Veggies - How many do we need?

Vegetables provide nutrients vital for health and maintenance of your body! The list of benefits Veggies provide is ongoing but below are a few of the important ones!

• Can help you lose weight
• Are high in important nutrients including potassium, folate, vitamin A, vitamin C and the list goes on…
• Can reduce your risk of certain cancers, chronic diseases (such as diabetes) etc.
• Help to keep you immune system strong, heart & skin healthy
•Keep your gut, digestion and brain healthy

HOW MUCH?
Adults need to be eating a minimum of 5 serves of veggies! For kids 4 - 7 years they need at least 4 serves and 8 -18 years at least 5 serves of vegetables.

WHAT IS A SERVE?
A serve of vegetables or legumes (yes legumes such as lentils & beans count as veggies!!)
1 serve =
1/2 cup of cooked veggies
1/2 cup of dried beans, peas or lentils
1 cup of salad veggies

If you are struggle to include your 5 serves of veggies into your diet, My Nutrition E Book & 7 Meal Plan E Book are jam packed with veggie inspired recipes! And you can still receive 30% OFF my 7 Day Meal Plan Ebook! You can add your details here or shoot me a message for the discount code!

Ready, set, go!

The drive for health and fitness doesn't come easy for everyone, and it's especially hard to find when you’re coming off of a long streak of doing slacking off!! We've all fallen off the health and fitness bandwagon before; whether it’s a busy time in life, or you’re going through something heavy, or even if you’ve simply just lost all drive. They say the hardest part is just getting started, and I couldn't agree more. Do you find yourself always looking for excuse why not to train and eat healthily? And the longer you go without working out, the easier it is usually is for us to continue postponing that sweaty workout!!

I want to help you be the most fittest and healthiest version of yourself! To give you that extra motivation am I offering my Spring into Summer 7 Day Meal Plan at 30% OFF! You can add your details here or shoot me a message for the discount code!

Sweet Cinnamon

Cinnamon is sometimes referred to as one of the healthiest spices in the world.

This superfood may already be sitting in the pantry – and a tiny sprinkle goes a very long way! It’s antioxidants abilities are what makes it especially beneficial to include into your diet. Just as little as 1/2 a teaspoon of cinnamon added your diet daily can have positive effects on your blood sugar levels, digestion, immunity plus heaps more! Adding a higher dosage of cinnamon can be extremely beneficial as it can help towards improving heart disease risk and even cutting your chances of diabetes, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases! AMAZING!!

Just to give you a little bit more on the contents of cinnamon. One single tablespoon of ground cinnamon contains:

0 grams of fat, sugar, or protein
4 grams of fibre
68 percent daily value manganese
8 percent daily value calcium
4 percent daily value iron
3 percent daily value vitamin K

Cinnamon can be included into your diet whether it be breakfast, lunch or dinner! For example your morning coffee! Most of us are adding either creamer, milk (whole or skim) sugar, or butter to your coffee to improve its taste at some point. If you're looking for something different, though, try a new twist with a dash of cinnamon. This sweet, sharp spice can do so much more than improve coffee's taste! Adding cinnamon to your morning coffee can prove to be very beneficial. According to a research conducted, the simple act of smelling cinnamon can help to improve your processing capabilities and ingesting the spice is even more beneficial. The study participants were better able to complete tasks when eating cinnamon, and improved their attention overall. This is due to cinnamons ability to improve your brain's cognitive processing, spur brain function altogether, and help you master your visual and motor responses! Hopefully this makes you think twice before adding sugar to your coffee!

To help you start introducing more cinnamon into your diet, below are my fav cinnamon inspired recipe!

Golden Cinnamon Sweet Potato

INGREDIENTS
1 Medium sized sweet potato, diced
1 - 2 tablespoons of cinnamon
Drizzle of olive oil or coconut oil
Pinch of sea salt

METHOD
Pre-heat oven to 400 Degrees F. Toss the sweet potato in the cinnamon ensuring all the sweet potato pieces are evenly covered, place on a baking tray in the oven until golden brown. Serve with a fresh salad, add to your omelette or by itself for a healthy snack!

King Kale

If you are still yet to try Kale, now may be the perfect time! This nutritional powerhouse supports healthy skin, hair, and bones. With more nutritional value than spinach, Kale should definitely make its way onto your weekly shopping list if its not there already!!

Kales nutrients can help boost wellbeing and prevent a range of health problems. It contains fibre, antioxidants, calcium and vitamin K. As well as a good source of vitamin C and iron. Kale will not only add nutritional value but colour to salads and side dishes!

Kale Fast Facts!

- Kale is high in fibre and contains zero fat
- Kale is a great anti-inflammatory food. One cup of kale is filled with 10% of the RDA of omega-3 fatty acids, which help, fight against arthritis, asthma and autoimmune disorders.
- Kale is a great cardiovascular support
- Great detox food: the fibre and sulphur in kale helps to detoxify the body, keeping your liver healthy!

Kale’s versatility allows you to easily add to any of your meals throughout the day! You can enjoy it raw in salads or on sandwiches or wraps, steamed, baked, sautéed or added to soups and casseroles.

In salads: When using kale raw in salads, massage the leaves with coconut oil or olive oil. Then add your favourite spices or herbs to give them a boost of This begins the breakdown of the cellulose in the leaves and helps release the nutrients for easier absorption.

As a side dish: Sauté fresh garlic and onions in extra-virgin olive oil until soft. Add kale and continue to sauté until desired tenderness. Alternatively, steam for 5 minutes, then drain and stir in a dash of Tamara and tahini.

Kale chips: Massage kale with extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil and sprinkle with a combination of cumin, curry powder or chilli flakes. Bake at 275 degrees for 15 to 30 minutes to desired crispness.

Smoothies: Add a handful of kale to your favourite smoothie. It will add nutrients without changing the flavour very much so you will hardly notice it :)

Keep your eyes peeled for next weeks Superfood Series Post! I would love to hear what your favourite superfoods are! Comment below or leave me a message on facebook! ENJOY!

Are you getting quality zzz's?

Did you jump out of bed refreshed? Sleep is vital for your physical health as it helps support so many of your bodies functions such as metabolic function, cognitive ability, your immunity and even helps with balancing your hormones!!

Create a bedtime routine, allow your body the time to slowly wind down for the night as this will make falling asleep and waking up rested so much easier! Plus a well rested body means dramatic improvements in weight loss and general health!

Check out my top tips on ensuring you have at least 7 hrs sleep HERE!

Beat the 3pm Slump

We are know that feeling too well! You’ve smashed out your workout for the day, ate a nourishing, healthy breakfast and lunch but as soon as the clock strikes 3pm all you feel is something naughty like chocolate or chips! Hands up if this is you!

To help you beat the 3pm monster, here is a few snack ideas that you can either keep in your desk draw, your hand bag or at home in the cupboard! Just somewhere you can reach easily when those munchies hit!

Bliss Balls
Bliss balls is definitely the go-to snack for all you sweet tooths as they will not only kick your cravings but will give that extra burst of energy for the afternoon. Just beware of store bought ones that they aren’t packed with added sugar and it’s all natural! Here is one of my favourite bliss ball recipes!

RAW SALTED CARAMEL BALLS
Makes 18 Balls
Ingredients:
- 1 cup cashews
- ½ cup dessicated coconut (without preservatives)
- 1 scoop of quality protein powder of your choice (pea, rice or whey)
- 15-16 Medjool dates
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or rice malt syrup
- 2 tablespoons raw pepitas
- 2 tablespoons water
- Pinch of salt
- Extra coconut for rolling

Instructions:
1. Blend cashews first in a food processor until in chunk-form
2. Add all other ingredients and blend until formed
3. Pour extra coconut into a bowl or on a plate
4. Roll mixture into small balls and coat in the bowl of desiccated coconut
5. Freeze to set and enjoy
6. These balls will last in your freezer for 2 weeks and are equally delicious if stored in the fridge, once set.

Hummus & Veggies
You truly can’t go wrong with a bit of hummus and veggie sticks! Super simple to prepare and can easily be placed Tupperware container to keep at work or in your handbag for on the go!

Yogurt & Berries
Natural yogurt or greek topped with berries is a perfect low-GI snack! Low-GI snacks are slowly digested and absorbed which provides more stable blood sugar levels and will help you maintain healthy energy levels! As well as the above benefits this delicious snack will also give you a hit of antioxidants and good bacteria plus it helps satisfy your sweet tooth!

Trail Mix
Trail mixes are a super easy and healthy snack as it provides protein, healthy fats and fibre to keep you satisfied until dinner! This snack also contains zinc, magnesium, calcium and vitamin E!! You can create your trail mix with raw mixed nuts and seeds (think almonds, Brazil nuts, walnuts, sunflower and pepitas seeds, along with some dried fruit (such as goji berries, prunes, raisins or dates).

Don’t forget you can receive 50% OFF My New Year Bundle for the month of January! All you need to do is subscribe to my newsletter to receive the discount code! Subscribe HERE!

Need an ENERGY BOOST

As the Christmas & end of year period is fast approaching, this is definitely a time when we need as much energy as we can get! If you are finding yourself feeling lethargic mid-afternoon, struggling to stay alert throughout the day or just straight out exhausted, you are not alone! Luckily, there are some really easy ways to boost your energy levels which often only requires you to make some small changes to your routine!

1. FOCUS ON NUTRITION
You would be surprised how much the food you eat affects your energy levels! Not only do you need to ensure that you are fuelling your body with the right balance of protein, carbohydrates and fat but pre and post workout nutrition is exceptionally important as it can help your performance during your workout and assist in recovery! Here are a few healthy energy boosting foods!

• Fresh Fruit - Fruits with peels, like bananas or apples, are good choices to take to work or when you're on the go.
• Nuts - In particular Cashews, almonds, and hazelnuts which are high in magnesium, that plays a key role in converting sugar to energy.
• Hard boiled Eggs - rich in amino acid tyrosine which helps improve alertness and perk you up!
• Lemon & Water - Adding lemon to water transforms regular H20 into a natural energy drink that is packed with electrolytes, which are critical for cells to produce energy.

2. STAY HYDRATED
Did you know that one of the first signs of dehydration is feeling tired or exhausted? Not drinking enough water can be why your energy levels are low and you feel exhausted. Don’t just drink water when you are thirsty! Make an effort to sip on water continuously throughout the day, with more around training times.

3. MOVE YOUR BODY EVERY DAY
Incorporating regular exercise into your routine will actually boost energy levels. When engaging in physical activity it sends oxygen and nutrients to the cells of your body, which helps your heart and lungs to work more efficiently and boosts energy levels. You don’t need to be a gym junkie or run a marathon to get the benefits — moderate levels of activity will help with increasing energy levels and reducing stress and tension. Try adding “incidental” exercise into your day, such as taking the stairs, go for a 10-20min walk at lunchtime or walk around whilst on the phone. The little things really do add up!

4. ADD SUPPLEMENTS TO YOUR REGIME
The benefits of supplements are so underestimated!! By adding supplements to your daily routine it can help with optimising your energy production and improving your nutrition and overall health! When I discovered and introduced Juice Plus+ supplements  into my daily routine I have only reap all the amazing benefits! Juice Plus+ Capsules literally contain only vine ripened, freeze dried fruit and veggies! If you want more info on Juice Plus+ or to purchase some click here.

5. MAKE SURE YOU GET ENOUGH SLEEP
Sleep is the most factor for recovery and energy production. Ensuring that you get an adequate amount of sleep will assist mental health, hormonal balance, and muscular recovery. Aim to get between 7-10 hours per night.

6. DON’T LET STRESS CONTROL YOU
We often feel like there is nothing we can do about stress, but we have a lot more control than you might think. Taking charge of your stress will allow you to tackle problems and clear up any cloudiness around your thoughts and emotions! There is always a way to relieve pressure and relax. If you are looking for tips on how to chill out, check out last weeks blog on Meditation here!

7. SEE YOUR DOCTOR
If you have actively tried all the tips above and you are still struggling with constant fatigue, there may be an underlying medical condition such as anemia, diabetes, thyroid dysfunction or hormonal problems! Make an appointment with your doctor who will be able to help you get on the right track!

Seminars at Da Firma training Centre & Podcast

On September 16th & 17th I was lucky enough to run a Coed Seminar and a Women's Only Workshop at Da Firma Training Centre in Virginia. It was a great weekend and I'd like to thank everyone who came to the Seminar and workshop! The overall vibe was electric and everyone was there to work hard and have fun! 

I recently did a podcast for Maddiss Productions with Professor Ricardo.  In the podcast we discussed how I got her start in Jiu Jitsu and what I am currently doing. Listen to the full podcast HERE. Thank you to Ricardo for the opportunity.