Nutrition

Yummy Snack Alert: Edamame Beans

| tigeresskirby

My biggest post-workout rule is to eat. If you go without fuel after exercise, then the effects can be adverse to what you set out to achieve- even if that was weight loss! It’s really important to get some kind of food into your system and I always opt for a protein rich option. However, that’s sometimes easier said than done.

I live a 45 minute commute away from my gym, meaning that by the time I get home and have a chance to cook I’m one, absolutely starving and two, my body has decided to start burning my muscle. Booo! So it’s really important that I snack straight after my workout to put me on until I can get to a proper meal. I set out to find the perfect snack for after my gym session and came across edamame.

Edamame is a healthy snack packed with protein, meaning that it’s perfect for your post-workout fix or mid-afternoon office lull! There’s around 11g of protein per 100g of edamame, which is more than what some protein products offer, without all of the other added ingredients. It’s a great source of many minerals and is low in fat and sugar. Oh and it tastes pretty nice too! Give them a try and let me know what you think! x

saltyedamamebeans-2
Source: veganlivingedmonton.wordpress.com

MunchFit X 1Rebel

| tigeresskirby

Today I woke up to a very exciting email from 1Rebel. The London-based boutique gym have teamed up with MunchFit to offer fitness food at their St Mary Axe site and it launched TODAY!

Using the freshest, high quality ingredients the team have developed meals for three different training goals; BURN (fat loss and shredding), BALANCE (weight management) and BUILD (muscle gain).

1rebel-munchfit
Source: 1Rebel Email

With the meals designed to accelerate training results and have a direct impact on energy levels, it all sounds like a very smart idea. The team are even on hand to offer advice around which meals you should opt for in order to see the best results. I don’t know about you but I’m eager to see what’s on offer!

1rebel-munch
Source: 1Rebel Email

How Much Water Should You Really Be Drinking?

| tigeresskirby

We all know that we’re supposed to drink a certain amount of water per day, yet there’s so much nutritional information in the media today that it’s not always easy to filter through it all. Not only that, many people don’t realise the importance of drinking water.

So, why do we need to drink water?

Our bodies are composed with a whopping 60% water. It is used to transport nutrients, regulate our temperature, as lubrication and is the environment in which every single chemical reaction in the body takes place. As little as 2% loss of water seriously comprises our mental and physical performance. Our energy levels slump, blood pressure lowers (causing less blood to the brain and reduced concentration), headaches set in and muscle function decreases. In fact, with insufficient water intake we put ourselves at risk of death. Did you know, although not healthy or recommended, we can live for over a month without food yet if we were to go without water for a week we would die!

OK, how much water should we really be drinking then?

2 litres per day if we haven’t exercised. That’s a minimum of 2 litres and must be increased if we take part in any physical activity. We lose 2-2.5l/day alone just through breathing, sweating and urination. 1-2l/hour is lost during exercise!

Sounds like a lot! How can I ensure that I hit 2l?

I recommend to carry 2l water bottle with you each day and sip it throughout the day. If you’re not used to drinking so much, you might find that you need to go to the toilet a little more that usual. This is normal and will settle down after a couple of weeks! Also, we do get some water from the food that we eat. This shouldn’t be confused as part of your 2l! That’s additional water that is vital for our bodies to function.

And if I’m exercising?

Take a sports bottle with you to drink throughout the session. Refill at the end to ensure maximum re-hydration. You can see my favourite ones right here!

Is any fluid classed as part of my 2 litres?

Definitely not. Diuretics such as alcohol and caffeine (found in tea, coffee and most soft drinks) actually dehydrate the body and shouldn’t be counted as part of the 2l. In fact, they should really be avoided.

It may not be easy to hit 2 litres a day, but it is important. People who don’t usually hit the recommended amount can notice huge differences in their concentration and performance just by upping their intake! If there’s one thing that you do today, make sure that it’s to drink your water! x

Eat Pretty by Jolene Hart

| tigeresskirby

I stumbled across Eat Pretty by Jolene Hart a few weeks ago and instantly added it to my birthday wishlist. With my super hectic schedule I, unfortunately, usually have very little time to sit and dig into a good book. Perhaps that’s why I didn’t feel the urge to buy it there and then. However for the weeks that followed that oh-so pretty little cover kept popping into mind. Being the health enthusiast (some may prefer to describe as obsessive) that I am, I was eager to see what Eat Pretty had to offer. 

I won’t lie or pretend to be a beauty know-all. I keep my make up to a minimal and have sensitive skin, so use a lot of natural products. Health and fitness are my fortes. Anything to do with looking great through exercise or lifestyle and I’m on it. Which is why, I would soon discover, that Eat Pretty is be perfect book for me. 

Weeks later my birthday arrived and I wasn’t disappointed. My sister presented me with Eat Pretty, wrapped so neatly looking almost as delicious as the content. I was soon to get stuck in. 

Jolene Hart teaches that amplifying beauty doesn’t have to involve countless vanity products and tools- it can simply be achieved through what you eat. Hart condenses masses of beneficial food information into need-to-know snippets all in one cute little book, providing the perfect summary of what to eat to boost what health and beauty areas. Olive oil for sensitive skin, anybody? Butternut squash for healthy hair and ginger to warn off colds… The list goes on as well as recipes and food tips for all seasons. 

I won’t give too much away, but Eat Pretty is one health book that’s worth a read. I’m not saying to ditch the mascara, bronzer or eyeliner and especially not to drop the moisturiser. But you may find that you feel more beautiful, healthy and energetic within yourself if you pick up this little treat. We really are what we eat and Eat Pretty provides the secrets to achieving ultimate natural beauty, inside and out.

   

Going Natural!

| tigeresskirby

If I placed a test tube full of coloured liquid in front of you, telling you it was called ghansalinadide, would you drink it?

The chances are that you answered no to the above question. Well I hope that your answer was no, because I can bet money that you don’t even know what ghansalinadide is. If you do, then I’m impressed because ghansalinadide isn’t a real thing. It doesn’t exist. I made it up. And if it did exist, it definitely wouldn’t be something that you would be wanting to swig down by the gallon.

The point that I’m trying to make is that most of us wouldn’t willingly consume a chemical or substance that we were unsure of (and that looks like it belongs in a lab).

Another question for you. Think about what’s in your cupboard. Now tell me. What is in your cupboard? Sure, there may be a can of soup, a tin of beans, pasta, cereal bars- but what is really in your cupboard? Take the cereal bar for example. Would you be able to confidently tell me what it consists of? Would you be able to name every single ingredient without giving it a second thought? The sad truth is that your answer is probably no, and you’re not alone.

The majority of us spend our lives consuming products with very little idea of the contents. We voluntarily eat food that contains ingredients that we can barely pronounce, never mind identify. Maltodextrin. E471. Aspartame. Mannitol. The list goes on…

So, here’s the challenge. I challenge you to complete five whole days where you only consume food with natural ingredients. It’s simple, don’t consume anything with ingredients that you don’t know what they are. Eat fruit and vegetables, brown rice and feta. Don’t feed your system with E numbers or chemicals. Read the ingredients and only buy products where you are sure of every single substance listed. In short, don’t fill your body with anything processed- go natural!

You’ll feel more energised, cleansed and it will work wonders for your skin. I guarantee that you will start to feel better even after just two days! The challenge will not only improve your energy and health, but will also allow you to make more conscious food and drink decisions in the future. I’ll be carrying out my challenge Monday to Friday next week and I cannot wait to feel revitalised once again! Give it a go and let me know how you get on… because natural is the way it’s meant to be! xx