You can stay on track and lose body fat around the week, but destroy all your hard work by Monday morning. 
Don't want this to happen anymore? Then read on.

5 Tips on how to stay on track with your diet on the Weekends

It's the weekend! Time to go out and have some fun with your friends, right?

Weekends are one of the main reasons that can sabotage our diets. You can go all
week meal prepping [/meal-planning-101/], working out, saying no to office cakes
and yes to snacking on veggies, but when the weekend is right around the corner
it's harder to stay strong.

See, you can stay on track and lose body fat during the week, but destroy all
your hard work by Monday morning.

Don't want this to happen anymore? Here's how you can stay on track on the
weekend, while still enjoying it.

1. Eat like it's a weekday


It's very easy to slip into the state of mind that allows you to overindulge on
the weekends. Stay safe by committing to eat the same healthy foods and portion
sizes as you did during the week.

Think about it. It doesn't really make much sense to eat differently on the
weekend, especially if your food choices during the week kept you fueled and
energised!

Stick to the 80/20 rule
Your diet shouldn't be too restrictive because restriction most often leads to
binge eating [/overcome-urge-to-binge/] as soon as Friday night hits.

Be realistic. It's the weekend. You're allowed to enjoy yourself. Have a glass
of wine and a meal out with friends. Enjoy what you're craving, but do it smart
[/healthier-baking-options/]. Watch your portions and make sure to get enough
protein in [/cheapest-protein-sources/].

It's so important to remember that no hyped food trend should eliminate certain
food groups from your diet [/truth-about-extreme-dieting/]. Nothing ever is
black and white. If you love it, build it into your diet. After all, no single
food can be seen as "clean" or "unclean", "healthy" or "unhealthy" (except for
trans-fats and alcohol). Too much of anything is unhealthy for you! Heck, you
can die from overconsumption of water!

Rule of thumb: Always go fresh, best is to use whole foods and make a delicious
dish out of them. Keep it simple! Get 80% from unprocessed, nutrient-dense
foods, and 20% from whatever the hell you like to eat (I love to fit in a
Snickers bar or some ice cream in every now and then).

2. Be smart about the booze


Drinking regularly with your mates on the weekends? No, it's not a bad thing.
However, mind that alcohol might sabotage your fat loss efforts
[/correlation-between-alcohol-and-fat-loss/].

Alcoholic drinks provide no nutritional value, just empty calories - and often
times a lot of them. And let's be honest, it's not just that 'one drink', is it?

Another problem is, that alcohol loosens inhibitions. Hence, you're more likely
to overeat on food and snacks.

Furthermore, alcohol also suppresses fat burning. Consumed with a high-caloric
meal, your body will burn the 'poison' first, which contributes to more body fat
storage. Alcohol decreases fat oxidation for up to 3 days after a good drinking
session. Yes, 72 hours! If you drink every day, you're setting yourself up for
fat gain, bad nutrient absorption and alcohol-related deceases.

What's best to order?
 * Don't drink too much, because every pint counts
 * Focus on low-carb alcohol, such as spirits like vodka, gin, rum or tequila.
   The worst choices would be cream based drinks. Dry white wines are also great
 * If you want to drink a beer, try the low-calorie alternative. Also, try diet
   sodas with spirits
 * Don't order another drink until your current one is empty, and always order a
   large glass of water together with your drink. Enjoy your drink and make it
   last about an hour
 * Focus on a healthy meal or small protein-packed snacks, with a lot of fibre
   and good fats before you're consuming alcohol. This will slightly minimise
   the damage of drinking too much
 * Keep your goals and health in mind

Moderate consumption of alcohol can improve insulin sensitivity and glycemic
control, even when you suffer from type 2 diabetes. Moderate is the operative
word here!

If you're a non-drinker, just keep it that way. It's just not worth starting,
especially if health and fitness are amongst your goals.

3. Don't skip your workouts


It's the weekend, so you usually have plenty of time to squeeze in a workout,
even if it's a quick one.

Skip the long cardio sessions. Doing hours of cardio will put too much stress on
your body. Being under stress leads to an excess release of cortisol. Instead,
lift heavy weights! [/cardio-vs-weight-training/]

Don't go crazy on the treadmill. Rather add a couple of extra sets to your
weightlifting routine and hit a few personal records.

Think about HIIT
If you still have some gas left in the tank, think about HIIT. HIIT, or
high-intensity interval training, is a training technique where quick, intense
bursts of exercise are followed by recovery periods (e.g. 45 sec high intensity
followed by 60 sec low intensity).

This type of training gets your heart rate up and burns more fat in less time.
20-30 minutes tops!

4. Keep up the mental game
They're everywhere: those "all or nothing" approaches to achieving a healthy
lifestyle.

You can have some unhealthy snacks at a party and - believe me - your diet isn't
ruined! We're all humans, we're not perfect. Of course, you can have a
cheeseburger too every once in a while (moderation and balance is the key).

Don't even think about following a fad diet [/give-up-on-fads/]. Generally
speaking, every diet program that promises a weight loss of 5 lbs (2 kg) per
week on a constant basis is utter nonsense! Why? It's almost impossible - unless
you weight A LOT - to lose so much fat every week. Nor is it healthy
[/weirdest-fads/].

You already know what works for you. Believe in yourself.

5. Keep calm, you can't gain too much weight from one weekend off


Instead of thinking of the day as ruined when consuming "forbidden food", try to
put the past behind you and keep going. Get your head back in the game. Learn
for the next time or learn to enjoy your treats mindfully. That's much better
than knocking yourself down and start binging, because of your frustration.

A few off-plan treats really don't make the difference in the long run, as long
as you know how to balance them right.

Relax, one cheat day won't make a major difference on the scale. You can't gain
that much fat in one day. Especially if you consume most of your calories from
carbohydrates.

After a good feast, you will weigh more. But if it's not fat, what is it then,
you may ask [/weight-loss-vs-fat-loss/]? It's mostly water weight!

Ever heard of glycogen? It's an energy source that is derived primarily from
carbs (and in small amounts from protein), that has an interesting
characteristic: it bonds really well with water. For every gram of carbohydrate,
you'll store about 3 to 4 grams of water.

So, for example, if you consumed 300g of carbs on your cheat day and your
glycogen stores were almost empty (as it's often times the case on a diet),
you're now holding up to approximately 2.2 lbs/1 kg more water. This, in fact,
is what causes the large increase in weight after your cheat day.

However, glycogen is not the only substance which can cause water retention.
Excess sodium (eating too much salt), which is present in processed food, can
also contribute to water retention.

Do yourself a favour and don't step on the scale the next day! Some of the
weight gain will be fat, but only a very small portion. Most people need 2-3
days to be back within the same "water range" as they were pre-cheat.

Bottom line
Nobody's perfect [/dare-to-fail/]. A cheat every once in a while will definitely
not destroy all your hard work. Being lean isn't about being 100% perfect all
the time. It's okay to give yourself a break.

However, if your cheat day becomes a cheat weekend or even a whole week, you
have to reconsider your diet.

Use the aforementioned tips and stay strong even on the weekends. By the time
Monday morning comes around, you'll thank yourself for it!

5 Tips on how to stay on track with your diet on the weekends - Don't let the weekend become your weak end

I had my first s'mores at a "good-bye"-party of my best friend Lisa, who went to
America. Thanks to Lisa for introducing me to this super delicious dessert!



A few weeks ago, I decided to try a version, where the sticky marshmallow
doesn't end up everywhere.

These s'mores cups are a fun and cute way to enjoy a classic treat, without a
pit fire and with almost no mess. These s'more cups are sick... and I mean in a
good way!

They are not only amazingly delicious, they are also easy to make. If I can make
them, anyone can.

Once you have the cups removed from the baking pan you can put them in an
airtight container, store them in the fridge and heat them up in the oven before
serving or serve them at room temperature.

However, that's enough of the blah-blah. Here's the recipe you were waiting for:

Ingredients
 * 2 cups graham cracker (or similar) crumbs (~26 cracker)
 * 4-5 ripe bananas
 * 1/2 cup (18tbsp) stevia
 * approx. 1/4 cup (50g) dark chocolate chips
 * approx. 1 1/2 cup (90g) mini marshmallows

Macros per cup (1/12 of recipe)
 * Calories: 150 kcal
 * Carbs: 28g
 * Protein: 2g
 * Fat: 4g

Instructions
 1. Preheat the oven to 350F/180C. Prepare a muffin pan with a non-stick cooking
    spray. Put the crackers in a food processor or blender and process until
    they are fine crumbs. Smash all 4-5 bananas until they are like a puree.
    
    
 2. In a medium mixing bowl combine the cracker crumbs, smashed banana, and
    stevia. Stir very well until a sticky dough forms. If the dough is too wet,
    feel free to add more cracker crumbs.
    
    
 3. Place 1-2 tbsp of the mixture into each muffin tin. Press them down firmly.
    I used a muffin form to help me form a cup. Bake for 5 minutes.
    
    
 4. Remove the pan from the oven, add mini marshmallows and chocolate chips to
    each cup. You don't need to measure everything out. Add as many as you like.
    Add another layer of the cracker mixture on top of the marshmallows and
    chocolate. Press it down firmly and bake again for 4-7 minutes.
    
    
 5. Remove the pan from the oven and add more mini marshmallows and chocolate
    chips. Place them back in the oven for another 4-5 minutes or until the
    marshmallows are golden.
    
    
 6. Remove the pan from the oven and let the cups cool down for 10-15 minutes.
    Enjoy!

5 ingredients s'mores cups -  simple and low-fat

When trying to lose weight many people look for all kinds of magic foods,
juices, pills and the like, that claim to somehow help them reach their goals
faster. And I understand them. If it speeds up the process a little bit, why
not
give fat burners, more cardio sessions, or so-called "weight loss foods"
[/the-best-magic-pill-when-it-comes-to-weight-loss/] a try?

That's the main reason why many people drink apple cider vinegar (ACV). But does
it really help you with weight loss or improving your health? This is another
installment of "Exposed & Solved" [/tag/exposed-solved/], let's see what the
hype is all about.

What is apple cider vinegar?


Apple cider vinegar has been touted as a cure-all for decades. I've seen all
kinds of claims on the Internet, from stopping hiccups to whitening teeth, and
even banishing dandruff. Sounds like it's the real deal, right?

What's in it?
ACV mostly consists of apple juice with added yeast. The added yeast turns the
fructose into alcohol (a process that is called fermentation). Bacteria then
turn the alcohol into acetic acid, which gives the vinegar its sour and strong
taste.

The claims about apple cider vinegar
Many people use ACV as a "wonder tonic", which is supposed to improve health and
body composition.

However, there are even more claimed advantages of ACV, such as the following:

 * It directly burns body fat
 * It reduces appetite
 * It stabilises blood sugar levels
 * It increases insulin sensitivity

The truth about apple cider vinegar
Let's see what studies have to say about these claims.

Weight loss


Well, the problem is that there is no single proven evidence that ACV boosts fat
loss in human beings. There is one study taken on rats
[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27209492], which shows that a high-fat
diet, including ACV, helped to minimise fat gain.

Mind, rats are not people. These effects have never been proven or demonstrated
on humans.

In this study, the rats had to drink the human equivalent of over two and a half
cups of ACV. Which is more than 20 times the recommended serving size.

Another study was done [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19661687] where 174
obese, but healthy individuals had to drink 2 tbsp of ACV for 12 weeks. Results
show that they lost 4 lbs (1.8kg) on average.

Let me point something out: They would've lost far more (probably around 15
lbs/6.8kg over the same period of time) if they would've implemented a proper
diet and workout routine.

Long story short: There is no single piece of evidence that proves that ACV
helps with or boosts fat loss. Hence, if you're drinking it to lose some weight,
save your money and spend it on real food or a gym membership.

Furthermore, you can't rely on certain foods, drinks, and pills that are
claimed
to work wonders, when your diet is bad [/the-clean-eating-trend/].

But why are they so popular? Quick weight loss [/give-up-on-fads/]. And - sadly
- that's what most people want nowadays. Quick and cheap solutions. What they
don't consider is, when the diet ends and they go back to their normal eating
habits, their glycogen stores get replenished, the water retention comes back
and also the pounds they've lost.

They lose weight not fat [/weight-loss-vs-fat-loss/]!

Appetite reduction


This one is somewhat true. One study
[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16015276] shows that ACV indeed increases
satiety after a meal. But the devil lies in the detail.

See, ACV might reduce appetite because it slows down the rate at which food
passes through your stomach. But is can also make people nauseous. Plus, the
effects are too mild to really matter in the long run.

Again, if you buy ACV to suppress your appetite, rather save your money or spend
it on whole foods that are rich in fiber [/what-is-dietary-fiber/].

Blood sugar stabilization


This one is true. This study shows [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7796781] 
that ACV taken after a carb heavy meal helps to keep the blood sugar levels
stable. This can be especially beneficial for individuals that suffer from
diabetes (again, it's not a wonder elixir).

But let's dig a little bit deeper. The "problem" is that the reducing effect on
the blood sugar levels only last a few hours because ACV delays the
metabolisation of carbohydrates.

Hence, it doesn't reduce or eliminate the spike in blood sugar levels, it simply
delays it.

Insulin sensitivity improvement


It is true that ACV might improve insulin sensitivity
[https://blog.slickcoach.com/definite-insulin-guide/] in people who suffer from 
pre-diabetes or diabetes [/diabetes-and-nutrition/]. But you know what else
improves it? A proper diet and workout regime.

See, this study [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2770158/] proves 
that losing weight improves insulin sensitivity. It's a nice side-effect of body
fat reduction.

Always get to the roots of the problem first. And don't try to use some
marketing claimed "superfood" as a shortcut.

Bottom line
In other words, don't bank on apple cider vinegar when a healthy, well-balanced
diet and a proper workout routine will do way more for you.

Good news if you hate drinking ACV and have been forcing yourself to endure the
sour flavour purely for weight loss purposes - you can easily lose weight
without it! It's no magic weight loss elixir!

Fix your diet and workout routine, before thinking about buying stuff like that.

However, if you like the taste you can add it to salads or add it to your
morning lemon water.

Have you tried apple cider vinegar? What is your experience with it so far?

Exposed & Solved: Apple cider vinegar and weight loss - Does it really work wonders?

I'm all about small changes and big results. If you want to make your baked dishes healthier and diet-friendly, this blog post is something for you! 

9 Ingredients to swap for healthier baking dishes 

Thanksgiving is getting closer and the beginning of autumn calls for cosy
afternoons with a hot cup of tea and your favourite pie.

I'm all about small changes with effective and big results. If you want to make
your baked goods a little bit healthier, you have to focus on lowering the fat
and carb (especially refined sugar) content, without compromising the taste.

Here are my favourite hacks, to make your dishes a little bit more diet and
calorie friendly.

1. Fig puree (or banana puree) for butter


Fruit puree is the perfect substitute for margarine or butter. It lowers the fat
content and therefore calories and adds valuable nutrients like fibre, vitamin
B6 and copper to your dish. You don't like figs? Use banana puree instead.

It's perfect for all kinds of baked goods, like brownies, cookies, muffins or
cakes.

To make the puree, simply combine 2 cups (~300g) of fresh figs and 1/4-1/3 cups
(50-80mL) of water in a blender and blend until smooth. For a banana puree mash
2-3 bananas with a fork. Simple as that.

Substitute every cup of butter with one cup of fruit puree.

2. Stevia or extract for sugar
Most people consume way too much refined sugar every day! So it's a good idea to
cut down the refined sugar in your recipes.

Another easy way to slash some calories is to use either the natural sweetener
stevia, some vanilla extract or a combination of both.

Use 1/2 cup of stevia to replace 1 cup of table sugar. And replace 1/4 cup of
sugar with 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Stevia blends are ideal for any type of
cooking or baking, while vanilla extract is perfect for scones, muffins, and
chocolate desserts.

However, there are some people for whom stevia will taste bitter (it’s a genetic
thing, impacting roughly 25% of the world’s population). Try it before you buy
it.

3. Oat bran for regular flour


Making some bread or muffins? Then you have to try substituting oat bran for
regular flour.

Swapping out flour will not only improve the texture of your dish, but also the
nutritional value. Oat bran is rich in fibre and protein, which will keep you
satiated for much longer.

Replace every cup of flour with one cup of oat bran.

4. Unsweetened applesauce for sugar
Do you want to cut out calories without losing flavour in your sweet treats?
Consider using applesauce instead of sugar and thank me later.

This is a more natural way to sweeten your dishes. Plus, the fructose won't
spike your blood sugar as much as table sugar does.

You can substitute every cup of sugar with one cup of unsweetened applesauce. By
doing so you will save about 700 calories! And your dessert has a fruity
sweetness. What's not to love about that?!

Applesauce as a substitute works perfectly for oatmeal cookies, brownies, and
oatmeal bars.

5. Greek yogurt for oil


While fat isn't evil, too much trans fats and unsaturated fats might lead to
health problems. Swapping oil for Greek yogurt is the perfect way to cut down on
"unhealthy" fats, while improving the taste! Yep, you read right - improving!
Your dessert will get a much smoother, creamier texture and an enhanced taste.
Plus, 1 cup of Greek yogurt provides you with about 24g of protein - the
equivalent of 4 eggs.

Substituting fat with yogurt works especially well for cookies, muffins,
brownies, baked potatoes, dips, and cakes. You can also use yogurt as a
substitute when your recipe calls for butter, milk or sour cream.

Substitute every cup of oil with one cup of Greek yogurt.

6. Milk and lemon for buttermilk
If you're like me, buttermilk is one of those ingredients you rarely have at
home. No problem! You can easily substitute it by using milk and lemon, you'll
save money, time and calories. Win-win, if you ask me.

Combine 1 cup of milk and 1 tbsp of lemon juice in a small bowl and let the
mixture sit for 5 minutes. You're welcome.

7. Black beans for flour


This is for the people who suffer from celiac disease and badly crave something
sweet that is safe to eat: swap black beans for flour.

Just swap a can of rinsed, drained and pureed black beans for 1 cup of flour.
This saves you up to 200 calories and adds some protein and fibre to your sweet
treat.

However, this won't work for every baking dish, such as shortbread. But it works
perfectly fine for brownies and cakes.

8. Powdered peanut butter for peanut butter
Even though nut butter contains mostly good fat, the addition of nuts or nut
butter can add tons of calories with only one tablespoon.

To save some calories and fat, you can use powdered peanut butter like PB2
[http://amzn.to/2yBX6II]. PB2 is made by removing the oil and water from
peanuts. Hence, it has 85% fewer calories from dietary fat than the traditional
peanut butter.

Mix the powder with water to create peanut butter until you have to the desired
amount and texture.

9. Avocado for butter


It's not my favourite, but maybe you like it. When you puree an avocado you have
a similar texture to butter, but with much fewer calories and more nutrients.
Keep in mind, it will not melt or coat dry ingredients the same way butter does.
Hence, you have to increase the amount of the wet ingredients you're using to
compensate a bit.

I would recommend to only use avocado for darker-hued treats, such as chocolate
pudding, brownies or chocolate cakes.

10. Chia seeds for eggs
Want to make your treat vegan-friendly without making it too dry? Simply swap
the eggs for chia seeds. Simple as that.

Mix one tbsp of chia seeds with three tbsp of water and let it sit for
approximately 15 minutes until it becomes somewhat jelly-like. This substitutes
one egg.

That switch is perfect for bread and muffins. By the way, you can do the same
with flax seeds.

See, you don't have to give up on your favourite treat when dieting. It's super
easy to change your treats from high calorie to highly healthy.

10 ingredients to swap for healthier baking dishes

These cookies will keep you full throughout the morning or whenever you like them. 
Here's our super easy recipe, which doesn't require any fancy equipment.

Ridiculous healthy and easy banana oatmeal cookies with no added sugar

It's easy to grab a to-go breakfast pastry and a coffee at the supermarket when
you're in a rush. But most muffins and croissants are packed with calories and
are seriously lacking nutritional benefits.

Craving something sweet in the morning? I have an easy way to make your own
sweet and healthy breakfast!

When I heard of the concept of a breakfast cookie I had to try it. It sounded
like a dream come true. These cookies will keep you full throughout the morning
or whenever you like them.

Here's the super easy recipe, which doesn't require any fancy equipment. You can
whip them up and have breakfast for the whole week in a few simple steps.

What you need for 9 cookies
 * 2 very ripe bananas
 * 150g oats
 * 150ml skimmed milk (or any milk you like)
 * 1 whole egg
 * 5g cocoa
 * 1 tbsp low-fat peanut butter (or almond butter)
 * 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Introductions
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Mash the bananas and mix it with the oats, milk
and egg before adding the remaining ingredients. Put the mixture on a tray and
form 9 large cookies. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. If you want, you
can top them with chopped almonds or grated coconut flakes.

Enjoy!

Ridiculously healthy banana oatmeal cookies

We want to share with you our all-time-favourite recipes. They are made with just a few ingredients, which you have most certainly at home already.

Simple and fresh recipes

> “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” ~Hippocrates

It isn’t always easy to eat healthy, but committing to a healthy lifestyle can
be one of the smartest decisions you could ever make.

When we started our lifestyle change I began to look for some tasty recipes. I
was shocked when I saw recipes where you’d need all kinds of fancy stuff. I
didn’t even know where to buy all of this!

That’s why we want to share with you our most loved all-time-favourite recipes.
They are made with just a few ingredients, which you have most certainly at home
already. They are easy to make, you can make many versions of it by just playing
with the ingredients and they are really nourishing.

Overnight-Oats.

It’s as simple as it is brilliant: Oats which are left in some kind of liquid
overnight will plump up more fluffy and creamy than if you microwave it.

It is a morning time-saver since it’s all ready to go when you wake up.

For my favourite one, peanut butter overnight oats, you need:

 * 50g of rolled oats (188kcal, 3.8g F/33.8g C/6.2g P)
 * 100ml unsweetened almond milk (14kcal, 1.2g F/0.2g C/0.5g P)
 * 5g of chia seeds (25kcal, 1.7g F/1.7g C/0.8g P)
 * 1 tsp peanut butter (95kcal, 8g F/4g C/3.5g P)
 * little splash of honey
 * 1 banana as an optional topping (92kcal per 100g, 0.5g F/22g C/1g P)

Introductions

First, mix the rolled oats with the almond milk in a jar. You can also use a
combination of dairy or non-dairy milk, yoghurt, or even juice. Fancy steel cuts
oats? Totally fine, just add more liquid. As you can see, you’re really flexible
with this recipe.

Mix the honey and one tablespoon peanut butter in. You can also add any spices,
sweeteners, or dried fruit as desired. Store the jar in the fridge and let the
oats soak for at least three hours or better overnight.

Next morning you can add the banana, or anything you like, as the topping.

A nice slick-hack for you: If you have a nearly empty peanut butter jar, mix
xthe oats in that instead of a clean one. The oats will soak in the flavour.
Delicious! Same with honey or jam jars.

Oatmealcake with protein yoghurt.

Yeah, we are oat lovers. They are a good source of carbs and fiber, contain more
protein than most grains, and are loaded with important vitamins, minerals and
antioxidants. And most importantly they fill you up!

Here’s what you need:

 * 50g of oats (188kcal, 3.8g F/33.8g C/6.2g P)
 * 250g of egg white (125kcal, 0.5g F/1.8g C/27.8g P)
 * 25g of your favourite protein powder (really good is strawberry flavour)
   (101kcal, 1.8g F/1.2g C/20g P)
 * dried fruit and cacao powder (optional)

Introductions
Stir everything together in a microwave-friendly bowl. Microwave it for roughly
5–7 minutes (at 700 volt). Done!

Add all your favourite toppings like peanut butter, almond butter, yoghurt, nuts
or fresh fruits.

Like it more hearty? Just top it with some bacon, chicken breast or tomatoes.
It’s a perfect recipe if you want to prep your meals.

Quick, easy and guilt-free.

Protein stuffed Pitta

A pitta bread is a flat bread with a “pocket” in the middle. Pittas are a fun,
quick way to make a sandwich at any time of the day.

Fill them with any kinds of meats, vegetables, spreads and cheeses, and make a
healthy and satisfying meal without too many calories.

Here’s what you need:

 * 2 whole wheat pittas (139kcal per pitta, 0.7g F/25.8g C/5.5g P)
 * 1/2 medium avocado (117kcal, 10.5g F/6g C/1.5g P)
 * 70g of feta cheese (189kcal, 14.7g F/1.3g C/12g P)
 * 6 cherry tomatoes (18kcal per 100g, 0.2g F/3.9g C/0.9g P)
 * lettuce (15kcal per 100g, 0.2g F/2.9g C/1.4g P)
 * 2 tsp light mayonnaise (70kcal, 7g F/2g C/0g P)
 * little bit of salt

Introductions

Start by putting the pitta breads in the toaster for a few minutes. When they
are finished open them gently with a knife (be careful, the bread is very thin
and hot).

Use one half of the avocado for one pitta. Dice the feta cheese and combine it
in a bowl with the light mayonnaise, a little bit of lemon zest, some pepper and
salt. Fill each pitta with the diced feta-mixture. Top it with tomatoes and
lettuce.

You can literally put everything in there. Another delicious option is tofu with
humous and vegetables.

Sweet potatoes fries or wedges.

There is no tastier way to eat sweet potatoes. A single sweet potato contains
400% of your daily required vitamin A. They also have a lower glycemic index
than white potatoes.

For 4 servings you need:

 * 4 medium sweet potatoes (86kcal per 100g; 0g F/20.3g C/1.6g P)
 * salt, pepper or cinnamon

Introductions

Start by cutting all your potatoes into fries or wedges. Try to cut them into
the same sizes, so that they all cook at the same rate. Preheat your oven to 200
degrees. Tumble the sweet potato fries onto a baking sheet and spread evenly.

Bake them for 35 minutes. If the edges become a little brown, don’t worry.
They’ll taste rather caramelised than burned.

Serve the fries with a sprinkle of extra salt on top. Also delicious are cumin,
cayenne pepper, or cinnamon.

Since they are baked, they are much healthier than fried potatoes from a fast
food restaurant.

Enjoy!

Our favourite simple and fresh recipes

We all know craving sugar is real and we all had to deal with it once or twice or more.

The reasons you may be craving sugar

We all know craving sugar is real and we all had to deal with it once or twice
or more…

Sugar signals the body to release serotonin, a hormone which boosts your mood.
Sounds nice, doesn’t it?

No. Sugar is highly addictive and the cravings it causes can take over your mind
and body.

Glucose and fructose
To understand what sugar does to our bodies, you need to understand the two
types of carbohydrates: glucose and fructose.

Glucose is mainly found in whole grains, fruits and vegetables. It’s a very
simple sugar molecule, which is a building block of mainly plant-based complex
carbs. The main job of glucose is providing our bodies with energy. Cells take
up glucose absorbed by the digestive tract and either use it or store it for
later use. Hence, it’s easily broken down by every cell in our body.

Fructose is also a simple sugar, mainly found in fruits and sweet vegetables.
However, it is almost exclusively broken down by our liver.

Eating a high amount of fructose not only raises blood fructose levels, but the
liver has to store all that excess fructose it can’t break down as fat (usually
around the liver) in the form of triglycerides.

Why has sugar such a big impact on us?
After eating simple carbs [/the-basics-what-are-carbohydrates] the blood sugar
crash affects the part of the brain which is controlling our impulses. This can
lead to a loss of self control and you start to crave more unhealthy foods.

Nowadays, sugar addiction is no surprise, because this stuff is everywhere. Here
are some reasons why you might crave something sweet:

Caveman-theory
Back in caveman times we needed as much sugar as we possibly could get our hands
on, in order to stay warm. We needed as much body fat as possible to survive
those long, cold winters.

Sugar was a very rare resource at this time, just a few bites of berries every
now and then. Something which is unthinkable today.

Today the desire for sugar isn’t gone and we have much easier access to it.

Emotion
Again, sugar increases serotonin levels, like most antidepressant medications.
Imagine you’re at home, feeling down and giving in to your cravings by eating
your favourite chocolate bar. You’re actually self-medicating. Eating processed
carbs gives you the fasted serotonin and energy boost. But also the fastest
sugar crash.

Not long after eating something sweet, your blood glucose levels crash. Your
body is irritated and starts to crave more sugar to boost your blood glucose
levels back up and to have more energy.

Try instead a hot cup of fruit tea, talk to a friend of yours or go for a walk.
Distract your attention from the chocolate. If you do have to eat, aim for slow
releasing carbs like berries, oatmeal, carrots or a huge water melon.

Habit
A nice sweet dessert after dinner, or an ice-cream every time we got a good mark
at school.

We are conditioned to want something sweet and we associate it with so many good
things. With rewards. Out of this habit the cravings begin. Much like smoking.

Try to think of something salty to hack your brain, such as pickles, nuts, eggs
or beef jerky.

How to cut off sugar
Here are some tips, that should help you to get rid of those sugar cravings:

Skip artificial sweeteners
Don’t drink diet sodas or eat sugar-free gum. Large amounts of it can worsen
your cravings. Frankly, stay away from all the chemical and synthetic crap und
try to look for natural ways to sweeten your meals [/healthy-sugar-alternatives]
.

Eat whole fruits
True, fruits contain fructose. But a few servings a day are definitely okay.
It’s satisfying and fruits provide lots of vitamins and minerals! Focus on
strawberries, blueberries, kiwifruits, coconut, grapefruit (basically all sorts
of citrus-fruits and berries) and pears.

Avoid fruit juice or dried fruits
Dried fruits contain a lot more concentrated sugar, because they are dehydrated.
The high amount of sugar confuses your appetite mechanism, why it’s nearly
impossible to stop eating. If you eat dried fruits however, make sure to drink a
ton of water to make up for the dehydration process.

Fruit juices are extracted. Therefore, they contain pure sugar, which goes
straight to the liver. No good. Orange juice sounds healthy, but you have to go
easy on those.

Check your magnesium intake
If you suffer from a magnesium deficiency it’s possible that you’re craving
chocolate in particular. Try to overcome those cravings by eating plenty of dark
leafy greens, tofu, legumes and nuts.

Read labels
Guys and gals, it’s really important to start reading the nutrition labels
[/how-to-read-nutrition-labels]!

Hidden sugar is everywhere, but mostly in processed food. Even if sugar isn’t
listed on the label, look for: agave syrup, corn sweetener, brown sugar, corn
syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, lactose, maltose, maltodextrin, sucrose,
fruit juice concentrate, honey, invert sugar, dextrin, malt sugar, molasses,
syrup or simply raw sugar.

You see, the list is long. Start to realise what you put in your mouth!

Limit access to temptation
Remove all your sweet stuff from the house and stop buying it en masse. Make it
harder for yourself to get access to sugar. In that way you have to think about
if you really need it now.

Spice it up
Try to naturally sweeten your food with spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, honey and
cardamom. Perfect in your oatmeal or yogurt in the morning. Especially cinnamon
will help you with balancing your blood sugar. It’s a stable for the fat loss
meal plans we create [http://www.slickcoach.com/#pricing-section].

Eat the chocolate you’re craving
Sometimes you just have to give in. If you’re craving chocolate, just eat some.
But one of the super dark chocolates with at least 85% cocoa. Those are actually
quite healthy and harder to overeat.

But, of course moderation is key!

Enjoy every bite and learn to stop.
It’s all about knowledge, habits and willpower! Addictions and cravings start in
your brain. Remember that!

The reasons you may be craving sugar (and how to overcome it)

What if you could enjoy some sweet brownies without feeling guilty afterwards? Yes, that’s possible! 

Healthy 3 ingredient brownies

Sometimes we just need something sweet to satisfy our cravings.

What if you could enjoy some sweet brownies without feeling guilty afterwards?
Yes, that’s possible! We’ve got a much healthier and easier recipe for your
beloved brownies. No regret, no guilt. Just satisfaction and enjoyment.

These healthy 3 ingredient flourless brownies contain no butter, grains, oil or
sugar. They’re just made out of easy, everyday ingredients. Rich, dark and super
fudgy.

Following a paleo, vegan, gluten free or sugar free diet? No problem, they are
suitable for you, too! It’s a perfect combination of unsweetened apple sauce,
cacao powder (or whey powder, if you like) and almond butter or peanut butter
(for those of you who don’t follow a paleo lifestyle).

Here’s the recipe
Ingredients
 * 1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
 * 1/2 cup almond butter or — as I prefer — peanut butter
 * 1/4–2/3 cup cocoa powder or whey, if you have a flavour that fits
 * Frosting of choice (I would recommend without — they’re delicious on their
   own)

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius/390 fahrenheit. Coat a small loaf pan
with baking paper. Add the apple sauce and nut butter in a large mixing bowl and
mix well. Now add the cocoa powder and mix again until it’s all nice and silky.

Transfer the brownie batter to the loaf pan and bake for 35–40 minutes. Let the
brownies cool down completely and refrigerate for several hours (best would be
overnight).

Finally top the brownie with your optional frosting and slice into bars. That’s
it!

If you don’t like it that fudgy, simply add about 50g of oats.

Yum!

Here's the recipe as video tutorial, if you fancy some moving pictures :)