As you get through this workout your mood will change!
5 Rounds – Warm up with some cardio for 5 minutes
Air Squats x 20 reps
Wide Hand Push Ups x 15
Hip Extensions (kneeling on all fours) x 20 each side
Skaters 1 minute
Mountain Climbers 30 seconds
Toe Taps (lying on your back – legs straight) x 20
10 seconds rest between exercises
30 seconds maximum at the end of each round
You could add a 15 minute cardio workout at the end
Ingredients
2 heads of broccoli (stems included) roughly chopped
1 cauliflower head and stems chopped
2 tablespoons of coconut oil
1 onion
2 stalks of celery chopped finely
4 cups of vegetable stock
1 tin of coconut milk
Handful of parsley and mint
Sea salt to taste
Method
ENJOY!
STEP 1
GRAB A GREEN Choose from baby spinach, rocket, mixed lettuce or kale. Greens are full of foliate and minerals eg calcium, magnesium.
STEP 2
SHRED IT Choose from carrot, beetroot, zucchini, apple, cabbage.
STEP 3
SWEETEN IT Choose from cherry tomatoes, corn, pomegranate seeds or goji berries. This adds endless flavour.
STEP 4
HERB IT. Fresh mint, basic, coriander, chives and parsley. All good and add aromatic delight to the salad. Grow your own!
STEP 5
DRESS IT Combine 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon of honey or maple syrup, salt and pepper.
STEP 6
ADD SOME CRUNCH Sprinkle sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, or toasted pine nuts.
STEP 7
SIZE IT UP Add protein such as poached chicken, cannellini beans, lentils, soft boiled eggs.
It’s SPRING and it’s time to get Auckland moving!
Get yourself and your work mates out of your seats and get to Victoria Park every Monday at 12.15pm for a FREE workout!
For one month I’m running 45 minute sessions at the park. I want to get Auckland moving and I want you all to experience some fun while you exercise in the outdoors!
All fitness levels welcome. Bring along your friends, family, work colleagues every Monday starting 28th September 2015.
See you at the Victoria Street West entrance at the city end of the Park.
Lemon and Cinnamon Lamb Shanks with Gremolata
1 onion chopped
2 small carrots cut into 2 cm chunks
2 celery stalks cut into 2 cm chunks (reserve the leaves)
4 lamb shanks (about 1kg)
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of good chicken stock (or bone broth)
dash of cider vinegar
1 bay leaf
4 sprigs of fresh thyme or rosemary
1 tablespoon of grated lemon zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
steamed greens and maybe some cauliflower cream to serve
Throw the onion, carrot and celery (not the leaves) into a slow cooker. Arrange the shanks on top, then the remaining ingredients except the greens for serving.
Stir a little but don’t worry about mixing completely. Put on the lid and cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low.
Meanwhile back in the kitchen, make some gremolata by combining 1 bunch of flat leaf parsley chopped, 6-8 cloves of garlic chopped, grated zest and juice of 2 lemons, 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt and chopped celery leaves. Pop into a jar and shake. Serve with your shanks!
ENJOY, I WILL!
By now you’ve likely seen them all over the Internet, in magazines and on your co-workers’ desks at lunch. Jar salads have quickly become a thing because, as it turns out, they’re a perfect, portable solution for getting in your greens while on the go.
Another reason to love them? You can make four or five at a time–enough to get you through the entire workweek without having to painstakingly chop and assemble all of your salad ingredients every day.
Start with the Dressing
The secret to great jar salads lies in the layering, so it’s best to start with the dressing. After all, the longer those ingredients mingle, the more flavour your dressing will have. Make your own dressing with some olive oil, lemon juice, fresh herbs, garlic, balsamic, honey – keep it healthy.
If you’re planning to eat your salad within a day or two, the dressing can go straight into the bottom of the jar (1-2 tablespoons for pint-size). If you’ll be keeping it longer than that, consider storing the dressing separately in travel-friendly containers.
Chop Your Resilient Veggies
Resilient veggies are those that can hold their own in the bottom of the jar i.e. they won’t get soggy, lighter ingredients layered on top. Some examples: red onion (letting these sit in the dressing will mellow them out a bit), capsicum, carrots, cucumbers, snap peas, cherry tomatoes, olives. If you’re feeling a little fruity, grapes and diced apples hold up well, too – just sprinkle a little lemon juice onto the apples first to keep them from browning.
Pack in Some Protein
For a more satisfying salad with staying power, layer some lean protein on top of your resilient veggies. Some to consider: chopped hard-boiled eggs, diced chicken breast, canned tuna or salmon, and cooked beans or chickpeas.
Grab Your Greens
Next, cover your veggies and protein with a good handful (or two) of greens. Packing the greens tightly will help keep ingredients in place. Darker varieties pack more nutrients, so skip the iceberg and mix dark greens like kale, spinach, rocket or spring mix.
Top it Off
With your mason jar mostly full, now is the time to sprinkle on your favourite toppings. These can be croutons, shredded cheeses (careful with quantities), nuts, seeds and more delicate ingredients like berries and sprouts.
When it’s time to dig in, pour your salad onto a plate or into a bowl, or shake things up and enjoy it right from the jar. Just don’t forget to pack a fork if you’ll be eating it on the go!
THE POWER OF STRENGTH TRAINING
Some think cardio is the answer to keeping themselves fit and in shape and that lifting weights is just for boys. WRONG!
Strength training has many benefits. When you introduce it into your exercise routine you will see and feel the difference by losing weight, gaining lean muscle and toning and sculpting your body.
Some of the benefits:
YOU WILL LOSE BODY FAT The more lean muscle your body has, the more calories it burns.
YOU WILL BE PHYSICALLY STRONGER You can expect a substantial increase in your strength so everyday activities become easier, from carrying the groceries to climbing stairs and lifting heavy objects.
YOU WILL HELP PREVENT INJURY The stronger we are the less chance of injury. Lifting weights strengthens your muscles and tendons. This is important as we get older because strengthening muscles around our joints is one of the best ways to prevent and recover from injury.
YOU WILL REDUCE HEALTH RISKS Weight training can improve the way the body processes sugar which can only be a good thing!
YOU WILL LOOK MORE TONED Strength training will improve your physical appearance by adding lean muscle more effectively than any other form of exercise.
SEE ME FOR YOUR STRENGTH TRAINING WORKOUTS
IT CAN ONLY BE GOOD FOR YOU! My husband squirms a little when he sees the kale on the bench at dinner time but I’m slowly converting him to love the stuff. It’s very easy to grow and two or three plants will keep you supplied for months. I’ve learnt from Nadia Lim to massage the kale – yes massage your kale with some olive oil and lemon juice. This helps to soften the leaves. Here are a couple of quick recipes:
STEAMED KALE WITH LEMON, OLIVE OIL AND WALNUTS
Serves 2 as a side /Prep 10 minutes/Cook 5 mins
Steam 5 cups of trimmed and chopped kale over a saucepan of boiling water for 1 minute or until wilted. Transfer to a serving plate. In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Drizzle over the kale and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of chopped walnuts.
WILKED KALE WITH APPLE, RED CABBAGE ADN BALSAMIC
Serves 2 as a side/Prep 10/Cook 10
Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a large non stick pan on medium. Cook 1/4 small red cabbage, trimmed and shredded for 5 minutes, tossing. Add 1 red apple, cored and thinly sliced, and cook tossing for 3 – 4 minutes more. Add 1/2 bunch of kale, trimmed and chopped and cook tossing for 1 – 2 minutes more or until wilted. Remove from the heat and stir in 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar. Season with freshly ground black pepper.
ENJOY YOUR KALE
No excuses, you can do this workout anywhere!
20 Squats
30 Lunges
50 sec Wall Sit
100 Jumping Jacks
50 sec Wall Sit
40 Sumo Squats (wide feet)
30 Mountain Climbers
20 Squats
Let me know when you’re done!