Fighting Temptation

On my way home from work in the evenings I pass a brand new Quik Trip gas station that has soft baked pretzels.  A carb-loaded treat that always sounds so good after an evening of teaching.  I have yet to stop and get one and last night, as I was driving home, a tweet popped into my head:
"I am just as tempted as the next person to stop and get junk food.  The difference is that I don't."
A snarky humblebrag that popped into my head but I decided against tweeting.  Instead, I am blogging about it.  I don't want it to sound snarky, I want it to be motivating.  To myself and to others.  It is a testament to my willpower that I don't stop, and sometimes I feel like my willpower is zero.
While I don't usually stop for junk food, I do tend to over indulge in sweets, pizza with the boys and late-night snacks.  I have even talked to my therapist about what I feel is a lack of willpower.
He told me that I do  have strong willpower.  When it comes to exercise.  To fighting and facing my fears and anxieties.  To working hard for what I want.  And, as it turns out, to saying no to drive-thru and gas station fare.  Driving home last night I realized that if I can just eek out a little bit more willpower I can stop defeating my fitness successes with sweet treats and carry-out.
I had planned to not have any refined sugar from last Monday through July 4.  Day one I had a cookie at E's baseball fundraiser.  Day 3 I had a milkshake after L got his 5 year shots.  I don't want to deprive myself of fun moments.  But I know I need to give up sugar for the most part.   Again, I need to squeeze out my last little bit of willpower in this sugary sweet area of my life.  On the other side of that, I don't drink...okay, one or two drinks in the entire month, maybe.  I don't smoke.  I drink black coffee. I gave up soda, again, one or two a month rather than every day.  I guess I feel like having a cookie or a  couple scoops of ice cream is like my evening cocktail.  And I am not sure if that is so horrible.  I think that is why it is hard for me to completely go sugarless.

What areas of your life do you have incredible willpower in?

What area(s) do you need to channel a little more in to?

Do you have an indulgence that you just don't want to give up?

Iced Blueberry Water

When it is hot outside and I am craving a fruity drink, rather than reach for something sugary, I like to make my own fruit-infused water.

Iced Blueberry Water
8-12 ounces cold water
1/2 cup frozen blueberries

Blend in a blender or use an immersion blender.
Enjoy!

A tasty way to cool off AND get a serving of a superfood!

Junk Food Junkie

Ugh.
I have been eating so horribly lately!
If it isn't a donut for breakfast it has been a candy bar at a ball game or a chicken/bacon/ranch hoagie with fries.  Seriously.  
I still love my fresh veggies and fruits but I feel like I used to eat 80% healthy and 20% average.  Now it's almost completely opposite.
I am still working out 5-6 days a week but it hasn't helped me not feel like crap, because we all know its mostly about what we eat.
I know most people tend to over eat in the winter months but for me I have always tended to have my cheat months in the summer.  Something about ice cream, ball park food, picnics extra time with the kids sends me into a mode where I eat more bad than good.

How have you been lately?  Is it just me eating like a college boy or is it a pandemic?

What do you do to snap out of a nutrition rut?

PS-even though I started the day with a donut and lunched on pizza I am not nibbling on celery and grape tomatoes.

Coconut Brownie Dip

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

It is no secret that I am a big fan of sweets.  It is really difficult for me to go an entire day without some kind of treat.  But I know how bad sugar is for the body and I am always in planning mode to give up refined sugar.  Sigh.
While scanning blogs and Pinterest I have noticed all sorts of recipes for various "healthy" desserts.  Of course I click on those links and I am usually disappointed to find that the recipes use fake sweeteners, aka poison, or some other sort of chemical-laden ingredient, like pudding mix or Cool Whip.  It has taken me a little time to brainstorm and test recipes but I have come up with what I feel are some really great healthy alternatives to traditional desserts!

Before we get started, let me just say that I know this recipe has coconut in it and that people either love or hate coconut. If you are the type that hates coconut, PLEASE keep reading and know that the coconut can easily be omitted without compromising taste :)

And now...drumroll please...

Coconut Brownie Dip

1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup nut or seed butter (I used sunflower butter bc of L's allergy)
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp oats
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking soda
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
4-6 tbsp sweetener of your choice (I used maple syrup, but you could used agave or honey, too)
1/3 cup dehydrated coconut
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a food processor first place the oats and pulse a few seconds.  
Add the all other ingredients except the coconut and chocolate chips.  Blend until smooth and scoop into a bowl.  Fold in the coconut and chocolate chips.
For extra fun, top with a little extra coconut or chips.
This dip is great at room temperature or chilled.  You will want to store it in the fridge.
It's great with fresh strawberries, bananas and apples.  L and I also snacked on graham crackers topped with Brownie Dip.  Or you can always just eat it straight from the bowl!


As I said, L loved it, so it's preschooler approved.  My mother-in-law volunteered (sort of) to do a taste test.  She knew it was brownie dip but didn't know it was made with beans.  She gave it 2 thumbs up!

Enjoy this recipe and please let me know if you try it!

Avocado-blueberry sorbet!

So, last week I made an avocado-blueberry-spinach smoothie and froze the leftovers.  It turned in to a pretty tasty frozen treat, but it was awfully avocado-y.  I posted a picture on Instagram and had several requests for the recipe.  I wanted to get it just-right before sharing.  I added and took away some ingredients and here is what I came up with:

Half an avocado

1 large banana

2 cups frozen blueberries 

1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Juice from 1 clementine orange

Combine ingredients in a blender.  I started with "blend" and moved my way up to "smoothie."  You may need to scrape the sides and stir it up a few times.

You can eat immediately.  It is thick enough to eat with a spoon.  I tried some right away and it is so tasty.  A definite treat in this hot weather and the bonus is that it is very healthy!  Place leftovers in an airtight container and freeze.  You will need to eat it within about a 12 hour window because the longer it is in the freezer the more solid it will become.

Let me know what you think!

Sugar, oh honey-honey

I love sugary treats.  Cookies, cupcakes, and other pastries.  Ice cream, Fro Yo, and gelato.  Twizzlers, M&M's and other candy.  I 'm not really picky, I like them all.  However, diabetes runs in my family.  I tend to be hypoglycemic myself.  And I am of the thinking that it is sugar that is making us all overweight.  So, while I love a good sugary treat, I definitely don't need it.  And I usually feel the after-effects.  A candy hangover, I suppose.  I typically feel tired, foggy (that lovely not-real feeling I hate) and sometimes my side hurts.  Poor pancreas.  So, I often try to give up sweets.  I have tried giving it up completely many times, only to fail.  I am starting again, and I tweeted about it last week.  But I didn't give specifics, so, when I posted pictures of Key Lime Pie ice cream this weekend friends in my real and virtual world had questions.  So...lets chat!  Here is how I am choosing to cut sugar out of my diet:

I am going to avoid all refined sugar (white, brown, granulated, powdered...you name it) Monday-Friday.  I am going to continue to have fruit because I like it and I have found that my body does need a little bit of sugar to feel normal.

During the weekend I am going to have a sweet treat here and there.  These were my picks this weekend:  

Green Tea Frapp!

Tangy and sweet!

A new favorite :D

I do the same thing with my eating.  During the week I am fairly strict with my diet, eating lots of veggies, fruit, nuts, and lean proteins.  I workout 5-6 days a week.  So, during the weekend I may allow myself to indulge in a couple fun meals.  Some call it "cheat meals" or a "cheat day" but I don't really like that terminology.  I am not cheating.  I am not bingeing.  I am just sitting down to a meal a little heavier in calories than my typical meal and contains a few more ingredients.  I don't eat everything in sight.  This article kind of sums it up.  I think I am on the 80/20 plan, where 80% of the time I am pretty rigid in my diet and 20% of the time a little more lax.  Notice I said a little more.  So, again, not eating candy bars and chips all day, but Friday may bring pizza and Saturday a scoop (or two) of ice cream.  This also helps to keep my body guessing, revving up my metabolism.  Similar to how you shouldn't do the same exercise routine for months on end, you shouldn't take in the same calories day in and day out.

I feel so much better when I avoid processed food and refined sugar.  Lighter, happier, more even.  I have my moments of cravings, especially in the evening after a long day of teaching fitness classes. Last week I made a tasty avocado-blueberry smoothie with unsweetened cocoa powder.  I froze some of it and ate it like ice cream when I was off work. It was sweet and filling without going off of my no-sugar diet. Don't worry--I am perfecting the recipe and will be posting soon!  

This method, of Monday-Friday strictness followed by weekend leniency, worked well for me when I cut soda out of my diet, as well as cutting out fast food.  So I am hoping it works for sugar.  I am so thankful that I have friends in my life that "keep me honest" when it comes to the plans I have for health and nutrition.

I hope this answers questions that may help you decide to cut out refined sugars from your diet.  If you want to continue the conversation, lets chat below!  And, please, follow me on Twitter.  Follow me on Instagram.  And, if you see me eating a giant cupcake on a Wednesday afternoon, yell at me!

-Sally