Unexpected benefits of 12WBT!

Many of my readers know I did the 12WBT last year, and frankly, it just wasn't my thing. I did get some really good things out of it though - firstly my mindset to weight loss changed. I can honestly say, I threw away all my excuses. If I do the wrong thing now, I am fully accountable. That is huge for me.

I also realised that a plan that does the thinking for you takes away your power - it makes your weight loss dependent on other people. WELL OF COURSE!!! How would they make money if we could all do it ourselves - so the programs don't foster autonomy, they tell you what to think, but don't really teach you how to think.  So the next really good thing I got, was autonomy. I realised about 2 weeks into the round that it would be my only one - and I was gettin' my money's worth. I learned what I could - and expanded on it. I got control of my own weight loss.

I changed my mindset from 'weight loss' to wellness. Quite frankly, I don't give a flying f%&k about my weight anymore. I want to be well, fit, healthy and strong. Numbers mean nothing to me. I want to nourish my body, feel energised, happy and loved.

The most amazing thing that came out of 12WBT for me is Renée. I didn't go into 12WBT expecting to find a best friend, but I did. I am grateful every day that I did meet her though. She is beautiful, smart, funny, a bit of a dork (we Star Wars quote all the time), an amazing Mum and wife, and a very strong and awesome woman. She has lost over 55kg which is just unbelievable to me..... that is the weight of my friend B!!!! Renée and I both had such similar upbringings, and we both grew up with the same self esteem issues. There have been periods in our lives we have both been burdened by depression, anxiety and shame. We both chose food as our primary drug of choice to help us deal with stressors in our life.

We often joke about how similar we are, we really are like two sides of the same coin. We communicate almost every day, sometimes many, many, many times a day - and if we don't it's so weird - that we have to before bed! I can honestly say, I've loved very few people as much as I do her - she is family. She inspires me, she makes me laugh, she supports me when I'm low, and she picks me up - helps me dust myself off and get back to it. When I'm upset, sometimes just a text from her is all I need to smile.  I love her, and I'm so glad I did 12WBT or I would never have met her.

Well, actually - I have never actually met her!! You see, she lives in another state. So we spend lots of time on the computer, phones texting etc.... but we have not been face to face yet! In April, we are travelling to Melbourne, to meet. We are staying with my brother, seeing a comedy show and we are going t have an awesome time. I am so excited!!!!

We have both been struggling a bit of late, we have both really gone off the rails with our nutrition, and training. She has put on some weight, and it is really, really getting her down. It's really upset me - I can't just see her to give her a hug like you're supposed to - we can't just go out for a coffee or a drink to talk about it. It's kinda a pain.

We have decided to embark on a 3 day detox, followed by a really amazing, yummy healthy meal plan that will have us feeling ourselves in no time. We have made a commitment to each other to follow the plan, work out 5/6 days a week, and to support each other. I feel so blessed to have her in my life, and to have her supporting me on my journey to wellness.

I just hope that she knows she can always lean on me, because we all need somebody to lean on...... yep, sounds to me like we need some old school 80's!!

Guilt Free Honey Joys!

These are basically the ingredients I used for my honey joys. It isn't at all difficult to make them. For me, it was just a matter of getting better quality cornflakes, with less sodium and sugar, replacing the cup of icing sugar with a better quality sweetener, and replacing the butter with a better quality oil. With most of my recipes, I try to incorporate a superfood - just because you can never have too many..... so I picked white chia for this one.

This recipe is nut free/gluten free/wheat free/ dairy free. 

Melt in a saucepan

100g coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp Stevia

2 Tbsp Rapadura Sugar (or organic raw sugar if you have it) 

1 egg - which is used to emulsify the ingredients. If you don't use egg, add another 2 Tbsp coconut oil

once melted add 2 Tbsp white chia seeds.


Add too 3 cups of Corn Flakes - I use freedom foods low sugar/sodium corn flakes and mix well.

Place mix into 24 patty pans, and put in moderate oven for 15 mins.

The kids won't even know these are a healthy alternative! They taste just like the real thing, but with a fraction of the refined sugar, salt, animal fats.

Enjoy xx




NB. I would like to state that I no way commercially endorse any of these product. This blog is not a sponsored blog - I use these products because at the time of publishing, they are the best I can source in a small country town!

Puffed Chocolate Slice

My son started at school yesterday - and my daughter doesn't go back till Monday. We have had a kitchen date planned for weeks,  her and I - alone, no boys ............. just some cooking.

Yesterday at the wholefoods we got some puffed rice. They have only rice. No sodium or sugar, no sulphates - just rice. We were looking for something to make with them, so we decided to make a slice.

In a saucepan combine -

100g Coconut oil
100g Cohpa (which is also a coconut oil - but is hydrogenated and has soy lecithin ---- but is much cheaper)
4 tablespoons Honey
2 tablespoons Stevia (or  1/4 cup organic RAW sugar)
1 egg white

The coconut oil has a very low melt point - much lower than the honey/sweetner -  it will not mix with the other ingredients. The egg white will emulsify all the ingredients when whisked together.

In a bowl combine

2 1/2 cups puffed rice
4 Tbsp Cocoa or Raw cacao
1 cup dried cranberries (or any dried fruit)
1/4 cup peppitas
3 tbs chia seeds
1/4 cup shredded coconut

Once the ingredients in the saucepan are melted and combined, (they will thicken like a gravy) add them to the dry ingredients and press them into a tray that has been lined with non stick paper. Place in fridge to solidify

Melt 50g carob (or chocolate if you prefer) and melt in the microwave. Place melted chocolate into a snap - lock bag, and cut off the tip. Pipe over the slice. Add nuts and seeds on top if desired.



We made this recipe today (making it up as we went along) and were so happy with the final result. It made around 24 serves - and looks like it'll be a lunchbox fave!

xx

Healthy Eggplant Parmigiana

Eggplant Parma with Cauliflower mash and green beans. 

I always hated eggplant. My friend Bek, made a great eggplant parma for Mr C.K one day, which I tasted and fell in love. Me being me, I had to try to put a healthy spin on a breaded deep fried classic - this is what I came up with. Ingredients (to make 4)

1 Eggplant cut into inch thick slices

1/4 cup rolled quinoa

1/4 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup wholemeal breadcrumbs

4 stalks parsley

50 grams silken tofu or 50 grams feta chese 

Small bunch basil leaves (reserve 1/2 for sauce)

Tablespoon Natural Yoghurt

Clove of Garlic

1/2 red onion

1 tin diced tomatoes

60g reduced fat cheese shredded

60g Parmesan cheese  shredded 

Put quinoa, oats, breadcrumbs, parsley and 2tbs parmesan into blender and blend till fine. 

Mix tofu and Yoghurt until smooth then coat one side of the eggplant with tofu mix (about 5mm thick) then layer basil leaves over tofu mix. Then lightly coat entire eggplant slice with tofu and yoghurt mix. (alternitevely use egg as a binding agent instead of tofu and yoghurt)

Press into crumb mix.

Heat rice bran oil in pan, and cook eggplant in oil until brown. Then put on cooling rack in a baking tray to cook in oven at 180 for 15 minutes. 

Dice onion, garlic and reserved basil and fry gently until onion becomes translucent, add tinned tomatoes and simmer. 

Remove eggplant schnitzel from oven, top with napoli sauce and cheeses and return to oven until cheese is brown. Serve while cheese is bubbling and hot......

Recipes

So I put it out there today - do people want me to share some of my experimental cooking with them. I love using different ingredients to see if I can healthify some of the classic dishes - or add extra nutrients in some way. Many of my friends responded really positively to the suggestion I share - so I shall do just that. I hope you guys enjoy them as much as we do!!

xx