Les Mills GRIT STRENGTH

Ok so most people who know me know I am a gym junkie, and that I have trained in and certified in a few Les Mills program's, body pump and body combat. But my recent training has been in the new program out GRIT strength and let me tell you if you haven't tried it yet you really need to!!!! I've been doing it now for about 2 months and I LOVE how it makes you stronger. It is only a 30 min class but it will leave you burning calories up to 12 hours once you have finished, so when your sitting at your desk or having a drink with friends your still burning fat, how cool is that!!!!
It is recommended to do the class two times a week with a rest day between, like with all weight program's so you shouldn't be working the same muscles two days in a row as it allows them to repair and get stronger! The beauty of GRIT is that it is fast and it makes you go heavier in your weights to challenge yourself but it also adds plyometric training in to activate the fast twitch muscles!

Check out the video below to find out more
 

If your keen to try it and live in Launceston area come in and try a casual visit at Health and Fitness World Launceston in Williams Street LAUNCESTON. So far I have not met someone who isn't hooked to keep coming back!!!

Gluten Free and Dairy Free Graham Crackers

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups gluten free flour mix ( see recipe below for this)

1/2 cup organic coconut sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup water

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

2. In a food processor or mixer combine the first 6 ingredients.

3. Add coconut oil to the mix and pulse/mix until it resembles coarse meal.

4. Add honey and water and continue to mix until it all combines. May need to add a little more water to make the mix combine.

5. Remove and shape the dough into a flat disk and place between two pieces of parchment paper.

6. Roll dough between two pieces of grease proof paper until 1/4 inch thick. Cut into crackers or shapes.

7. Place cookies on a baking sheet or parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

8. Cool and serve.

**Gluten Free Flour Mix**

This mix makes 1 kg so it can be used for other baking projects as well.

700g white rice flour

200g potato flour

100g Tapioca flour

Cashew Protein Cookies

So of late I have really been branching out with ideas of cooking and today I knocked up some little cashew gems! I had seen a post on a site where they made them but I wanted to play around with the recipe to suit our taste buds.

Ingredients

200g cashews
2 tablespoons rice bran oil
60g vanilla protein powder (I used my hydroxyburn pro clinical)
1 tablespoon almond mill
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
2 tablespoons light coconut milk
20g milk choc chips (or to keep it healthy you can use cacao nibs)
2 teaspoons stevia or I used Hermesetas granulated sweetner

How to Make

Pre heat oven to 180 degrees or 170 if using a fan forced. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
In a small bowl mix the protein powder, almond mill and the stevia (or sweetener). I
Place cashews in a food processor and grind, then add the oil and grind again so it comes together like a cashew butter. Place the cashew mix in a bowl and add the egg, vanilla and coconut milk and stir together. Add in the dry ingredients and mix well. Next add the choc chips or cacao nibs and mix well. I used a teaspoon and made 24 balls that I placed on the trays and flattened slightly by pressing with the back of a fork. Bake for approx 12 minutes or until slightly browned.
Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly on trays then place onto a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.

Nutrition if you make 24 biscuits is per biscuit- Calories 88, Protein 5.5g, Carbs, 4.5g, Fat 6g,

The finished result!!!!

Balsamic, Beetroot, Fetta and cashew dip

Recently we got a dip from the shop that was really good so I have tried to replicate it and it was pretty easy but tasted better cause it was fresh!

Ingredients
1 medium Fresh beetroot
150g Danish Fetta cut into cubes
1-2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar more if needed to make it smooth
1/4 cup Raw cashews
Salt to taste

What to do
Cut the beetroot in half and remove the ends and wrap in aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 40 minutes until soft. Remove from oven and cut into smaller pieces, allow to cool a little.
In a food processor place raw cashews and pulse until chopped. Add the Danish  Fetta and the beetroot. Add a little balsamic vinegar to help pulse the ingredients together and to smooth out. Add a touch of salt for taste. I even left my cashews a little chunkier for a bit of texture.
You can use this dip with fresh vegetable sticks, crackers, we even put a little on some scotch fillet steak. Other ideas is to use in a wrap with a salad.

Banana Bread Wheat Free

I originally made this using wheat but have tweaked the recipe to make it a wheat free and a few other healthier options.

Ingredients
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup lupin flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup rapture
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
125g organic coconut oil
3 eggs
4 bananas mashed

What to do
Turn oven to 180 degrees or 170 if fan forced, grease a loaf tin and place baking paper inside so it overhangs.
Combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon in a bowl.
Place the coconut oil in the microwave to melt then set aside to cool slightly, once cool add the eggs and whisk together. Put the oil egg mix and the banana in with the flour and stir to combine. Place the wet mix into the tin and cook for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes then place on a wrack to cool, or serve warm.

William loved it served warm with a little hazelnut spread! 

Angela's Anzac's

Ok so I decided to have a play around with a new recipe today and incorporate some more healthy options into the making of Anzac biscuits and here is the result!

1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup organic coconut sugar
1/2 cup organic rapadura
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup desiccated coconut
120 grams tasteless coconut oil
1 tablespoon golden syrup
2 tablespoons boiling water
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda ( add a little more water if mixture is too dry)

1. Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees or 170 degrees for a fan forced oven.
2. Put grease proof paper onto biscuit trays or use a silicone reusable mat.
3. In a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients together.
4. In a microwave jug put the tasteless coconut oil and golden syrup and heat until coconut oil is melted.
5. In a small bowl add the boiling water and bicarbonate soda.
6. Add the bicarbonate of soda water mix to the golden syrup and tasteless coconut mix and stir until it froths up.
7. Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and stir in well and is not too crumble, if the mix crumbles add a small amount of water to make it stick more together.
8. Using a teaspoon size amount of mix roll into balls and place onto the prepared trays. The biscuits will spread so leave a good amount of room between each spoon mix.
9. Place in the oven and cook for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Remove from oven and let cool slightly on trays before transferring to cooling racks.
11. Allow Anzacs to cool then eat and enjoy!

Note:
For those who don't know rapadura is a form of sugar that is the dehydrated juice from the sugar cane. It is whole and unrefined with only the water removed. To read more about the health benefits of rapadura click  HERE.

To read more about the benefits of raw organic coconut sugar click here.

Are you feeling like your always hungry???

Do you often find yourself eating a lovely meal through out the day and then fins an hour later your tummy is rumbling again??? Well if this is you it could mean you are not eating enough  protein!

The University of Sydney did a study that found people who skimped on protein in their meals in fact ate more calories than those who did. It discovered that people who were on a 10% protein diet ate more calories overall, with 70% of these coming from snacks, when compared to people on a 15% protein diet.

Therefore is has been suggested that we should aim to get 15-20% of our daily calories from protein rich foods, which include things such as lean meat, fish, legumes and nuts.

Are you feeling Foggy!!!!

Do you often feel a little afternoon foggy and want to reach for the chocolate???? I know I do BUT instead of the chocolate, which is the not so health option you reach for the scrambled egg! Yes that's right how about some scrambled eggs or hard boiled eggs. Eggs contain amino acids which activate orexin cells in the brain, that will help the brain to wake up according to a report from the University of Cambridge scientists. So not only is eating eggs a great source of protein BUT you are also able to help get rid of that foggy feeling! So why not keep a hard boiled egg in the fridge for those moments!

Calcium are you getting enough?

So do you know how much calcium you need in a day?

If your a woman aged 19-50 you will need 1000mg per day and women over 50 need 1300mg per day!

So how can you get that amount?

200g plain low fat yoghurt contains on average 420mg
40g cheddar cheese contains 327mg
1/2 cup tofu contains 285mg
15 almonds contains 40mg
100ml fortified orange juice contains up to 80mg
100g cooked spinach contains 100mg
250ml skim milk contains 320mg
1/2 cup canned salmon contains 402mg

So next time your planning your day perhaps you might think of your calcium and if your getting enough as a lack of calcium for women can cause such things as osteoporosis!

Easy Home Made chicken Sausages

Last night I made the yummiest chicken sausages that were easy as!

500g chicken mince (if you have a mincer you can do your own using chicken breasts)
1 stem of spring onions cut up really small
1 tablespoon dried Italian Herbs
2 cloves of fresh garlic (minced)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or if you like it hot add more)

Mix all the ingredients together and roll into sausages. I made mine into small chipolata size as I was putting them into wraps.
Lightly spray a non stick fry pan and cook over a medium heat until cooked through.

Serving ideas:

I actually put mine into a wrap and had lettuce, tomato, little BBQ sauce, some sweet potato home made chips, red onion, and a shaving of parmesan cheese. Was very yummy and low in fat.

Also could roll the chicken mix into mini meat balls and serve over some pasta with home made or jar pasta sauce. Instead of putting the mince into wraps could just serve over a salad or with some vegetables.

Challenge!!!!

Has anyone joined up to this????

1 MILLION KILO CHALLENGE 

Check it out!

Are you feeling STRESSED!!!

I recently read an article about how certain foods can help make you feel better.

If your feeling stressed try yoghurt with slivered almonds as this will give you a dose of lysine and ardine, and amino acids, which have showed results in a Japanese test that people were more calmer after eating containing these properties. Foods containing stress less goodness also include- tuna, chicken, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, ricotta and cottage cheese.

Weekly Challenge Round 1

Ok so if your reading this I am setting a challenge for this week, who is in????


I have set up a facebook group under food and living and I have already challenged the members of this group so now I am extending the challenge to people here as well, oh by the way feel free to join the facebook group if your interested in a group designed to share and ask questions on ways to eat well and train well!


Ok so back to the challenge you will need a stopwatch and your self to do this as well as determination, so who's in???????


This week your challenge is to set 2 minutes aside and to see how many burpees you can do  I want you to record your number and then I will challenge you a little later down the track to beat you first time round record. 

To perform a burpee:

1. Begin in a standing position.
2. Drop into a squat position with your hands on the ground.
3. Extend your feet back in one quick motion to assume the front plank position.
4. Return to the squat position in one quick motion.
5. Return to an upright standing position.


So join in and share your achievements!!!

Friday Thought!

Have you got your goals in mind that you want to reach, or are they written somewhere that you can see as a constant reminder. Those goals that are only in your head sometimes don't ever see the light of day, however when they are written they are more real! SO I challenge you this weekend to set some goals and write them down.

Flexibility Test

Ok so this test is to see how flexible your hamstrings are as well as your lower back. You can do this a number of ways using different objects.


The first way is to take your shoes off and sit on a flat surface, legs extended in front of the body, toes pointing up and feet slightly apart, with the soles of the feet against the base of the step place your feet flat against a step. You can either place the ruler between your legs on the ground or on the step. Place one hand on top of the other and while keeping your knees flat reach forward as far as you can go, holding it for a couple of seconds and measure where you can reach to.


Mark or take note of your best score, take a measure in cm or inches beyond the base of your foot, or you did not reach your toes, measure how far before the feet you were (a negative measurement score).

Things to remember is not to bounce or jerk to reach further and to give it three goes and to take it on the average.

World’s Greatest Shave 2012

World’s Greatest Shave 2012

The Cardio Test

OK so if your doing the home fitness test the first thing to do is to test your cardio level!

What you will need to do is find a run that is 1 kilometre I would suggest an easy run something that is pretty flat. Some people suggest an oval or if you have access to a specific athletic track even better! Equipment needed will be a timer, either on your watch or a stopwatch, comfortable clothing, a good pair of runners and of course yourself!

Before the test you will need to do a little bit of a warm up maybe a 5 minute walk, or a light walk. You could even do a little house work such as vacuuming or making some beds!

Ok so once your warm set your clock and GO! Don't forget to record your result in a book with the date. I would also take the time to add weight, and measurement which I will talk more about later and why it is important to take them. I would also suggest to make other remarks such as what the weather was like how you felt and if you can possible add in what you had to eat. All these things can help when you do the test in a month as you can do similar preparation and see the differences as to how you did in comparison.

Good Luck!

Fitness Test!

Have you wanted to know how fit you are or maybe have a goal to work to being fit? Maybe a good idea would be to start by doing a fitness test. There are many ways that you can do it, one being to make a time with a Personal Trainer and do a full on test, including body composition, health assessment. Personal Trainers will include blood pressure,BMI, Flexibility, Aerobic capacity, waist to hip ratio and strength. From these results you can then have goals set to help you reach your goals in your fitness.

Another way you can do a fitness test is at home, however it may not be as intense as the one with a Personal Trainer but it will give you a good start as to where you are at and then show you areas where you can improve.

A fitness test at home can include a cardio test, a test for your upper body, a lower body test, and abdominal test, and a flexibility test.

Over the next few posts I will add each test up and how you can do it at home. The best thing is if you decide to do these tests you will need to do them and keep a record then work out a program as to how you can increase your fitness then you will need to re test to see how your progression is going. Stay tuned!

No Sugar Please!

I don't know about most people but I am a sugar freak!!!! Yes I am addicted to sweets and often find myself thinking more about the desert rather than the main when it comes to eating dinner!!! So I decided to do a little experiment to help my sugar addiction!!!!! I went off sugar for 2 months!!!! Yes you heard that correct I decided to not have anything to eat or drink that had added sugar for two months!!! No more sweets no more chocolate no more life, or that's what it felt like at the beginning of those 2 months. I made a massive effort to not have anything in the house that would make me trip up and I managed to survive!!!

So the benefits of not having sugar are bloated tummy went down!!! And I managed to loose some weight. Overall I have more energy and feel ten times better that I no longer have the sugar high and then the sugar low. I have tasted chocolate since my ban however I have found it to taste far too sweet and makes me very thirsty! So would I do it again, well I think that I can easily do it again as the results I have felt and seen make me feel way better, however I may have some sweet things every now and again just not every second day that was slipping into my life!

So I offer a challenge to you reading this can you give it a go? Have you got what it takes to beat the sugar hit? Leave me a comment and let me know if your going to take the challenge and how you get on. Just a little thought for you 1 teaspoon of sugar equals 20 calories, so add up how many teaspoons of sugar you eat per day in empty food and then work out how many empty calories you are getting, as sugar will not keep your body full and going.

Source

Making the most of Fruit

Well of late I have been on a detox of certain foods, especially after the Christmas period where all we seemed to eat was sugar, dairy and wheat! As a result of being off all  of these items our new eating regime consists of fruit and nuts all day and then one meal at night consisiting of salad, vegies and a meat either chicken or steak. So as a result I was looking at something I could do with the fruit to help fill me up and I came up with my version of a Boost juice!

I use nectarines, mango, blueberries, grapes, strawberries, peaches, apricots and grapes. I cut all of these items up and place into a ziplock bag and freeze overnight.

Once frozen I put the frozen fruit into a blender that has ice creushing blades along with a bananna and freshly squeezed orange juice, using the ice crushing setting first I let the machine do it's thing and then I put it onto the smoothie setting. The result is pure YUM! I have also added a scoop of my protein powder in before I put it on the smoothie setting to add a little more substance to the smoothie!

These have been really good and I have found that they have enough in them to last me a few hours and they are really refreshing after a workout!