Meet our Ambassador - Elise Blight

Instagram: @balancebyelise

What is your usual morning routine?

 My morning routine varies throughout the week, depending on if I am working in the office or working from home. Lately, I’ve been mainly working from home, so this is what most mornings look like:

6:00am: Wake up and get changed into my activewear.

6:30am: I always then start my day with some form of movement – at the moment it is either a KX Pilates class, gym session or walk along the coast.

7:30am: Make a nourishing breakfast and sit outside on the balcony in the sun and enjoy it! My current breakfast obsession is scrambled eggs on toast with a protein smoothie, yummy!

8:00am: Shower and get ready for work.

8:30am: Start work.

10:00am: Head out and grab an almond latte to complete my morning routine!

What’s your favourite way to move your body and why?

Reformer Pilates! I just adore Pilates as a form of movement. It is so much fun, no two workouts are ever the same and it always leaves me feeling incredible. I walk away from each and every reformer workout feeling so strong, empowered and just full of energy.

My body has been through a lot in terms of injuries over the past few years and I love that I’ve been able to continue Reformer Pilates through those times of injury to assist with the rehab process and to allow me to continue moving my body. 

What’s your go-to snack?

At the moment I am OBSESSED with my homemade Peanut Butter Cup Energy Bars! I have been making them on repeat for weeks! I always have a batch in the fridge ready for an easy snack throughout the day.

Peanut Butter Cup Energy Bars

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of Natural Peanut Butter
  • 4 tbsp of Honey
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • ½ cup Coconut Flour
  • 1 block (80g) Peak Chocolate

Method

  • Add all the wet ingredients to a bowl and mix until combined
  • Stir in the coconut flour
  • Transfer mixture into a lined slice tin, press down firmly to flatter
  • Pour over the melted chocolate
  • Place into a freezer to set for 1-2 hours before slicing

 

What got you into pilates instructing?

I came across Pilates about five years ago when I was rehabbing a shoulder injury and I instantly fell in love with it. My clinical Pilates classes were the highlight of my week. After I finished rehab, I started doing reformer classes at a local studio and I just couldn’t get enough of it.

From my own practice, I started to really see the power of Pilates in terms of both physical and mental health. Pilates helped me find balance, strength, and confidence in my body that I had never experienced before, and I wanted to help others find this too.

So, I enrolled in a Pilates Instructor course at the end of 2020, completed both my Mat & Reformer certifications and have been teaching in several studios ever since. I love being able to pursue my passion and allow others to experience the transformative power of Pilates!

What is your number one tip for meal prepping?

Meal prep meals that you actually enjoy eating!

Don’t meal prep meals just because you saw some fitness influencer prep that or because it is ‘low calorie’ etc. When you prep meals like this, mealtime is going to roll around and you are more than likely not going to want to eat what you have prepped. Meaning that a meal is going to go to waste, you’ll spend unnecessary money on purchasing a new meal and it most likely won’t be the healthiest choice.

Instead, choose recipes you actually enjoy because you are more likely to eat the meals you prep. When I sit down to plan my meal prep, I think about what foods or ingredients I am loving and craving at the moment. I then select or create recipes that honour this using fresh wholefood ingredients and are full of flavour!

What’s one of your favourite recipes?

So hard to pick just one!

I find myself always going back to my Mango Macadamia & White Chocolate Blondies! And coming into summer soon means Mango season is approaching - so this is going to be a go-to!

Mango Macadamia & White Chocolate Blondies

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ cup Almond Meal
  • ¼ cup Granulated Sweetener (I use Nirvana Health Product Stevia)
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder
  • Pinch of Salt
  • ¼ cup Apple Sauce
  • 2 heaped tbsp Almond Butter
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • The flesh of one Mango
  • Macadamias and Dairy Free White Choc Chips (as many as you’d like)

Method

  • Preheat oven to 180 degrees, fan forced
  • Add all dry ingredients to a bowl and combine
  • Add remaining wet ingredients and mix through
  • Fold in mango, macadamias and white chocolate
  • Pour into a lined square baking pan, top with some extra white chocolate and macadamias
  • Place in the oven for 22-25 minutes (until a skewer comes out clean)
  • Allow to cool on a wired rack before cutting

 

Out of work, what do you like to do best?

I love spending as much time by the ocean as possible. Coastal walks, relaxing beach days, swimming, stand-up paddle boarding (I recently purchased an inflatable stand-up paddle board and it has been the best investment ever!) or bike rides along the coastal track are some of my favourite things.