In my recent article of Whole Life Challenge, 6 Healthy Ways to Feel Awesome in Time for Spring Break, I touch on a few things that you can do to reset your body and your habits so spring and summer find you out in the world, feeling active, happy, confident, and healthy.
These include:
- Drinking Lots of Water
- Limit Fatty Meat and Dairy Products
- Avoid Breads and Processed Carbs
- Move Your Body
Hopefully you find the tips in this article really helpful to reset!
With easter just around the corner it’s difficult to avoid the “holiday” binge: chocolate, hot cross buns….You eat until you feel sick, indulge in the sugar high until the guilt kicks in and you hate yourself for it days later? Does this sound familiar! Well this year is going to be different! Here are a few quick tips to help you avoid the guilt!
Prepare a healthy version of your favourite food – If you cannot resist enjoying a hot cross bun or two lathered in melted butter then why not opt for a “healthified” version without all the sugar! See recipe below!
Make a Plan of Attack – on the day before you get to an event or party, create a plan of attack! Decide how much of what you are going to have and make sure you stick to it!! Also by making the promise with yourself to not feel guilty as you will be get back to eating like normal the next day!
Hydrate!! – Water can help you curb cravings for bad foods. Often, when you feel like your body is longing for foods, all it really needs it water. Your hunger signals can easily get mixed up.
Limit the booze - we all know that feeling when we’ve had a few champagnes, our judgement becomes clouded and we find ourselves reaching for the second or third piece of cake! Pace yourself this Easter, and hydrate yourself with a fresh coconut water or sparkling water with lime!
Get Moving - Exercise is not about punishment or “making up for” what you’ve eaten. Do it because it feels good and keeps you in a happy, healthy routine.
Ingredients:
250g wholemeal flour (can substitute for almond meal)
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
½ cup raisins or golden sultanas
½ cup dried chopped apricots
½ cup milk of your choice
2 tbs p pure organic maple syrup or raw honey
2 ½ tbsp coconut oil
2 eggs (one for glaze)
1 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ orange, zested
Optional Sweet tooth: Add 50 g 85% dark chocolate, chopped
For the cross:
1 egg white
1/4 cup desiccated coconut
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Place the flour, cinnamon, ground ginger, baking powder, baking soda, currants (or sultanas) and apricots in a large bowl and combine.
3. Place the milk, maple syrup or honey, coconut oil, lemon juice, vanilla extract, orange zest and one egg in another large bowl and whisk until well combined and a little ‘fluffy’.
4. Add the wet mix to the dry ingredients and fold through gently until just combined and a sticky dough forms.
5. Lightly dust a clean bench with flour, place dough on bench and using floured hands form the dough into round buns. Then place the buns on the prepared baking tray.
6. Whisk the second egg, and using a pastry brush, lightly brush the top of the buns.
7. For the cross: whisk egg whites and desiccated coconut. Drizzle over unbaked buns in a cross shape with two spoons or using a piping bag.
8. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. ENJOY!
Eggs, which have been a usual part of many people’s breakfast, definitely have a place on SophiaFIT’s Superfoods list. They are loaded with nutrients and as they can take up to four hours to digest, this protein can actually help you lose weight!!
Eggs are among the most nutritious foods on the planet, containing a little bit of almost every nutrient our bodies require! They truly are the perfect food to be added into our diet!
One Eggs contains the following:
* Vitamin A
* Folate
* Vitamin B5
* Vitamin B12
* Vitamin B2
* Phosphorus
* Selenium
Eggs also contain decent amounts of Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Calcium and Zinc!
Along with containing all of the above, they are a great source of inexpensive, high quality protein with more than half the protein of an egg is found in the egg white!
Instead of loading you up with a plethora of facts about Eggs, I thought I’d just choose one!
Did you know that eating eggs can help you lose weight? I know this may come as a surprise to those who thought eggs were fattening or unhealthy, but a study carried out by the Rochester Center for Obesity Research found that eating eggs for breakfast helps limit your calorie intake all day, by more than 400 calories. That means you could lose three pounds or more per month.
The high level of protein in which eggs contain help keep you fuller for longer therefore decreasing the chances of you reaching for that mid-morning snack or over eating at lunch!
Don’t have time in the morning to cook your eggs?? Cook them the night before or meal prep on Sunday! Boiled eggs last for safely up to a week in the refrigerator after they were cooked or prep your omelette the night before whilst cooking your dinner!
It doesn’t stop there!! The use of eggs extends past the kitchen! Egg whites can be used for face masks to help tighten your pores and cure acne problems. For a quick and easy Hydrating Egg Facemasks all you need to do is combine 1 egg white , ¼ ripe avocado and 1 teaspoon yogurt!
Hopefully this weeks Superfood Series Blog has helped provide you some insight into how amazing eggs are! If you are stuck for ideas on how to incorporate eggs into your diet, both my Nutrition E Book & 7 Day Meal Plan Ebook contain plenty of recipes showing the versatility of eggs! Alternatively send me an email at sophia@sophiafit.com as we can work on meal plan together!
* Pineapple boosts immunity and improves blood circulations.
* Can help treat arthritis! Pineapple contains a relatively rare enzyme called bromelain that helps with the complex breakdown of proteins and has major anti-inflammatory effects! Hence helping to reduce inflammation of joints and muscles
* Aids with digestion - being rich in dietary fibre, pineapple is like a helping hand to which keep you regular and your intestines healthy.
* Helps heal wounds and protect against infection.
* Reduces risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease
Chia Seeds provide a wide variety of nutrients and are an excellent source of plant protein. In addition they are also high in magnesium, calcium, omega 3, linoleic acid, fibre and antioxidants. Because of this combination of nutrients, chia seeds are highly beneficial for the skin, bones, hair and digestive system. And did you know that they have been found to boost the metabolism and energy levels. Plus the high levels of fibre in chia seeds act as a prebiotic, meaning they feed the good bacteria in the gut. I could go on all day about how amazing chia seeds are but instead I thought it would be handy to give you a few tips on how to include them into your diet and of course a delicious recipe!
Add them to your smoothie - next time you are making a smoothie, add in some chia seeds into the mix. By adding chia seeds will simply bump up the nutritional value of your smoothie!
Add Chia Seeds To Pancakes, Cakes, Muffins & Other Baked Goods - While you shouldn’t eat baked goods every day, there is a place for them in a healthy diet. You just need to know how to "healthify" your recipes. Toss in a spoonful of chia seeds for extra nutrients. Just simply add the chia seeds to your batter and bake as normal.
Use Chia Seeds as An Egg Replacement - If you avoid eggs in your diet because you are allergic to them or simply don’t like them then baking anything from pancakes to birthday cakes can become very difficult. Here is where Chia seeds come into play! As a general rule of thumb, 1 egg is equivalent to soaking 1 tablespoon of chia seeds in 3 tablespoons of water.
Use as a topping - Sprinkle them on top of smoothie bowls, Greek yogurt or your morning bowl of oatmeal. You can also sprinkle them on top of a salad to enhance the nutritional value and offer a nice crunch!
Chia Puddings are not only easy to make but an incredible nourishing breakfast. With the recipes below, if you are wanting to add a little more protein add a scoop of your protein powder of choice!
1 1/4 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk
1/4 cup chia seeds
3 tablespoons raw cacao powder
Pinch of pink Himalayan sea salt
1 tablespoon organic maple syrup or raw honey (you may want more depending on how sweet you want it)
1 thinly sliced banana
Optional toppings: Goji berries, nuts, coconut
1 ¼ cups unsweetened non-dairy milk
¼ cup chia seeds
3 tablespoons natural peanut butter
3 tablespoons of organic jam (watch out for hidden added sugar!)
Optional toppings: Fresh berries, walnuts, unsalted peanuts
1 ¼ cups unsweetened non-dairy milk
¼ cup chia seeds
½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 tablespoon organic maple syrup or raw honey (you may want more depending on how sweet you want it)
Optional toppings: berries, figs, almonds
METHOD
Add all of the ingredients to either 1 large glass jar or two small jars with a lid, give it a quick stir, then put the lid on. Give it a good shake to mix all the ingredients up! Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, shaking or stirring occasionally. Serve the pudding chilled with your favourite toppings. ENJOY!!
Suffering from muscle or joint soreness after exercises? Well fish oil can help in assisting your recovery process. As when we work out, oxidative stress occurs which creates inflammation within your body. So ensuring that your body recover properly mean we will be able to train harder at a greater intensity for longer!
Fish oil is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids that can help to lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation and prevent heart disease. Fish oil is derived from the tissue of oily fish with the best source of fish being cold-water fatty fish. Humans consume fish oil through fish themselves or fish oil tablets.
Why we need it? As our bodies are able to make most of the fats we need, this is not true for omega-3 fatty acids. When it comes to these essential fats, we need to get them from omega 3 foods or supplements.
So if you are someone who eats fish 2-3 times per week, you may not need to supplement but if you aren’t a fan of fish than supplementing fish oil into your diet will provide great benefits. Or alternatively there are plenty of other foods to help you reap the heart-healthy, brain-boosting, and inflammation-fighting benefits of omega-3 fatty acid. These foods include: Wild Rice, Flaxseed and Flaxseed Oil, Eggs and Walnuts.
One last fact to convince you about how good fish oil is! Scientific studies have and will continue to back up all of the incredible fish oil benefits from eczema and fertility to heart disease and many types of cancer!! How amazing!
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
2 salmon fillets
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoon of lemon juice
4 handfuls of spinach leaves
1/2 of an avocado
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of cracked pepper
METHOD
1. Turn on your oven and preheat it to 375ºF.
2. Place the ground flaxseed, olive oil and lemon juice into a bowl and combine.
3. Place one side of each salmon fillet into the bowl and leave for a minute. Remove the salmon fillets and place on a baking tray.
4. Use a spoon to put any remaining flaxseed mixture on top of the salmon fillets. Use a fork or your fingers to ensure the flaxseed mixture is lightly pushed into the salmon fillet.
5. Season the salmon fillets with a pinch of sea salt and cracked black pepper.
6. Place the baking tray with salmon fillets in the oven and leave for 20 minutes. Check the flaxseed crust is moist and crunchy when removed from the oven.
7. Prepare the fresh baby spinach leaves and diced avocado on a plate with a squeeze of lemon, then add the flaxseed crusted salmon fillets and Enjoy!
Did you jump out of bed refreshed? Sleep is vital for your physical health as it helps support so many of your bodies functions such as metabolic function, cognitive ability, your immunity and even helps with balancing your hormones!!
Create a bedtime routine, allow your body the time to slowly wind down for the night as this will make falling asleep and waking up rested so much easier! Plus a well rested body means dramatic improvements in weight loss and general health!
Check out my top tips on ensuring you have at least 7 hrs sleep HERE!
Breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day as it breaks your overnight fast and kick starts your metabolism! So starting your day with a nourishing meal with set the tone for your day ahead. Here are my favourite brekky options that are super quick, easy and healthy!
Protein Smoothie
I love my Banana & Strawberry smoothie to kick start my day! Add a scoop of protein powder and top with crushed nuts, seeds for an extra boost! Check out my recipe HERE
Granola Parfait
Combine 1/2 cup of organic unsweetened greek yogurt with 1 cup of berries, a 1/3 cup of granola and a tbsp of chia seeds.
Easy Peasy Scrambled Eggs
All you need is 2 eggs 1/4 cup of unsweetened almond milk, 1/2 cup of sliced mushrooms and 2 handfuls of spinach. Whisk together and add to a pan lightly coated in coconut oil. Stir the eggs intermittently until they are light and fluffy!
Egg Bowl
Saute your favourite greens (such as spinach, kale) in olive oil or coconut oil with a sprinkle of chilli flakes until slightly wilted. Add sautéed greens to bowl with two eggs (poached, fried or boiled), 1/4 of an avocado and a sprinkle of slivered almonds.
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