Monday, 21 December 2015
Fashion and Style Lookbook: Healthy Monday:How To Stay Healthy Over Christmas
Fashion and Style Lookbook: Healthy Monday:How To Stay Healthy Over Christmas: Wondering how you're going to survive the holiday party season? Good Food nutritionist, Kerry Torrens shares her secrets for staying hea...
Healthy Monday:How To Stay Healthy Over Christmas
Wondering how you're going to survive the holiday party season? Good Food nutritionist, Kerry Torrens shares her secrets for staying healthy over Christmas, avoiding overindulgence and beating the morning-after blues.
Everything starts with breakfast
If I'm going out in the evening, I'll start the day with a generous bowl of porridge, topped with a handful of cranberries and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Porridge stabilises blood sugar levels, which helps control appetite later in the day. I also add a good dollop of probiotic yogurt, which helps boost immunity as well as combat some of the less beneficial effects of the party season, like too much alcohol and not enough sleep.
Breakfast ideas:
Cinnamon porridge with banana & berries
Porridge plus
Perfect porridge
If I'm going out in the evening, I'll start the day with a generous bowl of porridge, topped with a handful of cranberries and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Porridge stabilises blood sugar levels, which helps control appetite later in the day. I also add a good dollop of probiotic yogurt, which helps boost immunity as well as combat some of the less beneficial effects of the party season, like too much alcohol and not enough sleep.
Breakfast ideas:
Cinnamon porridge with banana & berries
Porridge plus
Perfect porridge
Stay hydrated
On the day of a big night out, and the day after, I make a conscious effort to drink 6-8 glasses of water, or plenty of herbal teas or diluted juice. Even mild dehydration can lead to a headache and combined with the diuretic effects of alcohol makes maintaining your fluid intake so important. Regular teas and coffee count towards your fluid intake, but caffeinated versions shouldn't make up your full quota. I sometimes struggle to drink enough when it's cold, so I'll take a full glass of water to bed with me at night and start the day with a second. I make sure I've drunk both before I have my breakfast.
On the day of a big night out, and the day after, I make a conscious effort to drink 6-8 glasses of water, or plenty of herbal teas or diluted juice. Even mild dehydration can lead to a headache and combined with the diuretic effects of alcohol makes maintaining your fluid intake so important. Regular teas and coffee count towards your fluid intake, but caffeinated versions shouldn't make up your full quota. I sometimes struggle to drink enough when it's cold, so I'll take a full glass of water to bed with me at night and start the day with a second. I make sure I've drunk both before I have my breakfast.
Sensible snacking
If I'm hungry when I arrive at a party, I struggle to resist the canapés, so I always have a pre-party snack. One of my favourites is a small pot of plain yogurt with a sliced banana. The yogurt's protein slows stomach emptying, which helps delay the effects of that first glass of wine while the potassium-rich banana helps balance any increase in my salt intake - especially helpful if I'm going to be nibbling on olives, crisps or salted nuts. I know I'm better off eating before I go to a party because I'm more likely to stick to my resolve when the canapés come round a second or third time. Other snacks which do the trick include granary toast with nut butter, a bowl of muesli with milk, or a mug of chunky vegetable soup.
Pre-party snack ideas:
Peanut butter & banana on toast
Italian vegetable soup
Indian chickpea & vegetable soup
If I'm hungry when I arrive at a party, I struggle to resist the canapés, so I always have a pre-party snack. One of my favourites is a small pot of plain yogurt with a sliced banana. The yogurt's protein slows stomach emptying, which helps delay the effects of that first glass of wine while the potassium-rich banana helps balance any increase in my salt intake - especially helpful if I'm going to be nibbling on olives, crisps or salted nuts. I know I'm better off eating before I go to a party because I'm more likely to stick to my resolve when the canapés come round a second or third time. Other snacks which do the trick include granary toast with nut butter, a bowl of muesli with milk, or a mug of chunky vegetable soup.
Pre-party snack ideas:
Peanut butter & banana on toast
Italian vegetable soup
Indian chickpea & vegetable soup
Back away from the buffet
Buffets can be a disaster zone - so I make sure I fill half my plate with salad and vegetables, and the rest with protein-based canapés like salmon and chicken. I take my time selecting and eating my food and I move away from the table as soon as my plate is full so I avoid non-stop grazing.
Canapés / buffet food:
Thai chicken bites
Sesame beef wraps
Smoky chicken skewers
Buffets can be a disaster zone - so I make sure I fill half my plate with salad and vegetables, and the rest with protein-based canapés like salmon and chicken. I take my time selecting and eating my food and I move away from the table as soon as my plate is full so I avoid non-stop grazing.
Canapés / buffet food:
Thai chicken bites
Sesame beef wraps
Smoky chicken skewers
No more hangovers
Don't be tempted to skip meals so you can stockpile calories for drinking. Alcohol only supplies empty calories, so avoiding proper meals to compensate for a booze splurge means you're losing out on valuable nutrients, just when your body needs them to help it detoxify. I stick to one type of drink and I make it a lighter-coloured one because they tend to be lower in the chemical by-products that can worsen a hangover. I aim to have no more than one alcoholic drink an hour, alternated with juice, water or soft drinks - perfect if you don't like holding an empty glass.
What to eat the next morning
My best 'morning after' breakfast is a frittata or omelette packed with veg. I love mushrooms for their energising B vitamins, tomatoes for vitamin C and onions for their liver-friendly sulphur compounds. If I have spinach to hand I'll add a generous handful because it's a great source of folate which helps my body repair DNA. Eggs are an excellent choice for the morning after because they provide choline, a nutrient that supports the liver. Add a sprinkle of cayenne pepper or a chopped chilli to boost circulation and rev up your recovery. If you can't face a cooked breakfast then have a smoothie made with fruits like bananas, oranges or kiwi - these are rich in potassium which helps replenish the electrolytes lost due to the diuretic effects of alcohol.
Morning-after breakfast:
Spanish spinach omelette
Artichoke & roasted red pepper soufflé omelette
One-pan English breakfast
Forest fruit & banana smoothie.
Don't be tempted to skip meals so you can stockpile calories for drinking. Alcohol only supplies empty calories, so avoiding proper meals to compensate for a booze splurge means you're losing out on valuable nutrients, just when your body needs them to help it detoxify. I stick to one type of drink and I make it a lighter-coloured one because they tend to be lower in the chemical by-products that can worsen a hangover. I aim to have no more than one alcoholic drink an hour, alternated with juice, water or soft drinks - perfect if you don't like holding an empty glass.
What to eat the next morning
My best 'morning after' breakfast is a frittata or omelette packed with veg. I love mushrooms for their energising B vitamins, tomatoes for vitamin C and onions for their liver-friendly sulphur compounds. If I have spinach to hand I'll add a generous handful because it's a great source of folate which helps my body repair DNA. Eggs are an excellent choice for the morning after because they provide choline, a nutrient that supports the liver. Add a sprinkle of cayenne pepper or a chopped chilli to boost circulation and rev up your recovery. If you can't face a cooked breakfast then have a smoothie made with fruits like bananas, oranges or kiwi - these are rich in potassium which helps replenish the electrolytes lost due to the diuretic effects of alcohol.
Morning-after breakfast:
Spanish spinach omelette
Artichoke & roasted red pepper soufflé omelette
One-pan English breakfast
Forest fruit & banana smoothie.
Happy Holidays.
Saturday, 12 December 2015
Monday, 7 December 2015
Fashion and Style Lookbook: Healthy Monday:Immune-Boosting Juices To Get You T...
Fashion and Style Lookbook: Healthy Monday:Immune-Boosting Juices To Get You T...: It's the season of coughs and sneezes - stay well with these three bug-blitzing juices It may be the season to be jolly, but December a...
Healthy Monday:Immune-Boosting Juices To Get You Through Cold Season
It's the season of coughs and sneezes - stay well with these three bug-blitzing juices
It may be the season to be jolly, but December also brings a swathe of nasty bugs leaving you snotty, sneezing and feeling less than your best.
Build up your body's natural defence system with an immune-boosting drink. The cold-pressed juice experts at Imbibery London have created three to keep you 100% this Christmas.
1/ APPLE, LEMON AND CINNANMON
SERVES 1
INGREDIENTS
1 apple
1/4 lemon
1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon or 2 cinnamon sticks
1/4 tablespoon cardemom
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
METHOD
1/ Juice the apple
2/ Place it in a pot on the top stove with juice from the lemon.
3/ Mix in the ground cinnamon or cinnamon sticks, cardemom and apple cider vinegar.
4/ Don't bring to a boil, but let the mixture warm up.
2/ BRAZIL NUTS, TUMERIC AND GINGER
SERVES 1
INGREDIENTS
1 cup of Brazil nuts
Himalayan sea salt
1/2 piece of tumeric
1/4 piece of ginger
2 teaspoons coconut oil
METHOD
1/ Soak the Brazil nuts in water overnight with a pinch of sea salt.
2/ Drain and blend the nuts in a blender with three cups of water to create nut milk.
3/ Juice the tumeric and ginger.
4/ Add the juiced tumeric and ginger to the nut milk in the blender, along with the coconut oil, and blend together.
3/ CASHEW NUTS, RED BELL PEPPERS AND GARLIC
SERVES 1
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup of cashew nuts
Himalayan sea salt
Olive oil
2.5 whole red bell peppers
1/2 onion
1/2 piece of garlic
Black Pepper
Vegetable broth
METHOD
1/ Soak the cashews in water with a pinch of sea salt for three to four hours.
2/ Drain and blend the cashews with 1 to 1.5 cups of water until thick and creamy.
3/ In a pan with olive oil, quickly soften the red bell peppers, onion (chopped) and garlic.
4/ Add the red bell peppers, onion and garlic to the cashew mixture.
5/ Add 1/2 to 1 cup of vegetable broth and blend all together.
6/ Add a further pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
7/ Warm up over a saucepan or enjoy at room temperature. Add basil on top for flavour and garnish.
Credit:Women's Health
Wednesday, 2 December 2015
Fashion and Style Lookbook: Fashion Tricks on How to Hide Your Belly Fat
Fashion and Style Lookbook: Fashion Tricks on How to Hide Your Belly Fat: Belly fat is a comon issue for most of us women, regardless of what body shape we have. With this article I give you a full guide on ho...
Fashion Tricks on How to Hide Your Belly Fat
Belly fat is a comon issue for most of us women, regardless of what body shape we have. With this article I give you a full guide on how to hide your belly fat with some fashion tips and tricks. Have you ever been at a certain event where you had to suck in your belly because you felt the clothes you're wearing are showing off too much fat? Wouldn't it just be better to relax and be yourself? If your answer is yes, then follow these simple steps which will highlight the beautiful things about your body and draw the attention away from your belly.
1. Avoid tight clothes over the belly area! As I just mentioned, it's better to highlight your strengths and draw attention away from your weaknesses, which in that case is the stomach.
2. Layering works like magic when you need to hide your belly fat. If you wear several layers or add a modern jacket that emphasizes a vertical line, your belly fat won't even be noticeable.
3. Stay away from belts as they emphasize your tummy. How about going for a statement necklace instead that will draw the attention elsewhere? I also recommend picking tops and blouses with details around the upper half of the body (shoulders and neck-line) such as ruffles, embroidery, crystals or studs.
4. Draping is great. Go for clothes, whether a top or a dress that is draped over the belly area. Frills are also a brilliant idea to hide your belly fat.
5. Go for darker colors, I'm not just talking about black, but you can explore a bit more with other dark shades as well. If you like to wear prints and patterns, it's totally fine, as long as it's nothing too extravagant.
6. Below the knee dresses are always a great idea, but if you're veiled longer gowns or dresses with draped details around the stomach will also be a good choice. Did I mention Kaftans fit perfectly in that case? Whether it's a Kaftan dress on the beach or an evening gown inspired by the traditional Kaftan shape.
7. Though I'm not a big fan of tunics with leggings underneath, but they do wonders when it comes to hiding your belly fat.
8. A big NO goes out to clingy material, instead go for firmer fabrics that are structured with a little lycra. Pencil skirts perhaps?
9. When it comes to jeans, pick a mid-rise pair as it sits flat on your stomach. Avoid low-waist jeans which would give off a push-up effect to your belly and hence highlighting the belly fat even further.
10. If you're still determined to sport your regular clothes and you're not very much into the fashion tricks mentioned, then I still have two solutions for you. The first one is shape-wear! Shape-wear holds up the tummy and you can wear anything you like on top of it. The second solution would be oversized bags. Why? Basically, oversized bags help focus the attention elsewhere.
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