Vanilla-Orange Protein Muffins

We're coming at you again with another original post-workout recipe! Sweet and filling, these weigh in at 145 calories, 6 grams of fat and 16 grams of protein. This snack is ideal for just after a strenuous session of weight lifting or yoga, or for a healthy grab and go breakfast. If you don't have orange water, don't fret. Just use 1/3 cup regular water and add a teaspoon of vanilla extract for extra vanilla goodness.

Vanilla Orange Protein Muffins
6 eggs (or 9 egg whites)
1 1/2 cups nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 1/8 cup UMP vanilla protein powder
1/3 cup orange water
2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 425F.  Line a muffin tin with baking cups. In a bowl, whisk together eggs, yogurt, orange water and plain water. In a separate bowl, mix together chia seeds, coconut flour, protein powder and baking powder. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until smooth with no lumps. Spoon 1/4 cup batter into each baking cup. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until the tops are lightly browned. Let cool completely before storing in the fridge in an airtight container.

Breakfast Cookie

Packed with protein and healthy carbs with the option to be sugar free, this is the perfect grab-and-go breakfast, hiking snack or post-workout treat. Each cookie boasts less than 200 calories, 10 grams of protein, and healthy fat and carbs to keep you satiated and fueled-up. Oh yeah, and there's chocolate in it.

Post-Run Protein Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Work Time: 30 min

Total Time: 3.5 hours

Makes 15 palm-sized cookies

1 cup almond flour

¼ cup xylitol (or Truvia, Splenda, or granulated sweetener of choice)

½ cup protein powder (we used plain pea protein)

1 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt (or applesauce to make it dairy-free)

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp vanilla

20 drops stevia (or 2 to 3 packets to taste)

4 egg whites

½ cup water

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup dark chocolate chips

Mix together all dry ingredients except for oats. Add in wet ingredients and mix until smooth. Fold in rolled oats, then fold in chocolate chips. Refrigerate for 3 hours to let dough set. Roll into 15 balls on lined or lightly sprayed cookie sheets. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until cookies begin to brown on top. Let cool and store in the fridge in airtight container.

Enjoy!

How to Make the Perfect Easy Cup of Coffee

There are a lot of people out there who have reported knowing how to make the perfect cup of coffee, how to perfectly brew your espresso, how to avoid the Starbucks line. In my opinion, most of these people have over-complicated the matter with machinery and manifestos. Today we'll show you how to make a perfect cup to turn your morning from all right to great. And we'll do it for cheap. No buying crazy beans, contraptions or special filters.

Pick Your Beans
Last time you went to the supermarket, I'm willing to bet there were about 50 different bags of coffee to choose from. And so many promises, too. Dark Chocolate, French Vanilla, Italian imports, a few made-up Starbucks terms. And freeze-dried instant? Put that stuff down! You're better than that. You know how coffee smells so wonderful and you think it should taste that way too, only to find it's bland and watery and bitter? Yeah we're going to banish that disappointment. With the right bean, there's no worry. Look for:

• Whole bean (not pre-ground or instant)
• Breakfast blend if you like a lighter flavor or a little extra caffeine
• Espresso or French Roast if you like stronger flavor or less caffeine
• Fair-Trade/Organic if you can afford it (Costco has a great fair trade espresso for cheap)

Get Your Gear

I'm willing to bet that someone you know has a poor, neglected coffee grinder lying around. Grab it up. If not, you can find them for about $10-$15 brand new. Same goes for a French Press, at about the same price. Lastly you will need either a kettle or a pot to boil water in. Whatever you prefer.

via coffee.gurus.net

Keep It Clean

We like to say that a lot around here, but in this context it is truly vital. That bitterness and weird oily residue you see in your office coffee cup? That's because someone's not cleaning the electric coffee pot very well. Coffee beans are oily, and in time build up gunk and burn bitterness into every pot made. Don't just rinse off your stuff or throw it in the dishwasher. Scrub it out with a sponge and rinse it with vinegar from time to time. Especially if you got your gear second-hand. Your taste buds will thank you.

Brewing Your Cup

1. Measure out enough water to fill your french press to the line plus a cup or two more, and put on the stove to boil.
2. Put in just enough whole beans into your grinder for the pot. The amount varies depending on pot size and individual taste, but start with about 1/3 cup. I do about 2 small handfuls.
3. You're looking for a "coarse" or "medium" grind for a french press. Fine grind is when the beans are the texture of soft sand, and is usually what you'll find pre-ground at the store. If you get that, you've gone too far. Medium grind looks like small gravel.
4. Put your ground beans into your press.
5. Once the water boils, take it off the heat for a few moments. Give it 10 seconds or so for the boiling to stop, then slowly pour the hot water in.
6. Let the coffee steep for 5 minutes.
7. Put the top on your french press and slowly press down on the plunger to move all the grounds to the bottom of the pot.
8. Pour and enjoy!

I like to add a tablespoon or two of heavy cream to my coffee, but you can, of course, dress it however you like.

That's it! The simple, no-frills way to brew an amazing cup of coffee. Enjoy your joe, and until next time... Keep it Clean!

A Quicker, Healthier Oatmeal

Not everyone has time for a hearty hot breakfast in the mornings. But breakfast is the first thing that fuels your body after (hopefully!) 8 hours of rest. It's what kick starts your day and judges, in some ways, how energetic you're going to be. Oatmeal and porridge are pretty common breakfast foods world-wide. Unfortunately, they take a long time to make, can be messy to make even when they're instant, and because they're heavy on grains don't give your metabolism a boost in the morning.

Instead of oats, you can buy large bags of ground flax seed or whole chia seed either online or at your local natural grocer. Chia and flax are nutrient rich, high in omega fatty acids and because of their texture make you feel fuller longer. Here's how to make a delicious bowl of hot cereal out of either of them.

Seed Oatmeal
1/2 cup seed (ground flax or chia)
1/2 - 3/4 cup water or almond milk
packet of stevia or other natural sweetener
vanilla extract
cinnamon or pumpkin spice

Place your seed and water in a microwave-safe bowl and stir thoroughly, making sure all the seed has gotten wet. Let sit for a couple minutes while you make your morning tea or brush your teeth. Come back and stir the mixture again. By now the seed will have absorbed most of the water, making a sticky, oatmeal-like texture. Add your sweetener and vanilla and spices and stir again. Pop in the microwave for 30 seconds to make it warm. Dress it like normal oatmeal with nuts, raisins and milk. Enjoy!

Breakfast is for Champions

Many Americans usually skip breakfast or have something small like a cup of coffee, a cup of juice or a piece of toast first thing in the morning. We then have a medium sized meal at lunch and a huge dinner. However, this routine has a way of unbalancing your appetite and your energy throughout the day. Studies show that people who eat breakfast regularly are at much lower risk for obesity. Dieters who take up the habit of eating breakfast keep weight off for the long term. What makes breakfast so essential?

When you think about it, when you've first woken up is the longest time you've gone without eating (the word "breakfast" is short for "breaking the fast", or eating after abstaining from food for a long period). There are usually 6 to 12 hours that have passed between dinner and when you first wake up in the morning. You may not be initially very hungry because you are not fully awake or because you are dehydrated. But by mid-morning you start snacking. This also sets you up to make unhealthy lunch choices and overeat at dinner. Having a heavy meal late at night makes it difficult to sleep soundly. A bad night's sleep leaves you with less energy throughout the next day, making you eat sweet foods or drink caffeine to keep your energy up.

It seems like we've got it all backwards. Rather than skipping breakfast and then continually increasing our food intake throughout the day, having a hearty, nutrient rich breakfast sets you up for success. A decent sized breakfast keeps you full, awake and focused, helps you choose a healthier midday lunch, and then at dinner a small meal keeps you satiated while you wind down for a deep sleep.

Of course, what you eat also has a lot to do with how well changing your meal sizes works for you. But doctors and nutritionists agree that some breakfast, even sugary cereal or a pastry, is better than no breakfast at all. But it's best to eat a high volume of nutrient rich foods. 50% or more of your meal should be fruit or vegetables and the remaining portion should be protein, whole grain or a combination of the two. Some good meal ideas are:

• Peanut butter on gluten free waffle with a banana
• Warmed up plums with real maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice, and oatmeal
• Smoothie made with frozen strawberries and OJ or milk
• Half of a whole grain bagel with egg, arugula and a slice of cheese
• Make quick soup by reheating leftover brown rice, frozen spinach and vegetable broth
• Granola over non-dairy yogurt with blueberries
• Sliced fruit with milk, walnuts, almonds and a sprinkle of cinnamon and honey
• Leftover steamed veggies with eggs or tofu, spoonful of salsa in a whole grain wrap

Try it out for a week and feel the difference in your day. Until next time, keep it clean!

The Green Tea Alternative: Yerba Mate

If you're like me, your day hasn't really begun until you've had a hot cup of tea or coffee. I don't know if what I drink has so much to do with waking me up as it does with bringing a little comfort and calm to my morning ritual. Sometimes I'll have espresso, chai tea, black tea, green tea, or even dandelion "coffee". My new favorite addition to my pantry has been yerba mate.

Yerba mate (pronounced yur-ba mah-tay) is a common tea drink found in South America made from a variety of the holly tree. The aroma is earthy and the flavor is similar to green tea but has an added richness and a bold, almost smoky flavor.

Similarly to green tea, yerba mate both energizes and calms. It contains caffeine and has been shown to stimulate your heart, waking you up and making you more alert. It also contains compounds which relax smooth muscle tissue, making it a great alternative to coffee which makes some people feel anxious and jittery. Regular drinking of mate, like green tea, can boost your metabolism, making it easier for your body to burn and use fat stores. It also amazingly contains theobromine, the compound in cacao that attracts chocolate addicts. You can get a bit of your chocolate fix without eating a candy bar!

On top of just being a pleasant beverage that wakes you up, yerba mate also acts similarly to herbal tisanes in that it contains vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. It contains A, C, E, B1, B2, Niacin (B3), B5, B Complex, Calcium, Manganese, Iron, Selenium, Potassium, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Zinc. The minerals and antioxidants help your body to repair itself, helping you look younger longer and helping to stave off cancer.

There are lots of delicious, healthy and accessible alternatives to foods you regularly eat. I hope you try mate and love it! Look for it in the tea section of your grocery store. Until next time, keep it clean!

Breakfast

As you can tell by the subject this morning, I'm a little hungry! I violated the cardinal rule of mornings - don't skip breakfast because it is the most important meal of the day! I'm sure you can relate - you get into a hurry, didn't prepare the night before and don't have time to pick something up on the way to work (or you will be late and who wants that?).

Here are a few reasons why breakfast is so important:

• Eating breakfast gives you better focus, attention span and productivity
• Helps you to maintain a healthy, consistent weight
• Eating breakfast has been linked to better learning and cognitive ability
• It increases your metabolism
• Gives you more energy for your day
• It helps your body take in all of the nutrients it needs
  

Those are all pretty good reasons to have a healthy, nutritious breakfast! And it doesn't have to be something that's crazy complicated to make in the morning. A healthy breakfast can be some oatmeal with some fruit thrown in or an English muffin sandwich with an egg white, a little cheese and maybe a slice of tomato (I personally put spinach and mushrooms on mine...when I am good and make myself breakfast!). A few other easy options for a quick, nutritious breakfast are:

• A high fiber, low sugar cereal with fruit
• A pita pocket filled with lean ham, cheese and veggies (yes, it's perfectly okay to have veggies for breakfast!)
• A cup of Greek yogurt with fresh berries and granola
• A fresh, fruity smoothie
• An apple, cheese stick and a handful of walnuts
• A whole grain waffle with peanut or almond butter and a banana (seriously - try it!)
• And if you absolutely MUST stop off for breakfast in the morning, an Egg McMuffin is a good way to go! Yep, you read that right. Tell them to make it with no cheese and it's an even better deal.

Hope all of this gives you a few ideas on how to get your morning off on the right foot. Take the weekend to stop at the grocery store so you can be prepared for next week. I betcha that eating breakfast will make your days a lot better!!

Until next time, keep it clean!