Monday 16 November 2015

My metabolism boosting breakfast



My current metabolism boosting breakfast. 30g of oats cooked with 100g of egg whites, 1 teaspoon of coconut oil and a sprinkle of cinnamon and stevia. Then I mix in 1 teaspoon of Maca Root powder with 1/4 cup almond milk and top with 5g chia seeds and 5g of brazil nuts. Why have I chosen these foods?

Organic rolled oats - help to keep you full and are full of fibre, as well as being metabolism stimulating.

Egg whites - I choose this over protein powder as I believe in eating as many whole foods as possible. It mixes and cooks very nicely with oats.


Extra virgin cold pressed coconut oil - It is high in medium chain triglycerides which are fatty acids that boost metabolism.

Cinnamon - It can help metabolise carbohydrates and may improve blood-glucose levels by increasing insulin sensitivity.

Maca root powder - It is an amazing superfood full of vitamin A and C, and rich in B vitamins and zinc, magnesium, calcium and iron. It contains two unique types of acids named macamides and macaenes, which are believed to play a key role on balancing hormones in men and women.It's also an adaptogen, which is a unique group of plants capable of improving the health of your adrenal system (this system is in charge of managing your body’s hormonal reaction to stress). Therefore, maca naturally reduces your stress levels.

Chia seeds - Benefits include fat burning and increasing exercise endurance. The nutritional profile of chia ranks it high in foods rich in fiber, omega-3 fats, protein, vitamins and minerals. Chia contains essential fatty acids alpha-linolenic and linoleic acid, mucin, strontium, 20% protein, Vitamins A, B, E, and D, and minerals including calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur, iron, iodine, copper, zinc, magnesium, manganese, niacin, thiamine, and anti-oxidants.

Brazil nuts - The main reason they rock is due to their high Selenium content, which boosts thyroid function and lowers cancer risk.

Yes I still weigh my food. I do not have a naturally lean body and I love food, so I need to know exactly what's going in each day. I still enjoy my treats - I had some lovely red wine and healthy baking last night!

Have you tried eating different foods at different times, and really take the time to notice how they affect your energy/mood/digestion? I feel awesome on this breakfast!

Calories 276      Carbs 24g      Fat 11g      Protein 19g

© Copyright Anna McConnell 2015. All rights reserved.

Tuesday 10 November 2015

The benefits of Nori


I made these nori rolls for lunch today They are made with salmon, avocado, salad and pickled ginger. I served with wasabi and low sodium gluten free soy. Super healthy and super tasty, and took me 10 minutes to make! Recipe below.

Nori is incredibly healthy for us, but the most common way of eating it in the western diet is sushi. While sushi is a great healthier option than most takeaways, it is still a pretty unbalanced meal (very high carbohydrate), and the rice usually contains added sugar, so it's more of a treat than an every day food.


Lately I have been doing some research into metabolism boosting foods, and ways of including more of them in my diet. Seaweed is a true ancient superfood, and has so many other amazing benefits, as well as being great for your metabolism. 

It is very high in iodine, which NZ soil is severely lacking in. Iodine is a crucial mineral for your thyroid health, which affects many other hormones and organs in the body. I don't eat iodised salt, or bread, so this is a fantastic way of boosting my iodine naturally.


Other benefits include:

  • It is naturally high in all other minerals, especially calcium, magnesium, iron and iodine (all of which are lacking in NZ soil). These minerals also make it a very good bone builder as it has balanced amounts (unlike dairy!)
  • It lowers your risk of cancer - particularly oestrogen related cancers such as ovarian and breast cancers
  • It is high in vitamin K, A and C, and rich in B vitamins
  • It is high in fibre
  • It's a fantastic source of plant protein
  • It lowers cholesterol
  • It contains Alpha-linoic acid and EPA, as well as potassium, phosphorus and zinc
  • It is also high in Polysaccharides which are important in the prevention of degenerative disease such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
All of this gives the benefits of improved memory, increased "feel good" chemicals in the brain, improved liver function, helps healthy hearing, eyesight and skin, improved immune system, lowers blood pressure, prevents allergies and infections and aids in digestion.

Need any more reasons to eat seaweed?! Here's my nori rolls recipe :)

Ingredients: 
  1. 2 sheets Nori
  2. 105g can pink salmon (or better still - use fresh salmon)
  3. 3 cups salad (I used dry coleslaw mix - cheat's salad!)
  4. 30g avocado, chopped
  5. Pickled or fresh ginger - to taste
  6. Wasabi and gluten free soy sauce to serve
Directions: 

Mix up salad, salmon and avocado in a bowl. Place Nori on a dry flat surface. Place half of the mixture on one end each sheet, then place ginger on top. Wet about 1 inch on the other edge of the Nori and roll towards the wet edge. Cut in half and serve with wasabi and soy.

Calories: 242       Carbs: 13g         Fat: 10g       Protein 22g

© Copyright Anna McConnell 2015. All rights reserved.

Thursday 15 October 2015

Colourful spring salad



It has been so nice to return to eating more of a variety of vegetables again! I absolutely love salads so it's awesome to be creating some new recipes! 

Recipe
3 cups baby spinach
10g alfalfa sprouts
50g raw grated beetroot
50g raw grated carrot
80g kumara, boiled
80g chicken breast
1 tablespoon aioli
1-2 tablespoons water

Cook the chicken breast in a non-stick pan. Layer the ingredients on a plate. Place the aioli in a small dish and slowly add the water while mixing with a spoon. Once you have the desired consistency pour over your salad.

Mixing aioli or mayonnaise with water means you use a lot less while still getting good flavour!

Calories 279         Carbs 30g         Fat 6g        Protein 24g

© Copyright Anna McConnell 2015. All rights reserved.

Wednesday 2 September 2015

Personal development and investing in oneself


I am a firm believer that investing in yourself is the best investment you will ever make. I was talking to my long time therapist on Monday and she made an observation, about how I am now living the life of my dreams, and how much I have changed since we first met.

I was 20 when we had our first session. I was lonely, tired, withdrawn and so very sad inside. I had no clue who I was, and I felt very lost. I was extremely defensive, and I talked way too much as a way of protecting myself.


It hasn't been an easy road, and I believe if it was, then more people would choose it. It takes energy, time and money, and you have to be prepared to face the pain. For me, the first couple of years of therapy were probably the toughest. I had to feel the pain that I had pushed down so deep inside me, in order to get over it. 


Someone once offered me an analogy that made sense. Imagine you have a wound on your body, and that wound has a scab on it, protecting it. The only way to get access to that wound is to peel away the layers of the scab, so for a time you are walking around like an open wound.


During this time, I was having regular panic attacks. I actually believed that the world was ending a few times. It is crazy where your mind can take you when you have no control to stop that negative spiral of thought and emotion that so many of us get pulled into.


Therapy has been one of the hardest things I have done, but it has reaped the most rewards. While I have been with my therapist for 12 years now, it hasn't been a constant 12 years. In the beginning I went regularly, but sometimes budget would not allow sessions. So I would stop for a while. Other times I felt good enough in myself not to need weekly sessions, so would see her every fortnight. There have also been times while travelling, where the only contact we had was via email or the odd phone call when I was in a desperate need. Right now, we have a half hour Skype session most weeks. 


The point is, she has always been there when I have needed her. She has helped me be the  absolute best version of myself. She picks me up when I'm feeling down, gives me unconditional love, and praises me when I am doing well.


Although they are very rare now, I still have my moments! After such a positive Skype session on Monday, I had a major meltdown on Tuesday. Someone said something to me that "pushed my buttons". Let's just say it bought up the old fear and pain of being "not good enough". I cried and cried for about 3 hours. Then I realised what was happening. Of course that person had not meant that at all, but because I was wired that way for the best part of 30 years, I can still go back to that place. The difference now is, that I can recognise what is happening, and stop that negative spiral of thoughts and emotions.


I would not be who I am today without her. In fact, I don't even like to think about the person I might be if I hadn't taken this path. I am proud of who I have become, but I will always keep pushing myself to be better and learn more.


This has been a massive year so far. I have just quit my day job and am now working for myself, following my passion and helping people get healthier, and the freedom this has bought me has me extremely excited for the future (I think I might just have to live in Spain part time!) I am also putting in the work to achieve a life long goal of entering a body sculpting competition. I live in such a beautiful place and I am surrounded by such beautiful people in my life. I feel blessed, but I also know I have worked hard to get here (and believe me, the comp prep is very, very hard - I could SO go a big wine and chocolate right now!)


I would also like to thank my long suffering husband Dan. He has been my rock through this, and I would not be where I am without his unconditional love and support. Thank you babe!


Are you living your dream?


© Copyright Anna McConnell 2015. All rights reserved.

Thursday 27 August 2015

Overnight oats


I whipped this up for our Transform30® group as an alternative to a smoothie in the mornings.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup coconut milk
1 serve Vanilla Complete
1/2 cup organic rolled oats
Berries/fruit and nuts/seeds to serve

Directions:
Shake water, coconut milk and Complete until well mixed. Add to a serving dish or bowl and add in the oats. Leave it to soak overnight in the fridge. Serve with berries/fruit and nuts/seeds. If it is too thick, simply add a bit more water. Enjoy!

© Copyright Anna McConnell 2015. All rights reserved.

Saturday 22 August 2015

Chia seed pudding


We had some lovely ladies here yesterday to learn how to make almond milk and try some food that is allowed on our Transform30® program. I made this chia seed pudding which is allowed for breakfast!!

Ingredients: 
1 Sachet of vanilla Complete
1/4 cup of Chia Seeds (white or black)
1 cup homemade almond milk
1/2 banana
Cinnamon



Directions: Shake up your almond milk and complete protein until mixed well. Add chia seeds and shake until well combined. Pour into a serving bowl/glass and pop in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours, or overnight. Top with sliced banana and cinnamon to serve. Delicious! You could also have this with a small vegetable based salad for dinner. Enjoy.



© Copyright Anna McConnell 2015. All rights reserved.
smile emoticon

Thursday 13 August 2015

Is Juice Plus a scam?

Juice Plus is a whole food based supplement that has been on the market for 25 years. It has recently been taking off in New Zealand and there is a lot of controversy surrounding it. I was inspired to delve deeper, after my own amazing results and reading/watching the personal testimonials from so many people all over the world.
What the articles say: The “clinical studies” supporting Juice Plus were all funded by…Juice Plus.
The truth:That’s right folks, Juice Plus funds most of the research - and they do it proudly. Much of today's scientific research IS corporately funded (but a lot of that research, such as from the pharmaceutical companies, is done in-house - and is not done by some of the worlds' finest institutions and hospitals around the world). Juice Plus work with reputable institutions and researchers, and yes, they participate in posing the questions, but they do not and could not BUY the answer. So, ultimately, they buy the question, yes, but not the answer. The research is peer-reviewed by academic and scientific experts who beat up the study - analyze it - and see if it belongs in their journals before they will publish it. Juice Plus has over 30 independently published journals.


What the articles say: Preying upon your guilt for not consuming enough fruits and vegetables, Juice Plus claims it can fill the gap for you. However, concentrated high doses of nutrients in pills may not always be bio-available. Which means you are most likely peeing away the nutrients you paid so dearly for.
The truth: Notice the words “may not be” and “most likely” in there. Apart from this, Juice Plus has clinical studies proving the bio-availability of their products, that have been published in peer reviewed journals. Ever taken a man made isolated multi-vitamin before and peed out bright orange? Guess what? This never happens with Juice Plus.
What the articles say: There are no shortcuts to getting healthy or avoiding disease. The company actually makes claims of protecting DNA and improving heart health.
The truth: Juice plus is not legally allowed to make these claims without scientific evidence to support it. Juice Plus is listed with the Therapeutic Goods Administration of Australia (which also covers New Zealand) as a therapeutic medicine, and they will not do this unless the claims that Juice Plus makes can be backed by clinical research.
What the articles say: On an ethical level, multi-level marketing creates financial incentives to lie to your friends, relatives and peers in order to get them to buy something.
The truth: There may be some people in network marketing who lie (although I’ve never met one). There may also be people who lie in retail sales, selling supplements or other products (used cars salesman anyone?) Millions of people buy products on advice from people they don’t know every day, yet they have a hard time trusting the advice and experience of someone they know and love. The fact is, Juice Plus would not have lasted in the market for 25 years if the hundreds of thousands of customers who order and re-order every month did not feel the benefit from the product. Besides, the only way to truly know if the product works is to try it for yourself. My own personal experience of the health benefits from the product have been nothing short of amazing, and I have been helped by many people in the company who stand to gain no financial benefit by helping me.
What other articles say: Juice Plus is just an expensive/overpriced Multi-Vitamin.
The truth: Juice Plus isn’t a multi-vitamin. It is whole fruits and vegetables, which have been carefully washed, dried and tested to make sure there are no heavy metals, pesticides, preservatives or insecticides present. This means dealing with weather conditions and working several months and years ahead with farmers to ensure a quality product (which it is, because each batch is independently tested and has NSF certification). This is much harder than producing man made isolated supplements in a lab, so yes, it is more expensive than a multi-vitamin! There are also claims that Juice Plus capsules only contain Vitamins A, C, E, and Folate, but to have an NSF certification the product must have what they say is on the label actually in the product. It does only contain those added vitamins, but it also contains 26 different fruits, vegetables and grains which are in the form of a concentrated powder.
What other articles say: That our studies are not up to scratch.
The truth: All Juice Plus clinical studies carry the gold standard certification. This means they must have four key things. They must be prospective, randomised, placebo controlled and double blinded. I’ve also seen people reference their own “studies” to somehow dis-prove Juice Plus studies, which do not have the gold standard and have not been published in quality peer reviewed journals. It seems to me that bloggers know this type of controversy is going to get them a lot of website hits, so they post about things they have no understanding of! Here are the studies http://www.juiceplus.com.au/content/JuicePlus/en_au/clinical-research/juice-plus-clinical-research.html#.Vcgwk3hUREI
Now let’s look at Wikipedia.
What it says: That some of the studies have small control groups, and that the nutrients “may not be” present and that the levels of phytonutrients “may not be” bio-available.
The truth: Notice those words “may not be”! Again, I come back to the research. Do you really believe that Universities and scientific journals from all over the world would risk their own reputation by publishing studies that are not up to scratch? Here are all the journals Juice Plus has been published in http://www.juiceplus.com.au/content/JuicePlus/en_au/clinical-research/published-medical-and-scientific-journals.html#.VcgwcXhUREI
Wiki also references MLM watch written by Stephen Barrett – just Google this guy to see what he gets up to. He advocates for multi-national pharmaceutical companies, has been thrown out of court, and hates anything alternative like chiropractic medicine. Furthermore, The Sloan Kettering publication is not written by MDs, and you have to sign disclaimer that the information may not be accurate to read this publication. It is also well known that the guy who keeps the Wikipedia page updated has a personal grievance with the company (we will leave it at that!)
Now let’s look at you tube and a few other well known articles.
There are several people touting their own personal opinion about the company on you tube. Many skeptics of Juice Plus have become skeptics due to their own failure as network marketers, or they have an ulterior motive, such as the fact they are selling their own supplement (so many articles I have come across blatantly have multi-vitamins for sale at the end).
Guess what? Network marketing isn’t easy. We get told NO. Some people can’t handle being told no, so they give up. Does that mean that people can’t make money in this business? Absolutely not. Juice Plus has hundreds of distributors at National Marketing Director level. How did they get there? By hard work, determination, ignoring the “no’s” and never giving up. Besides, if we were all good at the same thing, wouldn’t the world be a boring place?!
So perhaps Google might not be the best of research tools after all. Network marketing doesn’t use conventional advertising methods, so media coverage is skewed against them. It’s possible to find a bad review about just about anything on the internet! I would also like to point out, that pyramid scams or schemes have been illegal since the 80’s, and just because some other companies may give network marketing a bad name, that does not mean that Juice Plus isn’t an amazing company filled with amazing people who are inspiring healthy living around the world. Who doesn’t want to be healthier and wealthier?

© Copyright Anna McConnell 2015. All rights reserved.

Wednesday 12 August 2015

Why you can't live your life by the scales


I'm sure we have all been here at some point in our lives!

You may or may not know that I have undergone a transformation over the past 18 months. When I got very unwell with adrenal fatigue 4 years ago, I gained 20kg in one year. My efforts to lose it were fruitless while I was still unwell, and every time I lost some weight I gained it back (plus a bit more). I was also going through an emotional rollercoaster because I was working in a stressful job where I got made a scape goat, and this made me loose my self belief. 

I also thought I lacked willpower, but the hormones in my body were constantly screaming out for salt and sugar, so I stood no chance! (If you want to know more, Dr Libby goes in to great detail about what happens in her book, Accidentally Overweight) Having very little energy to cook for myself would see me reaching for easy options, despite trying my hardest to be healthy.

I took a year off work to recover and rest completely, and had some traditional Chinese acupuncture which helped my recovery. I started lifting weights regularly in June 2014 and haven't looked back since. I always had it in the back of my mind that my end goal was a sculpting comp, but I did a bit too much too soon and got burned out and injured in November 2014. 

I went backwards for a while, then started training again in January of this year. To be honest I wasn't making much progress in terms of fat loss because I was having a good time over summer with all the visitors, trips away and parties. But I never missed weight training and have been making good strength gains all year.

At the end of April I went and had my body fat percentage measured. I was only half a kilo heavier than I am now, but my body fat was 32%. I was quite shocked at how high it still was and was feeling a bit overwhelmed with how far I still had to go to be competitive in a sculpting competition. I was also still lacking energy and needed daily naps, so I wasn't sure if I could manage it.

A couple of weeks later, a chance meeting got me onto an amazing supplement called Juice Plus. I started taking the magic capsules and had such a massive energy boost, which gave me the confidence to commit to my sculpting comp. I made the decision to enter the Hamilton comp on the 3rd of October.

Since then I've been more diligent with my diet and have only had alcohol a few times. To be honest I was very nervous that I wasn't getting anywhere because the scales weren't changing much. They went up and down a bit but they stayed pretty much the same as what they were when I had my body fat measured in April. Even my measurements didn't change very much, and the progress pictures I take are in poor lighting and with a phone camera, so it's often hard to see the changes happening.

But great news! I had it tested again and I'm down to 22%. This means I've lost a whopping 6kg of body fat AND gained 5.5kg of muscle in the last 3 months. I've also been called an athlete twice in the last week, and the world powerlifting champion who trains at my gym told me yesterday that I look really good and "those are big weights!" WOOHOO!

So try not to live your life by the scale. There are also other things which can affect weight such as water retention and hormones. If you really have been letting your food and exercise slip, it's never too late to start. 

© Copyright Anna McConnell 2015. All rights reserved



Sunday 9 August 2015

Chocolate Bean Cake



It was treat meal last night and gosh it was a treat smile emoticon My lovely friends made me some delicious Salmon with Kumara Wedges and Aioli! Then I made a Chocolate Bean Cake which we had with whipped Coconut Cream and Berries. SO GOOD! Bean Cake recipe:
1 can red Kidney beans
6 eggs
6 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup cocoa or cacao
2 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1/2 cup of coconut sugar or sweetener of your choice (make this completely sugar free by adding stevia instead of sugar)
Prepare a cake tin by greasing around sides with coconut oil and lining with baking paper (it's quite a sticky mix). Whiz until smooth in a blender or food processor and bake at 180 deg for 35-40 minutes. Best baked the day or morning before and kept in fridge.
P.S this isn't my own recipe but was hand written on some paper for me so I can't give credit to the author, sorry.

Wednesday 29 July 2015

The WHY

I've been asked a lot lately why I'm doing my body sculpting comp. It didn't dawn on me until recently why this is such an important goal and huge milestone for me in life. Yes, I want to look good, and there is some vanity in what I'm doing, but the real reason goes so much deeper than that.

Most people won't realise this, but my passion for health and fitness came later in life. Prior to my 20's, the only regular exercise I'd participated in was dancing at nightclubs haha.

I tried and failed at sport many times as a child. One of my earliest and most painful memories is of attempting to learn to swim. Not being a naturally sporty child, it took me a long time to pick it up, and after a couple of months of a grumpy swim teacher and a grumpy mother, that was given up on. Ballet lessons only lasted a year, because again I didn't pick it up very naturally/easily.

My next failed sporting memory was at school, attempting to play a game of cricket. When it was my turn to bat, everyone who was fielding moved in close, because they already knew sport wasn't my forte. Every time there was team sports this was repeated, and it was a given that I would come last at any kind of competition like cross country (often I wouldn't even manage to finish).

Next was joining a netball team ( I think I was around 10 or 11 years old). The first time we got together as a team, I burst into tears because I had never played before and I had no idea what I was doing. All of the other girls had played before, so I was picked on and laughed at, not just by my team members, but also their mothers. We used to take along $2 each week for our end of season trip. I never missed paying, but when the trip was organised, I wasn't invited. Needless to say I didn't play a 2nd season.

High school was even worse. I would try to wag P.E as much as possible, just to avoid the embarrassment of not being good enough. When I was forced to do a beep test (where you have to run to either end of the room in time for the beep), I was always the first to be told to stop.

Lucky for me, my wonderful husband came into my life when I was 20, and he got me going to the gym. I think lifting weights appeals to me because I'm not competing with anyone else, and I can put on my music and get in my zone. I LOVE IT!

Why am I competing? This is the first time in my life that I don't feel like a failure when it comes to sport. This is pushing me to my limits and forcing me to step outside of my comfort zone. Wake up feeling tired? Too bad, I have to train. Having a bad day? Too bad, I have to stick to my diet. It is taking a huge commitment, mentally, physically and emotionally. 

My comp is still 9 weeks out and I am quite amazed at how much it has taught me and changed me for the better already. I can't wait to see what's next! Watch this space :o)

© Copyright Anna McConnell 2015. All rights reserved.

Friday 10 July 2015

Chocolate Protein Balls


I wanted to make a sweet treat to share with some old work colleagues when I visited them. I wasn't finding what I wanted on the internet so I made this recipe up and it turned out pretty good!

Ingredients:
  • 40g Raw Almonds, chopped into small pieces
  • 30g 85% Dark Chocolate,chopped into small pieces
  • 2 sachets Juice Plus Complete dutch chocolate
  • 2 Tablespoons Ground Flaxseed
  • 1 Tablespoon Cocoa or Cacao
  • 1/8th teaspoon Pure Stevia Extract
  • 2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil, melted then cooled
  • 1/4 cup Almond or Coconut milk
To coat:
  • About 2 Tablespoons of Cocoa and 2 Tablespoons almond meal mixed
Directions:
  1. Place almonds, chocolate, complete, flaxseed, cocoa and stevia in a bowl and mix well
  2. Add coconut oil and Almond/Coconut milk, mix well
  3. It will seem like a very sticky mixture, but the flaxseed works as a binder. Let rest for 5 minutes.
  4. Roll into 20 small balls, then coat with the cocoa and almond meal mixture.
  5. Keep in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze for an easy treat!
Calories: 56               Carbs: 3.5g                  Fat: 4g                 Protein: 2.2g

© Copyright Anna McConnell 2015. All rights reserved.


Friday 3 July 2015

DRY July

Have you committed to dry July? I have, and to be honest I NEARLY fell off the bandwagon already!! 

We hosted a free toastmasters meeting at our house last night, which meant lots of people consuming alcohol. My first reaction when people was arrived was to seriously consider whether I could sneak a drink. But we all know one drink is very rarely one drink! 

When we consume alcohol, it is not just the empty calories to consider. Alcohol temporarily keeps your body from burning fat, explains integrative medicine specialist Pamela M. Peeke, MD, author of The Hunger Fix. The reason is, that your body can't store calories from alcohol for later, the way it does with food calories. So when you drink, your metabolic system must stop what it's doing (like, say, burning off calories from your last meal) to get rid of the booze.

"Drinking presses 'pause' on your metabolism, shoves away the other calories, and says, 'Break me down first!'" Dr. Peeke explains. The result is that whatever you recently ate gets stored as fat.

You are also far more likely to mindlessly eat when you have been drinking, as alcohol lowers your inhibitions. You are likely to eat more AND eat the wrong kinds of foods, without considering the consequences to your body. It also increases your appetite, so even if you start the night with good intentions it is unlikely you will be able to stick to them. So not only will you eat more, but everything you do eat will be stored as FAT!

Alcohol has also been proven to increase the risk of cancer. Evidence indicates that the more alcohol a person drinks regularly over time, the higher their risk is of developing an alcohol-associated cancer (including breast, esophageal, head and neck, liver and colorectal cancers).

Now let's consider hangovers. Who has woken up feeling like nothing but a big greasy breakfast? Or sugar? You are also likely to feel crappy and tired, which often leads to bad food choices (there goes that clean eating!) AND let's face it, who really feels like doing their workout when hungover?

So how did I get through the night? It was easy, once I got through that first half an hour. I reminded myself of all of the facts above, and realised I really couldn't get away with one drink, since I'll be entering my first body sculpting comp in October. Once I got used to the fact I wasn't drinking, and started having conversations with people, I was far too consumed with that, and I didn't even want a drink.

So how about considering this before you have that drink! Even if you don't have a big goal like mine, taking a month off alcohol can only be a good thing! 

© Copyright Anna McConnell 2015. All rights reserved.

Sunday 28 June 2015

Keeping healthy while travelling

I am often taking trips to Auckland or elsewhere, but that doesn't mean I miss my training or eat crap! I thought I would share a few travel tips.

I always make up some extra green smoothies to take away with me, and a big frittata (either egg white or whole eggs depending on the rest of your food that day). Frittatas are so easy to make and great to travel with. Mini frittatas are also good. If I have time I'll fry up some onion and garlic then add capsicum, broccoli, grated kumara and grated pumpkin. If I'm time poor then a bag of coleslaw mix (no dressing) with some frozen peas chucked in works just as well (not as tasty but sometimes we need easy!) Fill up greased muffin cups or a slice pan then top with egg or egg white and bake in the oven. I take a chilly bag with ice packs and even if I'm staying in more than one place I can pop my un-eaten food in the fridge overnight and re-freeze the ice packs ready to go for the next day of travelling. 

I also take brown rice crackers and small tins of tuna/chop chop chicken, fruit tea, Juice Plus complete sachets, almond milk, oats, pea protein and a bag of raw nuts. I take a fork and spare plastic container so I can mix up salads. An easy salad option is to buy a bag of coleslaw and mix half of it (no dressing) with a tin of tuna in olive oil. Very healthy, cheap and quick. 

If you can't take prepared food, or run out of what you have got, my go to options for cheap/quick meals out are:
  1. Roast chicken subway salad with double meat, low fat dressing and no cheese
  2. Kebab salad (turkish places that sell doner kebabs often offer salads. I usually skip the hummus and get some chilli and garlic sauce)
  3. Eggs on gluten free toast with avocado, spinach and mushrooms
  4. A lot of noodle and don buri places do carb free options with just meat and fresh salad/veges (not that I'm anti carb, but often when we travel it's getting lots of veggies in that can be the hardest!)
  5. Sashimi with salad or 4-5 pieces of sushi
  6. Protein bars. I'm not a huge fan but if the option is between that or a pie/chips/chocolate then a protein bar wins :)
Training wise, it of course depends on what your goals are. Because I'm training for a sculpting comp in 14(!) weeks I can't skip any weight training days. Thankfully most gyms offer FREE 5-7 day trials so it is easy to maintain training. If you're staying in motels/hotels, try choosing ones with gyms. If you're not so into weights, or don't need to train as much, then walking/running outside is FREE and a fantastic way to get some fresh air, vitamin D and explore the place you are staying better. Granted the weather is not always nice though so I always have a rain coat in the car or my suitcase so I have no excuses.

Happy travels x

© Copyright Anna McConnell 2015. All rights reserved.

Thursday 18 June 2015

Getting yourself out of a funk

We've all been there. Maybe you had a bad week at work. Maybe you have been sick. Maybe one cheat meal turned into a cheat day then a cheat week. Maybe something big is happening in your life which is beyond your control. Maybe you simply just lost motivation because it's cold and dark outside.

I've been in a real funk this week. It was entirely self inflicted, after having far too much alcohol and far too little sleep last weekend. All I have wanted to do this week is eat (far too much) and sleep. I wasn't filling in my food diary, training was next to nothing, I wasn't ticking anything off my list and I wasn't doing any work on my 2nd job. All of this combined made me feel really anxious, and that put me into even more of a funk. 

In the past I would have continued down the negative spiral a lot longer. I have been sucked into that spiral for weeks and months before. But I'm getting better at recognising when it is happening and I make a decision to get myself out. So I hope my experience can help you if you're in one of those places.

The first thing I did was accept how I was feeling and make a choice to change it. Sometimes I have to remind myself that the world isn't ending because I had a few bad days hehehe.

I got a piece of paper and a coloured marker and made some notes for myself. This is what I wrote:

  • I haven't ruined anything for having a 4 day breather
  • Friday is a new day
  • Fresh start
  • Build momentum
  • Rock it!

It's so easy to write things like this down for yourself (it could be ANYTHING motivational) as long as it comes from you. Writing things down means it is much more likely to happen because it's no longer just an idea in your head.

It doesn't matter if you have been in a funk for a day, a week, a month, a year, 10 years OR you just want to start a new habit. Remember it is NEVER to late to start having a good day!

Happy Friday! (now I'm off to sleep some more haha)

© Copyright Anna McConnell 2015. All rights reserved.

Monday 8 June 2015

Banana Bread Muffins


These muffins are loved by everyone and you can't tell they are healthy (107 calories each)! They go down a treat for morning or afternoon tea or as a dessert. They are Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Refined Sugar Free. You can also make them completely sugar free (apart from fructose) by substituting the maple syrup for stevia.

Ingredients:

  • 3 brown bananas, mashed
  • ¼ cup maple syrup (or ¼ cup granulated stevia or ½ teaspoon pure stevia extract)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 eggs
  • ½ cup almond meal
  • ¼ cup coconut flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted
  • 16 muffin cups
  • Chopped walnuts to top

Directions:
  1. Pre-heat oven to 175 degrees celcius (350 farenheit).
  2. Whisk together bananas, vanilla extract, maple syrup and eggs
  3. Sift in almond meal, coconut flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt, and stir.
  4. Add coconut oil and mix together very well.
  5. Place muffin cups inside muffin tins.
  6. Spoon mixture into muffin cups, spreading evenly between 16 muffins.
  7. Top with chopped walnuts.
  8. Bake for 18 minutes, or until golden brown on top and springy to touch.
Calories: 107       Carbs: 12g          Fat: 8g         Protein: 3g

© Copyright Anna McConnell 2015. All rights reserved.



Thursday 4 June 2015

Healthy homemade lemonade


Homemade lemonade is so easy to make and incredibly good for you. Lemons have a very alkalising effect on your body and this is a great way of getting your water quota for the day.

Recipe: 
3 Medium-large lemons (you could also add a lime to mix it up)
1/8th teaspoon pure stevia extract (or 2 Tablespoons granulated stevia or honey)
1.5 Litres soda water
Fresh mint (optional)

Juice your lemons and mix the juice together with your stevia/honey (I also add a few pulpy bits because I like seeing how fresh it is!) Top up with soda water and serve with ice and fresh mint. Delicious and SO refreshing. 

P.S Since it's Friday, this also works very well with a splash of Vodka hehe ;)

© Copyright Anna McConnell 2015. All rights reserved.