Vegan sugar-free choconut energy balls

Breakfast: Apple and coconut oatmeal

Lunch: Black bean soup followed by vegan sugar-free choconut energy balls

Dinner: Seared tofu, mashed potatoes, mushrooms gravy and green beans

Move over Totoro, there is a new love in my life!*

For Christmas, Putin gave to me a 2-week pass for a Bikram yoga centre. In case you didn't know, these 90 minute classes consist of you doing yoga in a room that can only be described as obscenely hot, whilst sweating out abut 40% of your body weight (guesstimate). This is hardcore yoga, like yoga done in one of those sweatsuits that boxers wear to go down a weight class in an hour. Insanity yoga, I like to call it.

Obviously, after such exertion, it's necessary to have something both delicious and full of energy to replenish your poor, aching body. I've always been a fan of those "energy balls" they seem to have at every health food stall on the planet, and this is my version of those.

These are vegan, gluten free and sugar free. And awesome.

You'll need:
(Makes 12 balls)

1/2 cup grated raw cacao
1/4 cup unsweetened grated coconut + additional for rolling
1/4 cup ground flax + additional for rolling
2 tbsp almond oil - I use the oil from my almond butter jar, though you can substitute store-bought peanut oil for this
2 tbsp almond butter
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup almond meal
1 tbsp peanut butter

Method:

Cream together all the ingredients, then place in the fridge for 30 minutes
Remove from the fridge and shape into 12 even balls
Roll each one in coconut or flax, and place back in the fridge
Take out and enjoy when needed!

Just to prove that things can be decadent, healthy AND nutritionally phenomenal, listen to this:

Cacao contains flavinoids which help the blood flow in the body, benefitting both heart and head!
Ground flax brings omega 3 fatty acids, fiber and may help women with cardiovascular problems AND people with diabetes by stabilising blood sugar levels!
Almond butter can help lower cholesterol, and brings many great nutrients and vitamins into the body!
Peanut butter is a great source of protein, vitamin b3, magnesium and good fats!

All of this, and the lack of sugar in these, means that you can happily chomp away on these, safe in the knowledge that you are, in fact, doing yourself a favour...even if you don't do insanity yoga first.

*Totoro, I will always love you.