Chicken with Penne and Pinenuts

Pine nuts are packed with protein and are rich in vitamin A, which helps immune system function, vitamin C, essential for maintaining healthy skin, muscles and tendons, and vitamin D which is vital for bone growth and development. Serves 2.

g

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

150ml olive oil

juice of 1 lemon
juice of 1 orange
350g/12 oz dried pasta
75g/3 oz toasted pine nuts
1 tbsp ground cumin
125g/4 oz chopped dried apricots
1 bunch of chopped mint leaves

1. Lay the chicken breast between two layers of non pvc cling film, and using a rolling pin bat out until about 5mm thick. Place in a non-metallic dish and pour over 2 tbsp of oil, juice of 1/2 a lemon and some black pepper.

2. Cook the pasta. Toast the pine nuts in a small pan for about 3-4 minute, shaking them to make sure they don't burn.

3. In a large bowl mix 150ml olive oil, the orange and lemon juice, the cumin, apricots and mint, and add to the drained pasta.

4. Cook the chicken breasts until cooked and then cut up into rough strips. Mix the pasta and dressing with the chicken and sprinkle over the pine nuts.

Dax Moy's Elimination Diet

In February I went on an Dax Moy's Elimination Diet for 4 weeks. I stopped eating cows milk, certain foods containing wheat and gluten, alcohol and caffeine. Before starting this diet I had no apparent food intolerance's apart from occasional heart burn/indigestion after large meals.

I started by emptying out my cupboards of all the banned foods and so I got rid of all my cereal, bread, pasta and milk so I wouldn't be tempted. I then went shopping and stocked up on fruit and vegetables, nuts, meat, fish, eggs, soya milk etc, etc.

The first week was quite difficult and my main concern was whether I could consume the enough calories to support my very active lifestyle. The answer was...just about! I converted to soya milk which was quite foul at first but it's amazing how quickly you're body gets used to different tastes. I experimented with some 'gluten and wheat free' products; the bread was hard and stale but the pasta was fine once you mix it with some sauce.

A typical day would involve a high-protein breakfast including egg and wheat free porridge. Then I would normally snack on fruit until lunch, when I usually had tuna or chicken salad. For dinner I used to have rice or baked potato with meat or fish.

Obviously there were times when it was difficult to avoid foods from the banned list. After one meal out I had an upset stomach for a few days - I think my curry sauce contained some wheat.

Before I started this elimination diet I felt that I had a well-balanced diet with room for improvement in certain areas. The first thing I noticed was that my flatulence was greatly reduced and my bowel movements were a lot more stable. The condition of my skin improved and I had no ulcers or blisters for the month I was dieting. I experienced hardly any digestive discomfort even though I was eating large quantities, and I never felt full or bloated.

I did not want to loose weight and so I did keep my calorie intake HIGH but had I not I would almost certainly lost. My body fat percentage did reduce and my exercise levels meant that I increased muscle tone and definition.

Since coming off the diet I have continued to eliminate certain foods from my diet. I don't eat pasta and bread any more, I eat 75% soya milk and only have semi-skimmed on cereal, which I have also cut down on. I learned a lot about what foods agree with my body and what foods don't. I have divided food into 3 categories; foods that I can consume freely, foods which I have to moderate intake and food which I should consume rarely.

All in all it has been a really positive experience my general health and well-being has improved greatly. I would recommend you give it a try, especially if you have suspected food intolerance.

Click here to find out more about Dax Moy's Elimination Diet.

Butternut Sqaush Pilaf

Want to get in shape this spring? Try this delicious low calorie, low fat recipe which is ideal for a light lunch after a morning workout.

350g (12 oz) butternut squash
1 red onion
15ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
1/2 vegetable stock cube
125g (4 1/2 oz) basmati rice
10ml (2 tsp) dried thyme

1. Preheat oven to 200 C (400 F), gas mark 6. Place squash and onion in roasting tin and drizzle with olive oil. Season and cook for 20 minutes.

2. Dissolve 1/2 stock cube in 500ml boiling water. Add rice, thyme and hot stock to the roasted vegetables. Cover and seal with foil.

3. Return to oven for 25 minutes or until rice is cooked. Serve immediately.

Focus on: Food Intolerance

It has been estimated that around 45% of the UK population suffer from adverse reactions from the food they eat. Common symptoms include nausea, bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, indigestion, IBS, headaches, skin problems and lethargy, to name a few.

Allergy v Intolerance

It can take less than an hour for an allergic reaction to take affect and may result in vomiting, diarrhoea and skin rashes. Food intolerance can go undetected for long periods of time because individuals rarely attribute their symptoms to the type of foods they eat on a regular basis.

Types of food intolerance

There are many foods that people can be intolerant to but the most common are milk (lactose - sugar), gluten, wheat and certain food preservatives. In the UK and Ireland 5 in 100 people are lactose intolerant. This is caused by a shortage the enzyme lactase, which is needed to breakdown lactose in the gut.

Wheat and gluten intolerance is very common and if severe enough can cause coeliac disease. This is caused by an inflammation if the lining of the small intestine which disrupt digestion.

Implications for exercise

Adequate nutrition and digestive health is vital if you are to maintain an active, exercise-filled lifestyle. As previously stated food intolerances can leave you feeling tired, bloated and lethargic, making it very difficult to exercise. Foods that individuals are intolerant to may be their main source of energy for exercise or may be essential for recovery after exercise.

Identifying food intolerance

If your symptoms lead you to suspect that you have food intolerance then there are several courses of action. Firstly you can pay for a blood test that is an accurate but expensive way of identifying foods that produce certain reactions in the body. However, this may not identify all intolerances.

A more pro-active way of diagnosing food intolerance is to eliminate different food groups from your diet for a period of 4-6 weeks. It is recommended that you consult a health professional before starting an elimination diet.

Buying food

If you are on an elimination diet it is vital that you remove all traces of the food group in question. Therefore it is vital to check food labels carefully. Since 2005 the European Union have required that all labels should state whether they contain certain foods, including nuts, eggs, wheat and gluten.

If your eating out then pre-warn the restaurant that you have special dietary requirements and then inform the waitress or waiter again when you arrive.

For more information about food intolerance visit the British Nutrition Foundation on http://www.nutrition.org.uk/

Quinoa with Stir-Fried Vegetables

Quinoa is a plant-based pseudocereal which is high in protein and carbohydrate, low in fat and gluten free. When it is cooked I has a light, fluffy texture and makes an excellent alternative to rice or couscous. Serves 4.

200g quinoa
3 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 chopped carrots
300g peppers, sliced
300g broccoli

250g sweetcorn
100g sun dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
200ml vegetable stock
2 tsp tomato puree
juice of 1 lemon

1. Cook the quinoa according to the instructions. Heat the oil in a wok or large pan, then add the garlic and fry for about 1 minute. Add the carrots, sweetcorn, peppers and broccoli and stir fry for two minutes.

2. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, mix together the stock and tomato puree and add to the pan. Drain the quinoa and serve with the vegetables. Add the lemon juice and season to taste.

Surviving the Lunch Time Sandwich Dash by Jon Le Tocq

No matter how much I drill it into peoples' heads that one of the most effective ways to ensure you drop body fat is to prepare your own food every day, some will still be unable to find the 10 minutes necessary to do so. They will inevitably end up in one of the high street stores wondering how they can keep their calorie count down!

These tips will help you make the best choices, but consider one key fact before we get into them.

How can it possibly make sense that the 6'2 male builder and the 5'5 female office assistant are eating the same sandwich at lunch!? The calorie requirements are vastly different. Either the builder is eating far too little causing his body to store fat as a protective mechanism or the young lady is eating too much causing her body to store the excess. In most cases both are true returning us yet again to the point that effective fat loss systems must be personal.

Sandwich shopping tips

1. Do all you can to go to a roll / sandwich bar where you can tell them exactly what you want. You can ask them to leave out the mayo, use a wholemeal roll, not add more salad etc

2. If you must go to a high street shop, avoid the ones which specialise in baguettes and pasties.

3. Avoid those which list hydrogenated fats as an ingredient.

4. Avoid all containing mayonnaise and added sauces

5. Avoid pasta dishes as they will nearly always consist of white pasta rather than wholemeal pasta which is slower digesting as it's cheaper to buy in bulk!

6. The more ingredients you can't spell, the more chemicals the meal contains so avoid it!

7. Don't worry too much about fat content etc just look at the total calorie content and aim low.

8. Choose those with high vegetable content

9. Forget the meal deal. You can get a drink of water at work and you certainly don't want a discount packet of crisps

10. Avoid those with bacon, ham, stuffing, and 'jazzed up' meat such as chicken tikka.
Choose plain chicken, tuna, prawns etc

11. If possible choose a dish with wholemeal complex carbohydrates (such as brown rice), a lean protein (chicken, tuna etc) and vegetables.

12. Don't eat it all at once. Unless you have starved yourself all morning, you should be able to resist the urge to eat everything in one go. Spread it out and you will avoid the hunger roller coaster which nearly always culminates in the evening food binge in front of the TV!

Remember, you should always, always prepare your own food whenever possible if you are serious about getting the body you want.

There's are no if's or but's to this - unless you want mediocre results (at best) you simply have to be in control of what goes in your mouth!

Jon Le Tocq created the Storm Force Fitness concept which has produced amazing permanent fat loss results for people all over Britain. He is also co-owner of BodyClocq Personal Training, Nottingham's premier personal training company.

http://www.stormforcefitness.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jon_Le_Tocq

Check nutritional information before you get to the restaurant...

I have just discovered a great new website. Fatburgr provides nutritional information for a wide variety of foodstuffs from popular restaurants. You can also find the Weight Watchers points for each food item. The site content is aimed primarily at the US market but many products are also served in restaurants with chains worldwide.

This is a great resource if your looking to improve your diet or looking for a healthy alternative to fast food. Personally I would not choose to eat, or recommend anyone to eat at any of the restaurants listed on the site, but I am sure many of you reading this do. Check it out at http://fatburgr.com/ and I would urge you to make a change!