Monday 26 January 2009

Brazilian oddessy


I'm off to Salvador, Brazil tomorrow morning where I will be working on a feature for a well known glossy magazine. It will be interesting and great fun - but as it's carnival too when I'm there, tricky to keep up my training for the Brighton Half Marathon in February 22nd.
But run I will have to do. I can't very well tell my personal training clients that they need to set aside time to do their exercise not to follow my own advice. And actually, as long as I don't overindulge on Caipirinha I should be OK.
There's usually nothing better than getting up early in a hot, humid country and taking to the streets just as everyone is getting ready for the day. It's like sightseeing and fitness all in one go.
So, I'll keep on trying to blog while I'm away, bringing you some new exercise suggestions that you can do anywhere, without the need for gym equipment as well as new healthy diet choices. cheers!

Sunday 25 January 2009

Spinach&feta parcel with garlic yoghurt




Strictly speaking - well, as in not in any way - is this a low carbohydrate meal. But it's a healthy, well balanced meal that will re-fuel you after a strenuous work out.
but this is where you have to be careful.
with the number of fitness snacks and isotonic drinks available on the market nowadays, many people mistakenly believe that this means, whenever you exercise you need to refuel your body. The truth is, you really only need to eat more if you're exercising to at a high level. Going down to the gym for an hour's work out or a 20minute jog, doesn't cover it. It's why so many people wonder why they put on weight - or why they don't lose any - when they start exercising.
Basically, be honest with yourself and really think about what your goals are, which falls into three broad areas;those that exercise so that they can eat and will maintain their weight, those who are exericising to lose weight and should be watching their diet too, and those who are training for an event and putting in a lot of hours doing so and need nutrition to fuel their workouts. I come somewhere between the last two.

Anyway, here's today's meal based on the fact that I did 20mins run, 20mins bike, 10mins run, 10min bike, and 40min strength training.

Ingredients
clove of garlic
1 red onion
1/2 fresh red chilli, sliced
2 large flat mushrooms, sliced
1/2 tin of tomatoes
1tbsp of tomato puree
1/2 tin of chick peas
handful of fresh spinach
Lebanese flat bread

2tbsp natural yoghurt
juice of 1/2 lemon
clove of garlic

Saute onion, garlic, chilli and mushrooms in 1tsp of olive oil and a little water. Add chick peas and tomatoes and puree and saute for five mins. Add spinach and stir. Season with salt and pepper. Place a large spoonful of the mixture into the middle of half a piece of flat bread. combine in an envelope shape, place in an oven proof dish.
Meanwhile combine the ingredients for the yoghurt dressing, place on top of the flat bread and place under a hot grill for five minutes. Serve with salad.

; if you're exercising so that you can eat and maintain your weight, fine. today, I undertook a strenuous interval training session. That's involving brick session run, bike, run, bike, followed by 35minutes of core and resistance work.
This is still a healthy meal that will

Salmon and seaweed wraps


This was a bit of a last minute, got nothing in the fridge kind of meal. I know, so perhaps most people don't tend to have Nori seaweed sheets in their cupboard, but that's just me.

Ingredients
cooked fillet of salmon, broken into pieces
Edamame beans
Quinoa (or brown rice if you prefer)
1/2 avocado, cut into pieces
Large tomatoe, diced
Fresh coriander, fresh

dressing
Fresh chilli chopped
2tbsp fish sauce
1tbsp rice wine vinegar
juice of one lime
Clove of garlic

Combine all the ingredients and dress. Wrap in seaweed sheet. And there you go.

Wednesday 21 January 2009

Chilli and Lime Crab Cakes



I have to admit that being a pescatarian, it can be hard to come up with low carbohydrate based meals without resorting to cheese the whole time. And, I have been aware for some time (and someone else has pointed it out too) that I use quinoa a lot.
But I'm pulling out all the stops to be more imaginative for the last week of this month on this eating plan.
My aim was to lose half a stone - I haven't been on the scales yet but hmm, not sure I've done it. There's been a few cocktails in Soho House, a cake at Sanctuary Cafe in Brighton, the gorgeous fresh piece of foccacia from the new Italian on Wardour Street...er, I won't go on, you get the drift.
Still, if you're on a diet and you feel like you've fallen off the diet wagon, don't just give up. Sticking to it even 70% of the time is better than not at all.

Ingredients
1 tin of white crab meat
1/3 hot red chilli
1 tbsp low fat greek yoghurt
1 tsp horseradish
1/4 fresh lime juice
Handful of fresh chopped coriander
Beaten egg
cup of cooked quinoa (I know, it's reared it's head again - if you're not on a low carb diet though, you can use breadcrumbs, couscous or even millet).

Combine the crab, chilli, yoghurt, horseradish, lime and coriander in a bowl. Using your hands, make into small patties and leave to chill in a fridge (they can be quite soggy but should hold well in the pan). Dip in the beaten egg, roll in the quinoa and then shallow fry in a small bit of olive oil. Turn until browned and serve. This is also delicious with a few slices of apple - honestly!

Monday 19 January 2009

Spicy mussel and quinoa broth


This morning, I started a new conditioning and strength programme as I train for my first sprint triathlon. Hence, I've been starving all day. Seriously, if you want to really, really relish your food, do some weight training. It makes you more hungry than cardio exercise.
So, this delicious protein meal that is very low in fat and carbohydrates is the perfect meal to help refuel your muscles (geddit, eh?)

Ingredients
Handful of fresh mussels, beards removed and scrubbed (it's easy, just tear the hairy bits out, scrub clean...if the mussels are open and don't close with a tap to the shell, don't use)
1/2 fresh red chilli
Juice of one lime
Crushed garlic clove
Slug of rice wine vinegar
Slug of Tamari
Slug fish sauce
handful of fresh tomatoes


Saute the chilli and garlic in a little olive oil. add the tamari, fish sauce, rice wine vinegar and lime. Taste for liking and then add the mussels, turn heat to simmer and put on lid. Within about two minutes the shells will have opened. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve on the quinoa.

Sunday 18 January 2009

Salmon, Celeriac and Soy bean salad with spicy sesame dressing


I've been a bit lax the last few days with posting recipes but I spent Friday having a bio mechanical assessment done with one of celebrity trainer, Matt Roberts staff (look out for my posting on this in the next few days). Then yesterday, I spent training a friend and going through her diet.
Like many clients, she has put on weight and can't seem to shift it - any diet fails because she feels like she's depriving herself and can't think of what new to cook. Even more reason for this month long food blog! But talking to her also raised another problem that so many people fall into when they diet - the feeling that they're having to cut back, or eliminate foods. The trick is to add things - spices and herbs can transform almost everything you make and instead of feeling like you're eating something boring, it opens up a whole new world. So, here's a spicy salad packed with fresh herbs.

Ingredients
Salmon fillet
2inches cucumber, grated
Chunk of raw celeriac, grated
1/5 of small red cabbage, chopped
1/4 avocado, chopped
handful of steamed soy (edamame beans)
handful of chopped basil, mint and coriander (each)
1 boiled egg

Dressing
2tbsps rice wine vinegar
1/4 fresh red chilli, chopped
1 garlic, crushed
1tbsp fish sauce
1 fresh lime
2tsps toasted sesame seeds
1tsp pumpkin seeds toasted


Roast the salmon in the oven. Meanwhile, combine all the raw ingredients in a bowl and use your hands to combine. to make the dressing, add all the ingredients together, mix well, taste and pour over the salad. Use your hands again to combine well, chop the egg and serve.

Thursday 15 January 2009

Ruby Grapefruit, Halloumi and Pine Nut Salad



So, yesterday's attempt to stick to a low carb/high protein diet was a disaster. Looking after my godchildren and cooking them dinner, suddenly I found myself inhaling their toasted cheese pitta and baked beans. One minute, it was on the plate, the next it had disappeared.
Anyway, today I'm back on the case with this fresh, citrus salad.

Ingredients
1tsp pine nuts
4 thin slices of halloumi cheese
2 chopped tomatoes
1/4 avocado
Fresh salad leaves
1/2 ruby red grapefruit
Fresh mint leaves
Lemon Juice to dress

Toast the pine nuts in a heated, non-stick pan until browned. Remove and then add the halloumi, turning once browned. Add to a bowl of fresh salad leaves, chopped avocado, tomatoes, grapefruit and mint. Dress with lemon juice. Yum!

Be aware though that if you have a lot of weight to lose, you might be better off replacing the cheese with a pancetta or lean smoky ham.

Tuesday 13 January 2009

Salmon, nut and tahini salad


Unfortunately, I fell off the diet wagon yesterday after going out to see Slumdog Millionaire. I had good intentions - we were going out for sushi - but when that was closed we had Thai. With rice crackers and coconut curries.
Anyway, back on it today and today's lunch recipe which can easily be adapted for dinner is this delicious salad, even if I do say so myself.

Tin of salmon
2tbsp cooked quinoa
5 mixed nuts, chopped finely
tomatoes
2inches finely chopped raw leek
Dressing - 2tsp of tahini with 2 tsp of rice wine vinegar.

Combine all the ingredients and then dress.

Monday 12 January 2009

The No Diet diet? God, when will it end?


With much fanfare, The Daily Mail today announced the launch of yet another celebrity diet guru. Today, it's the turn of US dietician, Esther Blum, to be in the spotlight with her book, Eat, Drink and Be Gorgeous.
Esther's philosophy (no, hold your breath, you won't have heard of this before) is that self denial is bad and that we should eat chocolate, butter and even sip the occasional cocktail for while we've been told this is naughty food, it is infact the opposite.
Dark chocolate for instance contains ingredients that make the body release feel good chemicals (no kidding, Einstein!) as well as theobromine and anandamide which boost circulation. Butter, meanwhile enhances the immune system.
This is all well and good, but the very fact that her diet is endorsed by celebrities Sarah Jessica Parker, Sharon Stone and Teri Hatcher says it all. These celebrities are pretzel-thin - and look about as brittle. They NEED to eat some of these foods.
But there's a difference between nutritionally healthy food (I have no truck with the nutritional claims that Esther makes) and food that's 'good' for you when you're trying to lose a stone or more in weight. And I should know.
I've lost count of the times my personal training clients have said to me, 'But I eat really healthily - I have organic cheese, olive oil, dark chocolate and raw nuts but I'm not losing any weight.'
To most people with a real weight issue, setting up the idea that dark chocolate is nutritionally good is like giving someone the green light to eat it.
In contrast, Esther recommends eating 1oz of dark chocolate a day. Now, for the Teri Hatchers of this world, whose self control is strengthened by the job and the circles she moves in, that's all fine and good. For the rest of us...well, I know what I'm like if there's a bar of Green & Black's in my fridge...and I'm a personal trainer!

Sunday 11 January 2009

Spinach, mushroom and chick pea stew


Once a week, I'm allowing myself more relaxed carbohydrate rules and this is the day! On Saturday, I ran 13 miles in preparation for the Sussex Beacon Half Marathon on 22nd February, followed by three hours of beach volleyball (except, it was so cold the sand was like concrete). What with that and the fact that I've been in the gym for three hours devising Pilates style workouts for clients, along with swim specific training, my body is in serious need of some refueling!
This is adapted from a recipe in yesterday's Guardian Weekend magazine by Yotam Ottolenghi as I didn't have all the ingredients he used.

Tin of plum tomatoes
1 tsp tomato puree
4 tbsp tamarind (available from most good ethnic stores)- soak in boiling water, remove seeds
Tin of chickpeas
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 fresh red chilli, sliced
2 large handfuls of fresh spinach
Handful of chesnut mushrooms, sliced
2 1/2 tsps toasted coriander seeds, crushed
1 tsp of black mustard seeds
Low fat greek yoghurt to serve

To start, place the coriander seeds under a grill for a minute, remove and pound to a powder in a pestle and mortar. Meanwhile, saute the onion, mushrooms and chilli in a little olive oil for a five mins. Add the puree and mustard seeds. Cook for a few minutes, and then add the tomatoes, chickpeas, tamarind and coriander. Bring to the boil, add some water if needed, turn down and simmer with lid on. Keep your eye on it in case it gets a little dry but when it looks like a thick stew, add the spinach leaves, stir in. Serve on it's own with a dollop of low fat greek yoghurt, or add brown rice or quinoa.

Saturday 10 January 2009

Asian Salmon with seasame and chilli dressing



This is perfect for a quick meal or dinnner party.

For the fish
Clove of garlic sliced
Inch of fresh ginger, sliced
Spring onions, sliced
2inches fresh hot chilli, sliced
1/2 fresh lime
fillet of salmon

Shallow fry the garlic,k ginger, chilli and spring onion until the garlic is crisp and golden, but not burnt. Remove and drain on kitchen roll.
Place salmon in silver foil parcel, squeeze over the lemon and place the shallow fried veg on top. Place in an oven 200 degrees. Bake until cooked. Meanwhile make the dressing.

Dressing
Splash of rice wine vinegar
Spalsh of Fish sauce
Dash of soy sauce
1 clove of crushed garlic
Fresh chilli to taste
Lime juice
Pinch of seasame seeds
Mix well together and use to dress the fish and salad. I've served this with a fresh leaf and quinoa salad but you could have wholegrain rice or steamed greens.

Thursday 8 January 2009

Salmon and Feta Frittata


If you come home from work and you're starving and don't want to spend hours in front of the cooker, this will do the job. Mix it up to include anything you want on top - here it's salmon and feta, but try roasted pepper and feta, asparagus and ham, the list is endless.
Simply whisk together four eggs, lightly fry any of the harder vegetables first, pour the egg on top. Let it begin to set, then top with any other ingredients and pop under a hot grill. It will begin to puff up beautifully. When browned, cut and eat. (you can save the other half for lunch).

Wednesday 7 January 2009

Win a trip to New York - and get fit!



Fitness expert, Matt Roberts has helped transform the bodies of a many a celebrity. And now he's set to take on the challenge of getting the nation fit and in shape.
Matt and his team will be visiting selected John Lewis stores from 31st Jan - 28th February. Book to see him and he will record your statistics - body fat, weight, aerobic fitness and body shape, and set you a personal goal. Revisit eight weeks later to be re-examined and the person who demonstrates the biggest positive change overall willl win a four day break in New York for themselves and a partner - plus a state of the art treadmill.
No, if that's not reason enough to get you off the sofa watching Celebrity Big Brother and out to the gym, I don't know what is!
Log on to www.mattroberts.co.uk/getfitbritain for more information.

Snack attack - Cottage cheese and ruby grapefruit

For today's installment, it's not technically a meal but a snack. And to be honest, it's the snacking that I think is the main culprit when it comes to weight gain. Snack right and you're sorted.
Try ruby red grapefruit mixed with low fat cottage cheese. Not only is the cottage cheese an excellent source of protein but studies have shown that grapefruit aids weightloss.
In a study by the Nutrition and Medical Research Centre in San Diego,California those who hate a grapefruit with each meal lost 3.6lb in twelve weeks, compared to 0.5lb of those who didn't.
All well and good these studies, but try it yourself. This really does fill you up, and it's nice!

Tuesday 6 January 2009

Diet, diet, diet....


We're only six days into 2009 and already, I've read about a million different diets - the detox diet, the All New Atkins diet (shamelessly making a whole new bucket load of money off the back of the same principle), Cheryl Cole's diet (chicken in cream sauce anyone?). No wonder most people get confused about which to follow.
Well, to make it all clearer for you, I'm on a bit of a health kick to shed the excess carb loaded pounds put on over Christmas and will be posting daily recipes for you to follow.
I'm following a diet containing slow releasing carbohydrates with most of my meals being protein based. As the body uses energy sources provided by carbohydrates first, cut back on this and it is forced to switch to the energy stored in fat. That's the science in a nutshell, although on a practical level, it also makes sense.
White fish, eggs and salad are all low in calories, bread (who has bread alone - think about the butter, jam, honey, peanut butter - the list is endless), pasta (and sauces!) are not.
So, my posting for the day is Salmon and Quinoa salad with pomegrante.
1/2 mug of quinoa
Seeds of 1/4 fresh pomegrante
1 tin of pink salmon
Unlimited brocolli florets
pinch of pumpkin seeds
1/4 hot chilli, chopped.
lemon juice to dress

Cover the quinoa in water, bring to the boil and simmer until cooked. Meanwhile, steam or cook the brocolli. Mix together in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients, dress with lemon juice and there you have it! Delicious and the quinoa serves as a carb fix. It's a bit like couscous but is in fact a protein. Genius! (the grain, not me).