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Friday Fare, Health

Friday Fare – Sugar free and refined sugar free muffins

March 28, 2014

As promised, here is the recipe for the sugar free muffins I posted about on Sunday Summary two weeks ago!

Sugar free and refined sugar free muffins

sugar-free-muffins-recipe

I am going to share two versions of these muffins with you. The difference between them is that one is purely sugar-free (as it contains sugar-free honey made of xylitol) and the other is refined sugar free (and contains honey). Both are healthy and delicious, but I realize that sugar-free honey is not easy to come by which is why I am offering two versions.

This recipe was taught to me by my boyfriend’s aunt who is on a strict sugar-free diet to help battle her candida. These muffins are surprisingly fluffy and moist, and very very delicious. You can’t stop at just one, but the beauty of these muffins are that they contain a healthy mix of protein and fats with no sugar or no refined sugar! The sugar-free version is great for those with sugar issues, such as diabetics, and provide a sweet treat without blasting up your blood sugar levels. The refined sugar-free version contain sugar from honey (I use raw honey), and while this is still sugar, it does not undergo mass levels of refinement that most commercial sugars go through.

Although sugar is good for you (save a few who have medical issues with it) and IS necessary for the body to function, I try and limit the amount of ADDED sugar I ingest. And sweet treats tend to have a LOT of unnecessary added sugar which will cause you to gain weight in the long run and could lead to longer term health problems. This article is a great read if you want to know more about how excess sugar can negatively affect you.  Like excess ANYTHING though, too much of it will lead to weight gain and you putting on fat.

Therefore, I like to share yummy sweet things which have natural sugar-free alternatives or sugars that have not been refined. I would prefer you to stick to natural sugars if possible as we still do not know the long-term side effects of sweeteners, but liquid stevia is a good sugar-free choice.

Okay, informational talk and slight rant over!

Sugar-free & Refined Sugar-free Muffins

Alice Williams
Incredibly moist sugar-free and refined sugar-free muffins to satisfy your sweet tooth.
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Ingredients
  

Ingredients for the sugar free muffin are

  • 4 eggs
  • 1 and a half cups of almond flour
  • 1/3 cup ground flax seed you can make this by buying flax seed and throwing it in the food processor for a minute or longer
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup almond milk
  • 15 drops of liquid stevia
  • 1/4 cup sugar-free honey
  • 6 tablespoons cinnamon or pumpkin spice
  • OPTIONAL: 2 tablespoons olive oil I prefer it without to be honest

Ingredients for the refined sugar free muffin are

  • 4 eggs
  • 1 and a half cups of almond flour
  • 1/3 cup ground flax seed
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup almond milk
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 6 tablespoons cinnamon or pumpkin spice
  • OPTIONAL: 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions
 

  • 1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees farenheit and get a muffin tin or some muffin/cupcake holders ready.
  • 2. Whisk the eggs in a bowl and then add and mix in the rest of your ingredients
  • 3. Pour the mixture into your tin or holders and then put into the oven for 13 minutes.
Sugar free and refined sugar free muffins

Voila! Easy, fluffy and delicious sugar-free or refined sugar-free muffins!! Enjoy with some sugar-free jam on top, honey, some berry compote, with coconut whipped cream or any way you choose. If you make them, tag me in your photo and hashtag it #fridayfare so I can find you 🙂

Hope you enjoyed this post and I look forward to seeing your recreations!

Honestly yours,
Alice

Friday Fare, Health

Friday Fare – Honestly Fitness Delights

March 19, 2014

I’m finally on spring break!!! … Although it is hardly a break, sigh. I only get one measly week off (in England I got 5 weeks off, how crazy is that?) and I just have so much to do, and so little time. Luckily for you all, I MAKE the time to develop yummy and healthy treats for you all such as these Honestly Fitness delights!

Honestly Fitness Delights

Honestly Fitness Delights raw dessert balls

I created my Honestly Fitness Delights a few months ago and I am excited to share them with you. What makes them so fun and easy is the fact that there is no baking involved whatsoever. You just mix together the ingredients and put it in the fridge for an hour (or you can just eat them straightaway hehe) and they’re done! If you’re like me (who can be verrry lazy .. sometimes ..) and just want something yummy and sweet NOW, not in an hour or two, these will save you.

The Honestly Fitness Delights are refined sugar-free, grain-free and dairy free so they are great for those who have these intolerances. They contain a healthy mix of fats, complex carbohydrates, proteins and various vitamins and minerals. Flax seed is a great source of omega-3’s and just fun and crunchy to eat in general.

Honestly Fitness Delights

Alice Williams
Guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth in a healthy manner.
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Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup + 2tbsp almond flour
  • 4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 6 tbsp apple sauce
  • 2 tsp coconut oil
  • 4 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 tbsp flaxseed
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions
 

  • Optional: liquid stevia for added sweetness
  • 1. Combine all of the ingredients in a big bowl and mix well until the 'batter' becomes dark brown in colour.
  • 2. Either roll them into little dough balls, or leave them in the bowl and roll them into dough balls later, and then store in the fridge for an hour. Storing them overnight seems to produce the best flavor, but honestly they taste good anytime!
Honestly Fitness Delights raw dessert balls

 

Honestly Fitness Delights raw dessert balls

So there you have it! A really easy and healthy snack that you can count on to keep you full and satisfied. As fab as they are though, don’t eat the whole batch in one sitting as almond flour is relatively high in calories. Spread it out over the week and share it with your friends and family : )

Hope you all have a great weekend, and a great spring break for any of you who are now on it!

Honestly yours,
Alice

 

Health

What is healthy?

March 18, 2014

what is healthy

This is going to be a short post, just a ‘what’s on my mind’ post to discuss the topic of what is healthy.

A friend of mine who is doing her MA at Cambridge (smart little cookie) is attending what sounds like a fascinating talk at the Cambridge Science Festival about ‘Why we know so little about the effect of diet on health. And why so much is written about it.’

It sounds fascinating, and I am so glad that this issue is finally getting talked in general! My whole mantra at Honestly Fitness is about the myths spewed by the diet and fitness industry, and how we are bombarded with so many empty and meaningless claims. What does it even mean to be healthy? Is it even possible to create a ‘one size fits all’ in terms of being healthy when everyone is unique in their own special (and genetic) way?

It’s an interesting question and certainly not something I know the answer to. Drawing from personal experience though, I have found that living a healthy and fit lifestyle is truly an individual and unique process. Some people thrive off of eating 80% fruit and vegetables, whereas some thrive off of a largely meat based diet. I feel as if the only universal rule of thumb is enjoy things in moderation, because frankly a lot of studies out there, scientific or not, have been sponsored by someone or other with an agenda. So although I try and give you the most reliable data I can, do what feels best for your body! I personally eat a wide array of foods although my body definitely likes a higher carbohydrate, higher fat and lower (NOT LOW, LOWER) carbohydrate diet.

Always take everything with a pinch of salt, and try not to get so drawn in by shocking headlines like ‘KALE HAILED TO BE THE NUMBER 1 SUPERFOOD OF ALL TIME’ hehe. Be curious! Do some extra research and make your own conclusions about whether you want to include something in your diet.

That’s all I wanted to say 🙂

Honestly yours,
Alice