The Week In Workouts!!

Hi there friendly friends and welcome to another Week In Workouts post!

Rest day is scheduled in for tomorrow and thus I thought I'd share with you what the previous working out days have looked like and a typical working out week for me at the moment!

Now I'm the type of person who needs to keep things changing and interesting to keep my motivation up. Last week my way of doing that was completing this insane Weekend Warrior Workout by Lifting Revolution that nearly killed me. Honestly it was one of the hardest workouts I've ever done. And it was awesome. :P

This week was a little less crazy, but still filled with fun, interesting and challenging workouts that left me wanting more every single day!

Saturday saw a brutally awesome full body and arm-focus workout that left my muscles shaking with enriching exhaustion:

 I started out with 12 full body lifts which involves picking up the barbell from a deadlift, hoisting it up to my chest, pushing above my head, back behind on my shoulders, low squat and then thrusting back up above my head, to chest to deadlift to ground- truly great warm-up to get the body warm and ready to go!!

 Following that I did 15 deadlifts with my new super heavy barbell I got for my 18th (I got a whole weight-lifitng set for my birthday :D Happy days!) and then 27 squats, the last 5 being low to the ground.

 And from there I went into my arm routine which involved biceps and triceps supersetted together so I didn't have to break so often!
Finishing off with another 12 full body barbells- nice!

Sunday was crazy HIIT day where I crushed out Fitness Blender's Climbing The Mountain workout- which will never fail to make me sweat!! Honestly, if you want to challenge your body- do this workout. By the time you get to 60 seconds through with only 15 seconds break in between- the pain will be real!

Monday= AB DAY!!

 I'm so proud how far my abs have come in the last few months- not only there occasional appearance but also the fact that I can feel how much stronger my core is and can amaze myself by some of the exercises I can now do that used to leave me crying on the floor! :P

 This session involved another fun challenge- Blogilate's 1000 abs challenge, followed by a medicine ball full body workout and then Fitness Blender's advanced weighted core workout, finishing off with Blogilate's Muffin Top Shredder Song Challenge (my favourite song challenge I think!!)

 This is me being super excited about seeing abs: :P

 As you know I like to train fasted as any food in my belly makes me feel nauseous (especially during intense workouts) and so it's so utterly important for me to get a good brekky into me following such rigorous exercise:

 Enter amazing breakfasts like this:

 A huge creamy, delicious green mango smoothie made with 1/2 large super ripe frozen mango, 1 frozen banana, 1 handful frozen zucchini, 5 chunks frozen spinach, 3 scoops greek yoghurt and a splash of water, along with a BIG heaping of mixed nuts (brazil nuts, walnuts, almonds and cashews)- absolutely perfect!!

 Tuesday featured another fav of mine: HIIT and run:

 Judging by the face you can probably tell it was a good one!!
This involved 2 Fitness Blender short HIIT workouts (a regular HIIT and a jump rope HIIT) followed by a 40-45min 7km slow recovery run- hit. the. spot:

 See, I'm happy really ^^ :P

Finally that brings us to today's workout before rest day which finished out the session quite similarly to how we started; with some weights:

 Today was more chest focused, still starting and ending with 12 full body barbell lifts but with a heck of a lot more bench presses, push-ups, dumbell flies, rows etc.

 The best parts about weights for me is seeing just how strong and capable I am. It makes me feel powerful and I truly love that feeling! Hence why I love adding it to my workout routine!!

 It's also pretty cool to see my muscles growing and my body transforming into a strong, powerful girl woman!

 BOOM:

 Again, refueling with the best:

 Berry cheesecake oats made with 1 cup rolled oats, 1 sliced banana, 1 handful frozen berries, 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk, 3/4 cup water- stirred over medium heat until absorbed (vigorously at the end for fluffiness and to fully incorporate banana) 2 scoops greek yoghurt stirred in at end and topped and tailed with crunchy peanut butter, coconut nut butter in the middle- NOM!

And all my other meals during the day have been filled with all the good stuff like these two dinners:

 Huge bowl of steamed veg (pumpkin, potato, broccoli, brussels, peas and chickpeas)

And this toasted roasted veggie sourdough seeded roll:

 Spread with hommus, topped with spinach, roasted pumpkin, parsnip, potato, white sweet potato, beetroot and swede- sooooo delicious!!

 Toasted up until golden and crispy in a sandwich press:

 So yes, that is what a typical work-out week looks like for me and I utterly love it! Something different every single day to keep my body guessing and challenging and testing my limits- keeps my body strong, keeps my mind strong and ultimately leaves me feeling like this:

Which is how every workout should!!

Your turn:
What was your favourite workout from the week?
Lifitng weights? Are you a fan?
Fav way to eat roasted veggies? I'm keen to try whazzing them up into a smoothie- I saw it on Instagram and now I'm intrigued- will get back to you on that one!!!

I hope you found today's post interesting and helpful! I just want to ensure you are working out for the pure pleasure and blessing of being able to move your body and enjoy it!! Have yourself a wonderful day, do something you love and as always; EAT SOMETHING DELICIOUS!! Bye for now friendly friends!!! :D

Top Breakfast of 2017!!

Hi there friendly faces and brace yourselves for a recipe that will change your life.

A recipe so delicious it will make you question your sanity in choosing to waste so many years of your life starting your day with a bowl of bland cereal, or dry toast with jam, or- and this pains me to even think about- no breakfast at all!!

This recipe will fill you with so many emotions that you won't know what to do with yourself and leave you with the kind of skepticism that can only be associated with the question; Can this really be good for me?

This recipe is a recipe for hot, gooey, chocolate brownies.

For breakfast.

Oh, and they're high protein, grain free, sugar-free and vegan.

Yep.

Super Fudgey Sweet Potato Protein Brownies

Yep, you read that right; the sneaky, secret ingredient in these bad boys that make them the wonder brownie they are is in fact steamed and mashed white sweet potato.

Now, if you've ever eaten steamed/ roasted white sweet potato on its own you would know the rich, fudge-like texture and beautifully sweet, addictive flavour this variety of sweet potato offers; it's almost as though you are eating a delicious cake... in veggie form!

Which is why I chose to create a brownie using this delicious potato and the results were phenomenal!

Imagine a slightly chewy, golden, crunchy crust, encasing the most fudgey, warm, gooey middle filled with rich chocolate flavours and incredible sweetness that doesn't overpower the brownies but only adds to the moreish factor!

As you can see by the above pictures, I decided to pair these bad boys with some berry froyo to cut through that richness and sweetness with a nice tangy berry punch! To make, I simply placed 1 large handful frozen mixed berries into the Vitamix with 1 handful frozen zucchini and 2 scoops greek yoghurt and whazzed on high until smooth and creamy:

And now, what you've all been truly waiting for; THE BROWNIES!!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup steamed and mashed white sweet potato
1 scoop vegan chocolate protein powder (I use the Sunwarrior brand)
1 teaspoon raw cacao powder
1 teaspoon maca powder (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 heaped tablespoon nut butter (I used crunchy peanut butter)
2 pitted dates
Splash of almond milk

Method:
1.Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius and line a baking tray with baking paper
2. Place everything in a blender/ food processor (again, I just used the Vitamix) and process until smooth and combined
3. Use a spoon to scoop out balls of the mix (should be sticky but roll-able) and roll into balls, flatten onto baking tray to make individual brownie bites
4. Bake in oven for 15-20 mins (maybe longer depending on your oven) until slightly hard and golden and top (ensures that delicious chewy crust!)
5. Remove from oven, cool slightly and then enjoy (you know mine didn't cool for very long!!)

Enjoyed with my berry froyo- this truly was a breakfast to remember!

A breakfast filled with veggies, protein, fibre, healthy fats, so many vitamins and minerals- you feel like it's a dessert, but your body is thanking you for it!

As are your taste buds!!!

I literally had a smile on my face eating these brownie bites for breakfast and I knew I couldn't not share the recipe with you ASAP..

I've done blackbean brownies, chickpea blondies and avocado brownie bites, but these guys take the cake brownie!!

There's something about the smoother, creamier, fudgier texture that truly makes these bites so mouthwatering and addicting and I think I have that amazing white sweet potato to thank for that one.

But seriously, brownies for breakfast, you know you have to do this.

Your turn:
What has been the best brekky of the year so far for you?
Brownies- favourite add-ins/ ways to make them extra special?
Favourite way to eat sweet potato?

I hope you enjoyed this post and give this recipe a try because you need this in your life!!

Have yourself a truly epic day, do at least one thing you LOVE and as always; EAT SOMETHING DELICIOUS!! Bye for now friendly friends!! :D

The Turmeric Train Continues... Savoury Style!!

Hi there friendly friends and welcome back to what seems to be the theme of the past week or so- TURMERIC!!

I have been absolutely loving this spice lately- and, oh my goodness, why has no one ever told me how utterly amazing the mango/turmeric combo is?? I mean I whipped up a creamy dreamy green mango smoothie the other day and added a few dashes of the golden spice and voila! Soooo delicious!! What is that!?!

 Simply 1 frozen banana, 1 massive handful frozen zucchini chunks, 5 chunks frozen spinach, 1 handful frozen mango, 3 scoops greek yoghurt, 3/4 cup rolled oats soaked in 1 cup almond milk and a splash of water for 5-10mins until absorbed, 2 big dashes of turmeric- water to whaz up and voila! Beautiful!!

Nom.

But today, I actually have a savoury recipe for you for once! Yep and it involves the words scramble, breakfast and burrito... I think you'll be a fan:

This, my friends, is the spicy turmeric tofu scramble and garlic sauteed veggie breakfast burrito! Yasss!!

It's super filling, filled with all the good protein, fibre from the veggies and wholegrain wraps, all those incredible nutrients our body thrives on and all those anti-inflammatory properties I'm always raving on about with the turmeric and other spices!!

So, without further a-do, here is the simple-pimple, whip up in 15-minutes, recipe for you!

Tofu scramble breakfast veggie burrito:

Ingredients:
Tofu scramble:
1/2 block tofu (125g) crumbled up in a bowl
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 dashes cayenne pepper
1/2 clove of garlic
 Veggies:
1/2 medium zucchini sliced long
2 mushrooms, sliced
5 cherry tomatoes sliced in half lengthways
a handful of sliced capsicum
a handful of sliced onion
1 clove of garlic
Wrap:
 1 wholemeal wrap
2 tablespoons hommus
spinach

Method:
1. To make the tofu scramble place the spices in a small bowl and add 1 tablespoon of water- stir to combine
2. Mix spice blend through crumbled tofu and place in a frypan over medium heat

 3. Stir often to prevent the tofu sticking and if it does stick simply add a few splashes of water- continue cooking for 5-10mins or until tofu has slightly browned and is a bright golden colour! Set aside
4. Place the veggies and garlic in the same fry pan over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally until the veggies turn from this:

to this:

Nice and golden brown and tender!
5. Remove from heat and set aside
6. Warm up tortilla in either the microwave for 10 seconds or the hot [an for 10-20 seconds and the spread with hommus.
7. Layer on the spinach, then the veg:

8. And finally the spicy tofu scramble (be sure not to overfill because it will make it extremely difficult to wrap up and toast- plus the leftovers on the side taste just as good on their own!!)

9. Fold up the wrap and then place in a sandwich press for a few minutes until golden brown and crispy:

10. ENJOY!!

Happy, happy days- so delicious and exactly what the doctor ordered for a beautifully hearty and satisfying meal with ALL the benefits of healthy eating tasting like a super delish lunch burrito!

Nom.

Your turn:
What's your favourite way to eat tofu scramble? I do love a scramble on hommus 'buttered' toast with some sauteed mushrooms and tomatoes and baked beans for the ultimate vegan brekky!
Favourite things to put in a wrap?
Fav way to use tofu in general? I used to put it in my smoothies all the time (silken) but now-a-days I love to bake it and have it with stir-fried veggies and rice!! So good!!

I hope you all have a lovely day, have a play around with tofu because it really can do so many things, be kind to yourself and others and as always; EAT SOMETHING DELICIOUS!! Bye for now friends! :D