Homemade crunchy beetroot chips

Everybody feels like munching every now and then. Tasty snacks don’t have to be only fatty and unhealthy. Lately I fell in love with this version of healthy chips. I have them to complement my main dish or just on their own. No big preparation, not much time needed. Change your ordinary potato chips for this healthy snack. Beetroot is high in potassium, vitamin C and folate.

All you need is: 

Fresh beetroots 

Sea salt 

Olive oil

Preheat your oven on 160 degrees C. Wash the beetroots carefully. You don’t have to peel the skin off unless is very hard or not very nice. With sharp knife (carefully!) slice them the thinnest you can. The thinner they will be the faster they will bake and most importantly the crunchier they become. So the time in the oven really depends on how thin your beetroot chips are sliced. Then toss them with little bit of olive oil and place them on baking dish one next to another. Bake in the oven aprox. 10 minutes or until nice and crunchy. Be careful not to burn them.  :) Once they are done sprinkle them with sea salt. If you do this while they are still hot the salt will stick to them better. Now just sit back and enjoy the crunch.

Have a fit day!

The bulk-up myth

Many women fear strength training as they are afraid of bulking-up too much. I hear this a lot. But the truth is that only very small percentage of women can actually experience significant muscle hypertrophy or in other words muscle growth. Women are genetically smaller in size, have smaller muscles and lower level of testosterone that is very important anabolic, thus muscle growth hormone. So girls, you can enhance your muscular strength and size within your genetic limitations but you will not grow bodybuilder’s arms.

Busted!

How to lean out while dining out

Eating in the restaurants can play havoc on your fitness goals. But it doesn’t have to. Here is what I do when I eat out. Follow these tricks and enjoy your meals without the unnecessary extra calories.

ORDER SMART  

Choose some protein with vegetables on the side and make sure to make it grilled, steamed, baked, broiled, blackened or sautéed. Even great low calorie food can become nutritional disaster when prepared the wrong way.

STAY AWAY FROM THE FILLERS  

The damage often occurs before the actual meals begin. Resist the temptation to eat the free bread that many restaurants offer as a starter. That bread, often accompanied by butter, actually does not come without the price tag – the muffin tops overflowing from your jeans that is.

MAKE STARTER YOUR MAIN COURSE  

Main courses in many restaurants are way too big and if you are not one of those people who can resist the temptation to clear the plate to the last bits stick to the starters on the menu. Portion control is the best thing when it comes to weight management.

DO THE DIP TRICK  

Order your dressing on the side but don’t pour it over your salad. Dip the tip of your fork in it instead and then spear bite-size portion. You just saved yourself from a lot of extra calories without sacrificing the taste.

SHARING IS CARING  

If you have to have your desert, share it with your friends. Just a little will help to satisfy those cravings without ruining your waistline.
SKIP THE FANCY DRINKS  

And order water instead. Sugary drinks are not only very high in empty calories but often full of additives that are not good for you either. Did you know that sugar suppresser your immune system, promotes inflammation and makes you age?

THE TWO RULE  

To refrain from extra calories follow “the two rule” which means to order only two things form the menu. If you have your starter followed by main course then skip the desert, if you feel like having desert don’t have the starter too. Simple as that, you will prevent yourself from over eating.

TAKE AWAY PLEASE!  

If the portion is too big for you the best thing is to ask the waiter to put half of it aside for takeaway as soon as the meal arrives. You will not eat more then you need if it’s not on your plate.

Have a fit day!

It's never too late to start!

"No citizen has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training.... What a disgrace it is for a man to grow old without ever seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable." Socrates

Sometimes I get utterly shocked when I hear what people are capable of doing in order to get “the perfect body” with minimum physical effort. I often hear girls complaining about their wobbly legs, loose tummies, shapeless butts and those extra kilos of course. But you would be stunned to hear all the sorts of crazy solutions they come up with to fix this. Starting with dieting drinks, dieting pills, meal replacements (often full of sugar), “magic” bracelets, super-duper machines that work your abs without you actually working out, let alone bulimia, anorexia and of course the plastic surgery. I once read an article about a man who is supposedly trying to put on weight (fat that is) just to qualify to get the gastric surgery. Wow! So he is stuffing himself with doughnuts and fries and risking that his heart will fail rather than eating less and moving more. OK, also a solution. In Slovakia we say that “Everyone is a creator of their happiness”. But it makes me wonder – Why people choose to pay money (lots of money) and sometimes even risk their health if they can achieve so much for free? Why to pay thousands for butt implants or liposuction instead of joining the gym and getting the sexy butt or the flat tummy yourself? I will never understand. Not everyone is the same. We come in different shapes and sizes and that is the beauty of life. Life would be boring if we all were perfect and the word “perfect” would have lost its meaning. And what is “perfect” anyway? We can’t all look the same and we should love what we were given. And we should all care for our bodies. So when I hear girls talking about which diet pills work the best while they sit in front of TV for most of the time or when I see people who call the elevator just to go one floor up and then complain about their weight I feel like I want to wake up because it feels like bad dream to me. We were given this perfect body, this complicated and very complexed machine and we’ve abandoned it. Such a shame! Instead of loving it and caring for it many of us choose to ignore it and even risk their health in favour for easy fix. Easy fixes don’t work! Exercise and balanced diet are the only long term solutions. Don’t give up what you want most for what you want now. It's never too late for change!

Take care of your body. Is the only place you have to live in. 

 

Have a fit day!

Cottage cheese

Cottage cheese should be your best friend whether you are trying to lose weight or gain muscles or strength. I always have it stocked up in my fridge. Without fail. It is very low in calories, very low in carbohydrates and contains only very little fat but it is loaded with casein which is good quality protein that helps your muscles to repair after strength training. Casein digest more slowly than other types of protein which makes cottage cheese the perfect food choice before bed as it can supply your muscles with steady stream of amino acids to repair them while you sleep. Cottage cheese also has high satiety level which means that it will make you feel full for longer. You can eat it plain or with fruits, I love it with just raw vegetables or eggs and tuna for extra protein. 

This truly deserves to be called superfood. 

Have a fit day!

Why to strength train?

What is so magical about weightlifting?

STRENGTHENS BONES 

Weight lifting helps to keep the osteroposis away by making your bones stronger and denser. Walking simply isn't enough.

PREVENTS INJURIES 

When done with proper form, strength training also strengthens connective tissues which increases joint stability and helps to prevent injury.

HELPS WEIGHTLOSS 

With your lean muscle increase your resting metabolic rate increases as well. Muscles burn more calories at rest so the more muscles you have the more calories your body burns, minimizing the amount of calories available to deposit as fat. For every kilo of lean muscle you build your body will burn additional 25-50 calories approximately.

BOOSTS SELF-CONFIDENCE

Many studies have proven that women who strength train feel more confident about themselves and have more positive body image. This reduces the risk of depression and simply makes your life better and happier. Who doesn’t wanna feel great about themselves, right?

REDUCES THE RISK OF DIABETES 

Improves the way your body processes sugar and helps your beat the diabetes.

MAKES YOU PHYSICALLY STRONGER

When you are stronger the activities of daily living like lifting your kids, groceries or laundry are easier for you and the risk of injuries is reduced.

THE GOOD NIGHT SLEEP 

You are less likely to suffer from insomnia if you regularly strength train.

REDUCES THE RISK OF HEART DISEASE 

Lowers bad cholesterol, increases good cholesterol and lowers blood pressure.

So what do you say ladies? Is it worth the sweat? :)

Have a fit day!

Grilled salmon & white bean salad

Lean salad to beat the belly bulge.

You need:  

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

2 tbsp lemon juice 

Pinch of salt 

Ground black pepper 

Big grilled salmon filet broken into large chunks 

2 cups cooked drained white beans 

1 cup cooked green beans 

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes 

¼ thinly sliced onion 

Mixed greens 

 

 

In small bowl whisk oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and toss salmon with 1 tbsp of this dressing. In large bowl toss white beans, green beans, tomatoes, onion and greens with remaining dressing. Top with the salmon. And that’s it. Ready in few minutes.



Bon appetite!

The 5 meals a day myth

We read it everywhere – “You should eat five to six times a day if you want to be slim” But is this really true?
 

Weight control is a balance of “calories in” and “calories out”. You don’t have to eat five times a day as you are often told to stay in control of your weight. It is about how much you eat in total and how many calories you burn in total. Everyone is different and what works for some people might not work for you. For some people it is easier to eat more of smaller portions a day and some prefer to eat less often. Either way – what is the most important is that you eat balanced meals and give your body all the nutrients it needs from good high quality sources. Eat the right amount of calories for you and move a lot. It’s easy as that.

 Have a fit day!

Make your skin glow

Did you know that skin is the largest organ in human body? Basically it is a tissue layer that beside many other things protects our muscles, internal organs and bones, helps us to regulate our temperature and synthesise vitamin D. It is water resistant so it works as a barrier that prevents all the essential nutrients to be washed away. And approximately one quarter of our body detoxification is done by our skin. Isn’t that amazing? So in order to do that properly it needs to be pampered and cared for from inside and outside. Today I’m going to focus on a very simple and effective technique called dry brushing. I have been practicing dry brushing myself for over a year now and I swear by it. Here are the reasons why I love it so much: it removes the skin’s dead cells, stimulates and increases new skin cells regeneration, promotes blood circulation, cleanses the lymphatic system, helps to decrease the appearance of cellulite, boosts the immune system, tightens the skin and helps to fight the premature aging. And when done daily it makes your skin wonderfully smooth and glowing. It really works guys! And it is absolutely free. :) All you need is a soft natural fibre brush with a long handle. Always brush naked and preferably before having a shower so you can wash off the impurities and the dead cells. Brush once a day every day. I prefer to do it first thing in the morning as a part of my morning hygiene routine. Always brush with long strokes towards your heart. I start with my neck then my back, front upper body then move to my legs and finally to my arms. It might take you about 15 minutes at the beginning but once you get used to the routine it won’t be that long. But the results are so worth it! Give it couple of weeks and I can promise you you will love dry brushing and your new glowing skin. Get ready for some serious compliments! :) 

Have a fit day! :)

Did you know?

500 calories is how much you should eliminate per day to loose one pound a week (that is 0.45 kg). This can be done with exercise or with restricting caloric intake but preferably with those two combined. This is the healthy aproach and to exceed this is not recommended.

Have a fit day! :)

The distance between who I am and who I want to be is separated only by my own actions and words.

 

 

Why should girls lift weights?

"The bone is only as strong as the load put on it"
Wolff's law

One of the women’s biggest women's concern with the strength training that I’m constantly coming across is the fear of getting too masculine. Many women believe that simply by doing biceps curls their biceps will grow into Arnold’s size and they will lose their femininity. This is completely false. The truth is that women need to lift weights as much as men do if not more. One of the main reasons is not only the weight management and body shaping but the prevention of osteoporosis. As everyone knows osteoporosis is a disease of bones when the bone mineral density is decreasing and the bones are deteriorating. This leads to bones fragility and fractures. Among other risk factors such as the lack of vitamin D, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, lack of physical activity and age, one of the biggest ones is the female gender. As we approach menopause the level of estrogens that our body produces and that help to protect our bones from resorption is declining and the density of our bones is decreasing about 5% yearly. The weightlifting has been proven to have huge impact on the density of one’s bones. It is very simple. The more muscles we have the more densed our bones must become to supports all the extra weight. So by weightlifting we don’t only train our muscles but we build our bones too. My mom is the best proof of this. She has always been physically active person. Since her young age she has been doing some simple exercises routines at home like sit-ups and stuff. For many years she has been working together with my dad in our garden and after they had sold the garden she has been going to some aerobic classes. But she was never big fan of weight lifting for that common believes that it was not for women. Then my mom was diagnosed with osteopenia which is a pre-osteoporosis state. Only this was when I was able to convince her that she needs to workout with the weights too. She’d started some basic training with lighter dumbbells and in about half a year her medical condition improved to the state when she is not osteopenic any more. Nowadays she loves working out and she is proud of her toned body. And no, she does not have the Arnold’s arms. :) I always tell this to all of my girlfriends. I encourage them to weight training no matter what body shape they are. For the reason that to be healthy and strong is the most important thing that we should care for.

Have a fit day! :)

Spicy chicken stir-fry

If you like Asian food you gonna like this. Great post workout meal, full of protein, fiber, iron and folate. Quick and easy, healthy version of Asian dish. Try it and let me know.

You will need: 

2 tsp peanut oil 

½ tsp chilli flakes 

500g chicken breasts cut into stripes or bite-sized pieces 

½ cup young asparagus tips 

1 thinly sliced carrot 

½ onion, sliced 

½ cup snow peas 

2 tbsp sliced almonds 

2 tbsp low sodium soya sauce

Combine the peanut oil and chilli flakes in a medium-hot pan. Add the chicken and fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the remaining ingredients and fry for another 2-3 minutes. Serve with brown rice.

Bon appetite!

Why is the beer belly more DEADLY than you think

Most people don’t realize just how dangerous their excessive abdominal fat really is. The times when fat was considered simply an energy storage are past. Now we know that in reality is part of our endocrine system too. There are different types of fat in our bodies, some of them are very useful and vital, not prone to expansion and then there are those that tend to expand when the body has energy surpass - the subcutaneous or under-the-skin fat and the visceral fat also called belly fat. The subcutaneous fat can occur anywhere – the butt, thighs, arms, stomach (above the abs muscles), it is more visible, but it does not carry as much health risk as the visceral fat. Visceral fat also called internal fat is the fat found under abdominal muscles and its purpose is to cushion our internal organs so certain amount is necessary but if person accumulates too much of it it becomes a serious health risk. It appears to turn up certain hormones and pro-inflammatory hormone-like substances. As the inflammation in the body rises so increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high cholesterol and high blood pressure, insulin resistance, hormonal disbalance and also certain kinds of cancer. Increasing the insulin level can make it even harder to lose weight and you can become more prone to cravings even when you are not in the need for food.

Your waist line matters a lot. If you care about the quality of your life, reducing your abdominal fat should be your priority number one. There are no miracles pills or magic ab rollers or belts that can actually help you to do so. The only solution is balanced diet based on unprocessed natural food with good amount of fiber and reduced refined sugar combined with properly designed exercise program. Harvard university suggests that you need at least 30 to 60 minutes of moderately intense exercise daily.

The beer belly is not only ugly but it is dangerous! Don’t waste another day allowing it to kill your confidence and decrease the quality of your life and health. 

Have a fit day!

The top 5 exercises you should do

These are the best and most basic five exercises everyone should include in their program. They are all using big muscle groups so they give you good full body workout in short time. I love them all but my favourite has to be the dead lift. Which one is yours?

SQUATS

Most of the fitness trainers agree that squats are one of the best things you can do in your fitness routine. They activate large group of muscles at once. You can work your glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves and core all at once. That is why squat should be everyone’s Holy Grail exercise.

PUSH UPS 

This is another compound movement that engage many muscles – from chest, shoulders, back and triceps to abs. Try the girls version of push ups – the ones where you are on your knees – before you get enough strength to do the proper version on your toes.

DEAD LIFT 

Dead lifts strengthen your back, glutes, hips and tights. You can do them using barbells or dumbbells. There are many different varieties of dead lifts so you never get bored.

OVERHEAD PRESS 

Overhead press or shoulder press if you like will help you to achieve nice shoulders, upper chest and triceps. You will need to use your core and legs too to stabilize the weight.

CHIN UPS 

The ultimate strength training exercise for your upper body. They are very hard to do but don’t let that discourage you. There are many versions you can do as a beginner. You can use the assisted chin up machine until you develop enough strength to pull yourself up on your own. The feeling of your first real chin up is priceless.

Have a fit day!