Tag: everystepfitness

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Boost your B Vits

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Boost your B vits 🥦🥚🍗

As the nights get darker and the temperatures drop here it’s easy for our energy levels to take a nose dive. Couple this with the stress many will experience with the new lockdown and it’s easy for our health to suffer. Many studies have shown how important B vitamins are in helping to boost and maintain energy levels, and manage stress. All the B vitamins including B1, B3, B6 and B12 are involved to some degree in helping the body release energy from the food we eat and keeping the nervous system functioning. Many are also water soluble and excreted by the body which means you have to consume them regularly to say healthy. So when energy is low and stress levels are high adding some extra B to your diet will help to give you a lift.

Great sources of B vitamins include dark leafy greens, poultry, salmon, eggs, almonds, whole grains, soya beans, fresh fruit etc So grab a handful of greens and whack them in your morning smoothie, or snack on some almonds, or have an omelette for brekkie. Or you could consider taking a good B-complex supplement. This is going to help support you and get you feeling full of beans again! ✨👯

Happy Tuesday! 🤗

xx

Recipes

Shakshuka – Tomato based stew with poached eggs

Dr Nancy P

This is a quick and easy light brunch or lunch. You can have it as it is, or serve with toasted pitta, crusty bread, new potatoes or just some green veg.

This serves 2 and it’s around 230 cals per portion. You can prepare the tomato base in advance and either store in the fridge or freezer and then just add the spinach and eggs when you want to eat it. And for those who can’t eat peppers – just leave them out and double the cherry tomatoes.

I was kindly given some home grown chilli peppers so I used a fresh one but you can use chilli powder if not.

You will need:

4 eggs

100-200g Spinach

1 large onion

1 garlic clove

2 peppers (red, yellow, orange – your choice)

400g Chopped tomatoes

200g Cherry tomatoes (or 400g if not using peppers)

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp chilli powder or 1 fresh chilli (to taste)

1/2 tsp paprika

Pinch of sugar

Juice of half a small lemon

Salt and Pepper to taste

 

Slice the onion, peppers and tomatoes. Add a little oil spray to a large frying pan and throw in the onion, garlic and peppers (including the chilli pepper if using fresh chilli).

Sauté over a medium heat until they start to soften and cook through for 8 – 10 minutes.

Add the spices and cherry tomatoes and cook through for 2 mins or so.

Then add the chopped tomato, pinch of sugar and lemon juice. Mix well. Cook gently for 5 – 10 mins until it starts to thicken.

At this point you can stop and pop in the fridge or freezer for another day (or as I did, take half the portion away as it was just me having it for dinner). When ready to eat continue.

Add the spinach and cook through on low heat for 5 mins or so. Season to taste.

Using a large spoon create 4 wells in the mixture (or 2 if using a half portion) and crack an egg into each. Season the eggs and then pop a lid over the pan and simmer over a low heat for 6 – 8 mins (or until the eggs are as you like them).

Remove and serve with toasted pitta, a crusty loaf or veg of your choice!

Enjoy!

🙂 xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

Protein drink vs “just a” drink….

Dr Nancy P

Protein drink vs “just a” drink…. 🥛

There are lots of brands out that that are using the marketing power of “protein” to sell their products. The unspoken idea is that protein = better or healthier etc. The reasoning behind this is the fact that increased protein can help with improved satiety (feelings of fullness) so CAN help to prevent overeating. Also those working out may want to focus on protein to help with muscle building. For most people a balanced diet will contain enough protein so you don’t need to go out of your way to take in extra protein unless you’re a bodybuilder or professional athlete. However you may still wish to focus on higher protein foods and snacks to help keep you feeling full.

So you may well see this protein fruit drink and think it’s a good option. However, it isn’t actually particularly high in protein, with only 2.2g per 100ml and it also has a significant amount of sugar (9.4g).

In contrast the strawberry milk probably wouldn’t be perceived as “healthy” nor a high protein drink. Yet the strawberry milk contains more protein (3.6g) for very similar calories, and contains less sugar. In addition the strawberry milk is over 3 times cheaper!

Neither are particularly “healthy” and neither would be classed as high protein. In terms of weight loss both will probably do the same basic job – they are very similar calorie wise and that’s what matters most. So don’t be swayed by the “protein” label – actually check the nutritional info and then choose the drink you want!

Enjoy

🤗

Xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Lockdown Mental Health

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Lockdown Mental Health 💜

With news of the second lockdown it’s natural to be feeling anxious, upset, frustrated etc. This situation is out of our control so it’s important to focus on things we can control to help protect our mental health. Here are a few tips:

#1 Acknowledgement

Acknowledge that this is a sh*t situation and it’s ok to be sad, mad, angry etc about it. It’s ok to feel anxious about it.

#2 Moderate news consumption

It’s great to stay informed but be mindful of obsessing over the news and updates. Avoid scaremongering news and find positive stories or reliable data instead.

#3 Stay active

Exercise keeps you fit and healthy (stimulating the immune system), and needs concentration, so is a distraction. It combats physiological symptoms of anxiety e.g. nausea, muscle tension etc and endorphins make you feel good, as will fresh air and sunshine if you can get out.

#4 Eat well

It’s easy to resort to self destructive behaviours e.g. booze, overeating etc. Remember alcohol is a depressant so won’t help your mood, and overeating can lead to a cycle of guilt. Aim for balanced meals and include all the foods you enjoy, in moderation.

#5 Routine

Set yourself a routine; including leisure time like walks, baths, calls to friends or family etc. If you’re working from home again set boundaries and a consistent daily work routine and stick to it! Take breaks, accept that you won’t be as productive at home. Stick to a good sleep routine; get up at similar times.

#6 Unfollow

If people or accounts are causing you stress mute or unfollow them. You’ll probably be on social media more over the next few weeks so make sure your feed includes people/content you actually want to see or that makes you feel better.

#7 Connections

Connect with friends/family rather debating with strangers on social media. If you have someone you’re close to make a pact to keep an eye on each other, or a code phrase for when you’re not doing ok. It’s also ok to want, and to take some alone time from those you live or work with too.

Above all, be kind – to yourself and each other. 💜 Take care, and if anyone needs anything I’m always here – anytime.

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

Weekdays vs Weekends

Dr Nancy P

Weekdays vs Weekends 😇

This is an extremely common pattern I see in my clients, and myself. Weekdays are often “ok” calorie wise or even good, and then weekends it goes a bit off track.

You may think that if you stick to your fat-loss calorie target for most of the time (5 days a week) that it’s ok to just relax at the weekend. Now sometimes this can work, but it rather depends how much you relax lol! In this example I’ve assumed a daily calorie goal of 1,800 cals for fat loss, or 12,600 calories per week. So Monday to Friday you hit those calories, or perhaps are even a little under (8,555 cals during the week in this example). Then on Saturday and Sunday you “relax” and have a few “treats”, because it’s the weekend right? You’ve been good all week so it’s fine… In this example I’ve included two weekend breakfasts, a pizza one night, a couple of glasses of wine, some crisps in front of a movie, sunday evening ice cream and chocolate etc. That’s 5,241 calories and doesn’t even include a full weekend of eating and drinking (especially if you start on Friday evening.. or even Thursday). Just those treats on top of the weekday calories take you to 13,796 calories for the week. So you’re already over by nearly 1,200 cals.

That extra 1,200 cals (or more) is why you won’t be losing fat. It’s very easy for that to happen. The things I’ve described for weekend treats aren’t crazy or particularly over indulgent. I’m sure we’ve all had weekends like that right? Now I’m definitely not suggesting you don’t enjoy some of these foods from time to time, but if you really want to lose fat then its worth getting away from the idea of weekends being focused on food and drink “treats”. Have the things you enjoy but in moderation and within your overall weekly calorie target.

Ways to do this include, reducing your weekday calories a little to give you a buffer for the weekend (be cautious with this though as if you take them too low you will find you tend to binge at the weekend which is counter productive so only aim to save 100-150 cals per day max). Also try going for smaller options of the weekend treats, a small bar of chocolate, a single portion bag of crisps, low cal ice cream etc. Pick one meal you want to let your hair down with rather than the entire weekend and keep tracking over the weekend so you can see where the extra cals are creeping in.

OR decide that life’s too short and you don’t want to restrict your calories over the weekend but then accept that you won’t be able to lose fat (which is absolutely fine too! You don’t need to lose fat – no one does).

🤗

Xx