Salad Festival (Chapter 3)

This salad is an all-time favorite, tried and approved by many!

Beetroot madness:

Ingredients:

• 3 to 4 small boiled beetroots
• ½ cup parsley
• 2 ½ Tbsp. tahini
• 1 to 2 tsp. olive oil
• ½ cup lemon juice
• Salt
• Dried garlic to taste

Method:

• Slice beetroots
• Add in parsley full leaves
• Mix into the bowl: salt, garlic powder, lemon, and oil
• Place the tahini sauce on top of the beetroots, and mix well
• Place the contents on the plate and decorate with the parsley leaves

Enjoy!

Salad Festival (Chapter 2)

Craving for something fresh and simple? Try this easy yet different salad combination.

Spinach Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups fresh raw spinach leaves
• 1/2 Cup cherry tomatoes
• 1 Cup mushrooms
• Walnuts to taste

Dressing:

• Balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 Cup orange juice
• 1 Sachet sweetener
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

• Place spinach leaves in a bowl
• Add cherry tomatoes and walnuts
• Prepare the dressing and add it to the salad
• Slice the mushrooms and decorate to taste

Tip:

If you want to make this salad a bit more filling, add a bit of Parmesan cheese or a chicken breast. This will turn this salad from a side-dish to a full meal.

Salad Festival (Chapter 1)

Hello dear readers. This entire week is going to be about easy special salads. Today, we will start with a healthy egg salad.

Healthy Egg Salad (2 side dishes, or one full meal)

Ingredients:

• 2 Hard-boiled eggs
• 2 Cups iceberg or mixed greens
• 2 Small tomatoes / 2 cups cherry tomatoes
• 1 Small boiled beetroot
• 1 Sprinkle of white cheese
• Green olives (optional)
• Crushed black pepper

Dressing:

• Lemon Juice
• 1 Tbsp. Mustard
• 1 Tbsp. Mayonnaise (Light)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

  Method: 

• Slice Iceberg
• Place iceberg / mixed greens in a big bowl
• Add cherry tomatoes
• Cut beetroot into cubes and add to the bowl
• Cut eggs into slices or quarters and add to the bowl
• Add a few sprinkles of light shredded cheese
• Add pitted olives
• Mix all the dressing ingredients and add to the bowl

Bon Appetit!

Little things can make a difference!

It doesn’t need to be extreme to make a difference. Little changes in your daily living can help you lose weight, and be in a better shape without much effort. So here we go!

 1- Drink water whenever you’re hungry 
Often, we think that we are hungry, but in fact, we are just thirsty. It’s the same message that we get. If whenever you feel like snacking, you start by a big glass of water, you‘ll be able to know whether you was hunger or not, and in turn avoid excessive calories in the latter case.

2- Get off the table instead of adding more food
Whenever there’s food on the table, we are likely to add more even if we’re almost full. A good strategy would be to get up, go do something else, and then assess if you are still hungry and want to eat. Keep in mind that your brain needs 20 minutes to register the fact that you are full. So, if you finished your meal in 10 minutes, you might add more to your plate thinking you’re still hungry, while in fact, you‘re not.  

3- Washing your hands while snacking
Let’s say you’re seated in front of the TV, your mouth full of chips, and your hands full of grease. Get up, wash your hands, and come back to watch TV. You will probably not want to dirt your hands again now, and will stop snacking. This works for me!  

4- Brushing your teeth after food
Now, let’s say you’ve finished your dinner, and you’re seated watching a movie. You feel like having a little dessert, or snacking on something. We all know that TV is an appetite trigger, especially with its endless food ads. Now go brush your teeth right after dinner, and watch your movie. You’ll feel fresh, and going back to the fridge will means eating, losing that clean feel, so there will be less chances to succumb to the urge to snack!  

5- Shopping for less candies and chips
It’s a fact. If you open your closets, and your fridge, and find candies, chocolates, chips, desserts, you will most probably eat them. If not, you will spend 20 minutes looking for something sweet, end up eating a tiny piece of whatever you find, then go eat something healthy, since this is all what’s available. Now you may be frustrated for half an hour, but tomorrow, you’ll be happy!  

6- Not postponing exercising
You’ve decided to work out 4 times per week. On Monday, you came back home tired from your first day at work, so you postponed it till Tuesday. On Tuesday, you remembered that you needed to go meet some friends. On Wednesday, you got lazy. And finally on Thursday, you get up and exercise. Then, it’s the weekend. You’re tired? So are all those who are actually exercising. It just takes the effort of starting to be able to sustain any kind of physical activity for an hour. Unless you’ve got a fever, a broken ankle, or are going to vomit, you owe it to yourself to get moving.  

7- Cutting down on the alcohol I will never say it enough. Alcohol is fat, and alcohol is calories, so drink wisely. If not for your health, then at least for your waistline! Again, go for simple drinks, not cocktails or sugary drinks. In addition, drink sparkling water or diet soda between drinks. The end result will be: less dehydration, less hangover, less fat from alcohol, and of course, more energy the next morning.

Let's start applying the new year resolutions!

Dear readers, we’re finally back after all the holiday madness.

Around this time of the year, we’re full of new resolutions, low on cash, have some post-holiday blues, as well as a lot to worry about for the New Year.

Today, let’s give a thought to our New Years resolutions, andhow to pick reasonable plans with regards to health and fitness. I will not promise you that you will be Adriana Lima by the beginning of the summer. I will not promise you that you will be the healthiest of your friends. What I hope to teach you is self-improvement on your level, and most importantly, living without guilt on your journey to fitness and health.

Rule No. 1: Exercising progressively

When it comes to exercising, and post-holiday resolutions, we always aim for the impossible. We start by wanting to exercise almost every day of the week for at least 1 hour, and end up exhausted and in pain after week 1 or week 2; which makes us lose our drive after a short while. Why don’t you start according to your fitness level? If you haven’t moved your ass in a really long time, start by scheduling a work out twice a week. It doesn’t need to be overly intense since you are a “beginner”. If you are already used to exercising, then add a few sessions or increase the level of fitness, and find some way to make them fit into your schedule. You are less likely to give up if your exercising schedule is compatible with your lifestyle and fitness level. For instance, I’m not a morning person; I will never be able to sustain a morning jog, so I keep it till the afternoon.

Rule No. 2: Aim at healthy and not skinny

Please girls, don’t stick the picture of a model on your fridge to motivate you to lose weight, and most importantly, don’t aimtowards anyone’s body! First, getting as skinny as a model is not healthy (it’s no scoop). Second, not all bodies are designed to be skinny. Aim for healthy, fit, and muscular; it will be easier to obtain and maintain, plus it will never make you look or feel sick. Write down your goal, and put small reminders somewhere, so that you don’t forget what you are after.

Rule No. 3: Listen to your body

Sometimes, you just need a break and it’s no shame! You may have been able to work out as much as you planned to, stuck to your diet plan perfectly, and then comes the day where you feel like having a burger and munching in front of TV. On that particular day, don’t overdramatize, don’t fill yourself with guilt feelings, just give yourself a break on that day, and tomorrow you’ll be back on track. One cheat meal won’t waste all yourefforts!

Rule No. 4: Frustration is your diet’s number 1 killer

The problem with dieting, especially after the holidays, is that you are coming back from wonderland, and going straight to the military service with no transition period, and no time to adapt. You go back to work and bury your social life, along a very restrictive food menu. How long can one remain deprived of the many joys of life? Not so long actually. I’m not suggesting letting go completely and forgetting about your health, but rather, having a daily treat. For example, if you are a carb lover, don’t go on a high protein diet! Have your piece of bread daily, or your little piece of chocolate. It doesn’t fit into your ideal plan? Never mind, it will allow you to sustain your weight loss plan for longer, since you are satisfied. You adore snacking in front of TV at night, well; allow yourself a bowl of fat free pop corn, instead of hating carrots and salads after a few days. You hate to work out every morning? Allow yourself a morning inbed, and enjoy your coffee quietly. Be flexible, and let your resolutions be bliss and not a nightmare.

Any extra tips that you think might be helpful? Share them with us!

And we're drinking and eating and thanking the lords of nutrition!

Are you ready to eat, drink, and party?

Here we go! Our friends just came back from abroad, our homes are stuffed with all the Christmas goodies in the world, and we’re psychologically prepared to all the extremes.



Prioritize:



Well, not everything served is worth trying. For example, you can easily skip the nuts and mini bouchées served before dinner. They will only pack on calories, and you are very likely to forget you ate them once you’re seated at the dinner table. In addition, you can easily skip the liqueur, hot chocolate, and digestif that are offered to you, and stick to sparkling water and your regular drink in moderation.



Only eat your favorite foods:



Tonight is Christmas dinner, and you are overwhelmed with all the good meals available on the table. Guilt won’t help, and frustration will only make you weaker. Therefore, the best strategy is to eat, but only what you really like. Meaning, if you’re not a turkey lover, don’t have it, stick to the beef filet or any other item. If you don’t like the buche then don’t eat it! On the other hand, if you’re a fan of salmon and foie gras, and whatever saucy dish is available, go for it instead of looking at it all night and ending up eating more nuts and dessert just because you’re frustrated!



Alcohol can be managed:



Starting the 20th of December, drinks and alcohol are all over the place. You will find some reason to indulge in it every single day. First advice I would give you is to skip drinking at home when you’re not going out. Next, drink smart! Even if the weather is bad and you’re cold, you’re still not in Moscow, so there’s no need to have one vodka drink after the other to “warm up”. Have some wine, it’s lighter in calories and alcohol, plus nothing warms you up as gently as red wine!



Cheat the smart way:



Now let’s say assume that the Christmas goodies are your favorite foods in the world. In that case, remember that you have at least 3 dinners to indulge. What I’m trying to say is, you are not going to face a period of famine in January, so you can eat what you like, but do it moderately. There’s no need to eat every meal as if it’s the last time you’ll have those foods.  You can make cheating smart by asking your hosts about the foods served. That way, you will know ahead of time what items not to be missed during each lunch/dinner, and you will be able to cut down on other less interesting foods during that particular seating.





Merry Christmas to all of you!

Rescue recipes for the holidays

Dear readers, today I will share with you some of my personal light yet yummy home recipes. They will come in handy during the festive seasons, and will help you avoid overeating.

Spicy Shrimp Soup:

Ingredients:

·         2 Carrots
·         4 zucchini
·         1 Small onion
·         4 Scallion
·         A Handful of green beans
·         1 Chili
·         ½ pack frozen baby shrimps
·         1 tbsp. diet butter
·         ¼ Cup soya sauce
·         1 tbsp. sweet and sour sauce
·         1 Medium can sliced mushrooms
·         1 Sprinkle thyme
·         1 Sprinkle black pepper
·         1 Lemon squeeze
·         ½ Bouquet parsley

This is my after yoga recipe, I start preparing it just after exercising, then shower and its ready!

Dice the vegetables into the shape you want. Place the light butter with the vegetables in a big saucepan (Start with carrots, green beans and onions, zucchini, mushrooms, then chili). When they start becoming soggy, add boiling water.  Add in the rest of the ingredients including the shrimps. Keep the parsley and the lemon till the end of the recipe. Let it all boil on medium heat half covered for about 30 to 40mins. Finally, add the lemon and parsley. Et voila!

Broccoli Pasta:

Ingredients:

·         1 Cup cooked whole wheat pasta
·         1 ½ cup boiled broccoli
·         100ml light cream
·         2 Spreadable light cheese
·         1 Slice light cheese
·         Shredded cheese
·         Salt
·         White pepper
·         Black crushed pepper
·         Oregano
·         Garlic powder

The magic in this recipe is the broccoli. It is full of fibers and will help you get the impression of having consumed a big meal, while it is very low in fat, and contains a small portion of pasta.

In a saucepan, place the freshly boiled broccoli with the cream and the spreadable light cheese. Leave them on medium fire until the cheese melts completely. Add to it the sliced cheese, ½  Tsp. garlic powder, salt ,white pepper, and black pepper to taste. When the mixture is boiling, add in the pasta, and mix well. Add a sprinkle of oregano, and some light cream if the sauce is not enough. When it is completely hot and coated, you can start eating.

My very own omelet:

Ingredients:

·         1 egg
·         2 egg whites
·         1 tbsp. shredded light mozzarella cheese
·         2 tbsp. 0% fat liquid milk
·         1 Big tomato
·         1 Small onion
·         ½ cup mushroom ( fresh sliced)
·         ½ bouquet minced parsley
·         Salt and pepper to taste
·         Spray oil

This recipe is perfect for a quick lunch on a Christmas Eve. It is very filling, low in calories. Served with a small bowl of salad, this can be a very tasty meal full of vitamins.

Dice the onions and tomatoes. In a bowl, mix the egg and egg whites with the milk and mozzarella cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste (you can add dried herbs as well). Add the mushrooms. Add the parsley. Spray some oil on a pan. Add the tomatoes and onions first into the saucepan and start cooking on medium fire. Add in the egg mixture when the tomatoes and onions tender. Keep on mixing (since it would be hard to flip the omelet because there is no fat) for 3 to 5 minutes. Finally, transfer the omelet to your plate with a small lettuce salad.