My Top Tips to help you stick to your workouts!

It's easy to talk yourself out of working out! Even when you have the best intentions to work out, excuses are so easy to find - “I’m too tired” or "I’m busy," or "The weather is bad." Here are my top tips for staying in the game!

1. On Sunday nights plan your week of workouts! Treat them like an event so make time for them in your daily schedule! Write them down in your diary and put reminders on your phone!

2. If you workout in the morning, layout your training clothes and shoes before you go to bed so they are ready for when you jump out of bed

3. If you don’t train before work Have training clothes and shoes in your car so you can stop by the gym on the way home from work

4. Organise a active date/catch up during the week with friends or family. Other people will keep you accountable!

5. Have a collection of workouts you can do in your living room for when the weather is miserable and you don’t want to leave the comfort of your home. My SophiaFIT Home Workouts are perfect for this!

6. Set a goal! Write it down and stick it on the fridge or add it as a daily reminder on your phone. This will act as the driving force when you lack a bit of motivation!

If you are looking for the extra kick, send an email to sophia@sophiafit.com or click here. I would love to work with you and help you achieve your health & fitness goals.

How to Avoid The Easter Binge!!

With easter just around the corner it’s difficult to avoid the “holiday” binge: chocolate, hot cross buns….You eat until you feel sick, indulge in the sugar high until the guilt kicks in and you hate yourself for it days later? Does this sound familiar! Well this year is going to be different! Here are a few quick tips to help you avoid the guilt!

Prepare a healthy version of your favourite food – If you cannot resist enjoying a hot cross bun or two lathered in melted butter then why not opt for a “healthified” version without all the sugar! See recipe below!

Make a Plan of Attack – on the day before you get to an event or party, create a plan of attack! Decide how much of what you are going to have and make sure you stick to it!! Also by making the promise with yourself to not feel guilty as you will be get back to eating like normal the next day!

Hydrate!! – Water can help you curb cravings for bad foods. Often, when you feel like your body is longing for foods, all it really needs it water. Your hunger signals can easily get mixed up.

Limit the booze - we all know that feeling when we’ve had a few champagnes, our judgement becomes clouded and we find ourselves reaching for the second or third piece of cake! Pace yourself this Easter, and hydrate yourself with a fresh coconut water or sparkling water with lime!

Get Moving - Exercise is not about punishment or “making up for” what you’ve eaten. Do it because it feels good and keeps you in a happy, healthy routine.

Healthy Hot Cross Buns
(Makes 10)

Ingredients:
250g wholemeal flour (can substitute for almond meal)
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
½ cup raisins or golden sultanas
½ cup dried chopped apricots
½ cup milk of your choice
2 tbs p pure organic maple syrup or raw honey
2 ½ tbsp coconut oil
2 eggs (one for glaze)
1 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ orange, zested
Optional Sweet tooth: Add 50 g 85% dark chocolate, chopped

For the cross:
1 egg white
1/4 cup desiccated coconut

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Place the flour, cinnamon, ground ginger, baking powder, baking soda, currants (or sultanas) and apricots in a large bowl and combine.
3. Place the milk, maple syrup or honey, coconut oil, lemon juice, vanilla extract, orange zest and one egg in another large bowl and whisk until well combined and a little ‘fluffy’.
4. Add the wet mix to the dry ingredients and fold through gently until just combined and a sticky dough forms.
5. Lightly dust a clean bench with flour, place dough on bench and using floured hands form the dough into round buns. Then place the buns on the prepared baking tray.
6. Whisk the second egg, and using a pastry brush, lightly brush the top of the buns.
7. For the cross: whisk egg whites and desiccated coconut. Drizzle over unbaked buns in a cross shape with two spoons or using a piping bag.
8. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. ENJOY!

Hydration - Quick Tips

Did you know that on average, Americans drink a little more than four glasses a day!! By not hydrating yourself adequately you can affect your workout, your weight — even your brainpower. Here are just a few quick tips to help you hydrate!

1. Make drinking water a daily habit

2. Feeling thirsty or experiencing dry mouth, flushed skin, fatigue, or head-ache can all be signs of dehydration. Hydrate the body with some water before reaching for panadol

3. Plain water too boring, try adding fresh lemon or lime juice or a handful of berries.

4. To increase your fluid intake, enjoy a few pieces of fruit a day, as well as some
homemade vegetable soup. For example 1 cup cooked sliced zucchini  contains 6 oz of water!!

5. If you find you get to the end of day without finishing your water bottle set a timer as a reminder to drink a glass of water every hour or so!

And remember you don't need to guzzle a gallon of H2O during your exercise session, simply drink to satisfy your thirst and you'll take in what you need.

Egg-Cellent Eggs

Eggs, which have been a usual part of many people’s breakfast, definitely have a place on SophiaFIT’s Superfoods list. They are loaded with nutrients and as they can take up to four hours to digest, this protein can actually help you lose weight!!

Eggs are among the most nutritious foods on the planet, containing a little bit of almost every nutrient our bodies require! They truly are the perfect food to be added into our diet!

One Eggs contains the following:
* Vitamin A
* Folate
* Vitamin B5
* Vitamin B12
* Vitamin B2
* Phosphorus
* Selenium

Eggs also contain decent amounts of Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Calcium and Zinc!

Along with containing all of the above, they are a great source of inexpensive, high quality protein with more than half the protein of an egg is found in the egg white!

Instead of loading you up with a plethora of facts about Eggs, I thought I’d just choose one!

Did you know that eating eggs can help you lose weight? I know this may come as a surprise to those who thought eggs were fattening or unhealthy, but a study carried out by the Rochester Center for Obesity Research found that eating eggs for breakfast helps limit your calorie intake all day, by more than 400 calories. That means you could lose three pounds or more per month.

The high level of protein in which eggs contain help keep you fuller for longer therefore decreasing the chances of you reaching for that mid-morning snack or over eating at lunch!

Don’t have time in the morning to cook your eggs?? Cook them the night before or meal prep on Sunday! Boiled eggs last for safely up to a week in the refrigerator after they were cooked or prep your omelette the night before whilst cooking your dinner!

It doesn’t stop there!! The use of eggs extends past the kitchen! Egg whites can be used for face masks to help tighten your pores and cure acne problems. For a quick and easy Hydrating Egg Facemasks all you need to do is combine 1 egg white , ¼ ripe avocado and 1 teaspoon yogurt!

Hopefully this weeks Superfood Series Blog has helped provide you some insight into how amazing eggs are! If you are stuck for ideas on how to incorporate eggs into your diet, both my Nutrition E Book & 7 Day Meal Plan Ebook contain plenty of recipes showing the versatility of eggs! Alternatively send me an email at sophia@sophiafit.com as we can work on meal plan together!

Let's Talk About: PINEAPPLES

* Pineapple boosts immunity and improves blood circulations.

* Can help treat arthritis! Pineapple contains a relatively rare enzyme called bromelain that helps with the complex breakdown of proteins and has major anti-inflammatory effects! Hence helping to  reduce inflammation of joints and muscles

* Aids with digestion - being rich in dietary fibre, pineapple is like a helping hand to which keep you regular and your intestines healthy.

* Helps heal wounds and protect against infection.

* Reduces risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease

Why not add pineapple to your next smoothie or with yogurt to add a extra tang!

4 Quick & Easy Breakfast Ideas

Breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day as it breaks your overnight fast and kick starts your metabolism! So starting your day with a nourishing meal with set the tone for your day ahead. Here are my favourite brekky options that are super quick, easy and healthy!

Protein Smoothie
I love my Banana & Strawberry smoothie to kick start my day! Add a scoop of protein powder and top with crushed nuts, seeds for an extra boost! Check out my recipe HERE

Granola Parfait
Combine 1/2 cup of organic unsweetened greek yogurt with 1 cup of berries, a 1/3 cup of granola and a tbsp of chia seeds.

Easy Peasy Scrambled Eggs
All you need is 2 eggs 1/4 cup of unsweetened almond milk, 1/2 cup of sliced mushrooms and 2 handfuls of spinach. Whisk together and add to a pan lightly coated in coconut oil. Stir the eggs intermittently until they are light and fluffy!

Egg Bowl
Saute your favourite greens (such as spinach, kale) in olive oil or coconut oil with a sprinkle of chilli flakes until slightly wilted. Add sautéed greens to bowl with two eggs (poached, fried or boiled), 1/4 of an avocado and a sprinkle of slivered almonds.

Only a few more days until my 50% Special on my New Year Bundle ends! Enter the discount code “NEWYEAR50” at checkout! Offer ends Wednesday 31st of Jan at midnight!!

Fail to Plan. Plan to Fail.

I’m sure you have all heard this saying many times but it couldn’t be more true! Planning will help you stay on track with your weight loss goals, improve your health and might even save you money. If you find yourself wasting time in the kitchen, spending hours at night cooking dinner or want to stay on track with your 2018 health goals then meal prep is for you! The benefits of meal prep definitely out way those few extra hours on Sunday you spend cooking such as it will save money and help with achieving your goals.

The key to getting ahead with meal prep is to have a few staple foods that you can batch-cook and use in a number of different ways. If you really don’t have the time, opt for tinned tuna, salads, raw veggies (think carrot sticks, cucumber, avocado, tomatoes, capsicums), fruit and nuts, which take no time to simply throw in a Tupperware.

Here are my top tips for Meal Prep!

• Invest in some quality Tupperware and ziplock bags! They will become your new best friend!
• Cook in large batches and store in the fridge or freezer to keep fresh for during the week plan ahead. Sit down and write a list of the meals you are going to cook and the ingredients you need
• Make a shopping list and STICK TO IT!!
• Set aside few hours a week to chop, cook and prepare your meals for the week!

Click here to download my Weekly Meal Planner!

My New Years Bundle contains both my ebooks that are filled with a range of delicious, easy & healthy meals that you can prep for the week! Subscribe to my mailing list to receive 50% OFF! Subscribe HERE!

How to break bad habits!

New Year, new goals, new habits! The new year is an exciting time for change! As we look forward to the year ahead we look to replace bad habits with better ones to help improve every element of our lives! By nature we are creatures of habits! Don’t get me wrong not all habits are bad! Good habits like regularly exercising and meal prep can form a foundation to a healthy life but its the bad habits such as over-eating on the weekend can sabotage your health without even realising!

So whether you’re battling through a dry January or trying to get over the holiday food hangover, here are a few quick tips to break free of unhealthy habits!

1. Remember the choice is yours! - Are you reaching for the third cup of coffee or piece of chocolate out of habit? No one “has” to do anything. Think of your “why” before making decisions.

2. Recognise the ritual and make it healthier - If you view food as a reward, try to replace it with a  treat, such as a short walk, a warm bath or 10 minutes of relaxing yoga

3. Create a rest routine - Make sure you look forward to getting into bed at night. Turn it into an experience you love, turn your phone to “do not disturb”, light a candle, read a relaxing book and learn how to wind down naturally without technology!

4. Make smart choices - Start with small, achievable goals. When you go out for dinner eat choose fish or lean meat with vegetables and have a cup of mint tea after dinner instead of dessert. REMEMBER: simple, small changes can make a huge difference!

5. Savour every moment, say “Cheers!” - Celebration and delight are incredibly powerful tonics. If you have some sweets don’t stress yourself out with guilt. Own it, trust yourself not to eat the whole pack, enjoy the celebration and then move on.

Are you are looking for guidance on breaking your habits and focusing on making 2018 a year of improving your health & fitness, then I would love to hear from you! Send an email to sophia@sophiafit.com for more info! Also make the most of my New Year Bundle Special where you receive both my Nutrition eBook & 7 Day Meal Plan! Subscribe to receive the 50% off discount code here!