Nourishing your body with Nutritious, energizing food does not need to be boring. If you’re looking for alternative ways to fill your daily calorie intake, allow me to loan some ideas!

Now, I’m not gluten or lactose intolerant, but to some degree I don’t tolerate these types of food's very well. It’s a very simple equation really; if a particular food does not make me feel good, I’ll avoid it where I can.

In recent events, I’ve begun Power Lifting again. I have no fights lined up at the moment and obviously, were approaching the festive holidays. I, however, am not having a holiday and am certainly not treating this time of year as an ‘off season’. I love training in the gym, I love exercising and moving my body – it makes me feel energized and I enjoy that endorphin release too much to neglect it. I have set some personal, aesthetic goals for my self, come 2018 and I am so excited to see what I am able to achieve with my body and my performance.

At the moment, I’m incorporating some variety into my diet, including foods I wouldn’t usually have; and I’m living by the 80/20 rule.

The 80/20 Rule

Achieving long term results with your Health and Fitness becomes possible when you begin to cultivate a lifestyle of balance and moderation. 80% of my diet is structured, tracked and filled with nutrient dense foods that are for the most part, unrefined and unprocessed. That remaining 20% is filled with foods I enjoy and this 20% kills my cravings. I will stick to my meal plan throughout the day, which is filled with meals such as Beef Mince and Broccoli or Eggs and Avocado (as a rough indication). At night time, I will allow myself to enjoy those 'treat-y' foods that may not quite fit within my meal plan. These are foods I can track into my daily calories – as long as I don’t exceed my calorie number for the day, I will not be jeop. That 20% might be 70g of Ice Cream, 2-3 Squares of Chocolate, 2 biscuits, a Protein bar… or I might rearrange some calories to allow for something different and varied to my usual habits.

The Art of Protein Pancakes

Not all pancakes need to be made with milk, butter or flour. Personally I don’t feel great eating dairy products or foods that contain gluten and dense grains (such as Oats). My pancakes are calorie friendly, full of Micronutrient's, Antioxidants and is balanced with Fats, Proteins and Carbohydrates. You can manipulate the Protein content, which is why this treat is perfect for a Post-Workout feed!

Try it for yourself, send me your pictures and tell me how you went! X

Servings: 1 person

Time to Prepare and Cook: 15 minutes

Ingredients: 1 Banana, 1 Egg, 1 Scoop of Protein Powder (I use Prana’s Plant Based powder), 1 tspn of Organic Cacao Powder, Organic Coconut Flakes/Slithers, Frozen Raspberries and Cinnamon Powder to garnish

Method: Mash the banana in a mixing bowl, add egg (whole) and stir with a fork until these two ingredients are combined. I personally don’t mash the banana too aggressively, I like having ‘chunk’ of gooey banana throughout my pancakes but if you want it to be thoroughly mixed and combined, just keep stirring until you find the consistency you desire. Once the egg and banana is combined and mixed well, add the Protein powder and Cacao; again, mixing all ingredients until it reaches the consistency you’re after. Preheat a frying pan, coat with Coconut oil (you shouldn’t need to use more then ½ a teaspoon).

Pour the pancake mix onto the pan and spread evenly. I know when the pancake is ready to flip, by watching for small bubbles to appear through the pancake on the pan. Once you see bubbles poking through the mix on the pan, you can be sure the bottom of the pancake is cooked and it is now ready to flip! I always garnish my pancakes, for this particular recipes I garnished with Cinnamon powder, Shredded Organic Coconut Flakes and an easy-to-make Raspberry puree. To make the puree, grab ½ a cup of Frozen Raspberries, place them in a microwaveable cup or mug and place them in the microwave for 30-40 seconds They will heat and melt into a paste-like puree which is perfect for drizzling over the top of your pancakes!

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