Limits and Paleo Cinnamon Rolls

Yay! I just signed in for a CrossFit WOD, tomorrow night. I finally have some energy to do sports again, how I missed that! My recovery seems to be speeding up this week; last week I could hardly climb some stairs, now it's an easy job. Last week I intended to clean my home but I wasn't able to do more than change the bed sheets (after which I had to sit down), today I cleaned the whole place and changed the sheets. And I still have lots of energy left!
Moreover, my enthusiasm has returned over the last couple of days. (meaning I am now more fun to be around with..)

There only lies 1 problem: it's easy to go over my limits. Even though I have a lot of energy now and feel well, my limits aren't where they once used to be yet and they're vulnerable. How do I know? From experience. I've been feeling  well so often before, after which I took on too much work and had to recover for a while again. I think many people will recognize this, even after recovering from a flu or injury.

That's why I'm using a new strategy now: I'll wait until my energy levels are sufficient and will slowly build from there. I'll give my body a chance to adapt, instead of wreaking havoc on it again. There's only one way to do this, and that's by listening to your body. Everyone's limits are different and every body shows different signals when going over them. Some people are in pain when they're pushing their limits too much, some get a cold all of a sudden and for me it's fatigue that sets in to let me know I've gone too far.

Limits are everywhere: mental and physical. Your body responds to stress in all its forms, that's why you can be physically tired from trying to make a deadline all day while all you've done is sit behind a desk. And you can get trouble concentrating the day after a really tough workout. They all influence each other.

The body is a complicated 'machine' and all we can do is listen to it and try to accomodate to those signals by eating well, relaxation, exercise, etc.

This morning I made this recipe as a 'dessert after breakfast' (or mid-morning snack). Before going paleo I used to love Danish pastries, they were my favourites at breakfast buffets in hotels. These cinnamon rolls brought back that memory and I loved it! I got the idea for this recipe from these Cinnamon Rolls, from What Runs Lori. I adapted the recipe a little and baked them in a different way. The good thing about these is that you can easily make them for one.

Cinnamon Rolls (serves 1)

Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp coconut flour (+1 tsp extra when your dough is too sticky)
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp coconut milk (or water)
- 2 tsp honey
- raisins (or other dried fruits)

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius.
2. Mix coconut flour, baking powder and cinnamon in a bowl.
3. Add vanilla, egg, coconut milk and honey and stir well until there aren't any lumps anymore. Let the dough sit for a few minutes to allow the coconut flour to absorb the liquids.
4. Put a 15cm wide strip of parchment paper on a flat surface and scoop the dough on top.
5. Shape the dough in a rectangle of approx. 7x20cm, using the back of a spoon.
6. Divide the dried fruits over the dough.
7. Use the parchment paper to turn the dough into a roll, starting on the narrow side.
8. Cut the roll in half, using a sharp knife and place them on top of the parchment paper, cut side down.
9. Transfer the rolls and parchment paper to a baking tray and bake until golden, approx. 25 minutes.
10. Allow to cool and enjoy!