example of my eating plan

Ok so I’ve been "clean eating", "eating right" "eating fresh" whatever you want to call it for about 2 weeks now. I haven’t been as strict as I probably should be but it takes time to change your eating habits for good and permanent change.

I have been trying to make everything from scratch that go's in my mouth, I have a free day or two depending what is happening that week.
There are a few things I LOVE, I’m a huge PASTA fan. I love spaghetti, macaroni, and any pasta. So I TRY to buy the whole meal or brown pasta which isn’t really available here and I limit to maybe 2 meals a week.

Rice, well it’s really hard to eat out here and not order something that does have rice. So eating out has been limited, well trying.

Also Indonesians LOVE sweet stuff, bread here is disgustingly sweetened with sugar.

I’m really lucky here because I have the time to cook from scratch, all the time. I tend to have a BIG cooking day; usually the day after Tatie (my maid) goes to the market. I do up a huge chicken and veg soup, spinach and lentil soup, beef and red wine casserole, and a quiche and portion them into freezer containers.

So like I said there are a few things I just can’t live without: REAL FATTY MILK!!!! Pasta hit now and then, mint slice biscuits and a few beverages... All of these things are ok in MODERATION!!!!
MODERATION!!!!-this is one word that has been lost in our society for far too long! People over eat, and not good food. They get UP-sized meals; really did you need those extra chips full of sugar? And that Pepsi full of sugar? NO you really didn’t.

I get very angry when I hear or read usually oh I didn’t know that was bad for me.......REALLY you had no idea that if you sat down and ate that whole packet of chocolate biscuits that there would be no side effects?

ahh anyway totally of the track, all I’m trying to say is that people need to stop playing dumb, ask for help, or research and take some accountability for their own lives.

ok so just 2 short weeks into changing my eating for the better, (not that it was veer really bad) iv never really been a junk food person but with kids you find that pasta's and rice dishes, and breads are on your main shopping list a lot of the time because their easy, cheap, and you know the kids will eat it! But our children have to learn the difference between fresh eating and bad habit eating as well and grow and expand there taste’s.
I only had knee surgery in March; I’m really impressed with the results so Far., following is an idea of what I have been eating:

DAY 1
Breakfast: Oats with brown sugar and whole milk
Snack: Banana and berry smoothie with whole milk
Lunch: Lentil and spinach soup
Snack: Muffin (Homemade) Sometime miss this snack if I had a late lunch or having early dinner
Dinner: Baked Lemon chicken with steamed veg.

Day 2:
Breakfast: scrambled eggs half a piece of toast (homemade bread) (whole meal)
Snack: smoothie
Lunch: tuna + a quick salad
Snack:  strawberries
Dinner: Grilled salmon fillet with stir fry veg.

There are just 2 examples of some meals that we eat. I will be posting a recipe a day so stay tuned.

Tash xxx

REST. RECOVERY AND INJURY

 

Ok so we are going to talk REST and RECOVERY and INJURY for your body today.

It’s fantastic to see people get right into exercise and wanting to get fit. Your body on the other hand is probably in shock if you haven’t done anything in a long time, you need to ease into it, gradually increasing your time and making your workout harder.

I recommend doing 1-2 weights sessions a week but not the same body part (muscle group), 2-3 intense cardio sessions and then as many "light" sessions as you want-nice strolls, soft bike ride etc.

The body repairs and strengthens itself in the time between workouts, and continuous training can actually weaken the strongest athletes. Rest days are critical to sports performance for a variety of reasons. Some are physiological and some are psychological. Rest is physically necessary so that the muscles can repair, rebuild and strengthen.

Recovery time allows these stores to be replenished and allows tissue repair to occur. Without sufficient time to repair and replenish, the body will continue to breakdown from intensive exercise.

There are a few things you can do to help your body repair itself,

* Drink plenty of H2O before, during and after exercise.

*Stretch well after exercise, even better get someone else to stretch you.

*Make sure your eating- and eating good food.

*Rest.....

When exercising you are meant to feel "the burn" example, if you are doing lunges you muscles in your legs and butt will hurt. Your knees shouldn’t hurt if you get sharp pain in your knees or say back you’re not doing it right so STOP! This is where having a personal trainer/professional to show you how to do exercises with proper form so you do not injure yourself by having poor incorrect form.

TASH xx

Daily Recipes

Hey Guys, from now on I’m going to try and post 1 recipe a day!

So I have made a few yummy things in the past few weeks. Keeping in mind that I have 3 growing children that DO NOT want to lose weight, I usually make 2 dinners. :)

I made an awesome Beef and red wine casserole last week it was awesome:

Preheat oven to 180degress c

500g round steak (just some nice beef)

1 onion (I like it just sliced)

3 cloves of garlic crushed

5 diced tomatoes

1 cup red wine

1 cup hot water

2 table spoons plain flour

1 beef stock cube (dissolved in the 1 cup of hot water above)

Drops of oil (olive, rapeseed etc)

Add a drop of oil in a non stick pan, add onion and cook until soft. Add garlic, cook for 30 seconds put into casserole dish.
Toss meat in flour reheat pan add one more drop of oil, fry meat until all is brown (6 minutes) put into casserole dish.
reheat pan add tomatoes, wine, stock bring to the boil and add salt and pepper to taste add to casserole dish cover and cook for 1.5hours.

(You can add in carrot, capsicum, peas or mushrooms)

Nice warm winter dish! Yummo enjoy!
Tash xx

TRAINING, WHAT AND HOW MUCH?

I get asked continuously "Tash how many time should I train a week? What should I be doing?" "What training is the best?", "should I concentrate on cardio or weights?"

In my opinion and experience people can’t focus on everything all at once, diet, cardio, weights and live a life.

In saying that diet contributes to 60-80% of getting healthy and achieving the body you want.

Next comes weights- and before you say "I don’t want to get big and bulky" majority of Ladies CANT get huge like a man without help of supplements etc even then it is so HARD to get big and bulky for a lady as we don’t have the testosterone to achieve this. Weights are going to tighten and define your muscle, the more muscle you have the more fat you will burn.

Then last but not least is movement, cardio (other than daily movement). I find it easier for my clients to just improve their lifestyle by getting out side, walking, going to the beach, park swimming than saying go and do 2 -3 classes a week. I find changing lifestyle is enough and achievable, you have to remember that you have to fit in all this in to your life.

Ok so yes it takes up a lot more tie to prepare healthy fresh food-BUT making a salad and grilled steak takes less prep than say a potato bake. I have some great tips to help you with preparing food and saving time. Next blog!

So in summary, I get my clients to do at least 1 weights session (2 if they are super fit by splitting the body in to 2) concentrate on your eating plan- and move your ass, even if you take the stairs instead of the lift, park in the furtherest car park from the door to work or shopping centre.

Tash xx

BACK TO BASICS-CLEAN EATING

I get asked all the time "Natasha, what is clean eating?"

It is really very easy! "Clean eating" is a relatively new term given to eating non processed foods, Vegetables, fruits, fresh meats (not processed) and whole grains.

It is really important to eat well not only for weight loss but for your overall health; processed foods are loaded with chemicals and harmful additives.

If you need proof, just look at history: back in the olden days they didn’t eat processed foods, they ate what they grew and could catch, meat and fish was fresh, vegetables and fruit where eaten when they were picked. SUGAR well it was from honey, molasses and cane sugar when available-rarely.

There was barely any obesity especially in children because they did more physical stuff outside than sitting on their butts inside.

I’m "simple" eat good fresh food, move your butt, drink water and lift weights. It’s really that easy!!!!! Kids should be made to be outside running around in most daylight hours. sure everything in moderation, you have to adapt a little to society and technology as that is the way the world is being run BUT we need to beet this "fatty world" we are becoming and we need to take a simple approach and stop paying $$$$$$ for silly quick fixes. It’s a life change to be healthy it takes time, and effort but I guarantee once you have done it you will feel better and be a much happier person.

So I hope I have shed some light on the "clean eating" for you.

Any comments please comment any topics you would like me to address please tell me!

Tash x

Lets talk GOALS.

I often see people fail in their quest's to a healthier and fitter body and mind.

I think it is because they don't have clear or realistic goals. We all read in the magazines Victoria lost 50 kilos on such and such a diet, or Kate lost all her baby weight in 6 days..... bla bla bla !!!
ITS A LIE PEOPLE

So where to start, you want to sit down and think of realistically what you want to achieve,saying i want to loose 10 kilos a week is NOT realistic. What you want to do is make a LIFESTYLE change that you will easily be able to maintain for a long time. If you have kids and have barely any time well don't set your self up to fail by wanting to train everyday.... if you currently eat mainly pasta don't cut it out all together....

So ill give you some examples : i have a 12 mth old baby, iv lost most of my baby weight but am hanging on to maybe 2-3 kilos i don't want.
Exercise: Because i have twin 5 yr old and a 12 mth old I'm going to have to manage my time well, let say i want to make the gym 2 times a week, ill also go riding with the kids (i have a toddler seat on my bike) lets say every day cause that's achievable as my kids ride everyday (even if its around the block its something), id also like to attend yoga 1-2 times a week. if there is a sport or exercise you love to do then do it, you don't want to choose an activity that you are going to hate, i can not run run run on a treadmill and go no where boring!!! but i love to box! so ill be boxing at the gym after my weights.

Diet: as i said i have a family so when cooking i have to think about the eating as well. i also live in a place that meat is very very expensive, so I'm going to up my protein and lower my carb intake.
Lots of salad or steamed veg's with a protein like tuna, chicken, steak and boiled eggs :)
Omelet for breakfast or poached eggs
Have one free day a week usually on the weekend :)

OK so i don't think iv over committed myself - my diet isn't changing a great deal so my goal is a kilo every 3 weeks. which is very achievable I'm in no urgent hurry!

so first thing sit down and wright down goals. not too many ! then look at you goal list and re-write it as follows:
I will loose 1 kilo a month for the next 3 months
I will go to the gym 2 times a week
I will eat healthy
etc etc.
add in any personal goal you may have as well example
I will save $50 a week for my holiday
I will speak only nice words to people
etc etc
I hope i have helped you on where to start.
keep your eyes open - my next blog will be all about breaking down exercise what to do more of to achieve different goals :) happy goal writing

Daily recipe - chcicken salad

OK well i had THE best chicken salad for tea tonight made in my very own kitchen.

Lettuce (of your choice)-not too much maybe 1/2 cup - 1 cup
Cucumber
Capsicum
Tomato

Cheese cubes

Sun dried tomatoes

Sunflower seeds

Black currents

Chick peas

Almond meal

Chicken schnitzel/BBQ chicken
Chop everything up to bit size pieces, layer in you bowl sprinkle the almond meal over not too much!!!

AND ENJOY

Optional Extras:

Capers

chilli's

olives

teaspoon Caesar dressing