Here is a short but important message about parsley.

It’s a great and super nutritious herb. Always remember though that parsley is a herb and therefore should be eaten in small quantities only.

In small amounts parsley is a great addition to our menu:

• Parsley is not only known to prevent those nasty degenerative diseases that we all hate so much.
• Parsley also helps our body to get rid of excess salts that are harmful to our body.

(Maybe chips should be served with parsley to help eliminate the large amounts of salt that come with it. Not that I support chips at all but the parsley may reduce at least one of the notorious health problems that come with eating chips.)

• Parsley is especially well known to be a great help to reduce high blood pressure.

Tip: Add some Tabouli to your dishes every now and then.

Important: Because it’s highly loaded with potassium and other minerals be careful with having parsley during pregnancy or especially if you have kidney problems. 

Enjoy all the benefits of parsley – in small amounts!

Sandy

This one serves 2 (you may want to get some candles out …)

… and don’t worry it’s not as complicated as I thought.

Ingredients:

• 250g wholemeal pasta (cook as per instruction)
• 1 medium broccoli (wash, cut , cook or steam for 6 mins then drain)
• 2 stems celery (wash and slice)
• 12 cherry tomatoes (wash cut in quarters)
• A few black olives

Dressing

• 2 Tbl sp Tahini
• 2 Tea sp mustard
• 2Tbl sp olive oil
• 2 Tbl spoon water
• 2 tea spoon crushed garlic
• Fresh lemon juice
• Ground pepper for taste

Mix Dressing

Mix all in a large bowl, divide the lot into 2 portions and enjoy.

Tip: Prepare a tasty and low calorie desert to finish off your meal. Serve some strawberries or other fruits in a bowl sprinkled with shredded coconut.

Enjoy

Sandy

Have you tried last weeks healthy and low calorie crumpet option yet? If not – now it’s the time.

Celery is not only good on crumpets, it is also a great addition to salads and … it is really good for our body.

Why? Read on:

• Celery contains many important minerals, especially those ones that are important for the health of our eyes.
• Celery is known to help lower high blood pressure and to thin out our blood and therefore helps protects us from strokes.
• Celery is known to inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
• Celery eaten raw on hot days protects against cramps.
• Celery is even known to be beneficial for rheumatoid arthritis.

Is it a great idea to have a celery crumpet every now and then or have some celery in your big bowl of salad?

Tip: Please everyone – have lots of vegies and big salads but have them instead of your burger or other calorie loaded meals – not on top of it.  

Have a great day

Sandy

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Have you ever turned a crumpet into a healthy, slimming and low fat alternative?

Crumpets can be a great breakfast, snack or even a brilliant and simple entrée.

Get creative! This is only one option for you to choose …

Important here is:

• Choose wholemeal crumpets they are available everywhere these days and taste great
• Don’t burn them like I do (ups, it happens, doesn’t it?)

Next step is:

• Take some celery. Use the leaves from the top of the stem and wash them thoroughly
• Take a cucumber. Wash and cut off some slices to use
• We Australians love our Vegemite. Why not add some on you cooked crumpet. Just be aware that it contains lots of salt so please don’t overdo your Vegemite. Alternatively you can use a bit of Tahini.
• Add your cucumber and celery on top and …
• DONE!

Can it be any simpler?

Enjoy – and check out my next weeks blog to find out why celery is some great stuff that you don’t want to miss in your diet.

Sandy

With Mother’s Day coming up very soon, I think I’m not the only one who finds signs for pralines, chocolates and other “sweet gift” wherever I go. - Why not give a better gift?

How about showing your mum that you really care? How about a gift that is truly appreciated? How about the gift of ‘time’?

Why not take your mum out for a great day instead of just buying pralines or chocolates. Why not take her on a walk, see the ocean, the country a beautiful lake or just a wonderful park nearby.

Take her on a day out, a nice walk and spend some time together. I can’t think of any better present.

Why not have a fresh fruit salad instead of the usual, much too often ‘cream soaked’ cake?

Please everyone, take care of your (and your mum’s) body. It’s worth it!

I love you mum

Sandy

 SOMETIMES it seems like the last thing the world needs is yet another book about how to lose weight Yet, there is something undeniably honest about Bröcking’s memoir in which she puts forward some interesting theories and anecdotes, such as her decision to “stop being fooled by the dairy industry” and “put the yoghurts back on the shelves.” According to Bröcking, her bad eczema disappeared not long after.

How many of you think exactly that? How many of you step on the scales every day and get obsessed about a few grams more or less each day?

Don’t! Don’t go and weigh yourself every day. Our bodydoes have natural changes in weight that go a bit up and down on a regular basis.

More important than stepping on the scales every day is to keep your goal in mind and act on it.

Chose a healthy diet and remember:  Many products we eat these days are not as healthy as we think and as we get told, and many of these products simply make us gain weight.

A physically answer to the ‘broken scale’ effect can be that a kilo of fat weighs the same as a kilo of muscle. Therefore if you have done some good workouts and lost some fat but you may have increased your muscles. That might be the answer to some added kilos on your scales. (In this case it’s good kilos!)

Fat is much more bulky and is taking much more space than muscle. Therefore, if you exercise regularly it is possible that you don’t lose any weight one week, but your pants will feel loser because your body still loses fat. Sometimes using body measurements is much a better option.

Tip:

Use your scales once a week but don’t get obsessed with it. Make sure you focus on your goal and how to get there. Set yourself 2 important points and adjust them as needed on your weight loss journey.

1. The weight you want to be. Focus on it! Do everything you can in whatever healthy way to get there.
2. The number you do not want to cross. Set yourself a number that you do not want to go above. Adjust this number accordingly on your journey. The more weight you lose the smaller this number should be.

If you get close to the second number you know that you want to work even harder to get back on track.

Good Luck

Sandy

We always here that if you want to lose weight or have a healthy diet you’re not allowed to eat pizza. I think that’s totally wrong.

Here is a great recipe for an absolute fantastic, low calorie, low fat, healthy and slimming pizza.

How does it work:

• Use a large pizza base (wholemeal base preferred if available)
• Add:
  • Standard tomato base
  • Mushrooms
  • Onions
  • Pineapple
  • Fresh tomatoes (washed and sliced)
  • Olives
  • Eggplant or Zucchini
  • Baby-Spinach (on top)
  • Use standard cooking times

Important: Do not add cheese on top. Cheese just adds plenty fat to your meal and makes you overweight. Cheese also takes away the great flavours of your vegies. 

Tip:

You can always use a standard vegetarian pizza and add the above shown ingredients either at the restaurant or (cooked or steamed for 5-6 mins) at home.

Enjoy a low calorie pizza that is good for you and for your body.

Be surprised – it tastes great!

Sandy

To answer your question: Yes! The books are available at Dymocks Burwood. If you can’t find them, please ask the friendly staff members and I’m sure they will help you.

As mentioned at the talk I will be holding another talk at Canterbury Libraries later on this year so keep your eyes open to invite your friends along.

Remember:

It is quite difficult to avoid ‘bad’ and unhealthy fats completely – but avoiding them ‘as much as you can’ is very simple!

Have a great day

Sandy

Here are a few tips that can help you:

• If you feel hungry: Think about other reason that might make you think you are hungry. Have some water – you might be thirsty. Brush your teeth – that gets rid of some taste that might make you hungry. Have a nap – you might be tired. You might just be bored: Clean up your desk or your kitchen. Do some gardening or go for a walk. Make a list of ‘things to do’ when you get the ‘hunger’ feeling.
• If you lack willpower: Think about the reason why you want to lose weight and write them down. If you have indulged don’t be upset. Accept it (we all have set backs), learn from the experience and do it better next time.
• If you can’t lose weight: Think about what you actually eat, especially think about all those little snacks and drinks between your meals. Write them down if you can. Try it if only for a few days (I know how annoying this task can be). The snacks and drinks we have between meals can sometimes add even more fat to our tummies than the main meals. If you need a snack – choose a healthy one like a salad or some fruits and choose water as your preferred drink if you are thirsty.
• If you think you have a slow metabolism: There are many ways to increase your metabolism. Do exercise! Walk, cycle, leave your car at home or park it some blocks away and walk to work. Go to the gym! Do some exercise that make you feel good. Do something you like: Dancing, Table-tennis, swimming or aqua gym and there are many more options to choose from.
• If you think you are too busy to do exercise: Remember that the most important thing in our life is our body! It’s our body that sticks with us our entire life and it’s mostly up on us how well we keep it functioning! Take every opportunity to exercise. Start with walking up the stairs instead of taking the lift and walk to the shops instead of taking the car or the bus.

Take care of your body – it’s worth it!

Sandy