Zucchini Brownies

While you may think that zucchini sounds disgusting, the truth is that these low carb treats are friendly to both your weight and your palate. Although they are low in carbs, they are certainly not low in flavor. The zucchini adds a pleasant smooth sensation and creates a unique, delicious taste when blended with the chocolate in the recipe. Even your kids will clamor for these treats, so it’s a great way to sneak vegetables into their diet as well as yours!

Low Carb Zucchini Brownies are so incredibly moist and fudgy AND flour-less and healthy! All in one bowl! Hello low carb lovers!
Weight Watchers: 2pp per brownie!

Author: Karina - Cafe Delites

Serves: 16 Brownies

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup finely shredded zucchini (use the smallest blade on a cheese grater. It should look like a puree).
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, measured in melted state (or sub with any vegetable oil you have)
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup natural granulated sweetener (or granulated sugar of choice -- coconut; white sugar) *See Notes
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• ¾ cup peanut flour
• ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (or ¼ cup if you don't like them too rich)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 4 squares Lindt 90% chocolate (or chocolate of choice), cut into pieces/chunks

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 176°C | 350°F. Line a 8x8" baking pan with baking?parchment paper, or lightly grease with oil spray. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the zucchini, butter, oil, egg, sweetener (or sugar), and vanilla until well combined. Add the peanut flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt; folding through slowly until just combined. The batter will be thick but shouldn't be dry. (It depends on how much liquid your zucchini has! If too dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of water). Fold in half of the chocolate chunks; pour batter into prepared pan; sprinkle remaining chocolate chunks over the top.
3. Bake for 30 minutes or until the brownies spring back when gently touched. (If testing with a toothpick, they will be very moist in the centre BUT they do set and harden when removed from the oven.)
4. Allow to cool completely (about half an hour); cut into squares and chill to semi-set.
5. If storing at room temperature they're best eaten within 2 days. If refrigerating, they last 3-4 days.

NOTES

I use a sweetener that measures 1:1 with normal sugar. If using a stronger sweetener, measure the amount needed for ⅓ cup normal sugar.

Do NOT substitute the peanut flour with almond flour! The texture will be altered, dried out and wrong! Please, FOLLOW THE RECIPE.

NUTRITION PER  BROWNIE  Calories: 71 Fat: 5.6g Carbohydrates: 4.3g Sugar: 1.3g Fiber: 1.6gProtein: 3.4g

Summer Body Ready Tip #5

Ditch the gluten. Gluten is the protein that is found in wheat, barley, spelt and rye. It’s the enemy of people with coeliac disease. BUT even if you aren’t a coeliac, cutting out gluten can be of great benefit. Because we are so over-exposed to it in processed foods (not only is it in foods made with grains but is also used as a filler in a heap of other foods too (soy sauce, alcoholic beverages). For many it is inflammatory and can cause digestive problems, bloating, a foggy and head and weight gain. Try cutting it out and watch your belly flatten in days

#PlexusSlimIsGlutenFree ;)

Summer Body Ready Tip #4!

Get moving…every day. What you put in your mouth is the biggest contributor to what you look and feel like, but adding in some exercise is essential if you want to be toned and firm. It also boosts your circulation, improves your mood thanks to endorphins and can help you manage those cravings. Whether you join a dance class, pay team sport, swim or go for a walk, anything is better than sitting on your butt. If you want to up the ante, then add some weights and resistance training to build lean muscle mass, boost your metabolism and burn more calories…even while you sleep

Bonus Tip! Do it with a friend - challenging each other, having an accountability partner will increase your success rate up to 85%!

#DrinkPinkAndMove

Summer Body Ready Tip #3!

Eat a salad (or steamed green vegetables) with every meal. In fact, aim to fill half your plate with these nutritious food gems. They are filled with water and fibre so will fill you keep you fuller for longer. PLUS they are packed with vitamins and minerals so you will be nourishing yourself from the cellular level up!

Summer Body Ready Tip #2

Drink green smoothies. They are a miracle worker for getting rid of cravings and stopping you from snacking on unhealthy (and calorie-laden) snacks between meals. So get experimental and start blending away. Include a mix of green leafy veggies, some lemon juice, cucumber, coconut water, a small amount of fruit and a dose of superfoods (maca, chia seeds, avocado, protein powder etc). Watch your energy rise, your skin glow and your body change shape

Add some extra protein into your green smoothie (your body burns protein slower than carbs, protein is important to prevent blood sugar spikes that can make you feel weak and dizzy) hit the Shop Now Button and grab yourself our High Protein, Low Carb, 100 Calorie protein sachets! They come in Chocolate or Vanilla!

Purchase your Plexus 96 in Chocolate or Vanilla here

Get your Summer Body Ready with these daily tips!

I LOVE this time of year. A whole lot of beach, sun and fun. I come alive!

Are you looking forward to taking off the layers, or is the prospect of baring more skin nerve-wracking to you? Have the months of winter seen some bad habits, and extra kilos creep into your life?

For the next 2 weeks I'm going to share with you daily a tip to help you get your summer body ready!

Tip 1!
Start the day with some lemon juice or apple cider vinegar in warm water. Both are detoxifying, balance blood sugar, boost metabolism, curb appetite, alkalise the blood, reduce inflammation and aid digestion. It’s a great way to kick start your body in the morning

Meal Plan Monday - Week 1!

Along with my change of smoker status, I've also decided that while the Plexus products are amazing at helping me lose weight, I need to admit that I'm not helping myself and I need to eat better and exercise!  NO MORE EXCUSES!

By doing this, I'm simply cheating myself and my family of a healthier life, a longer life and I'm DONE with the negative self talk bullshit I've fed myself for 37 years.

So with that said, I introduce to you something that's not in the slightest bit original, probably done a million times, by a million different people, but this is what I'M doing for me, not for you - the information is there if you want it. Here's my newest blog rotation

Meal Plan Monday!

*insert one person clapping in a crowd of thousands of silent people, eye rolling at the thought of another Meal Plan Blog*

This week's meal plan for my family - Beginning Monday 11th July.  I've only included dinners for now.

Monday - Tex Mex Taco Salad 

From Eating Well

Tuesday - Maple Glazed Chicken - Substituting Pure Maple for Sugar Free Maple Syrup

From Eating Well

Wednesday - Spring Rolls

My Recipe

Thursday - Beef Chimichangas

Recipe from Eating Well

Friday - Low Carb Orange Chicken and Broccoli 

Recipe from I Breathe I'm Hungry

Saturday Thai Beef Salad

Recipe from Shape.com

Sunday Marry Me Chicken with Cauliflower mash.

From Delish

Get the Yummy Mummy Meal Plan FREE

Chili-Lime Beef and Black Bean Bowls with Avocado Creme

So today is day 4 of quitting smoking. I've smoked for 22 years!  I always said I would never quit because I loved smoking (when in fact, it was the fact that I did not have faith in myself to actually quit that stopped me)

I've never really had much will power.  Anything that I've tried in the past has successfully failed due to not having the willpower to deny myself something for longer than 5 minutes! I was desperate to lose weight, but my negative self talk had me believing that my will power was NEVER going to let me do it, even with the amazing products that we have, will power is still a necessary part of the journey.

I literally was bullying myself into staying over weight, because that's how I'd been treated my entire life. But then I woke up one day and I had just decided that I wasn't going to do this any more - I wanted to prove to myself that I can resist bad foods, if I can do the one thing I never EVER thought I'd be able to do - quit smoking.

And well, it's now Day 4 and I'm quitting smoking. I've lapsed a few times, and had a smoke and the old me would have shut me down on the spot, and put the entire packet back into my hand, but the new me resisted, and didn't see me having a smoke as a failure, but as a triumph! I was smoking 25+ a day, down to 1 or 2! THATS AMAZING!

Today is the first ENTIRE smoke free day I've had, and I feel amazing - I can do things without losing my breath instantly. I feel way more clarity, and I'm already exercising (and obsessed with) yoga, and searching for healthy recipes - such as this one that I'm about to share with you, from http://healthyaperture.com

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 4 medium limes)
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1 pound boneless thin beef sirloin tip steak (may be labeled as “for carne asada”)
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 ripe tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 ripe Haas avocado
• 5 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 cups hot-cooked rice
• Sliced fresh jalapeno and lime wedges (garnish)

Directions

1. Combine lime juice, chili powder, chipotle pepper and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside 1 teaspoon of mixture in a separate small bowl.
2. Place half of remaining mixture in a large zip-top bag. Add beef to zip-top bag, shake bag to coat meat and marinate in refrigerator at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
3. Add black beans, tomato and cilantro to reserved lime juice mixture in medium bowl; toss and store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
4. Slice avocado in half and remove pit. Scoop flesh into bowl of a small food processor. Add remaining 1 teaspoon lime juice mixture and cream to food processor; pulse until smooth. Add cilantro and pulse just until combined. Store covered in refrigerator until ready to serve.
5. When ready to prepare, heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Remove meat from bag (discard marinade). Grill beef 2 - 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from pan and let rest 5 minutes. Slice into ¼-inch strips.  
6. Arrange rice among serving bowls; top evenly with beans and beef. Drizzle with avocado  crema.

This will be my dinner tonight!

Come and join us in the Support Group --> Yummy Mummy Support Group

5 Reasons to start your Plexus now

Plexing is one of the most popular ways for people to kick-start a healthy lifestyle. If you’re ready to turn your life around, here’s why Plexus Slim is for you.

You’ve seen them everywhere, people who embrace healthy living to the max – whether it’s squats in the gym, Pilates in the park or cooking up a super-food storm in the kitchen.

If finding the time and energy for a turbo-charged healthy lifestyle seems impossible, then try Plexus Slim to cleanse your body and give you the energy boost you need so you can pack a punch every day.

Here are six reasons why you should start a Plexus Slim journey, pronto!

It’s easy

No complicated mixing and blending with Plexus Slim, our program is simple. Pour, Shake, Drink! SIMPLE!

Life’s hectic. So who wants to spend their time measuring out grains of rice or mixing weird and wonderful potions that taste like the bottom of your handbag? Not us! And we figured you wouldn’t either. So all you have to do to begin your kick-start a healthy lifestyle is:

Step one: Drink one Plexus Slim in the morning

Oops, that's it! No Step 2, 3, 4 or 5! 

No dieting!

No need to starve yourself! Unlike other detoxes, there’s no dieting on the Plexus products!

The ‘d’ word is not in the Plexus vocabulary. Eating is essential and when you’re on our Slim you should stick with regular healthy meals. The goal is to rid your body of junk so ditch the doughnuts and stock up on fresh fruit and veg, lean meat and complex carbs.

Combine this with regular exercise and you’ll be well on your way to reaching your health and body goals.

It gets results

Don’t delay, take the first step towards your healthy lifestyle – check out our Real Reviews 

We’re not ones to brag… Oh, OK well we are a little bit, but only because our product is so darn awesome. Results speak for themselves!

It’s easier (and cheaper!) than a juice cleanse

More money in your back pocket 

Step aside juice cleanse, Plexus Slim is here to stay. Juice cleansing involves drinking only fruit and vegetable juices several times a day for up to one month – all liquid, no solids = boring! And not exactly what you should be looking for in a healthy lifestyle.

When you Plexus you should be eating regular, healthy meals, and our Plexus  will contribute to an overall nutritious program, plus they taste great and are cheaper. What’s not to love?

And who wants to lug those bottles of juice around all day? Just drop your featherweight Slim sachets into your purse and you’re good to go.

Reach your health and body goals

If you’re looking to kick-start a healthy lifestyle then Plexus Slim is your first step. Our natural herbal ingredients are crafted into a powerful blend, so you can focus on eating clean, exercising and feeling amazing.

Plexus Slim gets results! So now it’s time to take your first step to a healthy lifestyle, just start the Plexus Slim program and you’re on your way.

Plexus is THAT CONFIDENT in their products, that we offer a No Questions Asked, 60 Day Money Back Guarantee on all products, EVEN IF YOU'VE USED THEM!!!  

Contact me to find out how you can purchase your products, Risk Free!

www.beccatton.com

What are your health goals while on Plexus Slim? Share them below.

*Every body type is different, so results experienced may vary amongst individuals and hence cannot be guaranteed.

Pledge your Winter Weight Loss Goal!

Pledge your Winter Weight Loss goals using the form below!

Most people struggle to lose weight in Winter, we naturally crave warming foods - cooked meals, and soups in Winter, and find that before they know it, they've gained a little winter warmth and struggle to kick the bulge in the head up to Summer!

Lose weight, even in winter with help from our Yummy Mummy Health and Weight Loss Support Group

Gut Health Education

I ask you to take charge of your life and really look at just how much your current diet could be harmful to you!

So so much about gut health flows via my Facebook newsfeed daily that I started doing my own little bit of research. In most cases, poor gut health can be trigged by Antibiotics, a diet high in refind white sugar and processed foods, diet low in fibre and so on. Pay attention to the labels on your food the next week, you'll be surprised how many of those foods contain sugar (Sugar is in many packets of BACON!! Did you know that?)

There's over 60 names for sugar on nutritional labels in Australia 

Whilst sugar is naturally occuring in many foods, manufacturers also add sugar to many processed foods (LIKE BACON!!! WUT?!) It's important to know what to look for when reading nutrition labels to know exactly how much sugar you're consuming. Sugar is often disguised as a "healthy" ingredient such as honey, rice syrup or juice concentrates. These may sound like health alternatives, however your body doesn't care what the label says, in the end it's all sugar!

Plexus Slim® is the most-natural, healthy solution to help you lose weight and inches by burning fat, not muscle. Plexus Slim® also helps keep blood sugar, cholesterol and lipids at healthy levels.


A Sugar Free Weight Loss Option? Yes please!
The Mechanics of Weight Loss:
The body naturally stores fat. The most common areas are the stomach, thighs and buttocks. These excess fat stores contain toxins that cause havoc with our immune system. When used as part of a daily hydration regimen (1 stick pack per day), Plexus Slim® promotes: 
Loss of weight and inches by burning fat, not muscle*
Healthy blood sugar levels* Healthy cholesterol and lipid levels*
Healthy willpower over food choices*


Plexus Slim® is: Safe, and non-thermogenic Diabetic Friendly

Paleo Macadamia Chocolate Cookies

Adapted from the Recipe by Irena Macri from Eat Drink Paleo

Ingredients

1 Cup Raw macadamias

1/4 Cup Coconut flour

1/4 Cup Almond meal

1 Egg

4 Tablespoons coconut oil

2 Tablespoons cacao powder

Liquid Stevia to taste - We used about 20 drops

1 Tablespoon of Water

1/2 Teaspoon gluten free baking powder

A pinch of salt

Directions

1. Process macadamia nuts into smaller crumbs in a food processor.  It's okay if you have some larger pieces in there.  Add almond meal, coconut flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt.  Give it another whiz to mix it all up.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until well incorporated and you have a thick, sticky, doughy mixture.  Scoop it out onto a cutting board or a try.  Shape the mixture into a log, about 3cm radius.  Wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes to set.

3. In the mean time, heat over to 160C or around 350F

4. Unwrap the log and slice it gently into equal size cylinders, about 1cm thick.  Place on a baking paper covered tray and bake in the over for 11 - 12 minutes.

✿´¯`*•.¸¸✿ Plexus Slim is a most-natural, healthy solution to help you lose weight and inches by burning fat, not muscle. Slim also helps keep blood sugar, cholesterol and lipids at healthy levels. See more at:www.BecCatton.com ✿´¯`*•.¸¸✿

Lets go Social!

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/PlexusSlimAustralia

Add Me As A Friend: www.facebook.com/BecCatton

Instagram: www.Instagram.com/theshrinkingmum

My Low Carb Recipe Page: www.facebook.com/lchfplexus

What happens to your body the hour after drinking Coke?

10 MINUTES
10 teaspoons of SUGAR hit your system. This is 100 percent of your recommended daily intake, and the only reason you don’t VOMIT as a result of the overwhelming sweetness is because phosphoric acid cuts the flavor.

20 MINUTES
Your blood sugar spikes, and your liver responds to the resulting insulin burst by turning massive amounts of sugar into FAT.

40 MINUTES
Caffeine absorption is complete; your pupils dilate, your blood pressure RISES, and your liver dumps MORE sugar into your bloodstream.

45 MINUTES
Your body increases dopamine production, which stimulates the pleasure centers of your brain – a physically identical response to that of HEROIN by the way.

60 MINUTES
You’ll start to have a sugar crash. Enjoy.

AND HERE ARE SOME OTHER SHOCKING FACTS FOR YOU . . .

ONE SODA PER DAY INCREASES YOUR RISK OF DIABETES BY 85%!

SUGAR IS ACTUALLY MORE ADDICTIVE THAN COCAINE!

JUST ONE EXTRA CAN OF SODA PER DAY CAN ADD AS MUCH AS 15 POUNDSTO YOUR WEIGHT OVER THE COURSE OF A SINGLE YEAR! (NOT HOW TO LOOK BETTER NAKED!)

IF YOU ARE STILL DRINKING SODA, STOPPING THE HABIT IS AN EASY WAY TO IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH.
WATER IS A MUCH BETTER CHOICE, OR IF YOU MUST DRINK A CARBONATED BEVERAGE, TRY SPARKLING MINERAL WATER WITH A SQUIRT OF LIME OR LEMON JUICE.

THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON THAT YOUR KIDS SHOULD EVER DRINK SODA. NONE, NADA, ZIP, ZERO.
NO EXCUSES. DON’T BE IRRESPONSIBLE!

THE ELIMINATION OF SOFT DRINKS IS A COMPLETE NO-BRAINER!

SO CUT THE SODA AND LOOK BETTER NAKED!

*taken from various sources including writings by Dr. Mercola

Source: http://lookbetternakedblog.com/2014/10/04/what-happens-to-your-body-the-hour-after-drinking-a-coke/

Vicky's Transformation

SO I had my babygirl take some pics of me today so I could do some comparison photos and I can't help but have tears of joy roll down my face when I remember the day this before photo was taken.

It was December 25, 2011, Christmas Day at the old homeplace in Bastrop. I was standing next to my big brother and my big sister was on his other side, we all looked so happy. But truly nobody knew how miserable I really was. This was after I ripped and tore the ligaments in my right knee and was struggling to even stand long enough to even take pics that day. I turned 38 years old that year and was told I'd never walk again, there was just too much damage to the knee and I would forever be on pain medications just to 'manage' the pain & inflammation. LITTLE did those doctors know that my God had bigger plans for my life! 

Just 19 days after that, God used my good friend to post about what He was doing for her health with this 'Pink Drink'. I remember it like it was yesterday, how proud I was for her, how grateful I was that she had finally found relief after she'd been thru so very much that year, what with having the baby and then going thru several surgeries with him. I could only imagine the stress and fear she felt as a Mother. 

So I didn't question her, I didn't call her, or even message her that day, I just clicked on the link she posted in the comment section of her post that fateful Sunday morning and I jumped in with both feet & became a member of #PlexusWorldwide!! Without even having tasted it or trying it for myself. I just KNEW that I had to give it a try! What IF this was my answer?!? What IF Plexus would help me too?!? 

Three years later and all I can say is thank you JESUS for answering my prayers in more ways than I could have ever even dreamed of! I have personally experienced an 80 lb loss, I have been two and a half years medication free, I am regaining my health, my life and am achieving my goals and dreams with these products! Words cannot express how full my heart is! I feel so very blessed! My cup runneth over and I am forever grateful! 

How to add Facebook images to Pinterest

Hello!
I've been doing a lot of research lately into Social Media marketing and one of the platforms I'm going to be using more is Pinterest.  But, you cannot pin directly from your Facebook page so I made this quick tutorial for my team to show them how to do it easily.

Hope it helps!

Berry Chia Seed Jam

I'm not sure why, but the past few weeks I've been crazy about berries.

Any berry! Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries - whichever - they're all so tasty and good for you!  I've been meaning to make some Blueberry Chia seed jam, but hadn't found the time to, but today I made the time and my youngest and I made Raspberry & Blueberry Chia Seed Jam!

It started like this

Blend your berries in a blender (I hit Turbo a few times on my Thermomix)

Add 1 Cup of Chia Seeds and 1 Cup of Coconut Water

Mix

And store in the Fridge over night

And you've made a healthy alternative to sugar laden jams (that tastes so much better too!)

Blueberry Superfood Smoothie

Hello Slimmers!

I wanted to show you the results of one of my bags from Smoothie Prep Sunday!

This was today's breakfast- Blueberry Superfood Smoothie

1 Banana Frozen

1/2 Cup Blueberries

4 Strawberries

1 Large handful Baby Spinach

1 T honey (not included in the pre-packaging)

Coconut water (again, not included in the pre-packaging)