Fit From The Inside

Aside from thinking in terms of calories in/calories out (that's the weight-loss mindset) there are many other reasons why people should really be cognizant of what they eat. I am NOT saying to cut out sweets and other foods that are commonly craved. What I AM saying is to try to change your current diet to a more clean and natural version. I'm not saying go eat cake, but here's a for instance to back me up...

You could go buy a box of cake, mix it as suggested on the box and then top it with the prepared cake icing (most brands of the icing is usually loaded with 2g TRANS FAT Per Serving!!!)

OR, there's two other options that make this recipe healthier and cleaner.

1. If you're short on time and NEED cake ASAP (sometimes there's cravings that won't go away unless they're indulged a little bit!) you could go the boxed-cake route and use egg whites instead of whole eggs and apple sauce instead of oil. But you have to completely get rid of that container icing! Whisk together about 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/2-1 tsp natural vanilla extract and about 1-2 Tbsp of skim milk until it's at the consistency you desire. NOTE: measurements aren't exact...you can manipulate this anyway you wish and can use different flavors of extract.

2. The second option uses the same icing (you HAVE to get rid of the container kind!) but here you will make your cake recipe from scratch. THIS IS THE BEST OPTION BECAUSE YOU HAVE CONTROL OF EXACTLY WHAT GOES IN IT!!!


INGREDIENTS:
1 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 ¼ cups superfine or granulated sugar
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
5 large egg whites
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup plain yogurt (you can use Greek yogurt for more protein but you will have to thin it a bit with water because it's much thicker)

 DIRECTIONS:
- Choose either two 9-inch round pans, one 9×13 pan, or 24 cupcakes. Grease pans with butter and flour them thoroughly, or line with parchment paper.
- Throw the coconut and all-purpose flour in a food processor until the pieces are quite small; about 30-60 seconds. (Or you can use 2 cups of coconut flour but that's kind of expensive). Set aside.
- Cream butter, baking powder, sugar, salt and vanilla in a large mixing bowl until fluffy.
- Add the egg whites to the butter mixture one at a time, beating well after each one.
- Stir 2/3 cup of the whole wheat pastry flour into the batter, then a ½ cup yogurt, then 2/3 cup more flour, ½ cup yogurt, and the final 2/3 cup flour, mixing well between each addition. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as well between each ingredient.
- Add the coconut and flour mixture all at once, stirring until the batter is evenly mixed.
- Pour into your prepared pans and bake in a preheated oven at 350F. 

• 9-inch rounds or cupcakes: 21-23 minutes
• 9×13 pan: 30-33 minutes

- Poke with a toothpick and make sure it comes out clean AND watch for the cake to pull from the sides a bit. 
- Cool for 15 minutes, remove from pan and place on cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting. 


This is just one example of how you can make a change to a better, healthier and cleaner option WITHOUT having to completely omit something you love from your life! For some people, cake makes everything better (honestly, someone told me that before)... So go ahead and eat your CLEANED UP CAKE and try to make small changes like this with the rest of your recipes! There's nothing more effective to getting fit on the outside than starting with what goes inside. ;)