Bikini season is just around the corner and now is the time to get your diet right so you can look your best on the beach! Here are some tips to get you going:

v     Eat small meals throughout the day

Yes, you’ve heard it before, but it cannot be emphasized enough that eating 5 to 6 small meals a day will keep your hunger levels at bay, your energy levels up, your metabolism stoked and your training fuelled. Meals should be spaced between 2.5 and 3 hours apart. Similarly, do not skip any meals, as this will cause your metabolic rate to slow down and your body to be more likely to store fat.

Women have very specific needs and therefore it is important for all women to ensure that they get a variety of nutrients. So, here are the nutrients you need to make sHere are those nutrients, which are particularly important for women:

Calcium

• Prevents osteoporosis and maintenance of bone health
• Found in: Dairy products, tofu, fish with edible bones (e.g. kippers)

Folic acid

• Essential for women of child-bearing age to prevent neurological defects in the child
• Found in: Avocadoes, Green leafy Vegetables

67minutes seems to be the phrase that is on everyone’s mind in July.  So before you think that we going to suggest 67 fruit portions or 67 calories per day, lets puts more emphasis on our health to allow us to take part in the 67minutes for Madiba Day.

67minutes  of exercise on a regular basis.

The health benefits of regular exercise and any physical activity are hard to ignore:

1.       Controls weight

When you exercise or do any form of physical activity you ‘burn’ calories, and the more intense the exercise the more calories you ‘burn’.  This will allow you to prevent excess weight gain or help maintain a healthy weight.

Are you a Baking fan?
You'll be happy to know that you need to give up your favourite hobby. Here are tips for some healthy substitutes for common baking ingredients

Sugar substitute               Unsweetened Pureed Apple

Best with:            Cakes and baked goods. 

How to:                Cut the sugar amount in half by adding the same amount of pureed cooked apple plus an extra 1/3. Eg. If recipe calls for 1 cup sugar, you can use ½ cup sugar and about ¾ Cup pureed apple (½ cup +1/3).  Keep in mind that you will need to cut down the recipe’s main liquid by about ¼ for every cup of apple sauce added.

 See below for a recipe for a pizza base made of cauliflower that still looks like a pizza and tastes just like a pizza. AMAZING!

Ingredients for crust: (Makes about 3 pizza bases)

1 Medium Sized Cauliflower

1 cup Grated Mozzarella Cheese

2 Whisked Eggs

Garlic seasoning, salt and pepper and a bit of Italian herbs.  (Season to your liking)


Directions:

·         Preheat oven to 180C and ‘Spray and Cook’ a baking sheet / pizza pan

·         Put the cauliflower through the grating attachment on a food processor. Resulting in small pieces like grated cheese. (Roughly makes 6cups)

·         Pour ‘riced’ cauliflower into a bowl and add the remaining ingredients

·         Mix together with your hands, making 3 balls. Dough may be ‘wetter’ than normal, don’t be alarmed.

·         Press dough into a circular shape on baking sheet and bake in oven for about 15min.  You can flip the base after this time and bake for a further 15min to get a crispier base.

·         Take it out and add your pizza toppings (Tomato base, pineapple, mushrooms, peppers etc.)

·         Put back in oven to bake ingredients onto pizza

See below for a clip from Lila's appearance on the Dr Mol Show on 31st May 2013

This is a delicious, healthy soup, which will only set you back 1/2 fat and 1/3 milk per serving!

Serves 6
Adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp olive oil
  
• 1 onion, chopped
  
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
  
• 3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
  
• 8 cups broccoli florets

• 3 tablespoons lite margarine
  
• 3 tablespoons cake flour
  
• 2 cups fat-free milk
  
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Kezia introduces us to Meat Free Mondays!

Why Meat Free Mondays (MFM)?

MFM has started as a global movement to encourage people to have one day in the week free of meat.  There are a few factors behind this movement as to encourage those to try it out

1)       The environment – Eating less meat can help minimize the ecological footprint that livestock have on the earth. Less people eating meat will result in less stock breeding therefore less greenhouse gas emissions.  Other ‘livestock’ factors which drain the earth’s resources include vast amounts of water involved in the production of meat, deforestation to make pastures, as well as pesticides, antibiotics accumulation on the earth.

2)       Animals – Meat production has lead to the development of commercial methods of farming.  Ignoring the ‘rights of animals’ as such.

Can’t seem to look at the menu without looking at the dessert section? Have an uncontrollable sweet-tooth? Try these tips from Kezia first:


1.       Begin with fruit

Fruit is naturally sweet.  It’s also packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, but most importantly its low in fat.

Ideas

·         Fruit yoghurt / low fat vanilla yoghurt with fruit added

·         Bananas baked in orange juice, cinnamon and a tsp of honey

·         Poached pears

·         Grilled fruit, especially nectarines, apricots and peaches. (Cut in half, remove the pip. Sprinkle with one tsp brown sugar and place under the grill until sugar has dissolved)

·         BERRIES!!! A 1 and ¼ cup of berries can go a long way.

o        Added to low fat yoghurt

o        Pureed with a splash of orange juice and poured over low fat ice-cream


2.       Eating dessert out tips

·         Order a small portion.  You only need a two to three mouthfuls to satisfy your sweet-tooth

·         Share a dessert between two people

·         Avoiding the biscuit base and only eating the filling


3.       Low fat options

·         Low fat vanilla ice-cream with a sprinkling of cinnamon

·         Low-fat custard

·         Low-fat, low sugar sorbet

·         Low-fat frozen yoghurt

It may be getting colder but in my opinion, it's always the right weather for ice cream!
I have an ice cream machine, which I love to use to make low fat ice creams, but even if you don't have one you can still make your own. This frozen yoghurt is my latest that I've made and it is really lovely, light and refreshing!

Makes approx 2 litres ice cream

1 cup serving =  1 milk + 1/2 fruit + 1/2 starch

Ingredients:

500g watermelon, chopped
1 cup fat-free vanilla yoghurt
375 ml fat-free milk
4 egg yolks
½ cup sugar
30g flour
½ tsp vanilla essence

Method:

1. Scald the milk until almost boiling point. 
2. Beat sugar, egg yolks and flour until light and creamy. 
3. Add the milk to the egg mixture then return it to the saucepan and bring to boil, stirring continuously to form a custard. 
4. When thick remove from the heat, add vanilla and set aside to cool to room temperature
5. Blend the watermelon using a food processor or stick blender and then push through a sieve to remove seeds
6. Mix the watermelon puree and the yoghurt into the mixture
7. If you have an ice cream machine put it into the machine and churn as per manufacturer’s instructions.

If you don’t have an ice cream machine, pour the ice cream mixture in a shallow dish and place in the freezer. Then stir the mixture every 30 min and place back in the freezer. Repeat this stirring and freezing process 4 times. Alternatively, click here for more ways to make ice cream without a machine.