BROCCOLI, CHICKEN & BEAN THROW TOGETHER SALAD

This recipe is loosely based on one I found in a 'Recipes' magazine recently - for only $2.99 these magazines are packed with amazing recipes and ideas. You can really add whatever you have in your pantry and fridge and throw it all together to make this superfood salad. I have listed two different recipes that I used in the last two weeks with slightly different ingredients, both delicious and both so simple! I can already tell that this is going to be my go-to recipe for summer, as its light, fresh and healthy! 

First Recipe: Broccoli, Pumpkin & Chickpeas 

Ingredients

• 2 x chicken breast fillets (400-500g), even sized 
• 2 broccoli heads, cut into small even florets and stalk finely chopped
• 600g pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and cut into thin slices
• 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, rinsed & drained 
• 2 tablespoons rice bran oil 
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/4 cup roasted almonds, halved
• 1-2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
• 1-2 tablespoons pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• Optional- 1/2 - 3/4 cup fresh herbs- finely chopped parsley, basil, coriander, green onion, etc. 
• 2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce 

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan forced oven to 200 degrees celsius. 

2. Place the chicken breasts in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, covered, then simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the stove and let the saucepan stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove the poached chicken from the pan and leave to cool for a few minutes before shredding. 

3. Meanwhile, combine the broccoli, pumpkin and chickpeas in a large bowl. Drizzle in the oil and add a pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper. Toss well to combine. Evenly spread the vegetables on a large baking tray and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender. 

4. Combine the cooked chicken, baked vegetables, avocado, almonds, seeds and herbs (if using) in a large serving bowl, tossing well to combine. Drizzle the sweet chilli sauce on top and toss again. Serve warm or cold. 

2nd Recipe: Broccoli, Sweet Potato & Red Kidney Beans 

Ingredients

• 2 x chicken breast fillets (400-500g), even sized 
• 2 broccoli heads, cut into small even florets and stalk finely chopped
• 600g sweet potato, peeled and chopped into small even pieces
• 1 x 400g tin red kidney beans, rinsed & drained 
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground paprika 
• 2 tablespoons rice bran oil 
• 1/4 cup roasted almonds, halved
• 1-2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
• 1-2 tablespoons pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• Optional- 1/2 - 3/4 cup fresh herbs- finely chopped parsley, basil, coriander, green onion, etc. 
• 2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce 

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan forced oven to 200 degrees celsius. 

2. Place the chicken breasts in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, covered, then simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the stove and let the saucepan stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove the poached chicken from the pan and leave to cool for a few minutes before shredding. 

3. Meanwhile, combine the broccoli, sweet potato, red kidney beans, ground coriander and ground paprika in a large bowl. Drizzle in the oil and add a pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper. Toss well to combine. Evenly spread the vegetables on a large baking tray and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender. 

4. Combine the cooked chicken, baked vegetables, almonds, seeds and herbs (if using) in a large serving bowl, tossing well to combine. Drizzle the sweet chilli sauce on top and toss again. Serve warm or cold. 

x Premium Pilates & Fitness 

HELPFUL TIPS to QUIT WEEKEND OVEREATING

I'm sure I'm not the only one that has been guilty of overeating on my weekends! For many years I would follow a super clean eating plan all week and then when the weekend hit I'd drink like a fish and eat every piece of junk food I could get my hands on. I couldn't for the life of me figure out why I was gaining weight as I was killing myself with running most days and a very lean diet on weekdays.

Once Friday afternoon came around I'd grab potato chips, ice cream and chocolate and hunker down binging as a reward for being so good all week. I'd repeat the same unhealthy eating on Saturday and sometimes Sunday night, when I wasn't out drinking way too much. I couldn't seem to break this habit as I considered the overeating as my 'right' after such a gruelling week of nothing bad - no chocolate, no artificial sugar, no chips, no dairy, not even a cracker that contained gluten. 

It was all going very well, except for two pretty major negatives: I felt terrible emotionally and physically. I was bigger than I'd been for years, I was tired all the time and I felt very unstable mentally. I would beat myself up after every overindulgence on the weekends and then I'd go right back and do it again the very next night or the next weekend. I was stuck in a vicious cycle that I couldn't get out of, like being in a terrible relationship. When I hit an all time low emotionally, I decided I had to make some changes. Here's how I quit overeating on the weekend: 

1. I stopped boozing. 

Now I know a lot of you are probably reading this and thinking 'she is crazy, I'm not giving up alcohol!' Now that's completely your choice but I am just telling you what worked for me. By cutting out the booze, I felt a 100 times better mentally, which meant that I didn't reach for junk food as a way to 'soothe' and 'comfort' myself. When I didn't drink, I didn't eat bad food, as I was more aware and conscious of my eating decisions. When I wasn't hungover, I didn't reach for greasy food and sugary drinks, as I felt so good that I wanted to get up and exercise and enjoy the day. And as I started to slow down and eventually stop the drinking, I started to like myself and respect and value my body much more. The hard cold reality is that your body will not be healthy if you drink like a fish. I used to love the feeling I got when I'd had a few or gotten drunk, however now I am in love with the feeling I get when I wake up and feel fresh and not hungover. 

2. I started eating the occasional 'bad' foods during the week. 

When I changed my mindset from Friday, Saturday and Sunday not being my 'cheat' days, I started to allow myself to eat the occasional 'bad' food during the week. I allowed myself a small piece of dark chocolate some nights, a slice of homemade banana bread after lunch and the occasional savoury chip during the week. At first I felt guilty doing this, as my week was meant to be solely 'clean eating'. However, a strange thing happened. It would get to Friday and I wouldn't feel like a whole massive bag of corn chips, as I had a few chips the day before. I didn't want a whole block of chocolate, as I had a bite of dark chocolate after lunch a few days ago. Please don't misunderstand me, I still ate very healthily during the week, but I allowed myself a little treat here and there, instead of thinking to myself; 'I'll save that burger, those fries, those lollies, that chocolate and that ice cream for the weekend'. This strategy worked almost sub consciously, as my brain would tell my stomach 'you had a slice of cake yesterday so how about you have no sugar today'. Plus I felt like I was never depriving myself. 

3. I experimented with food

On days that I felt like a slice of banana bread, I would make it myself. On days that I wanted an ice cream, I would make myself a thick smoothie and freeze it. When I crave hot chips and burgers, I cooked them up in my kitchen. This way I knew exactly what ingredients went into everything I was making. I made the ingredients as healthy as I could, as I knew that if I bought these products at a restaurant or bakery they would be filled with worse ingredients. To make sure that I didn't get bored with the healthy food I made, I experimented with different meals most days. There's nothing more depressing and more unappealing to me than poached chicken breast and steamed broccoli everyday. There is no way that I could sustain eating that day in, day out and therefore I never expect my clients to either! Instead I constantly reinvented my eating, often making different salads, using a variety of vegetables, homemade dressings, meat and legumes. 

4. I stopped beating myself up

When I allowed myself some 'bad' food, I worked hard to not beat myself up or put myself down. I learnt how to 'own my choices' and enjoyed eating something naughty instead of making myself feel guilty about it. Once I stopped talking to myself negatively, I found that I often didn't want to binge on the junk food I was eating and instead just wanted to enjoy a small amount of it. 

5. I ate slower and drank more water 

I taught myself how to savour my food, especially when it was a treat. I would eat very slowly and then would drink a glass of water and sit for a few minutes before reaching for more junk food. Often I'd find that I would feel very full after my little treat and wouldn't need anymore. This would stop the automatic binging. 

As I write all of this, I realise that I wrote in past tense! Just incase any of you picked up on that I still follow all of the above tips presently and must say I never feel deprived of any food. I also feel the healthiest, the most in shape and the happiest I can ever remember being!  I do occasionally have a night in when I feel the urge to binge on tim tams or chips, however often after eating a few very slowly I don't keep going. Give a few of these tips a try when you next feel the urge to binge!

x Emily 

Image by http://www.teamafterburn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Stop_Overeat_After_Workout.jpg 

HEALTHY PEANUT BUTTER STIR-FRY

I love peanut butter so much. In fact, I love it so much that I was buying it far too regularly! As I would buy the 'all natural' peanut butter from health food stores, I was spending far too much on this amazing product to justify it! So I decided to make my own for half the cost. All you need is unsalted peanuts (that you can buy from supermarkets or health food stores in bulk) and a good food processor. Pour the nuts in the processor and be patient! It can take a few minutes for the nuts to release their own oils and become 'butter', but its all worth it. For the first few minutes you will need to stop the processor every so often and scrape the sides to make sure all the peanuts are processed evenly. And voila! No added salt, oil or sugar, 100% natural, homemade peanut butter. Here's one such recipe that I love to use peanut butter in. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup brown rice
• 3 cups water 
• 2 teaspoons rice bran oil 
• 2 chicken breast fillets (450-500g), cut into even 3cm pieces
• 250g snowpeas, trimmed & roughly chopped
• 2 large carrots, cut into matchsticks
• 2 cups red cabbage, finely shredded
• 1/4 cup 100% natural peanut butter 
• 1 cup light evaporated milk or unsweetened light coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons reduced-salt soy sauce or tamari
• the juice of 1 lime
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• Optional- 1 small red chilli, finely chopped or 1/2-1 teaspoon chilli flakes 

COOKING 

1. Combine the rice and water in a medium saucepan, covered. Bring to the boil over medium-high heat, then simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the rice is cooked and all the water has absorbed. Remove from the heat. 

2. Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon oil in a wok or large pan over medium heat and swirl to coat. Add the chicken to the pan and cook for around 5 minutes, flipping the pieces over so both sides are slightly browned and just cooked. Remove chicken from the wok/pan.

3. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the peanut butter, milk, soy sauce/tamari and lime juice. Once the sauce has boiled, reduce the heat to low and continue to stir until it has thickened slightly. Add the snowpeas, carrot, cabbage and 3/4 of the spring onions to the wok/pan and stir to combine, cooking for 4-5 minutes or until the vegetables are almost tender but still a little crunchy. Add the cooked chicken to the pan and stir to combine for another minute. Remove from the heat. 

Divide the cooked rice evenly into four bowls, then add the vegetable & chicken peanut stir-fry and top with the remaining 1/4 spring onions and chilli slices or flakes, if using. Serve warm. 


Serves / 4
Total Preparation time / around 20 minutes 
Total Cooking time / 25-30 minutes 

x Premium Pilates Studio 

ACTRESS EMMA STONE GRACES VOGUE COVER with PILATES BODY

Actress Emma Stone looks stunning, slim and toned as the US November Vogue cover. The 28 year-old is not a big fan of exercise as she says; 'I hate lifting things (weights) over my head as it puts me in a bad mood!' but has found a love of Pilates, as it is easy on her joints and makes Emma feel strong. 

The glamorous actress is trained by famous Pilates instructor Mari Winsor, who trains her at her studio but has also taught Emma how to incorporate Pilates into her everyday fitness routine. Emma likes to do a morning Pilates session whenever she can. Winsor explains that this is how Stone has achieved such a lean figure. Emma revealed in a recent interview that 'I will only do workouts that I enjoy' and has been doing Pilates regularly for several years, which tells you something!

The beautiful actress is a huge fan of Pilates as it puts no pressure on her joints. Stone admits that she doesn't like running, as it feels bad for her knees and that she detests lifting weights! When training for the Spiderman movies a few years back Emma discovered that whenever she lifted weights over her head she became very angry! Besides regular Pilates, Stone enjoys rock climbing and tries to go to an indoor rock climbing studio whenever she travels. 

Healthy eating also plays a major factor in Emma's enviable physique. Stone famously said a few years ago: 

'I would be crazy to sit here and tell you that I have never thought about it (weight loss). But, I never can beat myself up about it. I definitely am not restrictive. You are a human being, you live once and life is wonderful, so eat the damn red velvet cupcake.'

Whilst Emma loves her food, she eats very healthily and always fits her Pilates or rock climbing in her busy schedule. 

Want to lean out your body like Emma and find a form of exercise that is friendly on the joints but still yields results? Call Premium Pilates Studio today on 0402 680 724, visit us online by clicking HERE or email us at hi@premiumpilates.com.au. 

Images by http://www.foods4betterhealth.com/emma-stone-looks-enviable-vogue-cover-la-la-land-star-follows-strict-diet-workout-stay-shape-20802, http://www.celebritiesreallife.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Emma-Stone-Height-2016-Body-Measurements-Weight-Bra-Dress-Size-Bio-3.jpg, http://media.vogue.com/r/w_480/2014/04/emma-stone-vogue-may-cover-story-01_175640691995.jpg, https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=0ahUKEwjjvtjL8I3QAhWDo5QKHW1IBBcQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hdwallpapers.in%2Femma_stone_vogue_2016-wallpapers.html&bvm=bv.137904068,d.dGc&psig=AFQjCNE-4ZClbaRJCxH7jN0lEAZIVlnZcg&ust=1478306886484324. 

GRILLED CHICKEN, SPINACH & STRAWBERRY SALAD

This summery salad was adapted from a similar recipe I found in a Coles monthly food magazine. I often look to these magazines for inspiration, as the recipes in there are fuss free and often filled with accessible and healthy ingredients. I am not usually a fan of mixing fruit and meat together, however I am trying to become less rigid in the kitchen! And any recipe with uses the amazing fresh strawberries that are in season at the moment sounds good to me! You can use a simple balsamic dressing on top of the salad which works really well or you can create the delicious dressing I used (written below and given to me by some lovely clients!) This recipe works best if you use a grill plate for the chicken, however you can use a pan instead. 

INGREDIENTS

Salad

• 1 tablespoon rice bran oil 
• 2 chicken breast (around 400-500g), fat removed, cut into small even pieces 
• ground black pepper
• 2 large handfuls baby spinach or mixed leaves, washed 
• 120g snowpeas, washed & trimmed
• 125g strawberries, washed and halved 
• 50g reduced fat feta, crumbled
• Optional- 2 spring onions, finely chopped

Dressing

• the juice of medium lemon
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• pinch of sea salt & ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

COOKING 

1. Combine the oil, chicken pieces and a generous amount of ground black pepper in a medium bowl. 

If you have a grill plate -  Heat the grill plate over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the plate and cook, turning the chicken pieces over after 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. 

1. If you do not have a grill plate  - Heat a medium fry pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan and cook, stirring often, for five minutes or until browned and cooked through.  Remove from heat. 

2. Toss the baby spinach / mixed leaves, snowpeas, strawberries, feta, cooked chicken and spring onion, if using, in a large serving bowl. Drizzle balsamic or homemade dressing below on top. 

3. To make the dressing- combine all ingredients in a small screw top jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well. If the dressing is too thick for your liking add a splash of water. 

Serves / 4 

Total Prep & Cooking time / around 15 minutes 

x Premium Pilates Studio 

PILATES FOR CHILDREN

We here at Premium Pilates studio are very strong advocates for Pilates at any age! Due to this we have decided to write a blog post on why Pilates is so beneficial for each major age group. We thought we would kick off this subject by looking at Pilates for children and explaining the facts and many benefits. 

The health of the children of today has been severely affected by the increasingly sedentary lifestyles we lead and by the availability and convenience of technology.  Children spend hours watching television, playing video games or looking at their phones in addition eating unhealthy food. As a result of this, a wholesome diet and physical activity has become almost non-existent for many children and therefore the population of overweight and obese youths is increasing dramatically. 

The answer to this epidemic is simple: prepare healthy meals and snacks for your children and enrol them in a form of exercise program. This will set up healthy habits for later in life and will improve their social and listening skills. However, an intense exercise regime may not be what young children need. Many studies have shown that a young child's developing bones are not designed to handle high impact cardiovascular and aerobic programs. For many children, a lower impact form of exercise is recommended, such as a workout that will keep their skeletal frame safe and supported whilst strengthening their core muscles. Enter Pilates! 

The benefits of Pilates for children: 

1. Improves Posture

As mentioned previously, the availability of technology has resulted in many children becoming glued to any and every type of screen for several hours a day, which results in terrible posture. If not corrected this will result in ongoing bad posture, back pain and injuries in later life. Every exercise in Pilates focuses on correct spinal alignment and the engagement of the core, which leads to better posture and less risk of injury. 

2.  Increases Flexibility

Again, long hours staring at screens and being sedentary can result in tight muscles, which increases the chance of injury. Pilates exercises focus on creating long and limber muscles through lengthening movements, which greatly improves flexibility and decreases the risk of injury. 

3.  Gain Strength in core muscles 

Many children are quite weak in their deep abdominals, which often results in bad posture, back pain, weight gain around the stomach and low-self esteem. Pilates exercises are designed to strengthen the deep abdominals, as well as the other 'core' muscles of the body, such as the gluts, mid back muscles, shoulder stabilisers, obliques, inner thighs and many more. A strong core will assist a child during classes at school, as they will require less energy to hold their body correctly and may therefore be able to concentrate more. The strengthening of these core muscles will often result in improved athletic performance. Controlled Pilates exercises will also boost blood circulation to the muscles. 

4. Greater self-esteem and body awareness

Regular Pilates will strengthen and tone the core muscles of the body, which can lead to better self-esteem and self worth. With greater awareness of their body, children will learn how to move more gracefully, more efficiently and in such a way that their bodies were designed to move. In addition, Pilates and other forms of regular exercise can be very therapeutic for children as they go through constant change and development to their bodies. 

5. Creates Healthy Habits for later in life

As children, we take on board learned behaviours and movement patterns that will stay with us all our lives. The way we view exercise, our relationship with food, the way we walk, the way we bend over, the way we pick up things, the way we sit, the way we stand; all of these habits and principles of movement are subconsciously formed in the early years of our life. Pilates can assist in teaching children to establish correct movement patterns that will reduce the risk of pain and injury in their future. In addition, if children are exposed to exercise and a healthy lifestyle, they are more likely to be fit and healthy in adulthood. 

6. Improves Concentration

In a Pilates class, children need to focus on activating particular muscle groups, such as the deep abdominals. Studies have revealed that children who have little torso stability, that is, children who have a weak core, have great difficulty sitting and standing for long periods of time. These children have a shorter attention span and less energy, as they use up most of their energy maintaining the stability of their trunk. As a direct result of this, these kids will have a harder time concentrating during school and when doing homework. A strong core will enable children to conserve their energy and improve their concentration, which may result in an improvement in both their schoolwork and sport performance.

Here at Premium Pilates studio we all have our blue cards and are proud to be able to instruct children. We have several mother and daughter and mother and son clients and love teaching these children the principles of Pilates and seeing improvement to their strength, flexibility and body awareness. Call us today on 0402 680 724, email us at hi@premiumpilatesstudio.com or visit us at premiumpilatesstudio.com by clicking here. 

From PPS! 

information adapted from http://www.pilates.com/BBAPP/V/pilates/library/articles/pilates-for-our-children.html, http://www.momjunction.com/articles/benefits-of-pilates-for-kids_00330079/#gref, image by http://previews.123rf.com/images/tonobalaguer/tonobalaguer1108/tonobalaguer110800129/10214057-Children-gym-girl-with-green-yoga-ball-on-pilates-exercise-Stock-Photo.jpg

STRAWBERRY BANANA BREAD

I'm a HUGE fan of anything that is similar to a cake but can be called 'bread'! This is banana bread for me. As I like to make banana bread quite often, I've tried to find ways to make it as healthy as I can. Hence the recipe was below was born out of many, many experiments in the kitchen! I love adding strawberries to banana bread to give it more texture and sweetness. I barely use any sugar at all besides the naturally occurring sugar in the bananas and strawberries besides a touch of coconut sugar. I have included many ingredients you can substitute if you have a dairy and / or gluten allergy. Just a handy tip: as this banana bread has no preservatives or artificial sugar in it it will go bad within a few days if left out of the fridge. After three days we usually put the remaining slices in the fridge, if there is any left that is! 

INGREDIENTS

• Reduced-fat butter or Nutalex, to grease 
• 2 cups wholemeal spelt flour (or Gluten-free plain flour)
• 2 tablespoons organic self-raising flour (or gluten-free self raising flour)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (or gluten-free baking powder)
• 2 heaped tablespoons coconut sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus extra to dust & serve 
• 2 large or 4 small overripe bananas, mashed 
• 2 eggs, beaten, preferably free-range 
• 3 tablespoons natural unsweetened yoghurt 
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat milk (or unsweetened almond milk)
• 1 cup (125g) fresh strawberries, chopped into quarters, plus extra, to serve

COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan forced oven to 180 degrees celsius. Grease and line a loaf tin (base measurement 19 cm x 9cm) with baking paper. 

2. Combine the two types of flour, baking powder, sugar and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the middle. Add the mashed banana, eggs, yoghurt, vanilla and milk and stir well to combine. Gently fold in the strawberries. 

3. Bake in the oven for 1 hour or until the bread is baked to your liking. Remove from the oven and leave to cool before removing from the pan onto a large plate or wire rack. Dust with extra cinnamon and strawberries, if desired. 

Serves / 12

Total Prep & Cooking time / approx. 1 hour 15 minutes 

x Premium Pilates Studio