Tag: everystepfitness

Recipes

Easy, ‘Healthy’, Autumn Crumble

Dr Nancy P

With Autumn upon us it’s definitely time for some comforting, warming puds, and for me that means stewed fruit and crumble! Traditional Crumble can be quite high calorie so this is a great option for keeping the calories a bit lower but still just as tasty!

I was lucky enough to be given a haul of apples and pears, and I had some wild blackberries in the freezer form earlier in the summer but you can use any combination of fruit you fancy!

This comes in at about 184 calories per portion (I got 6 portions from mine) but tastes just as great! I didn’t add any sugar to my fruit at all – it was perfectly sweet as it was and with the sweetness of the topping you shouldn’t need to add any, but you can add if you feel you need it.

This makes a fab dessert, snack or even breakfast!

You will need:

3 large cooking apples/ pears (bramley apples work best)

A large punnet of blackberries (approx 200 – 300g) (or use more apples/pears/plums/raspberries/gooseberries/ anything!)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

For the topping:

100g oats

50g flour (I used rice flour as it has a finer texture but any flour will do)

30g sugar (I used ‘half spoon’)

1 tsp cinnamon

40g non-dairy spread (I used a ‘light’ spread)

Prepare the fruit – peel, core and chop the apples/pears into small chunks and rinse the blackberries. Place the apples in a saucepan with a tbsp of water and start to cook – they need a bit longer than the blackberries so this gives them a head start. Once they’ve started to soften a little add the blackberries and the cinnamon and stir well. Allow to simmer gently until the apples are cooked through.

Pre-heat the oven to 190 C.

Place the oats, flour, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and mix well. Add the spread and then use a fork or your fingers to rub it in to the mixture creating little lumps.

Pour the fruit mixture into whatever dish you’re using – I made 4 individual portions and one double portion.

Add the topping and then pop in the oven for 15-20 mins or until the topping starts to brown.

Remove and serve warm (or cold!), with a dollop of zero fat total yoghurt, or maybe some low cal ice cream!

Enjoy! Xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

OMG I’ve blown it!…..

Dr Nancy P

OMG I’ve blown it!….. 😱

I hear this sort of thing so often… a client has ended up having a Mcdonald’s for lunch and thinks they’re blown everything, they’re disappointed and angry with themselves and feeling guilty. On another day they’re feeling virtuous because they went to Pret and had the Falafel an Hummous Rice bowl – which is full of “healthy” food so it must be good.

Now before anyone reacts – I’m not suggesting a Mcdonalds is a “healthy” option, nor am I suggesting it’s got more health benefits than the falafel and hummus bowl. They’re both very different nutritionally, and they both taste very different too. But for many people trying to lose fat or weight they might naturally assume that the McDonald’s is a terrible option and that by having it they’ve ruined their day (diet -wise). Whereas if they chose the falafel bowl they would be feeling guilt-free and virtuous and like they were on track. However in actual fact that “healthy” bowl has more calories and fat, and less protein than the 6 nuggets and small fries. The McDonald’s also has over 50% less salt too. The bowl also doesn’t include any dressing which can add another 200+ calories (and extra fat and salt).

So if you had to grab a McDonald’s (or just fancied one) you’d be far better off just having one. I’m certainly not suggesting your whole diet be made up of “junk food”, but it’s important to be aware of the facts to avoid unnecessary guilt. And to remember that lots of the foods we perceive as being “healthy” may in fact be higher calorie and therefore unhelpful for weight loss if you’re consuming them without realising the calories. At the end of the day, as always, it comes down to calories. If you want to lose fat or weight, then you need to be at a calorie deficit. And it’s important to still have foods you enjoy as part of an overall balanced diet. So don’t sweat it if you end up with a McDonald’s now and then if you want it, but then have a dinner with a range of whole foods and vegetables etc.

Be curious about what you’re putting in your body, look at the nutritional labels on food and don’t always assume the “health” food is the best choice.

🤗

Xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Beat the Autumn Blues

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Beat the Autumn Blues 🍂

So Autumn is well and truly here; cooler, darker evenings and mornings. For me, and many of my clients and class members this is a tough transition. It’s hard to find motivation to continue regular exercise, and we crave warming, comfort foods.

Low energy, low mood and low motivation makes us want to hibernate rather than work out. So how can you keep that summer mojo going? Focus on shorter workouts if you’re struggling to find motivation for long sessions. Aim for 30-45 mins of high intensity exercise 3 x week: a class, a home hiit workout, or a cycle or run. On other days do something less intense that you enjoy: walk, jog, swim, or do pilates/yoga.

Find a gym buddy; it’s harder to skip that workout when you’re doing it with someone else. Join a colleague for a lunchtime run, or meet up with a friend at the gym or at a class. The social side of fitness plays a massive role in keeping you on track.

Try to sneak exercise in whenever you can: park further away, take the stairs, walk over to speak to colleagues in the office rather than phoning or try a walking meeting with colleagues. If you’re watching the kids play sport then walk the sideline instead of standing still.

Exercise isn’t just for losing weight, it’s great for stress relief and at this time of year when things can be a bit manic it’s a great release. The endorphins will lift your mood and help energise you. Make the most of those bright autumnal days and go for a walk outside.

Focus on warming, filling foods like soups and casseroles. I also like to stew up a load of fruit (apples, pears, plums, berries – whatever!) and use it as a snack or pud. Warm it up, sprinkle some oats or a little cereal on it and a dollop of Greek yoghurt – a great comforting dish!

Oh and just because it’s not baking hot you still need to be drinking plenty of water. It’s even more important to ensure you’re properly hydrated at this time of year as it’s when most of us forget – so get sipping while you workout!

Don’t let the changing seasons get you down – embrace it – enjoy it and have some fun this Autumn 🍁

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

Milk it!

Dr Nancy P

Milk it! 🥛

With so many different milks on the markets nowadays there is often a little confusion over which type is “best”. Now obviously if you are vegan or lactose intolerant (a medically diagnosed intolerance) then clearly cow’s milk will be off the menu. Some people also have to avoid soya products for medical reasons. But on the assumption you’re able to have all of these milks then which is the “healthiest” for weight loss?

Well it won’t surprise you to know that it comes down to calories when we’re talking weight/fat loss. There is an assumption that because plant based milks are promoted as “healthy” that they must therefore be the lowest calorie option. In reality there’s a fair bit of variation so it’s worth exploring the options.

When it comes to cow’s milk whole milk is 68 cals per 100ml, semi-skimmed 47 cals and skimmed 35 cals. The lactose free varieties are 56, 38 and 29 cals respectively. Coconut milk is 53 cals per 100 ml, whilst normal soya milk is 39 cals (there are also various sweetened/flavoured options which are obviously more) ,and the light soya milk is 22 cals. Rice milk comes in at 47 cals with oat milk quite similar at 44 cals. Normal almond milk is 22 cals but the lowest out there is the sugar-free almond milk at 13 cals per 100 ml!

These differences are quite small overall. However if you’re a heavy coffee/tea drinker or use large quantities in smoothies or with cereal then making a swap to a lower calorie milk can actually make some easy savings for you. If it’s only about calories then the sugar free almond milk is a good option. But every one of these milks tastes slightly different, and reacts differently in different drinks so it’s worth experimenting. There are also other blends out there – coconut and rice combined, quinoa milk etc. You can now also get many of these options in cafes too – but do we aware that the cafe milks are often the sweetened or full fat versions.

🤗

Xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Expectation Setting

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Expectation Setting 🤔

When you head into a new health and fitness regime or “diet” it’s really important to make sure your expectations are set at the right level. Relying on things which promise quick fixes and instant results can make everything much harder on yourself. So whilst it might seem tempting to choose some detox/cleanse/supplement that promises results in 3-4 weeks, in the long term this can impact negatively on your relationship with food, your hormones, your metabolism, your body image and your mental health.

Long term sustainable changes aren’t quick, they take months and even years. So rather than looking for the “easy”, fast option to throw money at, instead look for a long term, sustainable solution – which works for you. This will usually include:

⁃ Consistency – over weeks/months – not days.

⁃ Persistence – sticking with it for a significant period of time, despite fluctuations in weight/fat, good days/ bad days etc.

⁃ Small habit changes – things you can change, for life, not for a few weeks.

⁃ Balance – finding how to balance things for you, working out what’s more important to you and how to work that into your new lifstyle e.g. the friday night meal out may be non negotiable so including that in a way that still lets you reach your desired goal.

⁃ Deciding on your priorities – ultimately it’s up to you to make any health/diet changes a priority and it may be that right now they’re not – and that’s ok, but be honest about it. If now isn’t the right time to make changes to your lifestyle then recognise that it simply isn’t a priority right now.

⁃ Mindset changes – this could be moving away from the “f*ck it” attitude when you have a “bad” day, or it could be reframing how you view meals out and whether you want to spend your calories on multiple courses, or it could be about embracing the small positive changes you achieve etc

There’s no quick fix, there’s no cleanse, detox or juice that can get you where you want to be (and more importantly staying there forever), recognise that change takes time and occurs in small steps ,not giant leaps! Get those expectations in order!

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Xxx