Tag: CLEANLIVING

NN DAY 1 – BUT FIRST… COFFEE

Published on by Katie morganLeave a comment

Welcome to Nutritional November. Firstly CAN YOU BELIEVE it is November already and will be the year 2015 in only 8 weeks?? I know I can’t. After much motivation this last month from the gorgeous ladies Jayne and Katie from Sweat and Oranges, I have decided to do “Nutritional November”. Each day of the month I will be posting tips, facts, recipes, workouts and other helpful healthyness to get you feeling confident and be the best version of yourself… just in time for December. Think of it as a little revamp of your health life to keep you motivated, on track and making progress!! So here goes. Day 1 – but first… coffee!

I don’t know about you but I am a creature of habit, not one who likes too much change, and someone who falls into a routine very comfortably and fast. Ok ok yes these are sounding like excuses you are right. These are the things that I tell myself every day when I think … “do I have a coffee addiction?” and the answer is yes. I do. You probably do too. Coffee is the most consumed beverage in the world. Although negative effects of caffeine have received most attention from health writers, coffee is a complex mixture of antioxidants which are beneficial to our health. Caffeine is one of the most commonly consumed stimulant ‘drugs’ occurring naturally in tea and coffee and other plants and when withdrawn entirely from a diet can lead to withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, stiffness, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, depressed mood and irritability. Well – want to avoid such symptoms??? DON’T STOP DRINKING COFFEE.

 

I am sorry for those nutritional therapists or natural foodies that I offend in saying that but if there is one thing I believe and stand by more than anything whilst living a clean and healthy lifestyle, is not depriving yourself or completely removing anything from your diet. God knows I have tried to quit. I gave it up for 30 days once and it made no difference. I didn’t feel the slightest bit healthier or better and I craved it just as much on day 30 as I did on day 1. For me coffee is social, fun, exciting, brings happiness, makes me alert, picks me up, burns my tongue (have got to stop demanding extra hot), gives me energy, lifts my mood and not to mention tastes AMAZING!!! And why would I deprive myself of those feelings on a daily basis. Not to mention the amazing antioxidant benefits of a daily coffee. I know that I can stop although I am not in the least concerned. I drink coffee because I LOVE IT!! Hell if my body would fit inside the takeaway cup (yes it HAS to be in a takeaway cup) then I would jump head first straight into it and bath in its creamy hot goodness. I am a sucker for anything coffee – desserts, slices, cookies, ice cream and smoothies.

 

So stop listening to all of those one liners about coffee being bad for your health. Yes if you consume 10 cups a day, but anything in excess is bad for you. Even Kale!!! Yep I said it… kale can be bad for you. Kale is a cruciferous vegetable similar to broccoli, cabbage and brussels all of which when consumed in excess can lead to problems with your thyroid glands. Proof!!

 

Here are the top 13 evidence based health benefits of coffee that have been confirmed by human studies.

 

  1. Coffee can improve energy levels and brain function
  2. Coffee can increase fat burning and boost your metabolic rate
  3. Coffee can improve physical performance
  4. Coffee is full of essential nutrients such as riboflavin, manganese, potassium, magnesium and niacin.
  5. Coffee may lower your risk of type II diabetes
  6. Coffee may protect you from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
  7. Coffee appears to have protective effects on the liver
  8. Coffee can fight depressive moods and make you happy
  9. Coffee is the biggest source of antioxidants in the western diet

 

Of course too much coffee can make you jittery and potentially cause high blood pressure and increase heart rates. Drinking more than 4 coffees a day is not recommended.

However I would be more worried for my bank account if I was consuming 4 coffees a day more than the effect it would have on my overall health.

So be reasonable. If you feel like a coffee HAVE ONE. If you have already had 3 and crave another… ask yourself do you really need it or are you bored/hungry/tired. Sometimes when you crave a coffee or something sweet your body just needs a little fresh air or a break. Take 5 minutes away from your desk, get some sunshine, go for a walk or drink a large glass of water. If you still crave the coffee… have it!!

On that note… I’m off to my fave ‘Edgar’s Inn’ for a darn big creamy coffee!

K

12 TIPS TO CONQUER THE EARLY MORNING WORKOUT

Published on by Katie morganLeave a comment

Summer bodies are made in the winter… but now winter is over… have I failed or left it too late?

 Gone are the days of being a university student – flexible hours, catching up with friends, home all day long and sleeping in! Now living out of home in a city working full-time – trying to fit in a workout is tough… especially in winter!!! But gone are also the frosty winter mornings … seriously about time!! No longer -6 degrees outside and pitch black when the alarm goes off at 5.30. No more stubbing toes in search of the bathroom, blinding ourselves with the heat lights and having to carry cups of hot water out to the car to pour on the windscreen. If you were one of those incredible humans who fought the icy blackness and made it to at least one early morning gym session then good on you.

 Ever heard of the saying “summer bodies are made in the winter?” Now don’t look at this and think – well the winter is over and it’s too late to get into shape before summer so I will just give up! Another year – another 2 kilos stacked on during hibernation that you never manage to lose before Christmas? And then let me guess… your new year’s resolution is to detox, lose weight and get fit. Sound familiar? Firstly scrap those ridiculous new year’s resolutions and last-minute detox and diet fads. Your time is now and you are in training to be healthy for life. There is still plenty of time left to get ‘healthy’ before Christmas but the best part about committing to a healthy lifestyle is that is doesn’t have an end date. And to be honest who wants to work their butts off (literally) over the next 3 months and then blow out and quit as soon as Christmas hits?

For me, the idea of going to the gym in the evening after work makes me want to curl up in a ball or just get into bed. I am way too exhausted and hungry so getting my butt to the gym first thing in the morning before my brain realises what I am doing is the only option. Here are some simple tips to make getting to that early morning session a little easier. I know I need every little bit of help and encouragement that’s for sure.

  Continue reading “12 TIPS TO CONQUER THE EARLY MORNING WORKOUT” →

13 TOP FOODS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

Published on by Katie morganLeave a comment

With so many fad diets circling social media and the health and fitness industry it is hard to know what to eat. It certainly doesn’t help that the ‘gluten free’ diet is becoming a bit of a fashionable trend and people are focussing more on what NOT to eat, than what TO eat!

The amazing fitness health queen Lorna Jane stands by her quote “STOP DIETING – START NOURISHING” and proves this with some delicious and nutritious recipes in her latest cookbook Nourish – if you haven’t already got it, go and buy it now!! It’s a goodie.

Here is a list of the 13 top foods for weight loss; in no particular order these amazing wholefoods are simply designed to kick start your metabolism and burn that unwanted fat whist you munch. See how many you can fit in your day!!

  1. Apples
  2. Beef
  3. Eggs
  4. Bananas
  5. Oats
  6. Brown rice
  7. Blueberries
  8. Chili
  9. Avocado and Olive oil
  10.  Chicken
  11.  Peanut butter
  12.  Greek yoghurt
  13.  Almonds

How many did you mentally check off in your head? Or how many of you took one look at the list and felt like a dog with his tail between his legs?

Want to know how can you achieve all of these foods in the one day? SIMPLE – I would say that I easily consume 90% of this list EACH day… Chili is finally growing on me but that would probably be my least consumed. Side Note: Have you had that chili hummus dip? With the big red blob in the middle… fair to say the hummus part contains no heat AT ALL but that red bit… ouch it is 100% chili/ harrissa paste so either stir the whole thing up before you scoop or avoid the red like the plague unless you have a cucumber and glass of milk handy! I’m just going to stick to the plain or beetroot hummus thanks!

Please note these meal plans are based around what I consume daily. Different people require different levels of nutrition and portions to suit their physical activity and goals. I eat 3 meals, 2 snacks a day, drink 1 coffee on arrival to work (and then fight myself all day for a second until the coffee shop is shut) and have an after dinner treat 2-3 times a week!

Below I have constructed two examples of a simple one day meal plan that incorporates all of the 13 top weight loss foods: Try it one day this week… you won’t go back!

EXAMPLE ONE:

 

Breakfast:

Overnight soaked blueberry oats topped with a banana and dollop of Greek yoghurt

Mid-Morning snack:

Flat white

1 apple sliced and 1-2Tbs peanut butter

Lunch:

Grilled chicken, avocado, almond and feta salad. Health blogger, nutritionist and wellness coach Jess Sepel from ‘The Clean Life’ has an amazing recipe worth trying. http://www.jessicasepel.com/recipes/lunchdinner/alkalizing-salad-with-zatar-chicken/

Mid-Afternoon snack:

Handful of almonds/trail mix

2 boiled eggs

Dinner:

Beef mince chili con carne served on brown rice with steamed greens and diced avocado on top. My fave recipe for this is by Teresa Cutter; The Healthy Chef – check it out…. http://www.thehealthychef.com/2012/04/chilli-con-carne/

After dinner cleanse/snack:

Piece of fruit with a couple of slices of cheese (apple/cheddar or watermelon/ feta are some good combos)

Medjool dates are also the perfect sweet to fight those cravings. Otherwise have a piece or two of dark chocolate to give your body an antioxidant boost!

 

EXAMPLE TWO:

Breakfast:

Green brekkie smoothie; 1/2 large frozen banana, 1 cup frozen blueberries, ½ cup oats, 1 raw egg (you honestly cannot taste the egg and it ups the protein content) big handful of spinach and milk

Mid-Morning snack:

Flat white

175gms Greek yoghurt topped with seeds/nuts or granola (I am all about the toppings/textures and the crunch factor)

Lunch:

Thai beef salad with rice noodles

Great recipe by nutritionist Katherine Rothwell on the Eat Fit Food blog here:

http://www.eatfitfood.com.au/_blog/Eat_Fit_Food_Blog/post/meal-of-the-week-thai-beef-salad-with-rice-noodles-cashews-sesame-seeds/

Mid-Afternoon snack:

2 brown rice cakes with 1-2Tbs peanut butter and ½ large banana sliced (leftover from brekkie)

OR

Slice of warmed banana bread with 1-2Tbs peanut butter, 1/2 large banana with chia seeds and cinnamon (This is a serious fave – pictured as the feature image) recipe for banana bread by The Healthy Chef here: http://www.thehealthychef.com/2013/01/gluten-free-banana-bread/ perfect when you have those funky looking brown bananas lying around and even better to bake, slice and freeze!

Dinner:

Chicken and red apple curry with almond couscous

Simple weeknight curry recipe from Clean Eating Magazine here: http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/recipes/chicken-curry-with-almond-couscous/

After dinner cleanse/snack:

Avocado raw chocolate mousse; simply mash/combine 1 avocado with 2 Tbs honey and 1Tbs cacao powder for instant creamy mousse; Serves 2)

It is THAT simple. There you have it – 13 weight loss super foods in the one day all designed to target fat loss, not to mention taste delicious.

There are so many different combinations of these foods that you can incorporate into your daily eating plan…Eggs for breakfast, yoghurt dolloped on or in your next curries, peanut butter in your stir fry or avocado in your smoothies. Get creative!

Your body requires a balance of carbohydrates, good fats, proteins and fibre to thrive and get the best results.

“Fail to prepare – prepare to fail”

K

EATING KALE AND LIFTING KETTLEBELLS

Published on by Katie morgan4 Comments

I guess everyone has their favourite things, happy places and things that get them excited. Everyday my love for fitness, nutrition and living a healthy life is growing. I am forever stalking Instagram pages, reading and buying all the new clean lifestyle and wholefood books hitting the shelf (I will get to my faves and worthwhile buys another time) and researching about what it is that makes our body function at its best.

So… why eat kale and lift kettlebells?

Continue reading “EATING KALE AND LIFTING KETTLEBELLS” →