Showing posts with label nutrients. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nutrients. Show all posts

Monday 9 March 2015

Dear food lovers,

Today I am writing about a sport bar that might be of interest to many of you: PRIMAL Nutrition.

Who are they?
When two belgian sport fanatics, get a break from their daily crossfit session, something good happens. Here is their vision: without proper nutrition you cannot even get close to your maximal performance. Eating healthy should be a way of living and the way to respect your body. Hence their attempt to engineer sport bars, such that it would be easy to carry and provide the correct amount of carbs, proteins and fat for your workout. Being healthy should be that easy!

What is PRIMAL Nutrition?
The bars that I am talking about are capable of satisfying your body with the primal nutrition needs that are required before and after workout, or just for your own reasons to stay healthy.
They are made 100% of natural ingredients such as the honey, grass-fed whey, dry prunes and dark chocolate. There is science in each of those, namely the Paleo and Zone diet, famous within the world of Crossfit. 
The Paleo Diet consists in eating just like we used to, back in the past... way back in the past. If a caveman could not eat it, why should you?
With this, I mean anything that could be hunted or found in the nature. Sorry, pasta, cereal, and candy are not included. 
The Zone diet is basically about learning how to put together perfectly balanced meals that promote maximum health, wellness, and performance. As a CrossFitter you should look at Zone as how much you eat. When following the zone diet every meal you eat is 40% carbohydrates, 30% protein, and 30% fat. You also eat a certain number of “blocks” based on how much lean body mass (muscle) you have.
Back to the bars, there are two sizes and one flavor. One as a energy bar (± 150 kcal) the other one as a full power bar or meal (±300 kcal).

The verdict
I chose the medium bars as a snack between breakfast and lunch. This kept me away from snacking around and gave me the energy I needed. I chose the larger bars as my lunch, even thought I have to admit that I needed some time to get used to it in substitution of my regular pasta or salad.
No worries, though. Getting used to it, is easier than you think.
The taste is really good, for those who have a sweet tooth. I could feel the difference with industrial bars which are usually smaller and contain less nutritional values.
The packaging, is simple, as healthy food should be. The fact that you can always see the bar from the package is reassuring. For those following the Zone diet, it is possible to read how many blocks of each nutrient (carbs, protein, fat) are there in the bar.
Overall it is a sport bar that can be used by everyone.
The large bar costs 5 euro while the medium one costs 3 euro.
Want to get some? Order PRIMAL Nutrition at their website
I wish those gentlemen lots of success, believing that passion for healthy food leads to great and tasty things.



Love,
Caroline

Wednesday 19 March 2014


I bought myself a bag of Chia seeds today. 
Have you ever heard of it? 
Well, this seed is usually referred to as superfood. This made me as curious as excited to try it out.

Chia is a seed that comes from the desert plant Salvia hispanica, that grows in Mexico. The first discovery dates back to the time of Mayan and Aztec cultures. 
"Chia" literally means strength. Those seeds were used by these ancient cultures as source of energy packed in for for their running messengers. Those people were used to carry a small pouch of seeds together  with them. 
Chia has also been described as Indian Running Food because of the incredible energy that it can deliver whenever necessary. 

From a nutritional perspective this all makes sense. Infact,  chia seeds are a concentrated of healthy omega-3 fatty acids, carbohydrates, proteins, fibers, antioxidants, and calcium. 
Their size is also a quality: due to the fact that they can absorb an amount of liquid that is many times their size and weight, they are excellent to prevent dehydration during exercise or exposure to heat.

The capability of making you feel full is yet another property. This means that a meal with chia seed should make you eat less while still giving you the nutrients that a superfood can give.
A dream, for those who are on diet.

But let me insist on the benefits that this special seed can give. Chia seeds will

  • boosts strength
  • bolsters endurance
  • levels blood sugar
  • induces weight loss
  • aids intestinal regularity

Now, let's assume you got your bag of seeds. How would you integrate into your diet? 
The mild, nutty flavour of chia seeds makes them quite easy to add to foods and beverages. They are usually sprinkled on cereals, sauces, vegetables, rice dishes, yogurt or mixed with drinks and baked goods. They can also be mixed with water and made into a gel.
Here is a delicious recipe for breakfast, something I personally suggest:

Ingredients
2 tablespoons chia seeds
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup cashews
2-3 fresh pitted dates, or dried pitted dates soaked in water overnight to rehydrate
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of sea salt
fresh or frozen blueberries

Preparation
Since chia seeds rapidly absorb fluids and take on gelatinous properties when soaked, they can be considered an ideal nutrient-dense pudding base. 
Soak chia in water for 15 minutes. In a blender, combine with the rest of the ingredients, except the blueberries, and blend until smooth. Transfer to serving bowl and top with blueberries.

Enjoy!

Love,
Caroline