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? ;)

Cashew Cookie Dough Bars a.k.a Homemade Larabars

These are very, very...

Addictive.

Just like little neatly wrapped gifts. Bars of Gold!

If you love Larabars like I do, then you must give these a try. They are a replica of the cashew cookie larabar. Now if you're wondering why the heck you would want to make these at home if you can just go to the store and buy one, I'll let you in on a little secret. They taste SO much better than the packaged ones! Sorry Larabar, I will still buy you, but these really are worth the extra effort.

Plus these are such a simple snack and are a cinch to make using only 2 wholesome ingredients. All you need to make them are dates and nuts. If you happen to be allergic to nuts you can swap the nuts for sunflower seeds.

They are awesome for healthy on-the-go snacking and can provide you with enough energy to get you through your workout (one of the main reasons I created these). In fact, I had one of these just before hitting the gym yesterday for a killer leg and bicep workout with repetitions of 3x20. Ouch! It sure boosted my energy, but I'm really feeling it now.

These are also totally gluten free, vegan and raw. And that's not to mention kids will love them too.

Cashew Cookie Dough Bars {Vegan, Raw & Gluten Free}

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Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw unsalted cashews
• 10 medjool dates, pitted (or 1 cup of regular dates)
• pinch of sea salt (optional)

Directions:

1. Pulse cashews in your food processor until finely chopped. Empty the nuts into a bowl.
2. Place the dates into the food processor and grind until roughly chopped into small pieces.
3. Now add the cashew nuts back to the food processor with the dates, add a pinch of sea salt if using, and pulse until well combined.
4. Form into bars.
5. Store in an air tight container or wrap individually in plastic wrap for convenience and refrigerate.

{Note}

*If you are using regular dates instead of medjool and the mix is not holding together, add 1-2 tablespoon of warm water.

*It is best to use medjool dates because they're much softer.

*If you are allergic to nuts, swap the cashews out for sunflower seeds.