With swimsuit season in full force, anyone who harbors desires to visit the beach this summer is trying desperately to get into bikini-ready shape. But being healthy doesn’t mean subjecting ourselves to a weeks-long onslaught of almonds, green juice, and overpriced exercise regimens. Just ask Lorna Jane Clarkson.
The Australian health guru and self-professed active living advocate has built an eponymous retail empire around her get-fit mantra, “Move, Nourish, Believe,” which instructs people to approach every day with some degree of athleticism. “If you make the commitment to move your body every day, nourish from the inside out, and believe anything is possible, living a more positive, fulfilling life is absolutely attainable,” Clarkson told InStyle.com.The fit expert, who counts Charlize Theron, Jessica Alba, and the Kardashians amongst her fans, echoes these sentiments and more in her latest authorial endeavor: Nourish: The Fit Woman’s Cookbook (Bauer Media, $45). The tome features 120 recipes (with adorable illustrations) that span breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and our personal favorite, dessert, proving that the occasional indulgence is critical to our general health and well-being. “For me, a life with chocolate is no life at all,” Clarkson said. “If your nourish yourself with a healthy diet and move your body every day, then choosing to treat yourself now and again with a little bit of dessert is something to be applauded.” You heard it here, ladies—a bit of decadence is A-OK so long as you’re still breaking a sweat.
If you’re on the hunt for a sweet recipe that won’t deplete all the good work you’ve been doing to your bod, give Clarkson’s beloved Choc-Crunch Bananas a try (recipe below). We foresee ourselves eating them all summer long.Choc-Crunch Bananas
Makes: 6
Ingredients:
1/3 cup finely chopped cacao butter
2 tablespoons cacao powder
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
3 medium bananas
1/2 cup finely chopped goji berries
1/2 cup toasted shredded coconut
Directions:
1. Stir cacao butter in a small heatproof bowl set over a small saucepan of simmering water until melted (do not let base of bowl touch the water). Remove from heat; whisk in a sifted cacao powder and maple syrup until smooth.
2. Cut each banana in half; push onto paddle pop sticks. Dip banana into cacao mixture, drain off excess; place on baking-paper-lined tray. Freeze about 5 minutes or until set.
3. Combine berries and coconut. Dip banana into cacao mixture again, drain off excess. Dip in coconut mixture to coat. Place on baking-paper-lined tray. Freeze about 5 minutes or until set.
Want more beach inspiration? Click through our stars in bikinis gallery.
