What I'm Eating Wednesday ... Quinoa Pizza Bites

Can you believe that it is almost the end of the school holidays!  I know we only have 2 weeks but they seem to have flown by so quickly!

On school holidays in our house I usually let the kids pick what they would like to bake each week.  They usually choose chocolate chip biscuits which of course I will make and taste test several times before they are even in the oven!  Once they are baked I find the temptation not quite so high ... cookie dough is a weakness, that's why I try not to bake treats too often. 

Last week I made the chocolate chip cookies for the kids and being school holidays I had a bit of extra time on my hands I thought I would test a recipe that I had been eyeing off on Pinterest for ages!  It is a healthy option for snacks and seeing as I have the kids home and they are eternally hungry I gave it a go ... success!  Mr Fit Mum was quite fond of them too and with his appetite increased with his current marathon training they didn't last too long at all!

Quinoa Pizza Bites

What you need ...

2 cups cooked quinoa
2 large eggs
1 finely chopped onion
1 cup shredded mozzarella ** I probably wouldn't add quite as much next time
2 tsp garlic
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 cup pepperoni slices, chopped
Seasoning
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano

What you do ...

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Divide mixture into greased mini muffin tin, pressing down gently and filling each to the top.
Bake for 15 - 20 minutes until browned.

Best served warm!

The original recipe suggests serving them with pizza sauce, however I didn't serve them like this and everyone loved them anyway!  The original recipe can be found here .

The only thing I would probably do differently to serve them as a snack for my kids is to make them into the muffins tins a bit bigger than the mini muffin tins.  This means I would not have to have a dozen of them if I'm out and about, I could just grab a couple.

They taste seriously yum and are great for a quick, healthy, nutritious snack.

Enjoy!


Fit Mum x

Fit Mum x

 

 

Healthy Eating Workshop & Challenge ...

Do you "eat clean"?  Do you know what "eating clean" is all about?

There is so much hype about different types of "diets" and how you can lose 30lbs in the blink of an eye that it really is just confusing.  To be honest, I just switch off a lot of the time when someone starts talking about how they are a "clean eater" and couldn't possibly even look at a coffee made with milk let alone have it pass their lips!  And let's not even mention pasta or rice .. oops did I just say a bad word?

Personally, I prefer to call my "diet" healthy, balanced eating.  Please note that I am NOT on a diet ... A "diet" as defined by the Oxford dictionary ...

Definition of diet

noun

•  the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats

 

therefore, I habitually eat healthy, balanced foods.  I am so over people using the word diet like it is a contagious disease, it is an entirely basic description of the foods you consume over a period of time.  As such I do not use the word unless that is the only word that describes what I am talking about.

 

OK, now that I have cleared that up, I'll move on ...

 

Clean eating, according to me, in my most basic description, goes like this ...

 

 

* Eat foods as close as possible to their natural state

* Eliminate processed foods

* Eat every 2 - 3 hours

* Eat a balance of food groups including carbohydrates, proteins and good fats

* Be aware of what the ingredients are in the foods that you are eating .. don't assume

 

This of course is just an abbreviated version of clean eating.  Everyone has a different version and everyone who "eats clean" may do so with different ideas or even "levels" if you will.  I personally am not extremely "strict" to the point of rigidness when it comes to my healthy, balanced eating.  I love food and I will enjoy different types of foods even "bad" foods ... I just choose not to eat them everyday or even every week.  Here is the general guide that I follow.

 

In July, I will be hosting a Healthy Eating Workshop & Challenge.  I know that some of you won't be able to attend in person, but you can still take part in the challenge!

 

The workshop will not be a lecture ... it will be more of a support group where wer can get together, sit down and discuss how we are going with our Healthy, Balanced eating.

 

We will be able to discuss all things healthy eating including

* tips on how to lose weight, maintain weight or even put on weight

* how to eat / fuel yourself before or after a workout

* tips on menu planning and being organised to ensure you are able to stick to healthy, balanced eating

* excuse elimination

 

I will share some of my own tips and recipes that work for me and my family. 

I hope that everyone else will also share their tips and tricks as what works for one may not necessarily work for another .. we are all individual!

 

You can find a little more about my Healthy Eating Workshop & Challenge here and here.

 

If you have any questions or would like to join me send me an email at 

 

 ascentfitness@live.com.au 

 

 I would love to have you join us and share your tips, tricks and experiences!  The more we support each other the more fun we will have!

 

 

 

What I ate Wednesday ... Do you do leftovers?

Another Wednesday and I'm here to share with you what I'm eating ...

I do try to eat healthy, nutritious foods most of the time ... There are those moments however when I'm not perfect or anywhere near it! I mean, who is? Well, alright some people are better than me!

Breakfast ... It's a surprise!  Oats again but I added a teaspoon of peanut butter because I saw it in the fridge and it looked good! And my coffee ...

Snacks ... Apple and peanut butter .. ooops I really must have had a thing for it today!  I had a mandarin for an afternoon snack along with some bocconcini which really should be banned in our house because I find it a bit addictive!

Lunch ... Leftover Chicken & Corn Soup.  I added a small handful of pasta too.

Leftovers! Do you do leftovers? I'm not always a fan of leftovers, I'd much rather have my meal nice and fresh. Not that I would get the chance anyway as Mr FitMum loves leftovers ... And then there's the kids ...

Whether you are into leftovers or not, they can be a great idea to save you time and money and keep you on track with your healthy eating during the week. I'm not one to prep my meals on the weekend .. To be honest I haven't quite worked out when I would do this. I know it's an organization and planning thing but I haven't got it.

Instead I often cook extra of whatever meal we are having so that there is something for lunch. Sometimes that might just be an extra chicken breast or two that I can throw into a salad or have with steamed veg the next day.

Another thing I do to save some time and keep me honest the next day is to prep extra veg. I chop them up as I do the nights dinner, that way the next day I have no excuse to have a lazy lunch. Quickly steam them and serve them with some lean protein and it's all good!

Anyway, back to my day ... I didn't make leftovers tonight ... Stir fries don't work well as left overs. We had sweet chilli and lime salmon stir fry .. Yum!  This was so filling and delicious!

For supper, I felt like a sweet treat and I had half of a Slim Secrets bar that I bought the other day for just this occasion!  To try it of course!  It was cookies & cream but I found it a bit sweet that's why I only managed half! I might go back for the other half tomorrow night!

What did you eat today?

Monday Motivation ....

Set yourself up for success ...

Seems simple doesn't it? 

 

Do you keep good food in the fridge?  Is it your first choice when you are hungry?

Have a great week everyone! 

Vicki x

Training Tuesday ... Spot Reduction

Who wants to get rid of their muffin top?  What about trimming down those thighs?

Me! I do!  I'm the first to admit that I would like to make some "adjustments" to some of my "trouble spots".  Who doesn't?!  Well, admittedly there are some bodies out there that look mighty fine .. but we're not talking about those right!!

When my clients come to me and tell me that they would like lose their muffin top or get a nice butt, I would love to be able to tell them exactly what exercise to do to achieve this.  If I knew of a single exercise or trick that would work for me, I would definitely pass it on! 

It's usually called spot reduction ... in most workouts this consists of 100 crunches a day to get a flat tummy or a 6 pack.  Or tricep dips and bicep curls to get nice arms.  The idea behind it is that if you focus on a certain area of the body with isolation exercises you will reduce the amount of fat here and be able to see the muscles.  Yes, bicep curls will give you big guns but what is the point if you still have them insulated by a layer of fat?

This is what I tell my clients .. beware though, you may not like it ... 

You can not focus your attention on a particular part of your body, do copious amounts of exercises for it and magically the fat will remove itself from here only.  I haven't yet found any evidence that you can "request" your body to rid itself of fat from a particular area.  My understanding is that fat is usually lost proportionately over your entire body as you lose weight.  It doesn't seem like it to me sometimes as I have always tended to lose weight in my boobs chest area first.  It really is an individual thing, so genetics will play a part.

You can not designate where the fat goes to on your body.  I have made various requests that it go to my boobs chest area.  These requests have gone ignored.  Again, genetics will play a part in determining where it goes.  And yes, men and women differ here .. it may not be fair but deal with it.

If you want to see your muscles minimise the insulation.  Yes that means, lose body fat and you will see the muscles that you do actually have.  We have all heard the saying that abs are made in the kitchen.  Well, it's not only abs, losing excess body fat is all about what you eat.  Well, about 80% anyway.  You want to shape your body and see the muscles .. combine a healthy, nutritious balanced diet with weight training and you are on you way to seeing those muscles.

Do weight training and burn more calories.  Big moves like squats, lunges, push ups etc and no girly weights, they have to be a bit heavy!  There is nothing more empowering than knowing that you can crank out some heavy weights!  Have a look at this post for an at home workout that gets you sweaty.

Add some cardio .. it keeps you fit, healthy, burns calories and gives you energy! 

And lastly, be consistent!  Those people with the bodies that you admire, they have literally worked their butts off! 

It's hard work, but someone's got to do it!  Make sure it's you!

Vicki x

 

What I ate this week ... My favourite Sugar Free Snacks

For some reason this week has been quite busy but it's Friday and I now feel like I am able to catch up with myself!

Week 2 of Sugar Free September and I'm still going strong! Hubby, however is asking how many days are left before he can eat his Father's Day chocolates!  I think he wants me to cave first!  Not likely!  I'm now at the point where nothing is really tempting me .. lollies, chocolates .. I even passed up a glass of champagne on the weekend to celebrate finishing The Stampede in one piece!

What has kept me going and helped me steer clear of the quick snacks .. other than my superman strong willpower of course ... are my go to snacks that keep me going between meals.  I would not survive if I did not eat every 3 hours!

Here are my favourites ...

*  Fruit / Nuts
*  Natural Yoghurt / Greek yoghurt.  No added sugar
   of course!
*  Combine them
*  Fruit with cottage cheese.  Not something
   everyone can do but I love it! 
*  Apple with Nut Butter ( I love the organic no
   sugar added versions )



*  Chopped veg with hummus.  I make my own.
*  Boiled eggs
*  Trail mix with a little dried fruit, nuts and
   unsweetened coconut. I also sprinkle this trail
   mix on my yoghurt or oats for breakfast.

What's your favourite healthy, nutritious snack?

How are you going with Sugar Free Septebmer?  Are you noticing any differences?



Monday Motivation ... Healthy Eating

If you are doing Sugar Free September with me this month then you might need a little extra reminder to be conscious of WHAT food you are actually about to gobble down ...

                                                                       Source: 3fatchicks.com via Vicki on Pinterest

Just a reminder!  Keep at it!  And if you haven't started Sugar Free September .... it's not too late to join!

You know your body will love you eating fresh, healthy, nutritious food!

 

 



What I'm eating Wednesday ... OMG which rule are you breaking?

When I came home this afternoon I sat down to finish off today's post .. But as you do, I checked in with Twitter first.

I read a tweet that piqued my interest about a new diet .. Oh yeah let's see what this one's all about! 

Check it out, how great does this sound!

OMG!  How great is that selling point!  "Get Skinnier than all your friends!"

In order to "get skinnier" you should follow his "diet rules" which include ..

1. Carbs are Carbs .. There is no difference between them just don't eat any more than 120g of unrefined carbs per day.

2. Too much exercise is bad

3. Take cold showers and baths .. to kickstart your metabolism ( ha! not likely! )

4.  Skip breakfast and exercise on an empty stomach

5.  Drink black coffee only

6. Stay away from fruit .. it can block fat burning

7. Blow up balloons to tone your tummy ( this is not a joke .. )

OK, so those of you who read my blog regularly will know that many of these "rules" I would break just by waking up in the morning!

According to some of his loyal subjects, this is THE best thing that has happened to them and they are definitely getting skinnier than their friends! 

As you all know, I not the biggest fan of the "fad" diets that inhabit the shelves of the bookstores ( or on iTunes .. ) preferring a more "balanced" approach to a healthy eating plan.  So here's my take on the new diet ...

Good ... eat whole foods and steer clear of junk foods and highly processed, sugary foods.
Good ... too much exercise may well be bad for you if you are overtraining and it is impacting on your health.

Bad ... Fruit is a great source of nutrients so don't lose a food group!
Bad ... Carbs ( glucose ) is the primary fuel source for your brain so again, don't lose a good group!
Bad ... I'm a bit concerned about the image it's portraying "Get skinnier than your friends!".  Great way to suck people in but there's enough body image problems with girls ( and guys ) out there as it is!

I know I'm not a dietician or a nutrition expert so these are just my opinions only.  It's up to you to make your own judgement call .. however, if we are doing an intense training session you had better have some fuel in the tank because I won't be picking you up off the floor!

Let me know how you think his rules compare to my rules that I posted about here ...

Have a read of an Australian APD's thoughts on the new diet regime here ...

OK, I've said enough ...

What I'm eating Wednesday .. Sugar Free September!

9 more days to go until Sugar Free September starts again! 

Are you going to join me?

I know the idea fills you with fear!  How are you possibly going to last a WHOLE month without sugar?!

It's really not too bad actually .. Instead of craving sugar at the end of the month you will be craving whole, fresh, unprocessed foods! How bad can that be?

So why participate in SFS?

There are so many processed foods that make up part of our daily diet. 
These processed foods are quite often filled with sugar to give them taste and make them last longer. Many of the added sugars don't have any benefit in your diet except to add extra calories that you just don't need! If sugar wasn't added to the foods they would have no taste .. Not like a fresh meal cooked from scratch at home!

Recently in the media sugar has been almost entirely blamed for the high instances of diabetes and obesity in Australia. In my opinion, sugar cannot be solely responsible for these numbers, but the increased amounts of refined sugars being added to foods is certainly not helping our addiction to sugary sweet foods and it is certainly not keeping us lean and healthy.

Enough of the serious stuff! Let's move on to the nitty gritty of Sugar Free September ... Fit Mum style! 

Last year I went hard core for the whole month ( except for one little slice of cheesecake for my sister's birthday ).  Have a read of last year's wrap up here. This time I'm not going to be quite so hard core. I'm going to let the reigns go just a little bit .. Not much but a little!

Here's my list of can eats and can't eats ...

A couple of notes to the above pic ...

• No artificial sweetners .. they're worse than the real thing!
• If you really want to you can use a SMALL amount of honey, maple syrup, golden syrup, agave nectar and stevia if you wish
• Watch out for the '...ose' ingredients ie glucose, maltose, dextrose etc
• Check out the ingredients on sauces, dressings etc .. The best option for dressing is just balsamic vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil
• Ultimately, do what works for you!  Something is better than nothing!
• Don't panic or stress about what you can and can't have that's not the point!

Number 1 rule .. Eat whole, fresh, unprocessed foods as much as possible!

Don't think that there will be nothing you can eat because this certainly won't be the case!  This is where you need to get creative! I'll post some of my favourite no sugar snacks and meals. I'm also going to do some more experimenting with baking with no sugar for the kids! I've had a few successes so I'll roll these out for you too!

Please remember that no one is perfect and making these changes will take some getting used to. All I'm asking is that you participate to the best of your ability.  

Being mindful of WHAT you are eating and what is IN the food you are eating is a great place to start!

Let me know by commenting if you will be joining me .. Don't be shy you won't be the only one!   Or, check in with Fit Mum on Facebook and let me know how you are going! There's already a hash tag on Twitter if you are following there #sugarfreeseptember.

Woohoo!! Who's excited to start Sugar Free September!!

What I'm eating Wednesday ...

I saw this sitting in my pantry over the weekend.

I bought it about a month ago with the intention of trying it for breakfast as a change from the usual or to make up a salad. 

As you have surely heard quinoa is a "super grain" that has been around for thousands of years.  The fabulous Wikipedia can be credited for providing me with some nutritional information on quinoa ...  

"Quinoa was of great nutritional importance in pre-Columbian Andean civilizations, secondary only to the potato, and was followed in importance by maize. In contemporary times, this crop has become highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (14% by mass). Nutritional evaluations of quinoa indicate that it is a source of complete protein. Furthermore, it is a good source of dietary fibre and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is also a source of calcium, and thus is useful for vegans and those who are lactose intolerant. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest."

So anyway I thought that I had better make the effort to use it this week.  The stuff is a little bit expensive if you decide to leave it go past the use by date.

I have used quinoa flakes before to make "porridge" for breakfast and I'll be honest and I was not so fussed at all! I thought it smelled funny and tasted a bit gag worthy.

But, I'm giving the whole grain a go this time.
 
I've been having it for my breakfast the last few mornings.  The directions on the packet suggest 1 part quinoa to 3 parts water.  I have been cooking it up with water and adding some berries like I usually do for my oats or muesli.  I also add a tablespoon or so of milk ( I like it a bit creamy ) and a drizzle of maple syrup as I just didn't think I could face it "unsweetened". I'm working my way up slowly!

This morning I made it up and added the tablespoon or so of milk but when a bit luxurious and added raisins and some brown sugar. I must say this was a little more palatable.
I believe I also need to rinse it to get rid of some of the "bitterness" .. I tried this one morning but I forgot this morning so unsure whether this really made a difference!

I haven't yet tried it in a savoury dish.  I'm a bit nervous as to the family's reaction however I would like to have a go as it is supposed to be great as a cous cous substitute. 
I have done a little bit of searching on the Internet ( as you do ) to find some savoury recipes. There are hundreds! There are websites dedicated to quinoa recipes alone.

I'm going to keep playing over the next week or so and see what I can come up with!  In the meantime, if anyone has any tried and true recipes I could have a crack at please send them through!

What have you been eating this Wednesday?

Something to snack about ...

I'm talking snacks today.   This is usually my weakness when it comes to keeping my diet on track and I know that many other people feel the same way.  A wrong choice can throw out your diet for the whole day, but only if you let it.
Some people cut out snacks all together in an effort to cut calories and lose weight.  Yes, this can work, but it's not always the best option.

So, why snack?

A snack can help you make it through to your next meal.   This may even stop you eating too much at that meal if you choose the right snack.
A healthy, balanced snack can help you to stop making a bad snack choice .. you know, an apple over a packet of potato chips or chocolate bar ( OK, I don't mind the chocolate bar but not if I'm trying to watch what I'm eating! ).  You will be more inclined to stay on track if you choose the apple first.
Including regular snacks will also help to not over eat at meal times. you know what I mean, you miss afternoon snack and dinner comes around, you eat a great meal.  Then you find you are still hungry, so you go back for seconds, and then another little "something" because you just can't seem to make the hunger go away.  Then you feel sick or guilty that you've over eaten.

What's your favourite choice for a between meal snack?

These are some of my favourite choices for between meals. They are a great choice when you are keeping an eye on what you are eating.

An apple a day, right?

Fruit ... yep, 2 pieces a day is a good choice.         
Fruit with cottage cheese or some low fat yoghurt. My favourites are apple or berries with cottage cheese. It's OK, I understand, some people just can't stomach that one!
Chopped veg with homemade hommus .. carrots, celery etc











Plain old low fat yoghurt .. watch the flavoured stuff.  It may taste great but it could also have lots of sugar.
Rice thins with toppings like avocado, cheese or hommus with tomato slices.
Nuts and seeds ie trail mix.  Watch out that you don't eat the whole packet, these babies can pack a calorie punch even though they are a great source of nutrition.

Don't go crazy though, these are a snack not a full meal!  I try to keep  my snacks around 100 - 150 calories, I'm not perfect so I do have more sometimes!

The other thing that is important to me when it comes to my snacks .. I need to be able to throw them in my gym bag, handbag or just eat them on the run!  Though I have been known to eat a bowl of berries and cottage cheese driving to kids activities .. sssshhh don't mention this one!

Let me know what your favourite snack is!

Vicki x

Who said I was old?

I'm getting older. Every day.


This last week I have had cause to think about getting older and the myriad of illnesses and conditions that can affect us as we get older. It's really kind of scary, particularly for a person who likes to be in control and I guess that's why I choose not to think about it.


In this case someone very close to me has had something happen that has literally stopped them in their tracks and they have no choice but to lie flat out for the next week or so. The doctors have advised that there is nothing that could have been done to prevent this .. It's age related.


On the positive side, it's got me thinking about what I can and can't control with relation to my own health .. clearly I can't control everything. But, there are heaps of things I can control and by doing so will help me be able to "live" with the aging process!  I know I'm not going to win the aging argument so I'm not going to beat myself up trying .. but I'm going to do my best to age in the best possible way ...

According to Coco Chanel "A woman has the age she deserves" .. I want to deserve to be as young as I can be!


We all "know" what we are supposed to do to look after our bodies .. But do we always practice them? I'm going to start making more of an effort to look after my body in the best way I can ...


Starting with the obvious ... Eating healthy, nutritious foods that fuel my body for optimum performance. Well maybe not optimum performance as I'm no elite athlete .. but I certainly need to keep up with the kids, day to day life, exercise and all the added extras that make life fun! I will be making sure that the fun foods are in moderation because we all know what it feels like to overindulge ...


Exercise also plays a huge part in staying healthy.  Make sure there is a balance of cardio, weight training, flexibility and relaxation.  I have found in the last month that doing different exercise to those that I usually do has made it much more enjoyable, especially in those times when motivation was lacking!


I'm going to start listening to my body a bit more often.  I am pretty conscious of what my body is doing and I do listen to what it's telling me, however there are times when I probably should listen a little more closely. When my body tells me it's time to take a rest, I'll take a rest. I'll challenge myself but I won't be pushing myself to the point of exhaustion where I'm unable to keep up with a regular routine. Yes, I have done this in the past ...


Finally, I'm going to do what makes me happy.  Do what I enjoy.  I'm going to spend time with family and friends and enjoy it .. not take it for granted.


I'm going to look after my health and not take it for granted.

I've worked hard to get what I have and I'm going to work just as hard to keep it!

Stay focused,  Stay strong

Fit Mum x