Monday 15 October 2012

Running for Beginners


After failing and getting back up many times, I decided to take my weightloss journey more serious. You know when you get to that point that you know you had to make changes.

September 9,2012 was my turning point, Thanks to 3 of my friends. 5 weeks later, I have lost approximately 21.6lbs (9.8kg) I am still far from my goal weight, (I have 15kg) to go. I know I can do it. It's not about how long it takes, but how well I can maintain it.

A friend of mine told me how Running helped her tone up and lose weight and I was so motivated with her pictures that I dusted my running shoes and hit the streets.

As a newbie to running, I found a plan that has been working so far, and hopefully in a few months, I will be Usain Bolt....lol

You can view the plan here

Does anyone run? Any pointers?

Rebirth

Tuesday 9 October 2012

Breakfast Ideas



Healthy breakfast cereals and eggs can be tiring for breakfast and I always assumed there were no healthier options.
However I stumbled on A Blog and found a few healthy recipes to share with you.

Cream Cheese Pancakes



Recipe ingredients:

2 oz cream cheese
2 eggs
1 packet stevia (or any) sweetener
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Put all ingredients in a blender or magic bullet. Blend until smooth. Let rest for 2 minutes so the bubbles can settle. Pour 1/4 of the batter into a hot pan greased with butter or pam spray. Cook for 2 minutes until golden, flip and cook 1 minute on the other side. Repeat with the rest of the batter. Serve with sugar free syrup (or any syrup of your choice) and fresh berries. A surprisingly satisfying substitute for the real thing. Tastes like skinny fried cheesecakes! Even if you aren't watching your carbs these are a delicious departure from the traditional doughy stack of pancakes. And you won't have the sleepy feeling that usually comes afterwards!

Approximate nutrition info per batch: 344 calories, 29g fat, 2.5g net carbs, 17g protein


Low Carb Breakfast Lasagna

Ingredients:

8 eggs, scrambled
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
12 sausage links, fully cooked
12 cream cheese pancakes (unsweetened)

Cover the bottom of an 8 x 8 pan with 4 pancakes, it's ok if they overlap. Put down a layer of scrambled eggs, followed by a layer of cheese. Cover with another 4 pancakes. Add all of the sausage links. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Add last layer of pancakes, followed by scrambled eggs, and the remainder of the cheese. You can use more cheese if you like. Bake or microwave until the cheese is melted. 3 -4 minutes in the microwave or 8 - 10 in the oven at 350 degrees (F). Cut into squares and serve.

Spinach, Goat Cheese & Chorizo Omelette

Ingredients:

4 ounces chorizo sausage
1/2 Tbl butter
4 eggs
1 Tbl water
2 ounces crumbled fresh goat cheese
2 cups baby spinach leaves
sliced avocado (optional)
1/4 cup salsa verde (optional)

Remove chorizo from the casing and fry in a medium saute pan until fully cooked. Meanwhile beat the eggs and water in a small bowl. As a side note, I add the water because as the egg cooks the water turns to steam which helps the egg puff up and get fluffy. Some people like to add milk or cream and you could do that too - totally a matter of personal preference. Take the chorizo out of the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Wipe the pan of the remaining grease with a clean paper towel. Melt the

butter in the same pan over low heat. Add the beaten eggs to the pan, then put the Chorizo, spinach, and crumbled goat cheese on half the egg mixture. Cook on low heat for 3 minutes until slightly firm, then fold the empty side over the side with the filling on it. Cover the pan with foil or a pot cover and leave on low heat for another few minutes until the eggs are cooked through. If your bottom is browning too quickly, turn the stove off and leave the pan covered for up to 10 minutes and the residual heat should "bake" it until the center is fully cooked. Serve with avocado slices and salsa verde. So good you won't even miss the toast or hash browns!


Sweet Potato & Sausage Hash

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato, chopped
3 medium russet or red potatoes, chopped
2 Tbl olive oil
1 tsp ground sage
1 tsp dried thyme
1 lb turkey breakfast sausage
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled & minced
1 Tbl fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt & pepper to taste

Place the potatoes in a bowl and toss with olive oil, sage, dried thyme, salt and pepper. Spread out on a cookie sheet and roast in the oven for about 35 minutes at 375 degrees (f). Turn occasionally with a spatula while roasting. Meanwhile, put the turkey sausage and onions in a large saute pan and cook on medium heat for 5 - 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another few minutes, being careful not to scorch it. Remove from the heat and set aside. When your potatoes are done to your liking, remove them from the oven and add them to your saute pan. Turn the heat to medium high and cook the hash for several minutes - longer if you want it to get really brown and crispy. Remove from the heat and add the fresh thyme leaves. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if necessary. Eat alone or serve with eggs, toast, pancakes or any of your other favorite breakfast foods! And coffee....LOTS of coffee!


(Recipes from I Breathe, I'm Hungry)

Let me know if you try any.

Love and Light....xx

Rebirth!