5 Tips to a Healthier You

It’s not a diet!  That’s a good place to start.  Beginning to lead a healthier lifestyle is about making small changes that will help to create a better version of you - a happier you!  It's not about deprivation or pushing yourself too hard.  It's not about drastically losing weight and trying to achieve an unrealistic body goal.  Choose the battles that you can win – I'll never be that 5ft11 Brazilian Victoria’s Secret model, but I can be a happy and healthy (shorter) blonde.

1. It’s a walk in the park

It's simple. Get active! You don’t need to join a gym or pay a personal trainer; you can begin by going for a twenty minute walk every day.  I am lucky enough to have a little furry friend, Bruiser, who enjoys going for a walk in the park as much as I do.  The great thing about going to the park is that it's wallet friendly, local and the air is cleaner! Using an app to track the distance and speed you walk every day is a great way to monitor how active you are being (and will make you feel guilty if you don’t exercise).

Bruiser thinks it's a walk in the park...

2. Low Calorie Alternatives

Achieving a healthier lifestyle is about making slow and small changes.  If you take pleasure drinking high-sugar drinks, you don’t need to forbid yourself from having them altogether, you just need to find a low calorie alternative that removes the guilt.  So instead of guzzling extra calories through drinks like cola and lemonade, change your habit to enjoying something more refreshing, low-calorie and sparkling.  This week I enjoyed a new range from Ballygowan – ‘Sparklingly Fruity’.  These drinks are low in sugar and calories (only 23 calories per can) and come in a variety of delectable flavours; my favourite was the Apple, Elderflower & Lemon! Making the change to this low calorie, fresh drink allows you to still get a hit of sparkle and enjoyment, while keeping hydrated!

Sipping on Ballygowan's 'Sparklingly Fruity'

3. Snack Creatively

Eating healthily is not boring, it’s the opposite.  It opens you up to a world of new ingredients that you’ve previously ignored.  Put together refreshingly different ideas on how to combine these ingredients to make low calorie snacks.  In my latest recipe, I made ‘Edible Flower & Elderflower Ice Lollies’  An interesting alternative to a bag of salty crisps?

4. Organise yourself fit!

Without shopping for the right food, planning your daily meals and prepping your food, you set yourself up for failure!  Failing to plan, is planning to fat!  If you open the fridge and feel daunted, not knowing what to cook, the likelihood of eating junk food or takeaway food will be much higher.  Don’t make food shopping into a horrible weekly task.  Make it fun!  I love to go to local markets and buy fresh and seasonal produce – I normally plan meals based around what I find.

5. Digital Detox

I find ‘unplugging’ the hardest thing to do.  I need to force myself to wind down and unfortunately for me this doesn’t involve Instagram or Netflix.  With the majority of our days spent glued to laptops, tablets and smart phones, it can become difficult to disconnect.  To unplug, take some time to yourself – try meditating for 20 minutes, enjoy a relaxing hour of yoga, watch a sunset – anything that gives you a moment to breathe and reconnect with new, healthier you.

Santorini sunsets

Santorini sunsets

Fi x

Avocado Addict

I was born in South Africa and when I was a baby in Swaziland, my mum would pick avocados fresh from our avocado tree and mash them up as my creamy, full-of-goodness baby food. 

Playing under the avocado tree

Anything avocado-based is my ultimate comfort food.  As a coeliac, I know it is the one gluten free food that will result in the quickest and most satisfying snack.  Cut one in half, drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil, sprinkle with black pepper and Maldon sea salt and it is ready to eat within a matter of seconds, straight from the skin with a spoon – scrumptious and keeps the hanger at bay!

People often worry about the 'calories' in avocados, but don't, despite being high in calories this superhero pear actually helps to burn fat (...read the rest of this post before running to the supermarket, please!).  The other thing I love about them is that they help with the absorption of nutrients, especially when combined with other fat burning foods - so it is just perfect that avocados and eggs make the best foodie partnership.  When coeliacs are 'glutened' our stomachs become very inflamed and bloated and eating avocado helps to reduce the inflammation, which is a great way to get a quick relief - heal from the inside out.

Vegan, vegetarian or a gym bunny?  Avocados are packing a punch of protein!  Unlike the protein in red meat, which can be difficult for people to digest, the protein in avocado is readily absorbed because they also contain fibre.  So if you are looking for a balanced diet, make sure to add them as a regular part of your diet rather than an occasional treat.  My recipes will give you a few ideas on how to do so and if you like to mix your avocado up a bit (literally), then my Chunky Guacamole recipe will be right up your street.

Manomasa were kind enough to send me a box of their gluten free quinoa tortilla chips - they are gorgeous!  After tasting my first chipotle and lime tortilla, I knew I had to put my avocados to good use and went straight to the kitchen to whip up some chunky guacamole.  This recipe is really quick to throw together and can be enjoyed by the spoonful in a matter of minutes.

For your nearest stockist of Manomasa tortillas, visit manomasa.co.uk

Autumn Apple & Berry Crumble

I love this time of year when autumn is slowly turning into winter.  For me, this means chunky knitwear, open fires, comfort food, the build-up to Christmas and an excuse to put cinnamon into everything. 

The last of the autumn apples are falling to the ground in my garden and it’s the perfect time of year to collect them all up and make a little winter-warmer treat.

I asked my followers on Instagram what they would like me to make with my windfall apples and a crumble was the most popular request, so I decided to make a gorgeous Apple & Berry Crumble.  This is such a great thing to make around Halloween because the apples are in season and taste delicious.  Crumble is quick and easy to make and is brilliant for people on a budget.

My recipe is slightly different to conventional crumble recipes, because I like to add a little bit of a bit of extra crunch to the crumble topping by adding in oats and crushed almonds.  This gives the dish a bit more ‘bite’ and the different textures offer a welcome contrast. 

To make the topping, you can throw all of the crumble ingredients into a food processor to make your crumble very quickly.  Even though I am a big fan of the food processor, when making a crumble, I love to do it the old fashioned way.  There is something so nice about getting your fingers into the gluten free flour and gently massaging it into the butter.

I always keep a couple of packs of frozen berries in the freezer and adding them to a crumble gives a gorgeous depth of flavour, not to mention the amazing colour it turns the apples!  Frozen berries are great to keep – I use them for my Overnight Oats, which makes for a great breakfast, and pop them into a lot of almond milk smoothies.  They are also much cheaper than the fresh variety and just as nutritious.

Click for full recipe: Apple & Berry Crumble

I can’t wait for you to try this lovely Apple & Berry Crumble.  Make sure to tag me if you try the recipe and pop your photos onto Instagram, Facebook and Twitter – I love to see them!  Happy baking!

Gluten Free Fi x