The Female Athlete
Hi Folks, I recently put a few thoughts to video blog about the female athlete. Having worked with some incredible women athletes, young women athletes, and also women coaches I…
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February 28, 2016
Functional Diagnostic Tests
"Knowledge is the beginning of the journey back to health; I am here to guide you in the application of that knowledge" Andrea I believe in getting to the root…
February 16, 2016
New test available for food allergies
Hi Folks, Just a wee heads up that we are now offering this state of the art diagnostics test for Food Allergies and more. I have been patiently waiting for…
February 16, 2016
Quit making excuses
We tend to forget that heath goals are just as important... if you want to live a life feeling awesome you wont have an excuse.
February 15, 2016
Two Easy Slow Cooked Curries
Hi healthy peeps,
Here are two recent curries made in the Cullen household. They are simple to prepare and don’t have too many scary ingredients and are jammers with vegetarian protein and nourishment.
To save on baby-sitting time I started them on the hob and then finished them off in the oven where no stirring was required and only the odd peak was required to check whether the beans / lentils were expanding at a greater rate than the amount of water added (yes) requiring some adjustments along the way. Beans and lentils can expand a lot when cooking, just so you know!
I don’t often have time to cook curry from scratch and most curry powders and pre-prepared mixes are of good quality (check the labels) so will suffice perfectly well for busy households.
I made a large volume sufficient for several meals, a large family, or freezing. I use a Le Creuset pot; I am sure that this will work equally well in a slow cooker. Avoid buying cheap oven pots as lead leaching from coatings or Teflon coated non-stick pots are also a potential health issue.
I have added my photos but curry is impossible to make look tasty!!
1. Red lentil slow cooker curry
February 13, 2016
Chocolate whey (treat) recovery muffins
I am a firm believer in the power of real food in an athlete’s diet; not only in the main meals but also for recovery. So this means more fish, meat, eggs, root veggies or whole grains and vegetables straight after training. However this is not always possible or appetizing after a long training session.
This is another little number created for my hard in training ironman boyfriend who had a big training day today. They are similar to the coffee-date recovery muffins but higher again in protein; this makes them a super choice for not only endurance athletes but also strength-power athletes. They also work well as an occasional treat for us less active persons given they are far healthier than normal bread, muffins and croissant options.
I have written more on recovery in my other recipe so please click here:
An ideal snack time for these is before or after training. They provide fuel before with the added benefit of protein, and recovery after training. Enjoy!!!
February 13, 2016
I continually invest in my education…
More adventures to the USA......... I have a few beliefs in life; ok a lot! When it comes to education, however, I believe that if I am to help my clients…
February 11, 2016
Stews & Meaty Nourishing Broths
Stews
I am not a trained cook; I grew up in a family of us all having to help in order for the day to be a success between school runs, swimming, sports and music commitments, and home-work. My brothers are skilled cooks also; there was no separation of tasks between boy and girl; everything was equal rights!
So we all learnt to cook in the traditional old-fashioned Protestant way. “Real food” in other words and no fear of fats; until in later years when this was wrongfully drilled into our parents and Flora and Stork margarine then appeared on the scene.
Foods back in the 80’s were more basic, food budgets tighter and the choice of vegetables and fruits more limited. We didn’t suffer for this; it just was what it was, more basic. We enjoyed meat, fish and poultry with vegetables and potatoes, stir-fries were a Saturday night bonding between my dad and I, mum made a spaghetti Bolognese to die for, pasta was rare, and we enjoyed some Irish curries 🙂 loaded with vegetables on rice on occasion.
My vegetarian stint was most likely a major inconvenience to my mother but she rose to the food challenge and we probably all benefitted from new food ideas and a bit more variety.
I now live in a busy house of two self-employed long-working hours persons. My boyfriend and I both train 6 to 7 days a week. We love food, we love home-cooking and we value and appreciate our bodies. You must nourish and fuel well to stay healthy, fit, and strong. It takes a continued and persistent effort to locate, buy and prepare good food and to not get caught out on busy days. As much as we love food, we don’t have time for fancy cooking and recipe book reviews so what gets prepped in this kitchen comes from the heart.
Why stews?
Our busy lives mean that we often enjoy a slow cooked stew; they bring warmth, comfort, nourishment, and multiple health benefits. They also pack up well for lunch and freeze well for a busy day’s meal. Stews are also a light and easily digestible meal and a super choice for weight management.
I am going to detail a few of the recent recipes in our house to hopefully inspire you to see that making a nice stew is quite easy and can be a very economical option.
February 8, 2016
Yum
Coffee-Date recovery muffins
Coffee-Date recovery muffins
This little number was created for my hard in training ironman boyfriend who had a big training day today. The fatigued body and mind demands that several strategies are put in place.
“Endurance training depletes not only muscle and liver fuel stores; but also places stress on antioxidant, electrolyte and pH buffering systems, the nervous system, hormonal system, and obviously also muscle fibres and soft tissues such as tendons and ligaments will be severely stressed.
People often forget that long training runs will negatively impact the gastrointestinal system and the immune system is placed under significant stress.
Recovery takes time, nutrition, and active processes such as warm Epsom salt baths, gentle stretching and for some the use of elevation or compression practices. From what I read the verdict is now less clear on the benefits of ice baths so I do not recommend them.
Aromatherapy oils such as Vibrant Blue oils lymph and inflammation and Young Living oils Pan-Away are also superb to aid recovery; we use these in the clinic in combination with PEMF treatments.
Today’s nutrition recovery thus included protein, healthy fats and some additional carbohydrates before a warm Epsom salts bath. Hydration is also important and I covered this along with several other nutrition goals in the beef rib and vegetable stew that we demolished tonight with garlicky polenta on the side (lots for him less for me as my run was only 1.20 hr and his 3 hours plus).
Recovery will occur over several hours following a long training run so be sure to eat every few hours. Foods with anti-inflammatory effect and an abundance of minerals and antioxidants will be especially beneficial. The stew we ate also contained some healthy fats and glycosaminoglycans to support gastro and soft tissue health. NO JUNK or alcohol if you are serious about your recovery.
Tools:
February 8, 2016