Countdown til Summer Work Term

Updated: April 30, 2012 with new pics!

Hey everyone, sorry for taking a week off there! It’s been a fun week with friends, but tiring a tiring one full of organizing and spring cleaning my life.

Like many of my fellow Uni and college students, I’ll be returning to full time employment for the next four months. This calls for a total change in schedule (hello 6am alarm), workout routine (the gym is how far?), and eating habits (do your coworkers eat out, in the caf or at their desks?). Also notice how ironic it is that ice cream and bathing suits dominate the same season??

Coming back to the original roots of Balance U, I hope to find balance between eating healthy, staying fit, while doing well at work and having lots of fun on the weekend!

Wherever you are working this summer, doing whatever, I hope you find my 5-post countdown relevant and helpful! Once I find my camera cable (it’s gotta be here somewhere!) I’ll be sure to add pictures. I’m hoping to take far more pictures this summer :)

Countdown to Summer Employment | Day 5

Recipe: Healthy Granola | Workout: Motivation

I tried this recipe at school a few weeks ago and it was amazing! Most store-bought granola seems like a healthy snack, but is actually loaded with sugar. This recipe only uses a small amount of honey and a mashed banana to sweeten! All other flavours come from the dried fruit and fragrant toasted nuts. It’s very fulling and addictive so watch out!

Healthy Granola

Recipe inspired by a combination of dietgirl.org and hungryhungryhippie.com

• 1 ripe or frozen banana
• 3/4 cup 1/2 cup water
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp cinnamon (I was very generous because I love the flavour)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 1/2 cup rolled oats (opt for gluten free if you like)
• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1/4 cup each almonds and walnuts, chopped (I was out of walnuts so I had to use pecans!)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut
• 1/4 cup chopped dates
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 craisins
• Feel free to add any other mixins’ like raisins, chopped cashews or flax seeds! These ingredients were just what I had on hand.

1. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a small blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
2. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. Add the wet mixture and stir until well combined. If you feel like it’s too wet, add more oats or a little quinoa.
3. Bake at 225 250 degrees for 60-70 minutes or until starting to brown. This is key! If you like your granola crunchy, put up with a little more browning on the edges and stir the middle during baking.
4. Serve with plain yogurt, milk, or just snack on it throughout the day! Keeps in a sealed container for about 2 weeks.

Once again, mouth-watering pictures to come once I find my camera’s usb connector!

Motivation

Sometimes getting started is the hardest part. Even getting back on after falling off is a painful and disappointing process. It seems easier just to watch an other episode, or sit there and eat one more cookie, than it is to spare an hour of day to do something that is so good for your body and mind. But you can do it!

“I really regretted that workout” Said no one ever.

So get up and get active because it’ll only do you good. Keep scrolling for some extra motivation if you need it :)

See you tomorrow for Day 4!

– m