Jabernet, Author at The Body Retreat

Avoid Hibernation Weight Gain with these Winter Training Tips

Is a comfy seat in front of the TV calling your name this Winter?

The nights are starting to draw in, there is a slight but definite chill in the air, Winter is here but it definitely feels like Christmas is is on its way.

It feels like time to hibernate.

But after being active during the long bright evenings are you afraid all your efforts to stay fit and healthy over the summer months will be lost this winter?

Shorter days and lack of sunshine reduce our body’s production of serotonin, a hormone-like substance that promotes feelings of relaxation and happiness.

A natural reaction to this is that we start to eat more carbohydrates such as pasta, potatoes and rice that help to raise serotonin levels. With our bodies naturally craving starchier ‘comfort’ food, and the lure of the sofa in the winter evenings it’s easy to pile on the pounds as the weather turns colder.

But winter doesn’t have to mean adding inches to your waistline.

Below are our Top Winter Fitness Tips.

So no need to be tempted by the sofa’s hibernation call!!

Head to the Hills and Trails

Winter is one of the most beautiful times of year for getting outside. So why not make a point of taking your winter training outside. Find some local parks or trails to walk, run or ride a bike and take in the view of changing leaves. Check out http://www.parkrun.org.uk/, they organise free, timed 5k runs every weekend up and down the country. Its a great way to build up your running or you can walk if you prefer. At my local Park run there are dog, prams, kiddies it’s a real family affair. They are very social and welcoming so even if you go along alone you won’t feel out of place.

Turn Garden Jobs into a Workout

The transition from Autumn to Winter means even more jobs in the in the garden. The autumnal colour on the trees was lovely, but when those chilly winds blow and they are all over your lawn, it feel like a different story. BUT….Raking leaves or clearing the garden can burn around 150 calories every 30 minutes. Wrap up warm and kill two birds with one stone, you will feel strong and smug when you have finished.

Exercise Early in the Day

Try to work out in the morning or during the day. Particularly with it becoming darker earlier, it can feel as if it is later in the day than it really is. This can make people more tired than usual. Getting into a routine of working out early will guarantee the workout gets done and still allow time in the afternoons and evenings to relax. So get up and get on with your winter training before your brain has a chance to come up with excuses as to why you should lie in!!

Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone

As the weather really starts to cool down and Autumn ends, it can become difficult to stay motivated. This is the time of year when gyms and studios put on their winter training timetable so its a great time to try a variety of different activities to help keep a fresh spin on exercise. Why not try out a dance class or spinning. Challenge yourself to find something new that you might never have considered and just give it a go…what have you got to lose?

Put The Kettle On

So technically this isn’t a winter training exercise tip, but it’s key to helping you achieve the tips above. Drink more tea to warm up for the cooler temperatures. Green tea and black tea contain antioxidants that help ward off diseases so you can remain healthy and active as the season shifts into full on winter. Remember, choose organic unbleached tea bags to ensure that you are not “enjoying” a cup of pesticides, additives or bleach that can have a negative impact on your hormones.

So whatever your goal, loosing weight or keeping fit and healthy there really is no excuse to be inactive this season.

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As always we would love to hear what your thoughts are, how are you keeping active this weather?

Ginger, Orange & Walnut Cheesecake

This Healthy Cheesecake is perfect for autumnal or winter evenings when you want a little sweet warmth, but don’t want a stodgy cooked pudding.

This light and airy cheesecake is low in fat and sugar but doesn’t compromise on full flavour making it a great choice for those times when you want a little sweet treat but don’t want to go all out.

I tend to serve my healthy cheesecakes in tall shot glasses which makes them the perfect petite size for a pudding at the end of a meal or as a small evening snack.

Serves 6

4 oat biscuits

1 ginger oatcake

250g Quark

50g light cream cheese

1 tsp honey

1 drop vanilla extract or ½ vanilla pod

1 Stem Ginger, finely chopped

12 walnut halves

Juice & Zest of 1/2 Orange

Method

Put the oatcakes into a sandwich bag and crush into smooth crumbs.

Spoon the biscuit crumbs into the bases of 6 glasses, pressing them down.

Beat the quark and cream cheese and stir in the honey and the vanilla extract.

Add the ginger pieces and walnuts, squashing them into the mixture.

Add the orange juice and zest to your taste.

Carefully spoon the mixture on top of the biscuit crumb bases and chill until ready to eat.

You can enjoy this healthy cheesecake as part of a your regular balanced diet

From Exhausted to Energised

One of the common traits we see in many of the women who join us at The Body Retreat is that they have become very good at putting their own needs at the bottom of a very long priority list, working mums, entrepreneurs, professionals these are busy women who have many hats to wear.

Its hard to not love what you do when here at The Body Retreat we get to work with amazing women week in and week out. We are so blessed to have such lovely women choose us as their partners in their journey to reclaim health and wellbeing. Even better is when these women become a true part of our community.

We often say on retreat that what Julie and I and the rest of the team bring to the retreat in terms of care and support is only part of the equation. The sense of camaraderie, support and genuine spirit of friendship that marks our retreats is created by the women themselves. It is a lovely thing to watch happen week after week but it is even better to be a part of.

I’d like to introduce you to just one such woman.

Daksha is typical of many women who join us at The Body Retreat and her story of going from exhausted working mum to energised role model is really uplifting. It reminds us that even the journeys that at the start may seem to be the longest and toughest all start with just one step.

Daksha’s Story

Some words from my heart to you….😘

By 2012 I was exhausted. I had spent the past 10 years raising young children, juggling a professional career & hosting in laws at my house from 2001-2006 (long visit!).

Early-2012 I accepted (nervously) a new job promotion and it turned out to be the hardest first year I have had at any job. I resigned – they refused to accept my resignation & convinced me to take a sabbatical instead. I spent time with family in California, which was fantastic but I still felt something was off. My health wasn’t right.

I had struggled with my weight since the birth of second child. I had lost quite a bit of weight since (over 3 stone) through diet but had not really embraced exercise and I realised I had to find a love for exercise if I wanted to feel better for the rest of my life.

I am a bit of an all or nothing type person so I started researching ‘bootcamps’! And God sent the Body Retreat to me. My first week was September 2013 in Dorset. It was probably the most uplifting week of my life. Due to my upbringing it was the first time in my entire life that I had put myself first and done something just for myself.

And so my love for exercise (and for myself really) began. I have since been to retreats in Somerset and Spain & due to return to Somerset in early December (it’s been too long!).

I really enjoyed the variety of exercise I was introduced to and the gentle, encouraging coaching. Also the other ladies I met on all the retreats were such beautiful souls. I think that’s a testament to Julie & Juls and the fact that they are able to attract such wonderful inspiring women. I was able to talk freely to some of the ladies (which for me was invaluable). I am an older sister of 4 and don’t often share my concerns with my siblings.

On top of all that the programme was designed to work! I was absolutely amazed at my weight loss and inch loss during that week. The food was so delicious and carefully prepared & presented. I wanted to take Juls home.

In addition it was great that I could stay in touch after I left the retreat – I’ve enjoyed the support from Facebook group & attending the charity days (and also dragged my husband to a one day weekend session!). I was so energised and uplifted that my passion has been infectious & I have encouraged my whole family to start exercising more and they have really appreciated my efforts.

At the charity day in 2014 I dragged myself around Dorney Lake in an attempt to run 5k….running was the one thing I really couldn’t understand! Surviving that 5k inspired me to give it a go on a more regular basis. My body took to it well! A year later I ran my first half-marathon! And will be running my second half next spring!

I can honestly say that I would never have embarked on this journey of health & fitness, which in turn has given me positivity and a renewed passion for life, without Julie & Juls.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart. D

Eat To Beat Stress – Foods to Include & Avoid

Food and Stress are explicably linked, when we feel stressed out we tend to reach for foods that we feel will help to lift us physically and emotionally. But actually the foods and drinks we consume during stressful times can actually exacerbate our stress and hinder our body from coping with the stress reactions. This can result in our health deteriorating further.

Here are our top 5 foods to avoid and include to help you support your system and help combat the negative impact of stress.

Five Foods To Avoid

1. Caffeine. While it might feel like the perfect pick me up, as well as stimulating your circulation which can lead to palpitations caffeine is a neuro-stimulator and can increased your levels of anxiety as well as negatively impact your ability to sleep at night.

2. Alcohol. Most of us reach for a glass of vino to help us to relax after a hard day at the office, but actually alcohol raises the stress hormone cortisol and so you are actually keeping your levels elevated at a time of the day when you want to winding down not winding up.

3. Sugar. Refined sugar and highly processed foods that quickly convert into sugar in your blood mean that you are on an energy roller coaster, yes you will feel fine and ready to tackle everything for about 30-45 minutes after eating, but then comes the crash, when you are already coping with stress this crash makes you vulnerable to high irritability.

4. Salt. A little salt in the diet is a good thing but consuming high sodium foods like ready meals, potato crisps, foods which have little nutritional value but somehow seem to the ones we crave when stressed. Too much salt means that you will be retaining additional fluid and this fluid puts a strain on your heart and increases your blood pressure.

5. Red Meat. Not advocating a vegetarian lifestyle but red meat does take more effect for your system to digest, this means an increased load on your liver which is the main organ to feel the negative impact of stress.

Food To Include to Help Combat Stress

1. Lemons. Well specifically the juice of half a lemon in a shot of hot water taken every morning on waking. This helps to stimulate and support your liver as you prepare for the day ahead.

2. Greens. Again your liver loves greens, packed full of antioxidants green food actively helps your body to fight the stress free radicals. consider it chemical warfare of the most tasty kind. Try to add Green Veggies to at least 2 meals a day, even if its just a handful of Spinach.

3. Sweet Potatoes. Fibre rich carbs make us feel better, they help to stimulate the release of Seritonin in your brains, the feel good factor. These type of carbs help you to avoid the sugar crashes associated with more refined carbs and are a great sources of magnesium which can be seriously depleted by increased adrenaline levels.

4. Turkey…this white meat is not just for Christmas, Turkey is high in tryptophan the precursor to seritonin and eating good quality protein within a balanced diet increased dopamine in the brains reward centre so you feel better.

5 . Water. You knew it was coming. But it is vital to remain hydrated when you feel stressed, your brain needs water to function optimally. If you are experiencing chronic stress you are likely to dehydrate faster than normal, due to the increased sweating and faster breathing. The symptoms of dehydration include lethargy, head aches, light headiness, shaking, all of this increases your stress feelings.

Amaranth Porridge

Ok, so first things first. I love Oats. They are a great choice for breakfast…BUT… there is always a but isn’t there.

All Oats are not created equal…top of the heap you have your gorgeous organic Jumbo Oat and then right down at the bottom of the pile you have that sawdust in sachets that passes for breakfast cereal. The jumbo oats give you a slow release of energy, especially when you pair them with nuts, seeds, nut milks or dairy, while the sawdust sachet just gives you a sugar rush and a crash. Oats are naturally gluten free, although they may have been processed in a factory that also produces gluten based products so if you have an allergy or intolerance then always buy the guaranteed Gluten Free Jumbo Oats.

But despite their impressive health credentials Oats are not for everyone and if you are trying to reduce or cut out grains from your diet then breakfast can be a nightmare.

Step in the Amaranth Seed.

A protein packed powerhouse, Amaranth contains more than three times the average amount of calcium and is also high in iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium. It’s also the only grain documented to contain Vitamin C..pretty impressive stuff right!

Its doesn’t go completely soft as a grain would, its more of a soft nutty texture..it maybe a bit if an acquired taste. We serve this recipe on our Sugar Detox Retreat and it almost always splits the table into lovers and haters…

Amaranth Porridge - A Healthy Alternative To Oats

Serves 2

100gm Amaranth

100ml Unsweetened Almond Milk

100ml Coconut Water

1/2 Cap of Vanilla Extract

1/2 sml Cinnamon Stick

Grating Fresh Nutmeg

20gms Flaked Almonds

As with all porridge this couldn’t be simpler to make.

You simply combine the amaranth with all the ingredients in a small pan and bring to a gentle bubble on the stove. I know that at first it will seem like a lot of liquid to the amount of Amaranth but thees little seeds really soak up the juice. So be liberal.

Keep it on a low bubble and give it the occasional stir to stop it from sticking and so you can adjust the liquid if you need to. You may find that you will want to add a splash more almond milk to stop it from becoming too thick.

It will take about 20 mins for the porridge to cook through.

Serve topped with flaked almonds

If you are looking for a gluten free porridge recipe this is well worth a try.

Author: Jabernet