Keen for Quinoa?

The term "superfood" gets bandied about a lot these days. Call me cynical, but its appearance tends to be rather arbitrary and to the benefit of someone's pocket. I mean, there is no scale of "superfoodiness" to direct our analysis or even a set of guidelines to guide our hand... I do agree that not all foods are created equal, but as long as you eat a good variety of fresh, well sourced produce, you aren't going to be missing out on your super-5 a day... I'd like to help you add one more great food to the table - Quinoa (Keen-Waah)...

Sacred Quinoa

Something to tell the un-Quinitiated: Quinoa is an ancient grain-like seed, first cultivated in the Andes around 5000 years ago!  Sacred to many civilisations, the Incans called it the 'mother grain'.

Quinoa facts:

• Quinoa is a rarity amongst vegetables in that it contains all 8 essential amino acids - which is pretty useful if you are vegetarian. Thus, great to mix with legumes, which can be lacking in certain essentials. 
• Quinoa is also 12-18% protein, depending on the variety and around 6% fat - which is good for satiating your hunger. 
• It is also gluten free, so perfect for those who cannot tolerate it and this also means it doesn't bloat you like other grains can.

A few great quinoa dishes...

• Try mixing some cooked quinoa with lime zest, chili, chopped coriander and a little grated cheese and topping some succulent cod loins before grilling or baking. This gives the cod a crispy and vibrant flavour and can simulate fish and chips - without the nasty trans-fats! (Serve with a few baked sweet potato wedges and some fresh minted peas for a full 'fish supper'.
• You can make a great lunch salad by mixing quinoa with avocado, tomatoes, onion, olives, basil, alfalfa sprouts, leaves of your choice and either chicken or tuna. Make an olive oil, mustard and lemon dressing to keep it moist and full of flavour.
• If you are vegetarian, you can replace rice with quinoa in any number of dishes, or add it to stir fries and salads for the extra protein. You could also coat tofu in roasted (dry in a pan) quinoa before cooking, perhaps mixing this with sesame seeds. 
• Dry-roast quinoa in a pan - it should 'pop' - and add it to home made muesli to use as a morning cereal.

I hope you find a place for quinoa in your kitchen... it's a great, healthy food that can add a wonderful, healthy variety to all sorts of dishes.

6 Great Tips to Avoid the Christmas Bulge

It’s Christmas time, mistletoe and wine… beer, puddings, sloth, potatoes, late nights, dark nights, cold days, cakes, pies and at least one day where you may consume up to 8000 calories!

Yes, my merry chums, you may consume 8000 calories on Christmas day! Wow, that is roughly 4 days worth of energy all balled into one large meal and an undoubted string of sweet, salty or chocolaty goodies, not to mention an ample barrel of several different drinks.

I think it may be time to temper our gluttonous ways and opt for an equally delicious, warm and lovely way to celebrate Xmas…

So, here are some tips you can follow to avoid feeling like a stuffed game bird by midnight on the 25^th…

• Try and do a great workout on the 23^rd. If you can do a workout using the legs and some hard interval running, you’ll have your metabolism primed to top gear in order to burn many calories over the following 3 days.

• It is common to drink more during the run up to Christmas – both in terms of alcohol and soft drinks. So, for those office parties, set yourself a limit of drinks to minimize the damage – perhaps 3-4. Try to avoid soft, sugary drinks by going for water, or adding juices to water for a less sugary option.

• Be clever with your choice of Christmas meat – white Turkey meat will have the least fat and calories of them all, with Pork and Goose coming up top in those steaks.

• To avoid feeling like a beached whale following your feast, try eating fewer starchy vegetables like potatos and adding more fibrous counterparts such as peas, sprouts and parsnips. And when it does come to the potatoes – chop them into larger chunks and they will absorb less fat!

• Down to dessert – why not try serving your Christmas pudding with yoghurt instead of cream, brandy cream or ice cream? Perhaps even add fruit such as apples to add some vitamins.

• And last but not least… try and be active! Perhaps perform some body weight squats, press ups and lunges when you wake up – 3x12 each, to boost your metabolism. And why not go for a walk after lunch – 45 minutes brisk walking in the cold is bound to leave you full of energy and not slumped comatose on the sofa!

So there you have it, 6 great tips to avoid piling on the pounds in the Christmas season! If you can follow a few you will come out on the other side of the festive season looking as fit as ever!

A couple of ways to keep your Liver in tip-top shape this party season!

It's all well and good looking great on the outside.... and if you are honest, that'll probably be the main reason you go down to the gym or pile your plate high with veggies, fruits and salads. And a noble cause it is too, with loads of fabulous benefits! Some people, though, are always going on about how it is important to look at what is on the inside as well. I'm not going to talk about depth of personality, kindness or any of that stuff... I'm going to talk about your liver.

I mean who wants to sport a refreshing lemony yellow colour in their later years? So here are two things you can do to try and avoid looking like a lily-livered, yellow-bellied whatsit...

1. Take your milkthistle...

Ahh, isn't that pretty...

Studies have shown that regularly taking milkthistle can reduce your chances of liver disease by 18%... well that's not bad. I think we should all give it a go.

2. Peanut Butter..

Yup, those peanut butter and jelly sandwiches you used to eat were actually doing you good.. who new? Although, I say ditch the jelly and put a good teaspoon on your oat cake for a great morning snack. Apparently, the effects of liver damage can be greatly reduced by eating the stuff, due to the high levels of antioxidant vitamin E.
See it\s not all rabbit food after all...

This is the one to go for!

Enjoy staying healthy this Xmas...

Exciting Offer from Brother Gym!

Good afternoon folks!

So Brother Gym is here to bring you some very exciting news regarding the future of your fitness!

Brother Gym is part of a revolution in the fitness industry - bringing you virtual personal training at a price that certainly won't bust your gut. The site has been in development for over a year, and now it is almost time to bring the revolution to you!

So, in the spirit of the festive season Brother Gym would like to offer a few gifts.

The site will be undergoing a certain amount of testing in its first few months to ensure that the service is of a high quality, so here is my offer to you....

If you send a message to Brother Gym or James Holding on Facebook with your name before the end of November, you will receive the first two months of personal training absolutely free!! You will be signed up for a 6 month contract, where you don't pay for the first 2 months and receive 20% off for the following 4! Added to this, your sign-up fee of £5 will be waived!!

This will save you a whopping £47 off your 6 month subscription, which will cost you only £48 in total! This means you are saving 50%!!

Simply send your message, including your e-mail address, before the end of this month and you will be put on the list to receive your offer. I will then keep all those involved up to date as to when they can start receiving their new Brother Gym programs, access to recipes and great fitness and nutrition articles!!

What do you get:

• Full workout programs to cover each month, with each client receiving new, progressed workouts each month!
• Access to e-mail support with your personal trainer to ask any questions that will help you succeed.
• The ability to track your progress on your own member's area!
• Access to all articles and recipes that are available to help you keep motivated and abreast of breakthroughs in the fitness world!

So, don't hesitate - now is the time to act fast to get you fit, healthy and looking great!

Happy Festive Season!

Sneaky Peak... you lucky people. 1 video + a little home workout!

Hello Brother Gym followers!


Apologies for my short absence.. work on the site is going full steam ahead, and I am uploading videos, writing exercise descriptions, creating programs and generally getting quite a large enterprise ready to release itself from the womb. Nice.

So today, I thought I would give y'all another video, which now has the Brother Gym logo on it. These videos will be a part of each and every program. When you sign up to the site, you will fill in a details but not to onerous questionnaire and I will write you all the programs you need to achieve the goals you have expressed. As part of this you will receive videos teaching you how to do the particular exercise in your program!

Today, the Body Weight Squat. This is quite a simple exercise, but one that will become the cornerstone of your workouts as it uses the largest muscles in your body, hence burning the most calories, increasing your metabolism the most and generally making you look awesome!

So video:

You can now include this exercise in the following home circuit routine!

• Warm Up - walk up and down the street, stairs or around the home at a brisk pace for 3-4 minutes. Then move all the joints in your body (ankles, knees, hips shoulders, elbows) in some sort of movement... ie ankle raises, arm swings, leg swings etc.
• Perform 3 rounds of the following
• 10 body weight squats
• 10 half or full press ups, depending on your current strength levels
• 10 crunches
• 30 second plank
• 10 tricep dips - using a chair. To make it easier, keep your knees close in, or harder by having your legs out straight.
• If you want to supercharge your workout, then go out onto the street and do 1 minute walk, 1 minute jog, 30 seconds fast run... and keep alternating for 20 minutes.
• Stretches. Stretch all your muscles. (you can follow a guide on youtube, such as here: Stretches )

This is a great home workout for the times you cannot make it to the gym... or if you are away in a hotel somewhere on holiday. You will feel more toned and honed and have risen your metabolism sky high!!

Keep on workin'