Category Archives: Nutrition

You cannot out train a bad diet…

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This morning I had a client come in for their third PT session.  Let’s call her Jane.

Jane had put on 2lbs… shock, disappointment and disbelief.  I could see the horror on her face, because Jane felt she’d had a good week, she had followed my exercise plan to the letter, had even added in an extra couple of walks.  So before we started the PT session we took five minutes to chat about her diet this week. Firstly, Jane hadn’t been using her food diary, feeling that she would review each day on its own.  Jane told me that she had been having smaller portions, and no carbs for supper, but after a little more digging Jane remembered ice cream and strawberries, hot chocolate and shortbread, finishing the kids Easter eggs to name but a few “treats” this week.

This is not uncommon.  Clients very often fall into this trap at the beginning of their weight loss journey and start to think that because they have increased their activity levels that they can or should be able to treat themselves.  Does that sound familiar?

At Brealy Bootcamps we promote developing a real relationship with food and do not advocate removal of any foods from your regular diet.  Research has shown that total abstinence or restrictive diets fail time and time again.  Once you remove a food completely you can start to develop a contrary desire for it, sometimes this feels more like a compulsion and you can find yourself binging out on the removed food and then feeling guilty and ashamed of yourself.  This spiral of denial, guilt and shame is not productive and only sets you up for failure in the long term.

But, there is a but here…… in the early days of your weight loss journey you do need to exercise caution around when you include certain foods.  The key is stabilising your blood sugar, so eating your three main meals and two small protein rich snacks is important.  This stops you from feeling “hungry” so you are less likely to make bad choices while keeping your metabolism high.  Secondly, remember a treat is exactly that a treat… not a regular occurrence, so a daily treat is not a treat, that’s becoming part of your regular diet.  If you want to reward yourself for your increased activity you need to find a non food way to do that so that you don’t undo your good work.

As you grow in confidence and motivation as the lbs/Kgs start to come off and your new shape reveals itself you will find it easier to make healthy choices, but for now you need to practice and treats should become just that “occasional treats”.

 

Top Ten Foods To Be Eating In 2013

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Most of you are probably eating a few of these foods regularly, and some of you may be eating most of them, but we should be eating all of them on a regular basis.

Check the list below, see what you’re missing, and adjust your basket accordingly on your next shop.

1. Cauliflower
Cauliflower is a cruciferious vegetable as is kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage. This family of veggies are potent cancer fighters and great for supporting detoxification. Cauliflower doesn’t have to smothered in cheese sauce to be delicious, try adding it to your mash to lighten it while giving you a veggie boost, great for introducing vegetables to children.

2. Avocado
Avocado is high in oleic acid, the monounsaturated fat found in olive oil, which is known to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of cancer and diabetes. Not just for salads, try adding avocado to you breakfast plate along with a scrambled egg and grilled tomatoes for a super breakfast that will keep you going till mid morning snack.

3. Eggs
Eggs are one of the best sources of protein, complete with all nine essential amino acids, they are loaded with vitamins especially Vitamin A and Omega 3 and nutrients and are rich in choline an essential nutrient for cardiovascular, brain and cell health, which has also been linked with lowering cholesterol. A boiled egg makes the perfect snack, it’s portable and at around 70 calories will fill you right up to your next meal.

4. Brazil Nuts
Selenium, selenium, selenium. This essential mineral is absent from most women’s diets. Selenium is vital for thyroid and sex hormone production, the manufacture of antioxidants. Brazil nuts are the best source of selenium and just three nuts a day will give you all the selenium you need, add to your trail mix snacks or chop and sprinkle on top of homemade muesli.

5. Berries
Blueberries, raspberries, currants, purple grapes, and blackberries are low in sugar and fructose and loaded with phytonutrients, which is just a fancy word to say they are chock full of compounds that promote good health. In addition have been linked to anti-inflammatory, anti-atherosclerotic, and anti-carcinogenic effects. Remember to balance the sugars they do contain by having berries with some protein.

6. Oats
One of the easiest ways to significantly lower your cholesterol is to eat whole-grain oats daily, The fibre in oatmeal forms a gel that slows down your body’s absorption of cholesterol, so adding regular servings or porridge, homemade muesli or flapjack to your diet is a must.

7. Beans
Beans of any kind are nutrition dynamos. But red beans made our top 10 list for several reasons: they’re rich in antioxidants and packed with protein, folate, minerals, and fibre, helping to boost the body’s ability to burn fat, helping you feel full, controlling blood sugars, and even reducing cancer risk. Mixed Bean Chilli anyone??

8. Turmeric
Best known as the spice behind curry, research is now showing how it can potentially play a role in weight loss, along with preventing Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and other conditions. You don’t have to keep this spice wonder for curries, it can add and earthiness to warming casseroles and even a sprinkle over eggs adds a little lift.

9. Hot Peppers
All peppers contain compounds called capsaicinoids. This is especially true of chilli peppers, which derive their spicy heat—as well as anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-cancer, heart-healthy effects—from very high levels of capsaicinoids.

Chillies are high in antioxidant carotenes and flavonoids, and contain about twice the amount of vitamin C found in citrus fruits. Almost any dish—from homemade soups, stews and chili to stir-fries, salads and salsas—can benefit from small amounts of hot peppers.

10. Chocolate
Yes, you are reading this right….Enjoying a small amount of flavonoid-filled dark chocolate may prevent clogged arteries and reduce your risk of developing heart disease. But be sure to buy one with at least 70% cocoa solids to get the health benefits.

Learn More:

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[Blog] – Stress… It’s Everywhere. We’re All Subject To It, Aren’t We?

[Blog] Are you Done With the drinking For A While?

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Are you done with the drinking for a while?

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Well may be until the next time or when you reach your weight loss goal!

Alcohol effects on health, Is alcohol healthy, Healthy alcohol consumption, Healthy alcoholic drinksIf you have been focusing on your Boot camp meal plans and exercises over the last few days by cracking out the Brealy Bootcamps HIIT workout videos you should start to see results! Keeping a food diary and recording everything is key and one thing that often gets left off of food diaries is your alcohol consumption!

Alcohol can be one thing that prevents you from losing those few extra pounds of body fat each week here’s why..
Alcohol has 7 calories per gram, almost as much as fat (9 calories per gram) and nearly twice as much as carbohydrates and protein. So even a couple of small drinks could be 300-400 calories!

Did you know that if you consume alcohol with your meal your body tends to burn the alcohol first so in theory storing the food you are eating as fat. Not only does alcohol make you hungrier but also tends to lower your inhibitions making you more likely to binge on unhealthy choices! Of course the classic is that late night feast to the takeaway after a night out drinking with friends or that night in front of the TV with a bottle of wine and all the nibbles that go on and on!

At Brealy Bootcamps we don’t say you shouldn’t enjoy a drink once in a while, but alcohol just like sugar and fatty foods should be consumed in moderation. If you’re a drinker and need that fix once in a while, perhaps you may be open to cutting back to a glass every other night or only having a glass at weekends or if you go out for a meal.

There are other ways to reduce the impact alcohol has on you getting those weight loss results so if you’re going to indulge consider our weight loss camps top tips.

Champagne has fewer calories than most wines and beers so it’s more than a good drink to celebrate your achievements with.

For every drink you have think about drinking one glass of water, it will help your body metabolize the alcohol and will counteract the dehydrating effects on the body, like the next day hangover!

It takes the liver 1 hour to process 1 ounce of alcohol, So space out your drinks with that water. The less you overload the liver the better it will be able to work on breaking down the fats from your food intake.

If your are planning to go out for a few drinks plan your day accordingly, eating lighter meals packed full of nutrients to support the livers functions or being more active though the day will help keep your energy expenditure high and intake low so you could maintain and not put on weight in that week.

Lastly alcohol has few if any nutrients that’s why it’s called empty calories, for maximum weight loss only indulge once in a while and make sure when you do you enjoy it for the right reasons and know that you will be back on track the next day.

Learn More:

Sign up for our Newsletter – regular weight loss tips & special offers on bootcamps. Click here to subscribe.

[Blog] Tips For The Christmas Party Season

[Blog] – Concious Christmas Eating

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Conscious Christmas Eating

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Eating consciously can be practiced to bring you pleasure and enjoyment from eating the foods that you really love and most importantly not have any negative or unwanted side effects such as extra pounds or inches as the result.

Sound too good to be true???

At Brealy Bootcamps we want you to enjoy your share of festive food while still being confident that you can continue working towards your goal…

Eat only at mealtimes or when you are truly hungry and not just because food is presented to you. There is so much choice of what to eat at Christmas, so now is the time to be very choosy, you want to really enjoy every mouthful, so only choose the foods you really love and don’t even waste your time with extras just because they are there.

Remember a “ Little” of what you fancy does you good…never a “Lot”!

When you eat, focus all your attention on the food you are actually eating. Do not watch TV or read a magazine or book, enjoy this time. Christmas is a great time to be more social in your eating so now is the time to get into the habit of eating at the table, so you can concentrate on both your guest’s conversation and your food.

What we practise with our clients here at Brealy Bootcamps is before you begin to eat, you take a moment to really look at our food, notice the colours and textures. Notice the shape and size of your food, notice too any patterns. Inhale deeply and enjoy the aromas, smell your first forkful before you eat it. Taking only small mouthfuls and putting your cutlery or food down between bites, this not only allows you to thoroughly chew your food but will also help you to engage in conversation with others.

Focus your complete attention on the food you are eating, don’t let your mind wander. Be aware of all the taste buds in your mouth and how they are stimulated by each tiny bit of food. You might even find that closing your eyes while you chew allows you to focus more intently on the taste. Chew your food slowly as if in slow motion before you finally swallow. Savour every single mouthful.

Instead of giving up foods you like, savour them, and savour the fact they can still be a part of your life. But by being choosy, chewing slowly and consciously and when you are starting to feel full then STOP, you can continue to enjoy them forever.

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[Blog] Introducing The Burnout Bootcamp – Rebalancing Your Body and Mind

[Blog] – Winter Superfoods For A Super Healthy You

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Winter Superfoods For A Super Healthy You

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nutritional eating, super food list, super foods, super foods for a super healthy you, superfoods, superfoods list, winter eating, winter superfoodsWinter is fast approaching… and with it comes a barrage of delicious, seasonal food & drink.

Your Christmas Pudding, your Christmas roast, your bottle(s!) of wine over the festive period; it all adds up, and come New Year’s Eve, you’re already vowing to lose what you’ve put on over Christmas.

But, why not try it the other way around this year? You don’t have to cut out everything you enjoy, but below are a few ideas of Winter Superfoods that are great for this time of the year, and won’t leave you regretting eating them come New Year’s!

1 – Dark Hot Chocolate. Strictly not a food, but who can resist a hot chocolate when the cold starts to set in! For each single cup of hot chocolate, finely slice 25g of dark chocolate (25g of 70% dark chocolate is 125 calories, and if you need more chocolate, simply add it). Measure a cup full of water/milk (your preference), and heat on the stove on a medium-low, or low setting. Gently add the chocolate (before the milk/water is warm), and bring the liquid to a warm temperature. This is the point in which you can add spices to your hot chocolate should you wish. Continue to stir the mixture with a whisk, ensuring there are no small black flecks in the mixture; this is unmelted chocolate. If the temperature gets too high, and you are worried that the chocolate may burn, take the pot off the heat and stir while letting the temperature reduce. As soon as there is no sign of unmelted chocolate, turn off the heat and pour into your cup immediately. This is a great Superfood because dark chocolate is high in vitamins, actually makes you feel happier (an active ingredient, phenylethylamine, encourages your brain to release endorphins), and studies have shown that dark chocolate also reduces your blood pressure.

2 – Cabbage. Cabbage is widely recognised as one of the most important vegetables in the world from the point of view of nutritional benefits, and also cancer-fighting ability. Cabbage possesses phytochemicals such as indoles, which help metabolize estrogens. Furthermore, it’s also a great source of Vitamins C and K, as well as a good source of dietary fibre, vitamin B6, and manganese. What’s even better is that Cabbage is already a part of your Christmas dinner, so no extra planning is necessary! Hint: To be fair, Cabbage is a pretty boring food! To spice things up a bit, try this recipe for a Moroccan-spiced Cabbage, Carrot and Radish salad – http://www.oregonlive.com/mix/index.ssf/salad-sandwich-wrap-recipes/moroccan-spiced-cabbage-carrot-and-radish-salad.html

3 – Roast ‘Tatties – The Roast Potatoes have got to be a part of any Christmas Dinner, let’s be honest! However, potatoes have got a bit of a bad reputation in the modern nutrition world, due to their high starch content, but potatoes are great! They contain no fat or cholesterol, have 3 grams of protein per medium potato, 2 grams of fibre (this is with the skin on), which may aid in weight loss, lower blood cholesterol levels, and decrease the risk of heart disease. A medium-sized potato also contains 45% of your Daily Value of Vitamin C, and 18% of your Daily Value of potassium. For some ideas of how you can use potatoes outside of your Christmas Dinner, have a look at this – http://family.go.com/food/15-hot-potato-recipes-pg/

And there you have it – 3 Winter Superfoods to help keep you healthy throughout the festive period!

What are some of your favourite Winter Superfoods? We’d love to hear… Let us know in the comments below!

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[Blog] What Is High Intensity Interval Training, And How Can It Help You Lose Weight?

[Blog] – Exercise Ideas To Reduce Stress

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In praise of… beetroots

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When it comes to superfoods, there is rarely anything more ‘super’ than the humble beetroot. This much bemoaned root vegetable is packed with so much good stuff, it’s surprising that the government hasn’t made it obligatory that we eat at least one beetroot a week.

What’s it got? Well, there’s potassium, magnesium and iron (plenty of iron), folic acid, and vitamins A, B6 and C. You’ve got carbohydrates, protein, plenty of antioxidants, and you’ve also got fibre. Soluble fibre at that.

What can it do? You’d be amazed. It helps reduce blood pressure, and therefore heart attacks and strokes, and that’s because of its high nitrates content (which comes from good soil, gardeners!) The pigment in beetroot is the antioxidant, and the folic acid is brilliant for tissue growth – and especially brilliant for mothers-to-be, who should be guzzling beetroot juice like there’s no tomorrow.

Here’s the best bit – all of that combined can help boost your stamina, and make your muscles work more for you. There’s plenty of evidence that shows beetroot juice can help you exercise for up to 16% longer than without.

There are so many types of beetroot out there, and it’s always best to grow your own, wherever you can. Even in a small pot, you’ll be able to grow a bunch of beetroot ready for picking come autumn.

Beetroot Juice Recipe

  • two raw beetroots
  • one apple
  • 1/4 cucumber
  • half a grapefruit
  • two glasses of apple juice
It’s essential that you use raw beets for beetroot juice, as the nitrates are stronger when raw. Top and tail the beets, peel and dice. Peel and dice the apple, and chop the cucumber.
Put everything in a blender, and squeeze the grapefruit in. Start blending, and gradually pour in the apple juice until you reach your preferred consistency – thick and gloopy or juicy.

How to maintain the bootcamp spirit

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So, you’ve left bootcamp after a day or a week motivated to the max, determined to diet and exercise, convinced a change of lifestyle is for you…but how do you keep the momentum going?

Bootcamp did not get its name by accident. It is a rigorous regime designed to reinvigorate your desire to lose weight, tone-up, improve your fitness or just gain a greater appreciation of a healthier lifestyle. And one of the tricks of the trade is get you pumped up to succeed at home.

As you find yourself starting to flag, listen to those voices in your ear, the mantra from bootcamp about why you need to have a more positive attitude to food, why exercise will help your health and your weight loss programme and why shedding a few pounds will enhance your overall sense of well-being.

Remember the fun you had at bootcamp, the real laughs you shared, how good you felt at the end of it, the promises you made to fellow dieters, staff – and, most importantly, yourself.

Recreate the programme you followed – a rich mixture of good but healthy food and an exercise programme that challenged you but worked for you at the same time. Shout out your own motivational mantra. Be tough, be loud.

And if all that fails, think back to when you felt bloated, sluggish and stressed in your ‘before bootcamp’ life. Surely the desire to escape those feelings is the driver to kick on to reach your goals.

Above all, remember you can do it!

Say Hello To Parsnips!

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What’s in season in the  Brealy Bootcamps Kitchen Garden ?

Say hello to the great taste of PARSNIPS!

At Brealy Bootcamps we are lucky to have such a great vegetable garden at the retreat venue that helps our chef create seasonal dishes.

There are a number of good reasons to eat more local, seasonal food:

  • to reduce the energy (and associated CO2 emissions) needed to grow and transport the food we eat
  • to avoid paying a premium for food that is scarcer or has traveled a long way
  • to support the local economy
    • to reconnect with nature’s cycles and the passing of time

but, most importantly, because

  • seasonal food is fresher and so tends to be tastier and more nutritious

Parsnip is richer in vitamins and minerals than its close relative, the carrot and contains more fiber but less calories than a potato so a good alternative to have on your plate.

It’s a good source of Vitamin C , which can help our bodies boost the immune system which makes us less prone to diseases and infections.  It also aids the body’s digestive system so it can function properly.

Parsnips are high in Folic acid which is not just an important vitamin for pregnant women so they can avoid birth defects, it also helps reduce the chances of having heart-related diseases.

The Fiber content in parsnips lowers bad cholesterol and aids in the regulation of bowel movement while potassium helps the kidney function normally.

One cup of sliced parsnips can give you more than 5% your daily value of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper and manganese.

For the best flavour, look for parsnips about the size of a large carrot, with firm, unblemished flesh. If the leaves are still attached to the tops, they should still be green and fresh.

Because of their unique flavour parsnips go well with a wide variety of dishes. Try these ideas or create your own to get the full health benefits of parsnips.

  • Boil parsnips until tender, about eight minutes, and mash with unsalted butter and  milk for a low calorie parsnip puree.
  • Shred 1 parsnip and add it to your Coleslaw mix for a spicy bite.
  • Dice 2 carrots and 2 parsnips and sauté with chopped onion for a healthy breakfast hash.
  • Rough chop parsnips and add to your favourite stew.
  • Give mashed potatoes a kick by mashing parsnip along with potatoes.
  • Slice parsnips into strips, rub with olive oil, rosemary, salt & pepper. Bake at 400° F for 15 minutes or until done for healthy fries!

Top Brealy Bootcamp  parsnip recipe and a favourite with the regular Day Bootcampers.

Spicy Parsnip and Apple soup.

Makes 4 mug sized servings

2 onions, chopped

1tbsp rapeseed oil

2tsp cumin or to your taste.

4 medium parsnips, washed and chopped

600ml vegetable stock (boulin)

2 red apples Chopped, skinned and cored

Salt and pepper and fresh coriander to season

Sauté onion in a little oil until soft, add cumin and cook for a minute then add parsnips, apples and stock and bring to simmer.

  1. Cook for 25 mins or until parsnips are soft, then whizz in a blender and more water or stock if soup is to thick and reheat if necessary.
  2. Stir though and season with some fresh coriander

 

 

How’s about a health farm?

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Visiting a health farm can provide an endless list of benefits for anyone who attends. Not only can they help to improve eating habits and fitness levels, but they can also help to promote a healthier way of thinking which can lead to a happier lifestyle.

Brealy Bootcamps is run for women by women and offers a number of different packages for health farms UK. From one day, weekend and advanced bootcamps to dancing, pilates and detox camps, there is something to suit everyone regardless of their fitness levels.

Exercise

A lot of people think that they already know how to get the most out of their exercise regime but this is actually rarely the case. Health farms are run by trained professionals who know how to create lean muscle rather than bulk. Those who know how to build lean muscle can increase their metabolic rate which means that they are burning calories all the time, even when they are not exercising.

Half the battle of exercising is knowing which techniques are best for your body type and what is going to get the most desired results. Very few people naturally know this which is another reason why health farms can be extremely beneficial as this can all be learnt by experts who know what they are doing.

If you are looking at health farms in England and want a programme that is going to focus heavily on exercise, then we have a number of packages to suit. Our weekend and advanced bootcamps are more intense and we even offer a personal training service which we can provide at a gym, in your home or an outdoor area. We even have a one-day bootcamp which can give you a taste of the action as part of an ongoing programme.

Nutrition

If you want to go to a health farm then it is very important to find one that follows a healthy nutritional programme. A lot of people struggle to lose weight because they think they know the right foods to eat or assume that the less they eat, the more their excess weight will drop off.

At Brealy Bootcamps we teach everyone who attends how to follow a healthy eating plan and build a positive relationship with food. Our philosophy of ‘eat better, move smarter’ will help to develop new and long term eating habits that will help our customers to achieve their weight loss goals and obtain the healthy lifestyle that they have been looking for.

All of our packages will provide participants with everything they need to know about having a less destructive relationship with food. Even after the session we provide a long term lifestyle package which contains all the advice and support anyone needs to continue their fitness journey and reach long term goals. We also offer nutrition and hypnotherapy workshops for those we really want to focus on learning to eat for a healthier lifestyle.

To find out more about Brealy Bootcamp and the health farms that we offer, please feel free to contact us and a member of our team will be happy to help and answer any questions.

Happy New Year!

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Happy New Year! Are you done with the drinking ?

Well may be till the next time you reach your weight loss goal! You know if you have been focused on your meal plan and cracking out the HIIT workouts but still think that body fat isn’t shifting this could be why.

Your alcohol consumption!

Alcohol has 7 calories per gram, almost as much as fat (9 calories per gram) and nearly 2 x as many as carbohydrates and protein. So even a couple of small drinks could be 300-400 calories!

Did you know that if you consume alcohol with your meal your body tends to burn the alcohol first so in theory storing the food you are eating as fat. Not only does alcohol make your hungrier but also tends to lower your inhibitions making you more likely to binge on unhealthy choices! Of course the classic is that late night feast to the takeaway after a night out drinking with friends or that night in front of the TV with a bottle of wine and all the nibbles that go on and on!

I am no saint by the why. I am not saying you shouldn’t drink, but alcohol just like sugar and fatty foods should be consumed in moderation. If you’re a drinker and need that fix once in a while, perhaps you may be open to cutting back to a glass every other night or only having a glass at weekends or if you go out for a meal?

There are other ways to reduce the impact alcohol has on you getting those weight loss results so if you’re going to indulge consider my top tips.

Champagne has fewer calories than most wines and beers so its more than a good drink to celebrate the New Year with.

For every drink you have think about drinking one glass of water, it will help your body metabolize the alcohol and will counteract the dehydrating effects on the body, like the next day hangover!

It takes the liver 1 hour to process 1 ounce of alcohol! So space out your drinks with that water. The less you overload the liver the better it will be able to work on breaking down the fats from your food intake.

If your are planning to go out for a few drinks plan your day accordingly, eating  lighter meals packed full of nutrients to support the livers functions or being more active though the day will help keep your energy expenditure high and intake low so you could maintain and not put on weight in that week.

Lastly alcohol has few if any nutrients that’s why it’s called empty calories, for maximum weight loss only indulge once in a while and make sure when you do you enjoy it for the right reasons and know that you will be back on track after the hangover !

Best wishes for 2012 from Brealy Bootcamps and we hope to see you at one in 20912 and share in your journey!