A Gut Busting Brekkie

Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Typically your gut is clear, you've digested all the food from the day before and I always think of it as a chance to heal any damage done from the weeks before (processed foods, alcohol, sugar all cause damage to the gut bacteria which is so important is health and especially in aiding weight loss).

So this breakfast is chock full of healthy bacteria inducing foods, it's tasty and quick to make!

Ingredients:

Greek Yogurt
2 heaped tablespoons of Udo's Beyond Greens (found here)
1 heaped teaspoons of Cinnamon (excellent at lowering your blood sugar and aiding weight loss)
1 handful of blueberries
1 heaped tablespoon of 100% Coco
1 teaspoon of honey (I use Healy's Organic Honey as it's local to Ballincollig)
2 teaspoons of my homemade granola (recipe here)


Method:
Add all ingredients into a bowl, mix well and enjoy!

Why should you eat a well balanced healthy breakfast? Above is why!

Fly away with me...

I do a lot of travelling. I fly at least once a month, if not more. So it's a good thing then that I love airports. I find them fascinating for people watching as well as the fact that they are packed full of the excitement and anticipation of all its travelers off on their many adventures. I love wondering where each person is going or guessing their nationality. You can learn a lot by just sitting and observing people. I guess it's a good thing I enjoy it so much as I sit here on my 5 hour wait for my connecting flight! I'm just back from Oktoberfest in Germany with my Husband.

When you travel a lot you begin to realise how nearly every airport is the same. Selling overpriced, cardboard food and packed full of cheap, sugary convenience snacks and drinks. Not to mention the lack of readily available drinking water.

So here are my top tips for travelling and trying to keep healthy.

1) First rule of the scouts is 'be prepared'. Bring food with you! Rice cakes and hard boiled eggs are perfect. They are light and don't take up too much room. They can be eaten with your hands and they keep well for long periods of time at room temperature. I always throw in some full fat real butter in a little tub too. An excellent source of good fat providing it's Irish and from grass fed cows. Here you have a quick and easy meal that has your clean carbohydrates, lean protein and good fats. It takes 5 minutes to prepare and you can bring them anywhere. Not just for airports!

2) Did you know reusable water bottles can go through security? Even if they are over 100mls! I always have a quiet, smug giggle to myself watching all the girls going through security who completely forgot the 100 ml liquid rule (which btw is completely redundant now. Who do I talk to about getting this removed?! Obama?) I always feel bad seeing them squeal with horror as the security guard tries to wrestle their oversized bottle of Clinque eye make up remover from their hands as they clutch it to their chest like it's their first born child! 

Anyway providing the bottle is empty and you show it to the security guards along with your zip locked bag or minis they have no problem letting it through. (I can regularly be spotted in Cork airport guzzeling the end of my water just as I approach the X-ray scanners!). Almost every airport has a water fountain airside, typically located outside the toilets, so once you are through security checks you can refill it and drink away to your heats content.

This will save you paying €3 for 500 ml of water (seriously Ryanair? Gold is cheaper!) and also make you drink more as you can go back and refill it as often as you want. It will also save the environment as you are producing less waste in disposable bottles. 

I've had my reusable bottle for nearly 4 years now and it has been to 4 continents with me! I have only bought a disposable bottle of water maybe twice a year since I got it. That's a massive saving on finances, the environment and as it's always glued to my side it reminds me to drink more.  Win win win. Check out my post here on the importance of hydration and how much you should drink each day.

3) Be selective with your food. Wander the airport, see what alternatives there are, is there a small shop or newsagents that might sell something healthier than the restaurants or on board menus. Ryainair have now marked all their menu items with the dietary requirements. There is still only 1-2 items that are gluten free (1 is their ketchup!) but at least you can make informed decisions when you do travel. They are still miles ahead of Aer Lingus who have 1 Gluten Free item on their menu! Which is friut! Good food will make you feel better when flying. Lots of water will help you feel less tired and groggy. You just need to put in the effort!

Happy travelling my little wanderers! Keep exploring and discovering new lands

No time to cook? What about this quick and easy Omelette?

So I am absolutely exhilarated and exhausted! This morning I organised a big event at my gym CrossFit Cork which was a total success. It was a Morning Rave as a fundraiser called Rave and Shine Cork. The aim of the event was to facilitate some craziness, allow people let lose, dance and have fun in a sober, safe environment full of joy and positive energy. Everyone who attended floated off to work and hopefully spread the love to everyone they met today. More on this in a future post! Click here to see lots of info and pictures from the day.

So this evening I wanted something quick and easy to prepare that would be tasty and nutritious. This is an ideal meal when you are really pushed for time and want food NOW! 

I always keep eggs in the house. You just can't go wrong with them. They are by far the cheapest, most nutritious and versatile source of protein you can get. I go through about 24 eggs a week! I always buy free range, organic eggs (€1.99 for 6 in Dunnes Stores or source from your local farmer)

Chop garlic, courgette and spring onions and saute in a pan.

Preparation time:
2-3 minutes
Cooking time:
3-5 minutes

Ingredients:
(serves 2)
1     clove of garlic (great for cold and flu season, it has antibacterial and antiviral properties)
1/2  organic courgette
2     organic spring onions
2     handfuls of organic spinach
6     Free range and organic eggs
1     tsp paprika
1     tsp Turmeric
1     chunk of Pecorino Sheep's cheese
Ground black pepper, chilli flakes and pink Himalayan crystal salt to taste.

(These ingredients can be modified to include whatever is left over in your fridge. I often add sweet potato chunks, left over meat, tomatoes, mozzarella etc.)

Add handfulls of spinach, tearing the leaves if they are large. Allow this to wilt slightly.

Method:
Chop garlic, courgette and spring onions and saute in a pan.
Add handfulls of spinach, tearing the leaves if they are large. Allow this to wilt slightly.
Beat eggs with spices and seasoning in a bowl and add to the pan at a low heat.
Cook until the egg is cooked at least 1/2 the way from the bottom.
Add small slices of the hard cheese to the top and finish cooking by placing the pan under the grill.


This recipe makes 2 servings. I usually eat one for dinner and keep one for breakfast the next morning. Simples! That's 2 meals made in under 10 minutes!


So let's check in on how this recipe holds up to my simple 3 item nutritional rule discussed here?

Mainly clean carbohydrates, ideally from vegetables? Check! (courgette, spring onion, spinach)
Palm size of ethically sourced protein? Check! (organic, free range eggs)
Thumb size of good fats? Small check! (cheese) Depending on your goals and allergies you could replace the cheese with coconut oil.

Add small slices of the hard cheese to the top 

Yes I did overcook half of it under the grill. I was checking Facebook (facepalm)

Simple, nutritious, versatile (eggs taste good with EVERYTHING so use up what's in the fridge), affordable and tasty meal. Chow down boys and girls! I'm off to bed. Zzzzz