A simple bite to eat…that’s healthy & seasonal!

Warm Mackerel Nicoise Salad

This is the first of a series of healthy recipes, supplied by our in house nutritional expert, helping to provide you with practical strategies for achieving your weight loss goals, as well as enjoying the food you eat!

This tasty Mackerel Nicoise Salad has numerous health benefits. It is rich in protein and Omega 3 essential fats and has a low glyceamic index, meaning that is breaks down slowly supplying you with sustained energy levels, preventing hunger pangs and cravings.

Best of all, warm salads are great for winter… this one is satisfying and will help reduce the likelihood of snacking on unhealthy foods later in the day!

(Serves two)

Ingredients

• 2 smoked mackerel fillets
• 4 handfuls rocket
• 16 olives
• 1/2 can cannellini beans, drained
• 50g green beans, cooked and cooled, halved
• 2 hard-boiled organic eggs, peeled, quartered
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2.
2. Place the mackerel fillets onto a baking tray and roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until warmed through.
3. In a bowl, combine the rocket, olives, cannellini beans, green beans, olive oil and lemon juice.

To serve, spoon the salad combination onto two plates, top with the roasted mackerel and quartered egg.

Secrets from the Exercise Guru of Hollywood celebrities…

Have you ever wondered how the Hollywood glitterati stay in such good shape?  How do they seem to get all that post pregnancy weight off so fast!

Well the secret of their success is now at hand.  Exercise guru, Ramona Braganza, whose celebrity clients include Halle Berry, Jessica Alba, Scarlett Johannson, Jessica Biel & Ryan Reynolds amongst many others has developed the 3, 2, 1 Go! get in shape plan.  Here is the full routine which Jessica Alba post pregnancy religiously stuck to during her quest to shed nearly 30lbs in just 10 weeks to be fighting fit & back in prime shape for the awards season last year.

Here’s how her method works, in 6 easy steps:

1 Begin your workout with cardio session #1, an easy 3-minute warm-up. Get on the treadmill or the elliptical, or do jumping jacks in place.

2 Next, start sculpting session #1, doing a circuit of 3 exercises for 3 different body parts, performing 3 sets of 15–20 reps, and resting for 45 seconds to 1 minute between sets.

EXERCISE 1: LUNGES

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Take a giant step back with your right foot and place it down on a diagonal lunge behind you, making sure to keep your leg and your back straight. Your hands can touch the ground, and your head should be up. Once your foot touches down, return to start position. Repeat this move 10 times with your right leg, and then 10 times with the left. Work your way up to 15 reps per side.

EXERCISE 2: LATERAL RAISES

Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold a 5-pound dumbbell in each hand, your arms hanging at your sides. Raise your arms out to the sides while tilting the tops of the dumbbells forward, rotating them internally, as if you were pouring tea from a teapot. Stop when you reach about shoulder height, pause momentarily, then lower your arms back down, and return to start position.

EXERCISE 3: BICEPS CURLS

Holding a pair of 5-pound dumbells, stand with feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent. Let your arms hang at your sides, and keep your head back and slightly looking up so that your neck is relaxed. Slowly curl your arms up, squeeze your biceps when you reach your shoulders, and then even more slowly, uncurl your arms. Sticking to a slower tempo (or the time the muscle is under tension) will build your biceps more effectively. Repeat 15–20 times.

3 Next is cardio session #2, 10 minutes of cardio with 2 minutes of high intensity and then 2 minutes of lower intensity. Possible activities include jumping rope, running, doing jumping jacks or any high-impact exercise that gets your heart pumping.

4 Now it’s time for sculpting session #2:

EXERCISE 1: DUMBELL FLY

Sitting on a bench, hold 5 pound dumbells in each hand, palms facing in, bring your arms straight above you. As you exhale, lower both arms out to the sides, to about shoulder height. Hold momentarily, then slowly raise to return to start position.

EXERCISE 2: STEP-UPS

Stand facing a bench or a set of stairs and step onto it with your right foot, then bring your left foot up to meet the right. Return your left foot to the floor, keeping your right foot on the bench. Repeat with your left foot up to 15 times, then switch sides and step with your left foot to begin.

EXERCISE 3: LYING TRICEPS EXTENSIONS

Lie faceup on a bench, holding a 5-pound dumbbell in each hand, your arms extended toward the ceiling. Keeping your arms locked in position and elbows pointed forward, slowly bend your elbows and lower the dumbbells on either side of your face until they’re in line with your ears, then immediately raise the dumbbells back to start position.

5 Now it’s time for cardio session #3, which you’ll do in a 10-minute interval. For this segment, pretend to jump rope for 5 minutes to get your heart rate up, then do 5 minutes of shadow kickboxing with punches and kicks.

6 The last step is the core segment. For this you hold a plank position: Lie on your stomach, place your forearms and elbows flat on the floor, and as you exhale, raise your torso, hips and legs to balance on your toes. Contract your abs and glutes during this move, and make sure not to arch your back; try to remain in a long, straight line. Hold for at least 30 seconds, then work your way up to a minute, and don’t forget to breathe. Repeat 2 more times.

You can purchase the 3-2-1 Training Method DVD on Braganza’s Website, www.ramonabraganza.com.  You can also find the 3-2-1 Nutrition Plan, which offers a healthy, sensible approach to weight loss and building lean muscle tissue. Good luck!

Jessica also combined this tough workout routine together with the diet plan as outlined below:

Jessica Alba’s Diet Plan:
It’s a South Beach style diet, with lean meats, whole grains, low-fat cheeses, fruits and veggies.

• For Breakfast she would have…
  1 cup oatmeal with berries with 3-4 scrambled egg whites when working on the film set.

• Lunchtime would involve…
  Salad with 170 gms (6 ounces) of chicken breast or fish (salmon, tuna)

• Dinner was always light and consisted of…
  Sashimi or or 170 gms (6 ounces) of petit filet of beef or other lean protein with unlimited veggies and 3 small red potatoes

• Snacks (in moderation of course)
  handful of almonds or hot air popped popcorn

Use this eating plan to help stick to your diet, it will also help with your hunger cravings & by combining the exercise routine with your FULLfast you will definitely notice mood levels will improve and help you reduce your food cravings.   Don’t forget its important to have a balanced routine throughout the day!

Banish your beer belly!

Abdominal weight gain, otherwise known as the beer belly, is not only unsightly it can have serious health implications. Beer bellies are commonly associated with one too many pints down the pub and it’s true that alcohol has the potential to seriously hamper your weight loss efforts.

Did you know that a pint of beer contains up to 250 calories and a glass of wine contains around the same amount of calories as a slice of cake? This means that your alcohol consumption can quickly add to that pot belly.  Not only does alcohol add to the empty calories and carbohydrates in your diet, it also affects your brain chemistry making you more likely to experience hunger pangs and food cravings. We all know how quickly our will power ceases to exist after we’ve had a couple of drinks!

Gaining weight around the middle is particularly dangerous as it is strongly linked to cardiovascular disease, diabetes and certain cancers but the good news is, your risk can be decreased through a healthy diet and moderating alcohol intake.

Many of us are unaware of how much it’s safe to drink, but it’s important to know. Women should not regularly exceed 2-3 units of alcohol per day, the equivalent to one small glass of wine. Men shouldn’t exceed 3-4 units of alcohol per day, equivalent to one and a half pints of beer. If you stick to these guidelines you’ll experience numerous health benefits and maximise your dieting efforts.

If you think you’re drinking too much, here are some practical ways to reduce your intake:

• Make your units go further. Opt for bottles of beer or halves instead of pints and drink them slower. Choose a small glasses of wine and add soda water to make a spritzer.
• Eat a healthy meal before you go out which will help slow the absorption of alcohol.
• Keep hydrated. Hangovers are largely due to dehydration so keep hydrated by alternating alcoholic drinks with soft drinks like sparkling water with fresh lime.
• Be the designated driver. By taking your car on a night out you’ll have a good excuse to stay tea total.
• Many of us have an after work drink to relax, but in reality alcohol can make you feel even more anxious. Get into positive stress-busters habits like hitting the gym with friends or running a bath at home and putting some relaxing music on.

For more information on practical ways to cut down your alcohol intake you can go to www.drinkaware.co.uk

From Cupid with love…

Its here again folks, everyone’s favourite romantic day.  Whether you are with someone already or looking for that perfect soulmate, Valentine’s Day can certainly be testing on one’s creative ideas & romantic skills.  So we thought that you might like  a few ideas & surprising facts that you can use to your advantage on the 14th of Feb!

• Interesting facts about kissing:  Kissing is actually good for you & your skin, it improves circulation and prevents tooth decay & headaches.  A passionate french kiss can burn 5 calories!  Kissing releases endorphins, around 200 more than a shot of morphine!   So the moral of this story is pucker up!
• Characteristics that men like in women:   Spontaneity, good listening temperament, good driving, accomplished success, ability to enjoy food, good cooking, realism, able to compromise, funny humour, strong ideals.
• Interesting ideas for Valentines Day:  Avoid the stereotypical fancy dinner & flowers.  Try to entice your partner into doing something different and active as this competitive option can help release some of the aphrodisiac chemistry & attraction we all crave.   Go bowling together rather than grabbing your usual seats at the flicks.  Or head out of town to the countryside and do some activities to work up an appetite, this way you won’t feel guilty when you have a hearty lunch or dinner.  The fresh air will blow the cobwebs out of your system after a hard week’s work.
• How to find the right guy: be open to the possibility & idea of a relationship, guys do want commitment as well.  There’s nothing wrong with having standards, stick to your guns, there’s plenty of fish in the sea, well at least for now.  Don’t try too hard and be aware that all road lead to the same place – finding Mr Right!
• New hobbies to take up with your boyfriend or husband:  get creative by enlisting on an art class, tackle that elusive wall with some rock climbing, head down to the local golf club & driving range to take some frustration out on those little white balls!  Or even better go for a spot of target shooting or if this sounds a bit loud then maybe you would prefer some tranquil angling, try out some fishing.
• How does Cupid spark love between a couple?  Try the following:  Be yourself, look good, listen, laugh loads (but don’t fake it), be positive, be sweet, be flirty, be witty, get physical, act freely (don’t suffocate him/her), make eye contact, don’t act desperate, be trustworthy, add some mystery, be supportive & interested.

We hope these pointers & facts are of interest – have a great weekend planning your Valentine’s Day surprise!

Enjoy Valentine’s Day without sabotaging your diet!

Valentine’s day is looming and with it comes the prospect of being wined and dined by your loved one… But what and where should you eat if you don’t want to destroy your diet in the process?

Here are some top tips for enjoying a healthy Valentine’s meal out that won’t sabotage your weight loss goal in the process.

1. Before you go out. Have a healthy snack before getting to the restaurant. This way, you won’t be ravenous when you arrive making you want to devour everything on the menu. Not a good look!

2. Avoid the bread basket. If you fancy something to start your meal with, opt for olives instead. Bread will cause a spike in your blood sugar levels promoting cravings and hunger pangs later on.

3. Alcohol. If you’re planning to drink alcohol with your meal, don’t drink on an empty stomach. Having some food first will slow the absorption of alcohol into your system and limit the negative effects alcohol has on your blood sugar level. The great news is that Champagne is among the lowest calorie and lowest carb option – we’ll drink to that!

4. Ordering. When ordering, remember you can ask for something different to what’s on the menu. For example, ask for the chips to be replaced with some seasonal vegetables or a fresh salad. Cream based sauces can be switched for healthier tomato options.

5. Avoid carbohydrate based meals like pasta, rice and noodle dishes. Go for a meal based on protein such as seafood, fish, lean meat, or vegetarian proteins such as beans and lentils (Indian restaurants usually offer a variety) or tofu (commonly available at oriental restaurants).

6. Get out of bad habits.  It’s easy to quickly rack up the calorie content of your meal out through bad habits. Think twice before automatically ordering a side dish of doughballs /chips or starting your meal with poppadums / prawn crackers.

7. Eat slowly. Enjoy your meal and recognise when you are full. Eating out doesn’t have to mean over eating.

8. Sip water throughout your meal. We often confuse thirst for hunger causing us to over eat. Sipping water will also slow down your eating and drinking of alcohol.

9. Where to eat? Choose restaurants whose nationalities have the healthiest populations. For example, oriental restaurants such as Japanese, Thai or Vietnamese provide much healthier choices than an American burger bar!  (nb. If your other half tries to take you for a burger on Valentines, it may be time to consider the future of your relationship!)

10. Desserts. If you fancy something sweet at the end of your meal, why not share a dessert (and half the calories!) with your loved one instead of having one all to yourself? Or you could be truly virtuous and ask for a bowl of fruit such as raspberries and strawberries.

Follow these simple tips and ensure that this Valentine’s day, you’ll begin fall in love with your gorgeous new figure as well as the man in your life!