Nutrition Advice... Keeping fit on holiday!

I am off on holiday this week!

Some of us book a holiday to relax, switch off and unwind leaving all your worries behind.

However how many of us are guilty and binge eating and drinking during this period?

Holidays should not by any means be a time to be strict with yourself after all that would destroy your relaxed mentality but it doesn’t mean you have to completely let yourself go!

So I have conjured up some tips from my own experience to help you along the way…

Keep your goals in mind

Before your holiday in most cases you have dieted to look good, perhaps lost 1-2 pounds a week however on holiday why not try to maintain this which means no weight loss or weight gain. In thinking healthy this is the secret.

Prepare yourself!

If you have a long journey ahead arrange healthy snacks to take in your bag with you this will stop the cravings for bad food when you get too hungry… airports can be filled with fast food joints! Resist!

Snacks keep your hunger at bay so pack a bottle of water, fruit, vegetable sticks, rice cakes or a health bar.

Hotel food!

Your in a new country so make the most of the different types of fruit on offer. Avoid the fattening croissants and Danishes at breakfast.

At dinner why not try the salads of course avoiding fattening cheeses or dressing. Some countries don’t offer low fat varieties however in my experience if you look around you will find skim milk for your hot drinks and cereal and low fat jams, rice cakes and yogurts.

A favourite breakfast of mine was cereal grains with fresh fruit and yogurt. You don’t want to get into bad habits on holiday as it will only make you struggle once your home!

I usually have a good breakfast and skip lunch then have a medium sized evening meal, I find I don’t get hungry in the sun but make sure I drink lots of water.

Think smart...

If your all inclusive its natural that you will want to make the most of the food and drink on offer.

You must remember how hard you worked to get into shape in the first place, I could think of nothing more depressing than to put on weight and not get into your favourite dress to show off your tan.

Look for healthy choices at the bar, try wine instead of creamy cocktails and easy on the bar nuts!

The dreaded appetisers

Bread, fattening dips, all nice but bad for the hips!

They add extra calories to your meal try something like olives that can be found in most good hotels.

They only contain around 12 calories where as bread a huge 170 calories. Vegetable soups are also a good option but again easy on the bread eat wholemeal if available.

Meat Feast!

Make sure if you chose meat to eat lean meats such as turkey or chicken, or even fish with plenty of veggies on the side.

Make the most of the traditional cuisine most hotels have theme nights where they show off their local dishes. Italy have tomato based pasta dishes, and fish in Portugal.

Don’t have to ditch the dessert!

Desserts don’t have to be unhealthy, its always good to ease that sweet craving!

Most hotels have a variety of yummy exotic fruit and maybe to make it more of a treat allow yourself one scoop of ice cream or yogurt. If you fancy something more try sharing it with your partner this means only half the calories! Clever!

You could even make sure you take a long walk after dinner to make you feel a little better!

Its all about being active!

This is a great time to get involved make friends and try new activities, try making a routine and taking a few laps in the pool before sunbathing or to cool off jump in the pool for another few!

Most hotels have activities such as stretching, water polo I love to take part as it also makes your day a bit more exciting than looking at the sky!

10. Have fun!

With all the above basic knowledge to follow you can’t go wrong!

To snack or not to snack?

I hear so many contradicting arguments about snacking. We have all heard this is a good form of weight control, but can snacks add up as extra calories?

I think you need to be careful what it is that you are snacking on.

This snacking craze is now on the increase and more products are being released but not all I agree with.

When we have busier lifestyles we tend to grab snacks more but are we just feeding the snack food industry further?

When snaking becomes bad...

• What people don’t realise is that snacking is to balance out our regular calorie in take not to increase it.

• Snacking can either be a smart addition to a diet plan, eating fresh fruit or carrot sticks for examples, but cereal bars, crackers... they can be building more calories.

• Eating three high calorie meals per day plus snacks will not help you but three low calorie meals with some in-between snacks is perfect.

Snacking can be a benefit...

This is what snacking can do for you:

• To maintain a healthy weight regular eating controls your appetite so your less like to binge eat!

• It aides weight loss, eating smaller meals more frequently will keep your metabolism working all day long, your metabolism is likely to conserve more calories by eating twice a day.

• It satisfies the hunger bug, this is your bodies way of telling you it need nutrients. Skipping meals can make you prone to food cravings and will cause you to over eat or make the wrong meal choices.

• It will make you feel less cranky, when I get hungry like most people I get snappy so missing breakfast or eating a irregular times can throw your energy levels all over the place. Spreading out nutrients will keep you temper at bay.

• Snacking lowers your cholesterol, research shows people who eat little and often five times a day have lower cholesterol levels than a person having two meals a day.

Smart Snacking...

Some quick tips for some daily pick me ups:

Switch from three large meals a day to six smaller meals that contain carbs and protein. I recommend the following:

• Vegetable crudités and low fat cheese spread
• 1 apple
• ½ pitta bread and low fat hummus
• 1 teaspoon of peanut butter and whole wheat crackers
  

Keep single serving foods so you can put them in your gym back or to eat on your way home from work:

• Low fat yogurt (from the fridge)
• Muffins or Crumpets
• Rice cakes
• Instant low fat soup
• Low fat organic cereal bars (not the sugary ones)
  

When you go for a night out have a light starter sized portion like soup or a small salad and you can also have as a single snack.

Snack consciously... Don’t do anything else while eating so you can focus on your food.

If you sweet tooth is beaming then replace this with something in place try these alternatives...

• Small bowl of low-fat frozen yoghurt or ice-cream
• 1/2 bag caramel-flavour rice cakes
• A few squares of Green and Blacks dark chocolate 85% (if you must have chocolate)
• 3 Jaffa cakes
• Dates
• Fruit
  

Remember snacking is only bad when you over snack on the wrong foods. Keep it in moderation and within your balanced diet.

Sushi the natural way...

I like to experiment with different cuisines so here is a traditional adaptation of a Japanese dish... Sushi anyone?

So let’s talk Sushi… you love it or you hate it!

I thought that Sushi would be quite complex to make but I was shocked when I realised how easy and healthy it was.

RECIPE:

Traditional Japanese Nori filled with Sticky warm Sushi Rice lined with tuna fish and sesame seeds

You will need:

2 Sheets of Nori
100g of Sushi Rice
1 can of Tuna
10g of Mayonnaise
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 carrot
1 spring onion

Now if like me it would make you feel squeamish using raw fish simply take a can of Tuna in spring water, add to a tiny bit of light mayonnaise for consistency and this will be your fish base

Take a Sushi mat and lay out a sheet of Nori (seaweed) this is incredibly healthy for you. In Japan they eat Nori daily as it contains 28% protein, more than sunflower seeds, lentils or wheat germ.

It is known as a sea vegetable and is the highest in B1, B2, B3, B6, B12 as well as vitamins A, C and E along with being a great source of calcium, iron, manganese, fluoride, copper and zinc.

1. Cook some Sushi Rice in a pan for 30 minutes, before cooking you should allow the rice to soak the water for around 5 minutes


2. Once cooked apply the rice onto the Nori leaving a gap around the edges



3. Sprinkle over some sesame seeds

4. Then across the centre of the rice trail a line of the tuna mixture along



5. Then add a layer of peppers and celery or vegetable of your choice



6. Then taking the mat slowly and carefully roll the Nori into a cylinder (the sticky rice should seal it)




7. Once you have the tube simply cut into sections you can usually get about 8 pieces of Sushi from a roll



The other benefit in using canned tuna is you can always put the left over’s in the fridge for the next day. It is great with some Soya sauce or sweet chilli dip, as a main or simply a meal accompaniment.



Saki also compliments this dish nicely. You could even be really healthy and finish with some Japanese Green Tea.



Click below to view a detailed Sushi making demonstration!

Cereals...

Following my post on Kelly Holmes backing Kellog’s its seems this has started up a debate amongst my fellow cereal lovers, I have decided to do some research about what a healthy breakfast is and what we should avoid within our first meal of the day.

Sadly many of our branded cereals are highly processed, sugar-laden and full of salt, but how do we know which ones to choose, I make Rob laugh sometimes as I will spend hours down the cereal isles trying to decide what cereal is best to eat!

So finally I have decided to research and list the do’s and don’ts of buying a cereal for you and for your children!

While it’s often said that because of the benefits of eating breakfast and the effect it has on our day, I hate to say even a sugary cereal is preferable to no breakfast at all... BUT please read below and avoid if you can, as more benefits may be gained from switching to a healthier brand.

(It seems to me that the majority of cereals to avoid will contain the name “Kellog’s or Nestle.”)

So basically this includes some of the below in which can have over 40g of sugar per bowl that’s like having a few chocolate bars for breakfast!

The worst cereals you can feed to your kids...

* Quaker Sugar Puffs contained the most sugar, at 49g per 100g
* Kellog's Coco pops
* Nestlé Lion Cereal
* Nestlé Coco Shreddies
* Nestlé Frosted Shreddies
* Kellogg’s Frosties Turbos
* Kellogg's Rice Krispies
* Kellogg's Choco Corn Flakes
* Nestle Nesquick
* Corn flakes
* Nestlé Honey Nut Cheerios
* Kellogg’s Bart Simpson’s Eat My Shorts
* Kellogg's Frosties
* Kellogg’s Frosties Chocolate
* Nestlé Cookie Crisp
* Kellogg's Crispix
* Kellogg's Crunch Nut
* Nestlé Golden Graham
* Kellogg’s Choco Corn Flakes
* Kellogg’s Hunny B’s
* Nestlé Cinnamon Grahams
* Nestlé Honeynut Cheerios
* Kellogg’s Frosties
* Kellogg's Crispix
* Nestlé Golden Nuggets
* Nestlé Cheerios
* Kellogg’s Corn Pops
* Kellogg's Crunch Nut

The better option:

* Weetabix Ready Brek (original)
* Weetabix Ready Brek (chocolate)
* Quaker Sugar Puffs
* Nestlé Coco Shreddies
* Nestlé Frosted Shreddies
* Kellogg’s Coco Pops Crunchers
* Weetabix Weetos

Remember Children often add sugar to their cereal, regardless of how sweet it already is... I remember doing this while I was younger. Lower-sugar cereals are a better choice and hiding the sugar at breakfast time!

It is not just kids that have to be careful with their cereals, although adults cereals don’t have the appeal of cartoon characters, free gifts, bright colours and novel shapes.

Claims about nutritional value are added to entice parents and cereals for ourselves.

Bad for adults (as well as the above)

* Kellogg’s Crispix,
* Kellogg’s Crunchy Nut

Besides any other pros or cons, all these cereals are worth highlighting because they contain a lot of saturated fat:

* Kellogg’s Cornflakes Banana Crunch,
* Kellogg’s Crunchy Nut
* Clusters Milk Chocolate Curls
* Jordans Country Crisp (four nut combo)
* Jordans Country Crisp (real strawberry, whole raspberry)
* Jordans Organic Four Berry Crisp
* Jordans Organic Crunchy Raisins & Coconut
* Quaker Harvest Nut Crunch Collection
* Kellogg’s Crunchy Nut Red
* Nestlé Clusters

Besides any other pros or cons, worth highlighting because of their very high salt content:

* Kellogg’s All-Bran,
* Quaker Oat Krunchies

Best for adults:

* Nestlé Shredded Wheat (and Bitesize)
* Quaker Oatso Simple (original)
* Weetabix and Weetabix Organic
* All types of plain porridge oats
* Nestlé Shredded Wheat, Nestlé Shredded Wheat Bitesize
* Quaker Oatso Simple (original)
* Jordans Luxury Crunchy (golden maple & pecan, red berry & almond)
* Jordans Natural Muesli
* Jordans Organic Muesli
* Jordans Organic Swiss Style Muesli
* Jordans Special Muesli
* Luxury Fruit & Nuts
* Kellogg’s Frosted Wheats
* Kellogg’s Raisin Wheats
* Nestlé Honey Nut Shredded Wheat
* Nestlé Shredded Wheat Fruitful
* Jordans Original Crunchy (raisin & almonds, tropical fruits
* Jordans Nature’s Wholegrain (honey nut, maple & pecan)
* Kellogg’s All-Bran Apricot Bites
* Quaker Oatso Simple (flavouredvarieties)
* Weetabix Alpen (blackberry & apple, no added sugar,nutty crunch, original, strawberry, wheat flakes)
* Weetabix Mini Crunch (banana, chocolate, fruit & nut
* Kellogg’s Crunchy Nut Feast Honey & Nut
* Weetabix Alpen (Caribbean crunch), Jordans Country Crisp (luxury raisins, wildabout berries)
* Jordans Luxury Crunchy (golden honey & nut)

And its not just sugar or fat over 40% of our cereals contain too much salt such as:

* Weetabix Ready Brek (original and chocolate)
* Quaker Sugar Puffs.
* Kellogg’s All-Bran
* Quaker Oat Krunchies
* Nestlé Golden Grahams

These all contain around 1g salt per suggested serving size. This is four times the amount of salt in a 25g bag of roasted salted peanuts. And it makes up one third of what’s recommended!

Most cereals are fortified with vitamins (mainly B1, B2, niacin and folic acid) and minerals, mainly iron. Generally, fortified cereals will have a higher concentration of

those vitamins and minerals than unfortified wholegrain cereals, such as porridge oats and mueslis, but these can be good natural sources of many of the same nutrients as well.

There is always the other option of not having cereal:

Alternative breakfasts:

* A portion of fruit and yogurt
* Wholemeal toast
* Scrambled eggs on wholemeal toast
* Small egg white omelette
* Fruit fajitas
* Crumpets
* Poached eggs
* Boiled egg and wholemeal soldiers
* Low salt and sugar beans on toast
* Mixed fruit salad
* Muesli
* Wholemeal pancakes and fruit

So overall remember its not how they taste or look it’s the fuel cereals give you. Personally I would prefer a bland bowl of Shredded Wheat or porridge oats with some added fruit any day!

Let me know what you have and what you think of these shocking results!?

Can you tell the difference between Quorn and Steak?

If you are a vegetarian it may be nice to know that there are meat substitutes on the market, one that I have been testing lately is "Quorn."


Some people see this as "fake" meat and are totally against it before even giving it a try. The Quorn meals in particular, contain a unique product, such as you would find in pro-biotic yogurts. This is called mycoprotein. It is part of the fungi family, as are mushrooms.

















More advantages are:

• Its high quality protein
• It is naturally low in fat
• It contains very few calories
• It contains essential dietary fibre, which helps the digestive system
• It doesn’t contain any cholesterol
• It is completely meat free

You can find a range of meals, grills, sausages, burgers, Deli slices.

To put Quorn to the test I used Rob as my experiment! Being a big meat eater I told him I was cooking steak... but didnt say what kind of Steak. So I cooked Quorn steaks and served them to him with some noodles and stir fry vegetables.

















Now me being clever I really thought he might not notice... but being a meat lover he took one bite and guessed. So this failed the test of it tasting exactly like meat, but that didnt mean it wasn't tasty!

Personally I think they make a refreshing change from meat and hold a different flavour. I am not always the biggest meat eater as I find it hard to digest sometimes. I have also tried the sausages which are really delicious!

Perhaps you should try it... test somebody you know today! I am interested to hear your views on Quorn so let me know!

Innocent Smoothies GOOD VS BAD!

Now here’s something shocking I heard the other day!

Smoothies are bad for you?

I thought that smoothies were meant to be good for you?

Are they not low in fat, packed with vitamins and full of fruity goodness! It is said that in Britain we spend over £100 million pounds on Smoothies a year now, although just lately it has been in the news that experts are calling a warning that they are also full of sugar, calories and acid. Most people think that a Smoothie is the equivalent to eating a whole piece of fruit but this is incorrect.

I was watching the F Word the other day and Janet Street Porter produced a report on how bad Smoothies were for you, in which she demonstrated with a fake BIG bottom! The gigantic arse weighed a huge 13 pounds, which is what the average person could put on if they drank an extra smoothie a day for a whole year! Now to me that’s quite scary although if we ate anything with sugars in wouldn’t this be the case. Now I have always been in two minds about Smoothies so this sparked my interest!

She was encouraging people to swap their Smoothies for a good old fashion apple. She actually compared Smoothies to fizzy drinks and chocolate which shockingly had less calories, my argument is again fizzy drinks contain added sugar and fat, where as Smoothies are natural sugars.

So how are smoothies bad again?

As Smoothies are juiced they lose the fibre from the skins, the juice therefore contains more sugar and is more acidic to the body and to your teeth. The worst part of a smoothie is that whole milk, full fat cream and yogurt elements that are added to a smoothie in some cases.

Of course ‘Innocent Smoothies’ where not happy with Janets statement and came back with “Smoothies are made from nothing but 100%”fruit”, on their innocent drinks blog I also like how they describe Ramsey as ”knocking up a vegetable curry.”



Now personally I am a big fan of Ramsey and I think he has a point here, however not sure if it had been blown out of proportion by Janet as the argument had a few floors.

There is a big debate going on and I see both sides to the story.

Advantages of a smoothie

One of your five a day fruit portions
Healthier than fizzy drinks or junk food
Natural Sugar is better for you
Easy and quick to consume

Disadvantages

Too much sugar
Stripped nutrients
Expensive
Lots of Calories
Acid values are high

I suggest if you like Smoothies then make your own! You know what goes in it and you can do it in a way that keeps all the goodness in. Instead of juicing, use a blender this allows the nutritious skins to be kept in the Smoothies, use ice and limit the yogurt to low fat or fat free versions or as Janet says grab an apple instead!

What do you think about it I would love for you to leave your comments... vote Janet? Or Vote Smoothie?

How to eat more protein snacks!

If carbs are not your thing it can be hard to snack on low-carb food.

So I have done some research and found a great list of snacks for the low carb eaters to dine on!

Try these yummy low carb alternatives.

Egg yourself up...

Keep a stock of hard boiled eggs in the fridge for a handy snacl you can mash these up with spring onions, mayo and chilli powder.

The green stuff...

Guacamole is great – add a few chopped avocados, to some chopped red onion, coriander, garlic and some lime juice and mash up! High in fibre low in carbs and great served with vegetable crudités.

Nuts about nuts!

They are rich in fibre and protein making a great low carb snack. Try a serving of almonds (30g) coconut or hazelnuts or try brazil or macadamias which have half the carbs of these. Go natural.

Eat more meat...

Meat contains high levels of protein this includes, white meat, red meat and fish.

Cheeseilious...

Pick and Mix cheese are great for on the go snacks. High in protein and help heal a hungry tummy! Go half fat and choose the lighter options or one of my favourites cream cheese and celery!

Italiano Mezze...

The deli counter offers a great range! Olives, pine nuts, mozzarella balls, Parma ham, peppers all great for protein!

Lettuce rolls...

Adding meats rolled into this such as turkey will totally satisfy your cravings and you can add a dollop of cream cheese!

All of these should satisfy your hunger cravings and give you lots of extra energy!

Teriyaki Salmon with ginger rice...

Japanese is said to be one of the healthiest foods cuisines we can eat as a lot of the ingredients are very natural. I love to cook this Japanese as well as eat it because you can really get creative. So here is my take on a health Japanese dish converted to my own recipe.

RECIPE: Teriyaki Salmon served with ginger and sesame seeded rice with sweet corn.

You will need…

2 Salmon fillets
2 portions of brown rice
Powdered Ginger
Sesame seeds
1 can of sweet corn
2 tablespoons Dark Soya Sauce
1 teaspoon of Sesame oil
Chili flakes

To make...

1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees and insert salmon fillets to cook for half an hour

2. Cook brown rice in a saucepan for 20 minutes

3. Add ginger and sesame seeds

4. Heat the sweet corn

To make the Teriyaki Sauce...




1. In another saucepan heat the sesame oil, soya sauce and chili flakes together... YES... it's that simple!

To serve...

1. Pile the brown rice in ramekins and turn onto a plate for presentation

2. Add a few drops of the Teriyaki sauce across the plate

3. Place the salmon fillets on the plate



4. Add the sweet corn and pour the remaining sauce over the salmon

5. You can finish with some “blue dragon” sweet chili sauce.

This meal is simple but packed full of rich saucy flavours, due to the carbohydrates in the rice it keeps you full for a long time, you get the protein and vitamins from the fish as well as Omega 3 plus a veg portion from the sweet corn.

You could also serve this with more authentic sugar snap peas which is common in Japan or another vegetable of your choice. It is a good one to cook when you are entertaining as it looks impressive – is yummy – and doesn’t take all night to cook so you can spend time with your guests!

Eating Out...

When eating out there is more to be achieved than just passing on the bread basket!... There is the art of mastering your portion sizes, avoiding fatty foods and especially desserts. Make sure you choose restaurants with healthy alternatives, you can check up on the restaurants websites before hand to see what they have to offer!

So your on a healthy eating regime… you eat sensibly including low fat foods and exercise three to four times a week. You look and feel like a million dollars but now you come face to face with eating out… whilst a few treats will not kill you it is still important sometimes for your own sanity to help .

If your friends order the Mega Burger or the BBQ rib special with fries and the extras and temptation creeps in remember the 1,500 calories that will accompany it! After throwing caution to the wind even once, it's easy to talk yourself into doing it again and again.

We all want to enjoy an evening out at a nice restaurant every once in a while, and there's no need for this occasion to be fraught with guilt. I have some tips that will help you enjoy a nice evening out and help you keep calories and fat in check!

1. Avoid "All You Can Eat."

Usually, you end up eating all you can and then some.

2. Vegetarian does not necessarily mean low-fat

A lot of vegetarian restaurants serve dishes that are soaking in oil. They may boast that they use olive oil exclusively, but remember, all culinary oils contain 14 grams of fat per tablespoon.

3. Stick to what you know

Sticking with a few favourite restaurants is a good way to get to know the chef, the servers and the way the food is prepared. It's also a good way for them to familiarize themselves with your special requests (and don't be shy about asking for special orders - remember, you're the one who's paying).

4. Don't starve yourself

In anticipation of a restaurant visit. It's much easier to stay in control if you've been eating sensibly throughout the day.

5. Try to order first

So you won't be tempted or swayed by what everyone else is having.

6. Always ask how dishes are prepared

Are they baked? Are they broiled? Are they prepared with butter or oil? Ask what's in the sauce; ask what's in the soup; ask what's in the dressing. Servers are becoming accustomed to fielding these types of questions, so don't worry about pestering them.

7. Always ask for butter, gravy, sauces and salad dressings on the side

This permits you to control how much fat you eat. If it makes you feel better, lie to the server and say you have an allergy or that your doctor put you on a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet. A little white lie is better than a big fat one.

8. Fill up on rolls and salad, but always skip the butter

Freshly baked dinner rolls are great on their own and even better for dunking in soups and sauces.

9. Learn to ask for milk instead of cream

A measly one-ounce container of half and half cream has approximately four grams of fat. How many cups of coffee do you have per day? A simple switch from cream to one percent or skim milk could mean substantial fat savings.

10. Ask for salsa or dill with a baked potato instead of sour cream and butter.


11. Order clear soups, broths or tomato-based soups instead of chowders or creamy soups (they most likely contain cream).


12. If none of the entrees seem appropriate, consider ordering two appetizers. Steer clear of anything breaded or fried.

13. A doggy bag is your waistline's best friend and an effective way to sidestep the ol' "paying for it so I'd better eat it" booby trap. Don't be shy about asking for one when you're served a plate of food that rivals the Matterhorn in height.

14. If you absolutely can't resist Double Fudge Kahlua Cheesecake, at least split the dessert with your dinner pal and let her eat the lion's share. People usually order dessert out of habit, but often a few bites are enough to satisfy even the sweetest sweet tooth. Besides, you wouldn't want to wear Decadent Donut Delight long after the flavour has worn away. (Cappuccino with sweetener is a pretty rich-tasting alternative for dessert.)

15. Enjoy your meal!

Home Cooking Portion Guidelines

When you prepare your meals at home here are some recommendations to help you keep a healthy and balanced lifestyle. I have done some reseach into what is recommended and following that traditional pyrimid of food groups here are my findings.

1 serving of low fat milk and low fat dairy products!

This could be...

1 glass of skimmed milk
A small pot of low fat plain yoghurt or fromage frais.
A slither of cheese
1 tablespoon of low fat soft cheese.



You should have at least 2 portions of fruit and veg!

1 beef tomato
7 baby tomatoes
3 spoons of cooked vegetables
Bowl of salad
2 tablespoons of baked beans or canned beans.


Try and have 1 helping of carbs which could be grains, potato, rice or pasta!

2 potatoes
2 spoons of boiled brown rice
Wholemeal sandwich
3 heaped tablespoons of cooked pasta.

1 dose of meat, fish or protein source!

2 slices of cooked lean beef, pork, or lamb
3 slices chicken or turkey (without the skin)
1 slice of lean ham
1 small can of mackerel, sardines, tuna in spring water
1 medium fillet of plain white fish such as cod
1 small fillet of mackerel, salmon or trout
1 small can of baked beans
1 handful of nuts
4 tablespoons of cooked peas or lentils
4 spoons of cooked soya, quorn or tofu
2 eggs.

Believe it or not... 1 portion of "healthy" fat!

1 teaspoon of butter or margarine
1 teaspoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon of mayonnaise
1 teaspoon of double cream
2 teaspoons on salad cream/reduced fat mayonnaise or dressing
1 teaspoon of peanut butter
2 teaspoons of low fat spread
2 teaspoons of single or sour cream, or half-fat crème fraiche

TIPS:

*Buy low-fat versions of ready meals if you prefer these.
*Always check labels and try and buy food items with less than 3g of fat per 100g of food product.
*Go for the healthier options
*Get as much fruit and veg as you can!

In following these you will not over pack your plate, listen to your eyes over your stomach or consume too much for your body to handle!

My top tips for a less lazy summer!

Summertime is here and we have all heard of the phrase “the lazy days of summer” However this doesn’t apply to those of us trying to “shape up for the summer!” I find summer time extremely busy with work, social events and we all want to be out enjoying the sunshine… so I hear you cry… what do we do?

Here are a few tips…

Schedule in daily exercise into your summer routine, staying in shape does take some forward planning, keep it like you would keep an appointment or meeting, you must have a least half an hour to schedule this in per day. I get up early before work to do so in the morning or just after work in the evening.

Don’t leave the house without bringing healthy foods for snacking, pack your bag with some oatcakes, rice cakes or health bars… apples are great too! This means you don’t stop at the nearest fast food restaurant and if you do eat out… eat fresh and natural low fat foods or sandwiches!

If you feel like your having a bad week then simply cut back on higher calorie foods, you are in control. Eat more fruit and vegetables instead of carbs or up your protein intake as this is low fat and will keep you full for longer. Also step up your exercise a notch! Fewer calories with more being burned should help you becoming balanced again.

Take advantage of the summer season and buy the fruit and vegetables that’s in season. Strawberries are wonderful – they are healthy and eliminate your sweet cravings!

Invent your summer to be a three month luxury trip with indulgent smoothies for breakfast and switch to berries and skimmed milk! Maybe take up swimming what a better way to cool down in the summer or take up a sport such as tennis! I love tennis on a sunny day!

Choose your most upbeat music to play, when the sun is shinning and your favourite tunes playing it can completely change your mood.

Join a fitness class… not only can you get fit but you can make some great friends to socialise with!Make sure you drink the recommended 2 litres of water a day… this will help hunger and prevent dehydration.

Dress sexy… it is summer after all and after this you should have an amazing body to show, it will help your confidence and leave you feeling great! Don’t forget a few important accessories those all important shades and a big smile! Your confidence will encourage your state of mind and now only will you look fit but feel fit too.
If you are planning a summer holiday then make sure there is access to a fitness suite, swimming pool or do what I do and run around the block in the blazing sun three times (the locals will think you are mad mind you!)

Stay positive... remind yourself daily what you are working for in most cases it isn’t about being slim at all but having the confidence to love yourself and feel at your best. So look good and feel great! Follow my tips and let me know how you get on!

Get fit watching TV!

Could this be a breakthrough? Can you really get fit while watching TV?

Well quite simply yes you can and here is how… watching TV doesn’t mean you have to kiss your great figure goodbye! First of all you need to think about this sensibly.

STEP 1

Ditch the junk food, come on you didn’t think this was going to be easy did you? Then after you have done so get rid of the coach potato look… its not attractive! Get rid of the remote control getting up to change the channel will in fact burn calories! You know… if you sign up for every Sky channel package you could be getting up 139 times a night, that’s 417 calories and the equivalent to a four-mile run.. Wow!

STEP 2

Laughing is said to be the best medicine so laugh laugh laugh until your heart is content! Even laughing burns off calories! It works the facial muscles and stomach muscles increasing breathing and oxygenating the blood. A belly laugh is internal jogging… by laughing 100 to 200 times per day is the equivalent of rowing for 10 minutes. So whack on your favourite comedy show for fifteen minutes and burn up to 40 calories, so watching one series over a weekend could burn an extra 1536!

STEP 3

Spicy food can help you loose weight? That’s not possible surely! Well its said by eating spicy food (enough to make you sweat) also sheads calories much like a Sauna would. A red chilli boosts are bloods temperature therefore burning more energy! Ginger has the same effect, while black pepper and mixed spice boost metabolism.

STEP 4

Get a six-pack! No silly… not from the fridge! We are talking abs here… you can get so many great ab tonning machines or sit up presses that you can watch TV while you work out! Your mind is stimulated… less chance of getting bored… and you don’t miss your favourite shows!

STEP 5

Drop the booze.. by turning wine into water you cut the calories that alcohol creates as well as hydrating your body! It also helps the metabolism!

STEP 6

Have a good old cuppa tea! Green tea in particular has specific fat-fighting qualities, researchers claim that substances found in green tea such as catechins have similar qualities to the ginger and mixed herbs, helping stimulate the body and burn calories.

So how great is that! Who would have thought you could do all this while watching your favourite episodes!

Tips on how to make a healthy sandwich!

 
1. Easy on the Mayo

Some full fat Mayonnaise brands can be heavy on the waistline however when using sauces I use extra light mayo or light salad cream. Even a light spreading of healthy hummus can be tasty!

2. Use brown bread

Brown bread is much healthier than white bread so choose a brand with wholegrain and seeds

3. Cancel the butter

It contains lots of saturated fat, a light spread could replace this or if you cant go without butter use something like Flora light

4. Use lots of salad

Its the best way to get your five a day!

5. Make it protein heavy

Use lots of meat, fish and eggs, protein makes you feel full and satisfied for longer

6. Cut out the extras

If you have the main filling do you really need cheese? This is how many sandwiches become fattening!

7. Serve without crisps

Replace your dirty crisps with some healthy carrot sticks or salad on the side

8. Herb-tastic

Adding some herbs can add wonderful flavours to your sandwich

Post workout recovery foods…

Often after you exercise you don’t feel too hungry but that’s not to say that your body doesn’t need food. It needs this to restore itself and build new muscle. Usually I will always do a workout before eating for two reasons…

1. If you eat before you feel sluggish and bloated before exercise
2. For the reason that your body benefits from restocking its energy after exercise.

Experts say you should consume your recovery foods within the first ½ hour of exercise.

You should eat...

Easy, digestible carbohydrates such as:

*Peanut butter sandwich on brown bread
*Bowl of cereal
*Cereal bars

Then after…

*Yogurt
*Fruit Smoothies
*Milk
*Nuts

Apparently adding protein to a starchy base offer quality low fat carbs.

This will not only help improve your restoration but also keeps you healthy and in good spirits!

Coffee... A Pre-Workout Drink?

A recent study carried out a test in exploring the effect of coffee and caffeine before exercise.

A group of nine men took part in five trials... one hour before each run, the men took one of the following:

• A placebo
  
• Caffeine capsules
• De-caffeinated coffee with caffeine added
• Regular coffee

Performance times were up to 10 times longer in subjects using the caffeine capsules, with no differences in times among the other trials.


Since the level of caffeine absorption was similar during the caffeine trials, researchers concluded that the coffee itself interferes with caffeine’s performance-enhancing effects.


This makes sense considering that there are literally hundreds of compounds dissolved when coffee beans are roasted, ground and extracted. Results of this research suggest that if benefits of caffeine on endurance times are desired, caffeine capsules work better than coffee


Before you make Starbucks part of your pre-workout warm-up in order to harness the effects of caffeine, be aware that simply downing a grande may not give you similar benefits found in these studies.

Six tips on how to drink more water...

1. Always have cold water ready to drink – make it easy for yourself… we keep a Britta Filter in our fridge ready for whenever we feel thirsty!

2. Get fun containers you can transport water in. The larger the container is the longer it will last!

3. Change your routines… start your day by having a glass of water, order water with a meal or replace coffee with it!

4. Drink a glass before you eat this helps to make you feel trimmer as sometimes our hunger is mistaken by dehydration.

5. Add flavour to your water if you don’t like the taste, jazz it up!

6. Make it fun, decorate your water with ice, straws and cool glasses to drink from.. jazz this with lemon, lime make it a treat!

How to Shop Wisely on a Low-Fat Diet

With the credit crunch at large and food prices eating at your hard earned cash, how can we shop for low fat and nutritious foods on a budget?

To be honest it just isn’t sensible for people to spend £10 on a piece of fish or £25 on fresh vegetables. So before we stock up on cheap nasty pre-packed meals lets see what we can do on a budget with some healthy low fat food!

Firstly you need to consider the following:

Meal planning
Sticking to a shopping list
Keeping an eye out for special offers
Shopping by yourself if possible
Not setting out with an empty stomach.

How to Begin:

Decide ahead of time what you plan to eat for the week, this way you shouldn’t go over your budget!

Make a list of the ingredients. Check which ones you have on hand, and which ones you'll need to buy. I'll often throw a package of something in my trolley only to find I had three or four them hidden at the back of my cupboard!

Buy tin and frozen foods as these will last longer than fresh produce.

While evaluating your needs, check the use-by date of your products already purchased. Don't take risks with meat, but unopened dairy products are usually good for up to a week after their sell-by date. However, if something smells bad or tastes bad, toss it! Organize your cupboards and refrigerator so that perishable foods with the shortest sell-by dates are closest to the front. This will help reduce amount of food you throw out each week.

Check to see whether any of the items you need are on sale or have special offers, through coupons, or discounts offered to store-card holders. Check inserts, flyers, online grocery coupons, even junk mail envelopes for potential savings. Don't cut coupons for items you wouldn't normally buy. Put the coupons you want to use in your purse.

Omit less-healthy treats and snacks from your list, such as packaged cookies, cakes and chips. Many packaged baked goods still contain hydrogenated oils, or are being replaced with saturated fats such as palm oil or coconut oil. If you really want cookies and cakes, it's actually cheaper to make your own; plus, you'll have control over the amount of fat and sugar you use. Try my Cake Bake recipes!

When planning your meals for the week, consider going meatless for at least two evenings, substituting either fish or beans for meat. You'll save both fat calories and dollars.

Above all its all about pre-planning and thinking ahead!

Foods can relieve stress...

Some people reduce their stress by over eating, some people such as myself reduce stress by under eating to gain control within their lives again, we all have our own ways of dealing with stress, be it drinking, treating yourself, shopping all can come down to psychological issues.

We should really be helping stress issues by replacing them with healthy ones instead of unhealthy ones! When feeling stressed it is advised that we should not involve food. Foods act like a stimulate, such as caffeine, which can trigger off stress. Drinking green tea helps, as they are rich in bioflavonoids that help in combating stress and depression!

Food and drink like coffee, tea or chocolate should be eaten in limited amounts. Stress can disrupt our blood sugar levels which is why we should avoid food that will disrupt our sugar levels. So we should be eating whole natural foods containing fibre which stabilizes our blood sugar levels. This in turn help prevents stress. Dark green leafy vegetables, are great for stress reduction high with sources of B-complex vitamins and whole grains for this same reason.
The times we eat our meals are also important, one of the most important guidelines is:

• If you are going to do something very physical eat more
• Eat less when your are not going to be doing much physically afterwards
• Eating too much before you go to bed could interfere with your sleep making you in turn more stressed.

This is avoiding nutritional stress, like if you skip lunch then exercise you are likely to crash later on!

A bad habit I have been known to do in the past but the fact is you need the calories to burn and give you energy!

Basically its common sense and about having a diet that will stabilize your stress levels!

Olives...

Olives are one of my favourite foods especially as a starter in a restaurant or on a hot summers day! Great Tapas food! You can do so much with them and get so many varieties! So I have researched these wondrous tree fruits and would like to share the information with you!

Where do they come from?

Olives are grown on trees and are usually harvested in September, however they are available all year round much to our benefit! There is a special process that an Olive has to undertake for us to reap their true benefits, they have a unique bitterness to them which vary depending on the type of Olive tree an Olive stems from… this could be the region they are grown, the colour, desired taste or texture.

This creates the difference between green and black Olives. Green Olives are picked early before they are rip whereas black Olives are left to ripen hence turning black in colour. The colour can also be affected by the liquid the Olive is stored in for example some are placed in Brine, oil, water or salt. Some green Olives are also exposed to air which in doing so the Oxidation ripens them to a black colour! I prefer the black Olives when I snack on these delicious fruits however the green ones are great in Martini’s!

Different varieties include Moroccan oil-cured, Kalamata, Nicoise, Picholine and Manzanilla. They vary in size, flavour, texture and you can get Olives pitted or un-pitted as they naturally come with a stone.

They are one of the oldest known foods and it is said they have originated from Crete several thousand years ago! Thank goodness they spread as they are one of my favourite foods!

Why are Olives so good for you?

Olives contain heaps of nutrients that benefit our health… they have a very good source of monounsaturated fat and a good source of vitamin E, iron and copper and also fibre.

A good source of Vitamin E…

As they are high in monounsaturated fats they are very high in vitamin E, it is important to have some in our cells as it helps the membranes around our cells DNA. Vitamin E directly neutralizes all the fat-rich areas of the body.

Protection from Heart Disease…

The nutrients in olives help to prevent heart disease.

Support Gastrointestinal Health…

A higher in take of vitamin E and the monounsaturated fats is associated with lower rates of colon cancer.

Beneficial Anti-Inflammatory Effects…

The anti-inflammatory actions of the monounsaturated fats, vitamin E and polyphenols in olives may also help reduce the severity of conditions such as asthma. They also help women who are going through the menopause as they help hot flushes!

How to pick the right Olive for you?

Most commonly in our country we buy Olives in jars or containers, you can make from Olives a tapenade which is a spread you can use also as a dip, or topping for certain fish dishes! Great with cod! See my version of tapenade!

To serve you could create an anti-pasti dish… these can be accompanied by vegetable crudités, hummus or artichokes or roasted peppers! Great for sharing parties and creating the ultimate tapas!

Good summer finger food.. or if you don’t like getting your hands dirty use cocktail sticks! You can also get some beautiful Olive sets with pickers which look very classy indeed!

Champagne... cheers to your health!

Red wine… good for our hearts...

White wine… good for our lungs...

All wine… good for our lips!

In conducting some online research it has been recently discovered that Champagne may also be good for our brains! Apparently Champagne as a source of brain protection… This beautiful sparkling wine may help protect the injuries related to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s or Strokes.

Champagne has a high presence of polyphenols which are chemical substances made from plants. They also act as antioxidants, which can help cells avoid death, destruction, and other nasty things like cancer.

These findings have now lead to further investigations of Champagne’s health benefits and human lifespan, specifically aging. In the past,

This spirit with a sparkling personality, we usually celebrate our good health with a glass of champagne, is know as the glass of “bubbly” so lets raise a glass today to those scientists who provide another happy drink for us to celebrate our health!

I must admit when I’m celebrating I do like the odd drop of Champs to celebrate, especially a special occasion! I love the flavours, the fizz and the class of holding the flute, and now I know it benefits my health with my birthday around the corner the Champagne will be flowing! See my tips on how to drink alcohol in a healthy way!

Lets toast the Dom Perignons, the Moet, and the Louis Roederers of the world!