My local internet cafe is a lovely little place call Muxima; a chilled out hidden nook in Bow, London that provides a sanctuary to the mind as well as nourishment in the form of their homemade food and of course internet! They are not just a cafe, but offer film nights, music evenings, knitting circles and on sat and sunday you can get some hand reflexology! I love it...check out their facebook page below if it catches your interest too;
https://en-gb.facebook.com/MuximaMuxima
One thing I love about cafe's is the sweet stuff you can nibble on. But as much as my taste-buds may thank me for 5 minutes of deliciousness my body would not be amused. Which in turn means I need to work a hell of a lot harder in the gym to make up for it! Remember exercise counts for 30% of your physique, the other 70% is diet and so many people (including admittedly myself on occasion) ruin so much hard work by not being strict about the fuel you are putting into your body.
Now don't think that means you can never have sugar again and anything sweet is off limits. No need to torture yourself; life should be enjoyable after all! But you need to learn which sweet things to eat and which foods are just not worth it.
Fruit is one of the best examples; it's delicious and has the right kinds of sugar. As well as being incredibly good for you! If you incorporate berries into your diet they are great antioxidants and a source of essential vitamins. I love blueberries and raspberries and have them with pretty much everything from my cereal to salads to dessert. Other versatile fruits I love to use in lots of dishes are pomegranates and mango; they are great as a mid afternoon snack but also add a fantastic sweetness to other dishes. These fruits work for you; fighting disease, full of fibre and a great source of energy whilst you are on the go.
If you are a chocolate lover (like moi) don't think this has to be off the menu either; limit yourself to small portions and stick to dark chocolate. Dark chocolate contains anti oxidants and can help prevent heart disease and lower blood pressure. Just remember that it does still have a calorie count so emphasis on small quantities!
I don't usually eat dessert but was cooking dinner for my partner recently and decide to try out the below to make a healthy, tasty dessert that would be good for us too!
Ingredients:
Half a bar of dark chocolate
Handful of peanuts and almonds
Greek yogurt
Strawberries
Blueberries
Grapes
Kiwi
Satsuma/mandarin
Honey
1. Melt the chocolate in a bowl above a saucepan
2. Finely chop the nuts and add to the chocolate; mix
3. Pour a thin layer of the chocolate into a cupcake case and put into the fridge to cool
(the ones I created that are pictured were quite thick and I made three of them; I would recommend making them thinner as the thick chocolate can be a little overwhelming!)
4. Chop the strawberries, grapes and kiwi and add all the fruit (quantities as per your own desire) to the greek yogurt and mix
5. Add a tablespoon of honey or to taste and mix thoroughly
6. Pour the mixture into freezable containers and smooth out the the top.
7. Put in the freezer for 20mins or so (until desserts are hard on the outside but not frozen through)
8. Turn containers upside down on a plate and serve with chocolate treats from the fridge
Enjoy!
