Stress Buster Mint Chocolate Chip Smoothie

Mint+Chocolate = quite possibly the best combination ever.

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

Healthy Eating doesn't have to be boring.

So when your under stress there should be no excuses to reach for the junk food right?

Stress and anxiety increase levels of cortisol (the number one chemical released during stressful times) in your body and overtime can contribute to weight gain. So when the going gets tough what do you do?

Here's a few tips that I find helpful:

• Always make sure you get a good breakfast. Skipping meals will cause your blood sugar to drop along with your metabolism and will only make you more irritable.
• Get some exercise and make sure its something you like to do. It's really amazing how even just a little exercise can help you blow off steam. Walking is one of the easiest forms of exercise you can do. Personally I love to lift weights, golf, bike and I can't even tell you how excited I am to hit the hills this winter and get back to snowboarding.
• Keep a food journal so you can account for everything you've eaten. At the same time you can plan your meals ahead of time. This way you're less likely to go rummaging through the cupboards.
• Get some shut eye. Face it. You can't accomplish anything as a zombie. Listen to your body's signals and you'll do just fine. A 10 or 20 minute nap can improve muscle memory and clear the brain of useless built-up information.
• Eat your greens. Spinach in particular is high in magnesium which improves your body's response to stress and stops your blood pressure from rising.

This smoothie is made up of healthy foods that will actually tame your feelings of anxiety and can be whizzed up in no time. It contains raspberries which are highly potent with antioxidants that actually counteract the production of cortisol.

Magnesium rich spinach also helps to regulate cortisol levels and promote a feeling of well being by producing serotonin. You know, that feel good brain chemical that maintains your emotional balance. Just a cup has 40% of your RDA.

Pure 100% alkalized Cocoa powder; yes chocolate! And the darker the chocolate the better. That's because it contains flavonoids and phenethylamine, an organic compound found in plants that enhances your mood. The addition of mint in this smoothie will also promote healthy digestion and a calm tummy.

So take a step back from your day, take a deep breath, and the make this replenishing smoothie. Go ahead, it tastes like dessert! And my favourite part about it; you can enjoy it anytime of day.

Stress Buster Mint Chocolate Chip Smoothie  (serves 1)

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Ingredients:

• 1 frozen banana
• 1/3 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
• 1 tbsp 100% pure cocoa powder
• 1 generous handful of spinach
• 3 large leaves of fresh mint
• 1/2 scoop of vanilla SUNWARRIOR protein powder or protein powder of your choice
• 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend away until well combined, thick and creamy.
2. Serve immediately and top with a sprinkle of unsweetened shredded coconut.

There's snow in the forcast next week!

Wishful thinking? ;)

Healthy Pumpkin Scuffins with Raisins

I know what you're probably thinking. . .What the heck is a "scuffin"?!

Well it's a blend between a scone and a muffin! The texture is somewhere in between, hence the reason for the name "scuffin". It's not quite flaky like a scone, but not quite fluffy like a muffin either. It's almost cookie like.

I could also have called these muffin tops; you know the part of the muffin you love to tear off and eat first? Or last? Depending on your personality. Accept these wont fill you out like a muffin will. Nope. You know why? They are full of nutrients, calcium, vitamin A, fiber, and protein. And as an added bonus they are entirely gluten free, vegan and sugar free.

Pumpkin is a wonderful substitute for sugar in baked goods.

Perfect with a glass a milk or almond milk for a gluten free option.

My goal when making these was to come up with a very healthy snack that could double as breakfast or an addition to breakfast. I really love baked oatmeal and that is exactly what these scuffins are. There is nothing in these that I would not eat in a bowl of porridge! How is that for healthy? Except the salt of course, but trust me when I say you need a tiny pinch when baking.

They make for a perfect light snack or as a great alternative to your morning bowl of oatmeal to mix things up a little. Especially when you spread some almond butter on top! Oh! Try taking two, spread some almond butter in between and you've got yourself an excellent baked oatmeal cookie breakfast sandwich! Are you as excited as I am?

Healthy Pumpkin Scuffins with Raisins {Vegan & Gluten Free}

Makes approximately 6 scuffins

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Ingredients:

• 1 cup gluten free steel cut oat flour (I grind my own using a coffee grinder/ food processor)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• chia egg: 1 tbsp chia seeds + 3 tbsp water
• 1 cup canned, pure pumpkin
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup raisins

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F. In a small bowl, mix the chia seeds with water and set aside. In a large bowl, thoroughly whisk together the oat flour, baking powder, sea salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and rolled oats.
2. In a small bowl mix together pumpkin, vanilla, and chia egg. Add to the dry ingredients and, using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir until just combined. Stir in raisins.
3. Scoop a 1/4 cup of the cookie dough for each scuffin onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using your hands or a spatula, shape the dough into rounds to resemble muffin tops and slightly flatten. Bake for 25 minutes.

...And because I love you all, I've added a nutritional profile for these!

Nutritional Info: (Per Scuffin) 219 Calories, 3.2 grams fat, 0.6 grams sat. fat, 129 mg sodium, 40 g Total Carbohydrates, 5.3 grams fiber, 9.5 grams protein, 3% vitamin A, 18% calcium, 12% iron

*Note: You can you pre-ground nutmeg but if you grate your own from whole nutmeg you will never want to go back to pre-ground again. It's that good.

I should tell you that these scuffins are not overly sweet because that wasn't my intension when making them. That's why I added the raisins. However, if you would like them to be a tad sweeter you could add  1/2 cup or so of maple syrup or honey, or add a few drops of stevia, which is a clean alternative to reagular sugar. I love these just the way they are though and I hope you do as well.