Showing posts with label nutrition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nutrition. Show all posts

Friday, 13 January 2017

What to eat to make your workout more effective

Before the workout




Try to stick to the golden mean here. You should neither overeat, nor do exercises on an empty stomach — both are unhealthy. You must keep in mind that it’s the last thing you’ll eat before your workout that your body will be digesting during exercise. Preferably, this should be protein-rich foodstuffs, fruit, or anything containing fiber. Animal proteins will help you build up muscle; fruit and fiber-rich products will help digestion and trigger natural cleansing processes in your body.
Examples of foods you should eat 2-3 hours before workout: 
  • Apple and cheese sandwich 
  • Grain bar or milk and fruit 
  • Green salad with chicken or tuna
  • Wheat crackers or whole grain bread 
  • Eggs, omelet
  • Yogurt and fruit 
  • Nuts
  • Fruit cocktail or natural juice


During the workout




When doing exercise, water comes first. Don’t forget to keep a bottle handy — one that is large enough to prevent you from dehydrating. You’ll need water to help your body retain nutrients and make it produce glucose — the natural fuel your body runs on.
Examples of glucose-rich products:
  • Natural fruit juice
  • Bananas
  • Raisins and other dried fruit

After the workout




The time immediately after a workout is crucial, as your body begins to change under the influence of recent physical exertions. Your metabolism rate goes up and your muscles undergo far-reaching transformations.
Examples of products that will help you recover after exercise:
  • Fresh vegetables; steam-cooked or fried vegetables
  • Any low-fat meat or fish
  • Mixed green salad 
  • Cottage cheese or greek yogurt 
  • Eggs
You don’t have to stick to a strict diet for the sake of your workout. Just try to eat more healthy food for a healthy way of life.
Source: Genial
Looking forward to seeing you in our classes!


Monday, 2 January 2017

See What Happens if You Give Up Sugar for 3 Days





Almost all of us have thought about going on a diet at one time or another. For some it’s just a passing desire to shed a few pounds before a party; for others, losing weight is a struggle that lasts many years. However, one Swedish doctor,  Andreas Eenfeldt, has suggested it’s time to stop believing in myths about food and listen to the signals your body sends you. 

As is well known, we get energy from two different sources:

  • from carbohydrates, which includes sugar;
  • from fat.







For many years we’ve been told that fat is bad and that the only way to get thin is to eat low-fat products and celery. However, giving up sugar rather than fat is worth paying much more attention to. If you do, something very interesting will happen:


  • Once you’ve stopped worrying about consuming fat (in reasonable quantities) and given up sugar, you’ll be able to stay slim on a permanent basis, and as a bonus you’ll have overall better health, more energy, and great skin and hair.

  • You’ll no longer feel the need to check the calorie intake for everything you’re buying. Yet your waist will be the first thing to decrease in size.





If you give up sugar for as little as three days, you’ll soon notice a new feeling of satiety, and consequently you’ll feel satisfied despite eating less food. Many people who try this say they no longer want to eat a large supper and don’t even think about food until the next day’s breakfast.




A rough three-day menu


Breakfast :

  • Scrambled eggs with ham, bacon or avocado 
  • Boiled eggs with tomatoes and spinach 
  • Cottage cheese (no less than 5% fat) with berries 
  • Pancakes made with almond flour 
  • A salad with green vegetables and olives 


Lunch:

  • Meat or fish dishes: with vegetables (excluding carbohydrates like rice, pasta) 
  • Soups (excluding the carbs, apart from potato and beans) 
  • Salads (made with any vegetables and with vegetable oil) 


Diner:

  • Roasted vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, bell peppers) 
  • Meat or fish dishes: with vegetables (excluding carbohydrates like rice, pasta) 
  • Salads (made with any vegetables and with vegetable oil) 
  • Any of the options from breakfast 


Remember that any of these meal choices are interchangeable, and you should eat as much as you want and whenever you feel like doing so. Don’t be afraid to experiment and to try preparing ordinary food in new ways.


If you stick to this system for a while, you’ll be surprised to discover that you’ve dropped several clothes sizes. At the same time you’ll feel hungry less often, will be free of problems with your intestine and/or blood pressure, and be more energetic.


Most importantly, this method can put you in charge of your body and your life.






Source Andreas Eenfeldt , LCHF


Stay fit and healthy! See you in class:




Saturday, 17 December 2016

10 Hot Chocolate Recipes For You This Winter

Winter we like to call as our hot chocolate season. So here are 10 exciting hot chocolate recipes for you to enjoy and warm up this season. You'll find quite the range of different and exciting new cocoa flavours: everything from lavender to matcha green tea hot chocolate:)


1. Vegan Almond Joy Hot Chocolate




It’s like your favorite candy was melted into drinkable goodness. Bonus: It's vegan (perfect for your dairy-free friends). 

Get the recipe here.



2. Super Decadent Barcelona-Style Hot Chocolate




Rich in flavor but simple to make—the recipe only has four ingredients (plus water). 

Get the recipe here.





3. Coconut Kahlua Hot Chocolate 




One perk of adulting: upgrading your cocoa with Kailua. 

Get the recipe here.



4. Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate




Throw a few ingredients into a slow cooker for an easy DIY of the Starbucks favourite. 

Get the recipe here.



5. Strawberry Sweethearts Cocoa




Beautify your hot chocolate with this rose-hued strawberry treat. 

Get the recipe here.



6. Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate




Pumpkin spice goes really well with hot coffee and hot chocolate. 

Get the recipe here.


7. Lavender White Hot Chocolate




This version keeps it light and sweet. 

Get the recipe here.




8. Dairy-Free Mocha Hot Chocolate 




This drink takes the standard mocha to the next level. 

Get the recipe here.




9. Matcha White Hot Chocolate




With just three ingredients you can whip together a super impressive green hot chocolate. 

Get the recipe here.


10. Peppermint White Hot Chocolate




The holidays can last all winter, as long as you’re sipping this sweet and minty treat. 

Get the recipe here.



Remember, hot chocolate is a great as well as fast energy source. So you can quickly recharge and have fun exercising!

See you in class!




Sunday, 27 November 2016

6 Healthier Breakfast Ideas To Get You Fitter

From our experience we already know that breakfast is the most important meal of your day, however having a large variety of choices doesn't always help and a lot of you probably wonder what would be the most nutritious, tasty as well as healthy breakfast meal.

Turns out, starting your day with a nutritious and healthy meal is surprisingly simple: all you need for a complete breakfast are carbohydrates and proteins. Your body breaks carbs down into sugars, which fuel your brain, and proteins keep you satiated until lunch time.
Many companies that market breakfast foods claim that their products contain at least parts of this golden ratio, but processed foods like sugary cereals usually contain "bad" carbs, such as simple sugars, which are quickly converted to fat rather than energy.
Here are a few common breakfast foods you should ditch for some healthier, more complete alternatives.



For something sugary:



Ballet Body Sculpture







Instead of a biscuits or cookies, eat steel cut oats with peanut butter, walnuts and honey. Many cereals are loaded with sugars and processed flours. Steel cut oats contain about 5 grams of protein, zero sugar, and are low in saturated fats and high in finer. The peanut butter and walnuts adds an extra shot of satiating protein, healthy fats, and honey will give you a 
sweet kick without the sugar blast.




For something toasty:

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Ditch a plain bagel and cream cheese for whole grain toast with avocado, smoked salmon, and a poached egg.
You're technically getting carbohydrates from the bagel and protein from the cheese, but plain bagels contain refined white flour and simple carbs, which provide a quick burst of energy to your brain that quickly fades.
The complex carbs in the toast take longer for your body to process, leaving you satiated for longer. The smoked fish, avocado, and eggs are packed with good lean protein and heart-and-brain-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.



For something creamy:





























Ballet Body Sculpture









Instead of flavored yogurt, eat plain whole milk Greek yogurt with berries, nuts, and cinnamon. Flavored yogurt cups are chock full of sugars. Substitute with plain Greek yogurt, which packs in 17 g of protein and only 6 g of sugars. If it's too bitter, sweeten with antioxidant and fiber-rich berries, protein-rich nuts, and cinnamon.



For something eggy:






Ballet Body Sculpture









Instead of a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich, eat eggs with avocado and salsa in a corn tortillaBacon is a good source of protein, but it's high in sodium and saturated fats, which increase your risk of heart disease. Substitute bacon with protein-rich avocados.
They contain about the same amount of protein per serving as bacon, yet contain many essential vitamins and healthy fats, which also increase your absorption of antioxidants, like lycopene, from the salsa.
Corn tortillas are also low in unsaturated fats, sugars, and sodium, and high in fiber and vitamins like magnesium.




For something syrupy:























Instead of regular pancakes, eat whole wheat pancakes with a fruit compote on top.
Nowadays you can find whole wheat flour from just about any grocery store. It's high in fiber and sticks with you for longer than white flour.
Be sure to crack an egg into the batter to include your protein!
Fruit compote made from frozen blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries are a low-sugar and antioxidant-rich sweetener.



For something fruity:




Ballet Body Sculpture






Instead of a glass of orange juice, make a smoothie of plain Greek yogurt, peanut butter, and frozen berries. Fruit juices contain a ton of simple sugars and few protein and fibres. The protein in the yogurt and peanut butter keeps you satiated for a long time, while the berries not only naturally sweeten the drink, but contain good complex carbohydrates and antioxidants.

Tuesday, 1 September 2015

Boost Your Brain Power With These Foods...






A healthy brain is something we all need! Whether you are a student or not, you still need to keep those thinking powers strong and increase sharpness and retainability! So you can keep healthy, exercise well and fell great! What you eat plays a large role in this. Here is a list of foods to try out to keep your wits about you and to sharpen up the old thinking cap!


1. EAT SAGE TO IMPROVE YOUR MEMORY



Sage is a flavorful herb that many of us don’t consume much of. Try incorporating more into your diet, especially if you need to focus on improving memory skills! You can even reach for sage essential oil and diffuse it into a room to reap the benefits if you aren’t inclined to ingest sage.


2. MUNCH ON NUTS 



Nuts are yummy, easy to pack, and pretty much all of them have some sort of health benefit. But they all prevent cognitive decline, since nuts are high in vitamin E. I like almonds, walnuts, and pistachios, but reach for whatever strikes your fancy!



3. HAVE SOME FISH FOR YOUR HEALTHY HEART AND JOINTS





Fatty fish has lots of Essential fatty acids and DHA. Your body can’t make this on it’s own, so it’s important to eat foods rich in fatty acids! Try some salmon, mackerel, or herring occasionally! Healthy hearts and joint contribute to brain power because if your body is sore or lacking in an area (even if you don’t know it) that is more energy being spent on repairing or compensating for that spot and less that can be focused on brain power!



4. PUMPKIN SEEDS TO INCREASE YOUR THINKING POWER 






Pumpkin seeds are an awesome snack to keep at your desk for school or work. They are portable, tasty, and brimming with zinc. Zinc is excellent for helping your memory skills and to boost thinking power. Best of all, you can eat pumpkin seeds quietly and they don’t leave you with strong breath like peanuts or other salty, flavorful snacks can.



5. TRY CHICKPEAS TO DECREASE STRESS LEVELS 




Our bodies need magnesium. Magnesium is very beneficial for brain cell reception, and also relaxes blood vessels allowing blood flow to feed our brains! The average American diet is quite deficient in magnesium because it is found in unlikely or unpopular foods. Chickpeas are a great source of magnesium, so chomp away for decreased stress levels and better brain reception!



6. EAT BLUEBERRIES TO IMPROVE YOUR LEARNING SKILLS 






You’ve probably been told before that blueberries are good for you, but do you know why? Blueberries are stuffed full of antioxidants. These are what we need to help us focus and retain information! Antioxidants are also great for your immune system, obviously if you are sick you won’t be able to focus as well as you can when your health is up to par!



7. RED MEAT TO ENCOURAGE OVERALL BRAIN HEALTH 






Red meat is very high in vitamin B12, which is an essential vitamin for brain health and development! In addition, there is a lot of iron found in red meat, which is necessary for healthy blood pressure and energy. Since we need a healthy blood flow to our brain, you can see how red meat has lots of components to boost overall brain health!

If you are an expectant mother, or trying to conceive, you almost can’t eat too much of these foods listed above! Your baby will benefit in brain development from all the goodness contained in these delicious brainpower-boosting foods. I hope this list has been helpful and inspiring! As always, thanks for reading, stalkers!

Keep Healthy! See you in the ballet studio!

www.balletbodysculpture.com




Wishing you a great week! See you in our studios to gain progressive results!www.balletbodysculpture.com
Posted by Ballet Body Sculpture on Sunday, August 30, 2015

Monday, 25 May 2015

8 HEALTHY SNACKS FOR YOUR HEALTHY DIET

Swap sweets and biscuits for some healthy snacks this summer!





If like us, you tend to suffer from the 3pm energy slump, here are some healthy snack ideas to help satisfy your cravings…


Blueberries
Blueberries have the highest antioxidant capacity of all fresh fruit - making them a great snack to help boost your immune system. Also, their sweet flavour promises to satisfy your sugar cravings.

Seaweed thins
What we love most about seaweed is that it can do wonders for hair and skin, with vitamins, fats and minerals from the sea that can help strengthen, revitalise and moisturise. Dried seaweed thins are a great alternative to crisps and crackers.

Apple slices with peanut butter
The benefits of eating apples are endless – from teeth whitening and immune-system boosting, to aiding digestion and detoxifying your liver. Try cutting one into slices or wedges and spreading on a light layer of organic peanut butter.

Almonds
Almonds not only satisfy hunger but also regulate cholesterol, strengthen bones, improve complexion and contain nutrients that help boost brain power – among many other things. Try roasting a batch with lemon, salt, Worcestershire sauce and honey to give them an extra kick.

Dark chocolate rice cakes
Rice cakes are low in calories, provide an instant energy boost, aid digestion and are an essential source of vitamin B1. Top them with a layer of rich dark chocolate and you've got a tasty and healthy treat. 

Miso soup
Miso soup is a fantastic afternoon snack if you're trying to lose weight – it's filling, comforting and full of beneficial nutrients. 

Raw energy bars
There's a huge range of raw energy bars out there that are perfect for a pre-workout snack, or simply to give you that mid-afternoon boost. We love Bounce Balls (available at Holland & Barrett) in every flavour, and snack bars from Purple Balance (available at purplebalance.co.uk) and Aduna Baobab (available at aduna.com).

Dark chocolate pumpkin seeds
Dark chocolate covered pumpkin seeds may be a fattier snack option, but they're a great source of iron, magnesium and zinc, and are sure to satisfy your cocoa craving.

All those lovely snacks are great energy source to keep you going and achieve great results at Ballet Body Sculpture class!





'The price of anything, is the amount of life you exchange for it" - Thank you for all great classes this week! See you next week for some more!www.balletbodysculpture.com
Posted by Ballet Body Sculpture on Saturday, May 23, 2015

Sunday, 5 April 2015

Choc Hazelnut Tart - Grace Your Kitchen Table This Easter Weekend




Creamy, chocolatery and adorned with your favourite fruits or berries, this dish is also vegan, gluten, grain and dairy free to suit particular intolerances and preferences. But above all - it's really DELICIOUS!!!:) 




So here it is:
  • YIELD: 35cm tart (10 Servings)
  • PREP: 15 mins
  • COOK: 10 mins
  • READY IN: 2 hrs 25 mins
  • Do I really need to say anything? No.....it speaks for itself! 

    INGREDIENTS

    INSTRUCTIONS

    1. Preheat oven to 180ºC
    2. Lightly grease your tart pan with coconut oil and set aside
    3. Process hazelnuts and shredded coconut together in a blender until it becomes a fine meal
    4. Add the cacao powder, the coconut sugar, coconut oil and salt, and blitz again until combined
    5. Press into your tart pan and bake for 10-15 minutes; set aside to cool
    6. In a small saucepan, bring the coconut cream to a gentle simmer, and add broken chocolate
    7. Stir continuously until smooth and velvety and pour into tart pan
    8. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours then top with berries and serve

Enjoy!!!:)

www.balletbodysculpture.com



"Life is not about finding yourself. Life is about CREATING yourself " - Enjoy Easter Sunday! See you in classes next week:www.balletbodysculpture.com
Posted by Ballet Body Sculpture on Sunday, April 5, 2015