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Complete 21 reps of the following exercises Step forward and squat Walking lunge Press ups Mountain Climbers (complete above exercises for 18-15-12-9-6 reps) Plus 30 crunches and 200m run after each round #Lunge #HealthandFitness #Squat #Workout

by SALLY O'NEIL - the-fit-foodie.com Want a super quick and healthy meal in a flash tonight? Try these delicious Asian Beef Bowls, perfect for your weeknight dinners. RECIPE SERVES: 2 INGREDIENTS: 500g lean beef mince 1/2 tbsp olive or coconut oil 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp freshly grated ginger 1/2 cup shallots, plus more for garnish 1 tsp Chinese five spice seasoning 1.5 cups pre-cooked brown rice 1 tbsp dark soy sauce or tamari Coriander Chilli flakes METHOD: Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add garlic and ginger, cooking for 1 minute. Add the mince and shallots, along with the Five Spice. Mix well and cook through, stirring regularly (around 5 minutes). In a bowl, add the rice mixed with some chopped coriander, and drizzle over soy. Top with cooked beef, and garnish with remaining coriander and some chilli flakes. #HealthyEating #Recipe #HealthandFitness

- DR LIBBY WEAVER Increasing the nourishment of your diet can be as simple as making small dietary tweaks. Here are a few ideas to incorporate into your diet and lifestyle to help you thrive, rather than just survive! Coffee for green tea: Green tea is not only a wonderful source of antioxidants it also contains the amino acid L-theanine, which has a calming effect on the nervous system. A far more nourishing way to start your day than with caffeine rich and sympathetic nervous system stimulating, coffee. Excess caffeine can decrease the absorption of minerals such as magnesium, calcium and iron. Lettuce for spinach: Lettuce is actually quite low in nutrients, due to its high water content. Generally speaking the darker the vegetable the more nutrients you will obtain. Using spinach in place of lettuce means you will obtain more folic acid and more non-haem iron – an easy and nourishing swap. Canola or vegetable oil for avocado olive oil, or coconut oil: Avocado oil is a wonderful substitute due to its heart friendly monounsatured fat content and delicious flavour.Olive oil is an essential part of the Mediterranean diet and a dietary staple for some of the world’s healthiest populations. Research suggests that the fatty acids and antioxidants in olive oil have powerful health protective benefits – it helps that it’s also delicious! Coconut oil can be a good choice for cooking as it is stable at high temperatures. Mashed potato for cauliflower mash: While there is nothing wrong with potato – we all love it at Dr Libby HQ – an easy way to add additional nourishment to your diet is to swap potato for the superstar brassica vegetable, cauliflower. Or add some cauli to your spuds! Cooked cauliflower can make a beautiful puree/mash, which can easily be used in place of or added to mashed potato. Cauliflower contains sulphoraphane, a potent antioxidant – combine it with turmeric for an extra protective and delicious effect. Cauliflower also supports your livers detox pathways in a number of ways. It contains antioxidants that support Phase 1 detoxification along with sulphur-containing nutrients that support Phase 2 detox activity. Pasta for spiralised zucchini: This easy swap is even child friendly. If you don’t have a spiraliser you can buy a peeler that has a spiraliser function, or simply julienne the zucchini. Combine with a beautiful pesto and you have a nourishing super green pasta alternative. Even though zucchini have a high water content, they are a good source of potassium and fibre and a moderate source of folate – certainly a more nutrient dense alternative to wheat-based pastas. #NutitionAdvice #HealthandFitness #HealthyEating

20-1 burpee reps ladder down (20-19-18-17 to 1) After every even number of burpees - run 100m and back After every odd number of burpees - 20 push ups and 20 situps eg. 20 burpees then run 100m and back 19 burpees then 20 push ups and 20 situps 18 burpees then run 100m and back... all the way to 1 burpee #abs #PushUps #Burpee #Workout #HealthandFitness

by SALLY O'NEIL - the-fit-foodie.com Salt + caramel. Is there anything better? Actually, yes. A healthy version. This is one of my go-to breakfasts after an intense morning workout. It helps to replenish protein and glycogen stores and build lean muscle (which in turn burns calories – yay!). The Maca gives the dish a toffee flavour, and works to alleviate anxiety and stress in the body. It’s also high in iron and is great for boosting energy – much needed on a Monday morning. Whip it up in under 2 minutes for a delicious dessert too. SERVES: 1 INGREDIENTS: • 1 large banana, frozen • 2 tbsp vanilla protein (optional) • 1/4 cup unsweetened almond or coconut milk • 1 tbsp maca powder • 1 Medjool date or 1 tsp stevia (such as Natvia) • 1/2 tsp sea salt flakes Garnish: • 2 tbsp coconut flakes • 2 tbsp crushed peanuts • 2 Vanilla & Coconut Protein Balls, chopped (optional) METHOD: 1. Into a blender, add the frozen banana, milk, pitted date or stevia, maca powder and protein (if using). 2. Blend until smooth, then add the salt and blend quickly again. 3. Serve in a bowl and top with your favourites! Tip: Remove the skin of the banana and add to a ziplock bag before freezing. #HealthyEating #Recipe #HealthandFitness

by SALLY O'NEIL -The fit foodie If losing weight is your goal, hear this: you will not do it through starvation, obsessively counting calories or just wishing that magically a few kilos might fall off. You know the drill: move more, eat well, sleep 8 hours and repeat. While it can be frustrating to look at it as a sustainable lifestyle change rather than a quick-fix diet or exercise plan, there are a few small tricks than can help along the way. The little one-percenters that can really start to add up over the course of a week. I'm not inhuman - like everyone I've been guilty of mindless eating. I get bored, I reach for a snack. I get sad, I reach for a snack. I turn on the TV, I reach for a snack. I'm anxious, I reach for....well, you get it. Mindless snacking can be surprisingly detrimental to your weight loss (or maintenance) goals, so over the past 6 months I've been learning to deal with this stuff in other ways - like reading a book, walking, or getting lost on Pinterest. Sometimes though, distraction just isn't enough. I've listed a few tips below that have had the biggest impact on my mindless snacking. 1. Don't keep food out on counters Food within eye sight or easy reach will just prompt you to question whether you fancy some. Your body will tell you when it's good and ready for more food, so why leave it on display? You won't forget to eat, I promise. 2. Don't hang out in the kitchen For many the kitchen is the heart of the home, but that doesn't mean you need to be in there all the time. Enjoy the space for prepping and enjoying your food, and then move to other parts of the house. You don't need a TV in the kitchen, or your laptop, or anything else that's going to make it more appealing to be in there longer than you need to be. 3. Wrap up leftovers Don't leave food open to the elements (and your hands). Wrapping it up in foil or cling wrap will mean you have to consciously unwrap it to eat it - a little deterrent for wandering hands. 4. Downsize your plates It's not rocket science - if you have big bowls and plates, you're more likely to serve bigger portions. Opt for smaller dishes and save yourself the stomach ache. 5. Clean up your pantry While I'm a total advocate of treating yourself to something you love every once in a while that may not be so healthy, it's not something you need constant access to. Buy 'treat' food on the day you plan to enjoy it, and keep it out of the house at other times. Don't mess with temptation - it's tiring and always seems to win. 6. Present food on plates, not from serving bowls This is great tip if you're prone to second helpings. Portion on the food on your plate, and leave it at that. Having bowls of leftovers in front of you while you're waiting for your first helping to hit your stomach is a bad idea. Give yourself 20 minutes after your first serving before deciding if you really need more food. Chances are, you won't. 7. Get rid of devices at meal times We are all guilty of scrolling through Instagram whilst eating breakfast, eating our lunch at our desks and munching on dinner with the TV on. We often forget that digestion and eating involves more than just chewing and stomach churning, having all of your attention on your food can not only help with digestion (goodbye bloating) it can also mean that you don't still feel hangry after smashing that acai bowl. #NutitionAdvice #HealthandFitness

Complete each exercise for 1 minute doing as many reps as possible. Jump Jacks Wall Sit Pushups Ab Bike Burpees Jump Lunges Tricep Push Ups Shuttle Runs Squats Russian Twist Jump Squat High Knees Mountain Climbers Plank Complete twice through. #Burpee #Workout #HIIT #gym

Complete 5 rounds: 10 Burpees 20 Push Ups 30 Squat Jacks 40 Lunges 50 Squats 100m Run or 50 Skips #Burpee #Cardio #HealthandFitness #Workout #HIIT

Complete all the below exercises starting with 50 reps of each, down to 10, for a total of 5 rounds. After each round do 100 skips. 50-40-30-20-10 Step or jump lunges Push ups -toes/knees Squats Mountain Climber (each side) Burpees 100 skips #Cardio #Lunge #HealthandFitness #PushUps #Workout #HIIT

Brownie 100g butter 1 cup sugar 2 free-range eggs 1 tsp pure vanilla essence ¾ cup plain flour 1 tsp baking powder ½ cup good-quality cocoa 100g good-quality white chocolate, cut into small chunks 100g good-quality dark chocolate, cut into small chunks Icing sugar to dust (optional) Whipped cream and berries to serve (optional) Method: Preheat the oven to 180c conventional. Grease a slice tin, and line the base with baking paper. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Remove from the heat, and whisk in the sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla essence, and whisk to combine. Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa into the mixture, add the white and dark chocolate chunks, and very gently fold with a wooden spoon or spatula until just combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin. Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes then test with a skewer. These brownies are done if the skewer still has a little of the mixture clinging to it. Allow brownies to completely cool. Remove the brownies from the pan, and cut into triangles. Unwrap the candy canes, and use a sharp knife to gently cut/break the candy canes into 10cm long pieces. Press the sharper end of the candy cane into the bottom of the brownie triangles. Icing 1 egg white 250g Icing Sugar 1 tsp lemon juice Green food colouring Sprinkles Method: Using an electric mixer, whisk egg white until light and frothy. Gradually add icing sugar and lemon juice to egg white. Beat at high speed until fluffy, thick and shiny. Add green food colouring until you're happy with the colour. Spoon the green icing into a zip lock bag. Seal the bag and cut off a small corner of the bag with sharp scissors. Starting at the top of the brownie triangles, gently squeeze out the icing in a curvy zigzag as you go down the tree. Add your favourite sprinkles and a small star sprinkle at the top. Enjoy! Brownie recipe by Chelsea Winter #Recipe

I have never believed that weight-loss or weight management is as simple as calories in versus calories out. Our bodies are not inert and what contributes to how we nourish ourselves includes what can be complex cultural, psychological and environmental factors. What, and how much you eat, as well as moving your body regularly aren’t the only things that impact your weight. Emotional and physical stress can also tip the balance of the nervous system and subsequently the scales. But it’s not always about weight gain, stress can also result in people losing weight – or changing their eating habits. Driving the stress response When you go through a period of prolonged stress your body is constantly producing adrenalin, as a result your energy tends to be inconsistent. You fire up and then you crash, and the choices you make when you crash can set you up to fire up again and quite often they are nutritionally of a poor quality. They will typically involve caffeine, sugars or starches, or all three. Let’s face it. You don’t polish off a packet of chocolate biscuits thinking you are going to feel amazing afterwards. You don’t do that from a lack of knowledge. You do it for biochemical or emotional reasons, or both. Consuming too much caffeine is a sure fire way to feel stressed/rushed as it results in the release of adrenalin, one of our body’s stress hormones. Many people feel tired, yet often describe themselves as being wired – yet they continue to consume coffee (which stimulates adrenalin production!) This is of particular importance if you feel jittery when you consume it. Swap coffee for green tea or if that’s just unbearable to you, ask for a single shot coffee, notice if you feel calmer and more energised after a week of doing this. Stress and weight gain Continual overproduction of cortisol (our long-term stress hormone) can lead to visceral fat gain, the type located inside our abdomen that is strongly linked to inflammation and an increased risk of many diseases. Stress has a tendency to make food feel more rewarding or comforting, and subsequently we can rely on food to ease our stress. Be mindful of when you’re eating to alleviate stress or when you’re eating because you’re hungry. Typically, the types of food you want will be the clue here! Not many people who are stressed crave a big bowl of kale. Stress and weight loss Many people describe that the mere thought of eating makes them feel nauseous in the midst of chronic stress and anxiety. There is a biochemical reason behind this. When our bodies produce stress hormones part of this ‘fight or flight’ response suppresses what it considers non-essential processes such as our digestion, therefore, digestive processes are compromised. Liquids are often beneficial for these people as they’re much easier to digest, try soups, smoothies and slow-cooked foods, such as casseroles. It’s not all about food The most effective strategy for modulating or even eliminating stress is to identify where the stress in your life is coming from, or if you are driving this physical response through your thoughts and perceptions of pressure and urgency. This is not often as obvious as it may seem. While there are obvious triggers such as work deadlines, financial pressure, relationship pressures and so on – there will also be situations in your life you may never have considered for example your daily commute, or people in your life that may cause you to feel stressed due to their very nature or your response to them. It may help to do an experiment where you monitor your state of mind regularly; when you start to feel stressed write down the cause, your thoughts and subsequently your mood. Once you can identify your source/s of stress you can develop your own plan for addressing these factors. By Dr. Libby Weaver #WeightLoss #HealthyEating #NutitionAdvice #HealthandFitness

A looming deadline at work. Your mother-in-law’s impending visit. Getting the kids’ science fair projects out of the way - the night before they’re due. No matter your current stage of life, it’s likely that you experience stress on a regular basis. And while some stress can be good - inspiring you to make a change in your life, or lighting the fire you need to get something done - getting stressed too often and staying stressed for too long is detrimental to your health. When we’re constantly stressed, our body remains in fight-or-flight mode, which triggers a host of physiological responses, including an increase in cortisol levels. And while that’s helpful in situations like facing a wild grizzly bear head on, remaining in that stressed-out, fight-or-flight state over a long period of time can lead to health issues ranging from weight gain to increased inflammation (which is the root cause of most diseases) to elevated blood sugar. Chronic stress is also a cause of adrenal fatigue, a condition that happens when the body and adrenal glands struggle to keep up with the demands of external stressors, and can lead to symptoms like depression, inflammation, and poor focus. As if that wasn’t concerning enough, the reality is that it isn’t just our environments or tough situations that cause stress. Indeed, certain foods can have the same negative impact on the body. So if you want to reduce stress levels and decrease your risk of disease, learning how to naturally relieve stress can help—as can steering clear of the following foods: 1. SUGAR If you want to reduce stress, sugar is one of the first ingredients to cut out of your diet. When you’re stressed, the body releases more cortisol, a hormone responsible for helping us manage both stress and blood sugar levels. That’s because when you eat sugary foods, blood sugar levels spike, and the body must release more cortisol to balance blood sugar. The problem is that increased cortisol can also cause sleep issues, decreased immune response, headaches, and unhealthy food cravings. Additionally, rapidly fluctuating blood sugar levels cause feelings that are similar to stress, including anxiousness and fear. By eliminating foods with added sugars - like pastries, flavored yogurt, and soda - and eating more whole foods, you’ll keep your blood sugar stable, which means fewer mood swings, reduced stress, and a happier body. 2. ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS Sugar is bad enough on its own. But all too often, food products aren’t even sweetened with the real thing - instead, they’re packed with artificial sweeteners. These artificial sweeteners can lead to health problems like headaches, metabolic disease, and cardiovascular disease. But they can also result in an addiction to sugary foods by retraining your taste buds, causing you to seek out even more sweet (and largely unhealthy) foods. If that wasn’t bad enough, artificial sweeteners also have side effects that can lead to stress. Aspartame, for example, is found in more than 6,000 foods and drinks and in 500 prescription and over-the-counter drugs, and it causes migraines, mood disorders, and manic episodes. And just like other types of sugar, these artificial sweeteners don’t do your blood sugar any favors. Skip the sugar and fake sweeteners and try natural sweeteners instead. 3. PROCESSED CARBOHYDRATES Processed, refined carbohydrates might taste good to your tongue, but they’re not doing anything for your body. For starters, they have no nutritional value and are actually worthless calories. And they also lead to fluctuating blood sugar levels that can cause you to feel moody and irritable. Many processed carbs, particularly standard packaged foods, are high in sodium. And aside from making you extra thirsty, that extra sodium causes your body to retain more fluid, which then forces your heart to work harder to keep the blood pumping. It can also increase blood pressure, making you feel bloated and generally unwell, which can certainly increase your stress levels. 4. ALCOHOL A glass of wine might help you feel more relaxed after an intense day, but have much more than that and you’re likely negating any of alcohol’s health benefits and, instead, adding more stress to your life. That’s because drinking alcohol can increase the production of hormones that will leave you feeling anxious and more stressed than before you began imbibing. It can also increase blood pressure and heart rate and trigger those same stress-like symptoms within the body. Lots of alcoholic drinks are also packed with sugar, which means you’ll be getting a double whammy of stress-causing ingredients - first from the alcohol and then from whatever way-too-sweet mixer is used in your cocktail. And if you think you’ll just sleep off the stress, that’s unlikely. Alcohol disrupts your sleep patterns, so while you might fall asleep more easily than usual, you won’t get the deep sleep that’s necessary to feel refreshed. The result is a cranky morning after and - you guessed it! - more stress. 5. EXCESS CAFFEINE If you can’t function without your morning cup of Joe, you don’t need to give up coffee completely. But if you’re regularly drinking several cups each day, you’re likely going to find yourself feeling more stressed than you’d like. Too much caffeine can spell trouble for your adrenal glands by overstimulating the body. And because it stimulates the nervous system, caffeine can cause a rise in blood pressure and heart rate that will ultimately increase feelings of anxiety. In fact, if you suffer from anxiety, one of the first things you should do is cut out caffeine. Finally, it’s important to remember that caffeine isn’t found in just coffee. It’s also in soft drinks, certain types of tea, energy drinks, over-the-counter pain relievers, and even chocolate. By Dr Josh Axe from runtastic.com #WeightLoss #HealthyEating #HealthandFitness