Thursday 10 April 2014

Instant and unbelievable clean banana and blueberry ice cream (can be made as a protein treat)

One of the main things people always ask is how to I get treats into my diet when I eat clean and have such a high protein intake.


Well from the posts from the last week I hope you can see I deny myself nothing, chocolate mousse, pancakes with stewed cinnamon apples and nut butter. ALL CLEAN.


This is another one of my favourites. Instant clean ice cream. Sugar and dairy free..


I say instant it requires two things, a little patience in the prep department and a bloody good food processor (magimix or similar)


You can make this without the blueberries, infact use any fruits, but you need bananas as the base as that's what makes this so incredibly creamy.


I have this for breakfast or after the gym to replenish my glycogen stores.  The health benefits of bananas is crazy and everyone knows that blueberries are a superfood.


Ingredients
makes 1 medium sized bowl or two small bowls.
2 bananas sliced
1 handful of blueberries or any other  berries (optional)
50mls almond milk (less if you don't add protein)
1 scoop of natural whey protein in vanilla, blueberry or banana (leave out if you aren't on a high protein diet)
for toppings:
chai, ground flax (linseed) goji berries, coconut oil, more blueberries. Whatever you want as long as its clean.


Method
place the bananas and blueberries on a baking tray and freeze until solid (a few hours or overnight, do it before you go to bed that's what I do)
once frozen immediately add to a food processor and blend, you might need to scrape down to get everything mixed evenly.
trickle in protein and the almond milk until the perfect soft scoop consistency is reached.
Decant and eat immediately. This is no good re-frozen.
Top with your chosen toppings and enjoy immediately.



Four utterly delicious and clean salads

So as you all know im an avid fan of meal prep. Most of my meals I prepare in advance because im so busy. The below four salads are great to grab on the go in Tupperware usually paired with protein of some sort. The flavours are bursting and fresh. Salad no longer means a bit iceberg and a slice of tomato. These are inspired from all over the world and contain only fresh, raw, clean ingredients.
 
The four salads are:
 
  • Moroccan inspired carrot salad
  • South American guacamole
  • Slow roast squash, feta and spinach salad
  • Superfood rainbow quinoa salad
 
I haven't given methods because making a salad is pretty self explanatory, just throw all the ingredients into one.  All salads serve 3 large (heaped palm sized) or 4 smaller portions.
 
Moroccan inspired carrot salad.
This goes great with marinated meats, its so fresh and delicious while packing lots of vitamins, minerals and superfoods from the pomegranate and chai.
 
Ingredients
2 grated carrots
1/2 red pepper finely sliced
2 grated or finely sliced radishes
1 small bunch of coriander or mint finely chopped
1/2 pomegranate (seeds only, get them out by bashing the back of the pom with a spoon)
juice of 1 lemon
small lick of extra virgin olive oil
2tsp toasted sesame seeds
2tsp toasted cumin seeds
sprinkling of chai seeds
salt and pepper
 
South American guacamole
packed full of good fats I enjoy this for breakfast with an egg white omelette before the gym.  Also great on rye bread for a snack.
 
Ingredients
1 large or 2 small very ripe avocados chopped chunky
1/2 red onion very finely diced
a handful of cherry tomatoes quartered
1 small bunch of parsley or coriander
1 chilli finely chopped
juice of 2 limes
salt and pepper
 
Slow roast squash, feta and spinach salad
This is simply delicious, especially when the garlic slow roasts with the squash and you can mush it up and add it to the salad. Pure comfort food, packed full of low glycemic (good) carbs, protein from the feta and iron from the spinach
 
Ingredients
1 small organic squash, I get the Tesco finest ones, cant remember what the bloody hell they are called by my god they are good, look like a normal squash but have a name beginning with a P and are a dark orange.. don't bother peeling the squash, do that after its roasted because its easier, chop into quarters and roast the squash in coconut oil, salt, pepper for 1 hour on medium until tender and slightly charred (I start it off high for 20 minutes then turn it down low) Once cooked scoop the flesh and chop roughly.
1/2 bag baby spinach
1/2 pack feta cheese (make sure its feta not the low fat and not the greek style)
2tbsp pine nuts toasted
2tbsp pumpkin seeds
optional:
1 stick of celery chopped
1/2 red pepper chopped
a handful of sugar snap peas chopped
 
Superfood quinoa salad
This is my staple salad, I always have a bowl of this in the fridge, it goes with absolutely everything and is also substantial on its own. This salad is also a great protein source for veggies. make sure all your veg is finely chopped for this, you can have it chunky if you want but it has a better overall texture if its a very fine dice.

 
Igredients
1/2 cup quinoa cooked as per pack instructions
1/2 can of black eyed beans drained (don't cook them)
1 stick of celery finely chopped
A small handful of cherry tomatoes finely chopped
1/2 a pepper finely chopped
1/4 bag of finely sliced baby spinach
A few florets of very finely chopped broccoli (raw so cut it small)
1/2 pomegranate seeds (see above tip)
juice of 1 lemon
small lick of extra virgin olive oil
 
1tbsp each of
chai seeds
pumpkin seeds
flax (linseed)
toasted pine nuts
toasted peanuts, almonds or cashews (not the salted ones)
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 











Sunday 6 April 2014

Clean pancakes / protein pancakes

I eat these once a day, they are a great way for my to hit my protein macros/targets.
If you aren't on a high protein diet just leave the protein powder out, you don't need to amend the recipe, simply leave it out and they will still be banging. These are thick American style pancakes around 3 inches in diameter each.
 
Ive included a few variations which I love, so much choice and its all clean!
 
Ingredients:
makes 3 small
1 banana
1 scoop of vanilla protein powder  (you can use other flavours but they might taste different)
1 egg
coconut oil for frying
 
Method:
simply blend all three together, so simple its unreal.
heat coconut oil and fry tablespoons of the batter over a medium heat for around 2 minutes per side.
my favourite topping is simple cinnamon, pure maple syrup, a couple of raw almonds and ground flax (also known as linseed) and a sprinkle of chai seed.
 
Variations:
  • berries and raisins, you can have them raw or softened in a pan in a little coconut oil.
  • cook 1 chopped apple in a little pure maple syrup and cinnamon until soft for apple pie pancakes.
  • melt 1tsp of coconut oil, raw cacao and a dash of almond milk together for a clean chocolate sauce.
  • top pancakes with Greek yogurt, chai, poppy, pumpkin and linseed/flax
  • top with 1tsp of natural peanut butter
  • plumbs softened in a pan in cinnamon and a little honey
  • use pancakes to stack Greek yogurt and strawberries for a kind of shortcake stack of pancakes
 
 
 


Delicious baked coconut and blueberry oatmeal

One of the most delicious breakfasts I make is my gluten free baked oatmeal. Gooey, naturally sweet and soft, I eat this at all times of the day not just for breakfast. If like me you are on a high protein diet then add a scoop of your favourite protein powder ensuring it does not contain sucralose which is a nasty sweetener.




You're probably wondering why the hell am I telling you to bake the oatmeal when you can just do it in a pan or have overnight oats (see other recipe posting) well you can use this recipe for all three of those methods. The only reason I sometimes bake my oats is because it yields a different texture and I get bored of eating the same thing with the same texture every day. So sometimes I have baked, which is gooey and warm, sometimes I have regular oats in a pan which is quick and tasty, then sometimes I have overnight oats which are raw, cold, thick and delicious, packed with flavour.  Variety is the spice of life afterall..





Ingredients
Serves 1:
1/2 cup of gluten free oats
¼ cup boiling water
Small handful of blueberries
 1 small ripe banana
1/4 a cup of coconut milk
1tbsp desiccated coconut (no added sweetner)
1tbsp of pure maple syrup (optional)
To serve (optional)
1tsp Ground linseed/flax
1tsp Chai
1tbsp greek yogurt



Method
Start by pre-heating the oven to 190C. gas mark 5.
Place the oats in a bowl and cover them with boiling water, soak for ten minutes.
Chop the banana into slices
Once the water has been absorbed and the oats are soft stir in most of the chopped banana, most of the blueberries, milk and maple syrup if using.
Pop the mix into a small individual baking dish. Top with the remaining banana, a few reserved blueberries, the coconut and bake for 20 minutes, until the top has slightly browned. Top with serving ideas or eat as it is.



My ultimate clean eating shopping list

Ive been asked to compile a list of my store cupboard and fridge favourites when it comes to clean eating.  When I first started to eat clean about a year ago I really didn't know what it meant, I researched myself and slowly I got the hang of it, its not hard and you can eat almost anything you crave as long as you substitute. this is my shopping which I get every week its costs me around £40 but that's just for me. It does for all the stuff for my juicing too as I have one or two juices a day.




My eat clean diet is basically as whole and natural as possible. I want to look at my plate and see food that pretty much looks like how it came from the earth. (ie. donuts don’t grow on trees…so that’s not clean.) Eating clean makes me feel energetic, my body responds well to it, and it keeps me full! I try to fill my plate with mostly lean proteins, veg and then some good low glycemic carbs like sweet potato or brown rice. This is a balanced and very healthy meal that will surely cleanse your system. Most important thing too is to try and get at least 2 litres of water a day.




Vegetables:
Kale
Spinach
Brocolli
Carrots
Apples
Beetroot
lime
ginger
lemons
cucumber
celery
avocados
tomatoes
bananas
blueberries
strawberries
raspberries
squash


Protein:
salmon
chicken
tinned tuna
eggs


Dairy:
greek yogurt (the expensive total stuff not the greek style)
almond milk
cottage cheese


Grains/good carbs and beans:
Oats
black beans
quinoa
brown rice
sweet potatoe
chicpeas


Fats and Oils:
almonds
sunflower seeds
pumpkin seeds
chai seeds
poppy seeds
golden linseed (also known as flax)
coconut oil
natural peanut butter
extra virgin olive oil
raw honey
pure maple syrup











Wednesday 19 March 2014

My exercise regime

I get a lot of emails, tweets, messages and comments about my exercise regime and what I have been doing over the last 14 months so I thought I would blog it to share.  As with the introduction to clean eating blog post please note I am NOT an expert, I have no qualifications in this subject so if you prolapse a bowel doing a squat you cant sue me and take my dog and vinyl.


This is just what has worked for me, and remember I have done it with the help and guidance of a personal trainer Steven Shaw.


OK so when I first started in Jan 2013 Steven was doing a bootcamp, three hourly sessions a week where we did high intensity circuit traning. what the hell is that?


Well its a selection of full body exercises you do for a set amount of time then have a rest and move on. so for example, when I first started we used to do 30 seconds on an exercise and 30 seconds rest, there was about 10 exercises in the circuit working the whole body, after all 10 exercises are performed we got a 2 minute rest then we did it all again, we performed the whole circuit 3-4 times in the hour.. 


As I progressed through the weeks this was moved upto 40 seconds on and 20 seconds off, and then sometimes 50 seconds on 10 seconds off. those are the hardest because ten seconds only allows you enough time to get to the next station to perform your next exercise. This is also known as circuit training and if you google it you'll get loads of programmes, if your stuck on any of the exercises and don't know what they are just whack them on youtube and they'll come up with how to do them.


So we did this for a month or two and I think I lost around half a stone and several inches, I then began to have one on ones with Steve where we did harder stuff like cross fit training and pyramids.


crossfit is where you get a time, e.g 10 minutes, and some exercises, eg10 pull ups, 10 squats, 10 burpees. The aim is to complete the exercises as many times as you can in the ten minutes, so you do 10 pull ups, straight onto squats, straight onto burpees, straight back into pull ups, until the 10 minutes is up no rest. SOOO HARD. again google crossfit programme for more info and exercises you can do.


pyramids was my worst nightmare, literally had me crying. Steve worked around a giant tractor style tyre and we had around 5 exercises to do, for example, jump squats on the tyre, flips of the tyre, press ups on the tyre, sledgehammers and these squat walking type things where you walk around the tyre in a low squat which bloody kill the thighs. Anyway each exercise is performed 2 times, then 4 times, then 6 times, then 8 times, then 10 times (by which time you want to die) but then the good part comes and you work your way back down the numbers, so after 10 times you do it all 8 times, then 6 times, then 4 times then 2 times then you're done) These were always high intensity 30 minute personal training sessions which work you so hard with the full body.


Ok so then around May time Steve introduced my absolute favourite of all exercise and fitness WEIGHTLIFTING, we started off small with squats, clean and press, shoulder press, deadlifts, bent over rows and bench presses. Steve started me nice and light ensuring I got my technique perfect and felt comfortable and safe.  I remember my first squat was 15k just the bar basically with no weights on. Same with bench, I was doing 15k only.


I think we did around 1 weights session a week, sometimes in group (which I still attended) and sometimes in one to one sessions.


I also joined a local gym and started doing weights myself using what Steve had shown me.


slowly over the months I got my weights up and now I can bench around 46k (one rep max) or i can bench 37k comfortably (10 reps /4 times) My squat has gone from 15k to an unbelievable 127k (one rep max) Deadlifts are around the 80k mark too. I can also leg press with six 25k plates plus the machine.


Don't take my weights as a guide, please remember ive been doing this almost a year and I do it nearly every day.


Which leads me onto my final chapter... my exercise regime now.


Well ive taken on board everything Steve taught me over the last 14 months and now I do my own fitness regime.


I train 5 times a week, usually during the day as im self employed.


I do three weights sessions, focusing on chest and back muscles in one session, legs in another session and arms and shoulders in my final session. Each session lasts around 1 hour and I always finish with 20 minutes focusing on my core. I also do two cardio style sessions (although Steve will kill me for calling it cardio haha)


In these sessions I do one of the above mentioned, either intervals,  crossfit, or pyramid, or sometimes I swim, I can do 800m in around 25 minutes breaststroke. Its really hard doing cardio on my own as I benefited so much having someone to push me. Sometimes if ive done my 2,4,6,8 on a pyramid and im knackered i'll cheat and miss the 10's and go straight back to 8,6,4,2 ha!!


Id rather suffer the pain of discipline than the pain of regret though so I try and complete whatever I have set myself.


SOOOO why the hell have I bothered....


I cant begin to tell you how much my fitness has improved, when I started this I couldn't swim a length without getting out of breath, now I do 40 lengths (which is my 800m) without stopping.  I can jog longer, sprint faster, im stronger, leaner and to top it all off ive shed 30lb of pure fat. Ive also gained 10lb lean muscle, so overall im around 20lb down on the scales.


I hope you've enjoyed reading, any questions drop me a comment and i'll reply when I can. Like ive said, im not saying any of this is right or wrong it just works for me, my advice, get a personal trainer, even if its just for a month.  If you cant afford one join a local bootcamp.


I don't have any goals really, im happy with my weight, im healthy and my body fat is decent. I just want to continue getting fitter with more muscle tone.



Chocolate raspberry fondant




Got three minutes to spare? Great that’s all you'll need to cook this delicious clean protein packed chocolate fondant.. If you don’t have a microwave it’ll take a little longer in the oven sorry (try 12 minutes on 190)


Ingredients: 

Makes  2, I cook one and chill one to cook another time as it keeps in the fridge for a few days.

2 scoops protein powder

2tbsp raw cacao or 30g 85% organic chocolate which will need to be melted

1tbsp coconut oil melted

A small handful of raspberries

1 tbsp natural peanut butter (smooth is best for this recipe)

2 tablespoons each of almond milk, strong freshly brewed coffee and water (as long as you have six spoons of liquid it doesn’t matter what you use)

1tsp natural vanilla extract for flavour if you have it, if not leave out

 

Method:

Easy as pie, mix all ingredients together, pop into two ramekins, cover and put one in the fridge, whack the other one in the microwave for 1 minute, TADA, done!

Serve with Greek yogurt (the proper stuff not the “greek style” and eat hot/warm, goes a bit stodgy when cold.

 

If your cooking two at a time you’ll need to microwave for longer, maybe 20 seconds longer.

 

Tuesday 18 March 2014

Clean protein chocolate mousse

This can be eaten as a stand alone dessert, or it can be used as a kind of cheesecake topping for other cakes. its especially good on the protein brownies / chocolate cake recipe leave out the protein if you wish.


This torte contains no butter, sugar, eggs or flour.  You won’t believe how creamy and rich it is and the best bit is it literally takes minutes to make.  The avocados add a beautiful creaminess to the torte and I promise you can’t taste them.



Ingredients
makes 2 pots, or enough to cover an 8 inch cake
100g 85% cocoa chocolate, melted
1 scoop of chocolate whey protein OR 2tbsp raw cacao powder (if you use protein don't use cacao)
2 small ripe avocados, flesh scooped out
75mls maple syrup or raw honey


1tbsp natural organic peanut butter

 

Method

Nice and easy this one, just add all the ingredients (except the melted chocolate) to a food processor and blend together, when smooth add the chocolate and again blend.

Keep refrigerated and it will last 5 days no problem. it will firm up a little once chilled so remove from the fridge around 20 minutes before eating.


 







Protein Brownies / chocolate cake

One of the things I enjoy most is something sweet after ive eaten. Being on both a clean eating and high protein nutritional programme I wanted to come up with something which satisfied my sweet tooth, fulfilled some of my protein quota, whilst being sugar, wheat and dairy free. I came up with this recipe using black beans which are high in plant based protein. So now I can have guilt free desert, perfect post gym, they double up as a protein bar. You can make this into one large cake and use the chocolate mousse (separate recipe in this section) to fill the cake for a totally clean chocolate fudge cake.


I put all the ingredients into my fitness pal app which I recommend getting if you don't have it. and if you cut these into 10 they are 78 calories and 6g protein each.






Chocolate brownie protein bar

10 bars

1 tin drained black beans
3 tbsp raw cacao or 50g of melted 85% cocoa chocolate
7 tbsp chocolate protein powder (45g)
Pinch of salt
75g pure maple syrup  or raw honey
coconut oil (35g) melted
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract (optional)
1/2 tsp baking powder


Method: preheat the oven to gas mark 4 (180) or lower for fan. grease and line a small 7 inch square tin (they'll be thinner if you use a larger tin, or you can double the recipe, use a larger tin and freeze some)


Simply blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth, spoon into the prepared tin and bake for 15 minutes, they will be slightly firm but will firm up more once cooled, a bit like a sponge cake when cooked.


cut and keep in the fridge in an airtight container.


top with coconut oil and natural peanut butter, top with the  clean chocolate mousse frosting (separate recipe) or eat on its own.










An introduction to protein treats and clean eats

Hello, thanks for reading. If you've been following me for a while you'll know since January 2013 ive been on a bit of a body transformation. Nothing to drastic just getting more healthy, stripping body fat and gaining muscle. I am in no way an expert, infact ive done it with the help and support of a personal trainer.


The recipes and methods in this section have worked for me, but they might not for you. Like I said im no expert and I would always recommend speaking to a professional before starting any big exercise change. Besides, most PT;s will give you a free session to see if you like it.


Eating clean, what the hell does it mean, well if your my mate Ryan Tindle eating clean is throwing domestos on your Kebab in Kentish Town in the early hours of Sunday morning.


The soul of clean eating is consuming food in its most natural state, or as close to it as possible. It is not a diet. NO preservatives. NO chemicals. NO processed foods.


Once you've read the notes below (taken from clean eating magazine and edited by me) have a look at the recipes in the section. Bear in mind though my goal is to put all this into my second book so feel free to print off and use but please don't publish anywhere else online.


SOOOO.....


Theres a really good list of clean eating shopping list essentials HERE


rules I follow:




Eat five to six times a day
Three meals and two to three small snacks. Include a lean protein, plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, and a complex carbohydrate with each meal. This keeps your body energized and burning calories efficiently all day long..
Get label savvy
Clean foods contain just one or two ingredients. Any product with a long ingredient list is human-made and not considered clean.
Avoid processed and refined foods
This includes white flour, sugar, bread and pasta. Enjoy complex carbs such as whole grains instead.
Know thy enemies
Steer clear of anything high in saturated and trans fats, anything fried or anything high in sugar.
Consume healthy fats
Try to have essential fatty acids, or EFAs, every day. Such as avocados and coconut oil
Meal Preperation
 A big part of my routine, i'll make a batch of protein brownies which will last me a week and can be eaten in various forms. I'll also roast a chicken on a Monday and it will last me until Thursday with various sides.