Clean eating & raw goodies!
Alohaaa everybody! It has been an extremely long time that I didn't write any post here *how sad* :(
Anyways, for this post, I would like to start something anew from my usual posts (far from makeup/beauty products review), as I am going to share my current obsession with clean eating!
Here's a little bit of my background about my point of view of clean eating and how I came about to it -
To be honest, I wasn't that keen on clean eating before because I initially thought that clean eating involves a diet of salad, no sugar, no salt, no carbohydrates, just proteins. By having no carbohydrates from my point of view are hard, because I am Asian and I grew up with rice, I love my rice and rice is a source of carbs. However, one day during work, in the morning tea time, one of my colleagues brought in raw peanut butter cups, raw snicker bars, raw brownies and raw coconut bites. I immediately fell in love with them. Their appearances are appealing, meaning they look exactly like what they should look, they tasted exactly what they should be, and the only difference when I know what were used to make up to the overall product, I was really astonished. I couldn't believe such easy organic and healthy ingredients can be combined to make such perfect snacks!
Since then, I have always wanted to try clean eating. And vola, I did during these holidays and am here to share my experiences.
Here's an interesting fact - Did YOU know that medjool dates is the core ingredient in many raw desserts? Why? This is because they are incredibly sweet and rich, tender, exceptionally large, and versatile. Medjool dates can replace sugar or honey, they pretty much taste like caramel, and it's just a perfect substitute/alternative for sweeteners and for those who want to cut back on sugary desserts and confectioneries. From a health point of view, medjool dates (and any dates in general) are a good source of fiber, meaning that they will help move waste smoothly through your colon and will prevent LDL (low density lipoprotein aka bad cholesterol) absorption. They contain high levels of potassium (167mg per medjool), magnesium (13mg per), copper, calcium (15mg per) and manganese. They also contain Vitamin A and K which will benefit your eyes, maintain bright looking skin and overall being in general. Yes, you may say they do contain a significant amount of fruit sugar, but they are good sugar for your bodies.
For those people who are only interested about the calories-counter: Medjool dates only contain 66 calories, 18g of carbs, 0g of fat, 66g of sugar and a tonne of nutritional benefits.
So this afternoon, I finally have some spare time in the kitchen to make raw vegan brownies! CLICK HERE FOR THE PICTURE.
Being a sweet tooth myself, I crave them a lot and to substitute them, I have been making lots of raw desserts lately. One of most favourite kind that I'm currently having a love affair with... are the raw brownies! A little nibble here, a little nibble there. I’m actually amazed that they have lasted this long, even with just a small square is enough to satisfy my chocolate cravings. That’s how you know a raw chocolate dessert is the real deal.
You may also ask, why am I hooked onto these raw goodies? What I love about making raw desserts are that they're quick to do (literally that quick by blending everything in the blender and off to the fridge they go for 2 hours or freezer for 45mins), easy to do as well (only few ingredients are needed), taste beyond incredible, and the most bonus thing is that they are freaking healthy.
Here are the ingredients (and their benefits) I used in my raw brownies:
- MAIN INGREDIENT = medjool dates
- raw cacao = one of the best sources of magnesium found naturally and contain high amounts of calcium, copper, iron, potassium, sulfur and zinc.
- coconut oil = very useful in weight loss ;) but besides that, it also has so many health benefits like:
- beneficial for the heart = has 50% lauric acid; large quantity of saturated fats; does not lead to increase in LDL levels; and it reduces the chances of injury and damage to arteries and hence, helps in preventing atherosclerosis.
- good for immunity! = strengthens and boost the immune system and helps in fighting harmful bacteria and protozoa
- aids for proper digestion = improves digestive system and hence prevents any stomach and digestion-related problems like IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)! Also helps to absorb other nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and amino acids!
- regulate metabolism = links to weight loss! How does this work? It contains short-chain fatty acids which help in taking off the excessive weight. This increases the body's metabolic rate by removing stress on the pancreas, hence more energy is burned and this is why it helps obese/overweight people to lose the weight. This also explains why people living in tropical areas, who use coconut oil everyday as their primary cooking oil, are normally not fat, obese or overweight.
- rolled oats = loaded with dietary fiber (helps to lower levels of bad cholesterol)! Has minerals too, for example, manganese, selenium, phosphorus, fiber, magnesium and zinc. Evidently, they also help in lowering the blood pressure and prevent coronary artery diseases.
- walnuts = packed with omega-3-fatty-acids and contain antioxidants that boost heart health, most importantly, they help you handle stress well.
- chia seeds = also known as "whole-grain" food; deliver massive amount of nutrients with few calories! Just 2 tablespoons of the chia seeds contain: 11g fiber, 4g protein, 18% calcium, decent amount of Vitamin B2 and 9g of fat (of which 5g are from Omega-3s)! Don't underestimate their tiny size, chia seeds are among the most nutritious foods on the planet! Loaded with antioxidants! And fun fact: almost all of the carbs in them are fibre! :)
- flaxseed = high in omega-3 (lower blood cholesterol and blood pressure)! High in fiber (beneficial for heart health)! Also rich in antioxidants, B vitamins, protein and potassium!
I would literally go on and on about the amazing healthy benefits of the raw brownie, but I shall not hinder you all anymore!
All this adds up to one significant question I want to ask you all: Why would I ever eat a baked brownie again? I mean, what's the point? Why would you?
Because there are only few ingredients in this recipe, I would highly recommend purchasing top-quality and organic if possible. The flavor of each element plays a strong role in the final outcome, so they all need to be the best you can find.
So that’s it!
I would definitely recommend you all to go and make some raw goodies ;) and maybe get back to me to let me know how they turned out!
PS. Do you like this kind of post? Would you like to hear my experiences/try-outs? I would love to hear any comments.
Love,
Velene xoxo
For those people who are only interested about the calories-counter: Medjool dates only contain 66 calories, 18g of carbs, 0g of fat, 66g of sugar and a tonne of nutritional benefits.
So this afternoon, I finally have some spare time in the kitchen to make raw vegan brownies! CLICK HERE FOR THE PICTURE.
Being a sweet tooth myself, I crave them a lot and to substitute them, I have been making lots of raw desserts lately. One of most favourite kind that I'm currently having a love affair with... are the raw brownies! A little nibble here, a little nibble there. I’m actually amazed that they have lasted this long, even with just a small square is enough to satisfy my chocolate cravings. That’s how you know a raw chocolate dessert is the real deal.
You may also ask, why am I hooked onto these raw goodies? What I love about making raw desserts are that they're quick to do (literally that quick by blending everything in the blender and off to the fridge they go for 2 hours or freezer for 45mins), easy to do as well (only few ingredients are needed), taste beyond incredible, and the most bonus thing is that they are freaking healthy.
Here are the ingredients (and their benefits) I used in my raw brownies:
- MAIN INGREDIENT = medjool dates
- raw cacao = one of the best sources of magnesium found naturally and contain high amounts of calcium, copper, iron, potassium, sulfur and zinc.
- coconut oil = very useful in weight loss ;) but besides that, it also has so many health benefits like:
- beneficial for the heart = has 50% lauric acid; large quantity of saturated fats; does not lead to increase in LDL levels; and it reduces the chances of injury and damage to arteries and hence, helps in preventing atherosclerosis.
- good for immunity! = strengthens and boost the immune system and helps in fighting harmful bacteria and protozoa
- aids for proper digestion = improves digestive system and hence prevents any stomach and digestion-related problems like IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)! Also helps to absorb other nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and amino acids!
- regulate metabolism = links to weight loss! How does this work? It contains short-chain fatty acids which help in taking off the excessive weight. This increases the body's metabolic rate by removing stress on the pancreas, hence more energy is burned and this is why it helps obese/overweight people to lose the weight. This also explains why people living in tropical areas, who use coconut oil everyday as their primary cooking oil, are normally not fat, obese or overweight.
- rolled oats = loaded with dietary fiber (helps to lower levels of bad cholesterol)! Has minerals too, for example, manganese, selenium, phosphorus, fiber, magnesium and zinc. Evidently, they also help in lowering the blood pressure and prevent coronary artery diseases.
- walnuts = packed with omega-3-fatty-acids and contain antioxidants that boost heart health, most importantly, they help you handle stress well.
- chia seeds = also known as "whole-grain" food; deliver massive amount of nutrients with few calories! Just 2 tablespoons of the chia seeds contain: 11g fiber, 4g protein, 18% calcium, decent amount of Vitamin B2 and 9g of fat (of which 5g are from Omega-3s)! Don't underestimate their tiny size, chia seeds are among the most nutritious foods on the planet! Loaded with antioxidants! And fun fact: almost all of the carbs in them are fibre! :)
- flaxseed = high in omega-3 (lower blood cholesterol and blood pressure)! High in fiber (beneficial for heart health)! Also rich in antioxidants, B vitamins, protein and potassium!
I would literally go on and on about the amazing healthy benefits of the raw brownie, but I shall not hinder you all anymore!
All this adds up to one significant question I want to ask you all: Why would I ever eat a baked brownie again? I mean, what's the point? Why would you?
Because there are only few ingredients in this recipe, I would highly recommend purchasing top-quality and organic if possible. The flavor of each element plays a strong role in the final outcome, so they all need to be the best you can find.
So that’s it!
I would definitely recommend you all to go and make some raw goodies ;) and maybe get back to me to let me know how they turned out!
PS. Do you like this kind of post? Would you like to hear my experiences/try-outs? I would love to hear any comments.
Love,
Velene xoxo
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