Weight Loss

             A day in the life of a gluten-free guru As a sports nutritionist, triathlete and self-confessed cashew butter addict from Melbourne, Stephanie Lowe is passionate about the health benefits of going gluten free. Her blog offers written posts and podcasts about everything from gut health to fat loss. It also offers delicious GF recipes and Lowe’s ebooks, including Free From Gluten and Real Food Reset.  My food philosophy “Real is best. Food that comes out of the ground, from a tree or from an animal is the most nutrient dense and whole source of nutrition. In fact, one of the biggest changes we can make to improve our health is to significantly reduce or eliminate our intake of packaged foods.” Foods on high rotation in my diet “Every meal I eat contains many non-starchy vegetables such as spinach, broccoli and zucchini. It also contains a quality protein such as free-range eggs or grass-fed meat and good fats such as av...

  Treat yourself with this delightful apple crumble by @silverspies . This crumble is sure to tick all boxes. What you'll need  (makes one medium pie dish) 4 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into slices 1 tbsp coconut sugar ½ tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tbsp lemon juice ¼ cup water ¾ cup rolled oats ¾ cup almond flour ½ tsp ground cinnamon 3 tbsp coconut oil 2 tbsp rice malt syrup Pinch of salt What you'll do Preheat oven to 180ºC. In a pot on low-medium heat, place the sliced apples together with the coconut sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, lemon juice and water. Stew apples until all the liquid has evaporated (around 15 minutes). Apples should be tender but still hold their shape. While the apples are stewing, combine the rolled oats, almond flour, cinnamon, coconut oil, rice malt syrup and salt in a mixing bowl using your hands, until the mixture becomes crumbly. Place the stewed apples on the bottom of your pie dish. Layer the crumble mixture ove...

  This gooey, creamy cheesecake contains more protein than a standard whey shake. Give it a go today! Step 1 The Crust Need ½ cup almond meal or ground almonds 2 tbsp peanut butter or alternative nut butter   1 tbsp unsweetened almond milk Do Heat oven to 1600C. Combine almond meal, peanut butter and almond milk and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until it resembles a crumbly yet sticky crust. If it’s too dry, add a dash of almond milk (or other milk) until it sticks together like a crumbly paste. Press into a springform pan (this one was 18 cm). Step 2 The Filling Need 1 cup low-fat Greek yoghurt 1 cup low-fat cream cheese ½  cup peanut butter ½  cup vanilla whey protein powder (or chocolate if you’re a diehard fan) 2 tbsp coconut flour 1 egg white  1 whole egg Baking Stevia (optional, to desired sweetness) Do Combine all filling ingredients and blend thoroughly.  Pour mixture over crust and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until it’s still slightly wobbly...

  Want to swap your fat for muscle ? Trainer and high performance manager of Oakleigh Chargers Football Club Ben Sharpe  and  director of MP Studio Luke Archer share their lifestyle tips to help you lean out. 1. Get enough shut-eye : aim for 7.5 to nine hours of sleep per night for optimal recovery and hormonal balance.  2. Office know-how: manage your stress levels, increase your calorie burn and reduce your chances of muscle wastage by going for regular walks throughout the day, or asking the boss for a stand-up desk. “If a person is sitting at a desk all day, their energy requirements are much less than someone who has a physically demanding job,” says Archer. “We generally switch off our muscles, sit back, slump or have no need to use our muscles. And which group of muscles do we switch off most? The glutes – which are the largest muscles in the body.” 3. Eat well, eat often: eating smaller meals more often will aid in boosting the metabolism , while plant ...

  If you're struggling to swap out certain unhealthy foods, three of our favourite fitness bloggers and models share their food swaps below. Bianca Cheah  Fitness website founder and model  //  Sporteluxe.com and biancacheah.com.au “I eat a high-protein, low-carb diet. I don’t eat dairy foods like milk, cheese and yoghurt. Chicken and fish are my top protein picks and with them I always eat plenty of fresh vegetables – particularly the vegies in season as they are grown more naturally. I eat very little sugar and minimise intake of carbs as they make me feel bloated and lethargic. I avoid processed foods, which really make me feel hungover. Vegies are on high rotation in my diet; the fresher the meal, the better I feel. I feel good knowing I’ve nourished my body with a huge vitamin boost, but I also believe it’s really important to allow yourself treats in moderation, otherwise abstaining can lead to binge eating. I like to snack on chocolate-covered goji berries, w...

  Wondering why you constantly overeat? Here are three factors that may be contributing to over-indulging.    It’s easy to over-dramatise the odd extra helping as a ‘binge’ or ‘blowout’, but if you are consistently eating more than your body needs, there may be good reasons.  The stick: Macro shortfall The human body’s drive for protein is so powerful that it will keep consuming food until its protein needs are met according to a University of Sydney study. As protein intake decreases, kilojoule intake increases, researchers reported. The fix: Consume 15 to 20 per cent of daily kilojoules from high-quality, low-fat protein sources. Lean meats, legumes, fish, eggs and tofu all qualify. The stick: Multitasking Whether it’s the portion sizes at your local, a bout of intense work stress or mindless nibbling in front of the telly, there’s a whole gamut of reasons why we eat more than what we need or when we’re not hungry at all .  The fix: Try to eat intuitively...

  Kickstart your day with a delicious bowl of coconut chia pudding or dessert, perhaps? Ingredients ½ cup (25 g) flaked coconut ½ cup (5 g) chia seeds 1 cup (250 ml) coconut milk 1 cup (250 ml) coconut water 1 tsp pure vanilla extract ¼ cup (85 g) pure maple syrup, plus extra for drizzling ¼ tsp sea salt ½ cup (70 g) macadamias, lightly toasted and crushed Seasonal fruit, such as mixed berries, pomegranate seeds, figs, grapes, and sliced strawberriesMicro-herbs and edible flowers (optional), to serve. Method Place the coconut, chia seeds, coconut milk, coconut water, vanilla, maple syrup and salt in a bowl and mix until very well combined. Soak in the fridge for at least 2 hours. This is an edited extract from The Healthy Mode l published by Lantern. Recipe first published in  nourish magazine.   {nomultithumb}   Read more ...

  Love peanut butter and chocolate? Try these guilt-free chocolate chip peanut butter cookies for a treat by Heidi Cannon. What you'll need ½ cup apple sauce  1 cup peanut butter 3 tbsp chocolate chips 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 ½ cups oatmeal  1 sachet Stevia sweetener 1 cup chocolate protein powder What you'll do Mix ingredients and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown (these cookies bake fast, so keep a close watch on the oven).  Heidi's protein baking intel: 1. Al ways pre-spray any cooking tin or sheet as protein loves to stick! I use coconut oil or low-fat cooking spray. It also helps to use a non-stick baking dish or sheet.  Nutrition info (per cookie ) 2. W atch your baking. All ovens cook differently, so check them every five to 10 minutes to ensure optimal results. 3.  F reeze. Because these recipes have no butter, flour or sugar, they don’t typically stay as well preserved as regular cakes and cookies. If you won’t ge...