Run Stop Shop

Just popping in quickly to share with everyone one of my new favorite online websites,  Run Stop Shop

This site has quickly become my number one go-to for all fitness wear apparel and has been super handy on my busy days when I cant make it to the shops in time and need to purchase something(and lets face it, all I ever buy these days is gym wear stuff , I basically live in the stuff Lol!) . The website is easy to navigate, the quality of items are high, the prices are reasonable plus there are always discounts on and the postage is quick!

Just a few of my most recent and favorite purchases!

If you need new gym tights, a sports crop, bag, sports watch, heart rate monitor, runners or basically ANYTHING fitness related then Run Stop Shop will no doubt be able to help you out!

Love love love my sparkly new gym bag!

The site contains both female and male items so you are bound to find something for yourself, partner or friend. Have a looksie for yourself and see what i'm talking about... no doubt you will find something you love at a great price!
  

Wearing my Running Bare tights

Although the prices are already discounted and very affordable, they have been generous enough to allow all those affiliated with me a further 10% off their online order! Yahoo!!  Use the voucher code JESSICASTEVENS10 to claim your discount at the checkout page.

Enjoy shopping ladies ! ;) 
Jess x

Green Super Smoothie!

Fruit and vegetable smoothies would have be one of my  favorite summer time creations to make at home. It's literally as easy as putting your favorite combinations of fruits, vegetables and whatever else you want into a blender and blend away until it becomes a smooth goodness!

Recently I made this one particular smoothie which I would have to say has become my new favorite. When making smoothies I don't really measure the quantities, I just try and create some sort of tasty magic from what I put in the blender. 

Smoothies(and juices if you have a juicer) are also a great way to incorporate vegetables into your diet if you are struggling with your daily vegetable intake. Spinach and Kale are two stable vegetables which I am currently trying to  include in as many of my meals as possible throughout the day. Banana's are a great way to give the smoothie that 'creamy' texture without needing to add any dairy.

Green Super Smoothie in a German Stein(why not?)

My Favorite Green Super Smoothie(Pictured Above Recipe:

Handful of Kale, 

Handful of Spinach

1 Frozen Banana

Handful of Mango chunks

A few Strawberries

About 1/2 cup of  Coconut Water, 

1 Vanilla Protein Powder Scoop

Dash of Ground Cinnamon 

Ice Cubes

Put all ingredients into a blender and blend away! Add more coconut water if you are struggling to get the right consistency. 

Enjoy! :-)



What are some of your favorite smoothie combinations? I would love to hear them in the comment box below!

My Homemade Raw Choc Hazelnut Cheesecake

This Christmas I wanted to bring one of my healthier home made treats to the Christmas lunch to share with my family.  I decided to go with a  raw Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake with Coconut Ice-Cream & Fresh Strawberries and let me tell you now that it was honestly the most delicious cake I have ever tasted in my life. 

This was actually the first time I have even attempted to make a raw cake at home so i was little worried about the turn out. All ingredients were purchased from Flannerys Organic Supermarket and it was super easy to follow once you have all the stuff(and a food processor) This dairy-free, raw cake will be a hit for any ones tastes buds and will not leave anyone unsatisfied.. trust me!

Delicious Goodness!

Recipe:

Crust:

1 cup hazelnut meal 
¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons raw cacao powder 
3 Tablespoons agave syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch pink salt

Filing:

 2 cups raw cashews, soaked
¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons hazelnut butter
½ cup coconut oil
½ cup agave syrup
½ cup cacao powder
½ cup water
½ teaspoon pink salt 

Choc Frosting:

⅓ cup coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
¼ cup agave syrup
¼ cup cacao powder
½ large avocado

1)Crust: Blend all ingredients together in a food processor . Press the crust into the bottom of desired pan, about ¼ inch thick. 

2)Filing: In a food processor mix together cashews, agave syrup, water and salt. Mix until smooth. Add cacao powder, hazelnut butter and coconut oil to the cashew mixture and blend them all together, scraping down again, until mixture is combined. 

3)Spoon the filling on top of the crust. Stick the cheesecake in the freezer until solid all the way through.

4)Once frozen, remove the cheesecake from the pan. 

5)Place the cake  in the refrigerator. Make the chocolate frosting by combining all ingredients in food processes and blend. 

Spread frosting over cake and sprinkle with crushed macadamia nuts
Serve with CoYo Natural Coconut Icecream  & Fresh Strawberries.

Enjoy!!

Co-Yo Coconut Ice-cream 
Organic, Dairy Free, Vegan, Coconut Milk Ice Cream Alternative

For those who aren't familiar with this amazing little heaven in a tub called Co-Yo, you MUST grab a tub next time you are in a health food shop. Absolutely perfect for any sweet  craving without the added sugar And did I mention it tastes amazing??

Please comment below with your feedback on the cake once you have made it! Would love to hear if you loved it as much as I did!!

Inspired from : Vegan Baking

Make 2014 Your Best Year Yet!

Be the fittest, healthiest & happiest you have ever been !

One of the most common New Years Resolutions made each and every year is to get fit, healthy and lose weight. Sound familiar..? I want you to ask yourself, how many times in your life has a health related goal been your New Years Resolution? Chances are, at least once and more than likely you have again revisited that same goal  later on in the year as well. How important was this goal to you at the time? Most people when asked this question will answer saying that its extremely important and that they are willing to do anything to achieve it. They are well aware of the damage that their current lifestyle is doing to their health and have made the conscious decision to finally do something about it. If you are like many, and I mean many, you did not achieve these goals which were so important to you at one point. 

Now I want you to ask yourself, what stopped you in the past from achieving this goal? Honestly though, what happened? What could have possibly came up that got in the way of you achieving something that was so important to you. Lack of motivation? Money? Time? All of these 'excuses' seem to be justified in our heads at the time but looking back now, did you really try everything possible to make your goal happen or did you simply give up because it was too hard? Well let me tell you now that in order to change, you must challenge yourself.  Success is what happens when you get out of your comfort zone. Don't make this year the same as every other year, its time to make your goal a reality! Stop making the same old excuses that you make every year because you know what.. your going to get the same result.

I know that sometimes it's hard to find the initial motivation to go to the gym and for most, this can the hardest step and a major challenge. As human beings we are creatures of habit and love the routine that we put have in place for ourselves(even if its bad for a health). We love to feel comfortable and rarely want to break away from our comfort zone. This is why we just keep on doing what we are doing but unfortunately this is why you will keep on getting the same results you have always gotten. Stepping out of your comfort zone and breaking the habits that are stopping you achieving your goals takes will power and determination. You need to want to make it happen, once you decide that your health is important to you, time shouldn't be an issue . We always find time for what is important to us!

Stop saying to yourself that you should get healthy and start telling yourself that you will get healthy! Small changes in your mind-set like this will give you that extra determination and motivation that will help you put your plans into action.  Once you decide that is important to you, you can and will make it happen! Just like a smoker trying to give up should tell themselves that they that are a non-smoker, not that are are a smoker trying to give up smoking. Picture the result that you want in your mind and create it. 

Strength, weight loss and good health doesn't magically over night (as much as we all wish!)  You need to live a healthy lifestyle that will in return give you more energy, clearer skin, better mood, reduced body fat, increased strength, a faster metabolism, that tight toned summer body plus many more health benefits.  Learn to love your body by moving daily and nourishing it with the food that will allow it to be best that it possibly can be. It won't be easy but it will definitely be worth it! Believe in yourself and know that you can achieve anything that you put your mind to! You can do anything you put your mind to!

If you have made the decision to make 2014 your healthiest and happiest year yet, I would absolutely love to hear from you! I love being able to share my passion for health and fitness with those around me and would love nothing more then to hear from you to! Email me at jess@jessicastevens.com.au and share with me your 2014 resolutions, goals ans aspirations so we can inspire eachother to be the best that we can be!

Jessica Stevens Fitness Facebook Page

I have decided to create a Facebook business page for Jessica Stevens Fitness to help engage with my clients and connect with them through social media. I would really love it  if you would head over to my page and LIKE it to show your support.

 I will be posting fitness and diet tips, personal training specials, body transformations plus MUCH more. This page will be the number one place to go to to stay up to date with me and my fitness journey.

Head over to  Jessica Stevens Fitness  right now to see what I have been up to! :-)

Jessica Stevens -  Lorna Jane Fashion Parade 2013

If you have any inquiries on personal training, diet or nutrition please email me at jess@jessicastevens.com.au  , I would love to help you reach your fitness goals!

Jess xx

Personal Training

I am so  excited to announce that I am now Personal Training out of Snap Fitness Parkwood . This brand gym has EVERYTHING you could want and need in a gym! We not only have your standard gym floor BUT we also have a Functional Training room fully equipped for those who like to step up their routine with Cross-Fit, Boxing and MUCH more! 

Specializing in :
- Fat Loss
- Lean Muscle Gain
- Advanced Nutrition
- Women's Health & Nutrition
- Natural Health
- Lifestyle Coaching
- Group Training

Jessica Stevens -  Photo by Charlie Suriano

Qualifications:
- Certificate 3 & 4 in Fitness
- Advanced Nutrition Level 1 & 2
- Zuu Level 1 Trainer
- Ankorr Level 1 Trainer
- Stroops Functional Performance Certificate
- Boxing for Fitness Certificate


For all personal training inquiries please email me at jess@jessicastevens.com.au . I would absolutely love to help you reach your fitness goals!

Follow my personal training Facebook page here: Jessica Stevens Fitness

International Kickboxer Full Page Feature

Okay okay okay !! So I have just found out that one of my photos from my shoot with Charlie Suriano has been SOLD and already PUBLISHED in this months edition of International Kickboxer Magazine. I have been named the "International Kickboxer" girl of the month(which is funny because I know absolutely nothing about fight sports haha whoops!).

I went into the news-agency yesterday to check it out and was so excited when I opened up the magazine to see a full page of ME!!... And my booty.. hahaha my booty is definitely making a splash lately (must be all those squats paying off..?) Anyway, when I was in the news-agents I could also see the 2014 Wet N Wild Calender on the shelves too(Im the October girl). The calendar was my first major publication and now I have TWO publications in the stores at the same time . A you can tell Im just a little excited about all of this. I just want to thank Charlie Suriano for making all of this happen. I could not have achieved either of these publications without him! Below is a copy of the publication for you all to see but please go do check out the real deal in your local newsagents (if you are in Australia). If you do manage to get yourself a copy, I would love for you to email me a picture of you holding up the article to jess@jessicatstevens.com.au and I will feature you on my Twitter account @jessicastevens :-)
Thank you for checking in to my blog, I hope you have an absolutely wonderful day !

Jess xx

Jessica Stevens - Full Page Feature in International Kickboxer Nov/Dec Edition 2013

Think Positive. Be happy!

I truly believe that positive thinking can truly change your life. You can be healthier and happier then you have ever been just by changing your outlook on life and shifting your mindset.  Below I have included some quick tips to stay motivated along with some of my favorite affirmations.

1.    Don’t focus on what you are ‘missing out’ on like chocolate, ice cream, soft drinks, burgers etc. Instead, focus on what you are gaining by eating healthy and nutritious food. Not only does healthy food taste incredible but you are also nourishing your body with the fuel it needs. In return, you will have more energy, clearer skin, better health and an overall better quality of life! 

2.    Recognize your progress. Every little bit of progress is still progress should be proud of! You may not realise and acknowledge it but once you start living a healthy & active lifestyle, each day that passes you are fitter then the day before and enhancing the quality of your future! Consistency is key when it comes to reaching your fitness goals.

3.    You have a choice each and every day, you can choose to push negative thoughts  away. Just because something ‘bad’ happens in the morning, it doesn't mean that the whole day is bad. Accept it and move on. Every day can and should be amazing! Make it amazing... 

4 Visualize yourself accomplishing your goals: Research shows that when you believe you can do something, you are more likely to do it! Write it down, tell your friends, post it on Facebook  write a letter to a friend telling them about your goals and aspirations. Make a vision board and put pictures of your goals on it. All of these tools will help you stay accountable and assist in you reaching your goals.

6.    Aim to be  the best version of yourself! When you love, nourish and support yourself properly,  you allow yourself to blossom and be the person that you are meant to be.

7.    Create a vision board: Write your goals down, print inspiring quotes and pictures and stick them on your Vision Board. This way, every day you will see your goals in front of you and there will be nothing stopping you from reaching them. This is something that I have done recently and I LOVE that I can see my goals every day when I am at home. Even right now, my board is next to my computer reminding and inspiring me what I want to achieve. 

8.    Surround yourself with positive people. A positive support network is so important when you're trying to reach your goals. You need to surround yourself with people who support you and lift you up on a daily basis. Surround yourself with those who see the greatness within you! Research has shown that  “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.'” . If you want to be active,  healthy, and happy it's very hard to do so if you surround yourself with others who are always negative, unhappy and unhealthy. Essentially, these people will bring you down and stop you achieving your goals. On the other hand , if you are be around people who inspire you and believe in you then you will reach your goals and be the person that you want to be.

9.    Spend 15 minutes every day in prayer, meditation or silence. Why? To mitigate the stress hormone Cortisol , which is a hormone that stores stomach fat. Spend this time deep breathing and really focus on relaxing your body and in return reducing your cortisol and stress levels.

10. Positive people have been proven to be healthier, happier and more successful! Having a positive outlook enables you to cope better with stressful situations, which reduces the harmful health effects of stress on your body. 

11. How you think is everything! You change your world by how you perceive it. If you focus on all the things that are not working and negative, then that is how your overall perception of the world will be. If you focus on what is going right , what you love, what makes you happy your quality and perception of life is guaranteed to be positive!

12. Find what you love and do it daily. What you love to do, is a sign of what you are meant to do. You can only express the very best parts of yourself when you are living in accordance with what you really want to be doing.

13. Believe in yourself! In order to become the best version of your, you have to believe that you can and will be.  “Dream, Believe, Achieve!” is one of my favorite quotes(Love it so much I have I white board on my fridge with it written on it reminding me every day that if i put my mind to something I can and will achieve it.)

14. Wake up in the morning with the thought that something wonderful is about to happen. If you wake up every morning and think a positive thought, research has shown that you are guaranteed to be happier throughout the whole entire day! Have an Attitude of Gratitude.. !!

15. If you don't like the situation you're in, change it. You are in control of your own life, thoughts, feelings and emotions. Sometimes this is something that we need to be reminded of. Asses your situation and remember that you are in control of what you do.

16. Do more of what makes you happy and less of what makes you un-happy.