Bananas

You'll never look at bananas the same way again after discovering the health benefits and reasons to add them to your diet! Did you know Bananas can help to combat depression, relieve morning sickness, protect against kidney cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, and blindness. Plus they can even cure the itch of a mosquito bite and put a great shine on your shoes. Bet you didn’t know that!!

Facts your probably didn’t know about bananas….

1. Bananas help overcome depression due to high levels of tryptophan, which is converted into serotonin -- the happy-mood brain neurotransmitter.

2. Improve your mood and reduce PMS symptoms by simply eating a banana, this regulates blood sugar and produces stress-relieving relaxation.

3. Bananas can act as a prebiotic, helping to stimulating the growth of friendly bacteria your bowel. Plus they also produce digestive enzymes to assist in absorbing nutrients.

4. Bananas can make you smarter and help with learning by making you more alert. TIP: Eat a banana before an exam to boost your level of potassium.

5. Eating a banana can lower the body temperature and cool you during a fever or on a hot day. Perfect for Summer!

6. Last but not least, bananas are the ultimate snack for on the go plus super affordable! They always readily available and can be used for smoothies, fruit salads and baking!

3 ingredient Protein Banana Pancakes

INGREDIENTS
- 1 banana
- 2 eggs
- 1 scoop of protein powder

METHOD
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Lightly spray a medium non-stick frying pan with oil and heat over medium heat. Spoon 2 tablespoons batter into pan and spread out evenly. Repeat with remaining batter. Cook for 1–2 minutes or until golden. Serve with fresh berries and greek yogurt.

Create your own adventure with Macro Bowls!

Macro Bowls are not only super easy to make but jam packed with nutrient dense veggies, fruits/carbohydrates, healthy fats, and quality proteins! They are perfect for people who are time poor, constantly on the go or busy running around after your kids! The best thing about Macro bowls is there is no secret recipe or rules, you can literally add as many macronutrients as you desire!

Here's a quick breakdown on what makes the perfect macro bowl:

Greens | Spinach, romaine, arugula, kale, micro greens, sprouts etc.
Proteins | Keep it plant-based by choosing proteins such as tempeh, beans, quinoa and lentils or animal based protein such as salmon, tuna, chicken, turkey mince or eggs!
Healthy fats | Avocado, olive oil, nuts, seeds
Veggies | Carrots, bell peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, snap peas, peas, radish, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower or any other veggies that tickle your tastebuds!
Carbohydrates | Sweet potatoes, quinoa, brown rice, wild rice, beans (starchy-protein), corn and peas (starchy veggie). Key is to pick slow releasing carbohydrates to help you sustain your energy throughout the day!
Fruits | Strawberries, pears, banana, papaya, mango, grapes, raspberries, apples, etc.
Add-ons | Fermented veggies like kim chi or sauerkraut, homemade hummus..
Dressing | Keep it super simple with lemon juice and a dash of extra virgin olive oil or try my favourite combo of dijon mustard, tahini, lemon and apple cider vinegar!

My Favourite Macro Bowl Recipe!
This Macro bowl combo proteins packed & of course delicious!

INGREDIENTS
- 350 grams skinless chicken breast
- 1/3 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1/2 cup of green beans
- 1/2 cup of broccoli
- 1/2 avocado sliced
- 1/2 cup of sweet potato peeled and cubed
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tbsp Tamari
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp sesame seeds

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 180c
2. Cook quinoa
3. Toss sweet potato in half of the sesame oil and place on lined oven tray. Cook for 20 minutes until golden.
4. Dice chicken and mix with garlic and tamari. Cook in hot frypan with the rest of the sesame oil until cooked through.
5. Steam the greens on the stovetop or in the microwave until tender crisp.
6. Portion the chicken, quinoa and veggies into bowls.
7. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

I would love to hear & see your macro bowl creation!

Bitter Sweet

Refined Sugar has become a buzz word within the health industry. So what actually is refined sugar. Refined Sugar is essentially sugar that has been processed to a level where it is depleted of its naturally occurring vitamins and minerals. The results leave a pure, refined carbohydrate which equates to nothing but easy calories with no nutritional value. As well as harmful effects on the metabolism it can also contribute to all sorts of diseases!

Sugar can be disguised as the following:

* High-fructose corn syrup
* Honey
* Invert sugar
* Lactose
* Maltose
* Malt syrup
* Molasses
* Raw sugar
* Sucrose
* Syrup

* Agave nectar
* Brown sugar
* Cane crystals
* Cane sugar
* Corn sweetener
* Corn syrup
* Crystalline fructose
* Dextrose
* Fructose
* Fruit juice concentrates
* Glucose

Because nutritional labels are required by law to list their most prominent ingredients first. By putting two or three different types of sugar in the food (and calling them each a different name), they can spread out the sugar across three ingredients and have it show up much further down the list!

Hence, READ THE LABELS OF FOODS THAT YOU CONSUME! 

Excess amounts of refined sugar may affect your body in the following ways:

Liver

The effects of eating too much sugar can be likened to the effects of alcohol on your body. Excessive amounts can overload the limited space in your liver therefore causing it to expand and have to work harder! When your liver reaches it full capacity the sugar is converted into fatty acids and deposited on your thighs, stomach and butt!

Weight Gain

Yes this is the obvious effect but there is more to it! Fructose which the main sugar found in high fructose corn syrup aka HFCS (which is the primary sweetener in pretty much all fast food) tricks your metabolism by turning off your body's appetite-control system. It fails to stimulate insulin, which in turn fails to suppress "the hunger hormone," which then fails to stimulate leptin or "the satiety hormone." This causes you to eat more sugar and develop insulin resistance.

Addictive

Sugar fuels every cell in the brain and as your brain sees sugar as a reward this will make you keep wanting more of it. Therefore, if you eat a lot of sugar often you are reinforcing the reward hence making it tougher to break the habit. Yes, eating refined sugar will give you the fastest serotonin boost, this is very short-lived as you will be crashing after an hour or so!

Next question you are probably thinking is Fruit has sugar! So is fruit bad for you? Yes fruit does contain sugar but whole fresh fruit also is packed with fiber and many other nutrients, vitamins and minerals which help slow down the release of sugar into your system which does not cause damage to your liver. Our bodies are designed to metabolize the amount of fructose derived from whole natural foods such as fruit, not HFCS that is essentially made in a lab. Fruits such as Kiwifruits, blueberries, raspberries, grapefruits & pears are good options to stick with!

The majority of the health issues that I have mentioned can occur over time and come about as a result of excessive sugar consumption. The occasional treat is ok! Food is fuel, so it is important that we are aware of what we are putting in our bodies and the effects it can have.

My Spring into Summer 7 Day Meal Plan will help eliminate refined sugar from your diet and will kick start you into finding your bikini  body!

Carbs, Protein and Fats = ESSENTIAL

Life is all about Balance!

Let’s talk about Protein, carbs and Fats!

Protein is essential for the growth of muscle, hair, skin and bones. Whilst carbs provide your body with energy to fuel your brain and muscles. Fat is also incredibly important for insulation, brain health and the production of hormones. When protein, carbohydrates and fats work together they keep your body healthy and functioning. The carbs you eat give you energy while the protein builds muscles. Fats and proteins are essential in order to stabilize the blood sugar levels in your body and are best eaten together! To put it simply without carbs your body would not have the energy  it needs to workout and train  hard and without protein and fats you would not be able to build muscle or grow skin and hair and regulate your hormones and mood as effectvely. Demonstrating that these elements are equally essential for your diet!

This doesn’t mean you can go out and order a crispy chicken burger to ensure you include this essential relationship is in your diet. Instead you need to choose with care and be smart about it! The best protein choices are lean meats, eggs and tofu. The best carbs are whole grains, fruits and vegetables which offer more health benefits that refined grains! The best fats are monounsaturated olive oil and avocado as well as almond butter!!! Coconut oil has been shown to have a myriad of other health benefits also.

Some examples of nutritious protein and carb combinations that you can include in your daily diet include brown rice and broccoli with legumes, tofu or grilled chicken, grilled salmon with steamed asparagus and quinoa, low-fat cottage cheese with fruit or oatmeal and nuts! These food combos will take longer for your body to absorb therefore there will be a slower release into your body and a steadier energy source to keep you going!

Source: Muscle & Fit