@SweatNSass

Today’s post workout lunch… 

…was actually leftovers from yesterday’s pre workout lunch, but that’s the wonderful thing about meal prep. 

I started out by preheating the oven and wrapping the sweet potato in tin foil. This stayed in the oven on 180’C for about an hour. After about 20minutes of cooking, I rinsed 1 part quinoa, mung beans and adzuki beans before adding them to a pot with 5 parts boiled water. Bringing these to the boil for 10 minutes, I allowed to simmer until all of the water had been absorbed. While that was simmering, I diced the broccoli and added it to a strainer so that it could steam on top of the top of quinoa and beans. Once all of that was done, I put everything in a bowl, including the kidney beans and cannellini beans that I already had to hand. Tossed it all together with some fresh mint, a squeeze of lemon juice and drizzle of balsamic vinegar. 

You can purchase mackerel that has already been steamed, but to do this myself I place the filet in a foil ‘pocket’, seal the edges and place in the oven to cook in it’s own juices. 

When the baked potato is ready (soft all the way through), I topped with the fish and mixed bean salad & served. 

Packed with protein, omegas, minerals, b-vits and fibre. It’s a recipe I’ll use again and again. Next time I might add some dried cranberries, blueberries and avocado for an extra superfood boost. 

Summer Holiday Countdown | Three Weeks to Go! 

In three weeks I’ll be on route to Cape Verde for 11 nights in the sun, by the pool and soaking up that Portuguese/Caribbean/African atmosphere. But I’d be lying if I said I am excited to strut my stuff on the beach.. I’m needing some fine tuning. 

I’ve never been a subscriber to the magazine covers at this time of the year that demand we follow a short term ‘solution’ that promises you’ll get “flat abs quick!” or over promotes another fad diet for that ‘bikini body’. I don’t believe there is such thing as long term results from anything you find on the glossy pages that run alongside the fictional celebrity stories. 

What I do believe in is modifying your routine and tweaking your nutritional intake to sculpt and vary your results. I believe in pushing that little bit harder for a new PB and incorporating functional exercises to support your existing goals.. and if these successes result in making you feel even more awesome then that is going to be beneficial for your overall wellbeing. 

I’ve had a crazy rollercoaster year so far. From driving all around the country and changing careers, to hosting my family from all over the world under one roof and getting married. It has been an emotionally, physically and mentally exhausting time and I’m ready for a fresh start. (Yes, another one).

But what I have really found out lately is that it doesn’t matter what is going on around you, if you don’t have everything right from the inside then you’re always going to be unbalanced. So with the right mindset and preparation, I’m ready to take on my 3 weeks of pre-holiday challenge; 

3 Weeks To Go:

For the next seven days, I commit to do the following;

• Run daily, local route.
• 3x Morning Yoga routines
• 2x Legs & Core days including functional exercises to support my running, squats, single leg bridge, multi directional lunges, leg raises, windmills, plank with rotation, and reverse crunches.
• 2x Arms, Shoulder & Back days including bicep curls, tricep dips, push ups, back extension, shoulder press, lateral raises, tricep extension, seated and bent over row.
• 2x Swim
• Always finishing off the gym session with a sauna and ice shower. 

Of course, this is just the next 7 days. I’m going to be sharing success and motivation right here leading all the way up to departure. 

Keep an eye out for my recipes too! 

The 2 Minute Dinner |  Tuna and Cannellini Beans on Fresh Spinach and Cucumber, a squeeze of lemon, a drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar and a thimble of parmesan cheese

I get so frustrated when people say they don’t have time to prepare a healthy meal, or they choose convenience foods over simple fresh foods. My dinner tonight is evidence that you don’t have to try that hard to come up with something delicious, nutritious and satisfying. I didn’t even have to plan ahead. 

Following my gym session tonight, I came home to that ‘dinner for one’ scenario (we all know that one, and I’ll bet some of you might have even used it as an excuse for cheating on your meal plan). 

Craving something to fuel my body post workout, I stuck my head in the cupboard, grabbed a can of Tuna (in spring water, drained) and a can of cannellini beans (drained and rinsed with water). Added the two of these together with a splash of balsamic vinegar. Then I remembered I had some spinach leaves and cucumber in the fridge from my weekend salads and BAM! Put it all in my salad bowl and grabbed my knife and fork. Done. 

Feeling a little indulgent, I grated a thumb size piece of parmesan cheese over the top for a little savoury flavour and also a squeeze of fresh lemon for a fresh and zesty taste. 

And what’s best - this made enough for two servings! So half goes into a tupperware container for tomorrow’s lunch! Now that’s some good meal prep right there!

Time to prepare: 2 minutes
Time to enjoy: as long as you like 

Happy Monday! | New Week, New Challenges!

I love a challenge. Especially a challenge that gets us eating better and taking photos of our food and sharing it across social media. I’m definitely a ‘foodie’ and I love sharing recipes, so I’ll be joining the community on Instagram for the Lorna Jane Clean Eating Challenge! #LJCleanEating 

6am: Breakfast

Porridge is the breakfast of champions. The only thing missing? Some blueberries, raspberries, honey and yogurt. 

Currently Loving | Punchfork.Com

Have I been hiding under a rock? Clearly I’ve been under a rock for too long (a rock of weights training and fitness, mind you), but I’ve only just come across this site that I am absolutely enthralled with!

punchfork.com 

The website gathers recipes from other sites like Simply Recipes and Bon Appetit and puts them all together in an eye pleasing way so that we can find new recipes. We can even filter by our own specific dietary requirements whether it is paleo, gluten free, vegan or vegetarian. 

It’s like a pinterest of pure food porn but better! because you can go to the recipe and make it at home for yourself.

…I think I will need to excuse myself as I’ve just dribbled on my keyboard while browsing the paleo recipes.

tweet @punchfork 

facebook.com/punchfork

Warning: This Journey Will Change Your Life 

What is Active Living?

Active Living is an attitude. It is an approach to living your best life and taking steps to improve yourself every day. 

If you are for active living you take the stairs, not the lift; you eat to live, not live to eat; you unwind with a walk, not the remote. 

You understand that life is just that, LIFE! Something to be lived, enjoyed and savoured. Active Living is a cult. It is a religion, it isn’t about exercising, it is a belief system that you subscribe to in life. 

- Lorna Jane, Authentically Active

You might be just starting to change your life, or you might be well and truly down the road towards your best life yet, regardless of where you are you need to remember a few things about this journey. 

This journey towards a better, healthier, happier, more active life…it means you have to change a few things, things around you will change and most of all you as a person will change.

It means you will encounter things you haven’t before, confronting fears, challenging yourself and believing in the positive outcome of your hard work. 

It means embracing some aches and pains along the way, and picking yourself up every single time you stumble and fall.

Because you will fall, but falling does not mean failing. You have not failed until you quit, and there are only two options, to give up or give it your all. You will get back up every time.

You will confront the natural human fear of change and you will change your life becoming stronger in mind and in body. 

Don’t be afraid to succeed, to be amazing and do things so great they are incomprehensible to the person you are today. 

You will prepare today for the success of tomorrow and tomorrow you will not be the same person you are today - just imagine what you can achieve if you take it one day at a time.

Recipe: Coconut Nut Butter Balls 

I will be using this recipe that I came across, but without the Stevia. Let me know if you try it out and how they turn out… I’ll do the same :)

Still loving @MarkPT’s Protein Pancakes recipe… 

BREAKFAST PROTEIN PANCAKES 

Since this lovely lady was having some troubles with her protein pancakes, I remembered how much I loved finding Mark’s recipe for Breakfast Protein Pancakes. 

I would wake up at 5:15am, have them made for breakfast for both me and my partner by 5:30am, eat them before BBC Breakfast even started and then get ready and leave the house for work by 7am. If you say you don’t have time to make them for breakfast, you are a liar. 

I think they’re delicious and incredibly filling. If I made too many I simply put them in a container and took them to work for afternoon tea, or kept them for breakfast the following day. Reheating them in the toaster was pretty nifty too. 

[Image and Recipe both from MarkPT]

What’s on my Plate | Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

Keeping our household healthy, satisfying appetites and nutritionally supporting a football playing, golf club swinging, tabata running fiancee.

Grilled free range chicken, brown rice and vege. Done. No sauce, no salt, no added anything. Usually we’d have fresh vegetables, but earlier this evening we used some frozen at source mixed vege. Not as good as the fresh stuff, but it will do for tonight. That’s the only problem moving house. Not only is money tight but you need to use up everything in the fridge and freezer before you move out to avoid waste. 

After eating this we had a little tumbler glass with natural yogurt and honey, it is as indulgent as dessert can be. Scrumptious. Delicious! 

But I know that from eating this tonight, tomorrow I will have so much energy and there will be absolutely no bloating. I know that I can wake up tomorrow morning, feel great and perform my best. 

You might sometimes just gloss over the radish when you see it in the vegetable aisle of the grocer, I certainly used to, but not any more. Keep reading to find out why I LOVE radish as a snack and in my salads. 

Friday Food Feature | The Radish

While dining out with friends recently at British food restaurant Bumpkin, we enjoyed some tasty vegetable sticks as part of an appetiser, which included radish. I’ve certainly had radish before sliced up and tossed into a salad or added to a stir fry, but I don’t think I have ever just bitten into a whole one before. It was crisp, fresh, peppery and the crunchiness quite addictive!

Since they are seasonal in the UK from April to October, I decided to celebrate ‘the last of the season’ by throwing out some of the tasty health benefits of the radish before diving into the Autumnal seasonal vege next time. 

For my Southern hemispherian followers, keep an eye out for this vege so you can add it to your Summer salads! 

So, why should we add Radish to our shopping basket?

• This small vege packs quite a bit of nutritional punch: Vitamin C, Iron, Potassium, Zinc, Magnesium, Folic Acid and Vitamin B6. Folic Acid is particularly important to pregnant women and crucial to the development of a baby’s spinal cord.
  
  
• The 1 Calorie Snack: Radishes are low in calories, one radish is equals to one calorie, and low in cholesterol. They contribute to your daily dietary fibre needs and are Low GI for slow released energy. Overall this makes them great for snacking on at your desk.
  
  
• Digestive enzyme Diostase, along with the rest of this vitamin, mineral and fibre rich food, helps to promote digestive health. 
  
  
• Cancer fighting properties… research has suggested that dark coloured fruits and vegetables can help protect against some forms of cancer, down to the antioxidant called anthocyanins. Radish extract has been shown to reduce the spread of stomach and breast cancer cells.
  
  

Interesting…

…early records of Europeans eating radishes show that the French would eat radish at the start of a meal to cleanse the palate. 

…Ancient Greece served radish with honey and vinegar. 

…Construction workers in Ancient Egypt were paid in radishes. 

…Britain didn’t begin cultivating the radish until the 16th century.

That’s great, but how can we eat it? 

Indian Spiced Radishes & Pumpkin

Radish Detox Juices

Radish, Feta and Baby Leaves Salad

It amazes me to think that I never liked Cucumber before - and now I don’t know how to live without it!! It is an absolute MUST have in the Green Smoothie recipe I use and it’s deliciously refreshing on its own in the summer. I’m definitely going to be sharing my Summer Salad recipe that features lots of Cucumber, Melon and Pomegranate. Stay tuned.

Friday Food Feature | Cucumber 

Every time I have a salad, it comes with cucumber, and I always pick it out and leave it on the side. I can’t enjoy it. That was until recently when I found it went really well with my smoked salmon salad. Personal taste aside, I wanted to share with you these little nutritional benefits of our humble green cucumber. Finally it has more benefits to me than an eye soother with a mud mask or a refreshing accompaniment to a summer cocktail.

• Bursting with antioxidants, helps fight the ageing process and keep your skin clear.
• Plenty of water and electrolytes keep your body hydrated and flush out toxins.
• Vitamins A, B’s, C, K and minerals magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron and zinc. Although not in large amounts, you can get an all round nutritional boost from adding cucumber to any meal or juice drink.
• Low cal, no saturated fats or cholesterol.
• The skin is a good source of fibre that reduces constipation. 

After rediscovering these benefits, I’m looking forward to adding it to more of my meals, particularly my ‘good morning green smoothie’!

Better You UK | DLux and Boost Oral Sprays 

On my bedside table I keep these two little items that I don’t know what I’d do without. For years in London I suffered with SAD. Pretty understandable really, I come from the Sunshine State (Queensland) in Australia. It isn’t surprising that living in a country that doesn’t often deliver the weather would result in Seasonal Affective Disorder.

I am a really big fan of the DLux3000 oral spray - it’s sunshine in a bottle and I can honestly say it perks me up a treat. I’ve seen a huge reduction in the number of ‘off’ days that I have. There used to be a couple of days a week where the cloudy skies would put me in a horrible mood and I simply had no desire to wake up, let alone go to work or leave my bed. But, I might now only have a couple of these a month - and even then I blame it on hormones.

I’m a solar powered person. The more sun I get the more energy I have. Taking the Vitamin D Oral Spray supplement, in its yummy peppermint taste, has been a great help to my overall wellbeing. Vitamin D is essential for strong bones and is produced naturally in the body when exposed to sunlight. It has received a lot of attention in the media particularly regarding the Vitamin D deficiency in children.

Unfortunately, some of us have been so scared by skin cancer that we are risking Vitamin D deficiency.

If you need advice on how to get the right amount of sun exposure without risking skin cancer, please read this from the NHS.

Newspapers report that in practice this means between “10 and 15 minutes in the UK summer sun, without sunscreen several times a week is probably a safe balance between adequate vitamin D levels and any risk of skin cancer”

In Australia with the outdoor lifestyle and year round sunshine there is still a surprising deficiency - Read more in this article from femail.com.au and also from the Cancer Council Australia for safe sun exposure in the Southern Hemisphere.

Together with the B12 booster, it’s no wonder I wake up and get out of bed with a spring in my step. I feel the difference in a matter of minutes. I become alert and energised. It sets me up for a great mood all day, helps me to be productive and loaded with positivity.

THEN add my morning exercise, and I’m the happy person I am all day long!

Supplements should never replace a healthy and balanced diet. I do love to get my vitamins and minerals from food sources, and I still do where possible. Since restocking with these items from BetterYou UK just a few weeks ago, I’ve taken them both every morning and really have noticed a much more positive and energised me. 

Another one of my most FAVOURITE Friday Food Feature posts, with a big thanks to @LoveBeetroot for bringing more LOVE to this gorgeous food. Aside from it being  considered an aphrodisiac in Roman times, it also makes your pee turn pink! 

Friday Food Feature | Beetroot 

You may have noticed while browsing the health food store lately significantly more promotion of Beetroot Juice and Beetroot recipes, but why? 

This root vegetable comes a long way from field to plate in many varieties, there are many ways to enjoy them too, not just sliced and put on your BBQ’d burger. Growing up in Oz we never had a BBQ without beetroot and it wasn’t until recently I did homemade burgers, that I realised this vegetable was missing from every steak sandwich I’d had in the UK.

But apart from just enjoying the taste, I was curious about why there is so much promotion of this stuff in the health food store and so decided to look further and uncover more reasons to love those Beets.

Here’s what I came up with:

• Three baby size beets = one serve of your ‘five a day’
  
  
• High in Folic Acid - essential for normal tissue growth and particularly important in the development of a baby’s spinal cord in the first 3 months of pregnancy. 
  
  
• Contains Vitamin C, Potassium, Magnesium, Iron, Zinc.
  
  
• Reduces risk of heart attack and stroke by reducing blood pressure. Just 250mL of beetroot juice or 100g of cooked beetroot daily can dramatically reduce blood pressure and associated risks because of the nitrate content producing nitric oxide which widens blood vessels. [Research here]. 
  
  
• The antioxidant responsible for giving beetroot it’s gorgeous colour and the soluble fibre in beets helps to reduce oxidation of LDL cholesterol, protecting the artery walls and reducing risk of stroke. This beta cyanin helps speed up detoxification of the liver too, so it’s a good hangover saviour!
  
  
• Stabilises blood sugar. The Glycaemic Index is medium, but the Glycaemic Load is extremely low which means this low calorie, virtually fat free vege is converted into sugar very slowly, keeping blood sugar levels stable. 
  
  
• The mineral silica contained in beets helps reduce the risk of Osteoporosis by helping the body to utilize more calcium.
  
  
• Since Roman times, it has been thought of as a natural aphrodisiac.

If you love beets, I highly recommend checking out The LOVE BEETROOT site for recipes and fun facts… and Follow @LoveBeetroot

I am personally dying to try these recipes:

Moroccan beetroot and mint salad with yogurt dressing 

Beetroot, orange, pecan and poppyseed cake

Summer Salad with Beetroot, Goat’s cheese and French Beans

I think I’ve found an even deeper love for this deceivingly amazing and delicious vegetable!!!