Wednesday, 31 July 2013

Meal Plan

I have been asked by one of my clients to help them put together a meal plan for a week, so I thought I would share it on here. This is based on their likes/dislikes but should give a good start to anyone looking to plan a healthier week of food. This client is on the Juice Plus+ Shakes and taking the Vineyard Capsules daily for added nutrition.

I will copy in the recipes below but please do email me with any questions
Rachaeljuiceplus@gmail.com


Day 1
Breakfast: Juice Plus Shake
Snack: sliced apple with peanut butter
Lunch: Juice Plus Shake
Snack: oatcakes and avocado 
Dinner: Turkey Pizzas

Day 2
Breakfast: Juice Plus Shake
Snack: banana with Greek yogurt and granola 
Lunch: Juice Plus Shake
Snack: carrots and humus
Dinner: Clean Curry

Day 3

Breakfast: Juice Plus Shake
Snack: Fruit - mixture of your choice..blueberries...satsuma..strawberries. Add Greek yogurt if you like.
Lunch: Juice Plus Shake
Snack: protein bar
Dinner: Portabello Mushrooms recipe

Day 4

Breakfast: Juice Plus Shake
Snack: banana pancake
Lunch: Juice Plus Shake
Snack: nuts and raisins 
Dinner: Salmon Fishcakes

Day 5

Breakfast: Juice Plus Shake
Snack: grapes with yogurt 
Lunch: Juice Plus Shake
Snack: cucumber and humus
Dinner: Stuffed Pepper recipe 

Day 6

Breakfast: Juice Plus Shake
Snack: watermelon
Lunch: Juice Plus Shake
Snack: grilled tomatoes (see recipe)
Dinner: Chicken with seasoning recipe

Day 7

Breakfast: Juice Plus Shake
Snack mango, melon and strawberries fruit salad
Lunch: Juice Plus Shake
Snack: roasted veg in lettuce leaf
Dinner: Fish, steamed vegetables and brown rice or boiled potatoes 


A nice dip to add to meals is a healthy guacamole made of avocado mixed with Greek yogurt. 

Drink plenty of water each day. If it starts to get boring add in squeezed lemon/lime/orange 

Mix fruit with both Juice Plus shakes each day. This way you are definitely getting more than enough fruit.

Try not to eat too late in the evening.

When appropriate, try and add to the meal/snack: garlic, tomato, avocado, kale, hemp seeds, spinach, cucumber, grapefruit, pepper as these are great things to have in your daily diet


The banana pancake is great to have, especially after exercise. It is also very filling so if you are especially hungry one day then have it as ur snack. Make sure u follow the recipe though:
Slice up a banana and brown off in frying pan. Beat together 2 eggs and then pour over the banana. Once the bottom has started to cook put under the grill. Voila!

Recipes:

Stuffed peppers. This has everything u need in be pepper so if u want to fill the plate out more add more veg.



Salmon Fishcakes. You can add good carbs to this if u want...boiled potatoes, sweet potato, brown rice....



Turkey pizzas.... Take a turkey breast...cover with tomato purree, out on too sliced onion, mushroom, pepper, tomato, mozzarella and sprinkle with oregano. Serve with sweet potato chips. (There is a knack to cooking the chips...I haven't quite mastered them yet...but it's all to do with slicing them to a good size and keeping an eye on them in the oven...also making sure they have enough oil)




Clean Curry:

Ingredients:
1 large onion
6 garlic cloves roughly chopped
50g ginger roughly chopped
4 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
5cm cinnamon stick
1 tsp chilli flakes
1tsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp honey
400g chopped tomatoes
8 chicken thighs, skinned, boneless (about 800g)
250ml hot chicken stock
2 tbsp chopped corriander

METHOD
Roughly chop the onion, transfer to a small food processor and add 3 tablespoons of water - process to a slack paste. You could use a stick blender for this or coarsely grate the onion into a bowl (there is no need to add any water if you are grating the onion). Tip into a small bowl and leave on one side.

Put the chopped garlic and ginger into the same food processor and add 4 tbsp of water - process until smooth and spoon into another small bowl. Alternatively, crush the garlic to a paste with a knife or a gralic press and finely grate the ginger.

Heat the oil in a wok or sturdy pan set over a medium heat. Combine the cumin and fennel seeds with the cinnamon and chilli flakes and add to the pan in one go. Swirl everything around for about 30 seconds until the spices release a fragrant aroma. 

Add the onion paste - it will splutter in the beginning. Fry until the water evaporates and the onion turns to a lovely dark golden - this should take about 7-8 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger paste and cook for another 2 mins, stirring all the time.

Stir in the garam masala, turmeric and honey and continue cooking for 20 secs before tipping in the tomatoes. Continue cooking on a medium heat for about 10 mins without a lid until the tomatoes reduce and darken.

Cut the chicken thighs into 3cm chunks and add to the pan once the tomatoes have thickened to a paste. Cook for 5 mins to coast the chicken in masala and seal in the juices, and then pour over the hot chicken stock. Simmer for 8-10 mins without a lid until the chicken is tender and the masala lightly thickened. You might need to add an extra ladleful of stock or water if the curry needs it. Sprinkle with chopped coriander and serve.

Tomato Snack:




Also for making the banana pancake...
Slice up a banana and brown off in a frying pan, whilst that's browning beat together 2 eggs. Pour into frying pan. After bottom has cooked a little put under the grill. (Not sure how easy the grill part is on the Aga but if need be just fry it) 




Tuesday, 16 July 2013

Setting Goals

Hello!

I have a had a bit of a naughty couple of weeks...well! To be fair...I have been relatively good but just had a couple of weekends or odd days of naughtiness! What I have found hard is that before I was working towards a target. I had a gig (I'm a performer) which I wanted to be at a smaller size for, which also fitted in perfectly with the first 8 week cycle. However since then I have gone a little off track...only a little though! So, it is time to re set my targets! It is SO important to have something to work towards. I would like to loose 1/2 a stone in the next 6 weeks, which will be the end of my 2nd 8 week stint. This is very much do-able!


I am extremely happy with my weight at the moment and it has made such a difference, people commenting on how I look, clothes fitting better, feeling better etc. It's great! But I still have a little way to go. In fact, I probably could loose another stone however I want to set a realistic goal that I can work towards achieving.



I weighed myself yesterday and I have put on 1lb (phew! thought it would be more than that!) however I haven't lost anything in a couple of weeks so I definitely need to get my head back in the game.

I am down to 1 shake a day so I am having a healthy breakfast (usually Granola) a Juice Plus+ Shake for lunch, and a healthy meal in the evening. Along with a healthy snack mid afternoon. I haven't felt like I have needed more snacks which is nice as I was worried about going down to 1 snack a day. But it all works!

So, this week is all about re setting my goals and getting on it! I did a 2 hour workout this morning which was great. And I plan to workout again tomorrow and Thursday, and maybe a run at the weekend.



I am LOVING the Juice Plus+ products and I really can't recommend them enough. They have changed my life!

Stay healthy!

Rachael
rachaeljuiceplus@gmail.com

Monday, 8 July 2013

My Diary Update

Hello!

This weekend was a big weekend for me....not only did I have a big gig (I am a performer) but it was what I was working towards with my weight loss. It nicely fell on week 8 of the Juice Plus+ Plan and I had managed to loose a stone and a half. I am SO happy and it really has made such a difference to everything!

I have a confession though...to celebrate this achievement I had planned a big naughty meal on Saturday evening...which I went to town on! It started with dough balls...then went on to pizza...then I cant even remember the pudding (a lot of drink was involved) So it was VERY naughty!

As much as I did really enjoy this meal (best pizza I've ever had!) and I felt I deserved it.....man do I feel rough now! I feel so bloated and just dirty!!! I'm looking in the mirror thinking...what have I done?

But it doesn't matter...a bit of fun every now and then is surely acceptable! And I have been so good and dedicated on weeks 1-8...it was my only naughty spell...I deserved it.

I now can't WAIT to get back to healthy food...my body is crying for it! I am starting the second 8 week plan today so going down to 1 shake a day and 2 healthy meals. I would still like to loose a further stone so am going to really up my exercise plan and also really concentrate on the good foods...especially this week...I feel like I need a clear out!

Am so pleased to hear I am also helping other people. Lots of my Juice Plus+ clients have been texting me today telling me their weight loss so far and also commenting on how different they feel. It's a great feeling to not only be helping yourself, but helping others too.

Happy Happy Happy! And Healthy Healthy Healthy! (minus the pizza!)

Have a happy healthy week

Rachael : )
rachaeljuiceplus@gmail.com

Tuesday, 2 July 2013

The Challenge - Wednesday

Morning peeps!

Fantastic work for those who completed yesterdays challenge. I've had so many messages from people who have been doing the challenges as well as going for a run or to the gym so I am so pleased I have inspired you!

Here is todays challenge. This involves some toning exercises. If you have any light weights then use them. Or, when I first started wanting to use weights but didn't have any I would use just anything I could find...bag of sugar...a candle! Just to add that extra weight to it.

Have fun! Do some stretches before and after!

Rachael
RachaelJuicePlus@gmail.com


For New Mummies or Mummies To Be

I have had a lot of questions recently from Mums who have just given birth and wanting to get rid of their baby weight as well as Mums to be who want to add in some extra healthiness into their diet.

I have been discussing this with a midwife who also works for Juice Plus+ and whilst we do recommend that you consult with your own midwife before starting the products here is some info.

If you are with child, you can still take the capsules (giving you and your baby the goodness form 26 fruit and vegetables each day) and you can even take the shakes however not as a meal replacement if you are breastfeeding.

Here are some benefits for using the Juice Plus+ Capsules and Shakes when pregnant:

Nutrition
Long term health
Passing goodness onto the baby when breastfeeding
Weight loss - obviously this wont be as clear as if you were using the shakes as meal replacements but you will notice a healthy difference
The healthier you are, the quicker your body will recover from the pregnancy and childbirth
Energy levels - which you will need a lot of to look after a new born!

We have had some great success stories from our Mummies, a couple which are below.

If you have recently given birth, alot of the above still applies to you. I know how important it is to get your body back to what you are used to after childbirth, for many reasons as well as just piece of mind. The Juice Plus+ Shakes and Capsules along with a healthy eating and exercise plan can really help you achieve your goal.



Pregnant pic from Nov 2012. Started Shakes/Capsules along with exercise in Feb 2013...progress from then until now. 




Mel started using the shakes 5 weeks after giving birth as she was not breastfeeding due to other medical issues. 6 weeks later she had gone from 12st 4lb to 10st 5lb! 






Amazing pics and progress from Beccy Jones below.





For questions: email, Facebook, Twitter or the Website.

Rachael
Rachaeljuiceplus@gmail.com

Monday, 1 July 2013

The Challenge - Tuesday

Hello,

Mega congrats to everyone who completed Mondays challenge! I am extremely impressed with how many people have joined in : )

Here is Tuesdays!

If you are finding these easy then combine with other exercises, use weights etc.

This one is more cardio based and designed to be done at home but you can easily adapt to outdoors if need be.

Make sure you are stretching before and after and drinking lots of water during.


Rachael
RachaelJuicePlus@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/letsgethealthywithjuiceplus