Tag: healthy foods

Recipes

Amazing Protein Packed Flapjacks

Dr Nancy P

I get hungry, especially after a workout and I love a good flapjack or energy bar but I hate the fact that so many of the store bought ones are just full of sugar. Many of the ‘healthier’ versions I’ve bought are tasteless and unappetising so I thought I’d create some homemade protein flapjacks – full of good things!

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These don’t take long to put together and you can always substitute things if you don’t have them in the cupboard or don’t like them.

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You will need:

300g rolled porridge oats (gluten-free or spelt if you want)

100g desiccated coconut

100g flaked almonds

100g Pumpkin seeds

215g dried, soft Prunes

315g dried dates

175g Almond butter (or your nut butter of choice)

100g Liquid sweetener (I used rice malt syrup but you can use agave, maple syrup, honey etc)

2 tbsp Coconut oil (measured when solid)

4 tbsp Vanilla protein powder (any brand you like – you can also omit this is you want)

4 tbsp Water

2 generous tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Salt

Preheat the oven to 170 C.

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Line a baking tin (I used a 20 x 20cm one) with baking paper. Mix the oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds and coconut together and pour into the baking tin. Place in the oven for 20 mins or until starting to brown. Make sure you turn regularly with a wooden spoon so the whole mixture gets toasted.

While that’s in the oven pop the dates and prunes into a blender or food processor and blitz to a paste. You may need to keep stopping to scrape the mixture back down in to the bowl. It doesn’t need to be completely smooth – a few lumpy bits are good!

Remove the oats from the oven and stir the protein powder through the mixture. Allow to cool.

Put the date mixture, nut butter, liquid sweetener, coconut oil, water, cinnamon and salt in to a large saucepan and heat very gently. Stir and allow the mixture to come together. Remove from the heat and pour the oats into the liquid mixture and mix really well.

Using a spatula scrape the mixture back into the lined baking tin and press down firmly. Then allow to cool and pop in the fridge. Do make sure you lick the saucepan (once it’s cool enough!!!) because the mixture is divine when warm! 🙂

Once it’s chilled you can cut in to slices. It makes the perfect post workout snack on the go and is great to pop in to lunchboxes too!

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Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Beating post workout hanger

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Beating post workout hanger 🍔

Working out in the morning is fab but if it’s leaving you so starving that you end up over-eating later in the day then here are some mistakes you may be making, and tips to help.

#1 Not eating before you workout

If you’re working out first thing your blood sugar and energy levels are low and you’ll be using stored glycogen to fuel you. So when you finish you will crave food (especially sugar). If you find you can’t control these cravings then try to have a 100-200 cal snack an hour before your workout e.g. apple and nut butter, greek yoghurt and fruit, half a protein smoothie etc.

#2: Too little sleep

Lack of sleep causes release of ghrelin which increases hunger. Studies have shown that losing just 80 mins sleep can increase calories consumed by 550 cals the next day. So if you’re getting up early to workout you have to make sure you’re in bed at the right time the night before.

#3: Too many carbs

You definitely need carbs after you workout but if you go for a very carb-heavy snack/meal you’re priming yourself to crave more sugary carbs later in the day. If you can withstand the cravings then have whatever you like, but if not then have something that’s got a balance of protein, fats and carbs e.g wholegrain porridge and fruits, greek yoghurt and fruits and nuts, toast with nut butter and banana .

#4: Too little water

It’s even easier to be dehydrated after a morning workout as you may well be dehydrated from the night too. Ensure you have a big glass of water when you wake up and ensure you drink plenty during your workout or after if you prefer,

#5: Too few cals

When you start the day well with a workout, it’s easy to get hooked up on wanting to stay in a massive calorie deficit. Whilst it shouldn’t be an excuse to pig out, equally you don’t want to be too restrictive as you’re likely to end up over eating later. Eat a normal balanced meal with protein, fats, carbs and fibre after your workout (be it brekkie or lunch).

Happy Tuesday 🤗

xx

Recipes

Delicious, healthy pud

Dr Nancy P

This is one of my favourite puds. It’s creamy and sweet and perfect for combatting sugar cravings – especially after dinner. It’s also really quick and easy to prepare. If you have any stewed fruit this is also a great addition too!

Calories vary depending on what fruit you use but you’re looking at roughly 250 – 300 cals.

You will need:

Half a bowlful of mixed fruit – I like strawberries, raspberries and pineapple

A large dollop of greek yoghurt (or non dairy yoghurt) (approx 150g)

1 tsp peanut butter (15g)

Sprinkling of Rice Krispies or some seeds and nuts

Drizzle of maple syrup (or sweetener of choice) – if more sweetness required

Stewed fruit (optional)

Chop the fruit and pop in the bowl.

Add the dollop of greek yoghurt and drizzle the peanut butter over. If you’ve got any stewed fruit then add a dollop – I cooked up a batch of apple, red currant and blackberries which is great to add to desserts and porridge etc.

Sprinkle the rice krispies or nuts/seeds and if using then add the sweetener (I don’t think it really needs it to be honest!).

Enjoy!

🙂 xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Put your positive pants on

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Put your positive pants on 🤗

Do you ever wake up feeling stressed about the day ahead. Stressing about the day before it’s even happened is very common but a a recent study has shown that starting your day this way can actually impact on your brain function and performance for the rest of the day

So waking up on the wrong side of bed isn’t just a saying. The study in the Journal of Gerontology found that the more participants anticipated a stressful day, the worse their brain function and memory was later in the day – whether the actual day turned out to be stressful or not. Our ability to anticipate and prepare for things – a critical survival feature humans have developed, can be great to help prepare for and even prevent certain events. But it can also be harmful to your brain function, memory, decision making and performance. This can in turn make you even more stressed. Not to mention the increased levels of stress hormones released as you anticipate the stress you expect to encounter that day. It has also been linked to increased calorie consumption and fat deposition around the belly (due to increased cortisol).

So what can you do about it? Well it’s time to put your positive pants on! The study also showed that taking some time out in the morning to focus on more positive thoughts, or 5 – 10 mins of meditation/mindfulness practices can dramatically reduce the anticipate stress of the day ahead.

So if you wake up expecting the day to be stressful that’s the time to try something simple like some deep breathing exercises before you start your day, or try to list 3 positive things about the day to come (no matter how small). Try setting an alarm on your phone to remind you to do these things so you don’t even have to remember to do it.

Put those positive pants on and improve your day!

Happy Tuesday 🤗

xx

Recipes

Roasted butternut and apple soup

Dr Nancy P

It’s getting to that time of year when we want to curl up on our sofas under a blanket and fill up on warming foods.

This soup will definitely hit the spot when you are feeling a bit autumnal. Roasting the butternut squash and the apples adds a lovely rich flavour and the sweetness of them both compliment each other brilliantly!

This soup is dressed with the seeds from the butternut so you don’t waste anything either!

You can substitute any sort of pumpkin for the squash too if you prefer.

This will serve 3 – 4 people.

You will need:

1 Butternut squash (approx 1.5kg in size before peeling etc)

2 Apples (Braeburn work best)

2 large white Onions

2 sticks of Celery

1/2 tbsp dried Thyme

1 tsp ground Cumin

1/4 tsp ground Allspice

1 litre Vegetable stock

500ml Water

Salt and Pepper to taste

For the topping:

Seeds from the Butternut squash

1 tsp Olive oil

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

1/4 tsp ground Paprika

Preheat the oven to 200 C.

Cut the butternut in half and scoop out the seeds (keep the seeds for the topping). Peel and cut into chunks. Peel, core and chop the apples into wedges. Place on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil and season. Place in the oven  and roast for 20 – 25 mins or until tender and golden.

Slice the onion and celery finely and pop in to a large pan with a little olive oil. Saute gently for about 10 minutes until soft. Add all the spices and saute for another minute. Add the butternut and apple and stir gently for a minute or 2. Then add the vegetable stock and water and bring to the boil. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

Let it cool for a while and then pop in a blender and blitz it (do this very carefully if still warm – it may be worth doing it in 2 batches).

Take the seeds that were removed from the squash and toss in the olive oil and topping spices. Spread on to some baking parchment and place in the oven at 200 C for 5 – 10 minutes until they are starting to turn brown.

Pop a serving of soup in a bowl, sprinkle with the seeds and enjoy with some toast.

(This post was originally published on pureformfitnesskitchen.com)