Thanksgiving Grain-Free Pumpkin Bars

Honestly thought I put these on the blog last week, apparently I only shared the link - BUT - I'm not kidding you when I say that these are hands down the most delicious, healthy & clean eating treats I have ever tasted. 

I shared the recipe on my own personal facebook and a handful of my friends also made them - one thing that we all agree on is that these Grain Free Pumpkin Bars are to die for (not to mention totally pan worthy - as in, I could probably eat the whole pan by myself...).

But I digress - I'll start off by saying that this recipe is NOT my own creation, I came across this little gem while hunting for some delicious fall recipes at The Detoxinista - so please note that the recipe and ALL credit go to her! To see the recipe on her site, in its natural habitat - go here! She also has many other amazing clean eating recipes that look delish!

I'll stop rambling now so you can get to what you really came here for...

Grain Free Pumpkin Bars

(fills one 8" by 8" pan!)

  Photo credit: Detoxinista

1/2 cup almond butter 
1/2 cup pumpkin puree 
1/3 cup raw honey (or you can sub stevia, I used about 7 little packets in mine and they were still just as good) 
2 eggs 
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 
1 tsp vanilla extract 
1/4 tsp salt 
1/2 tsp baking soda

Directions 

1.    Preheat oven to 350 and grease an 8” by 8” pan well with coconut oil or butter
2.    Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well until a smooth batter forms
3.    Transfer the batter to your greased pan and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the center is firm
4.    Allow to cool in the pan (or not if you are like me and can’t wait…)
5.    Cut, Serve & ENJOY!

I mean come on people - you have got to give these a shot... she even makes a maple pecan glaze to go on them - can someone say delicious! (Though I must say that I have absolutely no problem eating them without that delicious mapley goodness)

These would be the perfect, healthy thanksgiving treat for you and your family! The whole crew will love them, so long as they enjoy pumpkin and things that are delicious!

Hoping that you all have a fab week leading up to Thanksgiving!

Enjoy xx

#TheSimpleLife

Ever get the urge to simplify the things in your life?

Sometimes it’s nice to do the same thing for our bodies and what we’re putting into them. 

So our challenge to you, should you choose to accept it, is to try to only eat foods (any and all packaged & processed foods) that have 5 or less ingredients in them. 

The number of ingredients in any food item is usually quite telling of how processed that food actually is. I say "usually" because there are certain foods that might have less than 5 ingredients and still be terrible for you AND others that may have more than 5 ingredients and be perfectly okay (think of a bag of trail mix with a bunch of nuts & seeds!).

In his book “Food Rules,” Michael Pollan touches on this idea by suggesting the following:

“Avoid food products that contain more than five ingredients. The specific number you adopt is arbitrary, but the more ingredients in a packaged food, the more highly processed it probably is. Note 1: A long list of ingredients in a recipe is not the same thing; that’s fine. Note 2: Some products now boast, somewhat deceptively, about their short ingredient lists. Häagen-Dazs has a new line of ice creamed called ‘five.’ Great–but it’s still ice cream. Same goes for the three-ingredient Tostitos corn chips advertised by Frito-Lay–okay, but they’re still corn chips.”

Beyond the 5 ingredient “Rule” some other great food rules you may want to consider:

• Not eating things you CAN’T PRONOUNCE
• Not eating things if you DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE
• Not eating things that you CAN’T BUY IN THE STORE (ingredient wise “Oh I was just looking for the Trisodium Phosphate, do you happen to know which Aisle it’s in?”)

Basically it’s all about simplifying what you’re putting into you body! Remember most likely if what you’re eating was made in a plant – you’ll probably need a plant to digest it!

9 Superfoods To Jazz Up Your Shakes & Smoothies

Just in case you didn't think you morning shake was already fab enough - check out these 9 great SUPERFOODS you can add in for an extra nutritional burst:

You're welcome!

OH, if you make a smoothie that turns out to be the most delicious thing you've ever sipped on, drop us a line and let us know! Find us on facebook, tweet us @jqfitness or send us an email at bootcamp@jqfitness.com and tell us all about it!

TGIF :)

Shake It Baby, Shake It

Don’t get me wrong, I LUV eggs – but every once and a while they just don’t cut it for me, and when I hit that humpty dumpty wall I turn to nutritious, protein filled (legit the most delish tasting things I’ve ever had) shakes and smoothies!

To continue on our breakfast push this week I figured I would share two of my all time FAVE shake recipes with ya’ll - just ‘cause I like you so much ;)

So without further ado…

Blueberry Blast Shake (Dr. Chris Mohr)

This is seriously my go to. Makes the most delicious shake every single time!

1 Cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 banana (frozen or regular – make sure its peeled though! lol)

1/2 Cup blueberries (I use the MOOV frozen blueberries from Costco – LUV ‘em!)

1 Scoop unflavoured or vanilla protein powder (I use vanilla – it’s divine!)

 

Stick everything in a blender and mix for about 30 seconds or until smooth.

*I also add greens to this one, just because I can, and you don’t even taste it!

Double Layer Mango/Raspberry Shake

This shake is so cool looking with two colourful layers; even your kids will luv it!

1 Cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 Cup frozen mango

1/2 Cup strawberries

1 Scoop unflavoured or vanilla protein powder (once again I used vanilla – LUV me some vanilla powder!!)

Blend together the milk, mango & protein powder until smooth. Pour half into a glass.  Add the strawberries & blend again until smooth. Pour slowly on top of the first layer! Voila!

PS. You could even do a third layer with greens like spinach or kale!

Hope this inspires you to go out and shake it up!

If you want to check out some more fabulous recipes, head over to our Bootcamp Recipes Resource and you’ll find some more healthy, delicious shake recipies just waiting for you!

Happy Shake Trails!

The Breakfast Club

You’ve all heard the saying before, “breakfast is the most important meal of day,” maybe you’ve bought into it – or maybe you haven’t… The truth of the matter is that breakfast plays a fundamental role in setting the stage for your day both physically & metabolically – and what you eat for breakfast can be just as important as if you eat breakfast at all.

First things first though…

Obviously before we can talk about what to eat for breakfast you’ve got to know why you should even bother eating breakfast in the first place.  Here’s a snapshot of some of the effects that skipping breakfast can have on your body…

You Lose Energy 

Calories are a measure of energy -- the more calories you take in, the more energy your body is able to produce. When you skip breakfast, your body may not have enough energy to perform its daily functions. The body may start taking energy stored as glucose from your tissues, which can cause you to feel tired and lethargic. If you skip breakfast, you are more likely to experience a mid-morning slump that can leave your thinking cloudy.

 Your Hunger Increases 

One of the reasons why those who eat breakfast are better able to maintain their weight is because they stave off hunger by eating a healthy breakfast. When you skip breakfast, your stomach sends signals to your brain that it is empty, and you begin to experience hunger pangs. The longer you wait, the more your hunger grows. If you’ve skipped breakfast, you are more likely to reach for unhealthy snack options, such as convenience foods high in fat and sugar -- like a candy bar from a vending machine, a doughnut or a large bagel. Over time, this can contribute to weight gain.

 Your Metabolism Drops 

Your body’s metabolism is the rate at which you burn calories for daily life functions. The faster your metabolism, the faster you burn off foods you eat, which helps you maintain a healthy weight. Think of your metabolism like stoking a fire. If you constantly stoke the fire, you will be consistently warm. If you let the fire run out and re-light it, you will experience temperature fluctuations. The same is true for your metabolism. If you keep it burning by eating breakfast, you will burn more calories all day instead of experiencing fluctuations in metabolism that reduce your body’s ability to burn calories.

You Gain Weight 

Weight gain is ultimately the body’s result of skipped breakfast meals. Because skipping breakfast slows your metabolism and increases your hunger, this can add up to extra calories over time. Also, because you feel fatigued, you may not be able to engage in as much physical activity, which also can contribute to weight gain.

Source: Livestrong – The Effects of Skipping Breakfast 

So now that we've hopefully convinced you that eating breakfast is indeed a good idea, it’s important to know that what you eat for breakfast can be just as important as if you eat breakfast at all… 

Ditch those refined boxed cereals, sugary pastries, and unluved carbohydrates (like bagels and croissants!). When you eat these sugary/refined cereals, pastries and unluved carbs for breakfast, you’re sending your body on a blood-sugar roller coaster ride. All of those unluved carbs are going to spike your insulin levels and leave you feeling lethargic and hungry again once they drop – making you more likely to reach for another unhealthy snack-a-roo at the office or on-the-go fix to address that mid morning slump.  This can be an unending cycle as you reach for snack after snack as your blood sugar keeps on spiking and dipping… you get the picture.

So many of the traditional breakfast foods that have been marketed to us for years as the healthy, whole grain option are nothing more than sugary garbage, packaged and presented so nicely by the food industry...these foods are no good for your energy levels and even worse for fat burning! Break the cycle and start your day off right!

Instead, focus on having a larger, more satisfying breakfast each day with a higher protein content that will help keep you full and satisfied throughout the day – and won’t send your blood sugar on that crazy roller coaster ride we talked about earlier.  A protein shake with berries & even spinach (trust me you won’t even taste it) is a staple for my mornings! Or you could try an omelette with fresh veggies and free-range eggs, or if that takes too much time, make it a scramble – you can whip it together in less than 10 minutes!

These higher protein breakfasts will help to regulate your blood sugar, while at the same time providing your body with the energy it needs to function, and as an added bonus it will kick-start your metabolism to help you burn fat more effectively throughout the day, and I mean...who doesn’t like that?

Happy Breakfast-ing!

P.S. Stay tuned this week as I share my favourite shake recipe with you all!

Deliciously Grain Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Y’all ready for this? Prepare yourselves for what you're about to experience…

Cookies! But not just any old, flour-packed, sugar-laden, unhealthy little morsel. These bad boys are totally clean eating, and a little bit healthy to boot (well, not if you eat the whole batch…. But I digress) plus they are also grain free which we think is awesome.

These will make a fabulous weekend treat that your whole family will LUV!

Ch-ch-check it out!

1 Cup Natural Creamy Peanut Butter (or even almond butter…I used half and half)

1/3 Cup Raw Honey (or you could 1/2 this and use a packet or 2 of stevia)

1 Egg (Free Range is best!)

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/4 tsp Salt

1/2 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (Note: If you wanted to be even healthier here you could use Carob Chips!)

1/3 Cup Hemp Hearts 

1.    Pre-heat your oven to 350

2.    Mix together the Honey and Peanut Butter

3.    Mix in the egg

4.    Add the Baking Soda, Salt, Chocolate Chips & Hemp Hearts

5.    Scoop 1Tbsp measurements of the cookie dough onto a baking tray covered in parchment paper and bake for 10-12 minutes

6.    Once you pull the cookies out, allow them to cool for a few minutes on the tray before transferring to a wire cooling rack

7.    Voila! Enjoy your cookies

Note: The dough is significantly more sticky than regular cookie dough, don’t worry it will all sort itself out into a deliciously Grain-Free treat!

Tell us how your cookies turned out! Tweet us @jqfitness or tell us about it on facebook!

Have a great weekend!

Easy Homemade Almond Butters

Almond Butter is becoming more and more popular! Here at JQ Fitness we LUV us some Almond Butter! It’s a great spread on fruits, a dip for celery and a great addition to some of your healthy baking ideas like those Pumpkin Bars I posted about yesterday (Check out the recipe right here if you missed it!) - which by the way were so totally delicious, and healthy to boot!

While it's becoming easier to find in grocery stores – it's always great to have a way to make it at home so that you know exactly what's going into your Almond Butter. You can control the amounts of added ingredients or simply make it straight up out of almonds! (Or really any other kind of nut that you wish to – mmm cashews!)

Check out this simple almond butter recipe down below! (note: timing is sort of unclear as I've heard mixed reports, but I think it takes around 20 minutes - so patience is indeed a virtue here!)

Doesn’t that look so yummy!?

Here are some other recipes for almond butter that you could try out (personally I think that vanilla cinnamon almond butter looks to die for!)

Homemade Almond Butter 

Cinnamon Raisin Almond Butter 

Chocolate Roasted Almond Butter 

Cinnamon Vanilla Almond Butter

Happy Nut Buttering!

P.S. if you decide to try your hand at any of these lovely looking Almond Butter recipes tweet us a photo @jqfitness or facebook us and tell us about it! We would LUV to know how it turned out!