Clean Chocolate Brownies!!

Brownies are just one of those utterly delicious foods that can be very hard to say no to! Here is a clean version to help you stay on track!

Ingredients

• 2 bananas
• Half a cup of oats
• 1 egg
• Half a cup of Cocoa powder
• 2 tbs of your favorite nut butter - I like cleantella, peanut or almond butter
• 2 tbs of milk 
• You can add some crushed nuts or dried fruit but i preffered them as is!
• Pinch of salt (optional)
• Pinch of cinnamon (optional)

Method

• Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celcius
• Mix all ingredients together and put in a baking tin (i used an ovenproof dish and worked fine)
• Place into the oven and bake for 20 minutes (you can test with inserting a knife, if the mixture is still very gooey add back in the oven, a little bit of residue on the knife is perfect!) 

Recipe: Sweet Potato Shepards Pie

I love making this meal in huge batches, so handy for taking out of the fridge post workout and straight into the microwave! 

 Ingredients:

• 2 large red onions 
• 3 medium sized carrots
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 2-3 large sweet potatoes
• 3 garlic cloves (crushed)
• 2 400 gram packs of extra lean beef mince
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 2 tsp lea and perrins (Worcestershire)
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 beef stock cube
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp honey/agave syrup to sweeten 

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
2. Peel and chop the sweet potatoes into medium sized chunks and put in a large saucepan to boil - leave boiling for 20 minutes (or until a knife goes easily through them) while you prep the rest of the ingredients
3. Peel and grate the carrots and the onions. Heat coconut oil in a large frying plan, once hot add the carrot, onion and garlic and fry for 5 minutes then set aside on a plate
4. Fry the mince in a pan - i do not use any oil for the mince and I usually do in 2 batches as you want to make sure all the meat is cooked. Drain off any liquid and then add the chilli powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika stir though. 
5. Melt the beef stock cube in 3 tablespoons of hot water (you want the flavour but not a lot of liquid!)
6. Add the tin of chopped tomatoes, the beef stock, lea and perrins and taste - adjust flavorings to your preference e.g. sometimes i add more chilli, more garlic etc. If needed sweeten with some honey (you wont taste it, its just to bring out the flavours).
7. Strain the sweet potatoes and mash - i add a pinch of salt and thats it!
8. Pour your mixture into oven proof dishes and then top with the mashed sweet potato - you can sprinkle with a little bit of paprika for more colour
9. Put in the oven for 20-minutes to allow all the flavours to combine

You can have this on its own or you can have with some brocolli or green veg of choice :)

Aspartame - The truth about this Artificial Sweetner

This video highlights the dangerous truth about Aspartame - the most common artificial sweetener, I urge you to watch it however here are some of the key facts:

• There are over 900 studies which reveal the detrimental effect Aspartame has on the human body
• Aspartame is found in over 6000 foods but most commonly in diet fizzy drinks
• Migraines are the most reported Aspartame reaction
• Research shows that when cancer cells were exposed to Aspartame they become more mobile (spread of cancer therefore become more enhanced)
• Harvard study linked Aspartame to increased risk of blood cancers
• Aspartame stimulates appetite - increasing cravings for carbohydrates and promoting fat storage
• Chronic exposure to Aspartame can bring about and worsen the following conditions
• Asthma
• Lymphomas & Leukemia
• Brian tumours & brain cancer
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Parkinson's
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Epilepsy

How I train and what i eat!

I have had a lot of people ask me what I eat and how often I train so here is a breakdown of my meals!

I eat 5 meals a day which consist of:

• Breakfast
• Mid morning Snack
• Lunch
• Mid Afternoon Snack
• Dinner

Breakfasts consist of:

• Eggs (usually poached, scrambled) with a slice of high protein low carb bread (by Modern Bakery) OR with some veggies in an omelette
• Oats made with skimmed milk with a banana and honey or a teaspoon of nut butter (or cleantella :) ) 

Mid Morning/ Mid Afternoon Snacks

• Handful of nuts (unsalted)
• 1 piece of fruit - usually a banana (if i didnt have one for breakfast)
• Fage yoghurt 
• Protein bar (rare that i have these to be honest!)

Lunch

• Salmon with salad
• Chicken with Salad
• Leftovers from the previous nights dinner minus the "clean starchy carb" 

Pre Workout

• Optimum Nutrition Amino Energy for my BCAAs and Caffeine kick! See my blog post on beginners guide to BCAAs

Post Workout

• Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey in Chocolate

Dinner

• Shepards pie with Sweet Potato mash and very lean beef mince
• Chicken stir fry with brown rice
• Fajita chicken with lettuce wraps
• Steak with roasted sweet potato and veggies
• Omelette with veggies
• Brushetta chicken (recipe here)

Drinks

• Herbal Teas
• Tea with skimmed milk
• Occasional skinny cappuccino
• Americano
• WATER

I flavour my food with:

• Salt & pepper
• Herbs & Spices (love smoked paprika!)
• Tabasco & Hot Sauce
• Cook with coconut oil
• Honey if i need some sweetness
• Chopped tin tomatoes
• Garlic, Chilli, Jalapenos
• Lemon
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Small amounts of cheese

Occasional Treats (i try to 'cheat clean')

• Paleo chocolate mug cake (recipe)
• 2 ingredient pancakes (1 banana, 2 eggs)
• Chocolate and banana smoothie (chocolate whey, banana, skimmed milk, ice)

Training Schedule

• I train 6 days a week with one rest day!

• In these workouts I train one specific body part - Chest, Back, Shoulders, Arms, Legs followed by 20 minutes of Cardio. Chloe Madeley taught me that its better to do cardio after weights or first thing in the morning as fasted cardio as this ensures your glycogen stors are depleted and your body takes energy from your fat stores!

• I train in the evenings (maybe one day I will be a morning person but I just cant go to bed before 11pm which means I wouldn't get adequate sleep for a morning workout!

• I create a very basic workout tracker so I know what to train that day based on previous days (or i listen to my body/workout what is not sore!

Other

• I love doing some Pilates to help stretch out my muscles. I love Winsor Pilates and used to own these videos on tape (yes tape!). Now you can find them on youtube so no excuses :)

• I have a weekly cheat meal (not a day, just a meal!) I find this really helps me keep on track as i can still have foods that i crave (there is no one out there who doesn't think pizza or donuts dont taste good!)

• I have been able to reduce my alcohol input massively since moving to Dubai which of course helps! Id rather eat my calories than drink them but i do go out occasionally!

• I try to drink a minimum of 2 litres of water a day

• I use My Fitness Pal to track my food to make sure I am not over eating. I have calculated my daily caloric needs to lose body fat and enter this amount into MFP. It also helps me to ensure that I am getting the correct balance of Macronutrients (Protein, Fat, Carbs). My body is very sensitive to carbs so I have a high protein high fat diet (good fats like avocado, eggs, nuts, salmon)

• I try and get a good amount of sleep, unfortunately 8 hours for me isnt possible but try to get a aluminum of 7 hours. I wear a Jawbone Up to help me track this

• I use Instagram a lot (love it) i find it helps me stay focused and share my journey and get inspiration from like-minded people

Fat Loss & Compound Exercises

You cannot spot-burn fat!

When I start a nutritional program with a new client one of the first things I ask them is what their goal is. A lot of people say oh I want to lose weight from my stomach/bum/arms etc.

It is important to understand that you cannot spot burn fat - i.e. you cannot chose from where you want to lose fat from - its up to your body! Fat loss is like a sponge drying out - you cannot dry one corner first, it all happens gradually.

As a part of this misconception so many people think that doing sit ups will mean that you can lose fat from this area. Unless you have a relatively low body fat percentage doing sit-ups is not a great way to lose fat for two reasons

1. You cannot see you abdominal muscles under body fat
2. The abdominal muscles are some of the smallest muscles in your body so working those versus larger muscle groups burns less calories

The best way to lose fat is to do a combination of:

• HIIT cardio (preferably fasted cardio i.e. before breakfast as your body has not yet had fuel so it will take from fat stores
• Strength (weights)  & Resistance training - preferably working a number muscle groups - Compound exercises
• Eat 5 clean meals a day  
• One cheat meal a week (if needed)

Compound Exercises

Compound exercises make up the basis of most of my workouts as I do not have a lot of spare time and want to make the most out of my gym visits! 

I try and work as many muscles as possible with individual exercises. This style of training is also great for increasing power and endurance, building muscle mass and strengthening the body as a whole! (Gym pigeons put down the dumbbells and do some legs!)

Here are some of the best compound exercises (taken from Muscle and Fitness). They are quite advanced moves so make sure that you know the correct form for all of the individual components before moving to dynamic exercises and start with a low weight and work up!

Exercise 1: Squat Jump into a Lunge
Muscles worked: Quads, Hamstrings, Calves and Glutes
12-15 reps x 8 sets 




Exercise 2: Hanging Clean into a front squat
Muscles worked: Quadriceps, Shoulders, and Calves 
12-15 reps x 8 sets



Exercise 3: Deadlift into a Bicept curl
Muscles worked: Quadriceps, Shoulders, Calves, Biceps 
10-12 reps x 6 sets


As always make sure you speak to your GP before starting a new workout regime! Speak to a personal trainer about the correct form for performing these exercises before attempting them!


Additional Reading
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/powerful_workout_exercises.htm
http://www.livestrong.com/article/256699-full-body-compound-exercises-for-women/
http://skinnybulkup.com/compound-exercises/
http://www.criticalbench.com/compound-exercises.htm
http://www.body-building-resource.com/bb37.shtml
http://www.muscleandfitness.com/workouts/workout-routines/3-compound-combination-moves-total-body-fitness

Clean Recipe - Courgetti Bolognese!

This is a really tasty recipe and trust me you will not miss the spaghetti - said by a former pasta addict! 

For the Courgetti

• 1 large courgette (half a courgette per person)
• Spiralizer (I bought mine from Lakeland)
• 1 tsp coconut oil

For the Bolognese

• 1 tsp Coconut Oil
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 red onion - diced
• 1 red pepper/capsicum - diced
• 2 400g packs of 95% lean minced beef (grass fed)
• 2 tins chopped tomatoes
• 3 fresh tomatoes - chopped
• 1 beef stock cube (low sodium)
• 1 tsp agave syrup/honey/coconut palm sugar

Method

• Heat 1 tsp of coconut oil in a pan and add the chopped onion - fry for 2 minutes.
• Add the minced garlic, chili powder and the red pepper, fry for another 2-3 minutes and then put the ingredients aside in a bowl.
• Fry the minced beef in the pan until brown, then strain off any liquid. 
• Add in the cooked onion and peppers, the canned and fresh tomatoes, the stock cube and let simmer
• Add in the remaining ingredients - balsamic vinegar, natural sweetener and some pepper if desired (there is no need for salt as the stock cube is high in salt) 
• Let simmer on a low heat for 10-15 minutes to let the mixture reduce - this is an important step as we do not want the mixture to be too liquid and run off the plate and it also intensifies the flavors. 
• Wash and chop each end off the courgette and place into the spiral-er. Heat 1 tsp coconut oil in a pan and once hot fry the courgette for 4-5 minutes to soften.

Cortisol - what it is and how to deal with it!

What is Cortisol?

Cortisol is a stress hormone that our bodies release when it feels threatened. It dates back to our cave-woman days when our flight-or-flight defence would kick in. The problem is in our lifestyles we are faced with many threatening situations caused by traffic,long working hours, stressful office/work situations etc. and our bodies continue to pump the hormone through our bodies. Here's where the problem starts.

When our levels of cortisol become excessive we increase our risk of:

• Increased abdominal fat
• Reduced glucose utilization
• Impaired immunity
• Reduced muscle mass
• Osteoporosis

If you are trying to reach your peak fitness or have a particular goal like a visible six pack then this combination not at all desirable.

Here is a great diagram that shows the effect stress has on weight gain.

When our bodies are under long periods of high stress and are pumping out lots of cortisol the system can break down leading to the opposite - low cortisol levels. This is also problematic as its linked to chronic tiredness and even severe muscle fatigue.

So before you get to a cortisol burn-out is is key that you manage your stress and in turn you cortisol levels. Here are the best ways to do this:

Stress Management

• Its mostly common sense here - if you are stressed your body will over produce cortisol so the best way to combat it is to manage stress. It is key that you find a way to incorporate things that make you happy into your daily life. Whether this is going for a walk, having a quick swim (this one is a lot easier living in UAE!), chatting to your loved ones, practicing yoga for a few minutes each morning etc.

Exercise and Nutrition

• If you are reading this then you are most likely good at the exercise & nutrition part! Well done!
• Exercise both aerobic & anaerobic release endorphins (feel good 'happy' hormones) which will naturally help a cortisol imbalance
• Eating carbohydrates (think clean starchy carbs like sweet potatoes, brown rice) with protein post workout will help you replenish lost nitrates and glucose - this will help your body respond to a cortisol imbalance a lot quicker
• Research has shown that Vitamin C has a very powerful effect on our immune systems and can help clear cortisol after serious mental stress (and post workout). Good sources are citrus fruits - oranges and kiwis and leafy green veggies! Supplements may also be needed to increase intake levels. 

Adequate sleep

• Getting a full 8 hours kip really is vital to your bodies ability to function at full capacity. When we do not get sufficient sleep our body stays in a maintained state of alertness which requires higher levels of cortisol.

Additional Reading & Sources
http://www.poliquingroup.com/Tips/tabid/130/EntryId/2315/-Lower-Cortisol-By-Getting-More-of-THIS-Everyday-Nutrient.aspx
http://breakingmuscle.com/health-medicine/why-and-how-you-absolutely-must-manage-your-cortisol
http://time.com/3903826/coffee-early-morning-worst-time/
http://www.prevention.com/mind-body/how-lower-cortisol-manage-stress
http://breakingmuscle.com/health-medicine/the-ups-and-downs-of-cortisol-what-you-need-to-know
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/what-you-should-know-about-cortisol
Image Credit: http://www.nutrivive.ie/news/nutri-vive-news/stress-nutrition-cortisol-health