I have lived many lives at this point. I had many different jobs. Lived in different countries. Had different dreams and life goals. But one …
My Weight Loss Journey – Pt. 1
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Mushroom Tagine
I don’t know why, but when I make Middle Eastern or Asian food I get the best results. Since the first time I made a tagine, I …
Lentil Fritters
The one thing I learned in culinary school about vegan food, other than a not so great vegan aioli, was this lentil fritters recipe. As …
Lemon Bars
I am a dessert person. When I saw this recipe on The Rawtarian’s site, I knew I had to do it. This simple but delicious …
Sesame Seeds Bars
I love sesame seeds. So much I’ll eat it with honey as a dessert or a snack, so when I saw this recipe I knew …
Tahini
There are some recipes that are so incredibly simple to make, yet it takes us forever to actually make it. That’s the case of tahini. I …
Raw Brownies
The first time I made and ate raw brownies I was in awe. I couldn’t believe I had lived for so long without knowing about …
The cheap way to weight loss
A lot of people believe that weight loss is an expensive process that requires a lot of money and special products and services. While some …
Chocolate mousse
One of the hardest things about having good eating habits is that sugar is almost impossible to replace. I believe most sweeteners are as hazardous to the body as sugar, so I just keep away from them.
Looking in retrospect, I can see clearly that I was a sugar addict. I was an emotional eater and sugar was my drug of choice. So even after I stopped eating sugar, sometimes I still crave something sweet – after all, I’m a woman and PMS is real.
In one of this days I was really craving chocolate, but since I don’t buy it anymore, I had to do with what I had at home. After doing some research I found a few recipes, but as always they had too many ingredients or steps, so I simplified it and reduced to three ingredients. It takes less than 5 minutes to make and it is really delicious and vegan.
Enough talking. Here is the recipe:
Chocolate-date Mousse
Ingredients
- 2 cups dates about 400g
- 1 cup coconut milk (or any liquid of your choice)
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
Instructions
- Place the dates in a bowl and soak it with warm water for a couple minutes (you don't need to do this, but it makes much easier to process them).
- Process the dates with the coconut milk and cocoa powder until it's uniform and it reaches a mousse texture.
- I don't believe in strict recipes so if you want to modify it, add only half of the liquid and keep adding until it reaches the desired texture. You can also add more cocoa powder if you like a more bitter flavor.
- That's it!
You can use them as a cupcake topping, serve it with brownies and/or fruit, or just eat it on its own.
My top 5 go-to foods
Consistency is the key to weight loss and maintenance. Trust me, I learned this the hard way. Time and time again I lost weight, and once I was satisfied with the results, I would slip back into old habits and gain it all back. It wasn’t until I drastically changed the way I ate, that I was able to lose weight and keep it off.
I can’t stress this enough, but you will not lose weight by eating these once in a while. They will, however, give a boost to any well-balanced diet or help you to get back on track after splurging a little. Here are my favorites:
Oats
This is my go-to food. Whenever I feel bloated, overweight or when I eat what I’m not used to – sugary, fatty or fried food – I recover by eating a bowl of oats and honey twice a day.
They are also my favorite breakfast, as they are rich in fiber and they keep me satiated for the whole morning. Whenever I know I won’t be able to eat for a long period, I eat a bowl of oats and honey.
Of course, eating the same thing every day can be quite boring, so I always add nuts, fruit, and my new favorite cacao nibs. Don’t forget: variety is key to a healthy diet.
Cacao Nibs
I don’t know why it took me so long to try these, but the first time I tried them I saw the difference. My stomach was flatter and I felt great. Now I can eat ‘chocolate’ without the sugar, which is the best thing ever.
As always, I jazz it up with some nuts and honey, because in their raw state they are as bitter as it gets, but they will give you amazing results!
Dates
Dates are nature’s gift to all recovering sugar addicts out there. They are extremely sweet, yet rich in fiber, leaving room for some indulgence. If that wasn’t enough, they are also very cheap and versatile.
I use them as a replacement for sugar in many recipes, but I also eat it on its own. Whenever I am craving something very sweet, that’s my go-to snack.
Seeds + grains mix
Seeds and grains are very rich in nutrients and fiber, however, they can be challenging to add to the diet. That’s why I make and store small batches of a mix of seeds and grains and I add them to my food. I either add it to my baked goods batter or I sprinkle it over my food. You can’t taste it and have it consistently it’s a great way to add important nutrients, such as omega 3, 6, 9, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, to the diet.
It might not sound like much, but the body needs nutrients to work properly. If it has all necessary nutrients, the body will work better, leading it to an improved metabolism and a reduction of cravings and binge eating.
Juices
The first rule for juices is using the entire fruit. To ensure that, I use a single serve blender and I usually add some spices and greens to it. Another golden rule: never add sugar or sweetener. Fruits are naturally sweet, so try to get used to how things taste naturally, instead of camouflaging the flavor with sugar.
My favorite recipe is very simple: one apple, one lime, a slice of ginger, kale, and cold water. I often add different fruits and vegetables to it and change the spice accordingly. Basically, just use what you have at home. Pears, pineapple, beets, mangoes are also great for sweetening the juice – although depending on the combination, you might have a weird color…
What do I do with that?
Maintaining a healthy diet is all about variety. Trying different things and combinations, slowly inserting nuts, fruits, and vegetables, and removing as much processed food as possible are the key to having a healthy diet and lifestyle