How to eat healthily at work...

Sorry for not posting in a week or so, I have returned home for the summer from uni and have been back at work full time and going back and forth to uni to sort bits out. Anyway, being at uni is so easy to organise meals as you are home for the majority of the day, you can be creative with food especially lunch. The one thing I hate about working full time, is the lunch restrictions. I don't want to spend an arm and a leg at the canteen and I don't want to eat their horrible greasy disgusting food. So I have to take in my own. I make sure I prepare it the night before so I am not rushing in the morning before the gym. The only thing I make in the morning is my protein smoothie, just so its fresh and hasn't separated so I can drink it straight after my workout.

So here is a little sneak peek into the food i take everyday.

I usually have granola, yoghurt and fruit for my breakfast. Sometimes I will have fridge oats or porridge depending on how I feel. I just really like the freshness of granola and yoghurt.

At the moment I am heavily into big salads for lunch. I mix it up with avocado, chicken, salmon etc. The basis of my salad is always mixed leaves and spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, mixed seeds and cottage cheese. I like the cottage cheese almost as my dressing, its full of protein and gives the salad a different texture. I like to cook my chicken with the skin on but I take it off before eating as it really isn't that good for you, however tasty it may be.

I always take lots of fruit with me or carrot sticks etc for snacking. I find the more snacks take in the more choice I have and the less likely I am to snack on the biscuits and cakes. But overall, I think the key is preparation. Make ahead and then you have no excuses not to eat healthily.

My week through a lens 2...

Top Row - Stranger in the sky, Work night out, Heart in my drink

Middle Row - Steak dinner, Apple Munchies, deer in my garden

Bottom Row, Ready to go out, Meal at Jamie Olivers Restaurant, After my Half Marathon

Sunshine salad...

I am a huge fan of salads. Many people find them boring or not filling enough but think the complete opposite. Yes, if you are just going to have some leaves, a tomato and a cucumber on your crazy quest to be a stick, then you will find your blood sugars crashing and find yourself starving within half an hour. I on the other hand cram my salads full of yummy goodies so that each mouthful is nutritious and enjoyable. 

This was a post workout salad I ate today for lunch. Some people think I am strange because I put fruit with various different ingredients, i have a huge sweet tooth and I find that blueberries on a salad really make it more enjoyable and break up the taste a bit. They are also full of antioxidants and are brilliant for your hair and skin. I don't believe in depriving your body of anything, so diets lacking in fruit are a big no no for me. They may have sugar in them, but it is naturally occurring and in moderation, they help to indulge your sweet tooth and provide a varied diet.

Salad ingredients:

-spinach

-cucumber

-tomatoes

-avocado

-chicken

-cottage cheese

-blueberries

-seed and nut mix

-homemade lemon and rosemary olive oil

What ingredients make your perfect salad? Don't forget to follow my blog and I would love to hear from you guys reading :)

xx

My week through a lens...

My first ever week in pictures post...

Top Row - Nutella popcorn, spicy chicken and squash curry, Lara and I all dolled up

Middle Row -  stroking the donkeys in the New Forest, New scarf, Avocado and bacon salad

Bottom Row - Aubergine Parmagiana, Ready to go get my dancing shoes on, homemade mini milk

Protein cookies...

I really struggle to get protein in my diet. It's one of those things that I am always working on but I just love vegetarian food (even though I do eat meat) and don't eat enough nuts etc. I bought some protein powder, but my God it tastes vile. I thought it was the powder but it turns out to be every powder. I just can't stomach them as a shake. I'v started adding a full or half scoop to porridge and my refrigerator oats and it really is keeping me fuller for longer.

I have such a sweet tooth that I though I would bake protein cookies. Im not a fan of the packaged protein bars and these cookies are brilliant as a quick breakfast or mid afternoon snack. I haven't loaded them with the powder but the nuts and seeds definately make up for it. 

When I eat cookies, I like them to be gooey, moist and breakable. Nothing worse than a cookie that wants you to break your teeth as well as pile on the pounds. Iv researched a few recipes and kind of combined my own. I like to work in cups just as it saves washing up compared to bowls and scales so here it is:

• 2 ripe bananas
• 1 1/2 cups of oats (i use old fashioned)
• 1 cup of unsweetened apple sauce (you could add in a little apple juice for a slightly tangier taste)
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I use Designer Whey French Vanilla)
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4cup sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (i only had around 1/6th so topped up with flaked almonds)
• 1/3 cup dried fruits (raisins, apricots, cranberries all work well)

I basically chucked it all in a bowl and mixed well. It was quite a sticky consistency, if yours turns out too runny, just add in some more oats and stir again.

Pop the oven on at around 180C and while that is warming up just leave the mixture to infuse all the flavours and spices. 

Once heated, line a tray or 2 with baking paper and spoon the mixture on. I like my cookies slightly larger so use a table spoon but its personal preference. Press them slightly flatter so they cook all the way through and then put in the oven for around 20 - 25 mins depending on size. They do not spread out so you can place them pretty close on the tray. 

nice and golden

chewy gooey middle

When cooked bring them out to cool and place on a wire cooling rack then tuck in. I love this recipe as it makes the kitchen smell awesome!

I reckon there are tons of changes and additions I could make. I would really like to do a maple syrup infused cookie. Next time...

Before and now motivation...

Loads of people ask me how I stay motivated to get down the gym or go for a run 5 or so times a week. I'm not going to lie and say I just love getting out of bed early so much that its easy, because its not. 

I have fluctuated in size from around a 12 to an 8 many times, at the start of uni I put on around a stone and a half and was really really unhappy with how I looked, I know I wasn't obese but I was unhealthy eating anything and not caring about what was in it. I joined the gym but thought if i was going i could still eat rubbish, didn't lose any weight or muscle tone and ended up not going.

Over the first summer and with a holiday on the way, i decided I really wanted to tone up and feel good about myself, so i got outside in the countryside and ran. When I got home I would do sit ups and squats etc and slowly I began to see a change. It took me two months to put on the weight (Pretty impressive i know) and around 9 months to lose it. That was motivation enough for me to keep the weight off and if anything really change my diet and exercise to look fit not thin.

BEFORE:

 NOW:

Since Transforming my diet and exercise I am so much healthier and happier, my skin is better, I'm not so tired and I have more energy. There are still little bits that I can improve, like my chocoholic tendencies but its all a journey.

Iv tried evening exercise, i'v tried classes, afternoon exercise, going in the evening, before dinner, after dinner. You name it, I have tried it. What works for me is just getting up that little bit earlier and getting it over with.

Reasons to exercise in the morning:

• There are no excuses except you are tired. Then if you skip it, you feel guilty for the rest of the day.
• It leaves your evenings free to do other fun things.
• It gives me energy and wakes me up
• I feel like I should eat healthily for the rest of the day.

Basically exercising in the morning is my motivation to stay healthy. I know if i leave it to the evening, I won't go. The only evening exercise I will do is a class or group exercise like football or pole fitness. I know my lie ins and excuse days are the days I plan for rest. So it may take a while to work out what suits you best but once you have found it and the results become more and more obvious, the motivation will come without any effort.

super super food...

I love salads but I hate lettuce. I also find that bags of leaves tend to be expensive and very small. But, I have found an alternative with many more uses. This alternative is the much loved food of Popeye, spinach.

It is so versatile, I personally love it raw straight from the bag dipped in cottage cheese. This works really well if you roll them up like a stick and dip as they are quite sturdy leaves. I also like them in wraps, as my salad leaves or just as a side to pasta dishes etc. If you are not a fan of raw veggies and leaves, they are also yummy wilted with a squeeze of lemon and pinch of salt, mixed with other veggies and even within dishes like omelettes or sauces. If thats not enough to tempt you, you can often pick up a huge bag for around £1.

www.artsjournal.com

Iv done a little bit of research into why spinach is so good for us and basically it is packed to the brim full of nutrients.

• It came out top of a poll of the Worlds healthiest vegetables as it is high in phyonutrients and flavanoids which give us antioxidant protection.
• It has been proven to help against oxidative stress related problems, bone problems and cancers.
• It is a huge source of Vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc and manganese.
• Its also very low in calories.

My next step is to try it instead of leek sheets in a lasagne... well we will see how that one turns out soon. So pop to the shops, grab a bag of spinach and tuck in because you can never be too keen on greens.

to be inspired...

After a slobby couple of days of eating rubbish and feeling rubbish I had a brilliant gym session today and have eaten lots of yummy meals. Dinner tonight was sausage with roasted veggies and broccoli, made me feel like i was having a lovely sunday roast minus all the baddies.

So don't let a few bad days knock your confidence... jump back on and work that little bit harder!

http://pinterest.com/zolakt/fitness/

kick start...

So the other day I made a huge batch of homemade granola. Im a big porridge fan, and fan of oats in general but I do want a change occasionally. What I love about granola is that its sticky and crunchy and sweet and also really filling. I would much rather have a bowl of that that a bowl of Frosties.

I was looking in the supermarket and all of the shop bought varieties seem to have loads of added sugars and were also really expensive, this all combined lead me to making my own so I thought I would share the recipe.

I made some flavoured oil while it baked

300g rolled oats (I like to use the big old fashioned ones)

50g sunflower

50g pumpkin seed

50g flaxseed

50g flaked almonds

50g chopped walnuts

50g desiccated coconut

100g dried berries (preferably no added sugar) I used cranberries and apricots

1tsp vanilla extract

3tbsp honey

125ml maple syrup or 75ml apple juice ***

Pre-heat your oven to 160 C and line a big baking tray with baking paper.

I personally find it easier to combine all of my dry ingredients (except coconut and fruit) together in one bowl and then my sticky ingredients in another. This enables me to make my granola pretty clumpy rather than little bits. Then gradually mix each bowl together so it all combines and there are no huge sections with none of the honey mixture (this happened to me before)

***If you want to use apple juice, I would suggest soaking the oats in it for an hour or two before baking or adding any other dry ingredients.

Pour the mixture into the tray and spread out in a thin layer so it goes crunchy. If the layer is too thick, the bottom half wont cook as much but that may be personal preference. Pop it in the oven for around 15 - 20 mins before taking out, adding in the coconut and fruit, mixing well and putting back in. At this point you may want to drizzle a bit more honey over the top, but i like to add mine after when im actually eating it. Bake for a further 15 minutes or until golden. Be careful not to over cook as the coconut tends to brown too much and not taste sweet.

Let cool on the side before breaking up into your granola pieces and store in an air tight container. It should last you 2 - 3 weeks and contain around 15-18 servings if you don't eat it all in one go... its pretty moreish.

I like to serve mine with a bit of natural yoghurt, honey and fresh fruit and it keeps me full until lunch.

Sushi sushi sushi and a little bit on nutrition...

Although I am pretty active, my nutrition has not always been the best. I have a huge sweet tooth, huge as in I could eat pudding for breakfast, lunch, dinner and still have room for a chocolate snack. Although I try to eat healthy meals, I do snack and I do feel hungry a lot. Because of this and the fact I want to be in tip top condition for leading an active lifestyle, I went to see a nutritionist.

I think this was probably one of the best things I have ever done. Some of the tips I picked up:

• Drink loads of water
• Eat more protein - I need to try and eat protein with every meal, which at the moment I am really lacking. This supposedly will help me to feel full for far longer.
• Carbs like pasta and bread can be replaced by lots of green veg like spinach and broccoli as they too have carbs in them.
• Try to limit the really sugary fruits like grapes and strawberries.

These are just a few to start with but already they make sense and seem really easy to achieve. As well as this, I am going to keep a food diary. This really helps me to see what I am eating and how I feel afterwards. I can see what my body likes and doesn't like. Its really important for your body to get all of the nutrients it needs from whole foods, the less processed the better. This is because there is less of a chance for the food to be chemically altered or added to.

Salmon, avocado and cucumber rolls

So anyway today, My boyfriend and I made sushi for lunch! One of my favourite foods. Im sure we could make it healthier by using brown rice, but the fillings were extremely healthy and filling. I chose a california roll with salmon, avocado and cucumber and the inside out rolls with low fat cream cheese and avocado. Will had a spicy tuna filling in all of his. It was actually really really easy to make and would be a lovely alternative for sandwich lovers or a nice addition to a lunch salad. 

Spicy tuna rolls

food glorious food...

I believe that in order to work out and live to your healthiest and happiest potential, it all begins with food. What you put inside you affects your outside. 

Recently I have been slightly intolerant to Gluten, especially bread, biscuits and pastry which ultimately means I am trying to find ways to avoid and replace these food items. I find this so hard because I am a complete Carboholic. This first truly healthy week has been pretty hard so far. I am craving carbs, sweets and just food in general and a lettuce leaf does not replace a whopping great big cookie. 

However I have been coming up with some tasty meals. On Monday night my boyfriend and I attempted a cauliflower crust pizza. The flour was made from cauliflower... I know I couldn't believe it either. Aside from a minor mishap with the pizza sticking to the baking parchment, it was delicious. I will do a step by step guide soon actually as it was so easy.

Tuesday was a minor set back as we went away for the night and had a brilliant meal out, but I tried to stay healthy opting for duck and veg with a small side of potatoes. But it needed to be done as we don't get to go away very often. And then tonight, we made quinoa burgers. My first experience of quinoa and again really delicious and extremely filling. It probably helps that I'm not a massive meat eater but even my Meat loving boyfriend thoroughly enjoyed it. So all in all a big thumbs up.

Not too much in the way of exercise this week so far but being away for two days made it difficult but lots of walking and sightseeing helped on the stay fit quest.

Quinoa Burgers

Cauliflower Pizza

I actually am really loving trying new recipes and ingredients. Im even making my own granola which is in the oven as I type! Crazy.

If you make one change this week... try a new ingredient or recipe to inspire you.

Bacon up a storm...

So in an attempt to look good on the beach in the summer I have been attempting to eat more healthily. I love to cook and although where I live at the moment does't have the ideal cooking conditions, I have managed to cook up a few culinary delights. The most recent was a lovely soup which was possibly the cheapest soup ever made after a trip to the reduced section of the supermarket (a personal favourite of mine).


-the images don't really do it justice...





























Leek, potato and bacon soup!


Serves 4


Ingredients:


3 Large leeks,
5 Large potatoes,
8 rashers streaky bacon,
1 onion,
2 vegetable stock cubes,
seasonings 
       - I used rosemary, a small pinch of mixed herbs, salt and pepper
a small drizzle of cream to serve.


Basically in a large pan i fried off the onions and half the bacon together, when starting to colour I added in the leeks and potato and fried for a further 5 to 10 minutes depending on how hot you have the pan. I then placed a lid on the pan and let the contents sweat over a low heat. 


After this, i crumbled the stock cubes and seasoning into the pan and stirred allowing them to coat the vegetables. I don't mix my stock prior to adding it to the soup as i like to get all the flavour but control the thickness. So gradually add hot water until you get the desired consistency. If you find it is too thick after blending, you can add more water. 


Allow the vegetables to simmer until tender and take from the heat. Once it has cooled slightly pour into the blender until you get the constancy you want and then return it to the pan. Re heat and then pour into bowls. I had some cream left over so just put a small drizzle on top but you don't really need it as the potatoes give it a nice creamy texture. I then added some more crispy bacon to the top and served with some warm bread. Yum Yum!!


You can freeze the left-overs or eat for lunch the next day.