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How to get back on track after a holiday feast!

A big weekend of food coma’s and family fun might leave you feeling a little guilty. But don’t worry, just pop these few tips into your post turkey routine. We promise you will feel a lot better about taking the weekend off your fitness routine!

TIP #1: Drink as much water as you can!

We recommend at least 8 glasses a day to keep you flushing out and cleansing those turkey dinner toxins. Try our favorite morning drink: Seva Morning Flush. Mix 1 cup of warm water, a few squirts of lemon juice and 1 Tbsp of ground flaxseed.

This morning drink helps boost your metabolism, keeps you regular (hence “flush”) and keeps your skin in tip top condition.

TIP #2: Keep It Clean

When we have a cheat or two or three... (oops). We like to keep the rest of our weeks meal clean and healthy. This means stick to natural sugars, nothing refined or not natural and keep to lots of veggies and protein. Oh and try to keep away from boozy nights, keep it sober. ;) We also stick to the fist rule when portioning your meals; 1 fist grains, 1 fist protein, 2 fists veggies.

TIP #3: Sweat!!

Get moving. Cardio is important! Try to get at least 30 mins in a day and if you’re not sweating, pump up the intensity. You need to burn off those extra calories and sweat out those toxins. As your coaches we recommend that you get 30 - 60 mins of exercise in a day!

TIP#4: Keep Track

For us, when we are starting a new program we like to track our food. Try food journaling online via an app or keep it old school with the good old fashion pen and paper!!

Track what you eat and drink daily, it will keep you more aware of the choices you are making, the good and bad.

TIP #5: Get A Coach!

Can’t do it on your own? Having an expert design or coach you through a fitness program can really help you stay on track and accountable. Even if it’s just for a kick in the butt to get you back on track.

Try our Daily 10 Method and Seva Workouts and Classes! Click HERE!

So what are you waiting for!?  Don’t be a turkey, get off your butt and make up for your delicious  holiday cheats!!

Have a great week,

Taren and Emilia

[sevafitness]

 Our 5 tips to being Happy & Healthy this THANKSGIVING!!!  

We love love love Thanksgiving! We save up all of our cheat days and like to enjoy a little 10% treaty from time to time. But it’s not just about the food, we love the idea of spending time with those we love and reflecting on what we are grateful for. 

Here are 5 things to follow to stay happy and healthy!

TIP#1: A Question of Gratitude...

Begin your day with one thing you are grateful for. Life can deal us a pretty crappy hand from time to time, but remembering the positive moments, people in your lives and things you do for yourself, are important.

Every morning Emilia and I ask ourselves one thing we are grateful for. When we are getting up at 430 am getting to open the gym, this is a must! It may seem like one less thing you want to do, but once you start you will see one answer can easily become a list. Your gratitude list can increase to a new goal. Our new goal number is 3. So before we get out of bed we ask!

TIP#2: Be Good To Yourself. Have a little Gratitude For You!

Treat yourself how you would like others to treat you. Most of the time we are harder on ourselves than those around us. Speak with love and admiration to yourself. It important to be good to yourself.

Start working on being more aware of how you talk to yourself. When you feel like you aren’t the way you want to look or not performing the way you want. STOP, and say one good thing to counteract how shitty you just were to your soul!

TIP#3: Keep A Positive Group Of Homies, Peeps, Friends Or Family Around!

We love our work and fitfam because we have built a community around ourselves that keeps us striving to be better and always helping us to be happier and healthier. We find that time is so precious and life is so busy, we need make sure that we have a positive and healthy environment around us.

So be conscious of who you hangout with... is it teaching you, helping your grow and making you a better you? Now take a moment to thank those people... gratitude!!!

TIP #4: Have FUN!!!

This is one of my favs! “Just enjoy life” is a line I always say when things get a bit to negative or serious. Try your best to be present and enjoy the moment. Don’t take things to seriously. Workouts can be tough and we often find ourselves not knowing if we are going to survive, or dragging ourselves to the gym. But it’s important! You have to do it, so find the light in that dark 60 min workout. We promise at the end of the hour, week or when you reach your goal, those moments when you were miserable won’t matter to you and you will look back wishing you weren’t such a brat.

TIP#5: Pay IT Forward

Give a little gratitude, positivity and love to others and let them know it. Like we said early, often people are just to hard on themselves. So at your next Thanksgiving dinner, take time to recognize the ones you love and care about.

We hope we have sent you positive vibes throughout our mad blogging and keyboarding skills. Enjoy your thanksgiving and make sure that turkey dinner is balanced with a little cardio. ;)

With much gratitude, your trainer ,

Taren xoxo

[sevafitness]

Kitchen Clean Out! Our Top Tips To A Quick And Easy Kitchen Clean Out!

We know cleansing of any kind can be daunting. Especially when purging your kitchen of some of your favourite most delicious guilty pleasures. So how do we get our kitchen clean out done quick, easy and pain free.

TIP #1 : Donate it, Chuck it, Cleanse Your Kitchen:

Here are some foods that have to go and can’t reenter that temple of a kitchen or body that you are beginning to create. We aren’t saying you can never eat them, just don’t have them at an arms reach!

Treaties: Your go to guilty pleasure. Things you can’t help but indulge in a little too much that cause you to binge, need to be removed please. Examples: Refined sugars, chocolate bars, candy, chips, sugary drinks, alcohol ;)

** If you have non perishables that must go, donate it your local food bank!

TIP #2:  Restock:

Make a healthy and happy grocery list. With things like...

Veggies and Fruits that you love are a must. Things to munch on and help you curb your cravings are so important.

Grab and Go Snacks: Healthy and happy snacks that are quick and easy. A few of our favs; veggies and hummus, quinoa crackers, nuts, berries, Seva snacks from our recipe book and challenge meal plans.

Plan your meals for the week so grocery shopping isn’t overwhelming. Check out recipes, write out the ingredients,  make a list and shop. Your grocery shop experience has just been cleaned out!

TIP #3: Organize Your Clean out ... Containers, Mason Jars and Reusable bags

Keep your refrigerator and cupboards organized with these options. We love glass containers. Easy to see what’s in them, to reheat, and they look so pretty!

Reusable mesh bags for your fruits and veggies are so great. These bags keep the drawers organized, making your food choices an easier decision.

Mason Jars are great to store soups, shakes, salads and oatmeal. We love making our overnight oats recipe in our jars and then grab them quick on our way out the door and to work!

TIP #4: Chop It Up  and Pack IT Up! Refrigeration Cleansing;

So you have containers and Jars. Now what to put it them. Prep your produce, protein and grains. Pick a day to prep, pre-chop your veggies, precook your proteins and precook your grains. Pop them into containers separately. That way you can take a portion from each one and create your meal. Keeps portions down and keeps making meals mid week easy!

TIP #5: Pick up a Seva Meal Plan or Recipe Book!

Having a quick guide to help make eating right easier makes navigating the kitchen less daunting. Go to www.sevafitness.ca and check out how you can clean out your kitchen and join our latest Eat Drink & Be Fit challenge this Fall for more tips!

We can’t wait to see your results!

Taren xo

[sevafitness]

Fitness Motivation|

How to plan for a new adventure, goal or aspiration.

Our Fit into Fall Fitness Program starts today and we thought what a better way to send everyone off to their new fall goals than some quick tips we use when reaching our goals or dreams in life!

We can’t wait for all the challengers to start their nutrition program, learn their Seva workouts and follow our daily coaching videos all month. We are going to have them ready for success!

Tip #1 Find your inspiration or motivation.

We like to ask ourselves, why am I here or why do I want this? Setting an intention is so important for us. The intention or “why” to our goal keeps us motivated when things get tough. To have that statement on the forefront of our minds and even written out so we can always see it, is a great motivator.

Tip #2 Write it out

Write out your goals to make it real!! What do you want? To many times we look over what we want, because selfishness isn’t looked at as a positive. We are saying do it. If  you don’t give to yourself than how can you give to others.

Seva means to serve and we are big believers in making other people feel happier and and healthier. But we know to motivate others, we need to be happy and healthy ourselves!

Tip #3 Find your community! Get your motivation from a healthy environment.

Find a community of people that are going to help you achieve what you want. People who are going to inspire you to keep going. Having people who elevate your game and make you better, are always important. For our Seva peeps we have a community forum and daily coaching to help keep on track. Coaches, friends, workout buddies or coworkers they all will keep you achieving!

Tip # 4 Keep it real!

Sometimes life gets in the way and it’s important to be okay with a slip up or two and not reaching your goal. Understand that it’s ok to have a failure from time to time and to  turn them around we get back up and try again.

Tip #5 Gratitude

Remember to reflect on what your grateful for and what positives have happened in your day or week!  

We hope these five motivation tips will keep you on track and motivated to keep your head up and reach your goals!!

Happy Achieving,

t&e

[sevafitness]

5 Ways To Workout  If You Don’t Like The Gym!

Hi it’s Taren and I am here to give gym haters some ideas on staying active without pumping iron! We often get asked by challengers and members how they can get sweating without having to step into the gym. We generally love a great workout in the gym, but completely understand that it isn’t always so fun for everyone. But staying active is important!! So I thought I would throw you all a quick top 5 ways to get you sweating without you realizing it.

#1 Go Get A Hobby: Find something you like doing that involves getting off your booty. For example a sport; baseball, hockey, soccer, tennis or golf . It’s social and can get your mind off the fact that your body is moving. Try to stay away from the beer leagues or at least the beer, we don’t need the extra calories going in when they are supposed to be being sweated out. Check out Urban Rec in Vancouver !


#2 Get in touch with nature: If your not a sporty character try bike rides, roller blading, swimming or hiking. These are all active and the scenery can take your breath away. These are also all great ways to relax and unplug which means they don’t just keep your heart healthy but they help your mind and your spirit! Here are our top three places to #explorebc; 1) Hike: Quarry Rock  2) Swim: Kitsilano Outdoor Pool 3) Bike: Stanley Park Seawall  

#3 Get A Little Frisky: A little late night… midday or morning rendezvous is a great way to burn some extra calories ;) . When we ask “whats your favorite way to sweat?” this is on of the most popular answers.   (You’re going to have to find your own links and locations for this one).

#4 Dance!!!: Whether you are out on the dance floor, in an instructional class or at home with the blinds closed and music blaring, dancing can lead to a pretty amazing sweat. It won’t just ignite your metabolism, it will inspire your soul! Check out Salsa Classes at Robson Square sundayafternoonsalsa.com!!

#5 Walk & Talks: We are huge fans of this!! When you need to burn some extra calories,but the gym isn’t an option, we start walking and talking. Change your gossip or drinks & dinner to a walk through your local neighbourhood, (the seawall or a local trail). Turn what could be a very unhealthy or expensive night of drinks into some hardcore walking and talking sessions. Stop by a local coffee shop or healthy spot for a snack.  Try Be Fresh Market if you are ever in Vancouver!  

[sevafitness]

Are you stressing!? 5 ways to de-stress in 15 minutes or less!!

Stress can lead to a lot of fitness and health issues and we want you to see the best results possible. But if you are consistently in a state of stress it can inhibit you from shedding some pounds, keeping a positive state of mind and can also lead to other health issues. So here are 5 healthy ways to de-stress...

1) Take 15 minutes for yourself. 

2) Deep breathing. Put on your favourite music or sit in silence, breathe deep and let your thoughts pass through. Recognize what your anxious thoughts are and let them be.

3) Think Positive. Take a few moments to yourself and think of positive affirmations. Speak, write and believe them. Positivity needs to be reinforced. example: “I am calm, I am Happy and I am Healthy”!

4) Stretch! If it’s hard for you to sit still, try distressing by going through a little stretch circuit. Choose 5-10 stretches and repeat them daily. Relaxing your body will relax your mind.

5) Laugh !!! Whether you’re watching a comedy, hanging out with friends or reading a good book. Find something that makes you laugh or smile. Laughing releases endorphins that will lift you up. It is known to strengthen your immune system and also help elevate pain temporarily! If you aren’t having a good laugh on the regular, change what your daily routine is!

We know life can get too much to handle sometimes and not all of these tips are realistic. But try them out, keep working towards feeling happier and healthier everyday. No matter how big the step, it is still a step in the right direction.

Your Trainers,

t&e

xoxo

[sevafitness]

Don’t Let Goals Get You Down!

Goals goals goals.... Sometimes it can just get a little overwhelming when thinking about when to take the next step, what to do, how to do it and do we believe we can actually do it...

Don’t let anyone or anything get your dream machine down. Here is a quick list of words we live by to keep us goal setting and achieving what we want!

1) Really cool people!! That’s right! Surround yourself with positive people that elevate you and broaden your horizons, not destroy them!! Positivity is key to keep you going and striving for something better. So surround yourself with those vibes.

2) Think shit and receive shit! And not the cool shit ... shit that stinks like manure and makes everything around you stinky. The universe only brings you what you allow yourself to receive. So take a second give thanks for all the amazing things you have. Build your goals on that platform. What things will enhance your life.

3) Be realistic: Where are you now and where do you want to be. What needs to be true for you to get there. Now be realistic, is your goal to run a half marathon in 2 months but you have never even owned a pair running shoes. Keep the goal, just change the time line. Make it measurable, get out there and get it done.

4) Just Do It: Nike said it. If you want something the only thing holding you back is not doing it! The first step is always scary but we promise it’s worth it. You will be so happy you did it, take action. Don’t leave your dreams behind ... it’s such a sad thing ;(

5) Don’t let the world bring you down. Life gets in the way sometimes but keep your eye on the prize. It’s okay to be selfish! If you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t be putting your best foot forward when helping others. Make yourself a priority and be happy! A happier you is something everyone who loves you and has to live with you, appreciate.

There are so many things in life that this list has helped us achieve, with our health, our personal lives and work. We hope it helps you reach a little higher, stronger and happier.

Your Trainers, Taren & Emila xoxo

[sevafitness]

Fruits 101

We get questions on fruit more than you would think. So here is a little run down from our Seva Nutrition Plan to help you figure out fruits!

Fruits are another form of carbohydrates because of the sugars that enter the body as you break down and digest fruit. Chalk full of vitamins, minerals, boost your energy, and can help your digestive system. Here are our tips on keep’n it fruity!

1) The best time to eat a bounty of fruit is either first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, or as a mid-morning snack - in between breakfast and lunch. It’s a good idea, to just eat more fruit at one time, whether it’s fruit salad, an apple or a fruit smoothie. 3-4 servings of fruit is a proper daily requirement, that’s 2 1/2 - 2 cups of fruit.

2) Try to avoid eating fruit close to bedtime as there’s plenty of sugar in fruit to spike up your energy and keep you up when you need your sleep.

3) If you are craving something sweet go for it though! Much better to have a piece of fruit than refined sugars.

Hope this helps your sweet tooth and your fruit whoas.

Taren and Emilia xoxo

[sevafitness]

Protein Balls ...

Hey it’s Taren and as you know, I love sweets!! From time to time I get a little craving for something delicious and sweet. Emilia and I rarely eat sugary sweets so we love coming up with recipes that are healthy and taste good.

My motto is “If it doesn’t taste good, why would I eat it!” So these peanut butter protein balls are perfect! They are a great healthy treat that doesn’t taste like grass.

PEANUT BUTTER PROTEIN BALLS (GF) (V)

These pop-in-your-mouth delicious protein balls make an awesome post-workout mini-snack or simply a treat for your sweet tooth. I like to store them in the freezer, either in a container or individually wrapped in aluminum foil.

What you will need: 1/3 cup natural peanut butter (or almond butter) 1/4 cup honey 1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder 3 Tbsp. ground flax seed 3 Tbsp. dark chocolate chips

To prep: Mix together to the consistency of play-dough. Make into 14 balls and store in freezer or leave in fridge overnight for best results. Makes 14 servings.

Happy Treating!!

Taren & Emilia xoxo

[sevafitness]

Back to School, Back to work, Back to Fitness... How to get back to a healthy routine!

Summer has come to an end and your jam packed fall schedule is gearing up. So how do you make fitness and you a priority after a summer of parties and barques, all while your fall to do list keeps growing? We have a few solutions for you to stay fit and sane this fall!

1) Set a realistic goal. Understand your boundaries and what your lifestyle and you can handle. Find a small goal to get you started. Something that is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time sensitive. A small example may be “I will go to the gym 3 days a week for 60 mins for September and October.”

This may seem like a small goal but you can tick off the days you complete to see if your being true. That way it has an end point where you can re-assess your progress. Being healthy and fit doesn’t always have to be a physical goal. The goal can be just creating a habit or changing your lifestyle.

2) Make your workouts or healthy habits an appointment. This way you aren’t tempted to move it for something else.

3) What are you eating? Keep track of your food for 3-7 days. Record a small journal of what you are eating and how much. This will not just give you insight into where you may need a little shaping up, but also just keep you aware of what may have got out of hand over the summer break.

4) Hire a coach: If you don’t think you can do it on your own and your will power is just not cutting it, hire an expert. Someone who will be able to assess what you need, in the gym, in the fridge and in life. It will accelerate your results, help you learn more about your transformation and will keep you on track when you feel like you just can’t do it anymore.

5) Build a community:  A support network can make all the difference. They cheer you on, they keep you accountable and make healthy things a little more fun than they already are. So Grab a workout buddy, a local gym or studio, a trainer, or community group (run club, walking group, cycle club). oh yeah or a Seva Fitness 30 Day Challenge Program ; )

So there you have it; some quick ways to get you back into the swing of things this fall.

Happy Fitnessy life and stuff,

t&e xoxoxo

[sevafitness]

Confession Of A Trainer On Holidays!

It’s September long weekend and we are off to our fabulous Seva team

members wedding!! Yeah our girl @littlemotorgirl is getting hitched on

Vancouver Island! This means ROAD TRIP!! So how do we stay happy,

healthy and don’t succumb to wedding/road trip temptations.

1) Balance Yo!  So when we know we get to be bad on a special holiday or festivity, we get out our daily 10 habit checklist. A little list of 10 habits we and our Seva people follow. We try to balance the good with the bad!

Examples:

If we are going to eat dessert that day, we make sure we get active.

If we are not going to be active we make sure we drink water, get sleep etc.

2) Going to have a crazy weekend of FUN? Prepare for it! Take the week/month leading up to your vacation to be relatively good. During your weekdays at work try to be extra healthy,“earn your weekend”. When you work hard for your treats, they taste better, you appreciate them more and you don’t over indulge because you know how hard you worked to get there.

3) Be forgiving Sometimes we fall off the wagon... it’s okay! You just have to remember that living a healthy lifestyle is about the process and ultimately staying healthy. Being healthy is also tied into happiness. So don’t get to down on yourself if you over indulged, use it for motivation to get back to good habits the next day (or if you’re hung-over ... maybe the next, next day) and make sure you get back to it!

4) Support System Have a workout buddy or trainer lined up for post vacation. So you have a fool proof system to working out and someone to keep you accountable! 

5) Cheat Day Remedies Quick ideas to help combat some common cheat day suspects!!!

a) Alcohol: Drink lots of water, electrolytes and try to stick to drinks that don’t require to many sugary mixes. The more sugar the more calories. Oh and the more sugar the harder your hangover.

b) Sugar: Cut it out cold turkey! The only way to get rid of the addiction is to get off refined sugars all together. Do a quick no sugar cleanse for 1- to 3 weeks. We promise you will see a change in your body, mind set and energy level!

c) Portions: Use the fist rule! 1 fist grains, 1 fist protein, 2 fist veggies!! A formula for success ;)

[sevafitness]

Seva’s Top 5 Stretches To Help You Unwind

When we are away from our gym and traveling, we like to have a few quick and easy stretches to help us unwind. Here are our top must do stretches when we are road tripping, flying or lying on our butts on a beach for just a little to long ;)

Happy Travels ...

1) Bent Knee T- Drill  Lying on your back, arms out to the side in a T position. Pop your legs in the air, bend your knees at 90 degrees and twist your lower body from left to right!

2) Cat ! Cow!  On hand and knees, round your back to look like a cat. Hold for a few seconds. Then proceed to arc your back like a cow, allowing you to move towards the floor. Hold for a few seconds and repeat.

3) Childs Pose With a Twist Kneel on the ground with your knees apart and feet together. Sit back on your heels and fold forward with your torso. Reach one arm forward and the other arm under and across the body. Feel the stretch along the arms and upper back.

4) Deep Mountain Climber Start in a plank position, step your right foot forward so it plants beside the outside of the right hand (beside your pinky). Bend the back leg and squeeze your butt.

5) Shavasana Lie down on your back, close your eyes, relax your body and mind. Think of all the things in life that make you happy. Breathe deep, give thanks and relax..

Hope these stretches help you like they help us! Happy muscles lead to happy minds ;)

xoxo

t&e

[sevafitness]

Happy Wednesday! Add this to any of your workouts this week to give it an extra kick xo t&e #vancouver #fitness #fitlife #workout #video #fit #fitlife #igfit #humpday #kitsilano #class #community @tarenemilia #forerunnersvan

[sevafitness]

5 ways to wake up on the right side of the bed ;)

Hey friends, it’s Emilia! Hope you had a great Monday. I’m often asked how Taren and I can wake up so early and get to the gym all while looking so chipper! So I thought I would share my tips with you on how to wake up and make your day kick some a@$!

1. Set an intention or affirmation for your day: Every morning ask yourself how do you want to feel throughout your day? What are the action steps you are going to take to achieve this? Your positivity will radiate. Write quick little notes that reinforce how amazing you are. Positive affirmations work!! If you don’t see how beautiful, smart and fabulous you are,  how is anyone else going to see it?!

2. Morning Flush: This is our fav healthy go to morning drink... don’t worry it’s not a cocktail (or do worry if that’s your thing). But seriously this drink gets everything in your body moving and shaking so you can feel light and energized! Add warm water, a squeeze of lemon and a Tbl spoon ground flax seeds together. The metablosim will be boosting, system will be digesting and skin a glow’n.

4. Daily 30: We love getting in our early morning exercise. Our favorite is a run or walk first thing, for at least 20-30 minutes. It gets you feeling refreshed and ready for the whole day! It can be any form you like and you can break this up throughout the day. Get your heart racing with some moving and shaking!

5. Eat Breakfast : Make breakfast an easy thing that take no more than 5 minutes to make. It will keep you full all morning and help you avoid hitting crashes. Our fav go to's from our recipe book: homemade granola and plain greek yogurt, protein, fruit and veg smoothies and eggs and toast

#4 Reflect, Release, Relax: Feeling tension in your body? This is usually related to how we are feeling. Find a few minutes in your day to set aside for yourself, take a quick body scan and access where you are feeling tight. Take a few deep breathes and stretch those muscles you find get most wound up in your day. You will feel a difference instantly and more relaxed.

We hope you find these tips helpful, please share with us what works for you and if you have any questions, we would love to hear from you!

Happy Mornings,

Emilia  xoxo

[sevafitness]

CAULIFLOWER MAC & CHEESE (GF) (V)

Macaroni what? Using cauliflower is an awesome and easy (did we mention nutritious) way of creating a healthy spin to this classic comfort meal. A definite must try!

What you will need:

6 cups cauliflower florets

1 Tbsp. organic, grass-fed butter

3 Tbsp. coconut flour

1 cup almond milk

1 cup cooking liquid reserved from cauliflower

1 clove of garlic, crushed & minced

2 Tbsp. ground flaxseed

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 cup shredded white cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Pinch of paprika

1 egg yolk

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

**Optional: 2 cups (about 8 oz.) cooked lean ground turkey meat (or preferred meat or vegetarian protein)

To Cook:

Preheat oven to 350°. Bring large pot of water to a boil, add cauliflower florets, and boil about 5-7 minutes, or until just tender. Meanwhile, mix together 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and 2 Tbsp. ground flaxseed and set aside. Drain cauliflower, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid, and set aside. Melt butter in same pot over medium heat. Whisk in garlic, almond milk, cooking liquid, and flour, stirring constantly. Cook 7-10 minutes, or until sauce is thickened, whisking constantly.

Leave pot on the heat source, but turn off burner and stir in cheese, nutritional yeast, cayenne pepper, paprika, and egg yolk until cheese is melted. Mix in cooked ground turkey and fold in cauliflower. Spoon mixture into oven-safe individual serving ramekins or coat 13- x 9-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and spread cauliflower mixture in baking dish. Top with parmesan cheese mixture and bake 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

[sevafitness]

Protein Bars 101

We are great fans of protein bars if we are in a bind for a quick snack, need a post workout pick me up or are craving a sweet treat. However, choosing the right bar can be tricky; Which ones are actually good for me? Is there too much sugar? Enough Protein? Or is this going to make me fat? (a question we hear often). So here is a rundown of 5 popular bars our members and friends ask about. Read up, learn a little and head over to your local health and supplement store.

1) The Lara Bar: It’s organic, they taste good, and they have the grab and go option. Dislike: Low in protein, high in sugar. Favourite flavour is coconut cream. We say leave this to a treat day if you’re craving dessert. It is more of a fruit nut bar… less of a protein bar. No additives, all natural, and meant to be a snack.

2) Cliff Bar: So easy to purchase and buy in bulk. You get what you pay for. Loaded with sugar and full of lots of additives. We aren’t a fan.

3) Vega Bar: Tastes great if you like plant based protein.  Awesome because it’s hard to find a vegan protein bar that has that much protein in it. It’s a complete meal, no artificial additives and they are gluten free. They can be a little higher in sugar content, and calorie. But don’t be to distracted by the calories because they are healthy, happy calories.

4) Quest Bar: We love the taste because there is so much variety in flavours. High protein, high in fibre, low sugar. We just want to eat a bite talking about it. Very low amounts of sugar alcohol which is hard to find in a bar. However a few more than a natural bar (like lets say vega). This is our go to bar.

5) Luna: Another great gluten free option. A bar that caters to women and offers so many vitamins and minerals that women need in their daily diet. They are a little lower on the protein front then a few of the other bars we have talked about and use soy as a protein source. They do tend to use a few more additives, but can be a great choice to try and use from time to time to mix up your selection. They are meant to be a snack, not a meal replacement.

6) Make your own. It’s easier than you think, more economical and you know what’s going in them!! We have a Seva Protein Bar you can make from home. You can find it HERE or from our Seva Nutrition Plan & Recipe Book.

So there you have it. Some of our recommendations on what we like, look for and want in a bar. Share with us what your favourite nutritional bar is! We would love to hear how you fuel!!

Your Trainers,

Taren and Emilia

[sevafitness]

ORGANIC BLUEBERRY MUFFINS (GF)

Another quick and easy breakfast for people on the run. Make a few batches and freeze – take your muffin out the night before and have it ready in the morning. Makes 10 muffins.

What you will need:

2 1/2 cups Protein Powder of your choice

1 1/2 cups egg whites

3 Tbsp. walnuts, crushed

2 Tbsp. ground flaxseed

3/4 cup almond milk, unsweetened

1/2 cup blueberries

2 Tbsp. water

1 banana, mashed

1/4 cup applesauce, no sugar added (organic)

2 Tbsp. coconut oil

1 1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon

3 tsp. baking powder

Pinch of sea salt

To Cook:

Combine liquid ingredients in large mixing bowl and mix well. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Slowly add dry mixture into liquid ingredients stirring constantly. Add more almond milk if necessary to achieve a smooth, thick consistency. Carefully fold 1/2 cup blueberries into mixture.

Lightly spray cupcake wrappers with non-stick cooking spray and place in a muffin pan. Scoop batter into the cups. Unlike traditional muffins these won’t rise so overfill to get the rounded muffin top shape. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until middle is cooked through (test by sticking a tooth pick into the centre: if it comes out clean you’re good) and the tops are golden brown.