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Monday 28 November 2016

BROCCOLI, CHICKEN & BEAN THROW TOGETHER SALAD



This recipe is loosely based on one I found in a 'Recipes' magazine recently - for only $2.99 these magazines are packed with amazing recipes and ideas. You can really add whatever you have in your pantry and fridge and throw it all together to make this superfood salad. I have listed two different recipes that I used in the last two weeks with slightly different ingredients, both delicious and both so simple! I can already tell that this is going to be my go-to recipe for summer, as its light, fresh and healthy! 


First Recipe: Broccoli, Pumpkin & Chickpeas 

Ingredients

  • 2 x chicken breast fillets (400-500g), even sized 
  • 2 broccoli heads, cut into small even florets and stalk finely chopped
  • 600g pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and cut into thin slices
  • 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, rinsed & drained 
  • 2 tablespoons rice bran oil 
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • 1/4 cup roasted almonds, halved
  • 1-2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
  • 1-2 tablespoons pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
  • Optional- 1/2 - 3/4 cup fresh herbs- finely chopped parsley, basil, coriander, green onion, etc. 
  • 2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce 

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan forced oven to 200 degrees celsius. 

2. Place the chicken breasts in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, covered, then simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the stove and let the saucepan stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove the poached chicken from the pan and leave to cool for a few minutes before shredding. 

3. Meanwhile, combine the broccoli, pumpkin and chickpeas in a large bowl. Drizzle in the oil and add a pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper. Toss well to combine. Evenly spread the vegetables on a large baking tray and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender. 

4. Combine the cooked chicken, baked vegetables, avocado, almonds, seeds and herbs (if using) in a large serving bowl, tossing well to combine. Drizzle the sweet chilli sauce on top and toss again. Serve warm or cold. 


2nd Recipe: Broccoli, Sweet Potato & Red Kidney Beans 


Ingredients

  • 2 x chicken breast fillets (400-500g), even sized 
  • 2 broccoli heads, cut into small even florets and stalk finely chopped
  • 600g sweet potato, peeled and chopped into small even pieces
  • 1 x 400g tin red kidney beans, rinsed & drained 
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground paprika 
  • 2 tablespoons rice bran oil 
  • 1/4 cup roasted almonds, halved
  • 1-2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
  • 1-2 tablespoons pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
  • Optional- 1/2 - 3/4 cup fresh herbs- finely chopped parsley, basil, coriander, green onion, etc. 
  • 2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce 

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan forced oven to 200 degrees celsius. 

2. Place the chicken breasts in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, covered, then simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the stove and let the saucepan stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove the poached chicken from the pan and leave to cool for a few minutes before shredding. 

3. Meanwhile, combine the broccoli, sweet potato, red kidney beans, ground coriander and ground paprika in a large bowl. Drizzle in the oil and add a pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper. Toss well to combine. Evenly spread the vegetables on a large baking tray and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender. 

4. Combine the cooked chicken, baked vegetables, almonds, seeds and herbs (if using) in a large serving bowl, tossing well to combine. Drizzle the sweet chilli sauce on top and toss again. Serve warm or cold. 

x Premium Pilates & Fitness 




Saturday 26 November 2016

HELPFUL TIPS to QUIT WEEKEND OVEREATING


I'm sure I'm not the only one that has been guilty of overeating on my weekends! For many years I would follow a super clean eating plan all week and then when the weekend hit I'd drink like a fish and eat every piece of junk food I could get my hands on. I couldn't for the life of me figure out why I was gaining weight as I was killing myself with running most days and a very lean diet on weekdays.


Once Friday afternoon came around I'd grab potato chips, ice cream and chocolate and hunker down binging as a reward for being so good all week. I'd repeat the same unhealthy eating on Saturday and sometimes Sunday night, when I wasn't out drinking way too much. I couldn't seem to break this habit as I considered the overeating as my 'right' after such a gruelling week of nothing bad - no chocolate, no artificial sugar, no chips, no dairy, not even a cracker that contained gluten. 

It was all going very well, except for two pretty major negatives: I felt terrible emotionally and physically. I was bigger than I'd been for years, I was tired all the time and I felt very unstable mentally. I would beat myself up after every overindulgence on the weekends and then I'd go right back and do it again the very next night or the next weekend. I was stuck in a vicious cycle that I couldn't get out of, like being in a terrible relationship. When I hit an all time low emotionally, I decided I had to make some changes. Here's how I quit overeating on the weekend: 


1. I stopped boozing. 

Now I know a lot of you are probably reading this and thinking 'she is crazy, I'm not giving up alcohol!' Now that's completely your choice but I am just telling you what worked for me. By cutting out the booze, I felt a 100 times better mentally, which meant that I didn't reach for junk food as a way to 'soothe' and 'comfort' myself. When I didn't drink, I didn't eat bad food, as I was more aware and conscious of my eating decisions. When I wasn't hungover, I didn't reach for greasy food and sugary drinks, as I felt so good that I wanted to get up and exercise and enjoy the day. And as I started to slow down and eventually stop the drinking, I started to like myself and respect and value my body much more. The hard cold reality is that your body will not be healthy if you drink like a fish. I used to love the feeling I got when I'd had a few or gotten drunk, however now I am in love with the feeling I get when I wake up and feel fresh and not hungover. 


2. I started eating the occasional 'bad' foods during the week. 

When I changed my mindset from Friday, Saturday and Sunday not being my 'cheat' days, I started to allow myself to eat the occasional 'bad' food during the week. I allowed myself a small piece of dark chocolate some nights, a slice of homemade banana bread after lunch and the occasional savoury chip during the week. At first I felt guilty doing this, as my week was meant to be solely 'clean eating'. However, a strange thing happened. It would get to Friday and I wouldn't feel like a whole massive bag of corn chips, as I had a few chips the day before. I didn't want a whole block of chocolate, as I had a bite of dark chocolate after lunch a few days ago. Please don't misunderstand me, I still ate very healthily during the week, but I allowed myself a little treat here and there, instead of thinking to myself; 'I'll save that burger, those fries, those lollies, that chocolate and that ice cream for the weekend'. This strategy worked almost sub consciously, as my brain would tell my stomach 'you had a slice of cake yesterday so how about you have no sugar today'. Plus I felt like I was never depriving myself. 


3. I experimented with food

On days that I felt like a slice of banana bread, I would make it myself. On days that I wanted an ice cream, I would make myself a thick smoothie and freeze it. When I crave hot chips and burgers, I cooked them up in my kitchen. This way I knew exactly what ingredients went into everything I was making. I made the ingredients as healthy as I could, as I knew that if I bought these products at a restaurant or bakery they would be filled with worse ingredients. To make sure that I didn't get bored with the healthy food I made, I experimented with different meals most days. There's nothing more depressing and more unappealing to me than poached chicken breast and steamed broccoli everyday. There is no way that I could sustain eating that day in, day out and therefore I never expect my clients to either! Instead I constantly reinvented my eating, often making different salads, using a variety of vegetables, homemade dressings, meat and legumes. 

4. I stopped beating myself up

When I allowed myself some 'bad' food, I worked hard to not beat myself up or put myself down. I learnt how to 'own my choices' and enjoyed eating something naughty instead of making myself feel guilty about it. Once I stopped talking to myself negatively, I found that I often didn't want to binge on the junk food I was eating and instead just wanted to enjoy a small amount of it. 

5. I ate slower and drank more water 

I taught myself how to savour my food, especially when it was a treat. I would eat very slowly and then would drink a glass of water and sit for a few minutes before reaching for more junk food. Often I'd find that I would feel very full after my little treat and wouldn't need anymore. This would stop the automatic binging. 

As I write all of this, I realise that I wrote in past tense! Just incase any of you picked up on that I still follow all of the above tips presently and must say I never feel deprived of any food. I also feel the healthiest, the most in shape and the happiest I can ever remember being!  I do occasionally have a night in when I feel the urge to binge on tim tams or chips, however often after eating a few very slowly I don't keep going. Give a few of these tips a try when you next feel the urge to binge!

x Emily 


Image by http://www.teamafterburn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Stop_Overeat_After_Workout.jpg 


Sunday 13 November 2016

HEALTHY PEANUT BUTTER STIR-FRY




I love peanut butter so much. In fact, I love it so much that I was buying it far too regularly! As I would buy the 'all natural' peanut butter from health food stores, I was spending far too much on this amazing product to justify it! So I decided to make my own for half the cost. All you need is unsalted peanuts (that you can buy from supermarkets or health food stores in bulk) and a good food processor. Pour the nuts in the processor and be patient! It can take a few minutes for the nuts to release their own oils and become 'butter', but its all worth it. For the first few minutes you will need to stop the processor every so often and scrape the sides to make sure all the peanuts are processed evenly. And voila! No added salt, oil or sugar, 100% natural, homemade peanut butter. Here's one such recipe that I love to use peanut butter in. 

INGREDIENTS


  • 1 cup brown rice
  • 3 cups water 
  • 2 teaspoons rice bran oil 
  • 2 chicken breast fillets (450-500g), cut into even 3cm pieces
  • 250g snowpeas, trimmed & roughly chopped
  • 2 large carrots, cut into matchsticks
  • 2 cups red cabbage, finely shredded
  • 1/4 cup 100% natural peanut butter 
  • 1 cup light evaporated milk or unsweetened light coconut milk
  • 2 tablespoons reduced-salt soy sauce or tamari
  • the juice of 1 lime
  • 2 spring onions, finely chopped
  • Optional- 1 small red chilli, finely chopped or 1/2-1 teaspoon chilli flakes 


COOKING 

1. Combine the rice and water in a medium saucepan, covered. Bring to the boil over medium-high heat, then simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the rice is cooked and all the water has absorbed. Remove from the heat. 

2. Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon oil in a wok or large pan over medium heat and swirl to coat. Add the chicken to the pan and cook for around 5 minutes, flipping the pieces over so both sides are slightly browned and just cooked. Remove chicken from the wok/pan.

3. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the peanut butter, milk, soy sauce/tamari and lime juice. Once the sauce has boiled, reduce the heat to low and continue to stir until it has thickened slightly. Add the snowpeas, carrot, cabbage and 3/4 of the spring onions to the wok/pan and stir to combine, cooking for 4-5 minutes or until the vegetables are almost tender but still a little crunchy. Add the cooked chicken to the pan and stir to combine for another minute. Remove from the heat. 

Divide the cooked rice evenly into four bowls, then add the vegetable & chicken peanut stir-fry and top with the remaining 1/4 spring onions and chilli slices or flakes, if using. Serve warm. 


Serves / 4
Total Preparation time / around 20 minutes 
Total Cooking time / 25-30 minutes 



x Premium Pilates Studio 

Thursday 3 November 2016

ACTRESS EMMA STONE GRACES VOGUE COVER with PILATES BODY





Actress Emma Stone looks stunning, slim and toned as the US November Vogue cover. The 28 year-old is not a big fan of exercise as she says; 'I hate lifting things (weights) over my head as it puts me in a bad mood!' but has found a love of Pilates, as it is easy on her joints and makes Emma feel strong. 

The glamorous actress is trained by famous Pilates instructor Mari Winsor, who trains her at her studio but has also taught Emma how to incorporate Pilates into her everyday fitness routine. Emma likes to do a morning Pilates session whenever she can. Winsor explains that this is how Stone has achieved such a lean figure. Emma revealed in a recent interview that 'I will only do workouts that I enjoy' and has been doing Pilates regularly for several years, which tells you something!


The beautiful actress is a huge fan of Pilates as it puts no pressure on her joints. Stone admits that she doesn't like running, as it feels bad for her knees and that she detests lifting weights! When training for the Spiderman movies a few years back Emma discovered that whenever she lifted weights over her head she became very angry! Besides regular Pilates, Stone enjoys rock climbing and tries to go to an indoor rock climbing studio whenever she travels. 

Healthy eating also plays a major factor in Emma's enviable physique. Stone famously said a few years ago: 

'I would be crazy to sit here and tell you that I have never thought about it (weight loss). But, I never can beat myself up about it. I definitely am not restrictive. You are a human being, you live once and life is wonderful, so eat the damn red velvet cupcake.'

Whilst Emma loves her food, she eats very healthily and always fits her Pilates or rock climbing in her busy schedule. 

Want to lean out your body like Emma and find a form of exercise that is friendly on the joints but still yields results? Call Premium Pilates Studio today on 0402 680 724, visit us online by clicking HERE or email us at hi@premiumpilates.com.au. 





Images by http://www.foods4betterhealth.com/emma-stone-looks-enviable-vogue-cover-la-la-land-star-follows-strict-diet-workout-stay-shape-20802, http://www.celebritiesreallife.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Emma-Stone-Height-2016-Body-Measurements-Weight-Bra-Dress-Size-Bio-3.jpg, http://media.vogue.com/r/w_480/2014/04/emma-stone-vogue-may-cover-story-01_175640691995.jpg, https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=0ahUKEwjjvtjL8I3QAhWDo5QKHW1IBBcQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hdwallpapers.in%2Femma_stone_vogue_2016-wallpapers.html&bvm=bv.137904068,d.dGc&psig=AFQjCNE-4ZClbaRJCxH7jN0lEAZIVlnZcg&ust=1478306886484324.