Jessica Alba's Healthy Meatballs Recipe

These versatile meatballs are a favourite in the Alba household. You can use lean turkey mince, organic free-range chicken mince or extra-lean beef mince in the recipe and make your own breadcrumbs if you prefer (or use gluten-free breadcrumbs if required). Serve these meatballs on their own with fresh salad or incorporate in a tomato sauce to serve with quinoa or brown rice.


Jessica Alba's Healthy Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 600 grams of lean ground turkey/chicken/beef
• 1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) or gluten-free breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup finely chopped carrots
• 1/4 cup finely chopped zucchini
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 cup homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth

Method:

1. In a large bowl, mix together the meat, breadcrumbs, vegetables, eggs, and seasonings until combined. You may want to use your hands to help all the ingredients bind together.
2. Roll the mixture into small meatballs (slightly larger than a golf ball size) and place on a dish until finished.
3. Heat a large pan and add the oil. Pan fry the meatballs until golden brown on all sides. Cook for 7 or so minutes.
4. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth; cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until liquid is almost completely absorbed, about another 7 minutes. Add remaining 1/4 cup broth and increase heat to medium; cook, uncovered, until liquid is absorbed. 
5. You can either serve the meatballs now or add in a jar of tomato pasta sauce to serve with rice. 

Jessica Alba and her two daughters

Healthy Peanut Crunch Chocolates... sugar free, paleo AND vegan!

Lovers of peanut butter will delight in the crunchy peanut butter centre of these coconutty chocolates. To make these delicious and creamy chocolate treats, you only need a a few ingredients and a silicone ice cube tray or chocolate mould (these are flexible and make it easier to pop out the set chocolates).

If you prefer, you can substitute the peanut butter with a preferred nut butter with the same result. Yummy additions to these chocolates could include goji berries, shredded coconut, chia seeds, cinnamon or orange zest.
Healthy Peanut Crunch Chocolates

Makes 1 tray of chocolates (6 - 8 serves)

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of melted coconut oil
• 2 scoops of chocolate or vanilla flavored protein powder (any type with no added sugar - however to be vegan this must be rice or pea protein)
• 1 scoop (use protein scooper) of coconut flour
• 1 tablespoon of organic crunchy peanut butter with no added sugar or salt + 1 tablespoon for filling
• 2 tablespoons of 100% cacao powder 
• 1 teaspoons of maca powder* optional
• 1 - 2 tablespoons of powdered stevia, depending on sweetness preferences 

Method:

1. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and mix until combined and smooth. The mix should be thick and creamy, but at a pourable consistency, much like pancake batter. If the mixture seems to thick, add a teaspoon of coconut oil at a time until the desired consistency is reached. If it is too runny, add a little more protein powder or coconut flour.
2. Spray your silicone tray with coconut oil or macadamia nut oil. Using a tablespoon, fill each mould half way. 
3. Using a teaspoon, put a small amount of peanut butter into each mould. Using the remaining chocolate mix, top each mould until full, covering the peanut butter centre. 
4. Freeze for a few hours, until set. Pop out on the moulds and transfer into a container to keep in the freezer. These chocolates will melt quickly at room temperature. Take them out shortly before eating! 

* Maca powder is made from a root that grows in the Andes mountains of Peru. It is associated with improved vitality, energy, libido and anti-ageing benefits. 

Not Losing Weight But You're Doing Everything Right? Three Weight Loss Road Blocks

You think you are doing everything right... You are going for daily runs, eating salads and steamed vegetables and saying no to sabotages and temptations. The problem is you aren't losing weight. You are stuck and you are pretty frustrated. I hear so many confused dieters say they've hit a wall in losing weight and can't figure out why. Here are three main reasons why you might not be reaching your goal weight. Read about these road blocks and how to turn your weight loss around in the right direction by making a few simple tweaks to your routine.


1. Not Enough Protein

Many women do simply not eat enough protein. The word 'protein' is synonymous with 'muscle' as it is a crucial component in creating a lean figure. Despite how many weights you may be lifting or pilates and yoga you are performing, without protein your body will struggle to support its own muscles. Protein actually triggers muscle growth alone; every time you eat protein (10 - 15 grams, which is a small serve of yoghurt or tinned tuna), you fire up your body's protein synthesis. When you increase your protein intake to 30 grams (one large chicken breast or a few eggs), this protein synthesis will continue for over three hours. 

Make sure you are eating protein at every meal, especially breakfast. Eat the amount of protein relative to your goal body weight. There are several different methods to calculate your protein needs, but as a guide, multiply your body weight in kilograms (to convert pounds to kilograms divide by 2.2) by 1.8 for a moderately active lifestyle. For example, if your goal weight is 55 kilograms, your average daily protein intake is 80 - 110 grams. Just adjust this based on your gym routine, as in if you are doing a heavier weights day, eat at the upper range, if it is a rest day, eat at the lower end of the spectrum. 

2. Skipping Breakfast

I've blogged about this one before, but I can't reiterate enough how important it is to eat breakfast! Skipping breakfast is a sure-fire way to slow down your metabolism and stop weight loss in its tracks. When you wake up in the morning, your body is fuel deprived, your protein stores are running on empty and your insulin levels are low. Your muscles will be desperate for nutrition in the morning and it is important to restore your energy levels to get the most out of your day and to prevent any morning tea sugar binges or late night grease feasts. 

The key to eating a good breakfast is making sure you get a good balance of protein and healthy fats. Think poached eggs and avocado with rye bread, oats with Greek yoghurt and raw nuts, or a protein shake made with almond milk, a tablespoon of peanut butter and a scoop of protein powder. Many people shed kilos from making this lifestyle change alone.

3. Not Eating Before or After Exercise

So you are about to slog it out at boot camp or race into a body pump class but you haven't had time to eat. Maybe you have just finished a 5k run or a session on the cross trainer and figure if you don't eat now, you will burn more fat. Wrong... these times are the most crucial to fuel up. 

Timing is everything when it comes to food and exercise. If you eat protein (yes you will notice protein is a key theme here!) before and after working out, you block the negative effects of cortisol, which is a hormone that tells your body to store fat. This way, your body can sculpt muscles more effectively and burn fat. You will also have more energy to perform your workout and to get on with your day afterwards, and you will have a shorter recovery time. 

Just watch your portion size. Eat a small tub of low-fat Greek yoghurt with berries and a few raw nuts before your workout and to refuel afterwards, have a protein shaker with you on the go, with 1 scoop of good quality protein powder (try Sunwarrior vegan protein powder or whey protein isolate) with cold water or coconut water. Carbs are good for energy before a workout (wholegrain rice or banana) but avoid it after working out, and focus more on protein to restore muscle growth. 

Jodhi Meares 'The Upside' is Gym Gear for the Cool Kids

Frustrated with the lack of activewear that translated from yoga to every day, Jodhi Meares (former owner and designer of swimwear label Tigerlily) started a concept for her own sport label that gave women access to chic exercise clothes. Reassembling her Tigerlily team, Meares has spent the last four years building her new brand The Upside, an exciting take on exercise gear that is practical, versatile and effortlessly cool. Meares' gym wear style is influenced by her experiences in cities New York, Sydney and Hawaii.

Diving into a lifestyle filled with yoga and plenty of green juice, Meares is the perfect candidate to spearhead a sport brand. When in sunny Hawaii, Meares does soft sand running on the beautiful beaches near her home. In New York, her typical day is yoga, vegan cafe hopping for lunch, and making a delicious raw food meal in the evening.

Her devotion to exercise means that Meares lives in clothes that work into her lifestyle. In Australia's Bazaar Magazine, she says "I was wearing a bit of Lululemon and Omgirl to my yoga classes at Equinox (New York), or if I was in Hawaii I'd resort to pulling on some great Louis Vuitton leggings, wearing them to yoga class them teaming them with Havianas afterwards. I couldn't find anything I wanted to wear, so I'd put these looks together."

Meares could see a gap in the market that many other active women would have already encountered. "Everything that was available was either too sportswear, mainstream or suburban," she observed. 

Now that exercise is an integral part of most women's busy lives, women are updating their sports wear seasonally. Purchases on sport wear is encompassing a large portion of most women's clothing budgets. "We are doing more to nourish our souls and condition our bodies more than ever before and being here in New York at the moment I am really inspired by the amount of people who are seriously looking after their bodies," said Meares in an article for news.com.au. 

Wearing sports clothes to lunch dates post Pilates or to brunch after a long walk are becoming the norm rather than a source of embarrassment. Meares' clothing is designed to be breathable and comfortable designed in super hot fabrics like leopard print in cute ballet style shapes and sexy figure-hugging catsuits. Her clothes are something you can feel comfortable in while doing ambitious yoga moves or walking around the markets for your fruit and veggies. 

The Upside's campaign is fronted by the stunning Candice Swanepoel, who Meares says is a women that takes charge of her health and fitness. "Finding a girl to model activewear is much harder than finding a swimsuit model - many are too thin and don't train. Candice's body is ridiculous, but we still wanted her to look womanly. She has a booty!"

To view the full range of The Upside, go to theupsidesport.com or check out the collection on stylerunner.com. But you better move quickly, it's selling out!

Skinny Tiramisu

Coffee lovers rejoice at this traditional Italian dessert, which I just served at Father's Day dinner. I was never a Tiramisu lover but this recipe had me converted. Super easy to make, you can make these skinny treats ahead of time and have them at the ready.
Skinny Tiramisu

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 1 block of low-fat cream cheese (450 grams)
• 2 tablespoons of Mascarpone cheese
• 3 tablespoons of low-fat plain Greek yoghurt
• 1/2 cup of stevia or xylitol + 1 tablespoon  
• 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup of fresh coffee or espresso
• 1 tablespoon of Tia Maria, Kahlua or Amaretto
• 12 Italian sponge fingers
• 1 small block of sugar-free dark chocolate

Method:

1. In a high speed blender or electric mixer, blend together the cream cheese, mascarpone cheese and greek yoghurt together. Add the vanilla extract and 1/2 cup of stevia/xylitol and mix until combined. 
2. Take out 6 martini or round champagne glasses, tea cups or small ramekins.
3. Put of dollop of the cream mixture into each serving cup or glass.
4. Add the alcohol and 1 tablespoon of sweetener into the coffee in a small bowl.
5. Dip each sponge finger into the coffee mixture and put two into each glass.
6. Top with the remaining cream mixture.
7. Finish off each tiramisu with grated dark chocolate. 
8. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to set.