Oat & Raisin Cookies

My little man started school this week so I created these simple delicious and nutritious Oat & Raisin cookies for his packed lunch and they went down a treat !!

2 cup Oats
1/2 cup Raisins
2 Ripe Bananas
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 cup Brown Rice Flour
1/4 cup Coconut Sugar
1/4 cup Coconut Oil

Firstly add the oats, brown rice flour, raisins, coconut sugar, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon into a large bowl and mix till well combine. In a separate bowl mash the two bananas and add the coconut oil. Add the banana and coconut oil to the dry ingredients and mix well. Roll cookie mixture into a ball and place on a lined baking tray and cook for 20 min in a preheated oven at 180c till golden.

What is Clean Eating ??

When I first heard of “Clean Eating” I wondered what exactly it was and as I looked into it further I discovered it is a lifestyle centered around eating mainly unprocessed food, fresh fruit and vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains. So I have put together a few simple principles that I live by. Also below is the ‘Real Food Manifesto’ which is another great set of guidelines I live by.

Healthy Green Mama’s Clean Eating Principles 101

1. No processed foods
2. No refined sugar
3. No preservatives or additives
4. Eat whole grains and whole foods
5. Eat plant based proteins
6. Eat healthy fats
7. Eat every 2 to 3 hours
8. Avoid food with gluten
9. Eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables
10. Eat 5 to 6 smaller meals every day
11. Start your day with warm lemon water
12. Drink more green tea & less coffee
13. Eat breakfast everyday within an hour of rising
14. Combine lean protein and complex carbs in each meal
15. Try and buy organic when you can
16. Drink 2-3 litres of water a day
17. Prep your meals in advance
18. Avoid alcohol and carbonated drinks

The Real Food Manifesto !

When comes to buying your fresh fruit and vegetable its is very important to try to buy organic to avoid foods that are loaded with chemicals. I found these two great lists called the ‘Dirty Dozen’ and the ‘Clean Fifteen’ which makes buying your fresh produce a lot easier so that your avoiding chemically laced foods. The Dirty Dozen are fruit and vegetables that you should always buy organic.

Creating Rituals

How do you start your day?
How do you end your day?

These are two questions that are very important and could make or break your day. Have you ever had one of those days where you wake up ten minutes late and your running out the door still doing your hair & make up and sculling down a cup of coffee. Then the rest of your day just gets worse and nothing goes to plan. Simply creating a morning ritual can be all it takes to set you on the path to success, whether it be enjoying a cup of green tea and doing some morning yoga or having a warm lemon water and going for a morning walk or even pulling an oracle card, meditating and setting your intentions for the day. These are just a few of my go-to morning rituals which I sometime combine depending on time. Either way whether your time poor or not I believe creating a morning ritual that suits your lifestyle is one of the most important and effective things you could do to help create your perfect day.

As for those nights when your just stepping in the door at 630 and you’re trying to figure out what to cook for dinner. There are jobs around the house that need doing such as washing & dishes etc. and after the children are fed, bathed and in bed your climbing into bed yourself at about 1030. Your mind won’t stop racing thinking about all the things that you have to do tomorrow and you finally fall asleep at about midnight. Creating a night-time ritual is paramount when it comes to having a great quality of sleep as well as heading to bed at a decent time so you get your full 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Take some time for yourself each night to unwind and calm your mind from the busy day, pour yourself a lovely herbal tea like chamomile or peppermint and pick up a book or write in a journal. Run yourself a relaxing detox bath with some Epsom salt or Himalayan salt and add in some lovely lavender essential oil, light some candles and soak away all your cares and worries from the day. These are a few of the ways I like to unwind at the end of my day, they also help to ensure a good night sleep and that you wake up refreshed and ready for your day ahead.