Much ado about squats...in pursuit of the perfect bam bam

I had promised to include more exercises you can do at home....this is a very basic, very effective, very important exercise ladies....It works your glutes (your bum), your quadriceps (the top part of your thigh), your hamstrings (the back part of your thigh), and the calves. So if you're a beginner, and you are not happy with where your bam bam is, listen up...squats are here to save the day. 

How do you do squats?

Seems simple enough right? However, it is very easy to do a squat with wrong form. I took these photos after my workout today. I hope they help.

Basic squat

1. Stand with your head facing forward and chest held up and out

2. Place your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly wider. Extend your hands out infront of you to help keep your balance. 

3. Sit back and down like you're sitting into an imaginary chair. Keep your head facing forward as your upper body bends forward a bit. Rather than allowing your back to round, let your lower back arch slightly as you descend. 

4. Lower down so your thighs are as parallel to the floor as possible with your knees over your ankles (Very important) Don't let your knees go forward past your toes. Press your weight back into your heels.

5. Keep your body tight and push through your heels to bring yourself back to the starting position.  

Beginners, you can do say 10 squats in 3 sets i.e. 10 X 3 to begin with and then increase the repetitions as you get stronger. Be sure to hold the last squat in the set to challenge yourself. 

Sumo Squat

This works the inner part of your thighs more. I find it burns more than the basic squat. Stand with legs wide apart, make sure you are not straining unnecessarily, get down to squat position ensuring your knee is above your ankle. Push back up and repeat. 

The weighted squat

I am using dumbells in this one. If you are looking to increase resistance, you could add weights. You can also hold two cans of ...anything just be sure the weight is balanced. Follow instructions for basic squat (except of course hands infront)

Weighted squat 2

In this one I am holding a kettle bell. You can hold a single weight while doing the squats, they don't have to be two. A packet of sugar will do :-) Beats eating the stuff.

Plyo squat

Plyometric (Plyo) training is basically jump training, therefore this kind of squat is a squat with a jump. I love this exercise, and I usually do it with weights. When you have your form right, you can try to add a jump in between your squats making sure you push from the squat that is, jump from the squat and not when you are already standing and land softly with your knees bent back into the squat. If it is your first time, try this without weights to begin with. It will sure get your heart running.

Beetroot-mania continues! Beetroot pancakes!

Yes, that's right, beetroot pancakes. And they are delicious! It's another great way to slip in some goodness. 

What you need

1 egg
1 mug of plain white or wholewheat flour
2 heaped table spoons baking powder
190 ml apple juice (I used orange juice, worked just as well)
125ml fresh beetroot cooked or raw, finely grated
1/2 tsp mixed spice
A dash of olive oil for frying

To serve
Greek yoghurt
Fruit (I used Mango).

Method

1. Whisk the egg until frothy. Add flour, baking powder, a pinch of salt. Pour in apple juice and give all a good whisk, then fold in the beetroot and add the mixed spice. I used a hand held blender to mix it all to a very smooth consistency. 

2. Warm a frying pan over a high heat. Brush on some oil. Place dessert spoonfuls of pancake batter in the middle of the pan. 

3. As soon as the pancake starts to bubble in the centre, flip it over for 2 minutes or so, until cooked through. Don't be tempted to press the pancake down in the pan as it will expel all the lovely air bubbles that make it nice and fluffy

4. When all the pancakes are cooked, take some greek yoghurt (I used my home made one) and some fruit, blend together. Serve with this at the side.

Enjoy!

Beetroot meatballs....sneaking in some goodness

I made these for lunch and they were a hit with baby, so I decided to post on here. Notice I don't use measurements because I was taught to cook old school, with my eyes, my nose and my hands. 

What you will need:

1 Beetroot

500 grams mince beef

2 eggs

Semolina (I used Atta Mark flour)

Salt to taste

Step 1: Grate some beetroot (raw). I used one medium sized one. 

Step 2:

Mix in the rest of the ingredients. use about three or four table spoons of flour and a little salt to taste.

And the mixture looks like this....

Step 3: Brush some oil onto an oven proof tray...You can also fry them, I prefer using the oven as it 'frees my hands' to do something else.

Step 4: Form the meat balls, I use a spoon to sort of measure the quantities and bake 20 - 25 minutes at gas mark 8

 

Here is: Serve with rice, or bread....I had mine with guacamole and brown rice

I am so feeling her right now

How to do your own sour dough bread

I posted about how much healthier sour dough bread is, here is how I made it at home. Even rudimentary ovens can make this.

Step 1 - Making the 'Starter Dough'

The thing about sour dough bread is patience. Before you make your first loaf, you have to make your starter dough. This bread is not yeast based as I mentioned.

Take about 200 grams of flour with 200 ml of water and a spoon full of that yoghurt you have been making at home (any yoghurt with no artificial additives will do). Mix until it is not sticky, you might have to add or reduce...I use my eye more than measuring cups and spoons while cooking. Cover with something (I use cling film so that I can see what is going on) and leave in a warm place.

After 24 hours, add some flour, some water and mix...leave again.....you're actually "feeding" the bacteria. If you want sour dough bread, you have to treat this dough like a pet, with millions of bacteria in it. Do this again after 24 hours. Technically speaking, when it starts bubbling, it is ready to use as a starter dough. Mine started on day 3, others may take longer. At this stage, if you are not ready to start using the dough, remove about half, 'feed' it with flour and water and put it in the fridge after which you will need to 'feed' it every week by doing the same. Here's my dough when it was 'ready' to use.  See the bubbles?

Step 2: Making the bread dough

What you need

Whole meal flour
Salt
Water
Starter dough

You can also use white flour. Why? The same research I quoted in my earlier blog showed that sour dough bread made with white flour was healthier than that made with whole wheat (as opposed to whole meal) flour because of the bacteria action on the starch. If you have a question about this, hit me, this blog post is long and I don't want to get into details.

Take about 350 mls of flour, half a tea spoon of salt, about 200 grams of your starter dough and water to mix (slowly until you get a consistency that is not sticky)... Knead all of these together, and put in a container that has been lightly greased cover and let the culture you have been cultivating do its job.  About halfway, through, you can take out, knead again...you won't see a lot of rise as in a yeasted dough bread.

The step above takes about 10 minutes BUT the waiting is what makes sour dough bread so difficult to make. Normal yeast bread takes about 3 hours to rise. This bread needs like 8 - 12 hours depending on how warm it is. It is safer to do this last thing at night and plan to bake in the morning.


Step 3...Baking....

Shape the bread into a round shape and remember to make some cuts at the top to prevent cracking. Alternatively, use a bread baking dish like I did. I do this just to make cutting pieces for toasting easier

Bake in the oven for at least 40 minutes at gas mark 8 or 230 degrees (C). 

And...

The bread tastes a bit tangy because of the lactic acid produced by the bacteria. Children accustomed to other breads might not like it. There are some recipes that add sugar but I prefer not to. I love the taste as it is. Even a charcoal oven can make this bread. All you need is patience. 

Ok, another food post.....but this one's even more important...I promise! Thermic effect of food...

In one of the fitness groups I am a member of, a lady with a vast knowledge on fitness posted on this particular topic. She, and a lot of your questions about food are the inspiration behind this post. If you're serious about weight loss and maintenance, food is the one thing you MUST pay attention to. If you're serious about getting those chiseled abs, Abs are made in the kitchen, so listen up. 

So what is the "thermic effect of food?"

'Thermic' derived from 'Thermal' relating to heat and temperature...translation...burn! The expression describes the energy expended (burning calories) by our bodies to consume (bite, chew and swallow) and process(digest, transport, metabolize and store) food. 5 - 10% of the body's energy each day goes into processing ingested food. Getting interesting? Read on!

Generally, protein requires the greatest energy to process it....up to 30% of the calories contained in the foods. Carbohydrates are next on this list requiring 15 - 20% and the last are fats  with a thermic effect of only 2 - 3%. 

Sooo...in layman's terms? If you eat 100 calories of lean protein, only 70 will be left for you to use up after digestion e.t.c However, if you have the same in fats, up to 98 will be left for you to use up...and if you don't use them up, they will likely end up stored in some fatty tissue in an area you don't want...like your belly. :-(

High quality protein: 
Apart from having a high thermic effect, these foods also help by making you feel fuller longer. How so? They keep blood sugar levels stable preventing the highs and lows associated with hunger pangs. Ideal foods are milk, egg whites, lean beef and pork, lean chicken and turkey and fish. 

High Fiber Carbohydrates
To increase metabolism, increase consumption of high fiber carbs which includes but not limited to yams, sweet potatoes, whole grain bread, brown rice, broccolli, spinach, salad greens, apples, pears, oranges, sweet melon, beans and oatmeal. 

In effect, you can increase your metabolism and reduce hunger pangs just by changing what you eat and how you eat it. I hope this helps some towards understanding how important it is to really be conscious of what you eat. 

Have an active weekend!

If you have to do bread....there is a healthier option to "brown" bread

What is this? Bread? And why are you posting this here? Isn't this part of the 'enemy'? Carbs? You are misleading us!

:-D

Just take a minute (or three....I can foresee this is going to be a long post) and read through....

This is sour dough bread made from whole meal flour (not whole wheat). While we all know that white bread is especially bad when you're trying to live healthy, spiking your blood insulin, providing unnecessary calories....it turns out, there is a healthier bread, and it's sour dough bread.


What makes it healthy? I had actually composed a looong post with a lot of scientific mambo jambo, but figured it's easier to point it out then if you have a question I can try to answer or point you to a website that does.

The dough to make the bread contains a lactobacillus culture used in combination with natural yeasts. The lactobacillus is in greater proportion to the yeast and therefore the bread is not yeast based. The sourdough produces a sour taste mainly because of the lactic acid produced by the bacteria.


Sourdough bread preparation improves nutrition by:
1. Changing the nature of the starches (pre-digesting them) making the bread more easily digestible.

2. Lowering insulin response/improving glucose tolerance. - This effect actually lasts through to the next meal affecting the way your body responds to the next meal positively.

3. Protecting Vitamin B1 from the damage of the heat of baking

4. Breaking down gluten (very important!!!) into amino acids taking us back to easily digestible.

5. The bacteria in sourdough activate an enzyme that breaks down an anti nutrient present in all grains, beans and seeds i.e increases bio availability of nutrients.

6. It has a low glycaemic index. Low GI foods indicate  that food does not cause a spike in blood sugar and insulin levels. This has been proven to provide many health benefits for medical conditions such as diabetes while also assisting weight control by improving appetite control and delaying hunger.

7. The Lactic Acid produced by the bacteria keeps the bread longer....It has a longer shelf life. However, because making this bread is a process (the waiting time not the actual labour) I usually make enough for 3 weeks to a month and freeze the bread. The only downside is you cannot have the bread without toasting it, you can also de frost in the oven but this takes longer.


Next post....how to make sour bread at home....

Beginners ab workouts without the sit ups and crunches

I have received a lot of questions on my facebook page about how to get rid of the ever stubborn pot belly. I am not a guru, I refer to my own experiences and the experiences of others I interact with on this journey.

The advanced exerciser may ignore this post. But if you're floundering around looking for something new to add to your push ups and sit ups at home, please read on.

Introducing the basic plank:

This is a great exercise because it works both the back and abdominal muscles.
How to do it? Start on elbows and knees, locking hands together. Straighten legs and raise your body so that you're supported by the balls of your feet with feet hip distance apart. Face the floor, being careful not to arch your back or stick your bottom in the air. Hold this position for 45 seconds to begin with, extending the time as you get stronger.

The Push Up Plank:

This time, hold plank in push up position. This plank position also works the chest and arms and is suitable to end your workout with. Since this is a beginners post, hold for 45 seconds rest, and hold again. Planks get more creative and challenging the stronger you get.

The Side Plank:

I had actually forgotten to start with the easier version of the Side plank which is propped on your elbows instead of hands. If you are on your elbows, be careful your shoulder does not roll forwards or backwards. Hold the position as long as you can then repeat on the other side. shoulder should be above elbow. Your body should be in a perfect triangle to the floor. In this photo, I am on my hands prepped for a T-Stand. This exercise works the obliques...translation, love handles :-)

Side Plank on Elbows:

Ohhhh nuts....looks like ice cream...but it isn't

I have been asked a lot of questions about nutrition so I will try to post more on meals. This was my post workout snack today. It is not a "prescription" meal, just an example that you can be creative. It's home made Greek yoghurt topped with some fruit and some cashew nuts on the side. The greek yoghurt provides protein I need for recovery, calcium, vitamin D, some good bacteria, the fruit provides more vitamins, anti oxidants, and sugar I need for immediate energy, the nuts provide essential oils and a bit more...it is in effect a full meal but look at the portions sizes. This is NOT my breakfast, lunch or dinner though, I am not advocating for anyone to starve. 

Homemade yoghurt and greek yoghurt...

We are a natural yoghurt family. My daughter was eased into dairy using natural yoghurt because it is more easily digested than full on cows milk. I usually put some fruit into it so that she has something to chew. It's an excellent source of nutrition and as an added plus, the good bacteria in it helps keep your gut healthy.

I discovered recently that manufacturers here add "starch" to natural yoghurt (read flour). I was so disappointed. I generally keep off from flavored varieties because of the sugar and chemicals in them.  There are two brands that offer greek yoghurt and though they claim to be completely dairy (no starch), they are mostly available in Nairobi (I live in small town Nakuru) and are expensive.

I decided to make my own. How hard can it be?


STEP I: Making the yoghurt. Boil some milk and let it cool to warm. If you want low fat yoghurt, use low fat milk. But I don't believe in low fat milk. I use whole milk.

Stir in a spoon ful of the natural organic yoghurt to the milk while warm. The photo below shows two jugs of milk (in the process of forming yoghurt) immersed in warm water. You need to keep the milk warm for 6 - 8 hours as the yoghurt ferments. I kept the water warm by re-filling it with boiled water every hour. I had stored the boiled water in a thermos in order to save energy heating water all the time. I am sure you can find other ways to keep the milk warm. If you want a thicker yoghurt, ferment longer BUT use caution. The longer you ferment, the tangier the taste. After 12 hours you mightn't like it that much.

STEP II - Sieving out Whey to make Greek Yoghurt.   Greek yoghurt is simply made by taking the natural yoghurt and taking out some of the liquid part of it (called Whey). This is done by using a cloth (the cloth below doesn't run colour....don't worry!) You can also use coffee filters. I put the cloth in the microwave for thirty seconds to sterilise it but you don't have to do that. I'm a bit anal like that.

AND...Voila! Greek Yoghurt! This contains more protein than natural yoghurt (duh, it's the concentrated form) and makes a great part of post workout snacks. It is also great to cook with. So there you go, a project for a Saturday or Sunday, make enough yoghurt for the week!

Just as foods are not created equal, a calorie is not just a calorie...why I would rather eat natural fats than sugar loaded foods

We have demonised carbohydrates and fats in this journey towards healthier living, weight control and avoidance of lifestyle diseases. In fact, the most common phrase is "I don't eat chips (fries) any more" and "I steam my vegetables"....Avoiding fat and potatoes and white rice.....Don't get me wrong, any food in the wrong amount is harmful. Too little and you deprive your body of nutrients it needs to remain strong and healthy. Too much and in some cases you can suffer toxicity and get lifestyle diseases and what we seem to fear most, become over weight and obese. Even water is toxic if one drinks too much of it. My argument is not that fats and carbs are not bad, it is that we often don't put enough emphasis on what I consider to be an even greater evil. Processed Sugar.

Sugar is a type of carbohydrate, it is a simple carbohydrate which simply means that it is easily broken down by the body. All carbohydrates eventually end up as sugar in our system. However, complex carbohydrates which come in the form of natural foods are very different from the very simple sugars we get in processed food and as sucrose which we add to our tea.  The way our body treats them is what makes the big difference.

On the face of it, fat looks like it 'the devil', at 9 calories per gram, it packs in more energy that can be stored away than sugar at 4 calories per gram. However, sugar has something that bulky fat doesn't....he's a little Speedy Gonzales.

Lighter "Speedy" rushes into our bodies and produces an exaggerated hormonal response mainly, increased insulin production. Insulin is the hormone that causes energy to be stored in fat cells.......light bulb moment!

The most obvious of this is more insulin, more fat storage, the fatter we grow. But there is more, just like any drug, our bodies begin to become resistant to too much insulin. Which is why there is a direct relationship between sugar consumption and type II diabetes. To make it worse, processed foods usually contain added sugar in the form of 'glucose', 'diastatic malt', 'dextrose'. 'fructose' in the form of corn syrup...they put it there because when we eat it, we will want more.

Fat is an essential nutrient our bodies need. I remember reading somewhere that those that eliminate fat completely from their diet "die a violent death"....I am not sure what that means but I am positive I don't want to find out. We crave it when we are low on energy because it packs a lot of energy. However, for little amounts, it carries a lot of energy so it is easy to over eat it.

So from this little information we can see a calorie is not a calorie. Speedy's calories in my opinion are worse because of the effect they have on insulin, which in turn affects your overall health.

We cannot completely eliminate sugar from our diet, all carbohydrates break down to sugar eventually...and yes, carbohydrates are also an essential part of our diets. The trick is to eat more complex carbohydrates for energy that are slow released into our systems and not drug our bodies all the time with simple and processed sugars.

Which means, no soda, eat the fruit or make a smoothie out of fruit so that you ingest the fibre as well instead of drinking commercial juices. It also means no cereal with "corn syrup" in it, and reading those labels before you buy anything in the supermarket. Your health is worth it.

Have an active day!