Spring Clean Your Eating

Oh where has this year gone?

With only two months of Spring left, summer is now nearly upon us!!! Before we know it, it’ll be Christmas! Argh (sorry don’t mean to alarm you haha).

The days are slowly becoming longer and warmer, which means more time in the day for exercise, healthy eating and motivation. If your goal is to lose some of that winter coat you enjoyed for those colder months of hibernation (That’s our story and we’re sticking to it!) or to just be healthier, eight weeks is definitely enough time to do so.

To get healthier, fitter or leaner, whatever your goal, know that one thing is key; Nutrition. Once we have that sorted, everything else should follow. Your energy will increase, your belly will de-bloat and you’ll start to get the motivation to move!

Start thinking about cooler, more summery meals like salads, juices, smoothies and fruits, not to mention the occasional family barbecue. We want to eat foods that are light on the stomach but also nourishing and nutritious!

Great summer foods that help to burn fat as well as detoxify the liver include:

* Lettuce * Freshly squeezed lemon,

* Watercress * Grapefruit

* Spinach * Watermelon

* Avocado * Berries

A diet high in sugar, trans fat, sodium and processed carbohydrates all impact the liver by having to process it all. “It takes approximately 21 days for your liver to regenerate completely” and 21 days to make or break a habit, coincidence? I think not!

Excess accumulation of toxins within the tissues of our body is not only the reason of why we get cellulite, but also why we lack energy and experience “brain fog”. Ever wonder why you always seem to want a coffee or some sort of “fake” energy boost around 2:30pm in the afternoon? This is your digestive system trying to process the food already consumed, and could be a tell tail sign of another major issue; dehydration!

By making simple changes to our diet with what we eat and drink can give us the energy we need to enjoy the beautiful weather to come. The better we feel the happier we are and eating healthy doesn’t mean eating boring. I can show you ways to make healthy eating enjoyable that helps you look good and feel great. One of my favourite recipes is my Roast Pumpkin & Watercress Salad.

Ingredients:

¼ Pumpkin – Diced into 2cm cubes

2 cups baby spinach leaves

1 cup of watercress

½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 lebanese cucumber, diced

½ red capsicum, sliced length ways

1 ripe avocado, diced

½ cup grated carrot

½ cup grated beetroot

½ cup walnuts, crumbled

1 tbls balsamic vinegar

2 tbls extra virgin, cold pressed olive oil

½ fresh lemon

Method

Roast diced pumpkin in preheated 180 degree oven for approx. 30 mins or until cooked through, meanwhile mix baby spinach, watercress, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, capsicum, avocado, feta cheese, carrot and beetroot and walnuts in a salad bowl. Once pumpkin is cooked and cooled slightly add to salad, drizzle with balsamic, olive oil and fresh lemon.

Serve with grilled chicken or salmon.