Feed your inner chocolate monster

Hi, I'm Erin and I'm a chocolate monster. That is not to be mistaken for the Cookie Monster, which is a whole other entity. I'm just the chocolate monster.

I've discovered that I can't go a day with out having chocolate in some form or fashion. Sometimes it's in the form of my favorite vegan Chocolate Shakeology, but other times I just want to bite in to a piece of dark chocolate. I do love the vegan chocolate Shakeology, because it tastes like a dark chocolate shake. Dark chocolate is my favorite, and the vegan chocolate Shakeology feels like a cheat. It's not a cheat though, because I'm actually TREATING my body. Considering I drink Shakeology daily, sometimes I want that EXTRA bit of chocolate. Don't judge me! One of the lovely receptionists at my school has a candy jar at her desk that she always keeps filled. I've been struggling lately with hitting the candy bowl. I would like to blame end-of-the-year fatigue, but honestly it's likely to be lack of discipline with it.

Let me be clear, not all chocolate is bad! If you want chocolate, then aim for dark chocolate  that is 75% or more cacao. Dark chocolate that is 75% cacao or more will likely have less sugar and more flavonins (the good for your body stuff in chocolate). 

10 Reasons you should eat chocolate daily

1. People that eat dark chocolate consume 15% less calories and have fewer salty/sweet/fatty cravings in comparison to those who eat milk chocolate

2. Dark chocolate naturally helps you feel more satisfied and happy

3. Dark chocolate contains magnesium, which helps with PMS symptoms

4. Dark chocolate has the same type of antioxidants found in red wine and tea, which can help boost brain activity

5. Dark chocolate can help balance your body with their are stress-related imbalances. It can also reduce the levels of stress hormones

6. Dark chocolate has caffeine -  One ounce of 70 percent dark chocolate contains about 40 mg of caffeine, compared to 200 mg in 8 ounces of brewed coffee and 120 mg in strong black tea.

7. The antioxidants in cocoa trigger the walls of your blood vessels to relax, lowering blood pressure and improving circulation. This means better delivery of oxygen and nutrients to every cell.

8. Chocolate’s protective natural substances also help prevent cholesterol from sticking to your artery walls, reducing your risk of heart attack and stroke.

9. Heart attack survivors who ate chocolate just twice a week over a two-year period cut their risk of dying from heart disease threefold.

10. The type of saturated fat in dark chocolate isn’t the same as the artery-clogging saturated fat in a hamburger or whole milk. It’s a unique variety called stearic acid, much of which gets converted in the body to oleic acid, a heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acid. (information from Self.com)


So, now you know that you should eat chocolate. You can totally go reach for that stash of Hershey milk chocolate minis, right? Nope, wrong. You have to reach for the right type of chocolate, and not one that is laden with chemicals, sugars, and milk. If you're dazed and confused about which brands to choose, here is a list of the best and worst brands of chocolate for your body. Obviously, this isn't all-inclusive. But, it should be a handy guide for your next Whole Foods trip!

The best and worst dark chocolate

Healthy Dark Chocolate

Pascha - Organic, fair trade, non-GMO dark chocolate. No soy lecithin. Range of 55%-85%

Sweetriot - Organic, fair trade, all natural dark chocolate. 60% with nibs, 70%, or 80%. Around 20 calories/square.

Alter Eco - USDA Organic and Fair Trade. Range of dark chocolate. 85% Dark Blackout is best.

Ghirardelli Intense Dark - 72% Cacao and 86% Cacao Chocolate Bars. They have bars as well as small squares.

Godiva - 72% Cacao Chocolate Bars. Not processed with alkali. There used to be an 85% – but we can’t find it anymore. There is also some controversy over whether they use GMO Soy Lecithin.

Lindt - 70%, 85%, and 90% Cacao bars. They also make a 99% cacao (this is hard to find).

Green & Blacks - 70% Cacao and 85% Cacao bars. Organic and sometimes fair trade (e.g. Maya Gold).

Valrhona - 70% Cacao bars.

Moser Roth - 70% Cacao and 85% Cacao Chocolate Bars.

Endangered Species - 72% Cacao and 88% Cacao bars. Also a 70% organic bar. Ethically traded cacao. Social enterprise.

Chocolove - 70% Cacao and a 73% Fair trade bar.

Taza - 70%, 80%, and 87% cacao bars. All 100% USDA organic.

Vivani -Vivani is a German chocolatier that sources ingredients from Ceres (100% organic). 72% and 85% bars available in USA and Canada.

Giddy Yoyo - Based in Canada. Raw, USDA organic. A large range of dark chocolate bars up to 89%.

Theo - Based in Seattle. 100% Organic, Fair Trade, and non-GMO certified. 85% and a large range of different flavored 70% bars.

Scharffen Berger - Atrisan US chocolate company (owned by Hershey). Selection of chocolate squares and bars (from 62% up to 82% cacao),

Unhealthy Dark Chocolates

Dove Dark Chocolate - Low cacao content. All processed with alkali.
 
CocoaVia Supplement Packs - These are similar to Crystal Light, except they have flavanols (the main chocolate antioxidant) added in. You will get some health benefits from this, but it is more important to eat the whole food that contains the fiber.
 
Hershey’s Special Dark - Processed with alkali. High in sugar.
 
Dark Chocolate M&M’s - The ingredients list is ambiguous (they list “chocolate” as an ingredient). However these are high in sugar (more like candy than healthy dark chocolate).

Milky Way Midnight - Like all the candy brands, this is not really a dark chocolate. It has more sugar than cacao and is processed with alkali.

Nestle Dark Hot Chocolate - Ouch! This beverage mix is the worst of the lot. Sugar, trans-fat, and processed with alkali.
 
Cadbury Bournville - 60g of sugar per small bar.
 
Cadbury Old Gold - It says dark chocolate on the label, but it is a dairy milk – with a high sugar content.
 
Brookside Dark Chocolate with Pomegranate or Blueberries - Even though this appears to have some fruit – a closer look at the ingredients says something different. (Information from Healthyeater.com)


















 

A KIND Review

Several years ago I fell in love with Kind bars. Since then, the company has launched new flavors and products. The company recently sent me some of their newer products to review. I have to admit, I was BLOWN AWAY! I also had to ration myself on how much I could eat in a day. Yes, they are THAT good.

I am used to thinking of Kind bars (and other snack bars) as being sweet and dessert-like. Kind decided to put a new twist on things and make a more savory line of bars. Their Kind Strong bars are flavor and nutritionally packed powerhouses. Between the Honey Smoked Barbecue, Honey Mustard, Roasted Jalapeno, Hickory Smoked, and Thai Sweet Chili bars, there are plenty of options for the savory lover out there. The flavors are honestly so intense, it's hard to even describe them. There was a perfect twist of slightly sweet, salty, and spice in each of the options. They are purely amazing. As far as nutrition goes, Kind put these in their Strong line. Strong bars from Kind are packed with 10g of protein and are made without whey, soy, gluten, or GMO's. They are "kind" to your body and your taste buds!

In true Kind fashion, they also sent some of their sweet options. My favorites include the Maple Quinoa Clusters with Chia Seeds granola, and the Dark Chocolate Almond Mocha snack bar. The Dark Chocolate Almond Mocha snack bar made me completely melt. It felt like a guilty pleasure, especially paired with a large cup of black coffee.

How do you like to do Kind?

Here are some amazing options for changing up your routine with a little bit of Kind foods.

Maple-y Cluster Yogurt

Ingredients
1/2 cup Greek yogurt, plain
1/4 cup Kind Maple Quinoa Clusters with Chia Seeds
1/4 cup berries (optional)

Directions
Scoop yogurt into a bowl. Top with Kind Maple Quinoa Clusters with Chia Seeds, and other toppings as desired.

Dark Chocolate Almond Mocha Oats

Ingredients
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup of water
1 Kind Dark Chocolate Almond Mocha snack bar

Directions
Cook oats in almond milk and water, per package instructions. When the oats have cooked, allow them to cool for a few minutes (this will keep the chocolate from melting too much into the oats). Crunch up a Kind Dark Chocolate Almond Mocha bar, and sprinkle over top of the oats. Enjoy with a hot cup of coffee or espresso of your choosing.

Turbo Fire: Day 2

Today is day 2 with my Turbo Fire program. Before my work out, I had my morning weigh-in. Down 1.8 lb ALREADY! What? Yes, I'm sure. I weighed myself several times to make sure it wasn't a fluke and it wasn't my eyes playing tricks on me early in the morning. That was just the encouragement I needed for my workout today AND to follow through with clean eating.

Today's workout was HIIT 15, followed up with Stretch 10. HIIT 15 is a fast up and down workout. For 15 minutes, you give your all. It has your body burning fat at a higher rate than traditional aerobic workouts. The difference is when you push yourself in a HIIT workout, you're working at a higher intensity. When you give your all and push yourself, then your body is working at a anaerobic rate (as opposed to aerobic). After that, I was out of breath. WHOA! The 10 minutes of stretching was AMAZING for my body. It was such a treat.

My workout was followed up with my own speciality - a Peanut Butter Mocha Protein Frappucino. I have an insane love for Starbucks drinks. There is no Starbucks where I live, and it doesn't quite fit in to my healthy eating (aside from the occasional treat).

Peanut Butter Mocha Protein Frappucino

1 scoop vanilla protein shake mix
1 scoop chocolate protein shake mix
1 tb peanut butter
1 cup chilled coffee
1/2-1 cup unsweetened, vanilla almond milk
1/2-1 cup ice

Combine all of the ingredients in to your mixer. Blend. Pour. Enjoy.


Today's Workout
Turbo Fire: HIIT 15
Turbo Fire: Stretch 10

Today's Meals
Breakfast: Peanut Butter Mocha Protein Frappucino
Snack: hardboiled eggs
Lunch: baked garlicky chicken and veggies
Dinner: Turkey Chili and a salad



Clearly, I am eating a lot of leftovers. :)

Breakfast: My Top 5 Picks

 

Breakfast is by far my favorite meal of the day. If I could eat breakfast for each meal with out feeling guilty, then I would certainly do it. Breakfast is also "the most important meal of the day," so I guess I'm lucky to love it so much! If you aren't convinced that breakfast is the most important meal, then here's a way to understand it. Breakfast is just what is says, breaking the fast. Your body has just undergone hopefully a 7-9 hour fast while you were sleeping. We have learned that "fasts" can actually slow our metabolisms. Of course you can't and shouldn't eat while you are sleeping - rest is essential to your health. But you should eat breakfast within an hour of waking up. Some have the misconception that skipping breakfast will help cut their caloric intake for the day, but it actually does more harm than help. Aside from slowing your metabolism, skipping a meal will also increase your risk of overeating throughout the day. Not to mention, you're body and brain can't function as well without the nutrients it needs from breakfast. Can a car run without gas? Of course not! So, why should you expect that your body can run without the fuel it needs?

If you are in a breakfast rut, or think that a bowl of Lucky Charms will be the breakfast cure, then here is a list of my top 5 breakfast picks. Enjoy!

1. Blueberry Almond Oats
 

 

Oatmeal cooked in unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or water), topped with almond butter, ground flax, and blueberries.

• 1/2 cup oatmeal
• 3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or 1 cup of water)
• 1 tb almond butter
• 1 tb ground flax
• 1/3 cup blueberries

2. Cran-apple Oats

Oatmeal cooked in unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or water), topped with almond butter, ground flax, sliced apples, and dried cranberries.

• 1/2 cup oatmeal
• 3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or 1 cup of water)
• 1 tb almond butter
• 1 tb ground flax
• 1/2  sliced apple, (cooked to soften, sprinkled with cinnamon)
• 1/2 - 1 tb dried cranberries

3. Banana Peanut Butter Oats
 

Oatmeal cooked in unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or water), unsweetened cocoa mixed in, topped with peanut butter, ground flax, and sliced banana.

• 1/2 cup oatmeal
• 3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or 1 cup of water)
• 1 tb almond butter or peanut butter
• 1 tb ground flax
• 1/2 sliced banana
• 1 tb unsweetened cocoa

4. Breakfast Protein Quinoa
Quinoa cooked in unsweetened vanilla almond milk, cinnamon, vanilla shakeology and egg whites, then topped with any of the above choices.

• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 cup almond milk 
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 egg whites 
• 1 scoop vanilla shakeology

5. Breakfast BET

  This is a bit like a BLT, but with egg instead of lettuce.  Toast with turkey bacon, scrambled egg whites, and tomato. You can load it up like a sandwich, or like pictured below. Also try adding salsa or avocado.

• 1-2 slices gluten free toast
• 2 egg whites, scrambled 
• 1 slice turkey bacon 
• 1/2 sliced tomato 

Udi's Gluten Free and Chocolate Mounds Recipe

If you are familiar with the gluten free lifestyle, then you are sure to recognize the name "Udi's." Udi's products are natural, without artificial flavors, colorings, preservatives, or other synthetic additives. They also have a wide assortment of gluten free goodies that are sure to fill your belly and soul.

Udi's graciously sent me a ton (seriously, see for yourself) of products to review. It was like Christmas morning when I saw the package on my doorstep. My son was even jumping around the house, because he saw some of his favorites in the box! Of course we had to sample a few things right out of the box! YUM!

I've long been a long-time fan of their products, but they sent me new items that I had never tried before. Goodness - I can't even pick a favorite! I still love the snickerdoodles, but their granola bars are simply amazing and my son finished off the cinnamon rolls. As a parent, my favorite part of it all was that they weren't laden with sugar. It can be difficult to find granola, muffins, cinnamon rolls, etc without all of the excess sugar. Udi's succeeded in making tasty goodies, without sending us in to a sugar coma. I had no qualms about letting my child enjoy the cinnamon rolls at breakfast. We have also found a new lunchtime option. The Ancient Grain Chips will be a staple in our house. These little things come in a few flavors (we got cheese), and are made with quinoa, flax, and other nutrient-dense ingredients.

I talked to one of the teachers I work with, whom is gluten free, about Udi's. She noted how much she loves their products and the fact she has a healthy option with Udi's, as she is dairy and gluten free! Then she steered me towards their Lemon Streussel Muffins, one of her top picks!

After receiving all of this gluten free goodness, I decided to tackle some family recipes using Udi's products. One of my favorite family recipes is called Chocolate Mounds. My grandmother made it for my dad and his family growing up, and I remember my dad making it for us when I was young. I've said it before, and I'll say it again... peanut butter + chocolate = a gift from God. My dad gave me the Chocolate Mounds recipe a while back. I looked over it recently and saw some quick changes I could make to the recipe to make it gluten free and a cleaner treat for the holidays. My changes included using Udi's Coconut Peanut Butter cookies - hello!

 I hope you enjoy this special treat! It is sure to be a holiday hit!

Chocolate Mounds

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
• 1 cup dates, chopped
• 1 tsp xylitol (only add if you prefer this to be sweeter)
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/2 cup Udi's Peanut Butter Coconut Cookies, crumbled
• 2 tb orange juice (or more as needed)
• 1 6-oz package chocolate chips (60% cacao chocolate is the best option)
• 1 tb coconut oil

Directions

1. Combine peanut butter, dates, xylitol, walnuts, Udi's Peanut Butter Coconut Cookies, and orange juice. 
2. Shape into walnut-size pieces. Tip: Roll between hands to shape.
3. Refrigerate for several hours, or overnight.
4. In a double-boiler, melt 1 6-oz package of chocolate chips. Add coconut oil and melt.
5. Use a spoon and roll each cookie mixture in melted chocolate.
6. Place on wax paper to harden.
7. Enjoy!

Visit Udi's Gluten Free, find them on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter!

The world of teacherdom

Teacherdom? Yes, I said "teacherdom." Is this really a word? I think not, but it works for me! Besides, it sounds less haute than saying, "academia." Who wants to read a blog post called, "The world of academia?"

Moving on...

When I became a teacher, there were a few surprises that just knocked me over the head. 

1. This is one of the hardest jobs I have ever done. Now, I wouldn't trade it for anything! I LOVE what I do and I love my kids. I was just stunned at how exhausted I was - especially in the beginning. 
2. I get along GREAT with 12-year-olds. I'm not quite sure what that one says about me... But I definitely find them quite entertaining, and I make them laugh... a lot. :)
3. Apparently there's a lot of gift-giving that goes on at Christmas. I was shocked when little gifts from my students started showing up on my desk. "Gift-giving" is one of my love languages, so this instantly filled my heart! To me, gift-giving doesn't have to be something big or ornate. I love cooking for people to show them I care. Sometimes just leaving someone a kind note, or letting them know you are thinking about them and praying for them can be an amazing gift to a person.

I'm going to share one of the gifts I received the other day from a family. I got the MOST amazing treat, and it was accompanied by a recipe! SCORE! These little things are INSANELY good! They definitely hit that sweet spot with the rich chocolate and almond butter. Oh, yeah. They are 100% clean, too. :)

Almond Power Bars

• 2 cups raw almonds
• 1/2 cup flax seed meal
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
• 2 scoops flavored whey protein powder
• 1/2 cup raw almond butter
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• Stevia or xylitol to taste
• 1 TB pure vanilla extract
• 8 squares Ghirardelli chocolate

1. Place the first 7 ingredients in a food processor and pulse for about ten seconds.
2. Melt coconut oil, and add Xylitol and vanilla. Pour into the food processor while it is blending. 
3. Blend the mixture in to a course paste. 
4. Press mixture into an 8x8 in glass pan. Chill for one hour.
5. Melt chocolate and xylitol in a double boiler. 
6. Spread over the chilled almond mixture.
7. Cut into bars before placing the pan back into the refrigerator to chill.

Tips:

• Line the bottom of your pan with parchment paper for easy removal.
• Keep refrigerated.

Protein No-Bake Cookies

I've made these Protein No-Bake Cookies MANY times and they are always a hit! I tend to just throw stuff together, so when one of my fellow teachers asked for a recipe I decided to finally write it down! They are an amazing, but much healthier version of the treat! They are bound to be a great addition to any holiday gatherings you may be heading to. :)

Protein No-Bake Cookies

Ingredients 

• 1 cup of Chocolate Shakeology (or another chocolate protein shake mix)
• 1/2 cup agave nectar or brown rice syrup 
• 1 cup gluten free oats
• 1 cup organic, natural peanut butter 

Instructions: 

1. Mix peanut butter and agave nectar (or brown rice syrup) in a microwaveable bowl. 
2. Heat for 60–90 seconds. Mix well. 
3. Add protein shake powder and mix well. 
4. Add rolled oats and mix gently. 
5. Using a Tablespoon, scoop the dough into round balls and place on a cookie sheet 
6. Use a spoon to flatten into a cookie shape 
7. Refrigerate 1 hour.