Trick or Treat

Seeing as its Halloween we thought we would put up the recipe to one of our favorite desserts that's an absolute treat with no hidden tricks. 

Now to be honest it's not as good as our grandmas fruit trifle (mmm custard, cream & sponge..) but it is definitely a best dessert contender for anyone that has a sweet tooth but has a bikini body to consider. We made these up for our last group dinner and they went done a treat (no pun intended) and considering they have the same amount of calories as a banana we say its a definite win!!

Ingredients

2x 200g tubs of French vanilla/cheesecake flavour yoghurt (we use Yoplait for me: lowest calorie)

2 wafers peanut snaps crushed (these are found in the health food section)

1 packet of sugafree raspberry jelly

1 punnet of strawberries sliced

1 banana sliced

Method

• -          Make jelly and leave in the fridge to set.
• -          When set mix up with fork then spoon into bottom of glass (we used picinic wine glasses… no washing up)
• -          Add a layer of banana
• -          Place sliced strawberries in alternating triangle directions around edge of glass
• -          Add a layer of yoghurt, then banana, then peanuts until top of glass is reached
• -          Slice strawberry and fan on top! Enjoy.

! Per serving 

Energy 638kj

Protein 10g

Fibre 4g

54% Vitamin C RDI

29% Riboflavin RDI

Yogalicious

Yoga has been practiced for more than 5,000 years, so it's barely a "trend" but no doubt down at your local coffee shop your hearing groups of Lululemon clad women (and men) rave about their sweaty workout from the hour before.

At NF HQ we love a little yoga session not only does it make us feel  relaxed, it makes us  look and feel great - it's a great way to tone and trim your body - simple as that! !! This week we thought we would try something different and headed down to Hot Box yoga to see if getting sweaty really did make a difference to our usual yoga routine..

So what is heated Yoga???

Lose the heavy clothing, grab your yoga mat, and turn up the heat.

Actually, keep turning up that heat until you get to 38 degrees. Oh -- and there's humidity too, typically 40% humidity -- are you hot enough yet?

So whats the buzz when it comes downward dog to it?

There are predominantly 2 types at the moment either hot box or Bikram. The main difference is the style of yoga and heat. I know you’re probably thinking what do you mean style (??) isn’t yoga yoga? But in fact there are many different styles of yoga which either come from different origins or focus on different practices (breathing, stretching, mind, power) see our post Namaste for a quick list of styles.

 Hot yoga rooms are most commonly heated through an integrated use of modern technology, employing FIR radiant heating panels to enhance the wonderful benefits of yoga.

Far Infrared Rays are part of the sun's invisible spectrum. FIR radiant heat is a form of thermal energy. This is the warmth you feel penetrate your skin when you are outside in the sun. FIR light should not be confused with ultraviolet light which causes sunburn and damage to your skin. Far infrared rays do not cause sunburn or skin damage.

Far infrared rays are waves of energy, totally invisible to the naked eye, capable of penetrating deep into the human body (approx 4cm), where they gently elevate the body's surface temperature and activate major bodily functions.

Hot box yoga follows The Barkan Method is a style of hatha yoga that originated in Calcutta, India. The Barkan Method is form of Hot Yoga and finds its roots from the Bishnu Ghosh lineage, but also integrates postures from other styles of yoga to create variations and even greater range of motion.

We strengthen and stretch all areas of the body, which helps to quiet the mind, and nourish the soul. The movements of The Barkan Method reach deep into the tissue, relieve tension and stress, revitalize and assist in overcoming many physical and emotional problems, such as sciatica, back and neck problems, and depression.

The biggest difference between Hot box and Bikram other than style is the added 40% humidity (I’m sweating just thinking about it).

Bikram Yoga follows the principles of Bikram Choudhary. The room is intentionally heated to 38 degrees and also has an added humidity of 40% to warm up the body and assist with circulation, promoting detoxification and providing optimum conditions to improve the functions of the body's internal systems.

Bikram Yoga is a series of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises. Each posture stretches and strengthens specific muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints needed for the next posture. The Bikram method also stimulates the organs, glands, and nerves moving fresh oxygenated blood to 100% of the body helping to restore all systems to a healthy working order.

The series is dynamic and exhilarating. The series of postures combine skills of concentration, patience, determination and self-control that increase mental clarity and reduce stress. The room is heated to warm your muscles preventing injury and allowing for a deeper workout.

Both Hot yoga and Bikram maintain that there are many health benefits of hot yoga on top of the already physical benefits of yoga.

The heat provides a challenging environment which increases your strength, concentration, endurance and stamina. It also allows you to work safely and deeply into the postures, giving faster results. If that’s not reason enough

Here are 10 more:

1.       Warm muscles burn fat more effectively.

2.       When we stretch fat it has no where to sit so it redistributes back to the blood stream to then be reused as energy.

3.       Speeds up the breakdown of glucose and fatty acids.

4.       A warmer temperature produces a fluid like stretch that allows for greater range of motion in the joints.

5.       Heart rate becomes elevated which improves the cardiovascular system (heart and lungs).

6.       Blood becomes thinner which clears the circulatory system.

7.       Promotes sweating which assists the detoxification process using the body's largest organ (the skin)

8.       Muscles, fascia and connective tissue become more elastic allowing for greater flexibility with less chance of injury.

9.       Capillaries respond to heat by dilating, this allows more oxygen to muscles, tissues   glands and organs helping with the removal of waste products.

10.   Teaches you determination, and focus in a challenging environment.

So what’s it actually like…

I hadn’t done a yoga class in about 5 years when I went to Hot box with my girlfriends. Not only did they have mats and towels on offer for the newey’s, the class was structured so well it allowed people like me (amateurs but flexible), like Ollie (the most amazing yoga man I’ve ever met) and like the young girl next to me (most uncoordinated person ever) fit right in.  I made the rookie error of wearing my “yoga clothes” (read: pants and t shirt) and literally had to wring the sweat out afterwards. I would recommend a pair of tight shorts and singlet/crop and an extra exorbitant towel and about 1L of water. I was amazed at how well my body adapted to the class and the heat. I can definitely say I’ve never sweated so much in my entire life but I’ve also never felt so good. I walked out cloud 9 both mentally and physically, which is a win win for someone like me who trains most days and could definitely feel their flexibility getting away from them.

Our Favorite Studios: 

Hot box on chapel Street.

Bikram Yoga in South Melbourne

When do you munch?

Diet starts Monday! Sound familiar?

 

The problem with Monday start diets: What happens by Wednesday? or if you're lucky, by Friday? It's too hard, it's too strict, and just one little piece won't hurt.

 

It's hard to make big changes in life. The energy and time commitment is often too great. That's why so many people still struggle with their health. The problem is starting the diet and sticking to it. So why not take the opposite approach? Forget about the fad diets, restrictive foods, the grand, amorphous goals of losing weight or getting in shape. Instead, make a life style change. Making small changes over all aspects of your day to day living, that combined can make a big difference. 98% of diets fail so generally you're setting yourself up for not only failure but a down right filthy mood because all you've eaten in 5 days is lemon water and maple syrup.  

So stay tuned on Sunday nights as we will be putting up little tips to get you well and truly on your way. Why Sundays....? Because all though you're starting your new life we figure its hard to break a habit!

 

Timing...

So there are so many theories going around about how many meals you should have, how often, how much so we thought we would try (and we mean try... nobody is perfect) to clear a few things up.

1.       It's all about what works for you, unless not eating works for you and we suggest incorporating meals into the schedule. Everybody is different because of your gender, height, age, genetics (yes thanks mom for the ghetto booty), work balance, time and mindset so just because your bestie can eat 10 meals a day doesn’t mean you can. Trial and error will get you there and in the end you will find a eating plan that works for you and makes you feel amazing.

2.       Starvation… now this phrase is thrown around quiet frequently in the dieting world. Everyone drags on about starvation and they're right. Even though not eating or crash diets (by crash we mean lemon detox) cause weight loss they are not causing fat to be burned. Mostly you are losing fluid and muscle glycogen hence you weigh lighter and looking thinner but as soon as you start eating it all comes back (not to mention a few extra pounds because often people over reward themselves after a crash). So the point is you need to eat, and you need to eat the right foods.

3.       How much.. So there is a saying that you should eat like a Queen for breakfast, Princess for lunch and pauper for dinner, and we thing that’s it's pretty on track. Look at Kate Middleton, what a babe! It’s better to start the day with a filling meal as it not only kick starts our metabolism but also keeps us form over eating or binging later because we are hungry (yes!! Stop eyeing off the banana bread at the coffee shop, just because banana is an ingredient doesn’t make it healthy). Something like a muesli with yoghurt and grated apple or a poached egg on whole grain toast are good options.  Lunch is next and again keep it filling because its along way to dinner and a lot of you lovely people are likely to be putting in a sweat session after work (and we don’t want to get the 3thirty munchies) but it should be smaller than breakfast. A salad with lean meat (salmon, poached chicken) is high in fibre and protein. Finally, finish the day off with dinner and this should be our smallest meal because we are likely to be less active and we don’t want it sitting in our tummies when we head off to be bed. A lot of models say they don’t eat carbs after 4, so the principle is sorta right. You want to have dinner a full 3-4 hours prior to bed time. This will also help in energy levels, and ease going to sleep.

4.       Snacks…. Now we haven’t mentioned snacks but of course throw them in too. Whatever is easy and accessible for you. Yoghurt, nuts, fruit, small smoothie, dried fruit, muesli/nut bar. For nuts we are looking at ¼ of a cup or enough to fit in the palm of oyur hand. Yogurt no more than 200g (the size of a store bought tub), 1piece of  large fruit (apple, pear) or 2 pieces of small fruit (apricot, kiwi fruit) and for bars check the sugar content and aim for at least 5g of fibre (fibre is what makes us feel full).

5.       Timing…  Breakfast has a 2 hour window from waking up. Longer than that the body will slow down the metabolism and store our glucose and fat differently (and we mean a bad differently). If you workout in the morning try a small snack like 40g of yogurt etc before or you can do a starved workout (What ever feels better for you) but eat immediately afterward (by all means have a shower and get dressed first) and if you are an evening exerciser before dinner wait at least an hour after you workout to have dinner as this optimising the fat burn etc.

Yes there is a lot of changes to your diet and eating times depending on your fitness regimen (protein and carbs straight after and prior to resistance exercise etc) but the above points are the basic principles to follow and for any major manipulations also consult someone in the field like a sports nutritionist/dietitian.

Remember …

You can’t out exercise bad nutrition.

Exercise should be about rewarding your body with endorphins and strength, not punishing your body for what you have eaten.

 

-NF x

Tamato... Tomato

Tomato

Tomatoes! They’re sweet, juicy, and delicious. Everyone knows they are good for you, right? Uh, yeah, sure. Does everyone know specifically why tomatoes are a healthful food? Ummm… They have vitamin C? They’re low in calories? They’re fat-free? Yes, yes, and yes, but that’s not all!

Let’s look at what makes the tomato an excellent healthy choice.

One medium whole tomato contains around 22 calories, 0 grams of fat, 5 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 1 gram of protein and 6 milligrams of sodium. It also provides 40 percent of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C, 20 percent of the RDA of vitamin A. That's pretty good stats for a something 94% water.

Studies have also found the benefits of tomato to:

• Ward off cancer:  A substance called lycopene, which is responsible for tomatoes red color, is thought to be the reason for this cancer protective effect. 
• Prevent DNA damage:Tomatoes are high in important antioxidants such as vitamin C and Vitamin A. these are beneficial in fighting free radicals
• Reduce the risk of heart disease: just 7 to 10 servings of tomato products per week had a 29 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease in women. These is because fo there vitamin and mineral composition.
• Improve and protect complexion: Tomatoes make your skin look great. Beta-carotene, also found in carrots and sweet potatoes, helps protect skin against sun damage. Tomatoes’ lycopene also makes skin less sensitive to UV light damage, a leading cause of fine lines and wrinkles.

How moody are you...?

It's true

Endorphins

Endorphins are one of the latest buzzwords when it comes to exercising but what are endorphins, and why do we need them? Read on to find out more about these bringers of a natural high.
Exercise decreases the stress hormones such as cortisol and increases endorphins. Endorphins are the body’s natural feel good chemicals, and when they are released through exercise, your mood is boosted naturally. As well endorphins, exercise also releases adrenaline, serotonin, and dopamine. These chemicals work together to make you feel good.

Types of Exercise to Release Endorphins

The best type of exercise for improving your mood is cardiovascular exercises and aerobics. This is because vigorous exercise helps to release the chemicals necessary for the mood-raising high. Yoga is also great as it reduces tension and stress while improving the mood. It focuses on stretching, breathing, and motion that release negative emotions in the body.

How long do you need to Exercise to Feel the Benefit?

Even if you only exercise for a short period of time, your mood will be improved. Just ten minutes of moderate exercise is enough to improve your mood, your vigour and also decrease fatigue. However, to obtain all the benefits from exercise, not just the mood improving aspects, you should do at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day.


-NF x

Baa Baa Black sheep

So the weather is warming up (finally) and most people are starting to look at shedding their winter coat or getting more healthy for summer. What ever the reason we say good on you. As Dietitians we are often lucky enough to cook for our friends and we know my girlfriends love it when we cook this one so we thought we'd share this favourite with you all.

 

Keep an eye on our Imma Foodie tab as we will be uploading new recipes each week!!!

 

Moroccan Lamb Salad

 

 

 

Ingredients

1 length of Lamb Backstrap

1 tsp Moroccan seasoning

1 ½ cups of Fresh peas, podded

1 Spanish onion, thinly sliced

100g fetta (Lemons reduced fat works well)

¼ cup Mint, shredded

120g, Rocket rinsed

3 Lemons, juice of

100ml Olive oil

Method

-          Season lamb with Moroccan seasoning buy rubbing into both sides. Heat pan. Boil water in saucepan

-          Place Lamb in hot pan, leave for 2-3 mins flipping 3 times, place aside when cooked.

-          Whilst Lamb is cooking place peas in boiling water, blanch until bright green, strain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Transfer to salad bowl along with rocket, onion, feta and mint.

-          Combine oil and lemon juice in container (We use an old coffee jar so we can shake it). Poor over salad and toss.

-          Serve up salad, slice lamb thinly and enjoy!