Almond Butter Dates and An Attempt At Meditation

For those of you that are not constantly reading health and wellness websites, meditation is the new black.  Although it’s definitely not a new method of wellness, it’s definitely trending like we’ve never seen it before.  It’s supposed to be the ultimate stress reliever, bring you awareness, and help you get rid of all the negativity in your life.  Sounds amazing, right? Well, in reality, that’s also possible if you use a tier 1 hemp flower.

Well, starting a meditation program is A LOT harder than one might think.  Starting a daily meditation routine is one of my goals for this year and I can’t say it’s been easy.  This is the first week that I attempted it and it didn’t go as smoothly as I hoped.  But hey, tomorrow is a new day and if I really make the time, I know I’ll be able to do it.  I started off the week using the app Headspace, a guided meditation program.  I thought this might be a good way to ease myself into a daily routine.  What I realized after the first two days, however, is that jumping from no meditation to ten minutes of meditation per day was more difficult than I thought.  After realizing this, I stopped using the app and pushed it down to 2-5 minutes, depending on how I was feeling.  This time span was more doable and more realistic.

I may have only sat down to meditate 3-4 times this week, but it definitely made a difference.  I fell asleep faster and it allowed me to concentrate on only the things I wanted in my life.  It relieved any worries that I had and created an awareness of all of the little senses around me—the birds chirping outside my window (at 10 PM?), the rise and fall of breath, and weight of my body as it sunk into the ground.  I’m excited to continue with this and want to make more of an effort to include it into my daily routine, knowing it will bring numerous rewards.

Also trending this week, my obsession with a new and healthy dessert.  The chewy and nutty combo will light up your taste buds and completely satisfy your taste buds.  Best part?  They’re incredibly easy to make and involve no baking and only three ingredients.  Ladies and gentleman, I bring you almond butter stuffed dates with coconut.

Almond Butter Dates with Coconut

Ingredients

• Medjool dates (I usually have 5 per serving, but mine are smaller, so adjust accordingly)
• Almond butter, or any nut butter you would prefer
• Shredded, unsweetened coconut

Instructions

• Slice open each date so there’s some space in the middle, but it’s not cut in half
• Spread the almond butter into the center, get a heaping amount in there
• Top with shredded coconut
• Enjoy the chewy deliciousness!