can enjoy include: Fish, nuts and seeds, avocado, olives and olive oil, coconut oil and eggs.

Why are fats so good?

• Fats that are rich in Omega 3 Fatty acids are great for your brain and heart functions
• A leaner, improved body composition. 
• Supports thyroid function which helps to regulate our bodies fat
• Losing weight is easier with healthy balanced hormones-you guessed it, fats affect cholesterol which makes hormones so good fats=good hormones=good progress.
• They are filling, which means you don't need to eat as much to feel satisfied.

And remember:

Eat Clean, Train Mean, Look Lean

How I got my abs back - The 2:4:1 diet

It seems like forever ago I decided I would start the quest of searching for my abs again. And I did for a while, they come back slightly and then Christmas happened and they disappeared. Getting back into clean eating and focusing on exercising again was a struggle and getting those baby abs to come back out seemed so out of reach.

It was about 2 months ago that I decided to make a serious effort to get that body back that I was proud of and that feeling of being healthy again and its been paying off. In 2 months I've made a real change mentally, my new diet and cheat meals seems to work well with how my body responds to food and funnily enough I have stressed less about training and just focused on doing 3 gruelling sessions with a trainer a week, 15-20 minute Pilate sessions 4-5 times a week and some yoga when I need the down time. I haven't pushed myself, exhausted myself or felt guilty from having days off training and the kilos, centimetres and fat seems to be falling off quickly, something that doesn't easily happen for me.

My training sessions are focused on my whole body but I have been putting in some work around my core and abs but mainly for me the thing that helps those baby abs pop is diet.
This year I decided I was really going to focus on eating whole foods, work out how my body responds to different foods and minimise the amount of dairy and wheat I was eating and the easiest weekly meal plan was following a 2:4:1 diet.

2 DAYS OF FASTING

4 DAYS OF CLEAN EATING

1 DAY OF FREE EATING

 

THE FASTING DAYS - No this does not mean I don't eat for 2 days. These are 2 non-consecutive days where I restrict my calories. I don't calorie count so I'm guessing that I would cut it down to around 600-700 calories for the day. This just involves me eating very simple and clean meals for the day. I try to eat a minimal amount of meat and focus on eating mainly vegetables, miso soup and if I have meat it's a very small amount and very lean. I drink copious amounts of green tea on this day to help with any hunger but one fasting day always comes after my free eating day so I am generally not hungry anyway.

THE CLEAN EATING DAYS - I follow my everyday clean eating days for 4 days a week. Vegies, fruit, lean meats, healthy carbs, healthy fats which help me maintain my weight and give me energy for the days especially when I am weight training.

THE FREE EATING DAY - I probably couldn't do a full day of eating whatever I want because I would be sick, so for this day its about 70% clean eating and 30% treats. I'll enjoy chocolate, dessert, burgers, pizza - whatever I want in small amounts or for just one meal. This satisfies my cravings enough to get me through for the next week.


After 2 months of following this way of eating I have made some really great changes that I am so happy with in my body. This diet works so well for me because if I completely stick to a strictly clean and lean diet without a cheat or relaxing I become miserable and that's when I end up binging. The cheat days not only get my metabolism going, but they keep me in line to not overindulge. The fasting days are much easier for me to do so I can enjoy a treat, not feel guilty and also lose fat at the same time.
It's not only my stomach that is now showing definition but I am losing cm and toning up everywhere. I recently had a bioscan done to see where my body was sitting and I have gained 1.2kg of muscle, lost 2.3kg of fat and my body fat percentage has dropped 3.5%. I love seeing the transformation again and with just under a year to go till the wedding I am on the right track to be the hottest bride for my fiancé! 

Do you need to elimate sugar or fat to lose weight?

I recently came across an article about the effects of sugar and fat to your body and how this affects your weight loss.
When starting on a new diet regime everyone has their idea on how to lose weight; no carbs after 5, no fat, no sugar, raw until 4, run 10km a day - the list goes on. But I'd say the most popular thing we have been told is to cut out carbs (including sugar) or to go on a low fat diet.

The emotional timeline of a 14 day dieter

Dieting isn't fun. Whoever you are, we all know you would prefer to be eating that cheesy pizza followed by cookies and cream icecream topped with caramel sauce and maybe a little nutella. Don't kid yourself by saying you would way rather eat a few pieces of lettuce with cherry tomatoes.
As much as I love eating clean and I do feel a whole lot better for it there are days where I just want to order that greasy burger and chow into the fries.

Eating clean and dieting takes a lot of self control. Theres those dreaded words... SELF CONTROL. It's hard. No one says its easy and it's not going to be. Those first 2 weeks are the hardest.

DAY ONE - SUPER MOTIVATED
Ok it's Monday - 2 weeks of eating clean. I can totally do this. Lunch and snacks are packed for the day this is easy. Hello brand new me in 2 weeks time!

DAY TWO - CONFIDENT
Woo! Look at me go! A whole 24 hours of eating clean and I didn't even slip up once. I already feel great, this must be how it feels to be a model. Geez I'm good at this whole healthy lifestyle thing. GO ME!

DAY THREE - CONFUSION
Why am I so hungry? Why didn't I pack extra snacks today? Why did I do this?

 

DAY FOUR - WTF
Seriously? I've only lost 500g. Is that a joke? I haven't had any carbs or sugar in 3 days and this is what I get?

DAY FIVE - PAIN
These headaches are hurting, I feel sick. Must....fight....cravings....

DAY SIX - CRAVING
Oh what I wouldn't do for a mars bar right now. And chips. I'll sell my soul to the devil for a tub of nutella I swear.

DAY SEVEN - RATIONALISATION
Ok it's Sunday. I've been good all week. I can go out with my friends for lunch and I'll only have one drink and order the grilled chicken with salad to make it ok. Oooh is that a free side of chips?

DAY EIGHT - HANGRY
Stay the eff away from me. I am carb-deprived and I want sugar. And if my colleague dares to say again how great her cheesy pasta bake leftovers are again I will punch her in the face. Seriously.

DAY NINE - PROGRESS
I've lost weight but I'm still hungry. Is that good or bad? I don't know how I am meant to be feel. I feel emotional, yes emotional.

DAY TEN - DISGUST
I've been going so great I decided to reward myself with some carb loaded meal. 10 minutes later. Oh god why did I eat that. I feel sick. I better keep it clean for the rest of the day. No more slipping up!

DAY ELEVEN - REDEDICATION
Ok so I slipped up yesterday. It's fine. I am back with my motivation for this celery and air diet. Gym sesh after work and I'll go to pump and then step class. I've got this.
I broke up with my meal plan for a minute but we are totally back together... Is this emotional eating?

 

DAY TWELVE - ACCOMPLISHED
Yeah, I've totally got this now. I swear my pants are feeling looser. Planks… yeah, I do ‘em. So what? Sixty seconds on your forearms, using nothing but your core strength and abs to support you? Kiddie stuff.

DAY THIRTEEN - EXCITED
Whoever said dieting was hard is seriously disturbed. I don't even feel like chocolate anymore.
OH EM GEE - Is that a baby two pack coming out? I've totally got abs.

DAY FOURTEEN - PROUD
I did it. Two weeks of eating clean (almost) and this is pretty much my lifestyle now. So this is what those clean eating health and fitness fanatics are going on about, I feel Awesome, with a capital 'A'. Hold on, giving myself a pat on the back. Whoa, Are those muscles I feel?

Indulge without the bulge - Healthy weekend pancakes

In celebration of the Gold Coast Show Day tomorrow and a long weekend I wanted to post my new favourite recipe of pancakes.

Who said you can’t eat pancakes while eating healthy?

I made these last weekend and I was a little sceptical of how they would turn out but they were so delicious and my only complaint was I didn’t make enough because I wanted more!

 

It’s cheat day – excuses we make so we can cheat on healthy eating

Starting a new diet is easy.  It’s Monday morning. For the first couple of hours you feel totally confident, you become motivated by the thought of how great you will look when bikini season comes around and how toned you will be. You are definitely keeping up the diet this time. No slacking off. It’s all protein and vegies from now on.
Precisely half an hour later, you are hungry. That apple you packed for morning tea just isn’t going to cut it. You worked out this morning so you basically have a couple of hundred “free calories” in which you can use for extra eating. You starting thinking about food, scrolling through instagram people are posting photos of their lunch and you want it all. You start thinking about that time when you read an article on how cheating on your diet is actually the best thing you can do, doesn’t it boost your metabolism? And this treat will definitely get you through the rest of the diet so it’s completely fine...

Oh the dilemmas! As we all know, dieting is hard, boring and sadly it’s often pointless and it doesn’t work. We always find ways to ‘cheat’ on our diets;

Raw choc tahini/caramel slice

I am seriously obsessed with tahini. OBSESSED! I always buy the Mayvers brand because it's Australian made and organic and just so much better for you than the over processed brands.

Tahini is so great for you it's packed with powerful nutrients, essential vitamins and minerals plus 3 unique antioxidants that have been clinically proven to naturally lower the bad cholesterol which can lead to coronary heart disease. It's one of those good fats so get that stuff into you!

Quitting sugar so far & the best brownies EVER!

So I’ve been sugar free for 8 days and it’s going good so far. I’ve hardly had any sugar cravings (I must have out-sugared myself that my body didn’t even want it anymore), I haven’t even had those horrible headaches you get from weening yourself off sugar. My skin is already feeling and looking better, I’ve started to sleep a bit better too and in general just feeling so much better.
How have you been going with cutting out sugar?

The last couple of months have been terrible for me eating wise. It was my birthday month in March which meant almost every weekend I was out doing something celebrating my birthday with different people and justifying every bit of cake, ice cream, chocolate with ‘It’s my birthday, it’s fine’. Then came Easter and I can honestly say I would have eaten close to my body weight in chocolate within 4 days. It was disgusting. I felt gross, my body was changing and I desperately wanted to get back my pre-sugar binge body that I had worked extra hard on. Now that it’s May I have completely cut the sugar and to ensure I stay on track I have made a bet with my mum that if I eat sugar during this month I will pay her $500. I don’t have $500 so one tiny bit of chocolate is going to be extremely expensive and almost bankrupting. Not worth it at all, let alone the damages to my body again.

Many people ask if when I say ‘I’m not eating sugar for at least a month’ if that means I’m not eating fruit and I guess I need to clarify that I’m cutting all those nasty refined sugars out of my life, not the natural sugars our body craves.
Refined sugars are found in those processed foods like chocolate, ice cream, white breads, baked goods and generally anything processed.

I am completely obsessed with finding sugar free recipes that are healthy and taste oh so delicious so I’ve been scouring the web for some great websites and recipes that will help get me through the month and hopefully even longer!

Lately I am loving these;

www.iquitsugar.com

I even got the I Quit Sugar for Life book from one of my best friends for my birthday and there are so many great recipes in there that are easy and simple to make.

 

 

www.sugarfreemum.com.au

I’ve been following her facebook, instagram and blog for a while now and I love every recipe she brings out. There are so many great ones and I’ve used a lot of them and changed them around to suit my needs and wants.

www.spoonfulofsugarfree.com

This is a newbie I’ve found and started following on instagram. LOVE! Can’t get enough of searching through the dessert section and I’m aiming to make them all!

 

Ok so now for the best bit. The most delicious chocolate brownies that are completely sugar, grain and dairy free but taste better than the naughty version and its completely guilt free!

Ingredients

¾ cup coconut flour¾ cup cocoa powder¾ cup melted coconut oil3 eggs1 cup rice malt syrup3 tsp vanilla extract

 

Preheat oven to 150*C

Mix together all ingredients till a batter is formed

Pour into a greased baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes

I topped mine with a thick frosting of melted coconut oil, cocoa and rice malt syrup.

Chill in the fridge till firm

The brownies will keep for a few days in the fridge (if they last that long and you haven’t eaten them all!)

 

Binging, my new resolution with breaking up with sugar and the tasty quinoa granola recipe

Easter has come and gone. My sugar high came and hasn’t left. I practically ate my body weight in chocolate over the weekend, not to mention the burgers, hot chips, cake and frozen yoghurt I also ate. It was a complete binge of a weekend and I was left feeling disgusting, bloated, couldn’t sleep properly and I don’t even want to look at bad food right now.

I was recovering from an operation and not exercising, craving something delicious and let’s face it caramello chocolate is so much more comforting that broccoli.

It’s almost like this time of year comfort eating is higher in demand and the vicious cycle is harder to kick. (Stay tuned for my next blog post on comfort eating)
It’s crazy what sugar does your body that I even re-read my earlier blog post on breaking up with sugar to make sure I instil in my brain how sugar is the enemy right now.  So from today Wednesday 23rd April I am breaking up with sugar again. It’s not the easiest thing in the world to do and especially after going on such a crazy sugar binge, unfortunately going cold turkey on sugar isn’t the perfect answer to quitting sugar – the more you eat the more you want – so I’ve started from today to begin cutting it out so that by the time May 1 rolls around I am ready to kick the habit once again.

Have your cake and eat it too - paleo apple, coconut and cinnamon muffins

Everyone who knows me knows I have such a sweet tooth. I love chocolate and cakes and for me cutting those out to lead a healthier lifestyle has been a struggle. But seriously just because you're eating healthy doesn't mean you can't have a treat. And when I say treat I mean a healthy treat. It keeps me on track to stop me having such a blowout binge and I can indulge in my favourite foods without putting on the kilos!

I love looking at recipes of my favourite indulgences and changing the recipe around, swapping the bad for the good and realising what's going to work for me so I can enjoy a treat without the big guilt. It's all about making smart decisions to satisfy the sweet tooth.

I came across a recipe for apple, coconut and cinnamon muffins. Changing it around and after a few practice batches have managed to perfect my new favourite muffin.

Fat traps when eating out

One of the hardest things we all struggle to do when trying to be super healthy is going out to dinner and making good food choices. We end up thinking we have made a really healthy choice but in fact we haven’t. Restaurants delight us with their menus with descriptive words so we visualize how amazing this meal is going to be, but do you really know what the words on the menu mean?

Break(the)fast - my obsession with quinoa porridge

I recently went to try out The Outcider cafe in Kirra. The raw and wholefoods cafe is a pretty great one. I couldn’t go past the quinoa porridge and it didn’t disappoint the tastebuds that’s for sure. I loved it that much that I decided I needed to make my own. It was so simple, easy to make and amazing that I couldn’t stop talking about it to everyone. I am now obsessed.

Serves 1

½ cup rinsed quinoa
1 cup coconut water
155g coconut cream
¼ cup shredded coconut
1 apple, thinly chopped
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla essence


Combine quinoa with the coconut water in a pot and bring to the boil.
Reduce the heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes until quinoa is soft
Add coconut cream, shredded coconut, apple, cinnamon and vanilla essence
Cook for a further 15 minutes until creamy and thick

Serving suggestion – top with mixed berries and coconut or any other fruit you love!!

Why I love eating clean and my new obsession with Luke & Scott

You know when the whole ‘Ashy Bines’ thing started and it bought clean eating to a very public eye and everyone was all of sudden giving it a go? Well I tried too. Sort of failed and then I was sick of seeing Ashy’s face and name plastered everywhere so I decided that clean eating was just this fad thing and it was completely restrictive, like I had to live off celery and carrot sticks.

I was pretty wrong and it took me a while to get back into it and now it’s one of the easiest things I do in my life.

Detoxing without realising you're detoxing

Its been the season of food babies. We have had Christmas, New Years and Australia Day. There's been excessive food eaten, copious amounts of alcohol and a drop in exercise. It probably all got put in the too hard basket because 'It's holidays' and you could deal with it later.

All I have heard lately is how everyone is feeling disgusting from the blow outs and they can't wait to start losing the excess weight they gained but it's all a little overwhelming.

I started a detox about a week and a half ago. It's not an insane one, It's through a nutritionist and really its basically just very clean eating and it's most definitely working.

When I tell people I'm on a detox they look at me like I'm a complete idiot. I'm not living on a celery stick and water people!! I did it for my health, not to be some rake thin starved girl. I've been taunted by photos of a delicious plate of bacon, eggs and pancakes. Donuts placed in front of my face with excessive noise about how great they taste. Stories of the best combination of cold rock. (Just these instances have all been purely from my boyfriend by the way!) But to be honest the detox hasn't been too hard.

Breaking up with sugar

Here's a challenge.
Go sugar free for 30 days. I'm not kidding.
A break up from sugar, a 'it's not me, it's you' ending, a 'maybe we can still be friends at some point but we will probably ignore each other' break up.

Fructose, glucose, pretty much anything ending in 'ose', corn syrup, molasses is sugar. Manufacturers are actually breaking it down into these words to make it look a little less scary but it doesn't change what it is. Sugar has absolutely no beneficial qualities at all. It's basically just pure energy. It's toxic to our bodies and with no nutritional benefits it goes no where in our body except being stored as fat. It's found in so much food these days it's almost ridiculous. Simple white carbs like pasta and bread, junk food like chocolate, ice cream, lollies, muffins, cakes - It's all loaded with the stuff!

On average Australian's consume about 20 teaspoons of sugar per day. PER DAY!! This is the number one reason more than a million aussies have type 2 diabetes. This is actually shocking to me and frankly its disgusting.

The big fat truth about 'low fat' foods

We see the products every day. The ones that say low fat, fat free, reduced fat, no added sugar. It’s basically just a marketing ploy used by companies to make you think it’s the better option. I mean if you quickly glance at the calories they specifically show there is less than the original one next to it, so why are these foods actually worse for us? 

When you see the words low fat or light you can much pretty much translate that to chemical loaded piece of crap. Seriously. Think about it...

Companies try to make a ‘low fat’ version of the original to appeal to the calorie conscience consumer trying the new fad diet. Sure they might reduce the fat in it so there’s less calories but that generally means they have added a heap of sugar, salt and other artificial sweeteners to make it taste less like a piece of cardboard and more like the flavoursome original. Manufacturers aren’t stupid, they want you to buy their product on the pretence that it is exceptionally good for you without compromising on taste. But too much of the bad stuff is actually damaging to your body and instead of losing weight you will essentially start gaining weight from all the unnatural chemicals in your body.