Protein Power Cookies

Since reading Brendan Brazier's book, The Thrive Diet, I have been kind of obsessed with packing as much nutrient dense food into my life as possible. That being said however, I am still learning my way around the kitchen, and so when my Protein Power Cookies turned out to be a hit, not only last night, but on today's 1.5 hour bike ride to UBC, I am literally chomping at the bit to whip up the next batch.

They are all natural and will provide you with just the right amount of proteins, fats, carbs, and sweetness to curb a sugar craving, or power you up for a training session.

Here's what you need:

3 T flax seeds (ground into meal)

3/4 c almond milk

2 c old fashioned oats

1/4 c sunflower seeds, chopped almonds & chocolate chips

1/2 c raisins

1/2 c protein powder (i use Vega Vanilla Chai)

3 T honey

3/4 t salt

1/4 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a cookie sheet with small amount of oil... Mix flax seeds into almond milk and set aside... Combine all other ingredients in a bowl and then add milk... Stir it up good- you may feel like it's a little dry- it's not... Form into 8-12 balls and place in oven for 6-8 minutes... Remove from oven and let them cool completely.

Chia: What is it good for?

Chia Seeds epitomize the expression that good things come in small packages…. Used for centuries as a staple food of the Tarahumara tribe (See Born to Run by Christopher McDougall), the author relates a number of stories explaining how a handful of these tiny seeds allow members of this tribe to run, seemingly effortlessly, for up to 50 or 100 miles per day!

Remember the Chia Pet? Yep, it’s the same thing. Mix a spoonful of chia seeds with water and you will notice that it forms a gel-like substance… It does this because chia absorbs 12 times its weight in water! When you eat it, the gel that forms in your stomach creates a barrier between carbohydrates and the enzymes that break them down and subsequently slows the conversion of carbs to sugar. In other words, these little guys sustain you for longer.

They also keep you better hydrated, act as a significant source of protein, and because you can add them to pretty much anything, from smoothies, to power bars, or just sprinkled on your cereal, they are extremely easy to incorporate into your diet.

Give them a try and let me know what you think!

Chia Seed Smoothie for @RunnergirlAJ :)

Chia Seeds are MAJOR when it comes to straight up nutritional bang-for-your-buck (See tomorrow's post) ... The best part is you can pretty much add them to any type of smoothie, but this morning I opted for the following:

Banana Raspberry Explosion!

1 Banana

Handful of Frozen Raspberries

Handful of Baby Spinach

2 tablespoons Hemp Protein Powder

1 tablespoon Flaxseed Oil

1/2 Cup Water & 1/2 Cup Coconut Water

2 tablespoons Chia Seeds (you can grind them up first, or just throw them in whole)

Hope you like it!

Fuel Up Naturally

In 9 months I will be competing in my first Ironman and while my mental prep began months ago, I have really been honing my skills in the kitchen so that I am able to train for this event on a natural diet. Last year I went through a myriad of different gels, bars and bloks during training which left my digestive system a bit of a mess. It's amazing that athletes, who are presumably healthy individuals, allow themselves to ingest all those fake ingredients...

Here is a recipe for Sweet Potato Balls- The perfect combination of carbs, fat and protein to fuel your body for a swim, bike, or run... Or just to have as a side with a big salad (like we had for dinner the other night).

They are so easy to make, just boil 2-3 sweet potatoes and mash with a can of black beans and a couple of spoonfuls of salsa. Roll this mixture into small balls (think 3-4 bites/ball).

On a seperate plate sprinkle flax seeds and roll the ball in them so you have coated about 75%.

Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes. They are great to eat both hot and cold.

Enjoy!

Beet&BlueberrySmoothie

This morning in place of a banana in my smoothie, I decided to throw in a beet... It may seem random, but it actually turned out pretty good. Packed with high levels of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Magnesium, Manganese, Potassium and Folate, beets pack a powerful punch of nutrients!

Beet and Blueberry Smoothie Recipe:

1 cup of water

1 cup of ice

1 tablespoon Hemp Protein Powder

1 tsp Hemp Oil

1 cup of frozen Bluberries

1 roasted beet

Easiest Green Smoothie.

My new goal is to drink one of these/day... I used to try and work kale and other crazy things into my smoothies, but it really proved to be too much fussing around. This green smoothie is super easy and a great way to start your morning or give yourself a little kick in the afternoon.

Simply combine 1 banana, 1-2 handfuls of spinach with 1 cup of water and an ice cube. Blend. Enjoy.