When you come home at 8pm after a long day and the last thing you can think of is cooking, why not just ‘throw something together’? Of course you need some ingredients in your fridge and that’s another reason for being organised, plan ahead and plan for emergency meals. Why? Because it’s way to easy to decide to go out for a meal or order a pizza, however by the time the pizza arrives you have probably raided the cupboards anyway due to insatiable hunger and are not actually that hungry anymore when the pizza does arrive – but eat anyway, too much and too fast. Sounds familiar?

If you have no time to cook dinner or to wait for dinner to be delivered, try this….

A few fresh leaves, some raw chopped veggies, a light cheese such as goats, buffalo or sheep’s, a drizzle of apple cider vinegar and splash of olive/pumpkin or flax oil, salt and pepper and a sprinkling of lightly toasted nuts such as pinenuts and some rye bread or Ryvita crackers. If this takes you more than 5 minutes to assemble call me!

This meal is light, you can go to bed in a couple of hours and it doesn’t feel like you have a rock in your tummy. It is a complete meal, it consists of protein, fibre, vitamins, fat and complex carbohydrates.

What more do you really need?

Not only did miss LL loose 10kg over 5 months but she has made such an effort to adopt a healthy lifestyle and diet that the proof is in the pudding.

I compared some before and after pictures this morning which she is not happy to share yet because she still wants to loose 6kg more which will be her goal weight and the ultimate success story, but needless to say, she looks incredible! However, she also feels great, her PMS was hardly noticeable last month, the tailored supplememt plan  has helped with the chocolate cravings, she sleeps well and feels well rested, she has loads of energy and is able to make sensible choices even when she is travelling or out with friends and food choices are limited.

Her diet has changed from skipping breakfast, two coffees at lunch, grilled chicken breast and salad for dinner and two diet cokes a day, (which was a good day) to three square meals containing all macro nutrients, in the right portion size and drinking plenty of water and no more diet coke. She ate according to her metabolic balance plan. It all seems pretty straight forward right? It is, but it takes practice, dedication, will and a clear goal, for there is no point making these changes; feeling and seeing the benefit and then going back to your old wicked ways- it’s a lifestyle choice and a lifetime’s commitment.

Improvements!

I will share a few of miss LL measurement improvements over the last five months

Weight: 83kg down to 73kg 

Waist: 94cm down to 78cm

Hips: 116cm down to 106cm

BMI: 30.1 down to 26.7

Body fat: 47.6% down to 43%

I am so proud of her, she has realy taken all we have done on board and has made it her own. The key now is to keep going, when you fall off the wagon to get straight back on and as miss LL has said, even if she does ‘fall sideways’ she can’t wait to eat her new normal way again because she feels so much better, it’s worth it and it’s not like you are deprived of the good things in life for ever, it’s just more balanced and in moderation. Although miss LL has not been going crazy in the gym,  she has been more active on a daily basis and will start doing pilates regularly again which she loves – this will make all the difference!

Well, I think this is one of the fab things about this program is that you can eat normal food, without feeling deprived and eating something like cauliflower cheese is so comforting and satisfying

Recipe

Cauliflower, cheese, leeks and ryvita

Use what ever your allowance on your plan is for cauliflower, cheese and leeks. You can also use broccoli

Method:

1. Steam the  cauliflower until just tender
2. Lightly sauté the leeks in your portion of coconut oil
3. In a food processor blend your portion of ryvita until it resembles bread crumbs. You can also practice anger management and bash the ryvita in a bag with a rolling pin
4. In another bowl mix your cheese and crumbs, season with paprika and pepper
5. Place the cauliflower in an oven proof dish and add the leeks
6. Place the cheese mixture on top of the cauliflower
7. Finish off under the grill until the cheese is melted and the crumbs have browned slightly
8. Garnish with chopped parsley

You can use any organic yoghurt (goat’s, sheeps, cow’s or Soya) depending on your plan.

The mango smoothie

Add your portion of fruit and some fresh mint to your yoghurt, in this recipe I used fresh Alphonso mango (they are amazing), blend together and in less than 3 minutes breakfast was ready.

In Phase III and IV, I like to add a tablespoon of flax/pumpkin/BodyBio or hemp oil as fat portion and I would add some ground flax seeds, for added fibre and the extra benefit of lignans which are beneficial for us ladies and our hormones.

Not only does it take no time to prepare, this breakfast does keep me satisfied until lunch time, it’s tasty and it looks beautiful. You can use so many different varieties of fruit and the kids should like this too.

Well mmmm, not so fast with the extra helping mommy to be, your health and diet during pregnancy is even more important than ever. Yes baby is growing and there are extra demands on your body but go easy on the empty calories.

Saying that, I am no angel and would be lying if I said I never succumb to the odd temptation. It does sometimes feel like my body ‘needs’ a little chocolate kick and I have even really enjoyed the odd glass of coke (I know sacrilege!) however, severe moderation is key and I do ensure that I make up for it by applying these few rules everyday.

How do I stay healthy during my pregnancy?

• I try to have at least 5 portions of vegetables per day and three of them has to be raw
• I have a little more fruit than normal but am loving the odd banana and oranges at the moment (the oranges in Morocco was to die for)
• Instead of juices and sodas I drink sparkling water with elderflower cordial or fresh lime and mint – very refreshing (bar THAT coke)
• When my husband has a gin and tonic, I opt for a small tonic and lime- mind over matter can be very powerful
• I eat slowly and if I need to snack I try to make myself a little plate of something rather than mindless chomping on whatever comes in my way
• I stop eating when I’m full and eat when I’m hungry
• I try to do some form of activity every day, that includes pelvic floor lifts, squats and always taking the stairs. (The sneeze and wee thing doesn’t appeal- even amongst friends)

Which supplements do I take during my pregnancy?

• 4000 IU Vitamin D3
• Prenatal multi
• Lactobacillus (1-2 per day) some evenings I take 2, it works like a charm for constipation
• Extra 5mg iron on the days I feel I  am lacking energy (But the multi does contain 5mg)
• The ever essential fish oils, but specifically DHA

A few handy food tips

• Snack on avocado, boiled egg, ryvita with tomato and cheese, hummus or cottage cheese
• Blend fruit into full fat yoghurt, add flax seed oil and seeds for constipation
• Dont give up drinking water – (35ml p/kg of body weight)
• Hot drinks – herbal tea such a rooibos and Pukka does a great lemongrass tea, hot chocolate with real coco and flavoured with vanilla or cinnamon
• Frozen berries with creme friache and full-fat yoghurt for a creamy dessert
• Don’t forget to have protein with every meal and chew, chew, chew, it may do wonders for the heartburn

Your body

• Indulge and lather your bump and breasts with almond oil or Argan oil (Just came back from Morocco)
• Be careful about what you put in your bath, some products can make your skin three times as itchy as normal
• Don’t have a shower or bath that is too hot, it can dry your skin out
• Happy about the fab pregnancy hormones, hair is thicker and shinier – show it off!

Enjoy being pregnant it’s a miracle!

Define your reasons for making diet and lifestyle changes

• I want to loose weight because I want to feel more comfortable in my clothes –  8
• My health is important and I need to decrease my high cholesterol and blood pressure –  10
• I want to look and feel feminine, sexy and  gorgeous – 9
• I am in control of my body and health and take responsibility for my actions – 9

Forming new habits to handle temptations

Make this a daily habit like brushing your teeth and read your cards at least twice a day. The more you read this, the more this should become an ingrained process and it should be easier to withstand those temptations. Go on, you don’t have much to loose!

Gaining weight during pregnancy is inevitable – but how do you define this weight and what is healthy and what is not? Of course you will weigh more; you’re carrying a baby. Do you gain more body fat that you can never get rid of; loose your body shape forever and can never fit into your party dress again? Not necessarily. What you do before and during pregnancy is so important and crucial to your success after childbirth regarding weight loss and getting back into your favourite pair of 7 for all mankind’s.

How can I avoid pregnancy weight gain?

If you are overweight before pregnancy, it could be more difficult to loose weight after birth, not to mention possible health implication such as high blood pressure, gestational diabetes and thyroid issues. Under no circumstance is it acceptable to go on a crash diet during pregnancy with the hope of not gaining weight or loosing a few extra pounds. You may put yourself and the baby at risk and prevent the intake of essential nutrients and building blocks for development of your baby.

What is normal weight gain during pregancy? A healthy weight gain during pregnancy is about 12-15kg and no less than a 5kg weight gain. If your diet stays healthy and balanced as before the pregnancy you should not gain excess weight and it will be easier to loose once you start breastfeeding. There is no need to consume extra calories during the first two trimesters, however, adding an extra 200calories per day in the last trimester is essential. This is only a small amount of food and not a green card to go crazy with the cream cakes. Eating for two might sound like a good idea at the time, yes cravings for all the ‘wrong’ things can be overwhelming but your body doesn’t NEED the extra fuel from empty, sweet white refined foods (or any other junk food you can think of for that matter). Focus rather on fresh, nutritient dense foods. You are what you eat, but more importantly your baby will also be what you eat! The most important thing you can do to maintain a healthy weight is to ensure that your blood sugar and insulin is balanced. By doing the Metabolic Balance program, you will learn what foods are right for you, and which quantities you need to optimise your metabolism and loose weight before your pregnancy in a healthy way that is sustainable during and after pregnancy.

Embarking on a three-month pre-conception plan can give you, your body and baby a very good jump-start. Taking the right supplements, doing the right exercise and the right amount, cleaning up your diet and dumping the junk is all for a good cause and should really be a way of life, but no better time to start making lifestyle (and lifesaving) changes even before the baby is conceive

This will also ensure that loosing weight after birth is so much easier! Looking after your health is important everyday, but now you are responsible for a little someone’s health too, so giving it all you got is for a greater cause!

With resolutions and new beginnings well on it’s way I hope there is more contentment than not and not too much pressure to make too many changes.

I believe it was Devine intervention that brought me home in December to see my dad. When you live 12,000miles away form home the decision  to up and go is not as straight forward as when home is in Kent. You have to rely on intution and listen to the inner voice. I did and went and am so happy I followed my heart and not my head. My dad did sadly pass away on the 23rd December after a long and painful struggle for a couple of years for us and him and we are relieved that his struggle is over, however it still leaves one unbelievably sad. One big message that hit home for me is again how important it is to live once life to the fullest everyday in every way and to care for oneself and others with love and respect – ALWAYS. It made me happy to be doing what I do and hopefully also help people change their lives through taking responsibility for their own health and well-being. Well-being does not only involve diet, but everything from stress management, having enough time to do things that make you happy, exercise, fresh air, good friends, time with family and plenty of quality SLEEP!

Happy 2012 and remember that people, not possessions should be our main priority!

In a world without teeth, the smoothie would be king.

But save for babies and a few unfortunate people in retirement homes, we don’t live in such a world.

Before you jump on the smoothie diet bandwagon to “slurp your way to slim”, spend a few minutes thinking about your body and how it’s put together.

You have teeth for a reason

Smoothies are made up of pure, natural fruit or vegetables and they contain loads of vitamins – so yes, they have something going for them. But unfortunately that’s where the goodness ends.

Firstly, no healthy diet should eliminate major food groups. To stay healthy, your body needs protein, carbohydrates and essential fats. You need to eat these every day and – in the right combinations – with each and every meal. Following a smoothie diet based primarily on pulped fruit and vegetables means that you will not get these essential macro nutrients in sufficient quantities or in the right proportions.

Second, a smoothie’s velvety, liquid magic is also its greatest weakness, because the blending process ensures that most of the healthy, essential fibre gets removed. Your body needs these raw fibres to stay healthy, and it has been designed to process them – starting with your teeth!

Third, a typical smoothie contains three or for different fruits, and you just aren’t designed to eat that many in one sitting. Have you ever experienced tummy cramps and a certain gassy feeling after you’ve had a smoothie? That’s your body telling you that you’ve just fed it an unbalanced meal.

But hold on, aren’t others losing weight with the smoothie diet?

It’s true that people lose weight sticking to the smoothie diet, and you will probably experience weight loss too, but as soon as you start eating “real” food it is very easy to put the weight back on – and in some cases people put on much more than they initially lost.

Of course there is a time and a place for everything and if you were recovering from an operation, struggled to eat and needed to ensure that you don’t lose muscle mass, you could combine protein powder with a liquid drink, but this is a short-term solution only.

Embarking on crash diets messes with your metabolism, they don’t address underlying problems and they don’t teach you how to eat healthy, balanced meals for the rest of your life.

So every time someone tells you about their amazing liquid diet which helped them lose 15 pounds in just 3 weeks, go to the mirror and check out your teeth, remembering that they are there for a reason!

Managing your weight isn’t easy, but it can be done with hard work and with the right kind of advice. Check out these success stories to see how people just like you have reached their target weight through changing their eating habits the natural, sustainable way – for life.

Fast food: Yummy, but it catches up with you

It’s true that men store less body fat than women. Women are designed to be very efficient at storing fat, and for a good reason too … they’re the ones who have the babies!

Lower male body fat does not equal “get out of jail free”.

Playing sports at school and remaining generally active in your twenties means that you got away with eating and drinking as you please without having to worry about calories and fad diets. But this changes through your 30s and with the onset of middle age. Suddenly, your boasts about being a lean, fat-burning machine start to lose credibility as your waistline expands.

But even if you’re lucky enough to escape a ballooning belly, a lack of healthy eating and exercise can affect you in other important ways. Think fatty liver, heart disease, pancreatic dysfunction, erectile dysfunction, foul smelling gas, belching and heart burn. All of these are symptoms of your general health being neglected.

What unique weight loss challenges do men face?

As your career progresses and your cars get flashier, the effects of doing sedentary jobs, constantly entertaining clients, living with stress and ordering room service gradually hit you. Many professional men binge on alcohol and fast food packed with refined carbohydrates and hydrogenated fats. At first, these have little impact. But over time a lack of decent nutrients and fresh fruit and vegetables start taking their toll.

The danger lies in thinking that you can get away with it, and for the early part of your life, this was probably true. But a lack of daily activity and healthy eating will catch up with you. It’s only a matter of time.

The good news is that men are lucky. They have more lean muscle mass, so as soon as they start to exercise and eat sensibly, they can get back into shape relatively quickly (depending on the previous damage done of course).

What are good diet plans for men?

When men choose diets, they want them to be easy no-brainers that deliver quick results with little fuss and planning. They don’t like too many options and are often happy to settle on a few trusty, regular dishes.

That’s why the Atkins diet was so popular. Here is a ‘diet’ that allows you to eat as much meat and proteins as you like, whilst delivering jaw-dropping weight loss. The problem with Atkins, of course, is that it is unhealthy in the long run because it eliminates health-critical macro nutrients and essential major food groups like – ahem – carbohydrates.

Choose a diet that will help you to become your own personal health manager. It should be sustainable whilst teaching you the skills and tools to make it part of your busy lifestyle, rather than being a quick fix with short-lived results.

And get some exercise! Don’t you long for those days of being fit, active, full of energy and hot? It is possible to have it all again, but be proactive and start re-training your metabolism now, before it’s too late.

What’s your biggest diet challenge? Have you tried various options before with little success? Drop me a line below – I’m happy to give advice.

The truth of the matter is that embarking (and sustaining) a healthy lifestyle, diet and exercise regime CAN bring days and years of blissful living and I know many women whose lives have changed for the better.  Although they may have been influenced by aforementioned motivating factors, the ones who achieve the most profound results are the women who are doing it for themselves because they really really want to feel, look and be better.

They also know that it takes effort and commitment, there are no magic potions or pills. However the ‘doing’ and ‘implementing’ becomes easier and as natural as brushing your teeth twice a day. You know that if you don’t brush your teeth, they will fall out; it’s the same with making uninformed dietary decisions. Eat another doughnut, sit on your backside and stress from morning to night  and you WILL gain weight.

What are the challenges when choosing diet plans for women?

When choosing diet plans, some are concerned that they will feel deprived or hungry. And because many have tried almost everything before, they have little faith in “another possible failed attempt”. However, most of these concerns are really nothing but excuses, excuses, excuses. Stop the excuses and start ACTING!

If you think you can beat weight gain by replacing the “real deal”, full-fat, sugar-loaded chocolate bar with a “healthy” chocolate bar or breakfast cereal bar, you are only fooling yourself. There are no short cuts and only real food can help you achieve your goals. Living your life counting calories and sticking to a regimen of green or red days is no way to live a happy and healthy life (or enjoy food for that matter).

The other misconception is that a diet or eating plan should be followed  for a couple of weeks to fit into a dress or look OK on the beach. A “diet” (or way of life as I like to call it) is like a new puppy. It’s not just for Christmas – it’s for LIFE!

When choosing a program, you have to first ask yourself these questions:

• Am I ready to make some serious changes in my everyday life?
• What are my goals?
• Who am I doing this for?
• Are my friends and family supportive?
• Am I willing to make a commitment for change?
• Am I under the illusion that making changes for a week will be a cure for all my ailments?
• How did I get to where I am now, and how long did it take me?
• Am I expecting miracles overnight?

You can have the best program, support, help and advice in the world, but if your motivation and commitment fades like mist in front of the sun, then I’m afraid there are not many things that can help, no matter how many specialist diet plans for women you try.

Weight gain is a symptom of things gone a little haywire. It may be time for a reality check and time for a permanent solution in order to achieve lasting results.

I have seen this time and time again, that by losing even a couple of pounds of body fat, you are buying time. Not only can your metabolism improve, hormones can be more balanced, skin be radiant and soft, digestive issues improve, menopausal symptoms vanish, kidney and liver function improve and peoples lives are genuinely changed – for the better, through their own efforts.

Let me help you along your journey

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I recently did some research about medical weight loss programs and I was once more astounded by the sheer range of available schemes: ”Weekly Lipo Injections”, “BioShake Supply”, “30-day Boost Supplement”, “30-day MitoBlast Supplement”, appetite suppressants,  bars, shakes and even cookies. Weight loss surgery seems to be a biggie and there are plenty of people who advocate yet more pills, shakes and special foods.

How can we distinguish between real, sensible medical weight loss programs and … well … the rest?

Medical weight loss programs are extreme solutions

Sometimes there are fundamental reasons for people being overweight or obese such as thyroid issues, food intolerances, reactions to medication, hormone imbalances or even a lack of leptin (a hormone present in fat cells which signals to the brain that you’re full). And it is true that extreme weight loss measures can work in many such cases. Although it is debatable whether they are truly sustainable, or whether they are little more than emergency measures.

For most of us, there is no excuse

In most cases we eat too much of the wrong food, with very little daily activity. Our modern lifestyles and relative wealth make it way too easy for us to head for the fridge and consume to your hearts’ desire.

Keep this in mind when you choose a weight loss program. Any program offering amazing results in no time with no effort is lying. Maintaining healthy weight takes effort,  mind-full eating & shopping, planning and careful decision making. These factors need to be in place every day of your life, and such habits should ideally be instilled from a young age.

You can choose the best program in the world, with the best therapists and doctors, but if you don’t really, really want to stop eating Crispy Crémes and hot dogs, or stop drinking sweet fizzy drinks and juices, I’m afraid you will struggle. You may lose some weight, but before long it will start creeping back on.

Be critical, and check out the track record

A good weight loss program needs to be individual, measurable and focused on the metabolism. It should advocate behaviour change, and encourage real whole foods and home cooking. Regular support should be available providing genuine care, passion and empathy from the coach/practitioner. And make sure that you have a look at the program’s track record – what kind of results does it achieve, and for whom?

It is also important to ensure your practitioner’s knowledge about weight management is up to date. Just counting calories or omitting major food groups is NOT a good approach and neither is advocating low fat, processed pre-packaged food and cereals for breakfast.

Losing weight is not only about looking and feeling good. Your health and life is on the line here – it’s time to make informed choices!

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