Tuesday's Change Week 48 - Cold and Flu Season

So Halloween is over and 'Silly Season' has finally begun. It's a time when we all eat and drink too much, have too many late nights, the weather gets suddenly cold and we spend way too much money leading to stress and feeling worn out. Saying all that it's what makes the festive season what it is and we probably wouldn't change it even if we could!

But there is a way we can try and lessen the effects of the season. Keeping your immunity boosted is the easiest way but you need to put in the ground work well in advance to keep those dreaded colds and flus at bay.

This is my go to trick when I feel a cold coming on. I try and battle it head on before it develops into a full blown illness that leaves me missing a Christmas party, work do or even worse the Christmas Markets here in Germany!

Ginger is a natural antibacterial and antiviral so regardless of the cold or flu this should help to boost the immunity and attack the nasty bug before it can take hold. Garlic is similar and can be added to foods easily, providing you aren't planning on getting too close to anyone underneath the mistletoe! Ginger also tastes nicer in a hot drink and so I tend to add garlic to food and ginger to my drinks.

I take about 2 inches of fresh ginger, peel it and grate it into a bowl.
Fill the bowl with freshly boiled water and allow the ginger to stew for at least 5-10 minutes. The longer the better.
If you don't like the bits then feel free to sieve out the ginger.
This makes a 'cordial' of sorts and I place this in a sealed jar or jug to be used throughout the day.
To make a nice tea that will help clear your cold/flu in no time follow the instructions below:

- Add some of the cordial made above to a mug, about 5 tablespoons, or the more the better!
- Add boiling water, a squeeze of fresh lemon, or a slice, a sprinkle of cinnamon (optional) and a teaspoon of honey (optional).
- Mix well and enjoy.

I try and drink this at least 3 times a day if I feel any sort of illness coming on. Even from the first sip you can feel your head clear and the fuzziness lift. Not to mention it tastes nice!

You can read more about the benefits of ginger here.
This will not only fight colds and flus it will also help relieve bloating and digestive pain from over indulgence on food, help ease nausea from a hangover and warm you right up on those cold winter days. The benefits really are endless.

So that is it my Jeanies. This week try and drink a cup of this tea at least once a day and stave off that dreaded illness of the festive season. You won't regret adding this to your routine and you can make it easy and hassle free by preparing the cordial in advance and even adding the honey, cinnamon and lemon to it also. This way even if you are out and about you can ask for hot water and make your own!

Tuesday's Change Week 38 - Total Body Work out

I've been crazy busy the last few months with working full time, teaching yoga in the evenings, social events and just busy with life in general. My workout regime was the first thing to suffer. I just 'didn't have time to exercise'.

This is probably one of the most common complaints I hear and it is one I can relate to. But fear not I have a solution! I recently came across this work out on youtube. I can honestly say it's one of the best I've seen for overall body work out, strength building and cardio with no equipment needed and only 35 minutes long, including warm up and (too short I feel!) cool down. You don't need masses of space and this work out can be done in your living room, bed room, when you are travelling or even on your lunch break from work!

I did this yesterday and my butt is in agony! I'm dreading tomorrow when the dreaded 2 day DOMS sink in (read more on this in my blog post here). But this is good pain. A sign that I worked my muscles and made myself stronger.

So this week's change I want you to try and do this work out:

4-5 times this week (if you do no other physical activity)
2-3 times this week (if you do other physical activity)

Click above to do the video or click on this link here

So that is only 35 minutes out of your 24 hour day and trust me you'll be feeling on top of the world afterwards. You will be sore for the first day or so but take it at your own pace, using the modifications she provides and always listen to your body.

I hope you all like this as much as I do!

Tuesday's Change Week 35 - Fresh Air

This week's change is FRESH AIR! This might seem like the simplest of ideas and it's one everyone knows is good for them. But how many of us actually get to do it?

Between the commute, the office, dinner, TV, exercise and bed how much time do we actually spend outdoors? Whether you live in the most populated city or in the middle of the country you should always aim to spend at least 30 minutes a day outside in fresh air. Ideally surrounded by nature. A park or the beach or even in your garden.

I know the weather might play a factor in how long you spend outdoors but once you have a good coat and a good pair of shoes no weather should stop you. It's so invigorating and refreshing to be outside and breathing fresh, clean air.

Here are some benefits of fresh air:

• Fresh air is good for digestion.
• Improves your blood pressure and heart rate.
• It makes you happier.
• Strengthens your immune system.
• Fresh air cleans your lungs.
• You will have more energy and sharper mind.
• Improves your sleep quality.

You must remember that feeling as a kid when you spent all day playing outside. You came in, ate your dinner and had the best, most satisfied sleep. Refreshed and ready to do it all again tomorrow! Wouldn't you love to have that feeling again?

Here are some tips to spend more time outside, no matter the weather, no matter your location.

- Go for a walk. It really is that simple. Do you really need to watch that re run of the Kardashians? Seriously will that improve your life?

- Park further away from the entrance. Whether it's in work, the supermarket or a friend's house, park as far away as you can and enjoy a leisurely stroll to the door.

- Eat outdoors. When weather permits, eat outdoors. You don't have to have lots of room or fancy garden furniture. Just a mat/blanket, some cushions and tasty, healthy food. 

- Exercise outside. Be it a run, a cycle or even some body-weight exercises in your garden. It will leave you feeling exhilarated! There are lots of local boot camps running that are based outside and even some outdoor yoga classes. For those in Cork check out Himalaya Yoga Valley's Yoga in the Park.

- Take meaningful breaths. It sounds silly but how many times a day do you actually stop, take a deep inhale and exhale where you are consciously aware of your breath? So even if you can only spend a short amount of time outdoors make it your priority to really focus on the quality of your breath. Maximize the time you do have, get that fresh air deep into your lungs.

- Play with the kids outdoors. Take them to the park, the swings and slides, the river or lake. Play with them in the back garden or a green. I remember countless hours playing with a dish of water and some different size containers as a kid. You don't need to spend a fortune to entertain them. Not only is it good for you and them I bet they sleep better that night too!

- Go for a Picnic. If the weather permits then plan a picnic. What a lovely way for the whole family to relax and eat some lovely food. Check out this lovely picnic with friends I had last year. (Shout out to my friend Peter who makes THE best Cosmos!)

- Go to the sea. If you are fortunate enough to live near the ocean try and get there as many times as you can. The salt air is so good for banishing any negative energy and blowing away the cobwebs. Take a dip if you are feeling brave enough. Cold water never hurt anyone. Hey we even went for a swim in Dingle Bay on the 29th December on the morning of our wedding! 

It really is that simple this week guys. Summer is not over yet! So get out there and throw your head back, open your lungs and get some lovely fresh air into you!

Tuesday's Change Week 27 - Spice it up!

People often complain that healthy food is boring and tasteless. Cardboard or grass are often terms used!

But it doesn't have to be that way. Not only are herbs and spices full of flavour they are so good for you too. Spices don't have to make things taste hot and uncomfortable they just add flavour and interest while making you healthy at the same time.

My favourite herbs and spices are listed here along with some recipes I include them in. I've also listed their amazing benefits with some tips on how to add them seamlessly into your diet.

Ginger
Benefits - Ginger is good for digestion issues, nausea, it is a natural anti-inflammatory and boosts the immune system. 
Recipes: - Healing Soup, Carrot Cake Muffins, Burgers
Tips: Fresh ginger root is best but if you can't get this dried ginger is better than none. Grated fresh ginger in some sparking water is delicious on a hot day with a slice of lemon. Or add it to sauces, curries, stir-frys etc.


Garlic 
Benefits - Garlic is antibacterial and antiviral. It is good for colds/flus and infections.
Recipes - Guacamole, Chicken Kiev, Healing Soup, Spicy Sausage Stew, Burgers, Pesto
Tips - Garlic is smelly but can really spice up a meal. The benefits far out weigh having smelly breath for a few hours!


Cinnamon
Benefits - Cinnamon helps to lower your blood sugar and burn fat more effectively.
Recipes - French Toast, Carrot Cake Muffins, Granola, Pancakes
Tips - Cinnamon is a great replacement for sugar in foods as it almost tastes sweet. People add it to their coffee or in baking.

Turmeric
Benefits - See my blog post here on the amazing benefits of Turmeric
Recipes - See the post above and Spicy Sausage Stew, Healing Soup
Tips - This spice is best used fresh, it looks similar to a small root of garlic. It has an intense yellow colour so be careful of getting it on your skin or counter tops!


Paprika
Benefits - Paprika is high in Vitamin A, E and Iron. It also has anti ageing properties, prevents hair loss and promotes sound sleep.
Recipes - Sweet Potato Wedges, Chicken Kiev, Spicy Sausage Stew, Burgers
Tips - Paprika doesn't have too strong a flavour and so can be added easily to most savoury foods.

Cumin
Benefits - Cumin aids digestion, lowers blood sugar and prevents hypoglycaemia (excellent for people with diabetes), fights viral infections, is rich in Iron and has many other benefits 
Recipes - Burgers, Spicy Sausage Stew, Healing Soup
Tips - Cumin is best paired with red meat or tomato based dishes. A small amount is enough to enhance any dish.

Rosemary
Benefits - Rosemary boosts immunity, increases circulation, aids digestion, is an excellent anti-inflammatory - great for asthmatics, and increases concentration. 
Recipes - Sweet Potato Wedges
Tips - Rosemary tastes delicious with meats and vegetables. Fresh is best, I have a small herb plat that I take sprigs from while cooking.

So this week's Tuesday's Change is to add some spices or herbs to at least one meal a day, if not all of them. Get experimenting and trying out different combinations. You don't have to limit yourself to the ones listed above. Every spice or herb has a benefit.

Any questions about this change or any of the other previous ones just ask!

Tuesday's Change Week 26 - Chocolate

Yes, yes you did. You heard that right. This week's Tuesday's change is to eat chocolate. Now woah there boy, before you get too excited have a good read below.

There are many benefits to dark chocolate and it is often considered a bad food. It is bad when it's milk or white chocolate but anything above 70% can contain the following.

A 100 gram bar of dark chocolate with 70-85% cocoa contains:

• 11 grams of fiber.
• 67% of the RDA for Iron.
• 58% of the RDA for Magnesium.
• 89% of the RDA for Copper.
• 98% of the RDA for Manganese.
• It also has plenty of potassium, phosphorus, zinc and selenium

It is also a powerful source of anti-oxidants which trap nasty free radicals in the body and prevent them from damaging cells and causing illness.

It may also help improve blood flow and lower blood pressure as a result of the flavanols in dark chocolate which stimulate the endothelium, the lining of arteries, to produce Nitric Oxide (NO), which is a gas and causes them to relax.

Other studies have shown it can lower LDL Cholesterol (bad) while helping to increase HDL Cholesterol (good).

It can also help protect your skin from the sun! The flavonols can protect against sun-induced damage by improving blood flow to the skin and increase skin density and hydration.

Finally it can help improve brain function by increasing blood flow to the brain. Cocoa may also significantly improve cognitive function in elderly people with mental impairment. It also improves verbal fluency and several risk factors for disease.

Please refer to this link here to see all the scientific research that lead to these claims.

So here's the fun part. How can you increase the amount of high quality Cocoa in your diet? One easy way is to ditch the regular, sugar filled chocolate bars and replace with 70% cocoa bars or higher. You may feel you need only 1 or 2 squares to get your chocolate hit!

Add some 100% Coco to your plain yogurt or any baking you are doing. I use Green and Blacks 100% Organic Coco and you typically can find this in most large supermarkets.

Also here are some recipes on the blog that contain tasty 100% cocoa.

Click here for Chocolate Pancake Recipe

Click here for Chocolate covered fruit

Click here for Paleo Chocolate Mousse

Click here for Choco Berry Granola

Enjoy! I knew you would all love this one!

Tuesday's Change Week 25 - Revision Time

Like in previous weeks I've given you all a week off to catch up, refresh and re-focus on the previous changes. So this week you'll be doing just that.

Here is a re-cap of the changes made over the last few weeks.

Gratitude - Click Here

Green Tea - Click Here

At home Fitness - Click Here

Chia Seeds - Click Here

Sweet Potatoes - Click Here

Meditation - Click Here

No drink with meals - Click Here

Was there something you feel you should give another go? Or try harder with? Is there one you just didn't really understand and need to ask me a few questions? I'm here to answer or help whenever you need me.

Best of luck and enjoy revision week!

Tuesday's Change week 21 - Chia Seeds

This week's change is a tasty one! Chia Seeds. Start adding them to your daily meals or shakes. You won't regret it!

Why should you start eating Chia Seeds?:

I mean there isn't much more I can say about that is there? The benefits are immense and they take on the taste of the food you add them to so they can taste how you want them to!

I get my Chia Seeds in my local health food shop and some large suprermarkets also stock them. If it's something you want to invest in for the long haul you might be better off buying in bulk. I got some here and they are Organic. They may seem expensive but they go a long way and last for ages.

Here are some suggestions on how you can add them to your diet:

- I often add 1/4 cup of chia seeds to my Oat Bread, Recipe here

- You can add them to your breakfast or make my Choco Berry Granola, Recipe here

- Add them to soups or smoothies, they act as a thickener.
- Add them to your eggs in the morning.
- They go great in rice dishes especially risotto.
- They are great to bulk up cupcakes and buns like my Carrot Cake Breakfast Muffins, Recipe here
- Use them to thicken mousse like my Paleo Chocolate Mousse, Recipe here
- Use them to make puddings. There are some great recipes here.
- Sprinkle them on salads.
- Have them with some yoghurt in the morning

So there you have it. Lots of ideas and yummy recipes to add to your routine.

As always any questions just ask!

Tuesday's Change Week 20 - Fitness Blender

You may have seen my previous post on fitness here. This may seem like repetition but to me exercise is so important.

My good friend Bríd introduced me to this amazing website. Bríd is a marvellous woman who works, raises 2 kids and supports herself and her husband's business (check out their wonderful café here in Kinsale that does the tastiest and healthiest food for miles!).

So like the rest of us Bríd is a busy person juggling lots of priorities. Yet she still finds time to exercise. She discovered this wonderful website and kindly shared it with me. This really fits into her lifestyle and allows her to be in control and not have fitness as a chore.

FITNESS BLENDER CLICK HERE

Here you can pick how long you want the work out to be, the amount of calories burned, areas of the body targeted, the training type and equipment needed, if any. You select all these requirements, hit enter and it gives you a plethora of videos that match your criteria. You chose which one suits you best and away you go!

This is excellent for all those busy parents, people on budgets who can't afford the gym memberships, people travelling or who move around a lot. And best of all this is completely free! There are some adds and pop ups but nothing over bearing. It really is a great service.

So your change this week is to visit this website and ideally do a few work outs. 2-3 a week would make such a huge difference to your body, mind and soul!

Tuesday's Change Week 17 - Green Tea

This weeks change is to simply to drink Green Tea. The aim would be to drink 2-3 cups a day but if you are a coffee or black tea-holic then maybe slowly ease yourself in and start with 1 a day.

Do not drink Green Tea on an empty stomach! It will make you feel nauseous so make sure you eat something first.

Here are some reasons to drink Green Tea:

- Increases Fat Burning and Improves Physical Performance.

- Antioxidants in Green Tea May Lower Your Risk of Various Types of Cancer.

- Protects Your Brain in Old Age, Lowering Your Risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease.

- Lowers Your Risk of Type II Diabetes.

- Reduces bad cholesterol in the blood and improves the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol.

- Reduces the risk of high blood pressure.

- Can aid depression and stress - Theanine is an amino acid naturally found in tea leaves provides a relaxing and tranquilizing effect.

-Anti-viral and Anti-bacterial which kills Bacteria Improves Dental Health and Lowers Your Risk of Infection.

- Slows ageing and improves quality of your skin.

You can see more details here on the numerous benefits of green tea.

Now I don't think I need to say much more do I? If they aren't enough reasons to start I'm not sure what is.

I recommend drinking Organic if possible and flavoured green tea is ok just make sure there is no added sugar. I like to squeeze some fresh lemon into mine as well. This also boosts the powers of the green tea as well as making it taste nice!

Fresh tea leaves are ideal but shop bought bags are a good way to start.

As always, any questions just ask!

Paleo Burger Bar

Eating a particular way or sticking to a clean diet doesn't have to be boring or tasteless. You just have to get creative with it!

I recently had some friends over for a dinner party. There was myself and another guest who (try!) and eat clean and eat a mainly a Paleo lifestyle so I wanted to cater for us. However, I'm a big believer in not forcing other people to eat a certain way, they should chose to eat healthy themselves and need to be in the right mindset. Saying that, you can give as much advice, encouragement and knowledge to them but do not force others for your benefit. They will come to it when they are ready.

Anyway this idea of a Burger Bar came to me and I realised it would be ideal to suit all tastes and requirements and no one would miss out on the flavour stakes.

I made home-made burgers (recipe below) and then set out a selection of toppings. This gave people the power to chose the toppings they desired and didn't force anybody on a particular diet to eat something that didn't agree with them.

Options for the Burger Bar I included were:

Ketchup

Mustard

Peppercorn Sauce

Gherkins

Tomatoes

Chopped Red Onion

Sliced Cheddar

Brie

Diced Bacon

Shredded Lettuce

Salami

I also set out 2 types of buns, made sweet potato wedges (recipe here), did a salad of rocket and sun-dried tomatoes and my red cabbage and apple salad, recipe here.

It went down an absolute treat and everyone was satisfied and happy...we also served lots of booze but let's pretend that it was all about the food!

It was also a nice sociable meal as people felt involved and chatted as they passed various toppings and accompaniments. It also meant people could eat as much or as little as they chose, they were always in control.

For dessert I served my Paleo chocolate mousse, recipe here, and again the non-paleo guests were very happy. 'A revelation' one guest said!

 Here's how I made the burgers:

Ingredients:
(This makes about 6 generous burgers)

400g of minced Beef (I use Organic lean beef)
2 eggs (Organic and Free Range)
3 cloves of grated/pressed garlic (Organic)
2 teaspoons of Smoked Paprika
2 teaspoons of Cumin
1 teaspoon of Ginger
(feel free to experiment with different spices)
5 heaped tablespoons of Ground Almonds (Paleo) or Ground Oats (eating clean)
Salt and pepper to taste.

Method:
Mix everything together in a bowl until it starts to bind. Add more Almonds/Oats if you feel the mixture isn't holding together.

Using clean hands mold the mixture into burger shapes, depending on the size you require. I often make these and cook some fresh and freeze others uncooked, ready for the next time you want burgers and are in a rush!

Once they are molded you can fry or grill them until cooked to your liking. Be gentle with them as they may fall apart easily.

Small one for me, large for my husband...surprise surprise!

Prep time:

5-10 minutes

Dietary Information:

Paleo

Gluten Free

Wheat Free

Sugar Free

High in Omega 3 (If you use grassfed Organic beef)

Garlic is antibacterial and antiviral so excellent for fighting colds and flu.

High in protein

Low in carbohydrate

Eggs are full of protein, high in vitamins and minerals and great for your hair, skin and nails.

Ginger is good for digestion issues, nausea, natural anti-inflammatory and boosts the immune system. 

Cumin aids digestion, lowers blood sugar and prevents hypoglycaemia (excellent for people with diabetes), fights viral infections, rich in Iron and many other benefits you can read here.

Paprika is high in Vitamin A, E and Iron. It also has anti ageing properties, prevents hair loss and promotes sound sleep.

Storage Instructions:

Can be frozen raw.

Serving Suggestions:

I served these with sweet potatoes (recipe HERE), salads and various toppings.
They are also great with mash, chips or on the BBQ.

Enjoy!

Tuesday's Change Week 13 - Read the ingredients!

This week's change is one that I instigated into my life a few years ago and it has really stuck with me. It's simple in in it's concept and may revolutionise the way you eat.

All you have to do is read the ingredients on back of every packet of food you eat. Read them right to end and if you don't know what the ingredient is then maybe you should think twice about whether you should be eating it!

Of course the ideal is to only eat foods that don't come in packets with an ingredient list. As in real, whole foods. Meats, eggs, fish, vegetables, fruit, rice, oats, nuts, seeds, spices etc. But for the time being just start looking at what you are eating and the list of ingredients and ask yourself are you really happy putting that into your body? What effect is it having on your insides, you hair, skin and nails? Is it making you gain weight by disrupting your hormones? Is it something you would feed your children? If it sounds like something that came from a laboratory...it probably did and it is not real food!

That really is it. So simple.

I'd love to hear your feed back on what you discover while reading the ingredients so be sure to let me know.