Amy Lee – AMYLEEACTIVE – Day On a Plate
Today’s ‘Day on a Plate’ comes from Amy Lee, the health + fitness guru behind the blog AMYLEEACTIVE. Amy Lee’s runs a rockin’ health and wellness blog that focuses on nutrition, training….and especially, desserts! She creates delicious recipes that are secretly healthy, with all the #ACTIVEBENEFITS of being sugar-free, high in protein and full of superfoods. Amy’s goal is to help others make their cake – and eat it too! Although only a few months old, Amy has been Australian Women’s Health ‘Social Star of The Month’ and no wonder why, she’s a total rockstar!
6am: I wake up to a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar diluted in warm water to kickstart my body’s digestion and detoxification – sometimes I add a dash of lemon juice or ginger for an extra antioxidant hit. I’ll quickly breeze over emails, the news and Instagram before changing into gym gear (which I always have laid out the night before, this helps motivate me) to get a 45 minute weight training session in. I run to the gym and back which is only 10 minutes away, as a warmup and cooldown.
7:15am: I run back home and whip up a big, satisfying bowl of rolled oats soaked in greek yogurt overnight, activated pecans (my favourite nut), fresh fruit and a sprinkle of organic cinnamon, to bring out the sweetness of the fruit and also for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties which help fight infections and repair tissue damage. I usually shoot #ACTIVEBENEFITS dessert recipes in the morning for about an hour before work, to share on AMYLEEACTIVE later in the day.
8:00am: After shooting desserts, I usually create a savoury recipe to shoot and then bring to work – always involving a lean protein, a variety of colourful veggies and some low GI carbohydrates if it’s a training day. I cook it, shoot it, shower while I wait for it to cool down, then pack it away and bring it to work!
8:45am: I get to work and I fix myself a green tea latte with vanilla almond milk and stevia, which improves my concentration levels and memory, perfect for ploughing through my busy mornings of emails and meetings. I also fill up a 2 litre bottle of filtered water to sip on throughout the day.
10:00am: Snack time = healthy treat time! I usually have healthy baked treats handy in the freezer which I just pop into the microwave. Right now my go to are these mini vegan Matcha & Chia seed pancakes, which freeze great and are so yummy. Fresh seasonal fruit is also my favourite and gets me through until lunch.
12:30pm: Lunchtime! Once a week I go out for a cheat meal for the #ACTIVEAPPETITE section of my blog, where I feature up and coming cafes/restaurants and show how I balance my active (and at times, hectic!) lifestyle. It’s a great way to have a break from all the healthy home-cooking I do aswell as schedule some catchups with friends, too!
3:00pm: I head downstairs to collect my packages that I receive from brands I collaborate with – usually there’s some treats such as protein balls or raw chocolates to cure the 3pm munchies! If not, I treat myself to a little bit of homemade chocolate, which I totally believe in having everyday. My healthified Bounty (made with protein and matcha powder) and Tim Tams (made with almonds and sweet potato) are the bomb!
3:15pm: I also take this time to plan upcoming recipes, food/fitness shoots and blog posts for AMYLEEACTIVE, either on some fun health events I’ve been attending or the latest high intensity workout I’m loving, whilst conversing to various brands and PR companies about recipe creations, product reviews and events.
5:30pm: Dinnertime – time to enjoy the fruits of my hard work! I eat dinner pretty early as I get hungry and prefer not eat late. At the moment, I’m loving my Sugar-free Sweet & Sour Chicken with steamed veggies and teff, my new favourite superfoods grain! SO delicious!
6:30pm: I enjoy some decaf tea (usually ginger and lemon) whilst answering the last few emails then leave the office to walk the Tan running track with a friend – simultaneously exercising, socializing, and being in nature. I’m basically the multitasking queen!
7:45pm: I head home for a stretch and to enjoy the healthy dessert I’ve shot this morning. As I always Snapchat behind-the-scenes of my food photoshoots I do, my friends often take this as an invitation to come over for dessert and tea. My popularity levels seem to escalate on photoshoot days….haha! Nothing makes me happier than the smile on people’s faces eating dessert that’s secretly good for you. (SnapChat username: @AMYLEEACTIVE)
8:45pm: My friends leave with a full tummy, and I do a final scan of social media, emails and finish off that blog post.
9:30pm: My bedtime ritual involves turning my phone off, and reading a book or a business magazine instead of staring into a screen. I think it’s important to switch off technology before bed, especially when you work with it all day, as this allows the brain to release sleep-inducing hormones to have a better quality sleep, and since I’ve trained today, essential for my body to repair itself. I’m relaxed and recharged, ready to wake up and conquer the plan I’ve created to fulfill this week!