Recipe: Healthy Mini Quiches!

I absolutely love quiche however the traditional recipe with the pastry base can really eat into your daily calorie count! 

Here is a recipe for a healthy version that you can make in a muffin tray in the oven. You can add pretty much any ingredients that you like to these! They work well to bring into work the next day to have cold or can be reheated!

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs
• 3/4 cup of skimmed milk
• brocolli cut up into small florets and steam for 
• shredded ham or  cooked torn chicken
• 1 onion (diced)
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 3/4 cup of mature cheddar cheese 

Method:

• Preheat your oven to 190 degrees Celsius (275 degrees Fahrenheit) 
• Grease your muffin pan with some coconut oil (or which ever oil or butter you prefer)
• Chop your broccoli into small florets and steam for 3 minutes (i do this in a microwave container with a bit of water in the bottom and the lid part over it)
• Whisk the eggs and milk together in a bowl, add half the cheese and season with salt and pepper (i like to use cayenne pepper to give it a bit of a kick)
• Spoon the mixture into the greased muffin tray until it is half full - add a teaspoon of the additional ingredients (e.g. brocolli, ham, chicken or any other veggies)
• Sprikle the remaining cheese on top
• Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the edges start to brown

Enjoy!! 

DOMS

What does DOMS stand for?

DOMS stands for Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness is the sore feeling you get approximately 12-24 hours after a tough workout. 

For some people it can kick in as soon at 6 hours post exercise however it tends to peak around the 48 hour mark. (for me 2 days after leg day and im in a world of pain!)

DOMS is different to regular soreness in a number of ways including severity and duration (regular muscle soreness will occur immediately).

What causes DOMS?

DOMS was thought to be caused by lactic acid build up in muscle tissue however scientists have now disproven this. 

Regular muscle soreness is mainly due to microtrauma to muscle fibres (e.g the tearing of small fibres in muscle during exercise) whereas DOMS is mainly caused by the body's inflammatory response to exercise.

DOMS is also influenced by:

1. The body's inflammatory response system: This is activated after resistance training and water is drawn to the damaged body part and there is an increased  pain sensitivity (especially to exercise)
2. Athletic conditioning: How used to training (or a specific exercise) your body is can impact the level of DOMS. For example, when i follow the same training program for a long period of time i do not feel DOMS unless i have upped the weights. 
3. Age: Younger athletes are more susceptible to DOMS as they are not yet conditioned to handle intense workouts. Also Older athletes are more susceptible as recovery responses can decrease with age. 
4. Structural damage to tendons and muscle tissue: this triggers the body's inflammatory response system as mentioned above.

Prevention and Treatment

1. Ensure you get adequate rest and relaxation - DOMS can be aggravated by stress
2. Drink lots of water - DOMS can be aggravated by dehydration 
3. Take Omega 3 supplements or eat oily fish 3 times a week as fish oil aids recovery (anti-inflammatory properties)
4. Caffeine intake - scientists suggest that caffeine can reduce DOMS as it acts as a blocker to central nervous receptors relating to pain
5. BCAAs - BCAAs increase protein synthesis and prevent muscle breakdown which helps to maintain tissue after intense training

Myth: Although stretching is good practice to prevent injury and to maintain flexibility it will  not prevent DOMS (I still encourage stretching for various other reasons!)


Sources:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/south127.htm
http://www.poliquingroup.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/1079/Nine_Amazing_Ways_To_Reduce_Post-Workout_Muscle_So.aspx
http://www.mensfitness.com/training/pro-tips/5-ways-beat-workout-soreness/slide/1
http://www.myosynthesis.com/doms-muscle-soreness

Nutritional Program - completely tailored to you!

Every body is completely different - what one person can eat or drink to reach their nutritional or fitness goals is likely to be different to what will work for you. 

I create nutritional programs that are completely tailored to you. I look at a number of different aspects to create a plan that will enable you to reach your goal.

In my plans I provide:

• Analysis of your current food intake 
• Calculation of daily calorie needs (to reach your goal)
• Recommendation of daily "Macro" - Carbohydrate, Protein and Fat intake
• A guideline to how much Water you should be drinking
• Recommended meal plan - to fit your goals
• Guide to carb loading
• Guide to eating for peak competition fitness

If you are interested in your own tailored Nutritional Program please email: viccimurphynutrition@gmail.com

Step 1: Analysis of Current Food Intake

• I ask you to complete a food diary so that I can understand what your current starting point is - this is really important because if you straight away jump to a nutritional plan that is too low in daily calories from your previous eating habits you will suffer from Metabolic Syndrome (essentially your body panics and thinks i dont know when my next meal is so it holds onto all energy and you wont lose weight!)
• In this stage i will also ask you questions about your lifestyle - what are your goals, do you do any exercise (if so what type how frequent etc) so that i can build a plan that is really effective for you!

Step 2: Macro Levels (Carbohydrate, Fat, Protein % of total Calories)

• Based on the above I will calculate how many calories you should be eating a day - but also i will guide you on what 'Macros" split you should have (the proportion of macro-nutrients Protein, Carbohydrate and Fat). 
• I also guide you on water intake and supplements (if required)

Step 3: Tailored Meal Plan

• I will create you a meal guide to follow - how many meals a day, what to eat, when to eat
• Guide to pre and post workout food
• Competition eating (e.g. carb loading & tapering for a race day, what to eat on the day of a tournament)

Step 4: 8 weeks of Guidance

• I provide guidance for an 8 week period - we will tweak your plan occasionally to better fit your lifestyle and food preferences. I am all about making changes that you can stick to.
• I ask that you weigh yourself (and preferably take measurements) once a week only - at the same day each week, before you eat anything and after you go to the bathroom.
• This is optional however most of my clients will send me progress pictures ( i think the accountability really helps keep you motivated :) ) 

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