If you are on a mission to lose weight or improve your fitness levels, it is important to be disciplined and adopt Good Fitness Habits. Luckily I have always been fairly disciplined when it comes to exercise. I also have exercise equipment at home, which is a big help. If you are less disciplined or you do not have space at home, then joining a gym, like Virgin Active or Sports Science Institute, would be your best option. [Read more…]
Green Juice Cleanse Recipe
Following on from my post on from my post on Monday with my Beetroot Juice Cleanse, I thought I would share My Green Juice Cleanse Recipe.
I also thought it would be interesting to share a bit about why cold-pressed juices, are more beneficial than the shop bought juices, which more often than not have been pasteurized.
Cold pressing, on the other hand, extracts juice by first crushing the fruits and vegetables, and then pressing them to squeeze out the highest juice yield, all without using heat. This produces a drink that’s thicker and has about three to five times more nutrients than normal juice. The downside is that cold-pressed juices typically last for up to three days when refrigerated—if not, they develop harmful bacteria—so it’s crucial to buy them fresh and drink them quickly. ~ Shape
Each of the juice cleanse recipes I am sharing, are made to my own taste and contain ingredients, which are important for me at this stage of my wellness journey. You can change the recipe up to suit your own taste and needs but I found the combinations I have created both healthy and tasty!
Some background on why I chose this particular combination of ingredients…for starters did you know Kiwifruit are high in vitamins, flavonoids and minerals. In particular, they contain a high amount of Vitamin C (more than oranges), as much potassium as bananas and a good amount of beta-carotene. They also help form Carnitine, which transports fats into cells to be burned as energy.
The phytonutrients found in unfiltered Green Apple Juice can help regulate blood sugar while reducing bad cholesterol levels and enhancing cardiovascular health. Unfiltered apple juice is an excellent source of Vitamin A, which helps to improve vision and Vitamin C, which is a great antioxidant, to help strengthen your immune system.
Pineapple juice contains enzymes that can help digest proteins and offer anti-inflammatory benefits.One cup of fresh pineapple chunks provides 131% of your vitamin C needs for the day, 2% of vitamin A needs, 2% of calcium and 2% of iron.
Celery Stalks are an excellent source of vitamins B1, B2, B6 and C with rich supplies of potassium, folate, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, sodium and plenty essential amino acids. Nutrients in the fiber are released during juicing, which help keep you regular!
Cucumber has an impressive amount of water (about 96%) that is naturally distilled, which makes it superior to ordinary water. Its skin contains a high percentage of vitamin A, so should not be peeled off. Cucumber contains alkaline-forming minerals and is an excellent source of vitamin C and A (anti-oxidants), folate, manganese, molybdenum, potassium, silica, sulfur, and lesser amounts of vitamin B complex, sodium, calcium, and phosphorus.
Ginger is a power house like no other! It is known to have more than twelve types of anti-oxidants, making it useful for treatment of many disorders and has way too many health benefits to list here!
Recipe:
- 1 Kiwi Fruit
- 2 Green Apples
- Half Pineapple
- 2 Stalks Celery
- 1 Small Cucumber or 1/3 Large Cucumber
- Knob of Ginger {this is very much to taste – I love lots of ginger!}
- 1/4 lemon
Remove outer skin from Pineapple and cut into chunks, remove the core from the apples and chop into chunks. Peel the Kwifruit and cut into quarters. Chop Cucumber leaving the skin on. Peel lemon and ginger. Slice the Celery stalks and you are ready to go. Using a juicer, I used my Bosch Electric Juicer, pass all the ingredients through, starting with the hardest component, in this case the apples, then add the rest of the ingredients. Once juiced add a splash of filtered water, if the juice is too thick and a few ice cubes.
Enjoy!
My 100 Healthy Days with Well I Am – Time to Detox
I cannot believe the first month of My 100 Healthy Days with Well I Am is done and dusted! So here begins a new month, which brings with it a new set of challenges!
As I mentioned before starting this challenge in winter has not be great but I am feeling strong and not allowing excuses to stand in my way. The biggest challenge I have faced thus far, in my Well I Am journey is eating out because lets face it, it is one of my favourite things to do! For me the easiest way for this not to become an issue is to allow myself at least one “cheat” day a week! As I mentioned before when eating out, you can substitute your carbs with veg or salad but there is nothing better than a yummy pud every now and then 🙂
With just over a month to go until we leave for Italy, we have decided to do a bit of a detox this week, with a juice cleanse for a few days. I have been scouting Pinterest for a few recipes and am going to be putting my new Bosch juicer to the test. So lets see how it goes! I will let you know next week if it has been successful and share any tips and recipes I have enjoyed with you.
I am not sure if you are following Inspired Living SA on Instagram? If not follow me to keep up to date with my wellness journey and my “photo-a-day” posts, for the 100 Healthy Days Challenge.
If you are doing or have done a juice cleanse I would love to hear from you – please share any advice or recipes in the comment section below.
Source: Detox Green Juice Recipe & Image , Top Image – Pinterest
My 100 Healthy Days With Well I Am – Motivation
I thought I would give you a bit of an update on my progress with My 100 Healthy Days With Well I Am! As I have mentioned before, I have never been someone who likes dieting, mostly because I get bored very quickly and lose interest. I have found that a much better approach to losing weight and fitness is a lifestyle change but this can be easier said than done! Especially during the cold winter months and if I am on holiday because all I want to do is comfort eat.
The most important thing with any challenge is to set yourself goals! When setting yourself goals, they need to be realistic and attainable, otherwise you will give up very quickly. Make sure you have a clear idea of what you would like to achieve and the time you would like to do it in.
My biggest issue recently is unexplained weight-gain, although not a huge amount, it has been a steady climb, which has found me the heaviest I have ever been unless pregnant! I know that it does have quite a bit to do with age but I am determined to lose the weight! So my main goal in the Well I Am Challenge, is to lose 10kg and get back to what I weighed a year ago!
So what lifestyle changes have I made to help me achieve my goals? From a meal perspective I have cut down portion size and I try to avoid any processed food. I have also cut down my salt intake dramatically. What I am not prepared to do is eat bland steamed food – this is where I draw the line!
To be honest I love food not just eating it but the entire experience – I know for some people food is merely a necessity but that is not the case for me. I think this is why I find it hard to diet – food must be interesting and sexy for me to enjoy it and if I cannot enjoy it then what is the point! I guess this has been one of my challenges – to make healthy food not only tasty but appealing visually. You may remember the post I did featuring My Healthy Recipes and meal ideas.
I do find myself eating out quite a bit and this can pose a problem, if you are trying to lose weight but there are many healthy options available on menus, which are lower in calories and you can always substitute your starch, with salad or veg. If you have to eat desert, then if possible share it with someone – then at least you can share the guilt 😉
I am almost 3 weeks into the 100 day challenge and even though I spent a week on holiday in Knysna and have had a bad cold, I have managed to maintain both a healthy diet{with the odd cheats} and regular exercise! This has not been easy but I am motivated to stick to my plan and I have things like a trip to Italy in September, to really motivate me and keep me focused!
To date I have lost over 2,5kgs, which means that I have 7,5kg to go! I am also feeling much healthier and more energised, which I think is a combination of eating well and excising daily.
Are you doing the 100 Healthy Days with Well I Am or a similar challenge? If you are I would love to hear about your goals and how you keep yourself motivated!
My Healthy Recipes with Well I Am
One of the main goals with My 100 Healthy Days with Well I am, is to eat a healthy diet and cut out all processed foods. As I have mentioned before I am not big on dieting per se but prefer to eat healthy meals and limit my portion size, essentially making lifestyle changes, as opposed to sticking to a strict diet or eating plan.
The main difficulty most people find when it comes to healthy meal preparation, is to ensure the food you are eating is tasty and appealing, as well as being healthy and low in calories – in my opinion there is nothing worse than eating a plate of unappetizing, “grey”, steamed food! So I thought I would share a few of My Healthy Recipes and meal options, which are perfect for the whole family as well!
- Vanilla and Berry Smoothie ~ Smoothies are a great breakfast option and you can really let your imagination run wild, when it comes to ingredients! My favourite smoothie is vanilla yogurt and berries.You can use either fresh or frozen berries. I also like to add two scoops of protein power to my smoothies for an extra energy boost in the morning, especially if I am excising. For the full recipe click here
- Muesli with Fruit and Yogurt ~ Another great breakfast option is Muesli, which you can make yourself or you do shop bought but ensure you choose one which is not loaded with saturated fat and sugar! When in season, I love to add fresh berries to my muesli, as well as fat free vanilla yogurt – you can also used dried fruit such as peaches or cranberries. This is also a great breakfast option if you are working because you can pack it to go!
- Baked Eggs with Tomato and Bacon ~ Eggs are a very important part of a healthy diet, as they are a great source of high-quality protein, which is rich in vitamins D and A and low in saturated fat. They also contain choline, which was recently noted for its importance in brain function. Making baked eggs in such a simple but delicious meal, which could be either a breakfast or lunch option. Preheat your oven to 180ºC then grease a ramekin with olive oil. Roughly chop back bacon and tomatoes, place in the bottom of the ramekin. Crack an egg on top of the bacon and tomatoes, sprinkle with chopped rocket leaves and oven bake for approximately 10 minutes or until the egg is done to your liking. Again you could vary your ingredients and add mushrooms or a sprinkling of cheese if you wanted something a bit more substantial.
- Tuna, Apple and Sugar Snap Salad ~ I always find lunch such a tricky meal to keep healthy and convenient, as I am usually running around or attending events. The easiest way to keep lunch healthy and quick to prepare is to keep it raw, so salads are a great option. This tuna salad is super easy – simply mix one tin of tuna, in brine, with a tablespoon of low cal mayo. Roughly chop half an apple, half a cucumber and a handful of sugar snap peas and mix with the tuna. Add salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice and you are good to go. You could add half and avocado and a few cherry tomatoes to change it up a bit. If you do not like tuna then substitute it with grilled chicken.
- Poached Chicken and Vegetable Soup ~ Soup is another great healthy lunch option! You can make a huge batch at the beginning of the week and reheat as you need it or buy in. If you are buying soup, remember to check the ingredients and try and choose a low fat option, also check the salt and sugar content, as these should not be too high, if you are trying to loose weight. This recipe from Jamie Oliver is super healthy and easy to make.
- Chicken Wraps with Avocado and Rocket ~ these wraps are super easy to prepare and very yummy! As a healthier option rather than using the original flour tortillas you can using the multi-seed ones, which are available from Woolworths. If you did want to reduce the calories even further, for this meal, you can replace the avo and cheese with a raw salsa. For the full recipe click here
- Chicken Red Pepper and Ginger Stir Fry ~ This is another really simple meal to cook, most of the effort is in the preparation! You can also vary the veg and add things like sugar snap peas, green beans, broccoli and mushrooms. The image above I changed up the recipe and substituted the chicken with pork, which is as delicious! For the full recipe click here
- Seasonal Fruit Salad ~ A healthy desert option if you are watching your weight is a seasonal fruit salad. I am not a lover of winter fruit but I find a fruit salad, is a great way to get my daily fruit quota in!
There are so many healthy meal options to choose from and these are a few I like and find easy to prepare and cook. If you have any ideas to share please leave a comment below.