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

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

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

Products I love, Sunday Summary

Sunday Summary: Kayla Itsines Week 1

March 2, 2014

Hey guys!

I hope you all have had a great week. I have to say that this week was a bit of a struggle for me, mentally and physically. I had a lot of work due this week, in the form of readings and presentations, and my attitude was just all over the place. It was pretty strange, but this whole week I have just been in a really negative place, and not feeling particularly happy about my body.

I know it seems silly, and it is pretty easy to mentally beat yourself up, but sometimes it just happens you know. I just want you all to know that you are not alone, and that life is not always perfect and amazing. I try my best to live a healthy and active lifestyle and sometimes things do not always go as planned. But you know what, it is alright, and the important thing is to stay focused on the bigger picture. So what if I may have overeaten this week, there are 52 weeks in a year. So what if my body doesn’t look exactly like the perfect ideal I have in my head? Everything takes time and patience is key. I have always have insecurities over my body and sometimes it is soooo hard to not listen to the little voices in my head telling me that I am not good enough. But what has always helped me (plus yoga now too) is keeping a positive outlook on life and reminding myself that I am doing the best that I can, and reminding myself how awesome I really am.

Kayla Itsines Week 1

Anyway, enough of all that. I bought the Kayla Itsines bikini body guide this week so hopefully that will help be battle my body insecurities over the next few weeks!

For those of you that do not know about Kayla, I talked about her briefly in last week’s Sunday Summary post. She is a very inspirational personal trainer that made waves in the world of social media, not only for her toned body and healthy lifestyle, but for her client transformations. She released her bikini body guide a few months ago and it is basically a complete 12 week training guide to help you achieve that bikini body look (toned abs, arms and legs). I have already completed most of the first week (just have one more workout left to do) and so far I love it!! She gives advice on cardio, and outlines a three week plan with specific workouts to do during the week which focuses on different parts of the body. The workouts really push you to your maximum and I am really excited to see the outcome at the end of the 12 weeks.

If you have any questions about her Kayla Itsine’s bikini body guide, leave me a question in the comments below. And if you are also doing the training guide, please let me know!! It is always great to find others on the same journey.

Cheers to a positive week everyone!

Honestly yours,
Alice

Fitness

Making your own home gym

March 2, 2014

Source: Background image from http://www.domundee.com/Condo-Pattaya-Luxury-Jomtien-Beachfront-Aeras-Condominium.html

Okay, so I know that not all of us are part of a gym. But that doesn’t mean you can’t work out and do all the same things that you could do at a gym (minus a few unless you’re willing to shell out some big bucks)! This post will give you a run through of some ‘must have’ pieces of equipment if you want to successfully workout at home.

1. A pair of dumbbells and/or a kettlebell
Dumbbells are imperative because lifting weights is one of the best ways to burn fat and shape your body. A good weight to start with is 5 pounds, preferably working up to 10 or 12 pounds. If you can also afford to get a kettlebell then I suggest you get one, preferably at a weight of 20 pounds or higher. Kettlebells differ from dumbbells because you activate more muscles when using them when you use them to do certain variations of exercises.

2. Resistance Band
Resistance bands are a MUST HAVE especially if you are always on the move! These can also be used for strength training and will help tone your muscles. Resistance bands offer a fun way to change up your routine so you don’t get bored, and a new way to challenge your muscles. There are also certain exercises you can only do with resistance bands which are faaaantastic for toning up the butt.

3. Exercise ball and/or bosu ball
I say exercise ball and/or exercise ball because unfortunately bosu balls are quite expensive. I recommend getting either an exercise ball or a bosu ball (or both!) because they can both be used for stabilization movements and again, as a new way to challenge your muscles.

4. Jump rope
Ahh the jump rope, once thought to only be used by school girls and boxers. The jump rope is an amazing and portable piece of equipment which offers a fantastic form of cardio and also a way to tone your arms and legs. I am a big fan of Michael Olajide Jr, who is the personal trainer of Adriana Lima, and the key component of their training is the jump rope. There are many Youtube videos that coach you on how to do jump rope variations, and jump rope workouts.

5. Super sliders
Hehe, okay so I am a little biased here but super sliders are AWESOME! Super sliders help you mimic moves from the pilates reformer and can be used in a variety of ways that really challenge your muscle in a new way. Anyone who has bought one and tried some of the moves from my super sliders video can certainly attest to that.

6. Foam Roller
If you are working out regularly, I seriously advise you to invest in a foam roller. Not only is it affordable (about $20), using a foam roller is like having a massage. The foam roller is a form of self myofascial release , which essentially means that you are rolling out the knots in your muscles which can become very tight with exercise and can cause your limbs to look slightly bulky.

So there you have it! I believe that if you have all the equipment I listed above, then there is no way you cannot achieve your fitness goals. Look online, read magazines and buy workout DVDs so that you can get ideas for what moves to do using these fitness pieces. An at-home pull up bar is also a great piece of equipment but probably not a necessity unless you are like me and desperate to build some upper body strength hehe.

Honestly yours,
Alice