5 power packed, highly nutritious breakfasts.

When it comes to changing the way we eat habits are tough to break. This is especially true of breakfast. We are told from an early age that it’s the most important meal of the day, and for many of us our staple diets were a bowl of breakfast cereal and milk. Or as I like to see it these days, a bowl of processed sugar and skimmed milk! Seriously, you will probably find more nutrition in the cardboard box they come in. The marketing job that the major cereal companies have done is outstanding. Just think if all that commercial acumen was dedicated to spreading the word of good health then I and thousands of other Fit Pro’s wouldn’t need a blog (although I’m sure we’d find something to write about!).

We haven’t just been conditioned to expect a certain type of food in the morning, but we’ve also got used to the low preparation time of just mindlessly pouring cereal into a bowl and pouring on milk.  Then there are the people who stopped eating breakfast in their late teens/early twenties. This is either due to being obsessed with weight loss and calorie restriction, or due to working patterns that mean they eat too late, drink too much and have no time or appetite to think about breakfast as they’re rushing out the door to start their commute to work. Either way, these people will end up stuffing their faces mid-morning with high sugar foods from vending machines, coffee shops or the staff cafeteria once the hunger pangs kick in.

Below I have listed 5 power packed breakfasts that I often eat myself and use at different times and for different circumstances. Some of these breakfasts are low carbohydrate and some are high, but all of them contain a good protein portion and are packed full of healthy fats, so will give you lots of energy to start your day. Not only that, all of them are nutrient dense, they are made from scratch, are not complicated to make and can be adapted to suit your own particular macro-nutrient protocol.

If you are worried that they are going to take too long to prepare in the mornings, then GO TO BED EARLIER so you don’t need to snooze your alarm.

Banana and nut Loaf	Method
Ingredients for 1 loaf (10 slices) 100g raw pecans 100g raw almonds 2 large bananas  4 medium eggs  2 tsp coconut oil  1 tsp honey 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp nutmeg ½ tsp baking soda  ½ tsp cream of tartar	Ground nuts in a food processor until they are a fine powder. Add to a mixing bowl, then stir in nutmeg, cinnamon, baking soda and cream of tartar.  Add eggs, bananas, honey and coconut oil into a blender and process until smooth.  Pour mixture into dry ingredients and stir in until.  Line a loaf tin and pour in mixture.  Bake in oven at 180⁰C for approximately 40 minutes until golden brown.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes before turning out.
2 slices with spread with almond butter: 386Kcal, 18g carbs, 17g protein, 40g fat
Good for people who struggle to get their heads round a meat or a fish breakfast.

Bacon & Spinach Omelette	Method
2 free range eggs              2 slices organic bacon 75 g raw baby spinach 15g organic butter ½ small onion Seasoning	Slice up the bacon into small cubes. Finely chop the onion.  Whisk up the eggs. Add the butter, onion, bacon, spinach and seasoning to the pan until bacon is browned.  Add the eggs and cook until the bottom is formed into an omelette. Finish off the top under a hot grill. Serve with salad.
414 Kcal, 9g carbohydrates, 26g protein, 29g fat
Perfect for those who are on low carb diets or on a fat loss programme.

Avocado, smoked salmon and poached egg on rye toast.	Method
1 slice of toasted rye bread   ½ large avocado 50g smoked salmon 1 large poached egg	Crack a large egg into a poaching pod and boil until egg is poached to your liking. Spread the avocado onto the toasted rye bread. Add the smoked salmon, then the egg on top. Season to taste.
368 Kcal, 23g carbs, 23g protein, 19g fat
Great for a weekend to impress your partner with a healthy cooked breakfast.

Protein porridge	Method
50g gluten free oats   1 scoop of Sun Warrior vanilla protein powder 1tbsp ground flaxseed  Drizzle of honey 80g frozen berries Water	Mix the oats, protein powder and flaxseed powder into a saucepan. Pour in enough water to just about cover.  Stir under heat until simmering.  Add the berries and continue stirring until a thick paste. Add the drizzle of honey and serve.
419 Kcal, 50g carbs, 11g fat, 29g protein
Really quick to make, perfect for high carb days and as a pre-workout meal.

Avocado, banana and berry smoothie	Method
400 ml coconut milk 1 medium banana   ½ large avocado  1 scoop of Sun Warrior vanilla protein powder  1tbsp ground flaxseed 100g mixed berries	Add all ingredients to a blender and process until smooth.
1 large glass: 521 Kcal, 51g carbs, 22g protein, 23 fat
Simple to prepare, great as a pre-workout meal and for those with low appetites in the morning

Stay healthy!!

Four healthy things I have learned this month.

One of the most important parts of being a health and fitness professional is to keep yourself well-read and on top of your game. It would be quite easy to learn just enough to get me by, but after many years in an ever changing industry with new science and new methods coming into the public domain constantly, you can never stop learning.

On that note, here are four healthy things I have learned this month;

1)  How to make a tasty, savoury, gluten free bread.

I am always trying out new recipes and as someone who is a big fan of the Paleo movement and the message they promote, I often try gluten free breads. However, I find that most of them have been very sweet and almost cake like, so I was really happy to find this fantastic savoury option, which is really simple to make.

Here’s the recipe:

• 200g almonds
• 260g pumpkin seeds
• 200g brown rice flour
• 85g sunflower seeds
• 3 tbsp. psyllium husk powder
• 3 tbsp. dried mixed herbs
• 2 tbsp. chia seeds
• Salt & pepper

• Place the almonds and 175g of pumpkin seeds in a food processor and blend until a flour forms.
• Pour the flour in a large mixing bowl with all the dry ingredients and mix well.
• Add in 600ml cold water, stirring the mixture together.
• Leave the bowl to one side for about an hour to let all the water absorb into the mixture.
• Turn the dough out onto a baking tray and form into a loaf no thicker than 5-7cm tall and bake in an oven at 180 degrees centigrade for approximately 45 minutes, or until golden brown.

2.       How to make your own organic chicken liver pate.

Recently I have been made aware of the benefits of eating organ meat on a regular basis, especially livers for their superior nutritional profile. Chicken livers are packed full of protein, healthy fats, vitamin A, vitamin B12 and iron. The problem with buying shop bought pate is it is often full of rubbish ingredients and you cannot be 100% sure of the quality of the livers used – these must be organic as the liver is the chemical plant of the body, therefore if the animal has been fed rubbish then you can guarantee the liver will be rubbish.

So here is a link to a delicious organic chicken liver recipe I have tried and tested and can confirm it’s delicious.

3.       I should spend more time at the athletics track.

This is not something I have learned this month, more reminded myself of. I went for a little track session this week with a few colleagues and after 30 minutes of a mix of 400m, 300m, 200m and 100m sprints at full intensity I was more than ready for a sit down and couldn’t bring myself to jog back up the hill to work. WOW! 

I have been so focused on improving my Olympic lifting technique over the last 18 months, coupled with the fact I no longer play football on a regular basis means my sprint sessions have been few and far between. 

Sprinting is the ultimate high intensity interval training (HIIT) workout. HIIT workouts have been widely promoted for their health benefits, including fat burning, improved cardiovascular health, strength gains and time efficiency. The 4 days of DOMS I experienced after this is personal testament to how effective they are for a workout.

4.       Why sleeping naked is good for your health.

    The last thing I have learned this month is something I guess I have always known intuitively as I always sleep more soundly and comfortably this way. Now I have the evidence to back me up I can convince the other half that science is why I insist on this policy at night :-)

Stay healthy!

UK Seasonal Foods For November

Welcome to the second in the series of monthly articles on seasonal foods in the UK.  November is the month when the days are getting noticeably shorter, the temperature begins to drop and the shops are full of reminders that the holiday season is not too far away.  The list of foods that are in season in November are as follows;

Apples, Brussels sprouts, Chestnut, Clams, Cranberry, Cabbage, Horse Radish, Jerusalem Artichoke, Mussels, Parsnips, Pomegranate, Quince, Pumpkin, Pheasant, Scallop, Sea Bass

Continuing the theme from last month, I will present three recipes; A meat/poultry/fish dish, a vegetable based dish and a fruit dessert.  All recipes will be low in calories but high in taste and full of fantastic ingredients which are great for your health.

Brussels Sprouts are the first ingredient I am going to highlight.  This vegetable is full of goodness and share many of the same benefits as cabbages and other cruciferous vegetables.  They are high in fibre which is great for digestion, however the main health benefits come from its high content of Vitamin C and cancer protecting bioflavanoids.  In fact it has been reported that men who eat 3 portions of cruciferous vegetables per week (Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli) are 41% less likely to develop prostrate cancer than men who eat 1 portion per week.

Brussels Bubble & Squeak with Poached Egg (serves 4)  This tasty recipe is a great way of using up left overs from a roast dinner.

400g Potatoes, cooked and crushed
200g Brussels Sprouts, cooked and roughly chopped
2 small onions, halved and sliced
4 free range eggs
Butter

Cook the onions in a small amount of butter until soft.  Mix with the potatoes and sprouts, season with sea salt and pepper and form into 4 rough flat cakes.  Fry the cakes in a small amount of butter or olive oil in a separate pan until golden crusted on both sides.  Keep warm in a low heat oven.

Bring a wide, shallow pan of water (with a small amount of vinegar) to a simmer. Crack in the eggs then turn down the heat and leave for 6-8 mins until cooked. Drain well, then top each cake with a poached egg and serve.

Sea Bass with sizzled ginger and spring onions (serves 6) An easy but impressive looking meal adding a host of flavours to a protein packed piece of fish.

6 Sea Bass fillets, about 140g each. Skin on.
3 tbsp sunflower oil
Large knob of ginger, peeled and shredded into matchsticks
3 Garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 fat, fresh, red chillies de-seeded and thinly shredded
Bunch Spring Onions, shredded long ways
1 tbsp Soy Sauce

Season the fish with sea salt and pepper, then slash the skin 3 times.  Heat a heavy based frying pan and add 1 tbsp oil.  Once hot, fry the fish, skin side down, for 5 minutes or until the skin is very crisp and golden.  The fish will be almost cooked through.  Turn over, cook for another 30 secs-1min, then transfer to a serving plate and keep warm.

Heat the remaining oil, then fry the ginger, garlic and chillies for about 2 minutes until golden.  Take off the heat and toss in the spring onions.  Splash the fish with a little soy sauce and spoon the over the contents of the pan.

Pomegranate is well known in the media for it's "Super Food" status, but this is because they are extremely beneficial for your health.  Pomegranates are high in fibre, Vitamin C, potassium and niacin all which are associated with greater energy levels.  They are also packed full of anti-oxidants which are vital for a healthy immune system to help fight off disease.  Pomegranates are often consumed as a juice, but I am going to provide you with a fantastic smoothie that also is packed full of other seasonal berries;

Pomegranate Fruit Smoothie An anti-oxidant packed healthy smoothie.

1.5 cups of pomegranate juice (non concentrate)
0.5 cup blueberries
0.5 cup of blackberries
1 peeled banana
3 large spoonfuls of a good quality live yoghurt
ice

Blend to desired consistency and serve

Enjoy!!

Recipes taken from "The Healing Power of Nature Foods" and www.bbcgoodfood.com.

UK Seasonal Foods for October

I am a great believer in pushing the message that healthy food does not mean boring food.  I am also passionate about promoting the foods that these Great British Isles produce from within.  I am not going to start a debate about Supermarkets (in fact I am going to perch myself nicely on the fence on that issue), but one of the negatives that come from shopping in the Supermarkets is we never shop in season.  Now this does of course mean there is more choice from all of the foods from around the world, but it also means we are likely to form habits of eating the same foods week in and week out, it also means we are missing out on some of the amazing home grown ingredients when they are at their best.

So this is the first in a new series of monthly articles that will give a list of the best foods in season (UK only) and a few healthy recipes to try out using those foods.

Seasonal Foods for October:

Vegetables:     Artichokes, Aubergines, Beetroot, Butternut Squash, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Courgettes, Lettuce, Marrow, Mushrooms, Parsnips, Potatoes, Leeks, Watercress

Fruit:              Apples, Blackberries, Grapes, Peaches, Pears, Plums

Meat/Seafood:Guinea Fowl, Partridge, Mussels, Oysters, Venison

Vegetarian Recipe: Spicy baby aubergine stew with coriander and mint

This is a really healthy vegetarian main dish that counts as 5 of your 5 a day and is

only 150 calories per serving.

Ingredients:     2 tbsp of olive oil, 2 sliced red onions, 2 red chillies (deseeded & sliced), 2 tsp coriander seeds (toasted & crushed), 2tsp cumin seeds (toasted & crushed), 16 baby aubergines left whole with stalks in tact, 2x 400g chopped tomatoes, bunch of mint leaves & coriander leaves roughly chopped.  Couscous and low fat Greek Yoghurt to serve.

Method:          1)  Heat oil in a heavy based saucepan, add the onions and garlic and cook until they begin to colour.  Add the chillies, coriander and cumin seeds.  When the seeds give off a nutty aroma toss in the whole aubergines, coating them with the onions and spices.

                        2)  Tip in the tomatoes and sugar, cover and gently cook for 40 minutes until the aubergines are tender.

                        3)  Season sauce and toss in half the mint and coriander. Cover and simmer for 2 minutes.  Sprinkle the remaining herbs and serve with couscous and yoghurt.

Nutrition:        148 kcal, 5g protein, 16 carbohydrate, 7g fat, 1g saturated fat         

per serving

Non Vegetarian recipe:  Mussels with tomato and chilli

A super healthy spicy seafood dish.  Ideal for a meal for two.

Ingredients:     2 ripe tomatoes, 2 tbsp olive oil,  1 garlic clove finely chopped, 1 shallot finely chopped, 1 green or red chilli (deseeded & chopped), small glass of dry white wine, 1tsp tomato paste, 1kg cleaned mussels, handful of basil leaves.

Method:          1)  Put the tomatoes in a heatproof bowl.  Cover with boiling water, leave for 3 minutes, then drain and peel. Quarter the tomatoes and scoop out and discard the seeds using a teaspoon.  Roughly chop the tomato flesh.

                        2)  Heat the oil in a large pan with a tight fitting lid.  Add the garlic, shallot and chilli, then gently fry for 2-3 minutes until softened.  Pour in the wine and add the tomatoes, paste and seasoning.  Stir well and simmer for 2 minutes.

                        3)  Tip in the mussels and give them a stir.  Cover tightly and steam for 3-4 minutes shaking the pan half way through, until the shells have opened.

                        4)  Discard any empty shells that remain shut, then divide the mussels between two bowls and add the basil leaves.

Nutrition         267 kcal, protein 20g, carbohydrate 11g, fat 14g, saturated fat 2g

per serving:     

A healthy but tasty dessert:  Spiced roasted apples and blackberries

A guilt free pudding that tastes great with low fat fromage-frais mixed with a little

Honey.

Ingredients:     4 medium Bramley apples (200g per apple), 4 tbsp clear honey, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, finely grated zest and juice of an orange, 250g blackberries

Method:          1)  Pre heat the oven to 180 °C/gas mark 4.  Core the apples so you have a hole the size of a pound coin in each one. Make a cut just into the skin around the middle of each apple.

                        2)  Stand the apples in a shallow baking dish large enough to take all four.  Mix together the honey, cinnamon and orange zest, put an equal amount into the cavity of each apple, then pour the orange juice into the dish.

                        3)  Roast the apples for about 40 minutes, spooning the juices over them occasionally.  Then, when the apples are almost ready, spoon the blackberries around and over each apple.  Return to the oven for 10 minutes.

Nutrition:        129 kcal, protein 1g, carbohydrate 32g, fat 0.3g

per serving

All recipes courtesy of http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/