Browsing Tag

coconut water

Health, Travel

Healthy Travel Snacks

November 25, 2014

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and for the majority of us, some form of travel is involved. Whether it be by car, bus, train or airplane, travelling isn’t the kindest on our health as it can be hard to find healthy options on the road or in the sky. I wanted to compile a little list (cute graphic included) of some easily portable and healthy travel snacks and foods that can be easily found, to help prevent any nasty episodes involving greasy burgers and snacks with little nutritional content. 

Healthy Travel SNacks

Healthy Travel Snacks packed full of protein

1. Fruit

Fruit is a great choice as it can be bought from a variety of different places, and is a great source of carbohydrates and various minerals and vitamins. Some good choices are apples and pears (lots of fiber to fill you up), bananas and dates (for an energy rich fruit for those long journeys) and strawberries and blueberries (low in calories, and high in fiber and antioxidants).

2. Nuts

Nuts are light and last for ages, so make a great travel snack buddy. Some good options are unsalted almonds, cashews, and walnuts. Pair it with some fruit for a snack which will keep you full and satisfied due to the great combination of healthy fats, protein and carbohydrates.

3. Quest Bars

I LOVE quest bars! I do not normally go for protein bars, as most are essentially just a repackaged candy bar, but quest protein bars have a stellar nutritional profile. Cookies and Cream is my favorite flavor and per bar, it is 180 calories, 21g of protein, 17g of fiber (!!!) and only 1g of sugar. Keep a pack with you and I guarantee it will keep you full and satisfied on your travel journeys.

4. Coconut water 

You can’t take in liquids (unless they’re under 100ml which is nothing) on airplanes, so stock up on coconut water if you are travelling on land. I absolutely love coconut water, and particularly Harmless Harvest coconut water. Click here to read why coconut water is such a great drink and all about Harmless Harvest.

5. Grain-free, refined sugar-free fudge brownies

Hehe, okay, shameless self recipe promotion. But hey, they would make great travel snacks! Not only can you pack them into a tupperware box, they are low in sugar, low in carbohydrates, high in protein and healthy fats. And they are gluten-free; gluten-free healthy options will probably be difficult to come across. Click here for the recipe (it’s easy to make, don’t worry).

6. Latte

Latte’s; they are on the list because you can get a latte anywhere and it is a great way to stay alert if you are on a long road trip. Again, you can’t really take a latte with you on a plane, although most airports will have a coffee shop where you can enjoy a latte before your flight. If you ask for a non-fat and no whip latte, this is a good way to get some protein in and some calcium. Plus as a graduate student, I am just really addicted to latte’s … stop judging me 😛

 These are my 6 picks for healthy travel snacks which you can bring anywhere, with some snack options which should be easy to find no matter where you travel. I hope they prove useful and help make your travels a little easier 🙂

What do you usually bring to snack on when you go for road trips or plane trips?

Honestly yours,
Alice

Health, Products I love

Harmless Harvest Coconut Water + Giveaway!

November 7, 2014

Let’s talk coconut water

Harmless Harvest is the best commercially sold coconut water I have tasted. Bold statement, isn’t it? And for those of you who have been long-time followers of Honestly Fitness, you know my philosophy is to let you make your own decision based on the facts that I provide for you. But being someone who is a bit of a coconut water snob (come on, I grew up in Thailand after all!), I can happily say that Harmless Harvest is one of the best coconut waters on the market that I have tasted so far. Most commercial coconut waters have a weird and unflavorful taste which just makes me sad. I hate to think that people will get a negative image over coconut water from trying some of the unpleasant coconut waters that are on the market. 

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I wanted to hold this giveaway so that I could let two lucky people experience for themselves why this is the best coconut water on the market [details at the end of the post].

Who are Harmless Harvest?

Not only do they make the best tasting (raw and organic) coconut water out there, but Harmless Harvest have an ecosystem based business model. What does this mean? This means that Harmless Harvest “respects each person and community contributing to the creation and purchase of a product”. They are committed to sustainable farming, environmental conservation, supporting research and development for better foods and sourcing,  and the community at large. They are a unique company and one that I fully support for their ethical efforts and their incredible coconut water.

You can read more about them by visiting their website: http://www.harmlessharvest.com

What makes the coconut water so great?

Most coconut waters are from concentrate, whereas Harmless Harvest coconut waters are raw and undergo high pressure processing. Harmless Harvest coconut waters undergo high pressure processing to protect the flavor and extend their shelf life. A really quirky aspect of their coconut waters which made me a little hesitant at first was the fact that some are pink! Yeah, you heard right. My first pink coconut water was met with a “Uhh, I’ve never cracked open a coconut to see pink water before …”. But never fear; Harmless Harvest explain that some coconut waters are pink because “some bottles turn pink with time due to varying levels of antioxidants, or phenols, interacting with light”. Does that make sense? Coconut waters in a coconut cannot go pink because they are never exposed to the sun. These coconut waters are stored in a clear bottle which can expose them to sunlight. They are still completely safe to drink and actually rather pretty!

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Furthermore, coconut water is extremely healthy for you. They contain many vitamins and minerals including high levels of potassium which is crucial for the proper function of your cells, tissues and organs. It is also low in calories and naturally fat and cholesterol free. I love having coconut water as a sweet and healthy alternative to drinks high in sugar such as soda.

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How do I win some Harmless Harvest coconut water?

Oh, it is so easy! Follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter box below to see how to gain entries. It is mandatory to leave a blog post comment, and then there are lots of other options to help you gain more entries such as following Harmless Harvest on their Twitter and Instagram, and liking them on Facebook.

There will be two winners. Each winner will receive 3 coupons which will allow them to buy Harmless Harvest coconut waters 🙂

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck to you all. I can’t wait for you to try this delicious coconut water!

Honestly yours,
Alice

Disclaimer: I did not receive compensation to write this post. I was given coupons to review Harmless Harvest. Reviews always remain my own and unbiased opinions. I made my own opinions on Harmless Harvest months before I was given the coupons to review.

Fitness

Kayla Itsines Round 2 – Week 5

October 26, 2014
Kayla Itsines Round 2 - Week 5

I cannot believe it has already been a month since I have started! This month has been so full of workouts, food, friends, ups and downs. It is amazing how much can happen in a month.

Kayla Itsines Round 2 – Week 5

I was really nervous for this week because even though all of the Kayla Itsines workouts are hard, things really get turned up a notch for weeks 5-7 and weeks 6-8. Needless to say, my body felt like lead for most of this week! The arm workout was definitely the most challenging for me though due to the crazy combo of mountain climber push ups, decline push ups, and tricep dips with legs raised. I was only able to get through 1 and a half sets of each arms and abs workout and it was so hard driving back home after lol. I am excited to see how much stronger I get over the next few weeks though and I welcome the challenge (and having my arms more toned!). The abs and cardio workout wasn’t bad at all although I still couldn’t get through 2 sets of each circuit :/ One circuit had 3 minutes of jump rope (which only gave me 4 minutes to run through the rest of the exercises) and in the other circuit, the raised leg sit ups really take me a while to get through. Does anyone else take a while doing raised leg sit ups?

Kayla Itsines Round 2 - Week 5

Food wise, this was a great week. I have been obsessed with eating warm brown rice and chicken salad with this fabulous sun dried tomato and herb goat cheese that I picked up at Safeway. It is delicious, healthy and surprisingly quite filling. I also picked up some sprouted ancient grains tortillas at Whole Foods on Friday and have been using that to make delicious turkey wraps with tzatziki. I was particularly hungry during the weekend (think ‘that time of the month’) so I ate a little more than usual. Ooh, and I got an amazing health package delivered to me on Friday by the kind people at Purity Organic! Purity Organic are a local and San Francisco based company that make organic juices, teas and coconut water. Everything I have tasted so far has been so delicious and I am excited to slowly make my way through everything they have to offer 🙂

[Tweet “Make this easy & healthy salad – 2C salad leaves, 1/2C brown rice, grilled chicken, sundried tomato and herb goat cheese!”]

Kayla Itsines Round 2 - Week 5

Along with the usual 10 million hours of studying in the library, I attended the Breast Cancer Walk in golden gate park this Saturday morning. It was so much fun! A family friend of mine died from cancer not too long ago and my godfather died of throat cancer, so I loved to think that I was helping out a great cause today. I gave my friends some juice and coconut water which the kind people over at Purity Organic gave me, and they loved them!

Kayla Itsines Round 2 - Week 5

Kayla Itsines Round 2 - Week 5

Today is rest day (from fitness anyway, I spent the whole day in the library as per usual lol)! 

What did you get up to this weekend?

Honestly yours,
Alice xx

P.S. If you missed it, make sure you check out my review on The Balanced Blonde app by clicking here.