Healthy snacks for sporty people

Dear world-wide audience,

Sri Lanka is slowly heating up, that is humidity is hitting in. Occasional heavy rainfalls cool down the air nicely for a good night's sleep, which makes you jump out of bed in the morning hitting the treadmill or the Yoga room. Or both. Or the mat with your favorite Pilates DVD. 
Another very important contributor to a good night's sleep obviously is what you had for dinner. In all those years since I am taking extreme care of my nutrition I became more and more sensitive to this and during my exercise, which I tend to do before breakfast, I always feel the - positive or negative - impact of what I had as a last meal. 

This morning doing Yoga on a completely empty stomach (dinner cancelling the night before and breakfast only after Yoga) felt absolutely great. Even my husband had to admit that. This does not mean that you should cancel your dinner every night, but 1 or 2 times a week don't do any harm, in fact, it allows your own inner wellness center to work just on your beauty and health overnight without wasting any energy on the digestion of a heavy meal. 



When should I eat last time then if I cancel my dinner? I was a bit extreme yesterday, I did not have anything else after my lunch at 2PM, just a big glass of tomato juice and lots of water and herbal teas. For who can handle it, that works very well.

My better half for example cannot handle it as he will not shut an eye in the night on such an empty stomach.  


When should I eat for the last time then if I cancel my dinner? I was a bit extreme yesterday, I did not have anything anymore after my lunch at 2PM, just a big glass of tomato juice and lots of water and herbal teas. For who can handle it, that works very well.
 
My better half for example cannot handle it as he will not shut an eye in the night on such an empty stomach. 

In that case, it is advisable to have something light around latest 5PM.

Very healthy and nutritious and packed with the power to keep you going through your exercise next morning are snacks like for example organic muesli bars with lots of different nuts. You can get them from your organic supermarket, but if you make them yourself you know exactly what's in them. 

Spicy Carob Banana Energy Bars

(from Thrive Fitness)

• 3/4 cup dates
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper
• 1 small banana
• 1/2 cup cooked or sprouted buckwheat
• 1/4 cup raw cacao powder
• 1/4 cup salba (if available) or wholegrain flower
• 1/4 cup macadamia nuts
• Sea salt to taste
• 2 tbsp unhulled sesame seeds

Process everything except sesame seeds in a food processor. Put the mixture directly from the food processor into a pan lined with parchment paper, shape it into a brick and freeze it before cutting it into bars. Once you have cut the bars, sprinkle them with the sesame seeds.

 Healthy Granola Bar Recipe

(from www.nomeatathlete.com)

1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp natural sugar
1 1/2 cup oatmeal
1 cup whole grain cereal (like brown rice crispies)
1 cup dried fruit (like Sunmaid’s variety pack of “Fruit bits”)
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
3 tbs canola oil
1 tbs ground flax seed

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Mix the ground flax seed with 1/4 cup warm water, set aside to thicken. Toss the chickpeas in the sugar and 1 tsp of the cinnamon.  Bake for 10 minutes, stir around in the pan, then back for 10 more minutes.  Add the oatmeal to the pan and bake for 5 more minutes, stirring the oatmeal once.
Stir together the peanut butter, honey, canola oil, and flax paste.
Combine the chickpeas, oatmeal, cereal, dried fruits, and remaining tsp of cinnamon.
Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and stir to combine.
Press the mixture into a greased pan. Press and pack in the mixture as hard as you can.  Refrigerate until firm, then cut into 24 bars.

 This looks like a bit of work, but the result is just amazing! Enjoy!!