Month: August 2020

Let’s make some SMART Goals

SMART is an acronym.  It stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-Based.  This is a great way to set goals for anything, but particularly good for health goals.  

Specific goals are clear and detailed.  You want them to be measurable so that you know when you have reached your goal.  Make sure your goals are actually attainable.  If you don’t run, you probably won’t be doing a marathon in 6 weeks.  Be realistic so that you can achieve your goals. Once this goal is achieved, we can always set new ones. Make sure your goals are relevant.  They need to be important to you, not someone else.  And give yourself a time by which you want to achieve your goal.  Open ended goals make motivation difficult.

When making health goals I want them to have meaning to you.  I don’t want you to say you to just say will lose xx kilograms, or xx inches.  Losing weight may be needed in order to achieve your goal, but what do you want to do.  Give your goal meaning.

Some examples could be:

In 6 weeks I want to be able to walk up the stairs without getting out of breath.

In 6 months I want to be able to run 5km.

In 3 months I want to be able to bike ride with my child.

In 6 months I want to be able to carry around my new born grandchild.

In 3 months I want to wake up happy and full of energy

Make your goals something that will make you happy.  Something that will change your life.

Make yourself 3 health goals following the below structure:

In _____________________________________ (time in weeks or months), I will be able to:

___________________________________________________________________________

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Healthy Lemon Chia Muffins

Usually we go home to Canada in July which is just when my lemon tree in Australia is ripening. I end up picking them all before I leave and handing them out to friends. But things being what they are this year, we didn’t go anywhere. So trying to find the silver lining (if you really want to see it!), I have been baking lots of lemon recipes. My family loves muffins, so lemon muffins was an obvious choice. So without any further ado, here is my healthy lemon chia muffin recipe!

Lemon Chia Muffins

4 Tbsp chia seeds

1 cup lemon juice (juice from 3-4 lemons)

2.5 cups self-raising flour (whole wheat preferably)

¼ tsp salt

½ cup maple syrup (the real stuff from Canada)

1/3 cup coconut oil melted

1 cup milk (I used macadamia, but you could also you almond or dairy)

½ tsp almond extract

Method

  1. Mix the chia seeds with the lemon juice in a small bowl and set aside for 10 minutes
  2. Preheat oven to 180C
  3. In another large bowl, mix the salt and the flour.
  4. Add the maple, coconut oil, milk and almond extract to the flour and mix well.
  5. Add in the lemon and chia mix.
  6. Divide out into muffin trays.

Depending on how big you make your muffins, cook between 12-16 minutes.

Add blueberries, raspberries or other fruit to mix it up.

Enjoy!