A beginner's guide to fitness
By Kirsty Welsh on
I’ve worked in the health industry for long enough to know the biggest goal when an individual joins a gym is, ‘I want to get fit!’
What does this even mean?
If you want to ‘get fit’ you need to start with a good definition of what fitness means to you, otherwise where do you even begin? It can be overwhelming!
Here’s a little bit of help to get you going. Physical fitness can be defined as the ability of the body to perform with energy and alertness. (Yes please, where do I sign up!)
Fitness to me is not just physical; although we normally focus on the physical, I prefer to look at fitness as a blend of mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health. The beauty of physical activity is that movement allows us to think clearer, feel...
Regenerate a Healthy Liver
By Ashleigh Brunner on
You might be familiar with one of the following scenarios below:
- You’ve woken up for work with a ringing headache and are feeling pretty average. How did the work drinks cascade into a shower of champagne or a steady flowing abundance of delicious beer?
- The weather is getting colder, so justifies a good hearty glass of red by the fire – every night. For every degree colder this fosters furthur justification of a) A cheeky glass of port or desert wine to top the night off or b) Some/a block of chocolate to accompany the red wine.
Your lovely liver: An under valued vital organ that regulates many processes in your body. However, at this time of the year it’s starting to complain. Battered and bruised, its been fighting a little too hard.
...
A Simplified Guide to a Balanced Diet
By Warren Maginn on
With health as the new currency, having a balanced diet plays an integral role in every path to wellness. What a balanced diet means, though, is open for interpretation. Clinical Nutritionist, Warren Maginn, shares his simplified guide to a balanced diet.
A balanced diet should contain a mix of vegetables, protein, carbohydrates and foods rich in omega-3s. Proportion is key to getting the ‘balance’ right.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when meal planning.
Colour Your Dinner Plate
Regardless of your fitness/weight loss goals, every diet should have a sufficient amount of vegetables. For the average adult, 5 serves of vegetables is the recommended amount. You can improve the nutritional value of your vegetables by steaming your...
Manage Daily Life Stressors without drinking
By Jaye Hoelscher on
It’s a common scenario – it’s been a long day at work, maybe you’ve worked well overtime. You’re brain fried, frustrated, emotionally and physically exhausted.
One of the first things so many of us hear ourselves saying is: “I need a drink!” And when we get that first drink into us, there is this real feeling of “aahhhhhh”. A chance to breathe, relax and let go of the day’s stressors. That sigh – that deep breathing – is something we clearly don’t need alcohol for – it’s just often we go until the end of a long day without ever taking a deep breath and allowing ourselves a moment to be still.
Work-reward scenario
Before always playing out this work-reward scenario and heading straight for the bottle every time the going gets tough,...
10 Tips for Eating Out
By Peter Rule on
It can sometimes be a bit “too hard basket” to eat out when you’re on a “diet” or a specific health/food plan that limits what you can eat/drink, not to mention socially isolating; But it need not be like this.
Firstly you need to remember that if you are on a “diet” or a specific plan, whether you’ve done it yourself or a healthcare practitioner has advised you of it, the intention for it was clearly to maximise optimal health, so it was a choice and when you make a choice you can’t say that you are missing out, because you’re not. All this means is that you’ll need to think outside the box a little from what you would normally opt for.
Here are some tips to help you:
1) Read the menu thoroughly & ASK questions
Fancy words and poetic...
Cacao Coconut Rough Balls
By Karen McLean on
It’s SNACK TIME!!! These cacao coconut rough balls are the easiest snacks to make and are perfect for chocoholics, like me!!! Throw it all into a blender and roll them up into bite-size energy balls. It’s as simple as that!! There is much hype about cacao and I am absolutely crazy for it!!
Cacao is the raw unprocessed for of cocoa and is considered a “super-food”. The benefits of cacao are phenomenal: rich in antioxidants, contains essential vitamins and minerals, promotes healthy skin, mood enhancing… intense chocolate flavour!! I’m addicted to this stuff!! I love the combination of chocolate and coconut and these balls are packed full of goodies, which will keep you energised throughout the day! Even possibly bouncing up and...
5 Ingredient Chocolate Cake
By Bianca Slade on
At Wholefood Simply, my passion is to recreate traditional treats and sweets to suit my whole food ways. I keep my ingredients and methods simple without compromising on taste. Try my easy 5-ingredient chocolate cake.
Ingredients
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk
- 400 grams dark chocolate, roughly broken into pieces
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 6 eggs
- 2 cups almond meal
Method
- Preheat your oven to 150C or 300F
- Grease and line a round 18cm cake tin.
- Fill a kettle with water and boil
- Place the coconut milk, chocolate and honey into a medium sized saucepan over low heat. Stir continuously until chocolate has melted and the mixture is well combined. (Keep the heat low as you do not want to burn the chocolate.)
- Once melted and well combined, remove from...
Simple Chia Pudding
By Karen McLean on
Chia puddings are a bowl packed full of Omega 3 fatty acids! I love the soothing gel-like texture of this pudding – it’s just so simple to make and so easy to eat! What I love about chia puddings is the many different ways it can be served! Layered with fresh fruit, granola, nuts, superseeds, berry compotes, fruit smoothies. The combinations are endless! This is also perfect served on its own for the little ones as it is very easy to swallow and is only slightly sweetened. This is a truly nutritious breakfast, which will give you a radiant glowing skin!
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 cup milk of choice (soy, almond, coconut milk etc)
- 1 tsp sweetener of choice (raw agave syrup, maple syrup, honey)
- tsp vanilla bean paste
Method
- Combine all...
Antioxidant Smoothie
By The Fit Foodie on
Aside from this being insanely pretty, strawberries and acai make for a refreshing and detoxifying smoothie. Full of antioxidants to clear your skin, this one is a great way to start your day if you’re feeling a bit run-down.
Serves 1
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsweetened coconut water
- 1 cup plain greek yoghurt
- 1 tbsp acai powder
- 6 strawberries
To garnish (optional)
- Unsweetened coconut flakes
- Dried lavender
- Goji berries
- Red fruit tea mix
Method:
- Add ingredients to a blender and process until smooth.
- Serve between two chilled glasses and garnish as desired.
Tip: For an extra boost, add 1 scoop of vanilla protein to make this a great post-workout snack.
Recipe courtesy of The Fit Foodie
