Thursday 27 November 2014

What I Ate Wednesday

What I eat in a day varies whether I've got school or if I'm training etc. On this particular day I stayed at home. 





Breakfast;


Every morning I drink water before eating, it's important to hydrate your body after sleep. It also can boost your metabolism by 24%! Click here for a review on my favourite water bottle tracker. Today I had oatmeal with sliced bananas, desiccated coconut, chia seeds and almonds. 

Pre-workout;


Three multigrain rice cakes with peanut butter and chia seeds.

Post-workout;


Chocolate protein powder, banana and almond milk smoothie.

Lunch;


Chicken and ham salad (lemon & honey as dressing) sprinkled with chia seeds.

Dinner;


Brown rice with soy sauce, salmon and vegetables.

Drinks;


Throughout the day I consumed water and green tea.

What did you eat today? Did you enjoy this post? 

"I like food. I like eating. And I don't want to deprive myself of good food."
- Sarah Michelle Gellar


Thursday 20 November 2014

Can Certain Foods Prevent Cancer?

I decided to take part in the Prostate Cancer Awareness Month (November) Campaign by informing you on the implications of the foods that we consume daily. I decided to interview an expert meet Megan Roosevelt, a Registered Dietitian.





  • People say the foods we eat and how we cook them is linked to certain cancers, is that true?
According to the National Cancer Institute (also known as cancer.gov) cooking certain foods such as meat (beef, pork, fish, poultry) at high temperatures produces chemicals known as Heteroclycic Amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The National Cancer Institute states that, “HCAs and PAHs have been found to be mutagenic—that is, they cause changes in DNA that may increase the risk of cancer.”

  • What are the foods we should be avoiding?


To start, I definitely recommend that we avoid all artificial ingredients for example, artificial sweeteners. Also eliminate and reduce the intake of processed foods and increase intake of real, whole & plant-based foods.

  • What foods can we eat to prevent certain cancers?


According to research studies by Dr. T. Colin Campbell as found in his book "The China Study", eating a plant-based diet can help prevent the growth & development of cancer. Be sure to check out my interview with Megan on her plant- based diet here.





  • With the change in weather, what should we be eating to prevent illness/flu?

Foods high in antioxidants will help boost the immune system so eating more fresh fruits and vegetables also reducing intake of foods made with added sugars and or foods lacking in nutritional value is smart. A few foods that contain antioxidants such as vitamin C include sweet potatoes, broccoli, bell peppers, oranges & lemons.

  • Do you have any further comments on this topic?

Eat real food and always be learning!


Thank you Megan for informative interviews! 

References:


BIO:

Megan Roosevelt is a plant-based Registered and Licensed Dietitian as well as the founder and CEO of healthygrocerygirl.com. She is an author, web TV host, producer and regular nutrition expert for magazines as well as local and national television. Healthy Grocery Girl® provides nutrition services and multi-media resources that help individuals and families shop, cook and eat healthy including the Healthy Grocery Girl® Nutrition Plan and Online Community and the "Healthy Grocery Girl® Show", a free weekly online cooking and healthy lifestyle show.

Megan Roosevelt, RD, LD
Founder l CEO at Healthy Grocery Girl LLC

NEW! Nutrition Plan and Online Community  

"The best time to plant a tree was 10 years ago, the second best time to plant a tree is now" -Chinese Proverb


Thursday 13 November 2014

Run in the Dark

On the 12th of November me along with 7,100+ Dublin folks ran either a 5k or 10k run for Mark PollockUnbroken by blindness at 22, he competed in ultra endurance races across deserts, mountains, and the polar ice caps including an epic 2 month expedition race to the South Pole. He won silver and bronze rowing in the Commonwealth Games. In July 2010 the challenge chose Mark. A tragic fall left him paralysed. Now Mark is living his own lessons, a pioneer exploring the frontiers of spinal cord injury recovery. 

I did the 5k!

Last year he spoke at my school and was incredibly inspiring. I participated in the run last year and decided to do it again. I ran with my school over 400+ students and teachers. The best part about the Run in the Dark is the atmosphere. People from all different ages and abilities taking part in the same event. The run takes place in a lot of cities eg. Austin, San Diego, London, Paris, Los Angeles, Kong, Capetown, Dubai etc. Click here for Mark's appreciation. 

I strongly urge you to participate in any race near you. Doing independent exercise is quite hard to stay motivated but when you participate in events like this, you feel like you can conquer the world! The goody bag was great at the end too. I'm definitely looking into the Darkness into Light and The Colour Run

Mark also has a film called "Unbreakable". 


Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try againFail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett



Thursday 6 November 2014

Healthy No-Bake Protein Balls Recipe

This ball of energy is the easiest recipe that is high in fibre and protein! It makes the perfect pre or post workout snack you can also have it on the go. 



I made five large sized protein balls.

You will need;
  1. Oats
  2. Peanut butter
  3. 1 scoop of protein powder
  4. Milk of your choice
  5. Chia seeds click here for benefits
  6. Dried fruit 
  7. Nuts of your choice 
  8. Desiccated coconut (for coating) 
Mix all the ingredients adding the milk slowly. If it's too wet add more dry ingredients and vice versa. Wet your hands to prevent sticking. Roll into a ball and coat with coconut. Refrigerate or freeze!  


                            "Eat clean to train mean to get lean" - Jenny Olatunji