Healthy eating – don’t over complicate it!

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I think when it comes to healthy eating, quite often people go for the easy quick take out option as they assume it is too hard to make a fast, easy and healthy meal.

Let me tell you this is not true.

The majority of my meals take 30 mins to prepare and cook (unless I get sidetracked listening to music and dancing around while I cook – which does happen often)

*Side note – dancing around while you cook is a great way to burn some extra calories and is oh so much fun 🙂

The key to quick and easy healthy meals is not to complicate it.

Chop up veggies and add fresh herbs and garlic for flavour.

If I am chopping veggies – I always chop extra so I can use them for lunch and or dinner the next day (depending on how hungry my husband is and how many left overs I can keep).

Cooking meat and veggies separately allows you to only have to cook fresh meat for the 2nd night.

Some easy meat ideas:

Fry chicken with garlic, lemon and honey.

Bake salmon just with lemon and pepper.

Fry meatballs with cumin and or cinnamon.

Fresh herbs, turmeric, cumin, garlic, pepper go a long way to making things absolutely easy, and tasty.

Here’s an easy lunch bowl I made up over the weekend (not going to lie was pretty proud of this one)

 

QUINOA BOWL

 

Cook quinoa as per instructions on packet.

Fry asparagus, tomatoes, kale with a dash of balsamic vinegar & half a small garlic cube.

Mash up 1 x avo add lemon, pepper and other half of garlic cube.

Add a bit of salmon, a few nuts

Arrange nicely for a photo then moosh it all together and eat 🙂

Green for goodness

This week I went and got myself a cold; so I have spent my energy (when not resting) in between trying to stop my nose running in down dog and making healthy green concoctions.

I often get asked for recipes so here are a few jam packed with goodness from the last few days.

My get over a cold throw it all in a blender juice:

*orange juice
* handful of spinach
* little bit of ginger
* handful of berries

Delicious and filled with anti-oxidants and vitamin c.

Has to be good for you coz its green – green soup.

This I took from a recipe and as always I started with the recipe then ditched it and made it my own (no offense to all the fabulous people who contribute to recipe books)

This soup consisted of:

* 1 leek
* 2 cloves garlic
* 2 tablespoons olive oil

Heat all this up in a large pot until soft

Then add (I am being non descriptive with the quantities I say use what you have or as much as you like)

* broccoli
*kale
*spinach
*silver beet
* ginger
* 2 ltr vegetable stock

Bring all of this to the boil

Add in
*salt and pepper
* 2 teaspoons lemon rind (I added more and added some lemon juice as well

Cool this all down

The put into blender and add 300g silken tofu

I also added some lime juice and while it strongly resembles baby food in looks, the taste is quite delicious!

Please message me if you would like actual quantities as per the initial recipe:)

Another thing I have been eating lately is avocados on toasted sourdough with lemon, cracked pepper and snow pea sprouts.

All of these things are healthy and quick and easy to make.

Enjoy and please share any of your healthy favorite green tasty delights.

Happy Easter gorgeous bunnies out there

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I deliberately used the word gorgeous in the title; as I am well aware those of you who have been consuming more delicious chocolate are probably now feeling guilty and anything but gorgeous.

So let’s put a stop to those thoughts right now!

Let’s be human and indulge every now and then.

Let’s enjoy Easter, enjoy a break from work (hopefully) enjoy your life each and every beautiful moment.

Find time after the break to get back to your healthy fitness routine, restore your balance.

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Everything in moderation

Everything in moderation, we have all heard that saying countless times.

I think this time of year as you are devouring your third plate of Christmas dinner goodness, eating just “one” more chocolate, and drinking your hundredth alcoholic drink you are starting to wish you actually adhered to it.

While I do think that drinking 100 drinks probably isn’t ideal and eating too much fatty sugary food isn’t going to make you feel amazing;  it is Christmas, it is a time for celebrating and partying so please don’t beat yourself up if you are consuming the “bad” things a little more frequently and less moderately than you normally would.

As I always say in my classes, be kind to yourself, listen to your body, give it the break and treats it deserves, but keep in mind if you are drinking and eating excessively you will most likely put on weight.

So my friends, eat and drink (at least not too crazily)  if the weight creeps up, then so be it, deal with it by not allowing this to become a habit, jump back into action early in the new year and get your body healthy again.

Life is too short to be at war with yourself.

 

Sweet potato patties (a quick and healthy snack)

Being in the fitness industry I often have people asking me about quick and easy healthy recipes.

I am not really one to follow a recipe exactly or even use a recipe at all despite the large volume of recipe books I promise my husband I will use one day, which I why I can’t possibly get rid of them 🙂

The other day I was thinking of my love for sweet potatoes – yes I spend a great deal of time thinking about food.

For a little person I am always grazing (like a cow someone once said – yes thanks for that) but true none the less.

So back to food….

I made sweet potato patties the other day and I got to be honest- they kind of rocked my world!

So I peeled (obviously, the peel on them would be silly) and chopped up about 3 large sweet potatoes, which I then boiled until soft.

I chopped up some onion which in hindsight I should have cooked a little first, rather than just throwing it into the mix.

Then I threw it all in a blender.

I added a tin of chickpeas and a few tablespoons of flour.

I added some cumin and coriander powder (I couldn’t tell you how much – whatever you think or add spices that appeal to you)

I also added a few fresh herbs from my garden coz I love fresh herbs.

I mushed it all up – well the blender did all the work while I stood by and watched.

Then I made them into little patties, I chucked them in the oven or you could fry them and wallah a it’s great lunch or dinner snack with salad.

You will know when they are cooked as they go brown but not too brown.

Please let me know your thoughts or any other variations of this or any other quick and easy heathy recipes you would like to share.

Everything is better when it’s shared with love.

Ps – quick sweet potato other delightful treat:
Chop up sweet potatoes thinly,
pre-cook in microwave for about 4 minutes then cook in fry pan add a little fresh ginger, garlic, and soy sauce and have as a snack.

It too will rock your world and have your taste buds singing with joy.