FLOURLESS PEANUT BUTTER BANANA MUFFINS

In January I became gluten free.

I think people think that going gluten free means the end of all things delicious, but, let me tell you something, going gluten free can be delicious!

Like these flour less peanut butter muffins.

Fruit Infused Coconut Water

There are 2 brands of natural & fresh coconut juice that I really like.

"O.N.E." & "Zico"

I've tried VitaCoCo twice. The first time I didn't like it, it seemed to have a mild salty taste to it. I thought maybe I just got a bad batch of coconut juice. Since all fresh coconut juices are not created equal I decided to give it one more chance when I saw that brand again at the store.

Nope. It still had a mild salty taste to it. It made me wonder if they were mass producing these because it tasted the same and I have never tasted fresh coconut juice that salty before??

Anyways

I grew up drinking fresh coconut water and I loved everything about it. Everything about coconut.

Coconut cake

Coconut fruit

Coconut scent

Coconut water

Coconut, coconut, coconut

Did I mention coconut? I think you get the point here.

I also love fruit.

So when I thought of these infused coconut water, I had to share it with yall!

Infusing water/coconut water/ anything liquid is super easy.

Fruit Infused Coconut Water

(recipe given by counter clockwise)

Lime Coconut Water

• 1/2 - 1 cup ice cubes
• 1 8oz fresh coconut water (my two favorite so far are O.N.E. & Zico)
• a few slices of Lime (depends upon your personal taste)

Mandarin Orange Blueberry Coconut Water

• 1/2 - 1 cup ice cubes
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1 8oz fresh coconut water (my two favorite so far are O.N.E. & Zico)
• a few slices of Mandarin Oranges (depends upon your personal taste)

Raspberry Lemonade Coconut Water

• 1/2 - 1 cup ice cubes
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup raspberries
• 1 8oz fresh coconut water (my two favorite so far are O.N.E. & Zico)
• a few slices of Lemon (depends upon your personal taste)

Strawberry Coconut Water

• 1/2 - 1 cup ice cubes
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup strawberries
• 1 8oz fresh coconut water (my two favorite so far are O.N.E. & Zico)

Directions

Mix everything together in a drinking glass

Health Benefits of Coconut Water

• Packed with potassium (as much as a banana)
• Supports rapid hydration (great to drink after your workout)
• Has a lower acidity than all the other sports drinks
• Has 5 electrolytes (magnesium, sodium, calcium, potassium, phosphorus)
• All natural!!

Enjoy, my little hungry hearts!

Berry Medley Banana Overnight Oats

I'm a sucker for anything pink.

Literally.

As I look around my desk, I have a pink phone case, pink flowers, pink pen, pink pencil, pink calendar, pink markers, pink coaster, pink letter holder, pink ribbons...and that's just what's around my desk.

So yea, pink's my favorite color.

You know what else is my favorite?

Oatmeal.

But not just any kind of oatmeal...cold overnight oatmeal with berries & bananas.

This healthy oatmeal can be eaten any time of the day, maybe I'm over exaggerating. It's full of fiber, antioxidants, & vitamins and the best part? No cooking required! 

Aw yeaaah!! ;)

Berry Medley Banana Overnight Oats

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup quick oats
• 1/2 cup coconut milk (any milk works fine)
• 1/4 medium banana, sliced (freeze the rest for smoothies or ice cream!)
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1/2 tbsp chia seeds (optional)
• 1-2 tbsp honey (any sweetener works fine)
• pinch of cinnamon (optional)

Optional Topping

• 1 tbsp chopped pecans (or any nut)

Directions:

• Place all the ingredients in a jar, shake, cover and refrigerate overnight. Optionally add a topping like nuts, granola mix, etc.

Health benefits!

There are so many health benefits in berries that I could make my entire blog about it. I'll leave all the confusing big words like "polyphenols" and "anthocyanins" out so that I don't cause any confusion.

Blueberries 

• Can help improve memory
• Lower blood sugar levels
• Control blood-glucose levels in type-II diabetes

Raspberries 

• Control blood-glucose levels in type-II diabetes
• Lowers oxidative stress, reducing inflammation, and thereby altering the development or reproduction of cancer cells involving breast, cervical, colon, esophageal, and prostate cancers

Blackberries 

• Prevent cancer and heart disease 
• Rich in manganese and vitamin C which helps develop resistance against infectious agents, counter inflammation, and scavenge harmful free radicals from the human body

Enjoy, my hungry little hearts!

Strawberry Banana Protein Smoothie (all natural!)

Strawberries & Bananas!!

The two fruits that always come to mind when I think of a smoothie.

There are SO many health benefits from strawberries and bananas as well as all the other fruits. The best part about these two fruits are that they can be found year round at the grocery store so you can have this protein smoothie anytime.

This smoothie contains no artificial protein powders and is all natural, which is probably my favorite part! You're getting a great pre or post workout smoothie from natural sources found in food! Or even just a midday smoothie!

Do yall like my breast cancer water bottle?! I love it, besides the positive movement and research behind Susan G. Komen...it's pink! My favorite color ;)

I know a ton of people who will be participating in the walk this year. I unfortunately am not :( You can get some more info for walks in your city or just get a little information on Breast cancer here: Support Breast Cancer!! :)

Strawberry Banana Protein Smoothie

• 1 Ripe Banana
• 4 Strawberries, hulled
• 1 Tbsp. Raw Honey
• 1 small handful of Raw Almonds
• 1 Cup Milk/soy milk/almond milk etc
• Ice Cubes

Directions

1. Pour 1 cup of milk over ice into a blender
2. Put the remaining ingredients in the blender and blend together

So easy and healthy!

Enjoy, my little hungry hearts!

Love, Angel xo

Fruit Salad with Cocoa Nibs

When I think of a fruit salad, I think of those boxed, overpriced salad bowls at the grocery store. How boring...and plus, you have no idea if they washed them, how they washed them or how long they've been soaking in their "fruit juices". Gross.

When I think of dark chocolate, I think of chocolate cupcakes and delicious frosting. Yum.

Unfortunately, neither of those are...healthy or fresh.

This fruit salad is rather exciting. It's refreshing and it definitely cures your desire for some chocolate. It's a really easy recipe and the best part is, you can eat this as a dessert or replace it with your side salad.

Fruit Salad with Cocoa Nibs

• 1 Cup Strawberries, sliced
• 2 Fresh Kiwis, sliced
• 1 Cup fresh Pineapple Chunks
• 1 Tbsp dark chocolate cocoa nibs (directions below)
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup

Directions

1. Throw all the fruits together in a bowl
2. Drizzle maple syrup over salad & toss in cocoa nibs

Cocoa Nibs Directions

1. Take the cocoa nibs and place them on a cutting board
2. With a sharp knife begin chopping the chocolate as if you are mincing an onion
3. Now you have cocoa nibs!

Enjoy, my little hungry hearts!

Love, Angel xo

Tropical Papaya Smoothie

As the summer months slowly come to an end, this is what I imagine in my head. However, since I'm from Texas, beaches such as this photo don't exist...so I'm trying really hard to pretend that that sunset is right outside my window. Hey, a girl can dream right?

I can only assume you're here right now because you either have the August workout calendar and are checking out the smoothie recipe or you really are interested in the things I write...I'll take either answer!

If you've been following the calendar (first 4 days!), congratulations! I hope you have a fun time while going through each day.

Let me know how you're doing and feeling about it. Also let me know if there's anything specific you might want to see so that I can put it onto the September Calendar!!

Tropical Papaya Smoothie

• 8 oz. Coconut Water 
• 1/2 cup Frozen Pineapple, cubed
• 1/2 cup Frozen Mango, cubed
• 1/2 cup Fresh Papaya, cubed
• 1 Fresh Banana
• 1 tbsp. ground flaxseed (optional, but so healthy!)

Directions:

1. Add in the Coconut Water
2. Add in all of your fruits, if using ground flaxseed, add this in at the same time
3. Blend and drink!

Enjoy, my little hungry hearts!

Love, Angel xo

PB&J Banana Roll

This recipe is perfect & easy for breakfast or even a snack on the go!

I personally like my banana's to be super fresh, in the sense that they are not very ripe. I'm very sensitive to sugar and too much of it makes me feel sick. This PB&J Banana Roll is a good balance for me and those of you who don't like too much sugar.

Let's get a few things straight with our nutrition facts:

Peanut Butter VS Almond Butter

• Both nuts are healthy for you.
• Natural and organic is the best way to go (so you don't get all the sugar and bad oils they put in the ever so popular and cheap brands)
• Neither one is better than the other. They both have their own health benefits.
• Almond butter yields a much milder taste with a tad of almond.

Sugar Free VS Sugar Filled Jams

• Smucker's sugar free is my favorite & it's sweetened with Splenda.
• Ton's of flavors & it's only 25 calories per tablespoon (I don't count calories)
• If and when you can, make your own homemade fruit jams/jellies. So much healthier and you know what is going into them + they're all natural.

Whole Wheat VS White

• Whole wheat has fiber (keeps you full people!) while white doesn't. PERIOD.
• So switch. Okay?

Click "Read more" for the recipe!

A Better Breakfast

First off, I'm really excited to be starting this blog and sharing everything. I realize you could be doing much better things right now, like watching COPS or washing the dishes? I know…hopefully you've come here to do much better things, things that will benefit you, maybe even inspire you. You can read more about me here : About Me

So if you know me, you'll know I wasn't the smallest girl in high school. I struggled with my weight for years before I put the fork down and took matters into my own hand. You'll also know me if you've seen me blowing up my Facebook with status's about my blog and it's officially here. I hope you're enjoying it so far. As it grows, I hope you grow with me, not in jean sizes though!!

I can't stress enough to people about how important breakfast is for you. I used to be one of those losers who thought I was cool for skipping breakfast.

WRONG!

You need to eat breakfast, it supplies your body with food while your body was fasting throughout the night. You'll get your days energy from breakfast plus, you feel full longer and you're less likely to eat your lunch before you're even supposed to!

STOP making excuses about not having time to eat breakfast. Making yourself breakfast should be a daily habit, just like when you wake up, you brush your teeth. Simple as that.

Everyday is a different day so my breakfast just depends on whatever I want to have that morning. Sometimes it's different, sometimes it's the same as the day before. I always make sure I have oatmeal in the house, I love oatmeal, probably a lot more than I should. I eat the plain kind and add my own flavors like a packet of sugar substitute, sugar free maple syrup, fruits, etc. Because the flavored ones are packed with sugar that most people forget to consider! (But if this is all you have on hand, breakfast is better than no breakfast) 

Get smart, get creative!

• Oats are high-fiber whole grains with a heart healthy reputation
• Bananas have a high potassium content, peeling one is a speedy solution to that stitch in your side. While a lack of sodium is the main culprit behind muscle cramps, studies show potassium plays a supporting role: You need it to replace sweat losses and help with fluid absorption. Bananas are also packed with energizing carbohydrates.

Both Oats & Bananas make you feel full for a long time. No over eating when eating the two, especially together! Yay! If you want, you can sprinkle some cinnamon spice onto your finished breakfast meal.


Here are two more options for breakfast:

• A hard-boiled egg, a handful of spinach, and some salsa in a whole-wheat tortilla. (Also good with low-sodium deli turkey, roasted chicken, low-fat Cheddar, or scrambled egg whites.) 
• A peanut butter and banana sandwich on whole-wheat bread. (Try adding berries or sliced grapes, too!) 

Start eating breakfast and you'll notice the difference.
Good Luck ladies, and the occasional Gents!


Love, Angel xo