By David Saunders | UPDATED: 14:42, 10 April 2020
If you’re trying to stick to a healthier regime, Easter can be a challenging time with all the seasonal treats on offer.
Luckily, our experts are on hand to offer their top tips for ways you can minimise these unhealthy habits that are so common at Easter time without missing all the fun!
1. Stay Social
When you’re trying to be healthy and everyone’s celebrating – it can feel pretty lonely! But never fear, Natures Plus (www.naturesplus.co.uk) are on hand with a fabulous sweet recipe packed full of their Paleo protein that you can eat whilst watching your waistline. Better yet, one that the whole family can enjoy!
Raw Paleo Chocolate Fudge Bars with Natures Plus Protein Powder
These fudgy no-bake bars are a total crowd pleaser and can be made in a matter of minutes! If you ever needed an excuse to eat chocolate, let these no-fuss, decadent bars be it. Made with nourishing ingredients like coconut oil, cashew butter and cocoa powder, these mood boosting bars are full of healthy nutrients that will help keep you full and satisfied.
Ingredients:
– 1 cup coconut oil
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¼ cup + 2 tbsp. cashew butter
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1 tbsp. raw, dried shredded coconut
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1 tbsp. maca powder
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¼ cup cocoa powder
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½ cup dried goji berries
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½ scoop Natures Plus Organic Paleo Protein
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Dash of agave, maple or date syrup to taste
Directions:
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Melt the coconut oil, add cashew butter, and then add all the dried ingredients and a teaspoon or two of your preferred syrup to sweeten.
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Place the mix in a baking tin and spread evenly – refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
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You can sprinkle some dried coconut on top before placing the chocolate fudge in the fridge.
Natures Plus Organic Paleo Protein (RRP £33.95, www.naturesplus.co.uk)
Each Serving of Paleo Protein delivers a full 20g of power-packed vegan protein, 4g of healthy fatty acids and 5g of dietary fibre. The protein in this uniquely formulated product comes from organic sunflower, pumpkin seed, almond, flax and coconut protein.
2. Keep Sugar Levels Controlled
With so much sugar surrounding us at Easter time, it can be a daunting time for diabetics. The Type 2 Diabetes supplement CuraLin (RRP £59.00, www.curalife.co) is a natural way to balance your glucose levels. CuraLin is a natural nutritional supplement for people with Type 2 Diabetes and can be taken alongside medication and promotes healthy and balanced blood sugar levels, as well as boosting daily energy levels. If you’re struggling to resist the Easter treats, CuraLin can also help reduce cravings and absorption for sugary foods and carbs, which will help keep your diet healthy!
3. Stay Hydrated
If you find yourself day-dreaming about that hot cross bun, you might not actually be hungry. Nutritionist & Fitness Instructor, Cassandra Barns explains, “not only can drinking plenty of water make you feel more energised and alert, but staying hydrated throughout the day can also help deter you from mindless snacking.
Often we can feel hungry, when actually it may be that we are dehydrated. Drinking a glass of water in between meals may help reduce snacking, as it has a mild effect on quietening down our hunger hormone Ghrelin.”
4. Keep It Raw
If you want to consume some chocolate (and let’s be honest why shouldn’t you, it is Easter after all?!) it’s a good idea to choose a raw chocolate bar like Ombar’s 100% Cacao. This little bar of joy is made with only two ingredients and is truly the purest of the pure when it comes to chocolate.
Thanks to the best organic Ecuadorian fair trade cacao, and no sugar added, Ombar’s 100% Cacao bar showcases the dark and rich tones of chocolate, in its purest form. Created using only all-natural, plant-based ingredients, and with absolutely no sugar, it’s chocolate you can feel good about.
This super dark vegan chocolate bar is part of Ombar’s core range of 35g chocolate bars and is available from Planet Organic, Wholefoods, independent health food stores and online at www.ombar.co.uk, RRP £1.99 (35g bar).
5. Prioritise Protein
The UK’s leading nutritionist and author of Natural Alternatives to Sugar, Dr Marilyn Glenville (www.glenvillenutrition.com) explains why you may have cravings – “You might have cravings mid-morning because your blood sugar has dropped since breakfast (or no breakfast which is even worse) and your body is asking for a quick fix perhaps from caffeine and sugar or white flour, which is why you might crave a coffee and a Danish or tea and biscuits”.
To try and minimise such cravings Marilyn advises, “eat a predominantly protein-based meal for lunch, such as a tuna salad with a small portion of brown rice or a rye cracker. If you have a mainly carbohydrate-based meal, such as a jacket potato, it can make you feel sleepy.
Where your body naturally has a ‘post-lunch dip’ in the afternoon, a lunch heavy in carbohydrates will promote this. This can then lead to a battle through the afternoon slump and the need for another quick fix to keep you going mid-afternoon”.
Marilyn concludes that if you’re still hungry mid-afternoon “have a snack combining a protein with a carbohydrate- such as apple with nuts or seeds, oatcakes with nut butter or crudités with hummus.” So, if you’re tempted by some of your Easter egg as a mid-morning snack, opt for a protein packed handful of nuts instead to combat those cravings.