new year, time for a change

So it's that time of year again, when we have all over done it and are feeling bloated, grubby and out of sync. Yep that's me, not to mention the few lbs more i have attached to my midriff.

So where do you start, with a little difficulty i should imagine. But with some willpower and determination, you can ease yourself back into a healthy regime, i'm not talking about going in with all guns blazing and just quitting all the not so good habits picked up over the festive season in one go, I don't know about you but the thought of the all or nothing approach is daunting. Gradual changes is what works for me, like cutting back on  my sugar intake. I use stevia daily, why don't you give it a go, try swapping sugar for stevia liquid, it's great for anything from tea and coffee to adding it to your natural yoghurts, puddings and baking. It's calorie free and a healthier alternative to sugar and artificial sweeteners.

Here's a little recipe i found and tweeked slightly.

Ingredients:

1 100g bar of dark chocolate 80% cocoa solids(it contains a decent amount of soluble fiber and is loaded with minerals)
Around 45 Almonds.
dried cherries, or fruit of your choice. I used raisons(watch out for added sugars in dried fruit)
10 drops Stevia liquid or to taste.
Coconut shavings(I dried these ones in the dehydrator)


                                                                     Melt the chocolate

  

                         Lay the almonds out on a lined cookie sheet, i put three per cluster.

        once the chocolate has melted add the dried fruit and about 10 drops of stevia, or to taste.
                   My stevia bottle is a bit worn, I carry it in my handbag wherever I go.

Drop spoonfulls of the chocolate mixture over the almonds, then put a few coconut shavings on top.

                                               put the tray in the fridge to let them harden


    And that's it, you can have a little cluster for those moments when you feel like something sweet.