Choc-o-nundrum

Guys, I made it!

I managed to survive the entire Easter long weekend without eating chocolate :) I joined a friend on a camping trip (more on that later) and when Sunday morning rolled around, sure enough there were giant boxes of Favourites and bags of mini eggs being passed around. I resisted. (Ok, so I stuffed my face with Starbursts and Killer Pythons, I didn't say I was a saint, sheesh!)

Yours truly, circa 1991. Starting early.

And then I came home to find this article on the health benefits of cacao (pronounced "ca-kow" - I always feel like I'm doing a bird call when I say it out loud), not to be confused with cocoa (the after-product of roasting cacao which is then combined with sugar and sweetener and all that deliciously evil stuff that makes chocolate such a sweet sin) in the Body + Soul section of the paper.

According to the article and miscellaneous Google results, the benefits of raw cacao include:

- Crazy levels of antioxidants. 621 in comparison to just 32 found in blueberries.

- Improves digestion due to the fibre content and stimulation of digestive enzyme production.

- Feel good feelings caused by increases in serotonin levels, endorphin production and release of anandamine.

- Heaps more, go Google for yourself!

So I would be doing myself a disservice by not having it. Right?

Is this cheating? Or is this the equivalent of a smoker switching from cancer sticks to an electronic placebo?

Conundrum.

Bend before you snap

So last November I did a 30 Day Bikram Yoga challenge, and I've finally found the video that the studio shot on the final day!

30daychallenge 1vimeoHD from Cherish Film Production on Vimeo.

Spot/listen out for the loser (aka:me!) at the following:

0:19 - "What did you find the most challenging?"

"I think I've done most of my classes in the morning so.. getting up super early- not what I'm used to.. and then feeling a little bit stiff but, yeah it's been really good, getting through it. Getting- I think the halfway point was my, like 'I can do this, I can finish it' *giggle*"

1:57 - "Why did you do the challenge/what have you gotten out of it?"

"Um I think just general flexibility.. and I think I'm- you know I feel a little bit lighter and a little bit more happy and- some days I look forward to coming, some days not so much.. But *giggle* yeah, it's been- it's been a really good experience so..."

4:31 - "Describe the challenge in 2 words"

"Intense, but rewarding *giggle*" (I know, I cheated)

So I'm a nervous giggler.

This is why I don't do public speaking.

But seriously, if you've ever thought about doing it I highly recommend giving it a go. I had a lot going on in my head at that point in life and I just wanted something else to focus on and keep me motivated. I hadn't practised in over 2 months and after my first class back I threw myself in the deep end and signed up for the challenge which started the following week, so whatever stage you're at it's doable. 

It is a 90-minute class with a good 10-15 minutes either side to get prepared and cool down, plus travel time depending on where your nearest studio is located. I was lucky enough that the challenge was on during a time when my work commitments weren't hectic and we had some admin days which meant I could get in an earlier class and get some [much needed!] rest and get away with coming into the office a few minutes late/escape a bit early.

"It's never too late, it's never too bad, and you're never too old or too sick to start from scratch once again." 

- Bikram Choudhury

Get Baked: Honey Oat and Wheatgerm Bars

Mum is condemning super processed foods with heaps of refined sugar and salt. She is also in charge of food shopping. Therefore I'm on the hunt for healthy-ish snack recipes that don't taste like cardboard...

Step 1: Google and find a recipe and bring your iPad/tablet/laptop into the kitchen. Or be old school and write it down/print it out. Whatever.

Step 2: Pretend you're on a cooking show and pre-measure out all your ingredients.

Step 3: Follow aforementioned recipe.

Step 4: Whack in (preheated) oven and clean up the mess you inevitably made in the kitchen/draft a blog post while waiting for the timer to go off.

Step 5: Publish post and let other people know how talented you are! (refer first photo)

Verdict: Tasty. Easy. Needs more sultanas.