POST WORKOUT YUMMY-NESS!!

Peanut Power Balls (Thank you "Best Health Magazine" for this nutrient rich recipe)

-see below for why each ingredient is a postive addition to your diet!!-
PERFECT TO MAKE ON A HOT DAY.. ONLY REQUIRES APPROX 3 MINUTES OF STOVE TIME AND ABSOLUTELY NO OVEN TIME!!!

Instead of a taking store-bought energy bars in your bag to the gym or on your next hike, try these homemade peanut power balls. They taste great, transport beautifully without crumbling and are a lot less expensive when you make them yourself.

2 cups (500 mL) granola
1/3 cup (75 mL) chopped peanuts
1/4 cup (50 mL) each dried cranberries and raisins
1/4 cup (50 mL) wheat germ or ground flaxseed
2 tbsp (30 mL) each pumpkin seeds and shredded coconut
1/2 cup (125 mL) honey
1/2 cup (125 mL) peanut butter

In a large bowl, stir granola with peanuts, cranberries, raisins, wheat germ, pumpkin seeds and coconut. In a small saucepan bring honey to boil. Boil vigorously for approximately 30 seconds then whisk in peanut butter. Add to granola mixture and stir to combine.
While mixture is warm, firmly form into 1-1/2-inch (3.5 cm) balls. Refrigerate until firm. Store in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.  Twist balls in waxed paper for perfect portability.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 3 minutes
Refrigeration time: 30 minutes
Makes 20
Per serving: 144.1 calories, 3.9 g protein, 19.7 g carbohydrates, 2 g dietary fibre, 51.7 mg sodium, 6.6 g total fat
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=81

HEALTH BENEFITS OF EACH INGREDIENT:

GRANOLA:  Whether you like your granola in a bowl with milk or on top of your favorite yogurt, you’re doing your body a favor by adding this cereal to your daily diet. Granola is full of heart healthy whole grains such as oats, wheat and whole wheat flour that can help to lower cholesterol. The whole grains in granola are also a good source of soluble and insoluble fiber, which help to keep your intestines in proper working order and also keep your body feeling fuller for longer periods of time. 
PEANUTS AND PEANUT BUTTER:: (TAKEN FROM WHOLEFOODS.COM) Peanuts are a very good source of monounsaturated fats, the type of fat that is emphasized in the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet. Studies of diets with a special emphasis on peanuts have shown that this little legume is a big ally for a healthy heart. In one such randomized, double-blind, cross-over study involving 22 subjects, a high monounsaturated diet that emphasized peanuts and peanut butter decreased cardiovascular disease risk by an estimated 21% compared to the average American diet.
CRANBERRIES AND RAISINS:Dried fruits generally contains more fiber than the same-sized serving of their fresh counterparts. Fiber helps keep your digestive system running smoothly. Dried apricots, for example, contain 6. 5 g per cup, while fresh apricots contain just 3.1 g. A cup of raisins contains 5.4 g of fiber versus just 1.4 g for seedless grapes.  Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/231523-health-benefits-of-dried-fruit/#ixzz23Gir5NLU   
GROUND FLAXSEED: (AGAIN FROM WHOLEFOODS.COM)  The first unique feature of flax is its high omega-3 fatty acid content. Among all 129 World's Healthiest Foods, flaxseeds comes out number one as a source of omega-3s! The primary omega-3 fatty acid found in flaxseeds is alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA. The ALA in flaxseed has found to be stable for at least 3 hours of cooking at oven temperatures (approximately 300F/150C), which makes it available after ground flaxseeds have been added to baked goods like muffins or breads.

The second unique feature of flaxseed is its lignans. Lignans are fiber-like compounds, but in addition to their fiber-like benefits, they also provide antioxidant protection due to their structure as polyphenols. The unique structure of lignans gives them a further health-supportive role to play, however, in the form of phytoestrogens. Along with isoflavones, lignans are one of the few naturally occurring compounds in food that function as weak or moderate estrogens when consumed by humans. Among all foods commonly eaten by humans, researchers rank flaxseeds as the number one source of lignans. Sesame seeds come in second, but contain only one-seventh of the total lignans as flaxseeds. To give a few further examples, sunflower seeds contain about 1/350th as many lignans, and cashews nuts contain about 1/475th as many lignans as flaxseeds.         

PUMPKIN SEEDS:  Too much for me to type up, please click on this link!!     http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=82#healthbenefits            

SHREDDED COCONUT:       Unsweetened shredded coconut is the dried meat of the nut of the Cocos nucifera, or coconut palm. Naturally sweet and crunchy, coconut is eaten frequently throughout Pacific communities and is a common ingredient in muffins, trail mixes and ambrosia fruit salads elsewhere. High in fiber, minerals, and potentially beneficial medium-chain fatty acids, unsweetened shredded coconut contains many good health benefits  Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/487458-does-unsweetened-shredded-coconut-have-any-good-health-benefits/#ixzz23Gjur5Bn      

HONEY:   In addition to its reputation as Nature's nutritive sweetener, research also indicates that honey's unique composition makes it useful as an antimicrobial agent and antioxidant. http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=96#healthbenefits