From the gym to school pick-up in T-10 minutes? Back to back meetings with hardly enough time to pee, nevermind eat? Lifemin taking over your weekends?

Sound familiar? Time-crunched days are stressful enough without trying to build in quality meals, so sometimes we need a little help to get us from A to B (or from breakfast to lunch and lunch to dinner). Here’s a quick protein ball recipe I whip up on Sunday evenings to save me a trip to the corner shop. While I’m not adverse to the odd Mars Bar, we can avoid making a habit of reaching for sugary snacks and fuelling the resulting hunger-famine energy crash cycle by filling our handbags/kit bags (and our bellies) with these quality, slow-release, recovery-boosting bites.

All you need is a food processor (if you don’t have one, get one; I promise it will change your life). In 10 minutes flat you’ll have created 15 balls of hunger-busting bliss.

What?

• 1 cup pitted dates
• 3tbsp nut butter (my preference: Pip & Nut Maple Syrup Peanut Butter. I’m Canadian. What do you expect?)
• ¼ cup raw cacao powder
• 1tbsp chia seeds
• 2/3 cups rolled oats
• 1tbsp Pulsin hemp protein
• 1tbsp coconut oil

How?

1. Pulse the dates in your food processor until the mix is smooth. They may form one big ball – that’s normal due to their sticky texture.
2. Add the oats, chocolate, chia, peanut butter, protein & coconut oil and pulse again for one minute, or until evenly mixed and the oats are in fine fragments.
3. Roll into 1 inch balls. The texture should be sticky enough to hold all the ingredients together, but not wet enough to make your hands sticky.
4. Refrigerate and tuck in when hunger strikes. They will keep for 2 weeks in the fridge. Mind you, it’s unlikely they’ll stick around that long.

Need an excuse to eat more protein balls? Join me for any of my weekly classes, held privately or at Sweaty Betty Wimbledon and Paola’s Bodybarre Wimbledon. More information and timetable here. 

Last weekend I had family visiting from Canada and we took them out for a pre-theatre meal at Christopher’s in Covent Garden. There was an amaretto chocolate pave on the menu, with mint ice cream. In the name alone there were three of my favourite ingredients, so my sweet tooth was positively singing. It was so insanely delicious I couldn’t even stop to take a photo of it, so I ask you to use your imagination and think of the most mind-blowingly indulgent, soul-pleasing dessert you’ve ever had. Now try to imagine saying no when it’s sitting just beneath your nose. Next to impossible, isn’t it? Good thing I’m not about to suggest you can never eat sugar…

I do, however, want to address a serious imbalance in the national diet. With the latest news headlines confirming 1 in 10 Brits are diagnosed with Diabetes, and the government threatening to increase the tax on sugar, most of us could use some help to cut down on the simplest of carbohydrates. This debacle is what’s inspired me to share my 5 rules for eating and drinking sugar in moderation.

1. Spread fruit intake throughout the day

When I take on a new PT client, I ask them to keep a food diary for a week so I can identify the bad habits they may not recognise as problematic. The most common faux pas I see is fruit overloading. While fruit is a hugely important source of vitamins, and its naturally-occurring fructose an essential source of energy, bingeing on multiple fruits in one sitting with spike your blood sugar and create a boom and bust energy spike that will set you up for sugar cravings throughout the day. A banana in the morning, an orange for elevensies and an apple in the afternoon is a far healthier way to spread out your sugar intake and stabilise your energy levels.

2. Choose raw, not refined

I love coffee, but my daily latte isn’t complete without a small spoonful of sugar. To keep the flavour and cut the guilt, I always choose the least refined form of sweetener. Being Canadian, maple syrup is naturally a favourite, but raw brown sugar is available almost everywhere and is far superior to its more processed white sister. That’s because the process of refining a sugar accelerates the speed at which the body breaks it down, resulting in quicker blood sugar spikes and inevitable energy crashes. I also love SugaVida, which comes from the Palmyra tree and is a naturally-occurring low GI sugar that will keep you going for longer. Lucuma is new on my radar, but I’ve been loving the added sweetness in smoothies and breakfast bowls without the consequence of copious calories and blood sugar mayhem. Plus, I’m currently tackling chocolate cravings with a spoonful of antioxidant-packed raw cacao powder in my overnight oats.

But where do I stand on artificial sweeteners? While they will reduce your calorie intake, there are lots of unknowns about the effects of artificial sweeteners, and some dieticians suggest that eating fake sugars increase your body’s cravings for real sugars. The jury is still out, but I trust in mother nature and opt for the real deal wherever possible.

3. Balance out your treats

Look at both individual meals and every day as a whole to effectively monitor sugar intake. It’s not about deprivation, but moderation and distribution. If you had a lot of sugar in the afternoon, lay off in the evening and trade your ritual chocolate indulgence for a few spoonfuls of greek yoghurt instead. Your body will learn to recognise this form of regulation and even adopt a revulsion at excess sugar intake. Take it from someone who used to pick the most sickly sweet chia tea lattes and frappucinos in every coffee shop. My stomach now turns at the realisation that 3 shots of syrup (yes, 3!) go into every tall Starbucks flavoured latte.

4. Know your saccharides

Not all sugars are created equal. Knowing the differences and differentiating between the saccharides will help you get the right balance of sugar in your diet. Common to all carbohydrates are single sugar chains, or monosaccharides. The more of these are contained within a carbohydrate, the more complex and therefore slower releasing it is. Your monosaccharides include glucose (the gooey stuff in coffee syrups, chocolate bars, sweets etc), fructose (fruit sugar) and galactose (milk sugar). Your disaccharides include lactose (also found in milk) and sucrose (the most common form of table sugar). In the sugar hierarchy, glucose is the equivalent of the dietary devil. Fructose and galactose have a lower GI so are better in moderation, but disaccharides are the superior sugar when it comes to sustained energy release. Which brings me to my final point…

5. Eat for energy

Still with me? What every one of my rules comes back to is this idea of sustained energy release. The better we can control our blood sugar levels, the more power we have over our cravings and the better we’ll feel from meal to meal. You’ll feel healthier, have greater clarity of mind, think less about food and of course notice a flatter, leaner looking stomach as you cut sugar intake over time. And when you do indulge in sugar (no one’s perfect), consider the rest of the ingredients on your plate to manage the resulting sugar rush.

Fibre and protein are digested far more slowly than sugar, so a spoonful of honey on an oat cake has an entirely different effect than a spoonful of honey out of the jar (in case you thought that was tempting). Likewise, having a banana alone is not going to leave you feeling as satisfied as a banana with a tablespoon of protein-rich nut butter. That’s because the composition of your snacks and meals is every bit as important as the individual ingredients. When you’re eating for energy, these considerations are crucial. And they’ll help you find a compromise between eating the foods you love and enjoying the snacks you know are good for you.

Add some new low-sugar recipes to your repertoire with my homemade granola, coronation chicken, miso-baked aubergine and sweet potato and homemade protein balls. 

This weekend, London health and fitness festival Be:FIT is back for the second year, and this time in the big beautiful venue of the Business Design Centre in Islington. From Friday to Sunday, there’s a jam-packed schedule of classes by top studios, plus nutrition and lifestyle talks by fitness industry icons. And once you’re feeling fit and inspired, you can pick up some healthy treats from over 125 stalls manned by some of my favourite UK brands – not least Pip & Nut, Purition and Teapigs!

Not sure where to start? Here’s my edit of the best classes and talks to attend on each day of the event…

Friday

House of Voga Workshop – 11am

Juliet Murrell’s unique fusion of rhythmic yoga breathing and retro aerobics dance packs in plenty of weekend-friendly flamboyance. As well as working up a virtuous sweat, you’ll pick up a few moves to put into practice the next time you wind up beneath a disco ball.

Madeleine Shaw – 1230pm

The name on everyone’s lips this week is Madeleine Shaw. She’s just released her recipe book Get the Glow and recently held a press launch that attracted a healthy turnout from the cast of Made in Chelsea. Behind the media craze, Madeleine’s experience stems from years of eating to correct IBS and enhance energy levels and makes her a well-informed advisor for your top nutrition queries.

Saturday

Victoria Pendleton & Farrah Storr – 130pm

I may be biased as I do the odd bit of work for Women’s Health, but the magazine’s editor Farrah Storr is full of fascinating insights into the fitness industry. And Victoria Pendleton’s gold medal background and natural charm makes this one of the most exciting talks of the entire festival. Join the conversation as the two old friends talk serious training.

Equinox Elimin8tor – 2pm

In case you haven’t guessed, I’m a big champion of the benefits of HIIT. And this short but sweet 30 minute session is the perfect introduction for newcomers to the concept of interval training. Like all HIIT workouts, it is equally challenging for the most experienced exercisers – maximise your effort and you’re guaranteed to sweat.

Sunday

Leah Kim Workshop – 11am

You’ll find me here on Sunday. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to start the day with 90 minutes of dynamic yoga taught by one of the coolest yogis around. You’ll recognise Leah from the Nike Training Club app, where she brings a laidback Santa Monica vibe to your home workouts.

Denise Lewis – 130pm

Olympic gold-medal winning heptathlete turned sports presenter Denise Lewis is a role model for every career-driven woman who schedules workouts like she does business meetings. As well as health and training tips, Denise will be discussing the non-negotiable rules that help her maintain a happy work/life balance.

There are of course plenty of other classes on offer – and if you’re yet to experience Barry’s Bootcamp, FRAME or Boom Cycle, this is place to try them for free.

If you’re planning to attend Be:FIT this weekend, use my exclusive code BRIT at checkout to get your tickets for just £15 each (normally £18). Or follow me on Instagram to find out how you can win one of five pairs of tickets going completely FREE!

In my desk drawer at work, there’s always a Bounce Ball or two rolling around, ready for emergencies. A quick hit of energy when I’m running between meetings and a convenient source of protein when I’ve returned from a workout. Most of my health-conscious friends are familiar with Bounce Balls. ‘What’s your favourite flavour?’ is an easy icebreaker when meeting new faces in the industry. Mine? Cocoa Mint Protein Bomb for a healthy alternative to chocolate, or Almond Protein Hit when I’m feeling more virtuous.

But it wasn’t until a Nike NTC Week event a few weeks ago that I learned how easy it is to make similar homemade protein balls using superfood and protein powders mixed with healthy fats like coconut oil and nut butters to bind. Since then I’ve been experimenting with different ingredients, taking inspiration from my local organic market As Nature Intended, to mix up batches of healthy protein balls one week at a time. As long as you get the right proportion of dry ingredients to sticky, binding ones, you can’t really go wrong.

So far, this recipe is my favourite. I love the feel-good factor that comes from even the smallest amount of antioxidant-packed matcha green tea, and the sprouted buckwheat groats and goji berries add a really satisfying crunch and chew respectively. Follow the steps below, then scroll down for more information about each ingredients’ health-enhancing powers. I’ve also included a few ingredient swaps to show you how simple it is to personalise your protein balls for the flavours you love and the health benefits you desire.

Matcha & Goji Crunchy Protein Balls

Makes 7

Prep time: 10min

Ingredients

2 tbsp hemp protein (I’ve used That Protein’s baobab infusion)
1 tsp matcha green tea
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
4 tbsp buckwheat flour
2 tbsp sprouted buckwheat groats
2 tbsp dried goji berries
3 tsp coconut oil
3 tbsp almond butter
1 tbsp honey
Dessicated coconut

Method

1. Mix all the dry ingredients (the first 7) with a fork until the colour is consistent and the groats and berries evenly dispersed.
2. Add the coconut oil, almond butter and honey and mix through with a fork. Then use your hands to thoroughly combine the ingredients.
3. Shape into small balls (roughly half the size of your palm) and roll in dessicated coconut to cover. Pop the balls in the fridge for 45min, then tuck in! They should keep for up to a week when cooled.

Why you should eat….

Hemp protein – Containing all the essential amino acids, this is the most complete source of protein you can get in plant form. Hemp protein is also dairy and soy free, so it’s a great way for people with allergies or intolerances to repair muscle tissue post-workout.

Or swap with whey protein…

A by-product of cheese production, whey is a dairy-based protein that is rapidly absorbed by muscle tissue. It is great for post-workout recovery.

 Or swap with spirulina…

Although spirulina has quite a strong flavour, you may wish to substitute it for some of the hemp or whey protein to add an extra dimension to the finished product. As well as being naturally high in protein, it is packed with B vitamins and antioxidants to help boost and sustain energy levels. Particularly useful after a tough workout or when you begin to feel under the weather.

Matcha green tea – This bright green powder is essentially ground tea leaves, which means none of the antioxidants are lost in the process of brewing. One small serving delivers roughly the benefits of 10 full cups of green tea. And it tastes as virtuous as it sounds – leaving you with a healthy post-snack buzz. (Note: this can be pricey but a little goes a long way!)

Or swap with maca…

Another of nature’s healers, maca helps facilitate changes in the body. From accelerating injury recovery to reducing stress levels and improving workout performance, it’s an all-round nutritional wonder long championed by South Americans. It’s also a great source of carbohydrates, further helping to sustain your energy levels.

Cinnamon – Shown in several studies to stabilise blood sugar and improve insulin activity, cinnamon prevents major energy dips and helps silence your sweet tooth. It’s so potent it’s been used to reduce the risks and effects of diabetes.

Or swap with ginseng…

Another herb frequently cited in association with diabetes treatment, ginseng is an adaptogen that helps the body achieve natural balance. It can also reduce the severity and length of cold symptoms, so it’s a great immunity-booster for winter.

Ginger – Kind to the digestive system, ginger is an anti-inflammatory ingredient that can reduce that bloated feeling.

Or swap with nutmeg…

Another gut-friendly herb, nutmeg is both an anti-inflammatory and a source of fibre to help reduce bloating and discomfort.

Buckwheat – Despite its name, buckwheat has nothing to do with the wheat family. It is actually more closely related to rhubarb and is technically a fruit seed, but as it’s packed with easily digestible protein it’s one of the best foods to eat in replacement of meat. It also has a lot of flavonoids, which help lower cholesterol and keep your heart in great shape through healthy blood flow.

Goji berries – Cancer-causing and cell-destructing free radicals are far less powerful in the presence of antioxidant-rich foods. Goji berries are among the fruits with the highest proportion of antioxidants.

Or swap with mulberries…

As well as having plenty of antioxidants, mulberries are one of the rare berries to contain a high percentage of iron – something typically found in red meat. This can help boost your body’s ability to carry and transport oxygen, so you can exercise more efficiently and work harder for longer.

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Coconut oil – Rich in healthy fats, coconut oil is great for your body and for your mind. When combined with amino acids and vitamins, it can also boost absorption of the other ingredients – for maximum benefits with every bite.

Nut butters – All the nut butters offer a convenient combination of natural proteins, fats and fibre. Plus they taste amazing and feel like a real treat, reducing the urge to reach for more sugar-laden snacks.

Honey – I’d take a spoonful of honey over refined sugar any day. It is an amazing source of carbohydrates when your body needs slow-release energy most. Thanks to a more complex make-up and higher fibre content than refined sugars, it doesn’t cause the nasty sugar crash you get from too many Percy Pigs.

Which protein brands or recipes to you love best? Get in touch on social or use the comment box below to share your experience. Thanks for reading!