It’s a beautiful spring day here in Sydney and I have spent my afternoon basking in the sun at Bronte beach and walking the coastal walk from Clovelly to Bondi beach. Days like this I feel very blessed to live where I do! For those reading this from the other side of the world I hope to keep you connected to summer over the next few months! It’s always summer somewhere!
How cool is this cemetery overlooking ocean! Don’t think I am weird but I love hanging out here!
This will be my first summer without sugar and I have to admit I started to crave it this afternoon. Everywhere I looked there was people enjoying their slurpies or ice-cold cans of soft-drink! Couple’s hand in hand eating ice-cream made me feel jealous! Not to be part of a couple – just for the ice-cream! I have started to wonder how I will get through the summer without having an ice-cream at the beach. I don’t want you to think you have to deprive yourself. If I want a sugary treat I will have one, and I tend to have a cheat meal/snack a week. But in saying that you have to be careful that your cheat meals don’t become too regular because before you know it your having an ice-cream/sugary drink every day. I know that’s how I would be. I am an all or nothing kind of girl so it’s easier for me to totally avoid it!
The good news is that there lots of things you CAN have when you feel an attack of sweetness coming on. When I got home I turned to my favourite thing in the world – watermelon!! I also had a nice sugar-free hot chocolate with raw organic cacao and rice milk. seriously you won’t even know that this isn’t sugar!
So here are a my top foods that you can try to satisfy your sweet craving before you cave in.
Anything with raw, organic cacao – hot chocolate, cacao mixed with coconut oil and stevia make great chocolates; cacao, avocado and dates make an awesome pudding and cacao, quinoa and rice milk for breakfast, snack or desert.
Cinnamon – I love to sweeten my oats with cinnamon, sprinkle it on toast with coconut butter and even add it to my savoury dishes! At one stage I carried it in my handbag! It was my saviour when I first gave up sugar.
Dates – Dates are super dooper sweet. Sometimes too sweet. These are my go to snack, especially at work when I am bored and need something to sweeten up my date.
Fruit ice-blocks (popsicle or whatever you call them) – I have fond memories of making ice-blocks out of Mr Men moulds when I was little. Why not bring out the child in you and buy ice-block moulds and fill them with fruit concoctions. I like to throw a few different fruits into a blender and then pour into the moulds. They aren’t always on hand at the beach, but at least you have them at home.
Ice-magic – Remember this as a kid? Another great memory. I don’t think I even really loved the actual chocolate just the novelty of pouring chocolate on my ice-cream and then seeing it go hard! You can make your own my melting coconut butter, mixing in cacao and a little stevia then pour onto frozen fruit ice-cream! It will solidify when it sits on the ice-cream!
Fruit ice-cream – Frozen bananas make amazing ice-cream. Just throw them into a food processor or blender and there you have whipped ice-cream. You may like to add cacao or vanilla or other fruits.
Banana pancakes – this is new obsession! All you need is 2 eggs and 1 mashed banana. That’s it! You may like to add extras. Sometimes I add in 1-2 tablespoons of almond or flaxseed meal. Top it off with some coconut butter and cinnamon and it’s a delicious breakfast or snack. Some people add protein powder but if you do make sure it’s natural with no additives.
When you discover the alternatives to sugar you realise you don’t really need those foods you crave. make you’re own sweet treats and your body will thank you. They are delicious and nutritious!
I finished my spring day with a lovely summer salad. I posted this on FB a few days ago but for those that missed it – you need to try it!
The strawberries and chicken combo are sensational. And this is really high in protein so good for gym lovers!
Chicken (I grilled in morocon spice and coconut oil)
Quiona, Kale, Strawberries, Cucumber, Almonds, Balsamic Vingear (and anything else you would like to add)
Enjoy the rest of your weekend and here’s to a sensational week!
Lyn xx
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Stilettos and Green Juice 