chocolate Archives - #lessoftheexcess

Alright folks, I’m on week 2 of my 5 day Comfort Is A Lie Series!

Week 1 of having no coffee was awesome. I was able to wean off my coffee addiction with full awareness. I’m still continuing the no coffee habit, and I’m ready to introduce a new lifestyle habit.

The idea behind the 5 day challenge is to notice and learn how our bodies react, while slowly introducing new lifestyle habits (or seeing if it’s something you want to continue) so that we can get rid of excess distractions and live more intentionally.

What that means for me this week is no processed foods.

Nothing packaged and filled with chemicals and preservatives, no processed sugar, no chips, no french fries, no chocolate (except the raw, natural 2 ingredient kind), no ice-cream (except nice cream!) and no donuts.

I was doing SO WELL on eating clean (I even lost 4 pounds in a week from doing that!), and then I went on vacation and it all sort of went down hill again. So I’m back at it again, because the person I want to be takes good care of her body, and feeds it nourishing foods. Whole foods. Real food from the earth.

We all need food to survive, but it’s important to ditch the crap.

This is where comfort really is a lie. Oh, I’m craving those donuts so bad! They taste SO GOOD. They make me so happy! Your body is lying to you in that moment. Because, eat too many donuts and you’re on your way to:

weight gain (junk food is high in calories)
type 2 diabetes (so the research says)
depression (my mood has definitely not been in tip top shape)
pimpes (blech)
dull looking skin
nutritional deficiencies
digestive problems
fatigue (yep, I’m pretty dopey)
afternoon crashes
foggy brain
memory problems
irritability
increases risk of heart disease and/or cancer
cravings for even more crappy food

Yup, I don’t want any of these things. I want:

A clear mind
A healthy body
A good mood
An efficient digestive system
Nice, glowing skin
Steady energy levels
A flat non-bloated stomach
Better sleep

And yes, yes, yes. Everything in moderation. But I need to start somewhere.

So who’s going to join me! Starting tomorrow (Monday!) Let’s see what we can learn and how our bodies react.

Stay tuned for updates on Friday as an edit on this post.

Pia

*Edit*

It’s now Saturday and how did my 5 days of no junk food go?

I’d say, overall it was… okay. I failed once on the Monday, because I had leftover chilli flavoured Crispy Mini’s in the cupboard (whoops), so I caved and ate them.

But from that, I learned that I should not stock unhealthy foods in my cupboards, so I’m not tempted to eat them. Healthy snacks should only be available.

On Tuesday, I noticed I had wayyy more energy and was able to wake up early, without feeling like I was hungover. I feel intensely groggy and sleepy in the mornings when I eat poorly.

By Wednesday I had even more energy. I rode my bike to work, was up at 6am and felt great! Thursday was positive too.

There were several times I wanted to eat something that wasn’t healthy so that I could cover up boredom or some other feeling. Sometimes it was just for the sake of convenience. I wasn’t even hungry. I was probably also just thirsty too at times. It was great to learn to be aware of when my cravings came up.

I’m going to continue this habit, as well as no coffee into next week. And next week I have a few ideas in mind for what I want to do for my next challenge.

Stay tuned!

Pia

Leave a Comment

This must be shared! I have recently discovered that you can make ice cream out of frozen bananas, and I’m mind blown. It’s a much more healthy option too. I’ve already made strawberry and chocolate/peanut butter flavoured ice cream. I’ve just taken the original posting from here and posted it below. You HAVE to try it!

Yes, that’s right; you heard us. Creamy, soft-serve style ice cream with just one ingredient — and no ice cream maker needed! What is this one magic ingredient that can be whipped into perfectly rich and silky ice cream, with no additional dairy, sweeteners, or ingredients needed whatsoever?

If you guessed BANANA, congratulations! You’re right!

What? You didn’t know that bananas can make some of the best ice cream? Well, I didn’t either until last week, when my sister called me up and mentioned that she’s been freezing bananas and then pureeing them into ice cream.

“That’s the sort of thing you discover,” she sighed, “when all your friends are vegan, gluten-free, dairy-allergic, and you’re on a sugar-free diet.” I’d deal with a list of dietary restrictions twice as long, though, if it meant discovering more treats like this one.

It turns out that frozen bananas are good for more than just dipping in chocolate. If you freeze a banana until solid, then whiz it up in a blender or food processor, it gets creamy and a little gooey, just like good custard ice cream. I was surprised at this bit of kitchen wizardry; I assumed that a blended banana would be flaky or icy. But no — it makes creamy, rich ice cream.

Some bananas, depending on their ripeness, have a bit of that green aftertaste. My sister has been experimenting with adding in another ingredient or two, like a tablespoon of peanut butter and another of honey. Delicious!

Have you ever tried frozen-banana ice cream? Try it! It’s an easy way to stay cool and use up over-ripe bananas at the same time.

Want more detailed instructions and step-by-step photos?

→ Step-by-Step Instructions for One-Ingredient Ice Cream

Now try more flavors…

1 Comment

Tag: chocolate

5 Days of No Junk Food

Make Ice Cream out of Frozen Bananas!