Food fact Friday

Strawberries: THE ultimate pick-me-up before what's sure to be a hectic day, evening and night at work. Lesigh.

I don't know anyone who doesn't love this fruit. Freshly picked and sourced from Cheddar (just down the road/motorway from me!), my nan bought me these today as a healthy treat - she knows me well!

Not only are strawberries amazingly tasty, they pack in more vitamin C than oranges (8 medium strawbs are the equivalent of 140% of the RDA for vitC), and are also high in folic acid, potassium, antioxidants, flavonoids (for lowering cholesterol), malic acid (helps to remove stains from teeth), and ellagic acid (cancer-fighting substance). The pulp of strawberries can also help to recover from a fever.

Need I say more?!

6-Pack in the Making!

As a huge fan and follower of Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred exercise DVD, and a massive believer in the power of her 3-2-1 theory (she splits each of the 3 sections into 3 mins strength, 2 mins cardio, and 1 min abs for the ultimate workout), I decided to invest in another of her workout DVDs.

This morning I welcomed the arrival of 6 Week Six-Pack on my doorstep. I was pretty much sold by the title alone, but along with the endless amount of positive reviews on Amazon, I knew that Jillian was again worthy of my equivilent to one hour's work! (Give or take a few pence)

Ab-specific exercises are probably the toughest for the body, particularly to start with, as the abs are often considered the weakest muscle of the body. Even more so for us women - we need to work hard to get results, because genetically we are meant to have that niggly protective layer of fat on our belly. It's also easier for us to gain weight in this area - typical, huh?! For this reason, it takes sheer determination to achieve that all-important 6-pack!

And boy does Jillian work you hard! This workout combines strength, resistance and cardio exercises that are consistently targeting your ab muscles. It's a complete mash-up of exercises, meaning that it's constantly engaging and in no way monotonous or repetitive (although the same routine is performed twice, at different speeds).

As with the 30 Day Shred, Jillian is accompanied by two women who are performing the exercises at varied difficulty levels. For this reason, it can be followed by beginners, intermediates and professionals.

I was sweating almost profusely by the end of the 35 minutes; however, I like to feel as if I've reached my absolute MAX point after an ab workout - as in, the feeling when your stomach muscles are dying! Basically, I didn't feel that way after this DVD. I hope level 2 is a bit more of a challenge for that reason (and I'm pretty sure it will be, knowing Michaels!).

Even so, another great workout DVD. Jillian has a real positive energy about her, which leaves you feeling like you've really achieved something brilliant by the end of the workout. This will ultimately make you WANT to play the DVD over and over again, to achieve that ripped look that Jillian is pushing you towards.

Overall, I'd reccomend any of Jillian's DVDs for anyone who likes to work out (practically) for free, in the comfort of their own homes (like myself!). I may well consider another purchase in the near future - Killer Buns and Thighs is on the hit list, for one! Why not check out the whole collection?

Happy, hearty soup for Autumn

A failed attempt at making carrot juice using my food processor inevitably lead to making soup for dinner last night. Considering I've never actually made soup before (!), the results were pretty impressive if I do say so myself! The recipe is extremely easy, so perfect for a complete novice like myself. I'm a newbie when it comes to soup in general, as I've only recently acquired the taste for what I (so abtly) used to label 'liquid food'. I still stray away from the watery kind of soup, so this one is thick and chunky - just the way I like.

Ingredients (serves 3):

Torn shreds of cooked chicken
Lightly mashed carrots (8 medium)
6 Potatoes (I used Elfe) cut into 1cm pieces
3 stocks of chicken (I used OXO cubes)
570ml boiling water (for the stock)
3 tbsp buttermilk (I used Kefir)
Butter/olive oil for the pan
Mixed herbs, salt and pepper to season

Par-boil your potatoes (I boiled for around 15mins). Dissolve your stock into boiling water. Add a bit of butter and/or olive oil to your pan (make it a large one!) and add your potatoes and carrots. Mix regularly. Add your water stock mix to the pan and continue to stir. Add the buttermilk to thicken the soup and add a creamy texture. Add the chicken, stir, and the mixed herbs, salt and pepper to finish. Serve immediately and enjoy!

I tend to limit my intake of potatoes because of their carb-content, but it's a proven fact that 250g of potatoes contain half of your daily vitamin B6, which is essential in lifting mood-enhancing serotonin levels - thus the title of this post! Eating your way towards a good mood sounds like a damn good idea to me!

The recipe serves 3, each portion containing approx 350 calories. I found it an extremely satisfying meal that would be suitable for the many cold Autumn evenings to come. A perfect combo of hearty and healthy (and happy)!

Chewy Banana Cupcakes

If your bananas are looking a tad on the black and bruised side, why not turn them into cupcakes? That's exactly what I did on this fine, rainy Monday morning!

Ingredients:
1 mashed banana
2 tbsp non-fat greek yoghurt
1 tsp peanut butter
2 tsp golden caster sugar
3 tbsp flour
Pinch baking powder
Finely chopped dark chocolate
(I also added dessicant coconut for added sweetness and taste/just because I saw it sat in my kitchen cupboard!)

There's no complex method here; just mash the banana, add all wet ingredients and then sift the flour into the mixture. Preheat the oven to 350C/Gas mark 4. Spoon the mixture one-by-one onto your baking tray (I used muffin cases) - the mixture should make around 10 cupcakes. Add a small piece of dark chocolate into the middle of each blob and cover with a little more of the mixture (adds a surprise factor - always a plus!). Cook for 25mins, leave to cool slightly and then... devour.

The entire batch contains approx 335 calories (so 33.5cals per cookie), and the recipe can be shaken up a bit by whatever means you like (sultanas would probs be a nice addition )!

Monday Motivation

BRB need to go for a run - pronto! Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's body is just too perfect.

Food fact Friday

Just 100g of prawns provide your entire RDA of tryptophan, the amino acid needed to make feel-good serotonin, plus half of your selenium (a mineral that works as an antioxidant). (Source - Women's Health, Autumn 2012)

I tend to eat prawns grilled and topped with vegetable herbs. Prawns are the best kind of healthy fast-food available, and a great source of clean protein. See more prawn recipes here.

Simple as Pie (without the pie)

A lot of people seem to think that there's a massive secret in achieving weight loss and a well-sculpted bod. If a person has lost a significant amount of weight, a lot of people will naturally speculate into the why's and how's of such magnificent results.

This is, of course, an inevitable result of modern day culture. We are constantly exposed to magazines - like More and Heat - highlighting every celebrity under the sun in their bikinis, tagged on the front covers with the all-important caption: 'Diet secrets of [insert name]', or something along those ubiquitous lines. There must be a secret! Afterall, why can't we all have a body like Rosie Huntington Whiteley? It's a complete mystery... [Ahem]

Enough of the dumb talk! Celebrities don't hone their bod's by sitting on the sofa eating McDonalds; they work hard and achieve the results they want to see, because they are presented on a judgemental pedestal to the general public. Okay, so they're likely to have personal trainers and nutritionists so as to not stray from their regimented diet and exercise plans, and we don't necessarily have access to such VIP attention. That's a given.

But let's be honest here: it's not hard to eat right and exercise regularly. However, it is hard to change your habits if your body is already used to an inactive lifestyle combined with the added demons of the edible variety (processed food, sugar, fat etc).

Life is hectic; we deal with it by feeding ourselves with the convenience of fast-food or a little sugary perk-me-up. And there's nothing wrong with the odd little consolence that may come in the form of chips, chocolate, cookies, or whatever other treat wets your bespoke palette.

But the fact of the matter at hand can be explained and broken down to the following: this kind of food may well be fast, but it's not exactly food. Why? Because it is devoid of nutrients, fibre and vitamins - which is basically what food is supposed to provide us with. It's stuffed full with fat, simple carbohydrates and calories, meaning that it will fill you up for an hour or so - but not for much longer.

Lack of nutrients basically equates to hunger, which is why it is a lot harder for us to overeat/binge on 'real' or 'clean' food because it is packed full of nutrients and all the good stuff that your body needs to survive, and which send those all-important 'I AM FULL! [horrah]' signals to the brain.

Portion size is another biggie in the dieting game. Perhaps in compensation for eating healthy food, some of us may allow ourselves to eat more of it - it's healthy, afterall! So why not, I here you cry?! Give me a break!

Our bodies need fuel, and food is our fuel of choice. Our bodies run better when fed little and often. This not only speeds up the metabolism (faster metabolism = faster calorie/fat burning), but it means that we don't feel sluggish as a result of eating (and then regretting) a large portion. Overall, it is absolutely the best method of achieving stable energy levels - all day, every day.

Equally as important as choosing the right diet is to remember to drink water. I say remember because I know how easy it is to simply forget to drink water. If my day is particularly non-stop, it's only when my body sends thirst signals to my brain that I realise that I haven't had a drink all day. It is my number 1 downfall.

We apparently spend most of our lives chronically dehydrated, which firstly makes you hungry when you’re actually thirsty. Not good. Secondly, it causes your body to retain water, thus making you heavier and often bloated (more so after eating, sans-l'eau). Not good at all. So, paradoxically, you must drink water to stop retaining water.

The concluding message? Stop believing that weight loss is a big secret that only celebrities are filled in on. Start eating clean. Train yourself into really enjoying the taste of nutrient-filled food, and naturally you'll steer away from all of the junk you used to crave (give it a fortnight and you won't even want to touch the stuff - trust me!).

Start exercising well. Learn to love the burning sensation and feel your muscles really working like never before; don't be afraid to challenge your body. Don't stop when you're tired, stop when you're done! (a la Cassey Ho!)

Embrace an amazing lifestyle change. Enjoy the energy, strength and vibrancy it will bring. See changes, keep pushing forward; see even more changes.