Alright, so I've never really believed that calorie counting is a very positive thing because in the past when I've become too obsessed with counting calories it has driven me mad! Food becomes numbers, and the numbers become the enemy. However, last week I had a few MAJOR evening binges so I decided to see how bad it really was, and to compare them to a 'normal' eating day. Now normally I've been eating 5 times a day, oatmeal and banana for breakfast, some fruit and carrot for a snack, sweet potato and some other veggies for lunch, fruit and cottage cheese for a snack, and some whole wheat pasta or quinoa with fish or chicken for dinner. I used to snack on almonds as well, but money is a little tight right now so I've been trying to keep my food as cheap as possible.
Anyways I made an account on MyFitnessPal, and I logged in my calories and exercise on a "crazy munchie day" (3 scones and 3 snickers bars!) which put me at about 3000 calories! But since I'm doing the #MayMuscles blogilates calendar, and going to the gym (I won a 1 month free membership!) I also worked out about 2.5 hours that day. Now logging in the workouts I do isn't quite accurate because I'm not always sure what to categorize them as, but according to my fitness pal I burned around 800 calories, making my daily total around 2200. Which isn't so bad! (especially for someone who isn't on a weight loss mission)
In comparisson, on Saturday I ate 'super healthy' in my mind, sticking to my normal food routine and did my blogilates and attended 2 classes at the gym (again about 2.5 hours working out). My food intake calories ended up being around 1000, and my burned calories about 900.. making my daily total around 100!?
Well firstly this calculator may not be totally accurate. Not all the foods I eat are perfectly listed so I just have to find what is closest, and same goes for the workouts but even if I add a margin of error it's still crazy! No wonder I was able to workout so hard last week while having my crazy evening munchies, because my body was desperately in need of that extra energy!
So my point is, calorie counting isn't always bad because you might realize (like I did) that your perception of what you are eating vs burning is completely off. Now I'm not saying I'm going to have chocolate, scones or half of an apple pie every day (yes, I baked a pie and ate half of it in one sitting...it was awesome) BUT I am definitely going to eat more!
So don't get obsessed with the numbers, but maybe log in one normal day
just to get an idea of where you are and see if any adjustments should
be made. And remember, calories are not by any means the only part of the food to focus on, "not all calories are created equal!" (there's a great article about the negative sides of counting calories)
Showing posts with label Healthy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Healthy. Show all posts
Monday, 20 May 2013
Tuesday, 9 April 2013
Feeling like a Failure
So recently I've been posting a little bit about working out. I am by no means a fitness buff, but for the past month and a week I have been working out 6 times a week following the Blogilates calendars.
I usually don't like to share my fitness goals or the fact that I'm working out, because I'm always afraid that once I fail or stop, everyone will know that too. But because blogilates is such a community driven workout regime, I have been tweeting about my workouts and have learned to be a little bit more open about it without the fear of being judged for failing.
Well anyways, today I wanted to share some of the negative feelings I've been having:
When I first started doing the blogilates videos, man was it hard! I couldn't make it through most of the repetitions and took a lot of breaks. With that said, I would always push through and would always feel great about myself afterwards, even if I had to take a few breaks or couldn't do all the moves. This morning I noticed a slight change in myself, and it was that I really didn't feel like working out. I didn't quite know why but decided to watch some Vlog's from BlogilatesTV to try and get motivated. The video that finally got me to feel like I wanted to workout was this one. For the first half Cassey talks about her Bikini competiton, but in the second half she shares some great motivational tips for when you're feeling like you might succumb to a weakness. This had me ready to go.
Even though I felt motivated to start, about two videos into the workout I started to feel frustrated by everything. The fact that she was using a chair in one of the videos (we have no sturdy chairs in our apartment) the fact that my workout space is so tiny that my legs were always hitting the walls, the fact that I couldn't do the harder modifications of some of the moves... basically I was just feeling so defeated. I did end up doing all the videos (making my own modifications for the chair vid.) but I was taking a lot more breaks than usual and just overal having a shitty attitude.
Of course afterwards I did still get my surge of endorphins (yay!), and I think this is when I was really able to think clearly and analyze why I was having such a hard time.
This actually all started from last Monday's workout when I had an amazing day and did every single repetiton in all the videos without any breaks. I was so elated and thought to myself 'yes! I've improved so much from the beginning!' The next few days of the week I was still doing a great job, but I wasn't always getting all the reps, this is when the negative thinking began.
I wasn't aware of it at the time, but I was starting to let myself feel like a failure. After that amazing Monday workout I expected that all my workouts would be the same. I thought I would be able to do every rep in every video because of how much I had improved. Any missed rep felt like a failure and a step backwards.
But this is not the case! Just because I still can't do every rep in every video, doesn't mean that I haven't improved. I really had to remind myself of just how many reps I was missing in the beginning and how much I was huffing and puffing. As long as I'm still pushing myself, I'm improving. I also had to realize that I'm working out every day, and since most pilates moves target a number of muscles in each move, its no wonder that sometimes I can't hold a plank position during a glute workout, if I was doing tons of arm moves the previous day. My Monday workout was probably so great because yes, I have improved but also because it was on the day after the rest day. All my muscles were rested and nothing was sore to begin with.
So basically what I'm saying (in this much longer than intended post) is that you shouldn't be too hard on yourself. Always push yourself, but don't beat yourself up if you don't feel like you're doing as well as you should be doing. As long as you're pushing yourself, you're doing your best!
Whew, I feel like such a weight has been lifted. I think I was on the brink of quitting, so I'm so thankful that working out actually allowed me to clear my mind and zero in on what was holding me back. :)
Hopefully this post will be useful to someone, and doesn't sound too cheesy! (I hate being cheesy) I usually don't write posts like this but I felt like I should share, and also get it in writing for myself if I ever feel like this again. :)
<3
I usually don't like to share my fitness goals or the fact that I'm working out, because I'm always afraid that once I fail or stop, everyone will know that too. But because blogilates is such a community driven workout regime, I have been tweeting about my workouts and have learned to be a little bit more open about it without the fear of being judged for failing.
Well anyways, today I wanted to share some of the negative feelings I've been having:
When I first started doing the blogilates videos, man was it hard! I couldn't make it through most of the repetitions and took a lot of breaks. With that said, I would always push through and would always feel great about myself afterwards, even if I had to take a few breaks or couldn't do all the moves. This morning I noticed a slight change in myself, and it was that I really didn't feel like working out. I didn't quite know why but decided to watch some Vlog's from BlogilatesTV to try and get motivated. The video that finally got me to feel like I wanted to workout was this one. For the first half Cassey talks about her Bikini competiton, but in the second half she shares some great motivational tips for when you're feeling like you might succumb to a weakness. This had me ready to go.
Even though I felt motivated to start, about two videos into the workout I started to feel frustrated by everything. The fact that she was using a chair in one of the videos (we have no sturdy chairs in our apartment) the fact that my workout space is so tiny that my legs were always hitting the walls, the fact that I couldn't do the harder modifications of some of the moves... basically I was just feeling so defeated. I did end up doing all the videos (making my own modifications for the chair vid.) but I was taking a lot more breaks than usual and just overal having a shitty attitude.
Of course afterwards I did still get my surge of endorphins (yay!), and I think this is when I was really able to think clearly and analyze why I was having such a hard time.
This actually all started from last Monday's workout when I had an amazing day and did every single repetiton in all the videos without any breaks. I was so elated and thought to myself 'yes! I've improved so much from the beginning!' The next few days of the week I was still doing a great job, but I wasn't always getting all the reps, this is when the negative thinking began.
I wasn't aware of it at the time, but I was starting to let myself feel like a failure. After that amazing Monday workout I expected that all my workouts would be the same. I thought I would be able to do every rep in every video because of how much I had improved. Any missed rep felt like a failure and a step backwards.
But this is not the case! Just because I still can't do every rep in every video, doesn't mean that I haven't improved. I really had to remind myself of just how many reps I was missing in the beginning and how much I was huffing and puffing. As long as I'm still pushing myself, I'm improving. I also had to realize that I'm working out every day, and since most pilates moves target a number of muscles in each move, its no wonder that sometimes I can't hold a plank position during a glute workout, if I was doing tons of arm moves the previous day. My Monday workout was probably so great because yes, I have improved but also because it was on the day after the rest day. All my muscles were rested and nothing was sore to begin with.
So basically what I'm saying (in this much longer than intended post) is that you shouldn't be too hard on yourself. Always push yourself, but don't beat yourself up if you don't feel like you're doing as well as you should be doing. As long as you're pushing yourself, you're doing your best!
Whew, I feel like such a weight has been lifted. I think I was on the brink of quitting, so I'm so thankful that working out actually allowed me to clear my mind and zero in on what was holding me back. :)
Hopefully this post will be useful to someone, and doesn't sound too cheesy! (I hate being cheesy) I usually don't write posts like this but I felt like I should share, and also get it in writing for myself if I ever feel like this again. :)
<3
Saturday, 30 March 2013
"#MarchMakeover" Done!
I cannot believe how quickly March has flown by! At the beginning of the month I expected it would be a slow one, mainly because I was challenging myself to take part in the blogilates #MarchMakeover calendar. But on the contrary, I think this new workout plan made the days pass by so quickly because I was always looking forward to the next day and next workout.
Okei so I promised an official 'review' of the workout, but I guess its already pretty obvious that I loved it! I've always been pretty mindful of my overall weight, and of working on my abs, but this workout plan has made me feel so balanced. Everyday consists of a little bit of cardio, and then focused exercises on either the lower body, upper body or core. I never really cared for working out my arms, or back, and even though it hurts, it feels so good at the end of the day. I feel like my posture and just overall mobility and energy has improved so much. I've also been adding in some of the blogilates stretching videos at the end of every workout and so my flexibility has also been improving. It really has been a total body makeover, inside and out!
I 100% recommend this to anyone who wants a nice workout that they can do at home. It is so challenging yet rewarding, and if anything is ever too easy, you can just repeat the video!
The Blogilates website is also great for general health tips and motivation. I have to admit I've become a little bit obsessed with the site, landing it a prime spot on my bookmarks toolbar! Cassey (the creator) has such an infectious personality and oozes positivity that just makes you want to work harder and strive for better.
Ok! Enough gushing, go give her videos a try, you wont regret it!
 |
| The big X is on a day that I missed for the flu :( |
I 100% recommend this to anyone who wants a nice workout that they can do at home. It is so challenging yet rewarding, and if anything is ever too easy, you can just repeat the video!
The Blogilates website is also great for general health tips and motivation. I have to admit I've become a little bit obsessed with the site, landing it a prime spot on my bookmarks toolbar! Cassey (the creator) has such an infectious personality and oozes positivity that just makes you want to work harder and strive for better.
Ok! Enough gushing, go give her videos a try, you wont regret it!
 |
| My new pink Pilates mat was definitely not a waste of money :) |
Saturday, 23 March 2013
This is not ice-cream and cookie dough
Happy Friday Saturday Everyone! (oops, didn't get this posted yesterday!)
So the day before yesterday was apparently the official beginning of Spring, and despite the freezing temperatures, it feels amazing that the days are getting longer!
One thing I love about Spring, especially now that I live in a country where you can really see a change, is how it pushes you back into gear. People start working out more, they embark on the oh-so-dreaded-but-amazing-once-it's-done spring cleaning, and in general seem to do (and smile!) a lot more. Sitting inside our apartment with the sun blazing in does lift my spirits, and when I'm in a good mood I'm so much more productive, and when I'm more productive I get into a better mood, such a perfect cycle! I truly believe productivity is one of the best mood lifters there is.
If I'm ever feeling really lazy and/or procrastinating on something I need to get done, I usually start by 'warming up' my productivity with a small task like doing the dishes, baking or organizing some small part of the apartment. Afterwards I get this little endorphin kick or something that makes me want to do more and get more stuff off of my plate. It's kind of like life or chores are a workout, you should always get warmed up! (unless of course you are one of those super humans who just does stuff... I so envy you people.)
So with that random little life tip, here's a little something I createdtoday yesterday in order to jump start my productivity for the day!
The Faux Cookie-dough Ice Cream!
Step 1: The "cookie-dough"
1.5dl Cashews
0.8dl Oats
3 tbsp Agave syrup (or any syrup/honey, that's just what I had)
1 tsp vanilla extract
chocolate chips (or any flavoring you prefer)
First just blend up the oats and cashews until they become a powder, and then add in the syrup and vanilla extract and stir until combined. Then add in your toppings (I used milk and dark chocolate chips). Using your hands, roll the dough into tiny balls (you can make some bigger, not all of these will be used for the ice-cream!)
Step 2: The "ice-cream"
1 banana
Easy-peasy, just take a banana, chop it up and freeze. After freezing blend until smooth.
Step 3:
Combine the small cookie-dough balls and the ice cream, and voila! Delicious chocolate chip cookie-dough ice cream!
You can find the original recipes I used here: cookie dough and banana ice-cream
<3
So the day before yesterday was apparently the official beginning of Spring, and despite the freezing temperatures, it feels amazing that the days are getting longer!
One thing I love about Spring, especially now that I live in a country where you can really see a change, is how it pushes you back into gear. People start working out more, they embark on the oh-so-dreaded-but-amazing-once-it's-done spring cleaning, and in general seem to do (and smile!) a lot more. Sitting inside our apartment with the sun blazing in does lift my spirits, and when I'm in a good mood I'm so much more productive, and when I'm more productive I get into a better mood, such a perfect cycle! I truly believe productivity is one of the best mood lifters there is.
If I'm ever feeling really lazy and/or procrastinating on something I need to get done, I usually start by 'warming up' my productivity with a small task like doing the dishes, baking or organizing some small part of the apartment. Afterwards I get this little endorphin kick or something that makes me want to do more and get more stuff off of my plate. It's kind of like life or chores are a workout, you should always get warmed up! (unless of course you are one of those super humans who just does stuff... I so envy you people.)
So with that random little life tip, here's a little something I created
The Faux Cookie-dough Ice Cream!
Step 1: The "cookie-dough"
1.5dl Cashews
0.8dl Oats
3 tbsp Agave syrup (or any syrup/honey, that's just what I had)
1 tsp vanilla extract
chocolate chips (or any flavoring you prefer)
First just blend up the oats and cashews until they become a powder, and then add in the syrup and vanilla extract and stir until combined. Then add in your toppings (I used milk and dark chocolate chips). Using your hands, roll the dough into tiny balls (you can make some bigger, not all of these will be used for the ice-cream!)
Step 2: The "ice-cream"
1 banana
Easy-peasy, just take a banana, chop it up and freeze. After freezing blend until smooth.
Step 3:
Combine the small cookie-dough balls and the ice cream, and voila! Delicious chocolate chip cookie-dough ice cream!
You can find the original recipes I used here: cookie dough and banana ice-cream
<3
Thursday, 21 March 2013
Blender Addiction
My new blender is seriously one of the best gifts I received this year. Not just because it allows me to create lots of yum, but also because it has totally increased my fruit intake! And now that I've discovered the magic of green smoothies, I can sneak some veggies in too.
I basically make a smoothie every single day so it probably wouldn't be too interesting for me to post one here everyday (since usually they consist of very similar ingredients), but last week I bought a fresh pineapple for the first time in my life (I guess I had let my mum's fears of 'peeling' them transfer to myself) and I made such a delicious smoothie that I had to share.
I used about half a pineapple, 1 banana, and 1/2 can of coconut milk. It just tasted so tropical and definitely ignited my beach cravings once again, give it a try!
I basically make a smoothie every single day so it probably wouldn't be too interesting for me to post one here everyday (since usually they consist of very similar ingredients), but last week I bought a fresh pineapple for the first time in my life (I guess I had let my mum's fears of 'peeling' them transfer to myself) and I made such a delicious smoothie that I had to share.
I used about half a pineapple, 1 banana, and 1/2 can of coconut milk. It just tasted so tropical and definitely ignited my beach cravings once again, give it a try!
 |
| Mr.Blender is so pretty with his pineapple hat, yes he is! |
Wednesday, 20 March 2013
Banana Pancakes!
Today I started off my day with my blogilates workout from the MarchMakeover calendar and then had some nice banana pancakes as a post workout snack. These are the easiest, healthiest, and possibly yummiest pancakes ever! All you need are two eggs and 1 banana. Just blend that all together and make them the way you would your regular pancakes, so easy! This recipe can be found on just about any health food blog, but trust me, they are just as delicious as regular pancakes just without all the fuss. When I make these it usually makes about 4 pancakes, this morning I just made two and put the rest of the mixture in the fridge for later/for Albert.
I like to cook mine in a little bit of coconut oil and with a dash a cinnamon. They taste perfect on their own, or do what I did and pair them with some hot banana slices, yummy!
These photos are pretty crappy, I'm going to go ahead and blame my flu still... ;)
I like to cook mine in a little bit of coconut oil and with a dash a cinnamon. They taste perfect on their own, or do what I did and pair them with some hot banana slices, yummy!
 |
| First pancakes always break! |
 |
| I added a few dark chocolate chips to the second one as an 'experiment', yum! |
These photos are pretty crappy, I'm going to go ahead and blame my flu still... ;)
Tuesday, 19 March 2013
Fighting the Flu
I can honestly say this weekend has been pretty miserable!
Flashback to Friday, I was having a pretty good day. I woke up and went for a long walk, and then did my daily blogilates workout which felt so excruciatingly exhausting that I was getting a little bit discouraged ("Aren't these workouts meant to get easier as I continue to do them?? Why is today so hard?!" etc). Of course the workouts are always hard, but for some reason every move felt like a mission and I was just feeling so negative. Later in the evening I felt a slight irritation in my throat. It didn't really feel sore, just a bit like I had some spit stuck in my air pipes or something. And then over night it all went downhill.
I woke up to myself sweating like crazy, and then notice Albert next to me is shivering even though he has the whole blanket... oh boy! By the morning we were both experiencing crazy headaches, fatigue, scratchy dry coughs, and major cold sweats. It seems we managed to catch the flu :(
Yesterday (Monday) things started looking up a little, so I took advantage and went to the shop to stock up on some healthy foods! (oh did I mention Saturday was spent munching on candy, ice-cream and chocolate... oops!) I made a super immune-boosting smoothie with spinach-ginger-grapefruit-banana-mango and coconut water! And then some healthy spinach and banana muffins. It feels good to be eating better again, and it seems to be helping! Hopefully I can start working out again soon, I'm going to try and attempt that today as well.
Here are some pics of my latest green creations (yes, even through my cold sweats I just had to snap some pictures!)
Before posting this I actually ended up doing my workout for the day and it went great! I was taking it a little bit easier with the cardio, but I'm just so glad I was able to do it. Its funny how something so exhausting can make you feel so invigorated! Life is starting to win again.. slowly :)
Flashback to Friday, I was having a pretty good day. I woke up and went for a long walk, and then did my daily blogilates workout which felt so excruciatingly exhausting that I was getting a little bit discouraged ("Aren't these workouts meant to get easier as I continue to do them?? Why is today so hard?!" etc). Of course the workouts are always hard, but for some reason every move felt like a mission and I was just feeling so negative. Later in the evening I felt a slight irritation in my throat. It didn't really feel sore, just a bit like I had some spit stuck in my air pipes or something. And then over night it all went downhill.
I woke up to myself sweating like crazy, and then notice Albert next to me is shivering even though he has the whole blanket... oh boy! By the morning we were both experiencing crazy headaches, fatigue, scratchy dry coughs, and major cold sweats. It seems we managed to catch the flu :(
Yesterday (Monday) things started looking up a little, so I took advantage and went to the shop to stock up on some healthy foods! (oh did I mention Saturday was spent munching on candy, ice-cream and chocolate... oops!) I made a super immune-boosting smoothie with spinach-ginger-grapefruit-banana-mango and coconut water! And then some healthy spinach and banana muffins. It feels good to be eating better again, and it seems to be helping! Hopefully I can start working out again soon, I'm going to try and attempt that today as well.
Here are some pics of my latest green creations (yes, even through my cold sweats I just had to snap some pictures!)
Before posting this I actually ended up doing my workout for the day and it went great! I was taking it a little bit easier with the cardio, but I'm just so glad I was able to do it. Its funny how something so exhausting can make you feel so invigorated! Life is starting to win again.. slowly :)
Friday, 15 March 2013
Super Healthy Oatmeal Cookies!
Even more about cookies! I've found another delicious easy and healthy alternative to those munchies that we all get, this time they can be as simple as two ingredients! Bananas and oatmeal.. that's it! And if you want to make them even tastier, throw in some dried fruit pieces!
In the recipe I linked above she makes a batch in the microwave and the oven. I tried both, and preferred the oven much more, and left them in for 5 minutes extra. (I want crunch!)
The cookies I made the first day (I used craisins) were quite chewy all around, and reminded me more of some nutrition bars. At first I wasn't super impressed (sugar-tooth as I am) but 2 minutes later I was reaching for another one, and another one.. and another. So even though they weren't the cookie experience I was expecting, they were still a yummy, yet light alternative to regular oatmeal cookies.
I ended up making a few variations of this recipe (no photos :( ) to see if I could add a little bit more flavor and to make them have that regular cookie crunch. The variations make the cookies slightly unhealthier, but these still remain a crazy healthy cookie option.
First variation*:
Banana 1/2
Oatmeal 1/2 cup
Craisins
Cinnamon 1/2 tsp
Nutmeg 1/4 tsp
Vanilla essence 1/4 tsp
Coconut oil 1/2 tbs
These turned out great! They added just that little bit of extra flavour and crunch, while still tasting healthy.
Second variation*:
Banana 1/2
Oatmeal 1/2 cup
Chocolate chips (dark)
Cinnamon 1/2 tsp
Nutmeg 1/4 tsp
Vanilla essence 1/4 tsp
Coconut oil 1/2 tbs
Honey 1 tsp
Cocoa Powder 2 tsp
And even tastier! Well obviously, chocolate!! Nice crunch, sweet flavor, and they are still a much healthier option to regular cookies.
So go give these cookies a go, and experiment!
*Note: my variations were made from one batch of dough split in half. So if you decide to make both, you can just leave the chocolate chips, craisins or whatever variation you do for last.
In the recipe I linked above she makes a batch in the microwave and the oven. I tried both, and preferred the oven much more, and left them in for 5 minutes extra. (I want crunch!)
The cookies I made the first day (I used craisins) were quite chewy all around, and reminded me more of some nutrition bars. At first I wasn't super impressed (sugar-tooth as I am) but 2 minutes later I was reaching for another one, and another one.. and another. So even though they weren't the cookie experience I was expecting, they were still a yummy, yet light alternative to regular oatmeal cookies.
I ended up making a few variations of this recipe (no photos :( ) to see if I could add a little bit more flavor and to make them have that regular cookie crunch. The variations make the cookies slightly unhealthier, but these still remain a crazy healthy cookie option.
First variation*:
Banana 1/2
Oatmeal 1/2 cup
Craisins
Cinnamon 1/2 tsp
Nutmeg 1/4 tsp
Vanilla essence 1/4 tsp
Coconut oil 1/2 tbs
These turned out great! They added just that little bit of extra flavour and crunch, while still tasting healthy.
Second variation*:
Banana 1/2
Oatmeal 1/2 cup
Chocolate chips (dark)
Cinnamon 1/2 tsp
Nutmeg 1/4 tsp
Vanilla essence 1/4 tsp
Coconut oil 1/2 tbs
Honey 1 tsp
Cocoa Powder 2 tsp
And even tastier! Well obviously, chocolate!! Nice crunch, sweet flavor, and they are still a much healthier option to regular cookies.
So go give these cookies a go, and experiment!
*Note: my variations were made from one batch of dough split in half. So if you decide to make both, you can just leave the chocolate chips, craisins or whatever variation you do for last.
Thursday, 14 March 2013
Butter-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Check out these butter free cookies I made!
Now I know you're probably wondering.. why are they green?! No, it wasn't a Saint Patrick's day themed cookie that I dyed (although these would work well for that!) these are avocado cookies! I've been looking into a lot of healthy recipes/healthy alternatives and these were a definite hit! All you do is substitute the amount of butter in a recipe with the same amount of avocado.
My official review: I wouldn't quite call these 'cookies', the texture is a bit more cakey- but still yummy. In the original recipe I found the author said she loved to eat them frozen and I completely agree! But Albert on the other hand likes them more at room-temp, so if you make them freeze a few and see which one you prefer. Oh, and I do have to warn you that the dough is pretty hard to handle! It is soooo sticky and gooey, handling it takes a bit more effort than regular cookie dough. (this could be because my avocado wasn't big enough- you'll notice that the original poster's cookies are much greener!)
You can use avocados in so many ways! Most sites that I find recommend only replacing half of the butter with avocado, but even that makes it that much healthier. I would really love to try new things with avocados but they are quite expensive at the moment, and I have to be honest, my favorite way of eating them is just on a piece of bread with some lemon pepper so I can taste all the avocadoey goodness! But all in all this was a nice, and recommendable experiment :)
Now I know you're probably wondering.. why are they green?! No, it wasn't a Saint Patrick's day themed cookie that I dyed (although these would work well for that!) these are avocado cookies! I've been looking into a lot of healthy recipes/healthy alternatives and these were a definite hit! All you do is substitute the amount of butter in a recipe with the same amount of avocado.
My official review: I wouldn't quite call these 'cookies', the texture is a bit more cakey- but still yummy. In the original recipe I found the author said she loved to eat them frozen and I completely agree! But Albert on the other hand likes them more at room-temp, so if you make them freeze a few and see which one you prefer. Oh, and I do have to warn you that the dough is pretty hard to handle! It is soooo sticky and gooey, handling it takes a bit more effort than regular cookie dough. (this could be because my avocado wasn't big enough- you'll notice that the original poster's cookies are much greener!)
You can use avocados in so many ways! Most sites that I find recommend only replacing half of the butter with avocado, but even that makes it that much healthier. I would really love to try new things with avocados but they are quite expensive at the moment, and I have to be honest, my favorite way of eating them is just on a piece of bread with some lemon pepper so I can taste all the avocadoey goodness! But all in all this was a nice, and recommendable experiment :)
Saturday, 9 March 2013
New Obession: Coconut Oil!
As the title says, I'm completely obsessed with Coconut oil right now! Really it's no surprise, I've always had a thing for coconut. In Middle/High school it started with an obsession for Bounty ice-cream. Literally, I think I ate a whole pint once a week. I also really loved coconut juice, and since I was lucky enough to be living in Malaysia, I could have them with any meal at a local or thai restaurant.
But on to my point, coconut oil! Not only is this stuff awesome to cook with, it's also super great for your skin and hair. I like to put it in my hair about an hour before I shower, seriously, it leaves my hair feeling so soft and healthy! I also use it all over my skin after I shower, even though it is a little bit oily looking, it soaks in pretty fast and once again the effects are amazing. I remember using olive oil for my hair and skin once or twice, but this is so much better! It smells way better, and isn't as hard to wash out of my hair.
So go out and purchase some organic cold pressed coconut oil, you wont regret it!
But on to my point, coconut oil! Not only is this stuff awesome to cook with, it's also super great for your skin and hair. I like to put it in my hair about an hour before I shower, seriously, it leaves my hair feeling so soft and healthy! I also use it all over my skin after I shower, even though it is a little bit oily looking, it soaks in pretty fast and once again the effects are amazing. I remember using olive oil for my hair and skin once or twice, but this is so much better! It smells way better, and isn't as hard to wash out of my hair.
So go out and purchase some organic cold pressed coconut oil, you wont regret it!
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| This is the one I use (from Finland) but I've transferred some into a smaller jar in the bathroom as well! |
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