Feed My Face: Açaí Bowls

I'm all about trying new things for breakfast. I get sick of having the same stuff over and over again. Once, when I was probably 9 years old, I got really into Frosted Mini Wheats and ate them every morning and any other chance I got for probably the next two months. It was probably Kellogg's best quarter ever, but after that two months was up I never wanted to eat another Mini Wheat again. The same goes for Texas Toast and Swedish Fish, but that's another story. When the days start to get warmer, I shun my toast and oatmeal for something that is cooling and delicious. I used to just make a lot of smoothies, but I was looking for more. That's when I discovered the Açaí Bowl, or as my coworker and I call it "dessert chili". It was a smoothie, it was granola, it was healthy, all in one bowl. You can make it as simple or as complicated as you want to, but the basic concept is all the same. There's no "right" way to make an Açaí bowl, but here's a guideline as to what you can do to make a really good one!

Açaí Base

1 Package Sambazon Açaí unsweetened Smoothie Pack*

1/2 Frozen Banana

1/2 Cup chopped pineapple (pref. frozen)

1 Tbsp ground flaxseed

Approx. 1 Cup Coconut Water, milk, orange juice, whatever you desire

Blend together until smooth.

Topping Options

Granola (My favorite is Nature's Path Coconut Chia)

Unsweetened Shredded Coconut

Slivered Almonds

Crushed Macadamia nuts

Sliced Strawberries

Blueberries

Sliced Kiwi

Sliced banana

Mango Pieces

Bee Pollen (weird but gives a satisfying crunch)

Raw Honey

Agave (for the vegans)

*Now, if you don't want to shell out the bucks for special Açaí smoothie packs, you can buy the Sambazon Açaí that are almost always on sale at my local grocery store, freeze them in an ice cube tray and use three of those per bowl you're making. Can't find any Açaí where you are? Substitute it for a frozen berry mix. If I can't find frozen Açaí or nothing's on sale, I get a blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, cherry medley and it works really well. Açaí is so popular because of all the antioxidants it packs in; try and get the real stuff if you can, but berry mixes are just as good. Another option if you can't find acai is Pitaya (dragon fruit); it tastes super good, has a fabulous fuschia color, and is really good for you. You can purchase pitaya smoothie packs here!

These bowls are great for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and every meal in between and if you have everything prepped beforehand they can be made pretty quickly. They have quickly become my favorite way to start the day. Açaí bowls have been popping up in shops all over the place, but get adventurous and make your own at home!

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Budge The Pudge: A New Holiday Tradition

I messed up guys. I went full-on crazy at Thanksgiving and ate way more than any person should. Probably more than a professional sumo wrestler. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and I usually go pretty hard, but I don't know what possessed me to eat as much as I did. After Friday (or what my boyfriend and I call Second Thanksgiving) I was feeling like garbage and knew I needed to slow my roll on the food train. On Sunday I ate a good breakfast, drank lots of water, had a light lunch, and then had the worst workout I think I've ever had in my entire life. I hadn't done many HIIT workouts since I started lifting a lot, and the first one after my hiatus was truly pathetic. I was so mad at myself; I couldn't believe I let myself pig out so badly that week. After an hour of reeming myself out, I got tired of the negativity and in a moment of quiet boredom, I came up with something to keep me going and positive until Christmas (baby steps, people!). I saw Goldfish Kiss (I swear I'm not stalking you) did a post where she made a bikini advent calendar to keep the beach spirit alive during the summer months. Now, since I'd rather watch Glitter a thousand times rather than be in a bikini right now, I came up with a different kind of advent calendar. I call it...

Instead of rewarding yourself for surviving another day with a piece of waxy chocolate, Healthy Advent Calendar has 25 cards all with a different activity that I choose and MUST do each day. It can be an exercise, food related, or just something I should do to keep me sane that I don't do enough of. It's doable things that will only make my life better which is the beauty of Healthy Advent Calendar.

#25 was something that needed to be done yesterday. I was so upset over something that was nothing more than a fitness hissy fit. EVERYONE has bad days, and giving yourself a load of grief isn't going to make that cruddy workout any better. I forgave myself by drinking tea and reading a magazine. No hard feelings! Today was "Add and extra set to every exercise" which I did by completing my video workout without any break or stops. I kept up with the eerily smiling fitness ladies for the first time ever! I'll probably do some squats/push-ups later, but instead of 50 each, I'll do 100! Who knows, all this positive thinking is doing me a favor. The main goal is keeping on track, and something like this reminds me to work at it every day. 

If you want to make your own Healthy Advent Calendar, just cut out 25 squares of paper and write a little daily goal on each square. Number them, or pick them at random for a surprise everyday! I made a cool pocket envelope for mine, but a Ziploc bag will do just fine too. Pick one every morning during breakfast and vow to complete said task before the day is over. By Christmas, you will feel better than you would have if you just let yourself eat all of the cookies at work. Being healthy at holiday time is tough, but little things like this do help. Happy holidays everyone, no matter what you celebrate!