Hearty Oats

Protein-packed, full of fiber and low on fat, oats are designed to boost your energy levels and help you lead a healthy lifestyle. Oats contain a wide range of nutrients including vitamin E, essential fatty acids and the list goes on!! They are not only good for the stomach but are interestingly super filling, satisfying and very versatile! Due to their versatility they are super easy to add into your diet whether it be your morning oats, your afternoon snack or even dinner!

One benefit of Oats that may actually surprise you is that oats May Help You Lose Weight!! By delaying the time it takes your stomach to empty of food, the beta-glucan in oats may increase your feeling of fullness. Beta-glucan can also promote the release of peptide YY, a hormone produced in the gut in response to eating. This hormone has been shown to lead to reduced calorie intake and may decrease your risk of obesity! And for those asking what is Beta-glucan.. Beta-glucan is a type of soluble fiber!

Now we all now the everyday uses for oats so I thought I’d share with you a two recipes that include oats that aren’t muesli or porridge!

Oat Burgers (Makes 10)

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups water
• 1/2 cup Coconut Aminos Sauce or Tamari
• 1 tablespoon onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic mince
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian season
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 cups oats
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup black beans
• 1 tablespoon flax seeds

METHOD

1. Preheat oven 400 degrees. Bring water to boil in a saucepan.
2. Add Coconut aminos or Tamari, onion , garlic, Italian seasoning and cayenne pepper.
3. Stir in oats, cooked rice, walnuts, black beans, and flax seeds.
4. Reduce heat and keep on stirring until liquid is absorbed, about 2 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and allow to cool enough to handle.
6. Using a large canning jar lid including the rim, form patties placing them on a lightly oiled baking paper.
7. Bake for 30 minutes, turning halfway. You may also cook in a lightly oiled pan on both sides. Top with your favourite toppings!

Banana & Zucchini Oat Muffins
Perfect afternoon snack or breakfast on-the-go.
(MAKES 16)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water (alternatively, you can use 1 egg)
• ¼ cup almond butter (or peanut butter)
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• 3 small-medium over-ripe bananas
• 2 small zucchinis (2 cups grated, don't squeeze water out)
• ½ cup almond milk (any milk will work)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups oats (alternatively can use gluten-free)
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp salt
• Optional add-ins: ¼ cup of walnuts

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Spray a muffin tin with coconut oil. 
2. Place flax and water in small bowl. Stir and set aside to “gel." 
3. Place bananas in a large bowl and mash with a fork. Add grated zucchini, almond milk, vanilla extract, almond butter, maple syrup, and flax mixture and combine.
4. Add oats, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and add-in's of choice. Stir until just combined.
5. Spoon mixture into muffin cups, filling to the top.
6. Bake for 23-28 minutes, or until a fork comes out clean. Store cooled muffins in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. These freeze well, too!

How to Avoid The Easter Binge!!

With easter just around the corner it’s difficult to avoid the “holiday” binge: chocolate, hot cross buns….You eat until you feel sick, indulge in the sugar high until the guilt kicks in and you hate yourself for it days later? Does this sound familiar! Well this year is going to be different! Here are a few quick tips to help you avoid the guilt!

Prepare a healthy version of your favourite food – If you cannot resist enjoying a hot cross bun or two lathered in melted butter then why not opt for a “healthified” version without all the sugar! See recipe below!

Make a Plan of Attack – on the day before you get to an event or party, create a plan of attack! Decide how much of what you are going to have and make sure you stick to it!! Also by making the promise with yourself to not feel guilty as you will be get back to eating like normal the next day!

Hydrate!! – Water can help you curb cravings for bad foods. Often, when you feel like your body is longing for foods, all it really needs it water. Your hunger signals can easily get mixed up.

Limit the booze - we all know that feeling when we’ve had a few champagnes, our judgement becomes clouded and we find ourselves reaching for the second or third piece of cake! Pace yourself this Easter, and hydrate yourself with a fresh coconut water or sparkling water with lime!

Get Moving - Exercise is not about punishment or “making up for” what you’ve eaten. Do it because it feels good and keeps you in a happy, healthy routine.

Healthy Hot Cross Buns
(Makes 10)

Ingredients:
250g wholemeal flour (can substitute for almond meal)
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
½ cup raisins or golden sultanas
½ cup dried chopped apricots
½ cup milk of your choice
2 tbs p pure organic maple syrup or raw honey
2 ½ tbsp coconut oil
2 eggs (one for glaze)
1 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ orange, zested
Optional Sweet tooth: Add 50 g 85% dark chocolate, chopped

For the cross:
1 egg white
1/4 cup desiccated coconut

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Place the flour, cinnamon, ground ginger, baking powder, baking soda, currants (or sultanas) and apricots in a large bowl and combine.
3. Place the milk, maple syrup or honey, coconut oil, lemon juice, vanilla extract, orange zest and one egg in another large bowl and whisk until well combined and a little ‘fluffy’.
4. Add the wet mix to the dry ingredients and fold through gently until just combined and a sticky dough forms.
5. Lightly dust a clean bench with flour, place dough on bench and using floured hands form the dough into round buns. Then place the buns on the prepared baking tray.
6. Whisk the second egg, and using a pastry brush, lightly brush the top of the buns.
7. For the cross: whisk egg whites and desiccated coconut. Drizzle over unbaked buns in a cross shape with two spoons or using a piping bag.
8. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. ENJOY!

Bananas

You'll never look at bananas the same way again after discovering the health benefits and reasons to add them to your diet! Did you know Bananas can help to combat depression, relieve morning sickness, protect against kidney cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, and blindness. Plus they can even cure the itch of a mosquito bite and put a great shine on your shoes. Bet you didn’t know that!!

Facts your probably didn’t know about bananas….

1. Bananas help overcome depression due to high levels of tryptophan, which is converted into serotonin -- the happy-mood brain neurotransmitter.

2. Improve your mood and reduce PMS symptoms by simply eating a banana, this regulates blood sugar and produces stress-relieving relaxation.

3. Bananas can act as a prebiotic, helping to stimulating the growth of friendly bacteria your bowel. Plus they also produce digestive enzymes to assist in absorbing nutrients.

4. Bananas can make you smarter and help with learning by making you more alert. TIP: Eat a banana before an exam to boost your level of potassium.

5. Eating a banana can lower the body temperature and cool you during a fever or on a hot day. Perfect for Summer!

6. Last but not least, bananas are the ultimate snack for on the go plus super affordable! They always readily available and can be used for smoothies, fruit salads and baking!

3 ingredient Protein Banana Pancakes

INGREDIENTS
- 1 banana
- 2 eggs
- 1 scoop of protein powder

METHOD
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Lightly spray a medium non-stick frying pan with oil and heat over medium heat. Spoon 2 tablespoons batter into pan and spread out evenly. Repeat with remaining batter. Cook for 1–2 minutes or until golden. Serve with fresh berries and greek yogurt.

Hydration - Quick Tips

Did you know that on average, Americans drink a little more than four glasses a day!! By not hydrating yourself adequately you can affect your workout, your weight — even your brainpower. Here are just a few quick tips to help you hydrate!

1. Make drinking water a daily habit

2. Feeling thirsty or experiencing dry mouth, flushed skin, fatigue, or head-ache can all be signs of dehydration. Hydrate the body with some water before reaching for panadol

3. Plain water too boring, try adding fresh lemon or lime juice or a handful of berries.

4. To increase your fluid intake, enjoy a few pieces of fruit a day, as well as some
homemade vegetable soup. For example 1 cup cooked sliced zucchini  contains 6 oz of water!!

5. If you find you get to the end of day without finishing your water bottle set a timer as a reminder to drink a glass of water every hour or so!

And remember you don't need to guzzle a gallon of H2O during your exercise session, simply drink to satisfy your thirst and you'll take in what you need.

Sweet Cinnamon

Cinnamon is sometimes referred to as one of the healthiest spices in the world.

This superfood may already be sitting in the pantry – and a tiny sprinkle goes a very long way! It’s antioxidants abilities are what makes it especially beneficial to include into your diet. Just as little as 1/2 a teaspoon of cinnamon added your diet daily can have positive effects on your blood sugar levels, digestion, immunity plus heaps more! Adding a higher dosage of cinnamon can be extremely beneficial as it can help towards improving heart disease risk and even cutting your chances of diabetes, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases! AMAZING!!

Just to give you a little bit more on the contents of cinnamon. One single tablespoon of ground cinnamon contains:

0 grams of fat, sugar, or protein
4 grams of fibre
68 percent daily value manganese
8 percent daily value calcium
4 percent daily value iron
3 percent daily value vitamin K

Cinnamon can be included into your diet whether it be breakfast, lunch or dinner! For example your morning coffee! Most of us are adding either creamer, milk (whole or skim) sugar, or butter to your coffee to improve its taste at some point. If you're looking for something different, though, try a new twist with a dash of cinnamon. This sweet, sharp spice can do so much more than improve coffee's taste! Adding cinnamon to your morning coffee can prove to be very beneficial. According to a research conducted, the simple act of smelling cinnamon can help to improve your processing capabilities and ingesting the spice is even more beneficial. The study participants were better able to complete tasks when eating cinnamon, and improved their attention overall. This is due to cinnamons ability to improve your brain's cognitive processing, spur brain function altogether, and help you master your visual and motor responses! Hopefully this makes you think twice before adding sugar to your coffee!

To help you start introducing more cinnamon into your diet, below are my fav cinnamon inspired recipe!

Golden Cinnamon Sweet Potato

INGREDIENTS
1 Medium sized sweet potato, diced
1 - 2 tablespoons of cinnamon
Drizzle of olive oil or coconut oil
Pinch of sea salt

METHOD
Pre-heat oven to 400 Degrees F. Toss the sweet potato in the cinnamon ensuring all the sweet potato pieces are evenly covered, place on a baking tray in the oven until golden brown. Serve with a fresh salad, add to your omelette or by itself for a healthy snack!

Egg-Cellent Eggs

Eggs, which have been a usual part of many people’s breakfast, definitely have a place on SophiaFIT’s Superfoods list. They are loaded with nutrients and as they can take up to four hours to digest, this protein can actually help you lose weight!!

Eggs are among the most nutritious foods on the planet, containing a little bit of almost every nutrient our bodies require! They truly are the perfect food to be added into our diet!

One Eggs contains the following:
* Vitamin A
* Folate
* Vitamin B5
* Vitamin B12
* Vitamin B2
* Phosphorus
* Selenium

Eggs also contain decent amounts of Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Calcium and Zinc!

Along with containing all of the above, they are a great source of inexpensive, high quality protein with more than half the protein of an egg is found in the egg white!

Instead of loading you up with a plethora of facts about Eggs, I thought I’d just choose one!

Did you know that eating eggs can help you lose weight? I know this may come as a surprise to those who thought eggs were fattening or unhealthy, but a study carried out by the Rochester Center for Obesity Research found that eating eggs for breakfast helps limit your calorie intake all day, by more than 400 calories. That means you could lose three pounds or more per month.

The high level of protein in which eggs contain help keep you fuller for longer therefore decreasing the chances of you reaching for that mid-morning snack or over eating at lunch!

Don’t have time in the morning to cook your eggs?? Cook them the night before or meal prep on Sunday! Boiled eggs last for safely up to a week in the refrigerator after they were cooked or prep your omelette the night before whilst cooking your dinner!

It doesn’t stop there!! The use of eggs extends past the kitchen! Egg whites can be used for face masks to help tighten your pores and cure acne problems. For a quick and easy Hydrating Egg Facemasks all you need to do is combine 1 egg white , ¼ ripe avocado and 1 teaspoon yogurt!

Hopefully this weeks Superfood Series Blog has helped provide you some insight into how amazing eggs are! If you are stuck for ideas on how to incorporate eggs into your diet, both my Nutrition E Book & 7 Day Meal Plan Ebook contain plenty of recipes showing the versatility of eggs! Alternatively send me an email at sophia@sophiafit.com as we can work on meal plan together!

Let's Talk About: PINEAPPLES

* Pineapple boosts immunity and improves blood circulations.

* Can help treat arthritis! Pineapple contains a relatively rare enzyme called bromelain that helps with the complex breakdown of proteins and has major anti-inflammatory effects! Hence helping to  reduce inflammation of joints and muscles

* Aids with digestion - being rich in dietary fibre, pineapple is like a helping hand to which keep you regular and your intestines healthy.

* Helps heal wounds and protect against infection.

* Reduces risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease

Why not add pineapple to your next smoothie or with yogurt to add a extra tang!

King Kale

If you are still yet to try Kale, now may be the perfect time! This nutritional powerhouse supports healthy skin, hair, and bones. With more nutritional value than spinach, Kale should definitely make its way onto your weekly shopping list if its not there already!!

Kales nutrients can help boost wellbeing and prevent a range of health problems. It contains fibre, antioxidants, calcium and vitamin K. As well as a good source of vitamin C and iron. Kale will not only add nutritional value but colour to salads and side dishes!

Kale Fast Facts!

- Kale is high in fibre and contains zero fat
- Kale is a great anti-inflammatory food. One cup of kale is filled with 10% of the RDA of omega-3 fatty acids, which help, fight against arthritis, asthma and autoimmune disorders.
- Kale is a great cardiovascular support
- Great detox food: the fibre and sulphur in kale helps to detoxify the body, keeping your liver healthy!

Kale’s versatility allows you to easily add to any of your meals throughout the day! You can enjoy it raw in salads or on sandwiches or wraps, steamed, baked, sautéed or added to soups and casseroles.

In salads: When using kale raw in salads, massage the leaves with coconut oil or olive oil. Then add your favourite spices or herbs to give them a boost of This begins the breakdown of the cellulose in the leaves and helps release the nutrients for easier absorption.

As a side dish: Sauté fresh garlic and onions in extra-virgin olive oil until soft. Add kale and continue to sauté until desired tenderness. Alternatively, steam for 5 minutes, then drain and stir in a dash of Tamara and tahini.

Kale chips: Massage kale with extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil and sprinkle with a combination of cumin, curry powder or chilli flakes. Bake at 275 degrees for 15 to 30 minutes to desired crispness.

Smoothies: Add a handful of kale to your favourite smoothie. It will add nutrients without changing the flavour very much so you will hardly notice it :)

Keep your eyes peeled for next weeks Superfood Series Post! I would love to hear what your favourite superfoods are! Comment below or leave me a message on facebook! ENJOY!