It’s time to beat the bloat

Jun 4, 2014

There is nothing worse than enjoying a delicious meal only to suffer from bloating after it. Not good, especially on a first date!

Here are 4 ways to beat it, without sacrificing the good stuff:

Chew your food
The best and easiest way to avoid bloating is to spend time chewing your food. Avoid eating on the go – sit down and relax with your lunch.

Avoid drinking with meals
Your stomach’s acid breaks down your food so that it can be digested. However, fluids can actually dilute it meaning it can’t do its job properly.

Avoid a large meal
Stick with small and often meals. Obviously the more food you have in your stomach, the bigger your stomach will be!

Eat plenty of fibre
Fibre is important for aiding digestion, it also prevents constipation which can lead to a bloated stomach.

Simples!

5 foods to help you lose weight

Jun 4, 2014

by Amber Saunders

On a diet but still struggling to lose weight? You could be eating the wrong foods! Use the following foods to replaces your normal favourites and you’ll be on top of your diet in no time.

Water
And no we don’t mean drinking glasses of water! Foods that are high in water content such as fruit and vegetables can fill you up more, making you eat less.

Lettuce
There are only about 70 calories in a pound of lettuce and it is also a good source of vitamins and minerals.

Apples
Just like the lettuce, apples are low in calories but they also help you to feel satisfied.

Broccoli
Broccoli is great for bulking up food and with its low calories and high fibre it makes a great food it you are trying to lose weight.

Cabbage
Fill up your salad or sandwich with shredded cabbage. It has very few calories and also helps to prevent against cancer.

Perfectly spicy lamb koftas

Jun 3, 2014

by Amber Saunders

These lamb koftas would be perfect for a summer BBQ served with some pitas and tzatziki.

What you’ll need:

120g lamb mince
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1 garlic clove. finely chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped mint
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Juice of half a lime

What you’ll need to do:

Place all of the ingredients into a bowl and combine. This is easiest with your hands but if you are squeamish you can always wear some plastic gloves!
If using, place the wooden skewers into a bowl of cold water for about 15-20 mins. This will ensure they won’t burn or split.
Add the meat around the skewer evenly.
If grilling, place under the grill until the meat is cooked through.
If barbecuing, place on the barbecue until the meat is cooked through.
Serve with pita, salad and tzatziki.

Easy peanut butter and chocolate brownie recipe

Jun 3, 2014

by Amber Saunders

Delicious and easy to make, these peanut butter chocolate brownies are the perfect summer treat.

What you’ll need:

100 g plain flour
25g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
100 g butter
150 g crunchy peanut butter
175 g brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
75 g chocolate

What you’ll need to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C. Butter the sides of your baking tin and line the base with greaseproof paper.

2. Sift the flour, baking powder and coco powder into a small bowl and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and peanut butter together until very soft. Add the sugar, egg and vanilla extract and beat until well combined. Add the flour, baking powder, coco powder and the chopped chocolate and mix to form a dough.

4. Place the dough into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 25–30 minutes, or until golden brown and almost firm in the centre.

5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin, before removing and cutting into squares.

What your food cravings actually mean

May 28, 2014

by Amber Saunders

Have you ever been in a situation where your body suddenly craves something salty or sweet and you simply must satisfy it, even if you are on a diet?!

Did you know these cravings are actually your body, telling you that you’re lacking in something?

Craving salt
If you are craving salt, your body may actually need magnesium and potassium. These minerals are found in salt, which is why it seems like you really need that bag of crisps right now. You can get potassium and magnesium supplements in your local health store.

Craving sweets
If you are craving sweets it doesn’t mean you need to stuff your face with jellies, you actually need some carbohydrates in your body. Nibble on a carrot or enjoy some sweet potato chips to satisfy your cravings. Nuts or raisins work just as well.

Craving all kinds of food
Craving all kinds of food may actually mean you are lacking in protein, as your body simply can’t satisfy itself. Stock up on nuts, veggies and chicken, so you can nibble on these when you simply can’t shift those hunger pangs.

We could really do with a bowl of chips covered in salt right now… mmmm!

The delicious alternatives to peanut butter

May 27, 2014

by Amber Saunders

While we all love the sweet and salty taste of peanut butter, it’s not exactly the healthiest treat out there. Thankfully, there are some healthier and just as delicious nut butters that can easily be used as an alternative.

Almond Butter
Almond butter is probably the most popular nut butter alternative. This is mostly due to the similar taste to peanut butter and of course, being healthier.

Walnut Butter
Doesn’t look as appetising as its counterparts, but it’s still a delicious spread that can be used for various lunchtime snacks.

Hazelnut butter
Basically the healthier version of Nutella. Yes, there may be no chocolate, but it’s still sweet and of course a lot healthier too.

Cashew Butter
Sweet, addictive and can be the perfect mid-morning snack.

Macadamia Nut Butter
More ideal for desserts and can be great as side dip for fruits. Mmm…delicious.

Brazil Nut Butter
Salty and crunchy, but still a perfect spread for that lunchtime treat.

Pecan Butter
Very sweet and even more delicious when spread over a slice of homemade brown bread.

Sunflower Seed Butter
This is technically not a nut, but in reality, neither is the Brazil Nut! However, sunflower seed butter is still probably the mostly healthy spread on this list. Not only is it low in calories, but it’s perfect for those who have an allergy to nuts and is delicious too.

How to stop the post-drinking food binge

May 26, 2014

by Amber Saunders

Seriously, what is it about alcohol that makes us crave a Big Mac or giant bowl of salty chips as soon as we have taken a sip! It does nothing for our healthy eating – excluding the drink of course!

Here are three ways to make you stop craving those extra calories:

Have a good meal before you go out
We’re talking a proper, hearty dinner, potatoes and all. Not only will it soak up the alcohol, it will also fill you up enough to not crave that chipper after.

Drink plenty of water
We definitely promote sensible drinking here at HQ! Not only will water help you to keep your senses, it also helps to prevent dehydration caused by the alcohol which causes you to think you’re hungry.

Leave early
Simply drinking less than you normally would will help keep those cravings away. And leaving early is not nerdy… we promise!

Kelly reveals the everyday food item she avoids at all costs

Celebrity

May 23, 2014

by Amber Saunders

Could Kelly Osbourne be the latest celeb to embrace the vegan lifestyle?

The TV presenter uploaded a photo to her Instagram with the caption: “No use crying over spilt milk! Milk is the liquid devil! Humans are the only living species that drink another animals milk!”

Er, that’s great and all Kelly, but weren’t you the face of a Make Mine Milk campaign back in 2012?

We guess she’s changed her mind about cow’s milk since then…

Jennifer Lopez has also recently revealed that she has undertaken the same vegan challenge that Beyoncé and Jay-Z also completed.

2,000 calories in pictures

May 20, 2014

by Amber Saunders

So, we’ve previously looked at what 200 calories looks like, but we’ve now moved on and are looking at something bigger – a lot bigger! 2,000 calories bigger, in fact!

We are meant to consume around 2,000 calories a day in order to stay healthy. But, do you know what that actually means?

This video will help you visualise just what it looks like and you will either feel good about your diet or not-so-good…

5 easy ways to stop the mindless munch attack

May 14, 2014

by Amber Saunders

We’ve all had an attack of grazing fever before.

We’re cramming for that big exam, we’ve a work project due in tomorrow or a long overdue email to write to a friend.

But instead of tackling it all head on, you’ll find yourself making umpteen trips back and forth to the fridge to forage for scraps.

Grazing is a sure-fire way to gain weight, and will play havoc with your digestive system.

Here are a few simple ways you can stop that bad eating habit for good.

Put on lip gloss
This will not only give you something to do with your hands other than pick at leftovers, but it will also makes you less likely to eat because who wants to mess up freshly-applied gloss?!

Turn up the tunes
Listening to your favourite track (the more upbeat the better), will give you a big energy boost and release lots of lovely feel-good hormones which suppress food cravings and help you stay on task.

Watch a funny viral
Research show that laughter makes us feel calmer, which means you’ll be less likely to stress eat.

Take a breath
Take a deep breath in and then a deep breath out. Repeat for just two minutes, and you’ll be so much more relaxed, you won’t want to even look at that leftover takeaway.

Post a picture
Posting a snap on Facebook or Instagram of yourself looking gorgeous on a night out will boost your confidence and remind you that you’re just too fabulous to feast on leftovers!

5 ‘good’ carbs that’ll give you bags of energy for the day

May 13, 2014

by Amber Saunders

Somewhere along the way, ‘carbohydrate’ became a dirty word.

Celebrities like Jennifer Aniston were swearing off them for life and ‘carb-free’ alternatives were popping up on menus the world over.

However, a healthy carb supply can help give you bags of energy, keep blood sugar levels even and keep you in a good mood!

Here are five healthy foods which actually have more carbs than a slice of bread:

Sweet Potatoes
Spuds are known for their starchy carb levels, but a medium-sized sweet potato has 24 grams of carbs, 105 calories, and lots of vitamin A and potassium. Plus they’re yummy too!

Kidney beans
Kidney beans are packed full of healthy carbs – around 30 grams per serving! Put them in a yummy chilli for a carb-kick that won’t leave you bloated.

Chickpeas
Chickpeas have up 35 grams of carbs per cup—with only six of those grams from sugar. Chickpeas are also low in calories (just 210 per cup). Hummus anyone?

Apples
Sink your teeth in a delicious apple to get up to 27 grams of carbs into your daily diet. It also comes with about five grams of fibre, 114 calories, and 1.5 grams of fat.

Raisins
The perfect low fat snack! Just a quarter cup of raisins has 33 grams of carbs – more than twice as much as a slice of bread! With 123 calories, 1.5 grams of fibre per quarter cup, a handful of raisins will give you bags of energy!

S! TV EXCLUSIVE: MasterChef winner spills the beans

May 8, 2014

by Amber Saunders

Last night marked the end of this years MasterChef. Emma from SHEmazing! TV caught up with this year’s winner Diana Dodog earlier today. Check out the video for all the goss!