Food For Fuel: Chicken, Rice and Steamed Veggies

After a sweaty workout, I love to refuel my body with food that's packed full of natural, nutritional goodness :) some fitness bloggers and companies say the best thing is a protein shake. Personally, I prefer to eat as many foods that have not been altered and aren't packed full of man-made ingredients that might cause havoc with my digestive system. 

One meal that's super quick, easy and doesn't cost a fortune is this Chicken, Brown Rice and Steamed Veggie dish that is packed full of flavour and nutrients. Here is how to make it for one person:

Ingredients: 

• 40g dry brown rice 
• Organic chicken stock cubes
• Either a tsp of coconut oil or olive oil 
• One chicken breast 
• One garlic clove
• Half a red onion 
• Half a green pepper
• A bunch of asparagus 

How to make it:

1) Boil some water in a pan, and add a chicken stock cube making sure it's broken up and dissolved

2) Rinse the brown rice in a sieve to get rid of any dirt and excess starch

3) Add to the boiling stock 

4) Add some coconut oil or olive oil to a frying pan and add the sliced pieces of chicken breast 

5) Cook until starting to brown 

6) Add the chopped garlic and sliced red onion and stir thoroughly

7) Add the sliced green pepper and asparagus to a colander and put on the pan of boiling rice with the lid on to steam 

8) Make approximately 100ml of boiling chicken stock and add to the frying pan and simmer

9) Add the steamed veggies to the pan and stir

10) Once the rice has cooked, drain and add to the plate or bowl, dishing up the chicken and mixed veggies. Pour a little of the leftover stock for added flavour 

Enjoy! :) 

 

Why I've Quit Sugar

Hi I'm Amy, and I was a sugar addict.

For the last few years now, I've eaten a diet that's included lots of cereals, fruit and the occasional piece of dark chocolate. Compared to my diet in my early twenties, this was healthy! Cereals are always marketed as being good for your heart, fruit is packed full of natural vitamins and dark chocolate that's over 85% cacao is a lot healthier than a milk chocolate bar right?

The problem is, these foods are still packed full of sugar.

I had heard about Sarah Wilson's I Quit Sugar a while ago but had also read some mixed reviews. I decided to find out for myself partly because I was curious, but mainly because I generally want to be free from my sugar addiction. I've always found my tummy to be my 'problem area'. Weight that just didn't seem to want to shift no matter how many core exercises I did. 

I bought the I Quit Sugar: Complete 8-Week Detox Programme and Cookbook and read through the recipes and the outline of the next few months so I knew what to expect. I soon realised that weeks 1 and 2 are already what I have cut out and changed in my diet for some time now, so I started from Week 3 of the programme. 

To get a rough comparison of just how much sugar I was actually consuming, I used a fitness and food app to track my food. I had already been tracking my food before I started the programme and from my diet of fruit and cereals, I was eating between 35-50g each day! Now I'm eating on average between 13-20g a day. 

Previously, I'd been eating fruit to snack on throughout the day at work, so this programme has given me a chance to get creative and find some other ways to enjoy some tasty snacks. Before, I would take an apple, an orange, a banana, some grapes and blueberries and maybe even some cherries on an average day. This is a LOT of sugar to be eating, as despite them coming from natural healthy foods, they still contain high levels of fructose. 

The programme encourages you to cut out fruit at the beginning to help our bodies re-calibrate to a 'clean canvas' so we can clear our system of any fructose, release the toxic build up in our fat cells and ultimately help ourselves to quit sugar and kick those cravings to the ground. Since starting the programme, I feel leaner, wake up earlier and my skin is clearing up. Collectively, I have lost a couple of inches from my thighs, arms, and hip area and about 5lbs in weight. 

Regardless of the number on the scales and tape measure, the main progress and changes inside my body that I'm more concerned about is how I feel. A mere week before I started the programme, I had been struggling to get out of bed before 7am and yet since quitting sugar I have naturally woken up and out of bed around 6am. Perhaps it's psychological. Perhaps cutting down on the bad stuff actually does work this quickly. My ultimate goal is to feel good, increase my energy levels and enhance my focus, so any other positive physical benefits are a bonus to me! 

The I Quit Sugar goal isn't to never enjoy a slice of cake again; it's to help our bodies understand the difference between hunger and cravings, which the body can find very difficult while sugar is pumping around our system. 

It has now been 11 weeks since I first gave up sugar and I don't for a minute regret not eating all the doughnuts, biscuits and sweets that were always available at work! Last week was the first time I introduced sugar back into my diet (something that the programme does encourage!) and I was actually quite surprised. My favourite Cadbury bar didn't taste half as delicious as I remember and I didn't feel any satisfaction from eating it. 

I'm hoping this is the start of a much healthier lifestyle, where I can eat something sweet if I choose to, but I can also stop easily. 

Why Carbs Aren't The Enemy

A few years ago, and even still today, people view carbohydrates as the enemy. 

When people swear by their initial rapid weight loss on low-carb diets, it is usually water weight that they lose first - they are never able to sustain the weight loss adopting this diet for long. It is extremely dangerous to cut out any one food group, so if you are thinking of going on or are already on a low-carb diet, then please don't restrict yourself. We need healthy carbohydrates to live; for our brains to function properly and to provide ourselves with enough energy when we exercise. Without them, our muscles will waste away, and you could find yourself feeling incredibly weak. 

Carbohydrates are the macronutrient we need the most in our day to day diet, with most people needing to consume between 45-65% of their total daily intake of food. Aim to eat healthy, natural grains such as wholegrain rice, quinoa, and plenty of organic fruits and vegetables. When we exercise, it's particularly important to consume carbs as this is the fastest source for our bodies to find energy. The starch, sugars and glycogen provide fuel for our muscles which is particularly great if you do any high intensity interval training (HIIT). Carbohydrates provide a number of other healthy benefits vital for optimum health as well including supporting your brain, kidneys and heart to function properly. 

If you struggle to fit them into your diet, try adding some wholegrain rice to an avocado and chicken salad, or some oven-baked sweet potato to some steamed fish and green beans - trust me you will feel a million times better! 

Healthy Cacao Hot Chocolate: A Quick and Easy Recipe

When I get a massive craving for chocolate, but I don't have any to hand and I'm trying to be healthier, I usually whip up this super quick and easy hot chocolate. Made from organic cacao powder - it really is guilt free! One of the best things as well is this hot chocolate always pours out really frothy and smooth so put your feet up, relax and completely melt into the sofa enjoying this delicious cup of hot chocolate :)

If you want to read up on the benefits of cacao powder, see my previous post here. 

Ingredients: 

• 250ml Organic semi-skimmed milk 
• Organic cacao powder
• Sprinkle of cinnamon (optional)

How to make it:

1) Gently heat up the milk in a small saucepan, constantly stirring so the milk doesn't burn

2) Add in the cacao powder and keep stirring until completely combined

3) Take off the heat and pour into a cup. Sprinkle with a dusting of cinnamon if desired and enjoy! :)

Why Fad Diets NEVER Work

Fad diets do not work. No matter how much you restrict your calories, eat low fat foods or cut out carbs, you will never be able to sustain this lifestyle for long. 

 

About 8 years ago, my Mum wanted to try Weight Watchers and lose some weight. Unhappy with the weight I had put on, I happily decided to join her and so the planning began! We stocked up on cookbooks, bought tonnes of low fat, low calorie foods and were full of enthusiasm. I logged a diary of my weight and began planning what we could and 'couldn't eat' for each day. Looking back, I think my Mum was already beginning to think I was over obsessing about calories but I honestly believed that I had finally found the key to a slimmer, and ultimately happier me. I could encourage and motivate my Mum, and she could do the same for me. It was a win-win situation surely?!

Cacao Chocolate Milkshake: A Super Quick and Healthy Recipe

When I discovered cacao powder, I was amazed to see the many benefits of this powerful antioxidant. It is the purest, most natural form of chocolate and is so nutrient rich, it's definitely worth incorporating it into your diet. These are just some of the many benefits of adding cacao to your food: 

• Cacao is packed full of vitamins and minerals including calcium, iron, vitamin C and magnesium 
• It contains theobromine which helps our bodies to burn fat 
• It improves our mood as it is rich in tryptophan
• Cacao powder is great for adding to smoothies, cereal, yoghurt, coffee, hot milk or for making your own chocolate; it is so versatile there are many ways you can add it to your diet and start reaping the benefits 

Here is a super quick, cheap and healthy smoothie that I regularly blend in the mornings to take to work as a snack. 

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe banana
• 250ml of organic semi-skimmed milk or almond milk
• 1 heaped tablespoon of organic cacao powder 
• 1 teaspoon of chia seeds 

How to make it:

1) Slice up the banana into thin pieces and add to the blender

2) Add the milk 

3) Add the cacao powder and blend for about 10-15 seconds or until a smooth consistency 

4) Pour into a glass and sprinkle the chia seeds on top! Enjoy :)

Take A Step Back In Order To Move Forward

For years I had a plan. I was goal-driven, working incredibly hard to get the best results not only in education but in my jobs too. Like most young people, I had my life mapped out, at least for the next ten years or so. 

However, it doesn't always work like that. Life throws curve balls at you and time seems to pass so quickly. It's how we deal with these curve balls and stop stressing or panicking if things don't always go according to plan. 

If you feel overwhelmed by work or money or just in general at the frantic world we find ourselves in, take a minute out of your day to step back. Find somewhere quiet to sit or lay down. Why do you feel so overwhelmed? What is it that you can do to actively change this? Can you talk to a friend or family member to help you? 

Communication is key to friendships and relationships. After all, most problems seem a lot less daunting once they are shared. A heavy burden weighing down on your shoulders can seem unbearable. It can build and build and effect your everyday life. Share the problem. Find ways of overcoming them so that you can get on with your life. That way you are not controlled by it, but you have taken control of the situation. 

"It is a common experience that a problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it."

John Steinbeck