Fitness Food And Style Photo A Day Challenge Day 7. Salad

Hello my beautiful people. Today I thought it was Wednesday. I have been so ahead of myself for some reason, so much going on.

I need to write them all down. However I turn to you here. How are you?

I have been really slack, I need to lift my game. I have been eating chocolate nearly EVERY DAY!!! Waaaaa? I hear you say. Yes. Cho-ko-lade (pronounced shhhh-oko-lard). Did I mention ice cream as well. Yes. Ice-cream as well. BAD. Very bad, in fact I am so addicted I wanted some tonight but it's all gone. PHEW!!! Otherwise I'd be smashing another block of cadbury creations. Here's the deal, you buy it and have it in your pantry, you will eat it. Don't buy it and you won't. That's how I roll anyway. So I have to stop. Tonight. NOW!


Day 7. Salad

I am loving our #ffsphotoaday challenge and all the pictures in the gallery. I updated yesterdays Day 6. back so you can check them out here.

Quinoa vegetable salad with salmon

I experimented tonight as I typically make a big batch of quinoa so we have it for our breakfast and savoury meals. So once we grilled the salmon, I simply cooked the quinoa in chicken stock and with all the pan juices from the salmon, I mixed that with the quinoa. Added some lemon juice and then added the garlic sautéed broccoli and carrots in the mix and Mmmmmm.....tasty!!!!

Super quick meal, as the quinoa takes 15 minutes to cook and that's how long the vegetables were sautéing and fish was done on the barby.


Fitness

Healthy Living with Fitness Food And Style 

Even though I run around like a headless chook with my little peeps, I feel like I am working out constantly. This isn't a workout. I really have dropped the ball these last few days and haven't really done a proper workout, nor have I been eating properly (mainly over indulging in chocolate and ice creams). Seriously, it doesn't take much time. I only workout 15 minutes per day but my days are just flying. I need to start allocating "me" time again.

It's funny. I think it's harder to maintain your body when you have reached your goal. In fact you start seeing those flaws appear or rather the cadbury chocolate layer. I can't stress how important consistency is. It's the key of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Okay.

A new mini challenge has to begin. That's what I am all about right? Challenges. So from this day I QUIT SUGAR!!! Well added sugar. Like our challenge a couple of months ago. Check it out here.

Who's with me, lets do it for 5 days.

XxDani

Fresh fruit and vegetable exclusive 10% offer at Peach's Fruit Market

I have some fabulous news for my local readers here in Ballarat.


Mention Fitness Food And Style for your exclusive 10% discount off all your produce next time you go and shop at Peach's on Eastwood St! I am so overwhelmed and so thrilled that owner Vicki wanted to collaborate with me for this months STAND UP AND BE RAWESOME challenge.

Why is this so important to me? 

It will be so nice to know that Ballarat families have specifically gone to Peachs on Eastwood St, and are putting fresh fruit and vegetables on their dinner table!! It's all about encouraging their kids to eat more produce too!!!

My aim is to improve families awareness of healthy eating and help children feel confident about preparing vegetables and fruit. Our kids love prepping food, seeing it in the juicer or blender and then drinking it. Nothing is more powerful than watching your kids eat those vegetables that so many parents struggle to get their kids to eat. That is why I want to help in some way! 

It also helps when your kids can help you peel, grate and cut the vegetables rather than going through a drive through or relying on convenience foods. There are hardly ever any vegetables when you get take away foods and that is why I ran last months challenge, PUSH UP YOUR GREENS and followed this month on by eating fruit and vegetables RAW for our STAND UP AND BE RAWESOME challenge.

So please share the love and come "LIKE" their Facebook page;

www.facebook.com/pages/Peaches-Fruit-and-Veg-Eastwood 
(drop them a message saying you have come from Fitness Food And Style) 

You can also visit them online (which is currently being refurbished) SO WATCH THIS SPACE!!!

www.peachs.com.au

Juicing with kids is so much fun

Above is our weekly supply of fruit and vegetables which our kids washed, peeled (where necessary) and chopped to make their designer juices!! As you can see by the jar, they left me some to try! Gee thanks guys...

It was a bit tough today, Day 2 of our fully raw challenge which by the way, I am so grateful our kids are participating also (2nd level not fully raw). I just didn't realise how much food we all needed as we were pretty hungry after each meal which I didn't calculate properly, per person. That is why I got my hands on The Raw Food Diet Plan which saved me soooo much time. It is jam packed with a starter kit, meal planner, shopping list, recipes and much MUCH more! For $29 (that's only $1 per day over our 30 day challenge) it will be such a terrific resource for me now and any future raw challenges/detox's we want to do.

I will be posting weekly recipes courtesy of Peach's and sharing it on their Facebook page as well, so please make sure you come and "LIKE" their page and posts.

If you live in Ballarat (or know anyone that does) would you take up this offer and share it with your family and friends?

Xx Dani

Day 8 - no added sugar

Hi. Yes. I am much better today than yesterday. Thank you for asking.

Sheesh! I haven't felt that bad in a while but I'm sure it was a combination of other things going on here. Restless nights with the warm weather and kids waking up for some water in the middle of the night. Remember we have 4, so they don't all wake up at the same time for that drink of water, it's sporadic!

New day today and guess what? NO ADDED SUGAR!!! Day 8! That's right, still going strong like you! Well done! Super proud of us all and it's so great we are all on the same road. Some of you are stronger than us (who could easily slip back and get into the sugar routine) to those that are doing this challenge for the very first time. This is huge! I don't think you realise what a superb effort you are doing!!!! BRAVO!!!! Xx


Today we made some of these fruit slush icy poles as the kids have been wanting dessert after dinner recently. So here's what we had after dinner tonight.

Sugar free icy poles

Grab whatever fruits you have and your blender and blend away!!! Set in moulds until frozen and enjoy!

Breakfast

180 Nutrition coconut protein shake 

with 1 banana and milk

Morning snack

corn things with laughing cow cheese, avocado and tomatoes 

Lunch

Tuna bean salad 

1 small tin of tuna

1/2 cup beans mix (red kidney, chick peas etc...)

1/2 cup corn

1 sliced small cucumber

squeeze of lemon

So light and very refreshing. When I don't have time to make or cook a lunch, this is my tin pantry emergency food. Simply mix all the ingredients in a bowl and enjoy! 

Afternoon snack

yogurt with strawberries and canteloup 

Dinner

Home made pizza's (this recipe always varies as I mix new ingredients each and every time)

Clean eating home made pizza's

For the base I'll crush in a garlic, sprinkle chia seeds, oregano and rosemary herbs and the base is like a herb bread which I make with wholemeal flour. For those celiac or wheat=belly bloat readers, use gluten free flour. I also need to make mention that when you do this pizza base in your fry pan, heat your grill in your oven. Once you add the toppings in the pan and the base is cooked (takes 2 minutes), all you need to do is further melt the toppings and crust under the griller (another 2-4 minutes). 

NB: you don't bake this pizza in an traditional oven style method. It's the Jamie Oliver pizza stove stop type pizza which will never make you buy take away pizza EVER AGAIN! We love it!!!

Here's an example of how I cook it on the stove top in a fry pan...... 

Healthy quick and easy pizza's 

Clean eating pizza's ready in 5 minutes!!! 

Dessert no added sugar icy poles

Also for those that read my post yesterday about sugar being the addictive drug, I later edited this post and added this great article healthy sugar alternatives. Let me know your thoughts. 

Everyone has different views, Sarah Wilson author of I QUIT SUGAR talks about it. She also makes reference to David Gillespie's SWEET POISON book, his entire family has NADA as well! I have to get that book as well to read up on all this sugar stuff. Anyone else read these books or is it just me???? 

Before I go, just a gentle reminder to.......

WE CAN DO THIS!!! See you tomorrow.

Xx Dani

Melt The Fat Away With These Fat Burning Foods

By Tiffany Blanchard

It's extremely important to maintain a healthy body since
being overweight can cause a variety of health problems.
Many Americans have a very poor diet that is nutritionally
inept due to the fact that processed foods make up the bulk
of their diet. This can result in not only weight gain
through added fat, but poor health, as well.

Luckily, there is an easy way to help fix this problem.
There are certain foods that actually help you burn more fat
than others. So, let's jump in and see how these fat burning
foods can help you!

Now, you may think that just by eating foods you are going
to lose a ton of weight. In order to lose a large amount of
weight you must create a calorie deficit and it helps to
exercise. However, these fat burning foods will aid in the
process of shedding the fat on your body

The word you need to become familiar with is the word
thermogenic. This means that your body must use its own
energy to digest them so that you can use the nutrition from
them to live. All food that you consume is a thermogenic
food. However, there are some truly great thermogenic foods
that you can eat so you can burn fat efficiently.

Turkey and chicken are great fat burning foods. The breasts
of these foods are not fatty, but very lean. They are high
in quality protein so that you can grow muscle and burn fat.
They are very healthy foods.

Game meats are very good fat burning meats. The type we are
talking about are venison and elk meat. Elk meat is not
usually what people eat, but deer meat is more to people's
liking. If you are not a fan of bison you may be soon after
you eat it since it is very tasty and a great fat burner.

It has been known for some time that any fish is very good
for you. Tuna is a fish that is most consumed by the average
person, but any fish that you buy will have great fat
burning properties. Another example is salmon.

Egg whites are another great fat burner, and they are
relatively inexpensive. All of these are rich in protein and
lean.

These are great fat burning foods that will make a
difference in how you feel. They are easy to prepare and
they taste great, while giving you the protein you need to
build muscle and burn fat.



For additional fat burning and low calorie food choices to
help you lose weight check out this site regarding
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granola.

9 Reasons To Include Fiber In Your Diet

By Joey Bishop

If you've been looking for a way towards a high octane diet
plan, you are going to find soluble fiber to be precisely
what you need. Although studies have proven fiber to be
potent, lots of people aren't taking this nutrient
seriously.

To help you fuel your wellness with fiber, here are some
facts to help.

1. Dietary fiber fights illnesses. A diet full of fiber may
help to prevent colon cancer and heart problems. High
dietary fiber helps the body to eliminate cholesterol by
binding it in the digestive tract. For thousands of years,
soluble fiber has been utilized to stop constipation.

2. Soluble fiber can actually assist with overindulging. All
high fiber foods will take longer to chew and absorb, making
a person feel satisfied longer

3. Most popular foods don't have enough soluble fiber. If
you want the more well-liked foods, you most likely need to
increase your ingestion of soluble fiber.

4. Grains offer the most fiber. Soluble fiber is in fact
plant matter that individuals can't break down. The best
sources are whole grains and concentrated grain products.

5. Youngsters require fiber as well. Children that are older
than 2 years of age must eat a daily intake of dietary
fiber. Kids are most open to soluble fiber found in fruit,
vegetables, and also fortified breakfast cereals.

6. A lot more dietary fiber needs a lot more h2o. In order
to keep soluble fiber moving through your digestive tract,
you'll have to consume plenty of water. Together with your
diet of fiber, you may need eight or more glasses of water
every day.

7. Dietary fiber cannot be cooked away. Whenever you cook
your fruits and vegetables, don't be concerned about cooking
the fiber out, because it stays. The fiber found in fruits
and vegetables are certainly not just in the skin or
in the peel.

8. You can get enough dietary fiber. If you eat a lot more
than 50 grams of soluble fiber in a day, you can get
diarrhea and bloating, which can restrict your system's
absorption of additional key minerals.

9. Consuming the correct amount of fiber in your diet does
not have to be tough. Even though you might think so,
getting the amount of fiber you'll need just isn't extremely
hard to do. Almost all you need to do is take in the proper
food items and you will be on the way to a fiber abundant
lifestyle.

Among the important ingredients to healthy eating, fiber
is one area you don't want to skip. Soluble fiber can assist
many different purposes, which were included above. In the
event you aren't getting enough dietary fiber in your diet,
you ought to do something about it now instead of holding
out right up until it's too late.

Why You Should Eat Alkalizing Foods

By Anthony Gutierrez

Is food acidic or alkaline? It is hard to tell. For example,
once lemons are digested they are basic or alkaline even
though they are acidic to start with. Eating a significant
amount of alkalizing foods is important to balance a raw
food diet.

Spinach, kale, collards, mustard greens and broccoli, the
first green leafy vegetables, are great alkalizing agents.
Wild edible grasses are also alkalizing.

Fresh herbs (e.g. parsley, cilantro, basil, garlic) as well
as grasses (e.g. wheat, barley grass); Sprouts; Sea
Vegetables (e.g. kelp, nori, dulse, spirulina, blue green
algae). Finally, medicinal mushrooms like shitake maitake
and reishi are good to make the body more basic.

Balance is all about life. When speaking of body pH levels
the universal truth is profound. The human body needs to
stay at a certain pH level. To measure the levels of Ph you
would use a scale from zero to 14, where zero is very
acidic, 7 is neutral and 14 is very alkaline.

In the human body, the pH of blood must remain at a slightly
alkaline level of 7.35-7.45. To keep you healthy and
maintain the blood pH some of the body's other fluids are
maintained at different pH levels. Your cells and organs are
constantly working and filtering what you eat to sustain
these pH levels throughout the body.

Bacteria, viruses, yeast and other harmful organisms thrive
when the blood system is more acidic. It is important that
the pH is balanced for your total well being. If the pH
balance is on the alkaline end of the scale it creates an
uninviting environment for things that make you ill.
Consuming more alkaline foods than acid foods is important
and beneficial to your overall fitness.

As consumers learn more about nutrition, many are realizing
that a specific ratio of alkaline foods to acid foods
determines pH balance and overall health. Human blood
registers about 7.4 on the pH scale, which means that it is
naturally alkaline. In order to maintain this level, the
body needs the proper balance of alkaline foods to acid
foods.

To get more information about
(http://www.mbswellnesssystem.com) Alkaline Foods please
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How To Cleanse Your Colon With Food

Frequently people rely on a healthy diet to keep their colon
clean. A healthy diet is an alternative to more invasive
therapies, such as colonics, or colon hydrotherapy, but a
combination of diet and some form of colon flushing remedy
is a better alternative. There are many foods that help keep
the colon clean, consumed in combination they can have a
more powerful effect.

Juice Fasting. One of the most effective ways that foods can
cleanse the colon is really the lack of foods, or a fast.
You can fast and refrain from eating most foods to help the
body purge itself of built up feces in the colon. Juice
fasts are popular, as they will provide you with the
nutrients your body needs during the fast. Make sure to
consult your doctor before going on any type of diet or
fast.

Leafy Green Vegetables. There is a reason your mother
tried so hard to persuade you to eat your spinach.
Studies show that leafy green vegetables such as broccoli,
spinach, and kale can have a positive effect on the colon.
You can eat these types of fresh vegetables in a salad or add
them to your favorite meal.

Fruit. Fruit is one of the best foods that cleanse the colon
quickly and efficiently. The natural fibers found within
fruits help to promote regularity. Many fruits, including
prunes and grapes, actually serve as a laxative and can help
break up constipation.

Whole grains. Whole grains act like little brushes in the
colon. To get the cleaning action from whole grains, add
whole grain breads, and whole wheat pasta, or any other
whole grain to your diet.

Avoiding the wrong foods is as much a part of colon
cleansing as adding healthy foods is. You should eliminate
fried or fatty foods including fast food, burgers and french
fries. Cook with olive oil instead of vegetable oil or
butter and use sparingly.

High calorie foods devoid of nutrients such as ice cream,
cakes, cookies and candy should be avoided as well. By
avoiding some unhealthy foods, adding some healthy foods,
and getting regular exercise you'll come along way in
keeping your colon clean.