How to turn pregnancy superfoods into craving-worthy feasts

Category: Food

22
Oct
2020

How to turn pregnancy superfoods into craving-worthy feasts

Most of us have an idea about the types of healthy foods we should be eating during pregnancy, but when those pesky cravings hit, they can be quite the force to reckon with. Instead of avocado on toast, we crave anything salty and stodgy. However, there is a way to turn pregnancy superfoods into real treats that are craving-worthy.

After years of yo-yo dieting I decided to learn the truth about nutrition and what it is we should really be consuming for good health; and so I embarked on a diploma course accredited by the Association for Nutrition. I’ve completed 70% of my diploma so far and I have recently passed my pre- and post-natal course. With that in mind, along with the vast number of healthy recipes I’ve tried and enjoyed over the years, I’d like to share what I’ve learnt to be ‘pregnancy’ superfoods and how to create delicious dishes from them. I hope you enjoy reading this post.

Scrumptious one-pan salmon roast

Pregnancy superfoods: Salmon, broccoli and sweet potato
Do not underestimate a delicious one-pan roast. Not only will this hit the spot and satisfy your salt craving, it is also really easy to cook. Place salmon, broccoli and sweet potato into a pan with some oil and your seasonings of choice. Roast for 30 minutes and you’re done. Here’s why salmon, broccoli and sweet potato are great to eat when pregnant.

Salmon: It’s recommended to eat two portions of oily fish a week during pregnancy, because it is a great source of omega-3 which helps your baby’s brain develop.

Broccoli: This green veggie is a great source of folate which is vital for your baby’s spinal cord development and, like salmon, helps brain development.

Sweet potato: This spud provides beta-carotene, a form of vitamin A. While it is recommended to limit how much vitamin A you consume during pregnancy, this form is safe to eat and there is no limit how much sweet potato you eat. Vitamin A plays an important role in the growth of your baby’s eyes, heart and brain.

Here’s are some recipes using these pregnancy superfoods that you may like to try:
www.eatingwell.com
www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes

Overnight oats with berries and yoghurt

Pregnancy superfoods: Oats, berries and yogurt
This recipe is so simple, healthy and filling. Mix jumbo oats, berries, greek style yogurt and a splash of milk. Pop in the fridge covered and the next morning you’ll have a really yummy breakfast (or healthy snack). You can also add sliced banana, a drop of vanilla essence or some honey if you prefer it slightly sweeter.

Oats: All oats are low in fat, high in fibre and release energy slowly. This will help combat tiredness as your body works hard to grow and care for your little one, while the fibre will help prevent a very common symptom of pregnancy – constipation!

Berries: These fruity delights are nutrient rich and will help with constipation too, thanks to their high levels of fibre. All berries are rich in antioxidants (great for your immunity) and vitamin C, which will help your body absorb iron through the foods you eat.

More overnight oats recipes:
www.weightwatchers.com
www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes

THREE SWEET BREAKFAST IDEAS FOR BUSY MORNINGS

Moreish Moroccan stew

Pregnancy superfoods: Red lentils, dried apricots, rapeseed oil
In a little rapeseed oil fry onions, garlic, turmeric, paprika and any other spices you like. Add chicken, lamb or chickpeas, along with chopped dried apricots, red lentils and your choice of stock. Bring to boil and then simmer. This makes a moreish stew that can be eaten alone, with brown rice or a brown pitta bread.

Red lentils: Red lentils are a pulse and all pulses are packed with protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals. They also count towards one of your 5-a-day.

Dried apricots: These provide your body with folic acid, iron and fibre. While they are delicious to cook with, they can also be eaten as a healthy and convenient snack on the go.

Rapeseed oil: This versatile oil can be cooked at relatively high temperatures and gives you and you baby a dose of healthy fats (including monounsaturated fats which are good for your heart) and the antioxidant, vitamin E.

A detailed recipe for you to try:
www.bbcgoodfood.com/moroccan-style-chicken-lentils

Water

It may not sound exciting, but water is so important to drink during pregnancy and there are ways to spice it up. Plus, sipping water regularly can help ease nausea from pregnancy sickness, maintain your energy levels and (it’s that word again) help relieve constipation. Here are some ideas to give your water a makeover.

Fruit infused cold water
Herbal teas
Water on the rocks a.k.a lots of ice
Hot lemon and ginger
Soup style, such as cuppa soup

Top tip: Invest in a water bottle with a straw and take it everywhere with you. You may be surprised by how much more you drink.

04
Mar
2020

7 easy ways to eat your 5-a-day

Categories: Food

In the UK it is recommended that we all eat at least 5 portions of fruit and veg every day. However, if you’re not used to consuming a range of fruit and vegetables regularly, that number can seem a little daunting. It’s for that reason I have pulled together a few practical tips that have helped me to up my fruit and veg intake over the years, and I hope they can help you too.

1. Blend it
Reach your 5-a-day by blending together different types of fruit and vegetables to make healthy and filling smoothies. Try banana, blueberries, spinach, almond milk, and (if you like) some porridge oats or protein powder. This makes a delicious breakfast, or a nutritious smoothie to enjoy pre or post exercising.

2. Buy it frozen
Have good intentions to eat your 5-a-day but your fruit and veg goes off? Buy it frozen and add your freezer veggies straight into stir fries, stews, curries or omelettes; or frozen fruit straight into smoothies, ‘ice cream’ (see below), yogurt or overnight oats.

3. Make soup
An easy way to enjoy lots of vegetables in one sitting is to make your own soup. Simply add your favourite veggies to a huge pot of stock (vegetable or chicken) and let them simmer away until you’re left with a yummy soup. You can then enjoy your soup chunky or use a blender to create a smooth soup. Save any leftovers in the fridge or freezer for a meal another day!

4. Think vegetable base
When cooking from scratch I used to focus on what carb or meat I had to make my meal. Nowadays I focus on the vegetables first to ensure my meal will be high in nutrients and will help me to reach that 5-a-day goal. For example, chargrilled vegetables (you can buy packs of these frozen) go great with a salmon fillet and some potatoes. Stir fries are a great dish for focussing on the vegetables first as there are so many tasty stir fry vegetable packs in supermarkets available. Pair with tofu, your favourite meat or fish, along with a few noodles or some rice.

5. Grate it up
There are some dishes I was previously used to cooking that contained very little veg, then I came across a lot of recipes that grated vegetables into them. I found doing this not only increased how many vegetables I would be consuming, but it didn’t alter the taste of my usual recipes all that much. For example, grated carrot, aubergine or courgette into spaghetti bolognese is delicious and a lot of the time I feel like I eat less mince and pasta now my sauce is full with filling veggies.

6. Snack on it
A really simple way to increase your fruit and veg intake is to snack on it. Vegetable crudities are great for dipping into houmous and are easy to travel with. Bananas, apples, oranges, pears are also easy to travel with and make a great snack – especially if you have a sweet tooth.

7. Make it a pudding
My favourite way to consume fruit is as a dessert. I love berries mixed in with greek style yogurt or my ultimate favourite is to make fruit ‘ice cream’ and sorbets. My favourite is to blend chopped up frozen bananas with a little milk, and sometimes a tiny bit of peanut butter. It creates an ice cream like dessert without all the fat and unnatural sugar.

Why 5-a-day?
Read more here:
www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/why-5-a-day
www.nhs.uk/change4life/food-facts/five-a-day

25
Feb
2019

Do The Unthinkable Weight Loss Plan Review

Categories: Food

Muscle Food, famous for high protein food hampers, have a brand new weight loss programme called Do The Unthinkable. For four weeks I’ve given the plan go and now I’m ready to dish the lowdown on this new food and fitness plan.

What is Do The Unthinkable?
Do The Unthinkable is a weight loss plan from Muscle Food. Every meal and snack is delivered directly to your door, along with access to high intensity workouts to complete each week and support from a Personal Trainer. The plan is designed to be followed for 12 weeks and is split into three phases, with each phase split into four week sections.

My weight loss on Do The Unthinkable
Having completed Phase 1 of the plan, I’m delighted to share that I feel fitter, stronger and a lot slimmer. I also feel more in the know on what to eat for successful weight loss. That said, my final weigh in shows that I’ve actually stayed the same weight, despite feeling trim. I put this down to a few things that are completely on me and not the plan, the main thing being my birthday in the last week of the plan and having too many unplanned indulgences! I should also share that I have a really good skill at putting on weight quickly, so I’m sure if it wasn’t for those extras I consumed, my weight loss could have been a good 6lbs down!

What I love about Do The Unthinkable weight loss plan
– Yummy food to your door
Having every meal and snack delivered directly to your door is simply amazing and makes eating healthy so simple! Each week I would receive a huge hamper filled with all the food choices I made online. Many of the meals to choose from just require heating up, but there are also lots that you can make yourself with the ingredients provided – I’m a big fan of the Peri Peri chicken with wedges and roasted veg. Overall the food was good.

– Easy to follow
When you sign up to Do The Unthinkable, you’re given special access to the plan online and here you can pick from a wide range of foods to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can also choose three snacks a day. Online you can access all the workouts you need to complete for each week and there’s a great Facebook group too, where you can ask a Personal Trainer and other members questions.

– Online support
I was really impressed with the online support you receive with the plan. The Personal Trainer is great at answering any question you have, as our the members of the private Facebook group you have access to. The whole community is really friendly, welcoming and full of inspiring members.

– Challenging workouts
The workouts are tough!

– 5 days on plan and 2 days ‘off’
There are several options available when it comes to the plan. You can decide to receive food for 5 days, 6 days or 7 days. I opted for the first option and enjoyed having my weekends free to be able to eat out or simply have the foods I’m used to making.

What I didn’t love about Do the Unthinkable
There are tons of positives to this plan and while I’m about to reveal the areas that didn’t work for me, I’m conscious that this is a matter of opinion and may not be a big deal to everyone. So please keep that in mind when you read on.

– Some meals are a lot tastier than others
After sampling quite a range of meals during Phase 1, there were meals that I really enjoyed and others that I personally found really disappointing. The less likeable meals were often low in vegetables or tasted quite different to the name given to them. Having meals and snacks that didn’t taste great was a little disheartening on days where I seem to have a run of ‘bad’ meals, however by week 3 I found my favourites and I picked all the meals I knew I liked.

– Food boredom
Even though I discovered all my food favourite towards the end of Phase 1, I started to feel bored of having the same meals. I loved the idea of not thinking about meal planning and cooking, but (surprisingly to me) I found myself looking forward to making my own meal plans and recipes again.

– Workouts not for beginners
This is a funny one to critique the plan on, as while I ‘enjoyed’ the workouts and found them amazingly challenging, at times I felt awful doing them and wished there was a beginner’s level. However, a workout isn’t meant to be easy is it? And throughout the workouts you are advised to go at your on pace, so perhaps this one is on me!

– No cold lunch options
All the lunches and dinners you receive require heating up or cooking from scratch. Many can be just be put in the microwave, so it’s not that they’re tricky to prepare in any way, but on occasions when I wasn’t near a microwave or wanted to be ‘out out’ over lunch time, I found myself wishing for a cold lunch option that I could take out with ease. That said, you have plenty of filling snacks as part of the plan, so just make sure you have one of those with you until you can get somewhere appropriate to prepare your meal.

Following the plan as a mum
– Clear your freezer
I’m usually the household cook and although all my meals had been taken care of, thank you Muscle Food, I still needed to feed my family. I’m in the habit of having a well-stocked freezer of family meals, but I hadn’t anticipated just how much of my Do The Unthinkable meals would need to go in the freezer – almost all of it! So heads up – make some space before you sign up to the plan!

– Healthy meal ideas for everyone
My daughter is a huge copycat and often asked for the same meals as the ones I was eating (or a version of), so I ended up making similar meals for the whole family. For the most part this felt like a huge positive, as we were all eating healthy dinners together. It only became an issue when I couldn’t replicate the high protein breakfast pancakes (why can’t I flip pancakes!) and I ended up sharing my Do The Unthinkable batch with my 3 year old!

Would you recommend that plan?
Overall I enjoyed the plan and I would recommend Do The Unthinkable. I felt a huge sense of freedom and reassurance knowing the foods I would be eating during the week where going to be healthy and help me lose weight. The plan opened my eyes to new types of meals and snacks you can enjoy on a weight loss journey, along with portion control – which has always been a weak spot of mine.

Although I’ve shared a few things I didn’t love about the plan, I wonder if this would change as I enter Phase 2 and 3, where I would get stronger and perhaps be given the choice of different foods to pick from.

I’ve always wanted to try a weight loss food delivery service, and I’m glad my first experience of one was Do The Unthinkable. The support from the Personal Trainer and Facebook group really is fab and I was always impressed with just how hard the short, at-home workouts were.

Click here to find out more about Do The Unthinkable and how Josie Gibson got on when she followed the plan for 5 weeks.

11
Feb
2019

What is a healthy diet?

Categories: Food

In a world full of nutrition confusion, I’ve been seeking a simple answer to the question, what is a healthy diet?

A diploma in Nutrition and Weight Management
Despite previous success in losing weight, it occurred to me last year that I still didn’t know what actually made a healthy diet. So I decided to embark on a diploma in Nutrition and Weight Management. I’ve been studying an accredited course by the Association for Nutrition (AfN) and I’m delighted to share that I’ve passed part of the diploma that allows me to train as a Nutrition and Weight Management advisor (but I still have several modules to study before I achieve the full diploma – wish me luck). Although I have lots more to learn, I would like to share my main takeaways from the course so far.

1. Visit NHS.co.uk
The NHS, among lots of other things, is a fantastic nutritional resource and a good place to visit if you’re ever unsure what to eat for good health. My favourite resources are the Eat Well Guide and 12 week NHS weight loss plan. The whole site is filled with tons of information on healthy eating along with more specific notes on things like, food advice for vegans, a guide on vitamins, meal ideas for kids and lots more.

2. Carbs are not the enemy
I’ve always felt conflicted about carbohydrates. There are so many low carb diets out there that seem to work, but anytime I’ve tried them I’ve been left feeling rubbish. Since studying nutrition I’ve gained a much better understanding of the role of carbs and just how important it is to consume this food group (e.g. rice, potatoes, porridge). In a nutshell, it’s our body’s main provider of energy and the main source of energy when it comes to ‘brain’ fuel. Plus wholemeal/wholewheat varieties are usually high in fibre which is also incredibly important for good (gut) health and something people in the UK are known for not having enough of. What I have also learnt is what makes a healthy portion and in hindsight, this is something I personally struggle with (aka. I eat too much for my body). Which leads me onto…

3. What to put on your plate
The Eat Well Guide referenced earlier not only gives a visual demonstration of what kinds of food you should be eating, but also an idea of how much from each food group. This has been a great help for me when it comes to understanding portion sizes.

4. Macros and micros
I’ve been intrigued by these words for a while and this is what they mean. Macro stands for macronutrients – these are the food groups we need to consume the most of everyday. This includes fat, protein and carbs. Micros stands for micronutrients, also important and are vitamins and minerals we need to consume regularly, in smaller amounts. For good health it’s important to consume a range of foods from that contain these macros and micros. With regards to fat, protein and carbs, it’s recommended that 10-15% of you calorie intake comes from protein, 30-35% from fat and 50-55% from carbs (these vary a little if you drink alcohol). When it comes to vitamins and minerals, you’ll be in safe hands if you eat a wide range of fruit and veg. Which brings me onto my next point…

5. “Eat the rainbow” aka lots of fruit and veg
I always new fruit and vegetables where key to a healthy diet, but I really didn’t appreciate just how amazing these things are. They’re a great source of vitamins and minerals and also contribute towards your macro intake. If you’re ever unsure what to eat, just make sure your plate is piled high with these and ‘eat the rainbow’ as they say – as different coloured fruit and veg actually provides you with different vitamins and minerals.

5. Moderation and balance
I used to think phrases like a ‘balanced diet’ or ‘all in moderation’ were boring sayings, and that there must be something far more complicated behind heathy eating and successful weight loss. However, now that I have a better understanding of how everything we eat works together I appreciate that this really is the key to a healthy diet and healthy weight loss. When it comes to the foods that we love the taste of but know aren’t the best for us (e.g. foods high in fat and sugar like chocolate) it’s ok to have them… but in moderation. This is something in particular that I’ve tried hard to do, otherwise the alternative (cutting foods out) can lead to binge eating, and usually binge eating on that exact food you were trying hard to ignore.

6. Calories and weight loss
There are lots of methods out there with regards to how to lose weight, but essentially you need to consume less calories than you’re using (than you’re burning/working off) to create a deficit and that leads to healthy weight loss. This is usually a different of 500cals per 1lb of fat. Team that with eating the right kinds of foods (my next point) and you’ll lose excess fat and feel great, too!

7. Foods to eat
Foods that are great for your health and weight loss are…
– A wide range of fruit
– A wide range of vegetables
– Wholegrain varieties of rice, pasta and bread (as these are higher in fibre), along with potatoes, porridge and other starchy carbs
– Protein, from foods such as chicken, tofu, eggs and fish
– Beans, lentils (lots of legumes and pulses)
– Unsaturated fats (e.g. avocados, salmon and nuts)
– Dairy or alternatives, such as milk and yogurt. (There are conflicts in whether you should consume full fat or low fat, but for weight/fat loss, lots of experts agree that its better to go for low fat diary options as you can consume good fats from other sources).

23
Oct
2018

29 foods to beat a cold

Categories: Food

As we enter prime cold and flu season, I thought I’d share a little roundup of all the foods that are great for boosting your immune system and can help you beat those winter bugs.

What foods boost your immune system?
Vitamin C has high antioxidant properties, which is why most of us turn to a glass of orange juice when we’re feeling under the weather and want to ward off a cold. It can help strengthen your immune system and aid in the absorption of iron, too. Unlike other water-soluble vitamins, the body can not store it, which is why it’s important to consume it every day. The recommended amount is 40mg.

Good sources of vitamin C include;
Oranges
Grapefruits
Blackcurrants
Kiwis
Mangoes
Papayas
Pineapples
Strawberries
Raspberries
Blueberries
Cranberries
Watermelon
Tomatoes and tomato juice
Potatoes
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cauliflower
Green and red peppers
Spinach
Cabbage and
Butternut squash

Foods to boost your immune system
Zinc, Copper, Iron, Selenium and fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K also play a key role in building a strong and healthy immune system.

For foods rich in Zinc opt for;

Wholegrains (e.g. wholegrain bread)
Pulses
Nuts and
Seeds

For foods containing copper, selenium and vitamins A, D, E and K go for foods such as;

Broccoli
Carrots
Apricots
Nuts
Seeds and
Peppers

For some iron, you could consume;

Red meat
Pulses
Fortified cereals and
Seeds

Plus, keeping active also boosts your immune system, so be sure to keep moving.

If you found this post helpful, be sure to leave a comment or like it on my Instagram, Twitter or Facebook page.

Thanks for reading, and stay healthy!
Chloe x

01
Oct
2018

10 protein foods for healthy weight loss

Categories: Food

Until recently I thought high-protein diets were ‘faddy’ and just for those wanting to build muscle, but I’ve come to realise this macronutrient is hugely important for all of us to consume. It can help you to feel fuller, healthier and can actually aid weight loss. Keep reading if you want to know a little more about protein, my top 10 favourite sources of it and to spot which one of my favourite protein foods didn’t make it into the photo!

What is protein?
Protein is one of three macronutrients, the others are fat and carbohydrates, and together these form the foundations of what we need to consume (in large quantities) daily in order to function.

The role of protein
Many know the role of protein in building and repairing muscles, but protein also performs many more functions in the body, such as…

Maintaining the structure and strength of cells and tissues
Producing hormones
Regulating your metabolism and
Strengthening your immune system

Protein and weight loss
Protein can also help you feel fuller for longer too, which is why it can be beneficial to those wishing to lose body fat. Over the last few months I’ve made a conscious effort to up the amount of protein I eat and to switch from carb based to protein based snacks. So far, it seems to have made a difference in terms of my weight loss and I can definitely say I feel more satisfied after meals which have contained a lot of protein.

Top 10 favourite protein sources
Here a few of my favourite protein sources, which can either be eaten alone as a snack or as part of a larger meal, I’ve also included how much protein per 100g each item contains but keep in mind that serving sizes will vary between these foods.

1. Quark 12g
2. Fat free greek style yogurt 11g

1. Chicken 23g

1. Tuna 29g

1. Cottage cheese (with and without pineapple) 8

1. Eggs 12.5

1. Ham 21.6g

1. Salmon 20.9

1. Light mozzarella 19g

Slender blend protein shake 60g

14
Jun
2018

What to eat for more energy

Categories: Food

After waking up tired one too many times, I’ve decided to investigate what foods are best for energy. For anyone interested in food for fuel, here’s a roundup of what I’ve found out.

4 Food Fuel Tips

1. Fill up on carbohydrates
This is our body’s main source of energy and far too many weight loss plans give carbs a bad name. Opt for whole grains, like brown rice and wholemeal bread, and starchy carbs such as potatoes. Not only will you be eating a good source of energy, you’ll also consume a healthy dose of fibre too; which (as a nation) we’re apparently not very good at consuming enough of*.

2. Seek out low GI foods
GI stands for glycaemic index and it’s all about what happens to your blood sugar levels after you’ve eaten different types of carbs from various food sources. Low GI foods can help to keep your blood sugar levels stable, preventing huge spikes and falls in your blood sugar levels/energy.

Although, take caution when looking up GI values for various foods and be sure to check the portion size of the GI value and what you’re actually consuming – for example parsnips have a high GI value, but that’s because 500g of parsnips are used in the calculation of their GI value is*. Would you ever eat 500g of parsnips? The likelihood is that the value you’ll eat wouldn’t lead to a high spike in your blood sugar levels.

3. Eat at regular intervals
Going too long without food can encourage your blood sugar levels to drop and leave you feeling tired. Eat healthily at regular periods to prevent that crash in energy.

4. Opt for a balanced diet rich in B vitamins and iron
Here are a few examples of foods filled with either B vitamins or iron, all of which are known to help contribute to how energised we feel.

Green vegetables
Fortified cereals
Whole grains – brown rice, wholemeal bread
Porridge
Red meat
Fish
Chicken
Marmite
Cheese
Eggs

For more information on foods best for energy, visit NHS energy diet.

Notes

16
Apr
2018

10 tasty nuggets… of nutritional information

Categories: Food

In recent weeks I’ve challenged myself to learn more about the basics of nutrition, and not just the fad diet trends that pop up in magazines or on instagram. I’ve headed to accredited sources of information for my knowledge fix and here are 10 nuggets of nutritional information that I have found simply fascinating, or knew once but manage to forget!

Tea can reduce the absorption of iron due to the ‘tannins’ it contains.
Iron is vital for children because of the rapid tissue development occurring in their bodies.
Marmite is a good source of B12. B vitamins are vital for energy and meat is a main source of them. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, you need to think carefully about where and how you obtain your B vitamins.
It takes your body 1 hour to process/clear 1 unit of alcohol, no wonder I’m still drunk the next day after a night out!
Dark chocolate contains more caffeine than milk chocolate, 28g of dark chocolate has 35mg of caffeine as opposed to 6mg of caffeine in milk chocolate; and decaf coffee contains 3mg of caffeine!
It can take the body 4-6 days to rid itself of caffeine, in which time your body will experience withdrawal symptoms, something to keep in mind if you’re thinking of cutting back on coffee.
Macronutrients are fats, proteins and carbs.
It is possible to consume too much protein, which in turn can be turned and stored as fat. Something I didn’t think would be an issue, considering how popular protein shakes and high protein diets are these days. That said, if someone’s carb and fat intake is low alongside a high protein diet, excess protein will be used for energy and not stored as fat.
Foods must contain 50g worth of carbs when tested as part of the Glycemic Index (GI). The Glycemic index is a ranking of carbs and how quickly they are absorbed and digested into the bloodstream, and their affect on blood sugar, The Glycemic Index can be a good measure of what carbs to go for, but keep in mind portion sizes. Parsnips have a high GI but you would very unlikely eat the 500g in one sitting, which is the amount needed to obtain 50g worth of carbs.
There are two types fibre, soluble and insoluble. The first is important in the digestion and absorption of food, the latter absorbs water and swells helping to promote regular bowel movements.

Ta da, some food for thought you could say…
Chloe x

16
Jan
2018

5 things I have learnt as a Vegan

Categories: Food

A few years ago I had a vague idea what veganism is and if you had asked me what I thought about it my answer would of been something like this; “bit extreme but each to their own”. However, veganism seems to be dominating many of my conversations lately and I’ve become a little fascinated with what it’s all about; so much so that (like many this month) I challenged myself to go vegan. Here’s a little bit about my days as a vegan and what I’ve learnt.

What is Veganism?
From my understanding, being a vegan is all about enjoying a plant-based diet and saying no to all animal products – be it meat, dairy or even honey.

For many, the main motivator behind this way of eating is to banish animal cruelty and exploitation that comes from breeding animals for food consumption, clothing and so on.

For others the driving force is an environmental one, as consuming less meat, dairy and fish lowers your carbon footprint significantly – it requires a lot less water and feed to rear animals, when compared to growing plant-based crops.

Going vegan may also strive from health reasons, as it’s believed that a plant-based diet can aid weight loss, reduced symptoms from food allergies and improve heart health – just to name a handful of benefits.

For a few like me, it’s pure curiosity and wanting to be like Beyonce… remember when she went vegan with hubby Jay Z? I do! They followed Marco Borges vegan plan and Beyonce has even written a foreword in later editions of his book “The 22-day Revolution”.

5 things I learnt as a Vegan
1. I’m a pretty pants vegan. I set off to go 10 days without consuming any animal products, and by day 4 I had such a headache I convinced myself I needed food not on the vegan menu. In truth, I probably just needed to be more prepared and educated with how to fuel my body properly on a vegan diet.

2. Weight loss is no longer my main obsession when it comes to veganism. Having read a little more about it and the environmental implications of eating meat or drinking dairy, I’m shocked to learn about the strain rearing animals for our benefit puts on the planet. A plant-based diet is significantly more sustainable in comparison, too. I’ve also become aware that those who protest against traditional animal rearing have received death threats and much worse. This was first highlighted to me in the document Cowspiracy, available to watch on Netflix.

3. A Vegan lifestyle makes you very regular. I will say no more on that subject.

4. I’m in awe of my husband who is still enjoying a vegan diet and has lost over 10lbs so far this month thanks to eating all plant-based foods.

5. There’s a lot of research out there that proves the consumption of animal products (proteins) can actually lead to certain types of cancer, diabetes, heart disease and autoimmune diseases! More can be read in The China Study.

Am I now a vegan?
Not quite, however I have personally felt a lot better for having mostly vegan meals and for cutting out a lot of dairy from my diet by switching to soya milk and plain soya yogurt. My main vegan blocker has been chocolate! I had a few small bars knocking around from Christmas that I just couldn’t resist. So I have eaten them, plus the vegan chocolate I discovered too! With a better understanding of veganism and if I finally banish my sugar addiction, maybe one day I will be.

01
Jun
2017

Could a Japanese diet help you lose weight?

Categories: Food

I’ve heard a rumour that Japan recommends 17 servings of fruit and vegetables every day – 13 portions of veggies and 4 portions of fruit. As I don’t always reach the UK’s recommended target of 5-a-day, I now feel a little pathetic on hearing their goal. So, I’ve challenged myself to up my fruit and veg intake and here’s how I’m getting on…

My experience of eating 17-a-day

Poo
Who needs Pootea when you’re eating this much fruit and veg! TMI – I’ve never been so regular! However, the initial increase was maybe a bit of a shock to my system and I did have a slight stomach ache after a few days – thankfully the discomfort didn’t last too long. Note to all, increase portions gradually.

Energy
I’ve felt so much better for eating more fruit and veg. I’ve always known they’re good for you, but the difference as been pretty incredible (after having a few weeks of not consuming as many as I would normally). I’m sure my skin has improved already, too.

Creative cooking
Given a target so high has made me more creative with how I prepare my portions of fruit and veg. Before my challenge I’d have an apple, banana and veg sticks. Now, I’m including more fruit and veg at every meal. Breakfast in particular has been a tasty eye-opener – I’ve enjoyed a mash up of onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and some kind of green veg, piled on top of a slice of toast with eggs. Lunch and dinnertime meals have been more filling with the addition of extra cooked veg and fruit has been great to snack on or treat as a ‘pudding’, thanks to the natural sugar in the stuff.

More full and less sugar
The increase has left me feeling more satisfied after my meals and less prone to snacking and craving sweet things. I’m not saying my sweet tooth has disappeared but come the evening I’ve realised I’ve gone all day without reaching for my usual chocolate fix. I then eat some chocolate!

Let’s go Japanese!
Whatever the number, there’s no doubting that fruit and veg in your diet is a positive thing for good health and weight loss – if that’s your goal. I’ve enjoyed the self-challenge to eat more of the stuff and will let you know on what the scales reveal next week!