Happy New Year!

Happy New Years! I hope that this coming year brings health and most of all happiness to everyone! 2013 has been an incredible year for me! I went back to school, started running more seriously, and managed to find time to eat even healthier this year! 2013 was a year about maintaining lifestyle changes and focusing on what was important to me and my family! I'm excited for what 2014 will bring, including a bunch of running races (including my very first FULL marathon), graduating from school and continuing to focus on a healthy, happy me!

New Years often brings a slew of resolutions, many of which people fail to stick with. I found a few studies that said less than 10% of people actually stick with their resolutions! And to be honest, it isn't surprising. Waiting until the new year to put into action plans you've been meaning to get around to is a terrible way to do things. Why not just start the day you decide you want to make a change? I've been trying to convince a few friends of mine to join November Project  (which I'll explain shortly) with me, and they have all said "I'll think about it in the new year, that's when I'm going to focus on losing weight". Well, why not just start today?

The problem with waiting until you make a New Years Resolution is two fold. Firstly, you're putting something off until an arbitrary date, hoping it will bring you more success, and secondly you're wasting valuable time waiting until the next year to begin. What I like to do rather than wait, and create a resolution, is keep an ongoing bucket list

All of that being said, if you made New Years Resolutions this year, stick with them! Be part of that 8% that keeps their goals! See my post from last year about setting SMART Goals to help get you started and keep you on track! Figure out what works for you and what keeps you motivated. A goal should be about yourself, not about others, and not about comparing yourself to others.

One more tidbit...rather than setting a New Years Resolution, consider a 2014 "Bucket List". I usually keep one each year, and add to it when I find a new goal I want to achieve. I find this to be a more fluid way of keeping track of my goals!

Lets see what an amazing year 2014 can be! 

Homemade Larabars

Medjool dates are delicious all on their own as a healthy snack, but why not incorporate them into a healthy bar recipe, which is refined sugar free, dairy free and gluten free? There are many commercial date based bars available, though many are expensive, and others contain preservatives or for some strange reason added sweeteners. Dates are more than sweet enough on their own, and they certainly do not need any added sugar!

There are many different bars flavours to make, but they all start with a base of dates, nuts and a little bit of water.

Date Bar Base:
2 cups of dried dates (make sure they have the pits removed and are sugar free)
1/8 - 1/2 c water
1 c nuts - I often use almonds as a starter, but any kind will do. Peanuts have a very strong flavour so will alter the bars' taste significantly.

1) In a food processor with "S" blades add in all nuts and blend until coarse
2) Add in all dates to the nut mixture and puree until a paste forms. You may need to scrape the sides of the food processor during the mixing process.
3) Add water slowly as necessary so that dates form a paste (you may not need any water depending on how soft the dates are). The paste should not be overly wet, so add water very slowly
4) Line a Pyrex pan with waxed paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray
5) Press mixture into lined pan and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
6) Remove from pan using liner and transfer to cutting board.
7) Cut into pieces and wrap individually in plastic wrap, or store in a container with waxed paper between layers.

Alternatively these can be formed into balls rather than into bars, and can be rolled in oats, coconut, cocoa powder or anything else to help prevent them from sticking to one another. Store in a container in fridge, with waxed paper between layers.

Mix Ins:
Start with base, and add or omit the following:

Cherry Pie
- add 1 c dried cherries
- add in 1/2 c cashews
- omit 1/2 c dates

Chocolate Coconut Brownie
- add 1/2 c dried coconut
- add 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- add 3 tbsp dark chocolate chips (optional)

Apple Pie Delight
- add 1 c dried apples
- omit 1/2 c dates from original base
- add 2 tsp cinnamon
- use pecans as the nut for the base

Gingerbread Men - I recommend pecans and almonds
- add 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- add 1 tsp cinnamon
- add 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- add 1/8 tsp ground clove
- add 1/2 c nuts
- add 2 tbsp molasses (optional)

Mocha Madness
- add 2 tbsp ground roasted coffee beans
- add 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- add 1 tsp vanilla extract

PB & J
- omit 1/2 c dates
- use peanuts as the base nut
- add 3/4 c dried cherries or other dried berry

Black Forest Cake - I recommend almonds
- omit 1/2 c dates
- add 3/4 c dried cherries
- add 2 tbsp cocoa powder

Tropical Paradise
- omit 1/2 c dates
- add 1/2 c dried pineapple
- add 1/4 c dried coconut
- add 1-2 tbsp lemon or lime zest
- use 1/4 c (or more) macadamia nuts as part of the nut base

Old Fashioned Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies
- add 3/4 c steel cut oats or old-fashioned oats
- omit 1/4 c nuts
- add 1/2 c raisins
- add 1 tsp cinnamon

Carrot Cake
- omit 1/2 dates
- add 1/4 c raisins
- add 1/4 c dried unsweetened pineapple
- add 1/2 c pecans
- add 1/4 c fresh grated carrots
- add 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- add 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- add 1/4 tsp nutmeg

Apricot - I recommend cashews
- omit 1/2 c dates
- add 3/4 c dried apricots

Lemon Pie - I recommend almonds
- add 2 tbsp lemon juice
- add 2 tbsp lemon zest
- add 1/4 c dried coconut

Berry Cobbler - I recommend pecans or walnuts
- omit 1/2 c dates
- add 3/4 dried berries (blueberry is delicious!)
- omit 1/4 c nuts
- add 1/2 c steel cut or old fashioned oats

Pumpkin Apple Zucchini Muffins

Fall is such a great season, crisp air, crunchy leaves and the return of pumpkins, squash and the scent of cinnamon everywhere. I happen to like fall because it's when my husband and I celebrate our birthdays, but also more importantly because of the food! I love root vegetables, especially squashes, and also the excuse to drink my own weight in fresh apple cider! While getting coffee the other day I noticed some delicious looking pumpkin muffins, donuts and cakes at several coffee shops, but when I looked up the nutritional information I saw just how much butter and sugar went into them! Since I have somewhat of a disdain for sugar, it prompted me to put my apron back on and get some kitchen chemistry rolling! Today's feature is a muffin filled with nutritious elements, that actually tastes delicious! I used some alternative ingredients to come up with a healthy and tasty pumpkin treat!

The base of this recipe is pumpkin, which is a great vegetable! Pumpkin, like carrots is full of carotenoids, which give these vegetables their classic orange colour. Carotenoids are important for eye health, and the body uses them by converting them to vitamin A. A specific carotenoid, beta-carotene has also been linked to reducing cancer risk by helping to destroy free radicals in the system. Imagine, battling cancer while enjoying a delicious muffin! Beta-carotene is also a proven wrinkle fighter, so pumpkin helps keep you looking young too! Pumpkins, as well as other squashes are extremely high in fibre, which can help with healthy weight maintenance, by keeping you full longer and keeping a healthy digestive tract. Since pumpkin is very filling, and low in calories (only 50 calories in a cup of mashed pumpkin) it's a great way to stay full longer. Pumpkin is also a great post-workout food, because it's super high in potassium (about 560mg in a cup), which is even higher than bananas (which are also an excellent source of potassium). Potassium is an important electrolyte for your heart and body muscles, which is lost in sweat. Instead of grabbing an energy drink after exercise, consider something with pumpkin! 

This recipe is also refined sugar free, as it is sweetened with honey, and I used homemade flours to keep it even healthier. This recipe can be easily made with regular flours too if you're intimidated by using homemade flour, but it recommend checking my post on homemade flours and see just how easy it is to make them! 

In this recipe I also used diced apples, I even used the cores! Yuck you say? When they are copped small and cooked you won't even notice the texture. Be sure to remove the seeds however, they are difficult to chew & digest and there is some truth to them being poisonous (although 150lb person woud need to eat about 150 of them in one sitting for them to be toxic). The cores are high in pectin, which is great for digestive tract health, and warding off cancers like colon or rectal cancer, as well as is high in fibre, which again is great for weight loss!

1 & 3/4 c pumpkin purée (not to be confused with pumpkin pie filling if you're using store bought, which is full of sugar, spices and additives. Be sure to get pure pumpkin, or make your own!)

2 eggs

2 c grated zucchini

2 c finely diced apples (~2 med apples)

1/3 - 1/2 c honey or agave nectar

2 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar (acid reacts with baking soda & baking powder to make muffins rise)

1/4 tsp clove

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp cinnamon 

3/4 c quinoa flour

2/3 c almonds - puréed

1/4 c flax seeds

1/2 c bran

1 c oat flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1) preheat oven to 350 degree

2) In a large bowl, mix together all wet ingredients (including apples & zucchini),except lemon juice.

3) Add puréed almonds (don't just use almond flour, because you need the fats and oils in the almonds for this recipe too. If you don't want to purée almonds, add 1/3 c coconut oil, nut butter or butter to the recipe). Mix well. 

4) Add baking soda & baking powder, spices & lemon juice, mix well.

5) Add remaining ingredients to bowl and mix well. 

6) Add batter to greased muffin tins, or loaf pans, filling to 3/4 full. These muffins won't rise much, but they need a bit of space to expand. 

7) Bake at 350 for 30 mins (muffins) or 45 mins (loaves) or until a tooth pick comes out clean.