March 3, 2013 5 Comments

Why Kale Is The Healthiest Vegetable & Tasty Ways To Eat It!

My boyfriend always tells me that Kale is the number 1 green (according to his research) and spinach is number 2. I’ve decided to look into this and find out if this is true and if so, why is Kale the best vegetable?

kalekale

Here’s what I’ve discovered!

1. Kale is extremely high in iron 

2. Vitamin K – kale is packed with vit K which can help protect against various cancer. It also helps prevent blood clotting, promotes bone health and can even help sufferers of Alzheimer’s disease.

3. Basically 0 calories – well 36 calories per cup, 4 grams of fiber and 0 grams of fat

4. Antioxidant rich – another anti-cancer benefit

5. High in Vit C, Vit A & Calcium

6. It’s anti-inflammatory – one cup of kale has 10% of the omega-3 fatty acids. These  fight against arthritis, asthma and autoimmune disorders

How to painlessly incorporate kale into your diet:

I blend a 50/50 blend of spinach and kale into green smoothies with fruit! It’s so delicious :)

A friend of mine has invented the ULTIMATE smoothie recipe. He put in a lot of research to come up with a smoothie that he can have once a day (paired with a zinc tablet), that contains all of the vitamins and minerals that he needs.
Ultimate smoothie recipe:

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Filed Under: 10 Foods To Prevent Cancer, Diet Plans, Diet Tips, Kale, Recipes, Reduce Cellulite
February 24, 2013 1 Comment

How Drinking Water Keeps You YOUNG and THIN

You know how you’re constantly being told that you need to drink a lot of water?
Well I’ve gathered some intel (always wanted to say that) and here are some stats on water that will have you scrambling for a glass of the good stuff.

Young woman drinking water

Drinking water keeps your skin looking young!

Water keeps your skin moisturised and hydrated which reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Dehydrated skin is easy to spot, it even looks thirsty! Water helps flush out toxins too! If you don’t drink enough, your body will try to retain the small amount of water that it’s getting and you’ll end up looking puffy and bloated. Not a good look!

Drinking water helps you lose weight!

Why waste your money on expensive appetite suppressants when you’ve got water! If you’re trying to lose weight, drink a full glass of water before your meal and wait for 20 minutes. I bet you’ll be surprised at how much less you end up eating. A lot of the time, when you think you’re hungry..you’re actually thirsty.

If all of that wasn’t enough, it also helps burn fat by detoxifying your body…

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Filed Under: Diet Advice, Diet Plans, Diet Tips, Water
December 4, 2012 Leave a Comment

Mason Jar Smoothies and Green Juice

I am OBSESSED with mason jar smoothies and juice. They are so handy to keep in the fridge! Anybody with a high powered blender such as a vitamix or blendtech (froothie works too, cheaper Australian version) can whip up a huge batch of nutrient packed juice and pour it into jars to drink throughout the day.

Last night I had a ‘hankering’ (haha what a weird word!) for a mango boost smoothie. I attempted to recreate it and it turned out to be quite delicious.

Ingredients:
Ice
Fresh Mango
Banana
Passionfruit pulp (I used a tin)
Mango frozen yogurt
Skim milk

Filed Under: Diet Advice, Diet Plans, Diet Tips, Recipes, Wedding Weight Loss
November 26, 2012 3 Comments

Healthy Eating Tips For Christmas Day!

I am already a little nervous about all the sugar I will be having on Christmas day! This year I have decided to take some healthy desserts to my family Christmas in Brisbane.

For the international readers, I’ll just tell you a little bit about Christmas in Australia because you might be confused when I talk about salads and eating lunch as our main meal!

It’s summer at Christmas time in Australia so generally families get together for a bbq, beach picnic or a big lunch at home or a relative’s house. Most families I know have a Christmas lunch instead of a dinner. Everyone is different!
Seafood is very popular in Queensland on Christmas day and in the hotter months salads and lighter foods are also favoured.

This is a photo from Christmas Day last year with my family!

Back to my Healthy Eating on Christmas Day plan…

The best blog I have found for healthy recipes and major inspiration is http://undressedskeleton.tumblr.com/ (don’t be fooled by the name, it isn’t a proanorexia blog). The blogger Taralynn has lost an astounding amount of weight the healthy way and somehow manages to cook healthy versions of so many recipes!

Here is her Healthy Cherry Meringue Pie recipe that I’m thinking of making! [Recipe here]

Another thing that I am determined NOT to do is..wake up and eat chocolate for breakfast. Ever since I was a little kid I have done this on Christmas day and for some reason I still do it now. It just results in an incredibly lethargic start to the day which isn’t great when you’re going to be socialising with relatives all day!

Here is another recipe that I’ll have a practice at and take for Christmas day:

Healthy Red Velvet Cupcakes

Taralynn:
Who doesn’t love sprinkles red velvet cupcakes? Well besides our waistline…No one!
Here is a lighter version for red velvet cupcakes!  Bon Appetit!
Ingredients:
  • 2 Cups Whole Grain Flour
  • 3 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
  • 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/4 Cup Plain Fat Free Chobani
  • 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Applesauce
  • 1/4 Cup Unsalted Butter
  • 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
  • 2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1 Tsp Baking Powder
  • 1 Cup Baking Stevia
  • 3 Large Egg Whites
  • 1 Tbsp Red Food Coloring
Frosting:
  • 1 Cup Fat Free Cream Cheese
  • 1 Packet Sugar Free White Chocolate Pudding Mix
  • 3 Tbsp Whole Grain Flour
  • 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 2 Tbsp Baking Stevia
  • 1 Cup Sugar Free Cool Whip

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a mixing bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder and set aside.
  3. In a electric mixer combine Stevia, Chobani, applesauce, butter, almond milk, vanilla, egg whites, and food coloring.
  4. Slowing mix in the dry ingredients.
  5. Fill each cupcake liner up with 1/3 cup of batter.
  6. Bake 20 – 25 minutes.
Frosting Directions:
  1. In an electric mixer combine cream cheese, vanilla pudding mix and flour on high
  2. Turn the mixer to medium speed and add in Stevia, and cool whip until fluffy.
  3. Cover and cool in fridge for 30 minutes before adding to cupcakes
  4. Add 1/3 cup frosting to each cupcake.

 

Now the dessert recipes are sorted out, here are some tips that I’ll be following for healthier eating on Christmas day..maybe you’ll find them helpful too!

Mel’s Healthy Eating Tips For Christmas Day!

  • Have a nutritious breakfast and save the sweets until after Christmas lunch 
  • Drink lots of water! This is just a general life tip but shouldn’t be forgotten on Christmas
  • Don’t forget to take vitamins – xmas day is always a little chaotic but it is the day you NEED your vitamins. Drinking and unhealthy eating aren’t great for the immune system so do not neglect your poor body any further
  • Take healthy dessert alternatives
  • If you go for a walk or do some sort of cardio in the morning, try to do it on Christmas morning. You’ll get a nice endorphin hit and have energy for the day ahead!
  • Don’t be too hard on yourself, it is Christmas day after all. Fill up on salads first and then enjoy the rest of the food without restrictions
  • Encourage relatives to take home any sweets that are leftover so you don’t spend the rest of the week living off sugary leftovers!

Filed Under: Diet Advice, Diet Tips, Healthy Eating Christmas Day
August 20, 2012 1 Comment

My Favourite Snacks Under 200 Calories!

Counting calories can get pretty boring and make dieting feel like a chore. Here are some fun, tasty snacks that are under 200 calories that I keep in the house.

Cool Pak Popcorn – 94 Calories
So good! Make sure you add it into your calorie counting app or whatever you use to keep track!

 

Skinny Cow Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwich – 124 Calories

I have raved about these before, if you’re a binge eater and trying to cut back..it would be better to devour a box of these than a tub of ice cream wouldn’t it? I usually have one every two days :)

 

Skinny Cappuccino (with 1/2 cup of Physical No Fat Milk) – 53 Calories 

Since getting my beloved Nespresso Machine, I have been having around two coffees a day. I find that coffee helps me focus a little bit more and helps combat my urge to nap at midday. I know this isn’t the best..at least I’m getting calcium..right?
I will admit to suffering from a Nespresso addiction have been known to morph into George Clooney while sipping

 

Woolworths Macro Choc Mint Raw Food Bar (similar to Lara Bar) – 199 calories

This bad boy just made the cut under 200 calories! These bars will be your new secret weapon..there will be no more trips to your local shop to stock up on overpriced chocolate with these in the house.

(Can’t find a photo…contemplated going to cupboard and taking one to upload but decided against due to laziness…you should probably ignore any advice I give from this point onwards)

 

Le Rice – Apple & Cinnamon – 164 Calories

This is the best snack when heated up in the microwave for 30 seconds. Delish!

Those are my favourite snacks at the moment.

What are yours?!

 

 

 

Filed Under: Diet Advice, Diet Pills, Diet Plans, Diet Tips, Mel's Shopping List, Weight Loss Secrets!! Tagged With: , , , ,
August 7, 2012 Leave a Comment

Frozen Banana Truffles Recipe!

Wow! This recipe looks so good and quite healthy too! I haven’t made it yet but plan to pick up some organic dark chocolate next time I’m at the supermarket.

Frozen Banana Truffles
makes about 16 pieces, depending on size

Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas
3 oz. dark chocolate bar

Optional Peanut Butter Topping:

2 Tablespoons natural creamy peanut butter (or almond butter instead!)
1 teaspoon coconut oil, melted
pinch of sea salt
stevia, to taste

Directions:

Slice the bananas into 1/2? disks, then arrange them into a single layer on a dish, lined with parchment paper. Place in the freezer to chill, while you melt your dark chocolate.

To melt the chocolate, simply break the bar into chunks, transfer to an oven-safe bowl, and place the bowl in an oven heated to 350F for about 10 minutes. Check it after 5 minutes, to avoid burning, and stir well! (And of course, you can use a microwave if you prefer.)

Remove the banana slices from the freezer, then carefully dip each slice into the melted chocolate, coating evenly.

After coating each slice, place them back onto the parchment paper and return the dish to the freezer to let them freeze completely. The chocolate will be set within 30 minutes, but the bananas take a few more hours to get frozen and creamy– like ice cream.

They are delicious either way, but I recommend waiting until they are really ice-cream-like.Preferably, let them freeze overnight!

You can serve them as-is, for a fun little ice-cream treat–> but I highly recommend adding theoptional peanut butter (or almond butter!) topping. 

Simply mix together the peanut butter, coconut oil, salt (if your nut butter is unsalted), and a few drops of stevia, to taste. Then transfer the mixture to a plastic sandwich bag, and snip off the corner to create a “piping” bag!

 

Recipe source

Filed Under: Diet Tips, Recipes Tagged With: , , , ,
July 3, 2012 3 Comments

Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches: Are They Healthy?

Skinny cow ice cream cookies have been my saviour so many times while dieting. I’m even friends with them on facebook, that is how far this addiction has gone!

I must warn you that if you can be a little out of control with your eating, don’t buy these. They are to be used in emergency situations only (e.g. you are about to zoom off to McDonalds for a midnight ‘snack’).

The ingredients list shows that it isn’t classed as a healthy snack as bleached flour, palm oil, high fructose corn syrup are among the ingredients. Please don’t crucify me for this! I better mention that it DOESN’T contain artificial sweeteners so you don’t risk consuming aspartame.

Make up your own mind on whether or not Skinny Cow Ice Cream is for you. It may or may not help you curb cravings for high calorie treats, works for me!

What is YOUR favourite go-to snack while dieting?

Note: The Skinny Cows in this picture have had sprinkles added, they don’t normally look as colourful as this. Great idea!

Vanilla Ice Cream Cookie:

Nutritional Information

Serving size: 51g
Average quantity per serving
% Daily Intake per serving

Energy: 520kJ, 122 Cal (6% DI)
Protein: 2.7g (5% DI)
Fat total: 1.5g (2% DI)
Saturated: 0.7g (3% DI)
Carbohydrate: 24.0g (8% DI)
Sugars: 11.0g (12% DI)
Dietary Fibre: 2.0g (7% DI)
Polydextrose: 1.0g
Sodium: 105mg (5% DI)
Calcium: 87mg (11% DI)

Ingredients: Vanilla sandwich [skim milk, wafer (bleached wheat flour, sugar, caramel color, dextrose, palm oil, corn flour, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, baking soda, modified corn starch, salt, mono and diglycerides, soy lecithin, cocoa), sugar, corn syrup, polydextrose, whey protein, cream, calcium carbonate, Inulin (Dietary Fiber), natural flavor, Propylene Glycol Monostearate, microcrystalline cellulose, Sodium Carboxymethylcellulose, guar gum, monoglycerides, sorbitol, carob bean gum, citric acid, vitamin A palmitate, carrageenan, salt].

 

Filed Under: Diet Plans, Diet Tips Tagged With: , , , , ,
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