Top tips for sticking to a healthy diet

Well it is the New Year and I know many of you, myself included will be more focused on your eating habits after enjoying a lovely Christmas feast, (for 4 weeks, ooops).

The key to success is habit and repetition.

If you do something every day for 21 one days, it should stick and become a new habit. There are ways of implementing this new scheme into your daily life and I have some tips and tricks to help.

You could possibly try eating at the same time each day.

In terms of repetition, if you do one thing the same every day, be it eating an apple at 3pm or having one of your three meals at exactly the same every day it will make life easier because you won't over think what to eat and when.

Perfect at least one healthy tea, that way you can eat it once a week safe in the knowledge that you can do it, fast and easily and it will be good for you.

We have a couple of go to's in our house, including omelettes, chicken and rice, stir fry and fish with sweet potato wedges and veg. 

As you can see, all quick, easy and healthy options. Monday is egg night, so we know, every Monday we will be having omelette or some kind of egg variation, like my Mexican eggs  which can also be found on my recipes page.

Keep fruit and nuts in sight or within reach. That way if you feel snacky you can just grab a handful. If you don’t want them, then you know you’re not really hungry you just want to snack. If the snack is there you are more likely to eat it.

Pre prepared yoghurt and blueberry pot

Chorizo and cous cous salad - meal prep

This tip will also stop you buying extra goodies in the shop as know you already have something at your desk so you don’t need to.

And finally, meal prep. We have all heard it all before but it really does make a difference.

It saves you wondering into the shop on lunch time hungry and more likely to make bad decisions. This way the decision is taken away from you and you are likely to eat healthier.

Just dedicate an hour of your time on a Sunday to cook a big batch of soup, or chicken to throw onto a salad, or a quinoa pilaf. 

Chicken and Pearl Barley Soup 

Chicken and Quinoa salad

Cooked shredded chicken

I hope these tips help you get 2017 off to a good start and if you have any others, do let me know!

What'chia Eating? - To Supplement or not to supplement

I have always been a big believer in getting all the nutrients you need from food. And whilst I still stand by this, I am keen to see if certain supplements can help improve my digestion issues and bloating, as well as give me an extra boost of energy.

The supplements which I am trying are: Chlorella, Chia and Acai berries. I know they aren't really supplements and they are generally natural sources of nutrients but they are high up on the "superfood" list and can't be found in your everyday apple. So let's see if the new additions to my diet make a difference.

These are supposed to be the answer to all my digestive problems.

Side note: This is not a cheap experiment so I shopped around before taking the plunge. Holland and Barrett currently have the penny sale on and so I bought the Chlorella and Acai from there at a cost of £16 approx and bought 3 Chia shots for £1 from Tesco to get me started.

So here are the alleged benefit of each.

Chlorella - the one I am most looking forward to trying.

Chlorella balances gut flora by normalising the good bacteria in your gut. It is also a source of Iron,
Vitamins B6 and B12 which stimulates renewal of cells and digestive tissues.
It also helps to detoxify your body by removing alcohol, pesticides, heavy metals and toxins from your system.
I intend on having this daily either in a smoothie or mixed into my yoghurt. Any other suggestions are welcome!



Acia - (I have only recently learned to pronounce this properly and I have tried the berries before).

This berry contains antioxidants Vitamin E and Polyphenols which help your body to deal with free radicals from chemicals in food which may trigger bloating and discomfort.
It is also rich in Omega 3, 6 and 9 Oleic acid which nourishes your body.
I intend on taking these in tablet form each evening.




Chia - I have had these a few times before and I am not particularly keen on chia puddings - the texture isn't my cuppa tea.

However, these little seeds are gentle on the digestive system and are high in omega 3, which provides the essential components that our cell membranes need. Omega 3 helps our body to make new cells which is especially important in the digestive tract where our tissues renew at a faster rate than anywhere else.
Chia seeds are also a great source of soluble fibre thanks to the jellified substance it makes in water. This helps to prolong hydration and ensures everything moves through the digestive system properly.

I will pop these into my morning yoghurt / oats / cereal or in my smoothie.

I will let you  know how I feel with the addition of these in my diet soon! X

Fridge Raiders - what's in my fridge?

I find that by having a few healthy staples in your fridge, that you can rely on being in there every week, makes all the difference in maintaining your healthy eating regime.

About 3/4 of our weekly shop looks the same every week. Berries, yoghurt, eggs, spinach, peppers, mushrooms and lemons are guaranteed.

So let's take a look at what the fridge tends to look like, and please notice, there isn't a supermarket prepared meal in sight.

We always have lots of garlic and lemons in, and often root ginger. We have a slice of lemon in our green tea every morning and we love garlic. Lemon and garlic can be added to most dishes to improve flavour.

We usually have four - five tubs of yoghurt in as this is one food we eat more than anything. We regularly get Fage O% fat Greek Yoghurt and flavour it ourselves but also find Skyr and Rachel's to be just as filling and the lowest sugar options of any other flavoured yoghurts. Rachel's Coconut is my favourite but they didn't have it this week and we also get Skyr unflavoured to be even healthier. The protein content in all three brands is great with a low sugar and fat count.

Cottage cheese has become a regular on our shelves as of late and it is used in salad dressings, flavoured with either lemon, or more often Harissa which is featured in the image below. Again, high protein, low fat therefore making it an excellent and filling edition to a lot of meals.

Having these jars in is a great tip for adding healthy flavour to a variety of meals. The Harissa as mentioned helps enhance dressings or is great rubbed on salmon. The capers add a salty flavour to stews, casseroles or on top of white fish. Sundried tomatoes improve EVERYTHING. I often have them chopped up and mixed in with grains such as pearl barley for extra flavour. Olives are a great source of healthy fats and taste beautiful mixed with tuna and feta (also a weekly staple but not photographed this week) for a delicious spin on a Greek salad. We also often have in pesto and Thai curry paste (both regularly homemade but not always). I don't always use these in the traditional sense eg, pasta and curry. I rub them on meats and fishes to add extra flavour when baking or stir the pesto through a grain salad for an additional light flavouring.

There is always some form of berry, often a rotation of blueberries, raspberries and strawberries, in the fridge. We have them every morning with yoghurt which is then topped with no added sugar Alpen or Museli of choice. Generally, for smoothies we use frozen berries - it is more cost effective and makes the smoothie nice and cold. Carrot batons are great for when you feel snacky. We often find we eat through boredom so these keep our hands and mouths busy, stopping us reaching for biscuits.
We have mushrooms every week as they are our favourite in omelettes, stir fry and my Fajita bowl (recipe coming soon). We eat one or two of these for tea every week as they are fast and easy. Having a couple of staple dishes that you do every week is a great way to keep to a healthy diet - but more on that in a later blog. Beansprouts really bulk up a stir fry as well as other dishes and salads.
We ensure we have a couple of green veggies in each week that often go with a protein and sweet potato dish which is as straightforward as it sounds.

The stir fry packs supermarkets offer are excellent if you are tight on time which we were this evening. Otherwise, it is easy enough to throw together your own. We always have lots of proteins in and fish every week. Salmon is the most popular and chicken is used for teas and lunches.

The salad draw always has spinach, another lettuce variant (often rocket), cucumber, peppers, chillis, tomatoes and spring onions. These all generally make up the base of most salads. Peppers, onion and spinach are also heavily used on evenings for dinners such as omelette and Fajita bowls.

This week we had a bottle of white wine which was kindly gifted to us from a neighbour. We aren't heavy drinkers but do enjoy a glass here and there. Generally, we prefer red but this was a good white. It also flavoured a risotto I made and a paella. I drink dairy alternative milks, I love cows milk and drink that too but find I bloat if I consume too much so I use coconut, almond or more recently cashew milk for my museli so I can afford to have an occasional glass of milk to indulge. Matt however, drinks cows milk and doesn't like my alternatives.

We both suffer with a big sweet tooth (hint's in the blog name), so I often find ways to satisfy it without feeling too guilty. We eat a lot of dark chocolate and find chocolate milks - which are also great post workout recovery drinks - are delicious. As I am also a milkshake fan, this kills two birds, or cravings in this case, with one stone. This Alpro coconut chocolate one is lovely and sweet, my fav at the mo.

I hope this has given you a little insight into how to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Let me know what's in your fridge and we can compare!

Eating pud and feeling good!

Sometimes, chicken and veg just doesn’t cut it. Sometimes, you need something to finish a meal off. And there really is nothing better than a nice warming, hearty, apple crumble.

Now this is my healthified version, but by no means should it be eaten every day. When it comes to desserts, making them healthy all comes down to the ingredients. If you are one of these who hates “new” ingredients and won’t step foot into a health food store look away now. (In this particular recipe there is only one ingredient that requires sourcing from somewhere other than a supermarket. Although, by now I bet the really big ones do stock coconut sugar.)

I chopped up two cooking apples into bite size chunks and put them in a pan with a splash of water, literally a splash, you don’t want over gooey apples. When they were softening slightly I sprinkled over a little bit of coconut sugar and a squeeze of honey. Then I let it all cook and caramelise and get yummy.

It is also worth mentioning at this point that I did extra so that I had this delicious apple mixture as an extra topping for my yoghurt in the morning  - so worth it!

Once this cooked I distributed it into to little ramekins. My top tip here is to serve it in individual ramekins for portion control. By serving it this way, you can’t make too much and then go back for a second serving. :( Yey for waistline nay for taste buds. 

 

While the apple mixture was cooling I combined some oats, with a small amount of butter – this is why it isn’t 100% “clean” – some coconut sugar and lots of cinnamon. I pressed it all together in my fingers until it was just about combined and then sprinkled it evenly over the apple mixture.

Then I just baked it in a 180 degree oven for 20 mins. We were so excited that I totally forgot to get a photo of the finished product but I guess that just gives me an excuse to make it again. :) 

For the full recipe visit my recipes page

Homemade fish tacos - Friday night feast

This is one of my favourite recipes! It is a "taco" so it feels naughty, however, it is anything but. It is also a feast and if you serve it the way I did, it feels more indulgent as you grab at ingredients to stuff your home made tortilla so it's bursting with flavour!

First thing's first, make the tortilla. This is sooo easy I don't know why more people don't do it.
You need 100g of flour - use whatever healthy flour you have, I used a mixture of brown and rye as that's what I had in.

Mix the flour with around 60ml of water. Add it slowly as all flour is different, sometimes it may need more, sometimes a little less. Use your judgement to get a nice firm dough. Let it rest for 10 minutes and make yourself busy.

Now roll the dough out, this makes four for me so split it into quarters. I'm not that good at getting a super thin dough but roll it out as thin as you can and then slap it on a dry non stick pan

Can you see the bubbles?

Caution! Do not leave unattended. These tortillas cook soooo quickly. As soon as it starts to puff up, flip it over. This will only take a minute or two. 

Now clean up the floury mess before the other half comes in a shouts at you for leaving footprints all over the floor *flashbacks*.

Chop up your chosen fish, I would recommend haddock, it is cheap, sustainable and is filled with seven essential vitamins and minerals. Chop up your peppers - by choosing different colours you are getting even more vitamins. I also grilled spring onions whole to give them a sweetness and a char that is delicious. 

Whilst chopping I also diced the chilli, lime and coriander for the dressing. The next step is to cook it all. Just whack it all in one pan to save on washing up! 

While this is all sizzling away, it's time to make the dressing. This time I wanted a nice fresh and light tasting sauce so I took my greek yoghurt and mixed it right in the pot, (this is what real home cooking looks like).

Grate the zest of one lime into the yoghurt, squeeze the juice from half the lime in, chop some chilli and throw it in, as much or as little as you like and then add coriander or other herb of choice. Coriander is my fav!

Once everything is cooked put it on plates for everyone to help themselves like so...

Squeeze over extra lime and voila! Enjoy x

For full recipe details go to my Recipes page

Eat the rainbow!

By now we all know the main principal of healthy eating is to have a good balance of the three macro nutrients, Carbohydrate, Protein and Fat.

But that's not the end of it. It is imperative to get as many vitamins and minerals into your diet as possible to make sure your body performs at its best.

Now, there are many ways you can try and do this but the easiest way to ensure you get plenty, is to eat the rainbow.

Obviously, I don't mean skittles, but if your plate is all one colour, it looks bland and boring. But if your plate is splashed with reds, greens, oranges etc not only does it look more interesting but it provides many more nutrients. Each one can really benefit the other too, for example, eating vitamin C with iron increases absorption so combining a nice lean piece of steak with a red pepper salad is a great way to maximise nutritional intake.

Phytonutrients are what give foods their colour and each colour has its own unique property. For example, orange foods, eg carrots and sweet potato have carotenoids which help with vision (yes granny was right, carrots help you see in the dark) and blue/purple foods like blueberries have anthocyanins which help to keep your heart healthy. Now, I won't go into every single colour but you get the idea.

Every fruit, vegetable and grain has its own unique property offering a whole range of benefits. For the purpose of this blog, let me give you one of my favourite summer salad recipes, with additional nutritional info:

Rainbow Salad

Rocket: Only 25 calories per 100g. Strong delicious taste which stands up to most food. Laced with vits&minerals including: Iron, Calcium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6 and Magnesium.
Cucumber: 16 calories per 100g. High water percentage to help with hydration and feeling full. Source of Vitamins A, C and K, Magnesium, Potassium, Phosphorous and Manganese.
Yellow pepper: 27 calories per 100g. Excellent source of vitamin C. Also, Vitamin A, Calcium, Iron, Niacin, Magnesium, Vitamin B6, Folate, Potassium and Manganese.
Edamame: 122 calories per 100g. Great source of protein at 11g per 100g as well as high in vitamin and mineral content including, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Vitamin K, Iron, Calcium, Magnesium, Folate, Manganese.
Feta: This would be the "fat" in the salad and also acts as a dressing due to it's tangy flavour. 14g of protein per 100g, good source of Calcium, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin B6 and B12 and Riboflavin which helps activate other vitamins.
Tesco Pink Slaw - Red and white cabbage, red onion and carrot. Calories = 38 per half pack (70g).

Enjoy x

The power of Green Tea

Let's talk about GT, no not our favourite poolside tipple, the healthier option - Green Tea. 


It is no secret now that Green Tea is good for you, I am an avid drinker of the beverage and I really genuinely enjoy it.

I find it refreshing and thirst quenching and the knowledge that it is doing my body a bit of good makes me feel even better.

But how many people really know about the advantages of incorporating  Green Tea into your day?

The most commonly known benefit is that it acts as an antioxidant. This is due to a powerful phytochemical in the leaves called EGCG which fights free radicals in the body that can damage healthy cells and cause cancer. It also promotes the death of cancer cells, so while it obviously isn't a treatment for the big C it won't do any harm in helping you fend it off. 

The EGCG also increases the amount of oxygen that your body can use as fuel while you sweat so having a cup before the gym isn't a bad idea. 

Not only is Green Tea calorie free, it contains caffeine which is a known stimulant and another antioxidant called Catechin. Both can help burn fat as they increase the speed of metabolism. 

The caffeine helps to block fatigue-inducing adenosine which will help you work out harder and longer, so when pairing GT with a good workout regime you can say bye bye to belly fat and drink as much as you like without racking up the calorie count.  

A study published in 2013 from the European Journal of Nutrition found that regular green tea drinkers weigh less and have smaller waists, (just in case you wanted some evidence). 

There are other claims which suggest drinking Green Tea regularly can reduce cholesterol, combat cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's disease and while there is no conclusive evidence for any of the claims, it can't hurt to add a couple of cups into your day anyway.

I know Green Tea isn't for everyone so if you can't bare the flavour you could squeeze some fresh lemon into your daily brew. This is something I do every morning and the addition of lemon only adds to the health benefits.

If you have a sweet tooth, squeeze in some honey (moderation please) to help you sup the full cup or alternatively there is a huge variety of flavoured Green Teas to try now, so experiment and find a favourite? 

I cannot sign off without first saying, whatever you do, don't go out and buy those stupid Green Tea pills. They don't work and they are full of extra ingredients and chemicals that your body will not understand. These supplements make people believe that swallowing these tablets daily will be the answer to all their problems. Not only are they expensive but they do not work.

Nothing beats a healthy, balanced diet and active lifestyle. Enjoy having a brew knowing it will AID (being the key word) you in your healthy living journey. But do not ever rely on just one thing to change your life. 

Whey or "no Whey"!

Supplementation when it comes to exercise is a complicated industry.

Protein powders, creatine, BCAAs, what should everyone be taking? (Definitely not the latter - BCAAs are an unnecessary drain on finances.)

Right now I want to focus on protein powders, these come in a variety of forms, whey (the most popular), hemp, pea.... Generally, people who take whey protein get plenty of the macro nutrient from many other products. So is supplementing protein necessary? The answer could be slightly different for vegans and vegetarians who have to get their protein from sources other than meat but for now let's focus on the carnivores.

As someone who does enjoy a protein shake, this is a tough one for me as I know the answer really is no.

Generally, the average person should aim to eat 46g (women) and 56g (men) of protein per day. Unless they are active individuals, then the recommendation is around 1g protein per kg body weight. This changes slightly the more active you are. For example, those who partake in long distance, high intensity cardio exercises could benefit from upping the intake to 1.3-1.6g per kg body weight and body builders or those who take part in heavy weight training sessions should up it again to 1.6-2g per kg body weight. Again this is all speculative and is very dependent on how truly hard you train.

If you go to the gym and don't really break much of a sweat, don't think you need lots of protein just because you have been exercising. It is also worth mentioning here - that most people think that carbohydrates are the enemy, when in fact, they are our main source of energy and it is carbohydrates which should be taken for recovery as they break down faster and replenish the depleted ATP stores in muscles.

On average, most people are getting enough protein, more than enough in fact, of all the macronutrients, protein is usually the only one that isn't insufficient.

To give you a rough idea, 100g of chicken has approximately 27g of protein, so that isn't even a full chicken breast and that is pretty much half of the recommended daily intake for someone of my size (59kg) who exercises regularly.

One egg has 13g of protein which is about one quarter for me. So if you consider what you eat on a day to day basis - chances are, you're okay on the protein front.

Protein options for vegans and vegetarian are plentiful eg: beans (26g/100g) Chickpeas (19g/100g) nuts (6g/28g), however, these are not necessarily foods that are eaten at each meal - in which case, vegetarian and vegan protein shakes could be an excellent substitute.

I don't want to completely disregard protein shakes. For some people, they are a lean and convenient snack both pre and post work out. If combined with milk then the carbohydrates are also included and the protein can slowly get to work repairing muscles while carbs do the immediate work.

Often, when we come home from the gym my partner and I share a shake to give us some energy while we wait for dinner to cook. Our particular brand has 21g protein per 25g scoop. He has probably two thirds and I have a third. Those 7 grams are unlikely to do me any harm, considering I have just finished at the gym. It is also worth noting, that if I know I have had a protein heavy day, then I don't even have a sip.

Protein should be eaten at every meal, as should fat and carbohydrates to support a healthy, balanced diet.

This week's simple smoothie

This is achievable if you manage the amount of protein. Eg, I might want a smoothie for breakfast, adding a scoop of protein powder helps make it more filling and substantial, and generally more tasty.

So what should we do about protein shakes? I don't think we need to chuck away our latest bag, but I also don't think we need to rely on them daily to help with "gains" (MYTH ALERT) or "repairing muscles". Protein shakes can be a convenient snack or food when necessary and if we have a lower protein intake one day. But generally, natural food based sources win every time, in every aspect not just protein, as you get a full round up of fibre, nutrients and other benefits.

A healthy mind makes for a healthy body

About 18 months ago, I wrote a blog raving about a calorie counting app that I swore by.

This blog is actually going to contradict that a little bit as I am going to talk about why I will not use it, or any other cal counting app, anymore.

I absolutely agree with counting calories when you need to lose a significant amount of weight, I mean at least more than half a stone - which at one point, I did and the app helped. But once you're at a healthy weight I believe Kcal counting may be a little unhealthy, and I am talking from first hand experience here.

I inputted my food and drink intake as well as my exercise routine religiously every single day. This worked for me at first as this app in particular (I can't speak about any others) was great at showing me how many calories I was consuming. Not only that but it showed me my macro intake. With this app I could see the balance between carbohydrate intake, fat intake and protein intake and it helped me find a balance.

But, after a year or so, maybe even less, I had taught myself the basics to good nutrition and I had a rough idea of what foods were high in calories, as well as carbs, fat and protein, so I had a good idea of what I was eating and putting into my body.

I firmly believe that once you are at this point you have already achieved success, whether you are looking to lose weight or gain more energy. By then you should be in a habit that will keep fueling you with the right type and amount of food you need without having numbers staring you in the face.

There may come a point when your body needs more than 1,200 calories (based on my needs not everyone else's) because you have more lean mass, and you can up your intake using the right foods without gaining weight.

However, if at this stage you are still calorie counting, chances are you haven't revisited your ideal calorie and macro nutrient intake. This is where the problem lies.

I was feeling hungry a lot, so when I was updating my daily diary I was beginning to see I had gone over my "requirement" according to the app.

This led to a vicious circle of self loathing, punishment through starvation and then binging due to stress and angry feelings.

I was beginning to feel very negative about myself, believing I was greedy and out of control.

In the end I told myself to stop counting the calories because I didn't need to see those numbers every day they just made me feel bad. I knew roughly when to eat and how much to eat. I knew which foods worked for my body, would give me more energy and wouldn't make me pile on the pounds. So I just stuck with that.

More than six months down the line I feel better than ever (and that is including eating over the Christmas period). I eat well, and I eat when I am hungry. I occasionally eat bad food and binge but that is okay, because generally I eat good food and don't feel like i'm starving all the time. I enjoy my food now as I don't have any numbers staring at me and making me feel guilty.

I also believe that the more you think about the food, which you do a lot if you have to constantly update a diary, the more you want food. And often, you want to rebel against the numbers or get an attitude which says I don't care anymore, before reverting back to guilt.

I enjoy what I want when I want. The proof is in the pudding, I do not feel as low in myself anymore, I can look in a mirror and compliment myself, rather than grab a fat roll and tell myself it's because I had 150 calories more than my limit yesterday.

Like I said, calorie counting has its pros and cons. For me the pros were in the beginning and once I hit my healthy weight the cons came into play. If you are at a healthy body weight, then start taking care of your brain's health too. It will all fall into place then.

A trio of top recipes

I realise I have been very sparse with providing my latest recipes on here recently.

So to make up for it, here are three of my favourite from the last couple of weeks - maybe give them a try this bank holiday?

The absolute best in my opinion and one that will become a regular mid week supper is stuffed peppers.

Now who doesn't like a stuffed pepper? But I have to admit, it took me a long time to master the recipe. It sounds easy enough to make but as it is such a simple concept it is important to get the flavour.

I also found a fast way to make the creation.

I hollowed out the peppers and then put the lids back on. I put them in the over in a little tin foil chair so they didn't fall over and just baked at 180 degrees whilst I prepared everything else.

Make up some cous cous and flavour it how you prefer. I had mushroom cous cous. Whilst that is soaking fry off some onion and turkey mince. I added in some oregano. (I think fresh oregano is too strong but I loved the dried stuff and it is a match made in heaven with turkey). Once it was all cooked I mixed the turkey mixture with the cous cous and cooked spinach for added benefits and then stuffed the peppers.

I left them in the oven for a further 10 minutes to make sure everything was cooked through and hot. It also lets the flavours combine. Then serve with salad. Yum!


This next dinner is a rarity as my other half hates courgettes so I take the opportunity when he is away to have this super healthy tea.

Spiralize your courgettes. They can be eaten raw or cooked slightly but I recommend keeping some crunch in them or they become a bit watery.

For a sauce I blended an avocado with half a sachet of creamed coconut. It was a very luxurious and tasty sauce. Just season it to your liking and add some lemon juice. The coconut was a new twist I hadn't done before but I had some left over so I gave it a go and now i'll never look back.

I fried some onions for some lovely texture, added the sauce and courgetti to warm it all through and served with a couple of poached eggs on top. When the luscious yolk runs into the courgetti it is heaven.

My third creation, and one I am currently eating is an adaptation of lots of recipes for protein balls. I see them all the time and wanted to give this type a go. I have made some before but these were easier and so good!

In a blender I whizzed together some peanut butter, unflavoured protein powder, vanilla essence and honey.

Once it all came together in a crumbly consistency I scooped some out and rolled it into a ball. I did this 12 times and let the balls cool.

I then melted some chocolate with some coconut oil and dipped the balls into the choccy mix. One lesson I learnt was to keep the balls separate and in the fridge to set. As you can see from the below image they look a bit messy when they have been stuck together. Lesson learnt!

Once they set they have kept in the fridge for two weeks now (it has killed me trying not to binge on them) and they are a great healthy, on the go snack!

The nobbly bits give off the 'homemade vibe' or so I tell myself

Find all these recipes on my recipe page soon.

Food really is fuel

We have all heard it 100 times before, you need food to fuel your body.

And the food you eat depends on how you use your  body.

It goes without saying healthy eating is a must for all. Filling your body with vital nutrients, vitamins and minerals is the most important thing. But, we all have a treat now and again - you have to!

As someone who really loves cake, sugary cereals and ice cream (to name just a few vices), I have to work hard so I don't give in or I would eat it all day, every day.

But remembering that sugar is the enemy is difficult when that brownie is melting in your mouth.

Which is what happened to me over the weekend. Cooking lunches, dinners, breakfasts, even snacks are not difficult for me. I only cook healthy food with natural ingredients - wherever possible - it is just that cookie that is presented to me that ruins things. But as those kinds of sugary treats hadn't really been on my radar since coming back from holiday and I haven't struggled too much.

I enjoyed feeling energetic and fresh last week living on a hearty and healthy diet. I didn't even feel hungry!

But then I went home to Yorkshire - where the dreaded monster mum lives and it all went down hill.

She had baked brownies, chocolate cake and a strawberry tart. We also had a big family BBQ. I managed to reign it in with the BBQ, eating just a few nice pieces of meat and some salad with only one (homemade) breadcake.

And what a BBQ it was

But then came the strawberry tart with homemade ice cream. (I did ensure it was a small portion but when you're out drinking all night ((a friends wedding do)) the calories rack up no matter what.)

Then the next day I enjoyed two big sticky brownies. Yes I did turn down the chocolate cake but the amount of sugar consumed in everything else made up for it anyway.

Matt and I didn't eat very well that day, skipping meals and eating bread and oil when we finally wanted something to eat at 8pm!

I am ashamed.

But the main point of all of this is, the next day I really felt it. I was sluggish and lethargic - as was Matt and when it came to going to the gym neither of us had it in us to actually train hard. After 20 minutes of slowly trying to push ourselves we gave in.

We were close to burning out and it just isn't worth the exhaustion. So we went home to rest up and I am happy to say we both ate very well, as we will the rest of the week.

Grilled chicken, sweet potato and veg. Mmmm

So, hopefully with properly fueled bodies we can train hard again and get back into the fantastic shape we were a month ago!

Bikini body blast

It's that time of year again. The sun is peaking out giving us a taste for summer and the smell of sun cream is in the air.

Our summer holidays are upon us plaguing our minds while we look down at our winter pouch.

Because, let's face it, even the fittest of us do not keep up with our routines as thoroughly in the cold months. The drizzly mornings make us roll over rather than roll out of bed.

The Christmas chocolate, cheese and biscuits are still sitting heavily in our greedy guts.

But the short shorts are staring back from the dark corner of the wardrobe and we know it isn't long until we will need to whip them on.

So this is the way I ensure I have a good week. I get organised!

Forward planning is the key. It is essential in ensuring you don't get stuck on a night with nothing in to eat and the "goody cupboard" enticing you in.

Now trust me, I'm no saint. The plan below was faltered by the fact that today (Tuesday) we had a working lunch so we had to put on a spread for clients making it inappropriate for me to pop out of the meeting room to get my packed lunch, and also, my boyfriends mum wanted to make us tea.

Obviously, you cannot dictate what someone else cooks for you. So Tuesday was a flop, but it is okay because you cannot let one day ruin the rest.

And in the grand scheme of things - one day is okay.

By planning and putting the time aside to prepare lunches and set your workout routines you can make sure the rest of your week is planned around your health and fitness schedule.

It might sound tiresome to some people but to enthusiasts alike, it makes life complete. And once you get in to the swing of it, you will enjoy it. Particularly when you see the results and feel yourself getting faster and stronger. But the final satisfaction comes when you strut down the beach, in the bikini you dreamed about all last year and couldn't face, with the confidence to match your hot bod!

Prepare! Prepare! Prepare!

Day	Breakfast	Lunch	Snack	Dinner	Workout
Monday	Scrambled egg and watermelon	Feta and avocado salad	Greek Yoghurt and banana	Broccoli and beef stir fry	Run, Chest and Abs
Tuesday	Protein and banana smoothie	Chicken and avocado salad with watermelon	Apple and nuts	Sesame crusted chicken fingers and courgette quinoa	Sprint intervals, and arms (Biceps and Triceps)
Wednesday	Scrambled eggs and watermelon	Courgette quinoa salad with tuna	Protein shake, apple, almonds	Salmon and sweet potato	Morning run, Legs and obliques
Thursday	Monkey nut yoghurt and granola with watermelon	Salad and fruit	Protein shake and nuts	Mexican quinoa	Morning Swim, Shoulders and Abs
Friday	Scrambled eggs	Tuna salad and fruit	Apple and yoghurt	Simply cook box	Back  and cycling

Falling off the bandwagon..... again!

It was a spectacular fall.
Let me give you an example. Yesterday I had two slices of cake, didn't eat tea and went to bed scoffing lots of chocolate.
Woke up this morning, knowing I was going out for dinner and cocktails, had a healthy cereal and scoffed lots more chocolate.

Coming back to monster mums I discovered I still had a tin of Roses left from Christmas - sorry waistline!

 I weighed myself and I am three pounds heavier than I want to be.
To be honest, I just haven't been focusing on food lately. I guess it has been a nice break but it is my birthday next week and I want to look my best for a good night out.
I need to gather all my will power and have a strong week which I know I can if there is no temptation in my way... which I strongly believe there may be, in the form of cake! - Birthday cake!
MODERATION - that is key which needs ingraining in my mind!

What is cake without a brew - what is a brew without cake?

But seriously, if I wanted cake I had it, if I wanted to eat a pack of biscuits I did and so on and so forth. The problem is, I always want this stuff so, as one might imagine, I have been a little greedy porker recently!
On the plus side, I have also been nailing the gym and weights! Not so much cardio, I am working on that! So I truly believe that one of those pounds may be muscle. That's what I am going to continue to tell myself anyway.
I'm terrified I'm falling too far off the bandwagon though so I need to focus. 

Get my head in the game! Happy, healthy eating all!