I was advised by a good friend of mine to do my morning cardio before I have my breakfast, as I will be burning fat instead of the food I would have just eaten. If anyone has any other opinion, please feel free to give me some feedback and your opinion.
In regards to diet, its been really clean and packed full of good quality whole foods such as tuna, rice, vegetables and fruit. You can see below what I had and what each of the meals consisted of and the benefits of each of the items within them. I thought it would be helpful for people to understand what's so great about these food items and why we really should be eating them.
Breakfast
I had probably the tastiest breakfast in ages today,
porridge with goji berries, raisins, cashew nuts and honey. It was the perfect
way to start the day and get myself ready for the coming year, the plus is it
was amazing and packed full of goodness. You can see below the benefits having
all of these below.
Goji Berries
Goji berries were eaten in ancient China to prolong life.
Now days they are eaten because they’re packed full of antioxidants and
vitamins, especially Vitamin A. Vitamin A is important for the immune system,
eye sight and cell preproduction.
Raisins
These are perfect for people to eat to gain energy, they are
packed full of natural sugar and antioxidants. Plus if you’re craving something
sweet, then some raisins are idea to snack on.
Cashew nuts
So packed full of protein are these nuts that they’ve been
consumed by heath enthusiasts and bodybuilders for years. On top of helping to
maintain and increase muscle with the protein in them, they are also great for
your heart as they contain the good Monounsaturated fats our body needs. All in
all, these are amazing.
Honey
Well this stuff has been used for over 4,000 years, even the
Egyptians were using it, but not to eat, they used it to treat wounds. We even
use it to help with a bad throat, it’s that versatile. It tastes delicious and
is actually packed full of natural sugar and Calcium.
Oats
Oats have been part of people’s diets for years, mainly
because it’s a complex carbohydrate that provide a great source of energy. They
are also fantastic as they contain beta-glucan which helps fight plus prevent
heart disease and diabetes.
Lunch
I have had to change my mind set to remind me I need to be
eating healthy again because I have been eating pretty badly for a few months.
So today I had a delicious tuna sandwich with lettuce and cucumber. Plus I had
2 carrots, some radishes and a Coxs apple. The sandwich was pretty dry because
I don’t eat any spreads or butter, but with the tuna and everything else it
wasn’t as dry as it could be.
Tuna
Tuna is a great source of Protein and is idea to fit into
anyones diet, especially as it can come in a tin pre-cooked and ready to eat.
It also contains the key omega fish oils our body needs to transport Vitamins
and minerals around our body. On top of that, its seriously tasty and can be
flavoured with pretty much anything.
Multi-seed Bread
Multi seed wholemeal bread is always my 1st
choice, it’s been eaten for thousands of years as it’s rich in complex
carbohydrates because it’s made from the whole grain. The seeds are also great
as they contain those all-important natural oils that we need.
Lettuce
This is a great item to add to any salad or meal, its high
in Vitamin A and especially in Vitamin K which is found a lot in green
vegetables. Vitamin K is vital for the body as it helps with blood clotting, so
if you are hypoglycaemic try to eat foods that are high in Vitamin K. Plus it
has a high water content so it also helps to keep your body hydrated. There are
many types of lettuce out there on the market, so its really a good idea to go
out and try a new one or two each week to find the ones you most like as they
can vary in flavour.
Cucumber
Is extremely high in water content but also has a crunch to
it when eaten so it too is ideal to add to salads and sandwiches. Like the
lettuce it contain a large amount of Vitamin K, it is important to mention that
if you are taking warfarin, a large increase in Vitamin K could counter the
affect.
Carrot
These are a fantastic source of Vitamin A, a cup side
portion could give you up to 482% of your RDA, which makes these a vital part
of anyone’s diet. They have a sweet taste as they contain natural sugars which
make them a nice alternative for a healthy snack. Plus they have a good crunch
and can be eaten simply when cut into sticks.
Radish
Are a great vegetable to add to a salad or even to cook. Not
many people with use them in their cooking but they really are amazing cook.
When rare they have a peppery taste to them and are crunchy like carrots. They
contain a good amount of Vitamin C which the body uses for maintaining
connective tissue within the body and cell health.
Apple
Are once again a great source of Vitamin C and also contain
a large amount of natural sugars that make them sweet. These are once again a
great idea for a snack as they can provide a quick intake of energy from the
sugar.
Dinner
So tonight was a treat meal as it’s my girlfriend’s birthday
and she wanted to have chili for dinner. However I did cook a healthy version
as we are sticking to the fitness and weight loss goals. It was so nice to have
chilli, especially because it was all fresh with organic produce. So I used
extra lean steak mince with organic kidney beans and organic chopped tomatoes
as they contain the most nutrients. For the flavour I used cumin, Cayan pepper,
garlic and smoked paprika so I could control the spice level, but I like it
hot. A benefit of Cayan pepper is that it heats up your core temperature which
helps to increase your effectiveness of burning calories.
SORRY NO PHOTO, IT WAS EATEN WAY BEFORE THE CAMERA COULD EVEN COME OUT!!
Steak mince
Beef is naturally packed full of vitamin B, almost 35% of a
person Vitamin B intake is actually through the consumption of meat. Compared
to vegetable, meat has a higher content. Beef doesn’t have the highest content
of protein, however it still contains a good percentage. It’s also great for
building muscle as it has a good level of natural fat.
Tomatoes
Are a great source of Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Like carrots,
tomatoes are packed full of Vitamin A which is especially important for the
immune system, eye sight and also keep internal organs such as the heart, liver
and kidneys functioning well. Vitamin C though is used as an antioxidant, it
also helps with the production of collagen and helps with wound healing.
Kidney beans
These are packed full of protein and are a great source of
energy. They are ideal for someone who’s
looking to keep a high protein diet even if they aren’t eating a huge amount of
protein rich meats. They are also packed full of Vitamin B1 is important as it
is used to convert food into energy, this is why kidney beans are such an
effective food item.
Brown Rice
Without a doubt brown rice in my opinion is the best option
of all rice. It contains all the nutrients in the husk unlike the processed
white rice that has been stripped of almost 80% of its nutrients. It’s a complex
carbohydrate so it is a slow digesting carb and is a great source of energy
that will be absorbed slowly. Plus it tastes fantastic which helps. Ideally I wouldn’t
normally eat a complex carb after 6pm as I’m trying to lose weight, but tonight
was a special case.
What's coming up In tomorrows post.
I will be explaining about the workout routine I will be following. I will also be updating the weights I'm using etc so I can keep track and document my gains over the coming weeks. As well as my workout details, I will be posting all of my body stats such as weight, measurements and BMI.
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