NO-BAKE Chocolate Almond Butter Energy Bites (My own healthy alternative to an Almond Joy)

Hey there, Happy Good Friday everyone! 

I got a little inspired this morning in the kitchen and wanted to share this AWESOME recipe with you!!

**Note: this recipe is kid tested and approved & mom tested and approved! 

NO-BAKE Chocolate Almond Butter Energy Bites
(My own healthy alternative to an Almond Joy)
This recipe is Dairy-Free, Wheat-Free, & Vegan 
Makes approx. 24 bites

Ingredients

• 1/2 cups oat flour
• 1/2 cups rolled oats 
• 1/2 cups cocoa powder (or chocolate protein powder for extra nutrition)
• 6 Tbsp ground flaxseed
• 2 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
• 4 Tbsp Almond Butter (or any nut butter)
• 6 tsp water 
• 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut flakes

Preparation:

1. Mix well with whisk in a large bowl oat flour, rolled oats, cocoa powder and ground flax seed. 

2. Add vanilla and honey. Mix well with rubber spatula until mixture becomes sticky. 

3. Add almond butter and water. Mix well with rubber spatula until mixture reaches a dough like consistency. 

4. Roll mixture into bite-size balls. 

5. Add coconut flakes to a small bowl and roll balls in coconut until covered.Can be eaten immediately but best when stored in the refrigerator.

**Store in Fridge or Freezer

Spring Into Fitness

As a stay at home mom, it is important for me to Find and Make time for myself, my health, and my own personal betterment. Somewhere along the way, in parenthood, I think we may lose ourselves; the person we were before we became a parent, the person we wanted to be or thought we were, and the person we've become. Sometimes it's easy to find that person again and create a balance between the old you and the new you. Other times it's not that simple, and that is OKAY.

For me, it was pretty hard to even realize I had lost a pretty big part of myself and it wasn't an overnight process once I did realize it. It is still a process!! But now I have a journey that I am on. I figured out where I lost myself and what I needed to do to get back on track to being ME and to being the best possible ME that I can be. One of those big steps I had to take was implementing better nutrition and regular exercise into my daily life.

Have you ever had that lost feeling after having children? It's okay to admit it. We've all been there because we consume ourselves in our children, in making sure they are happy, healthy, cared for and loved. But what about you?? Are you placing that same amount of priority on YOURSELF? It is just as important for you to take the best possible care of YOURSELF as it is to take care of your family. You are their rock, their role model, their super hero, the most important person in their lives. Why not take pride within yourself that you 100% deserve?!

What do you think? Are you ready to put some Spring into your step and make time for YOU again? I would like to invite you to personally challenge yourself for 21 days of making YOU a top priority in your life, with me :) Starting April 4th, 2016 we will be adventuring on a 21 day journey to make ourselves, and ultimately our health and vitality, a TOP priority.

Ready to Spring Into Fitness with me this April and take back control of your life and health? Fill out the form below so we can get started :)

Fill out my online form.

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Break Into Spring

It’s that time of year again! The days are getting longer, warmer weather is upon us and Spring is right around the corner. And you know what that means… it’s Spring Cleaning time. The next few weeks (if you live in the North Eastern part of America) will be spent opening those windows, dusting & washing EVERYTHING, packing away the Winter clothes and integrating the Summer clothes back into our closets and drawers. We’ll be spending hours de-cluttering the madness of our cabin fever in our homes and our minds.

We dust. We mop. We swap the linens. We wash our doors & windows. We till our gardens and plant new seeds.  We clean our homes to remove the old and make room for the new. Spring is the time of renewal. The trees begin to blossom, the perennials sneak up and bloom and the birds are happily chirping away at first light.

But with all we do for all the cleaning and preparation for our homes and our gardens at this time of year, are we remembering that our bodies are in need of some spring cleaning too?

Our bodies are our vessels and I think, in this busy world we live in, that we forget how important our bodies are. We focus so much of our time on the material aspects of our lives, that are yes important, but are in all honesty meaningless if our bodies are not cared for.

This was me. For a very long time I never considered my body, the human home for my soul, as a top priority. Everything else; work, chores, family, friends, pets all trumped in importance over my vessel. It was like I was coasting through, completely oblivious to my own BODY and its importance. Not really living life, but letting life live me. It wasn’t until after I had children, lost myself in all of my roles, and got very sick that I realized just how important this body of mine is. I realized I needed to make some serious efforts into a healthier lifestyle in order to be the person, mother and wife I wanted to be. It wasn’t overnight and it hasn’t always been easy, but it has been a completely positive, life enhancing change.

Can you relate? Have you lost sight of the importance of YOUR body among your many roles? Have you been hibernating all winter long (or longer), not reaching your goals, feeling lost within yourself? Did those New Year’s goals fall at the wayside?

It’s time to dust off your shoulders, break apart those cobwebs and sweep away those negative thoughts.

It is time to feel renewed! To plant new seeds of confidence, strength, health and vitality!

Join us as we Break Into Spring this April and spring into Fitness!

In the Break Into Spring - April Fit Challenge, you will receive:

<3 Support & Love

<3 Encouragement & Motivation

<3 Accountability

<3 Tips & Tricks to clean up your nutrition without depriving yourself

<3 A workout program (25-45 minutes a day) that fits YOUR needs

<3 Fun, soul searching experiences and exercises to help you grow and weed out those negative thoughts

<3 30 Days worth of superfoods & super nutrition (could be in the form of coffee or chocolate ;) )

<3 A FREE gift from me, your personal coach

<3 The opportunity to grow a garden of new and long lasting friendships and to sow the life you want.

Comment below “I'm ready to SPRING into fitness” if you’re interested in more details or have any questions. As always, you can send me an email at rachelina2317 at gmail dot com :) We’ll begin on Monday, April 4th with a private facebook group which will include 21 days full of accountability (all online & private.)

Don"t Forget to visit me on Facebook at Mind and Body Wellness with Rachel
Check out the programs offered at My personal website

You Are Amazing

Has anyone told you that you are amazing today???

You are amazing! 

YOU! and you! And you too! 

The world can be a harsh place. We struggle everyday with the challenges life can throw at us. Some days we feel too weak to face them. Some days we feel trapped in that moment and fear we may never get past it. 

We may doubt ourselves, we may feel alone, we may feel so small and insignificant. 
But we are not. You are not! 

You have the most special gift of all! 

You have the gift of life. Life as a human being. You were gifted with a beating heart, a magnificent soul, and beautiful mind. You were gifted with the sense of emotion, the sense to feel, to love, laugh, to be angry and sad. You are a precious and deserving BEing. You are you and you are important. Never doubt that! 

You are amazing. And never be afraid to tell someone else that they are amazing too. You never know who needs to hear those words.

For those who are struggling, this moment will not last forever. These feelings will not last forever. A phrase I have to remind myself of often is "This too shall pass," because it is true. Yes it may seem you are stuck in this moment. Yes it may seem it will never end and you don't want to continue feeling this way. It takes time, but you can LIVE past it. You can get through it, you can succeed. You must BELIEVE in yourself, in your life and your journey. Never be afraid to reach out and seek guidance or support. You are never alone, you are loved, you are here for a reason. You are beautiful and amazing and you have the greatest gift on Earth. The gift of life and all of its potential. Never stop seeking, never give up & ALWAYS remember that you are amazing!