Buckwheat

Buckwheat: Natural Weight-Loss Food

Despite its name, buckwheat is not a type of wheat -- nor is it related to wheat. Buckwheat isn't even a grain; it's the fruit of a plant that's related to rhubarb.

Buckwheat is a fruit any dieter should become familiar with. Diets that contain buckwheat have been linked to lowered risk of developing high blood pressure.

Eating foods high in fiber, such as buckwheat, can  fill you up faster and suppress your appetite, a great tool for weight loss.

Health Benefits

Buckwheat contains more protein than grains and is not deficient in the amino acid lysine as most grains are, so the protein is more nutritionally complete. That makes it a particularly good choice for vegetarians. It's an excellent source of magnesium, a boon to your blood pressure. A phytochemical in buckwheat may be beneficial in the management of diabetes; studies show it may have the ability to lower blood glucose levels. It's also a good source of fiber.

Preparation and Serving Tips

Take advantage of buckwheat's intense, nutty flavor. If you don't care for kasha plain, mix it in with pasta, grains, potatoes, or vegetables -- especially winter vegetables. It makes a hearty, flavorful meal. For pilafs, stuffing, and soups, use whole kasha. Save the medium and fine grinds for cereals.

To cook: Rinse 1/2 cup whole groats thoroughly, then combine with a cup of water and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. It will triple in volume. Or combine 1/2 cup of cracked kasha with 21/2 cups of liquid and cook for 12 minutes, to yield 2 cups. Buckwheat flour is superb for pancakes, but don't try making bread with it; it doesn't work because it contains no gluten. But you can add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of buckwheat flour into a recipe for bread, as long as the primary grain is wheat or another high-gluten grain.

Buckwheat offers dieters many nutritional advantages, quick-cooking properties, and versatility. It's an excellent plant source of easily digestive protein and is close to being a "complete" protein. Add this hearty fruit to your meals as a way to keep off the pounds while eating healthy.

Source : http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/food-nutrition/natural-foods/natural-weight-loss-food-buckwheat-ga.htm

FEED THE FIRE!!!!.

THE BIG QUESTION.....  HOW DO YOU STAY MOTIVATED?


......  You don't.  Nobody will always have the same level of motivation! The most successful of people goes through a 'dip' every now and then.   People will have different opinions on this, but for me it helps to FEED THE FIRE !!!!  


I don't know how you feed your fire? But I feed mine like this!
I surround myself with things that motivate me.  Pictures , quotes, people ...
Regularly update your playlist. Add music that gets you going!
Stick to your diet!!! Training your ass off and not getting results will not feed your fire! YOU CANNOT OUT TRAIN A BAD DIET!
Learn to get to know your body and listen to him.  Over training won't get you anywhere! You will not want to go back....
Keep journals.  It helps to see how you have made, or not made, progress.
Keep your eye on the goal!!! The only time you take it off, is when you hold your trophee!!!


TRAIN HARD!!!


"You don't have to be a stud to be a good wrestler...I recruited everybody because anybody can get to a level where they're able to compete if they're willing to put in the time."
Scott Cardwell, former Oregon State wrestler and Wrestling Coach for Springfield High School in Springfield, Oregon

COMPLETE TRAINING PROGRAM - 8 WEEKS

After I have bombarded you with all the individual programs, I will put it together for you in my weekly routine!

This is my set program. Be CONSISTENT.  Do NOT skip workouts, unless you have no choice or your body is really asking for rest.  Just be objective to what is pure LAZYNESS and what is TIRED!!!

SO... HERE GOES......................

MONDAY;
LEGS

TUESDAY
TRICEPS AND CALVES

WEDNESDAY
BICEPS AND SHOULDERS

THURSDAY
CARDIO & ABS

FRIDAY
BACK

SATURDAY
CARDIO

I try to train to times every day, the second session will be cardio and most day add ABS.  This above is the program I stick to at all times.

Napoleon Hill
Do not wait; the time will never be "just right'. Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.

SNACKTIME BABY!!!

 HOW YUMMY IS THIS???
Fromage Blanc (sub with Bulgarian yogurt)
One chopped persimmon (fruit of choice)
Mixed seeds....











Now this is the normal protein muffin recipe..
Just tweaked.. added half cup of raisins, half cup of mixed seeds.  Baked in a pan instead of muffin cups.
Then covered them in melted dark chocolate after they cooled!









BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

I used my cinnamon swirl protein bread recipe. Just leave out the cinnamon and extra stevia. Make up the same mixture.
Add a teaspoon of vanilla, and a cup of frozen blueberries.
Pour mixture into cupcake pans. Bake more or less 45mins. Test it with a toothpick!
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How about an apple with a handful of raw unsalted almonds?






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100g of Yogurt with a tablespoon of seedmix.  I used pumpkin, sunflower and chopped almonds.
This is Soy yogurt, since I discovered some lactose intollerance....  :(

Mr & Miss World tomorrow in Menton (South of France)

Showtime again tomorrow!  This one was very sudden and not really planned!
I decided to take a BIG gamble this time, and NOT drop carbs.... I usually feel like I am going flat after 3 days of no-carbs.

So i decided, lets do this! I still dropped water!  Hope to have good results tomorrow.  This is a very big International show, so I am merely going for the experience and plan to HAVE FUN!!!

I am not as stressed as the last time... sooooo.... sailing through this! lol

I had a fantastic photoshoot today...  -------- >
one of my pics!  Cant wait for the lot!

I just applied my first layer of tan! OMG  ... HD COLOUR!! everything looks better! lol.. its like a magic potion that just wipes out all flaws... hi hi hi

Anyways, keep you updated on my show tomorrow!

Hello Friendies!

Wow.. what an awesome busy day! Look where I was... its a little town outside of  Lyon called

Villefranche-sur-Saône... The cutest town with all these old buildings.  Wish I had more time to spend and walk around.  

I was there for a photo shoot.  I think it went well, cannot wait for the pictures. 

I could not work in my workout session today, BUT my hamstrings and bums are sooooooooooooooooo sore from monday's legs! so i KNOW that one hits the spots! 

Prepare for your Photo Shoot
Here is a list of things to keep in mind while you prepare for your photo session:

• This is an important day! RELAX. Give yourself plenty of time in case of traffic.
• Come to the shoot with your hair ready for the first look.
• Bring your make-up supplies for touch-ups.
• Fingernails should be clean and groomed and not too long. Polish should be a light color.
• WOMEN: All facial hair should be tweezed, waxed, or shaven, and excess arm hair should be waxed.
  MEN: If you are starting with an unshaven look, bring your shaving supplies for your next look.
• Stay out of the sun and the tanning salons!
• Get plenty of sleep the night before. Stay off the booze and other influential substances! It does show on your face. Eat a good meal prior to your shoot.
• Try on all your clothes ahead of time. Make sure they fit well, are cleaned, pressed and have no missing buttons. Bring colors that look good on you. Black & white are great.
• WOMEN: Make sure your bras go with your tops.
  MEN: Bras not required
• Cut out pictures that you like from magazines: the pose, mood, expression, angle, attitude, energy.

Enjoy your eve all!!!

Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong. 
~Peter T. Mcintyre

Ideas for breakfast... my fav meal of the day!

How friggin yum does this look??? - - - - - - >

This is Oats, Wheat Bran , pinch of cinnamon and half of a banana!








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<-----  This is poached egg on a bed of rocket, with diced avo! yum yum in my tum!










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You are not most probably going to think that only a psychopath would eat that? Listen to me... THIS IS YUMMY!!!
you need: eggwhite, banana and a teaspoon of natural PB!
I use this as breakfast or pre-workout snack!
Enjoy!






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EGGWHITES x4
FROMAGE BLANC (sub with bugarian yogurt or greek yogurt) with bananas, pinch of cinnamon!

This is also a nice pre-workout option for me!








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PROTEIN OATS! ----  OMG....
I am sooooooo in love with this concoction!

You can have it for breakfast and is great for post -workout!

30g of Oats
1 cup(the one that comes with your shake) whey

Now heres the trick! I whisk it with a blenderstick to make it smooth and frothy! Its devine.
Add PB or your favourite fruits!

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Protein and yam FlapJacks:
You will need:
1 whole egg + 2 whites
a scoop of whey protein
50g Yam or sweet potato
2 Table spoons of oatmeal. 
Mix until you have a smooth mixture. 


Prep a hot non-stick pan with spray and cook. Scoop spoonfulls in the hot pan.  3minutes each side should do it! 
Serve with banana and Agave syrop!

TRICEP AND CALVES WORKOUT - next 8 weeks

The reason I am grouping these two exercises is because I really want to give attention to these muscle groups. 
I go light on my triceps, because they are not yet very strong.  I hope to change that! 

This workout took me and hour to complete.


1.  Bench dips;
Use two high benches.  Be sure to keep elbow's in.
3 sets of 15, slow movement


2.  Incline barbell extension;
Bar (10kg) + 5kg
3 sets of 12


3.  One arm floor press with bar... (yoooaazzaaa! Feel the burn!!)
10kg Bar.  3sets of 15 per arm.  very slow movement


4.  Machine dips. 
50kg.  3 sets of 12


5.  Tricep push ups.
3 sets to exhaustion


6.  Cable overhead tricep extension. 
10kg,  3 sets of 12


7.  One arm dumbbell tricep extension
3kg dumbbell, 3 sets of 15 per arm


CALVES


1.  Dumbbell calf raises
8kg, 4 sets of 12 per leg


2.  Barbell seated calf raises
12kg,  4 sets of 20


3.  Calf leg press
18kg, feet together 15, feet inside 15, feet ouside 15.  repeat 3 times.


You've got to take the initiative and play your game. In a decisive set, confidence is the difference. 
- Chris Evert

SUBSTANTIAL MEALS....

BEEF WITH QUINOA AND SALAD..
You will need....
I love to make this  paste to cover my beef with, after I seared it in a pan, and then baking in a hot oven.

In a grinder combine:
Fresh parsley,
Fresh dill,
Tablespoon of pinenuts
2 cloves of garlic
I suppose you can add some olive oil, but since beef is allready high in fat, I do not add this.

After searing your beef, cover it with this paste, add salt and pepper to taste and bake in a hot oven.

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This is the type of thing I would have after a hard leg training session.
Chicken, quinoa and salad.
Chicken is just spiced and baked in the oven
Quinoa is boiled with a chicken stock cube for flavour.








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 SPAGHETTI SQUASH ADVENTURE! 


First time I ever saw the thing. Put it in a pot to cook and it exploded!! lol...

So cooked and opened it.  This was what it looked like. Taste is great! This portion came from one squash. Its quite big!
The taste is more or less the same as normal gem squash,
might have a bit more flavour to it.!


With this I prepared chicken and veggies. Basically just steamed it, since I will be competing again this weekend.


You can see I have chicken, mushrooms, bell peppers, fresh garlic,
asparagus.  Flavoured with fresh herbs.
I just chopped it all into a pan with a
touch of water to steam... takes about 15 - 20  minutes.

This was the end product.  You can make this really tasty if you are not using the recipe for contest diet!

















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 I found this 7% fat cheese, tried it yesterday.  Really good.  This is what I love about off season,... i get to have this type of treats!
Its important to have dairy in your diet!  Just go easy on it....







WHITE FISH WITH FRESH HERBS;
Portion of fresh, white fish.  
Fresh choppen dill, rosemary , garlic
Fresh lemon


Lightly oil your non-stick pan with olive oil. 
grill each side more or less 5minute. Add your fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon! 
Grill untill browned lightly!
Serve with, rice, and veggies!






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FISH CAKES WITH KALE


You can use cabbage instead of kale. It can be difficult to get hold of sometimes!  Prepare by cutting the cabbage in quaters, wrap in foil and bake in the oven for 30 - 60min.  Test it with a toothpick.


Fishcakes-
Flakes precooked tilapia.
Fresh chopped herbs, including dill
Seasoning.
A dash of soy sauce
2 eggs
2 tablespoons of oatmeal.


Bake spoonfulls in a non stick pan.  5 minutes each side!


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BALSAMIC AND HONEY MARINATED PORK CHOPS


Marinate pork chops in 2table spoons of balsamic and a tablespoon of honey.  It should sit about 30 -60mins.  Choose the cuts with the least fat... remove ALL visible fat from meat!!!


Cook in a non stick pan. 10minutes each side should do the trick! 


I served this with lentils, kale and tomatoes....


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CHICKEN WITH CHORIZZO SAUSAGE AND STIR FRY


Literally use about 5 wheels of chorizzo, this is a very spicey sausage and JuSt for flavour.  
In a non stick pan, NO oil, heat the sausage wheels, add chopped mushrooms, shallots, bell peppers and young peas in a pod. Let it sit about 10minutes.  Add chicken strips.  Season to taste. 
Let it sit about 15minutes for chicken to cook well. 






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Salmon wholegrain pancake


Steam fresh salmon for a while. It should still be pink inside. Flake it lightly with a fork. 
Grill mushrooms.  Add lentils. Add flaked salmon
Prepare your pancake with tomato, rocket and avocado. Scoop salmon mix into pancake and Bon App!








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My first Go at Tofu...


A cup of boiled brown rice
100g of Tofu chopped into cubes
5 olives
I used a Aubergine curry relish, to mix it all with.
Will still give the recipe of the relish!










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Beef Mince with Yam and peas+carrots mix


Quite easy and straight forward. A meal for leg training days. Bit higher calories.  100grams of lean beef mince. 60g of oven roasted yam (sweet potato) and 100g of steamed peas. 
No fat added in cooking!



















 My favourite veggies for oven grilled veggies!!! 
I made these with 100g of pan grilled Salmon. Added some sugarfree gherkins... yum
See pic below

I put the salmon in a hot pan. Its never necessary for oil, because this fish makes his own when heated.















Buckwheat pasta with chicken fillet and purple cabbage

See article on this highly beneficial food!

Grilled chicken fillet in tablespoon of olive oil .
Steam cabbage.
Buckwheat pasta cooks very fast.. so be careful not to overcook.




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 LINEFISH WITH GRILLED VEG, SALAD AND 7%FAT CHEESE.
I grilled the fish with lots of fresh garlic, lemon juice , salt and pepper. 


















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Veggie mix in the pan! Served with grilled chicken. 


















I seasoned my veggies with soy sauce, herbs, salt and pepper.  The chicken is grilled in a non-stick pan. 

Salad Recipes

Whats easier than doing a quick salad?

You will need :
Rocket leaves
4-5 chopped Radishes
Eggs
Finely chopped Onion

Poach  1whole egg +3 egg whites.
Do this by filling a pan with water, add a drop of vinegar to keep the eggs from separating and let them steam on a low heat.


I flavoured my salad with Balsamic.  Ended up
looking like this. Was yummy!

Facts on Radishes. Bet you didn't know this! haha neither did I... :)

Health benefits of radish

• In China, radish along with cabbage and soybean curd (tofu) is believed as healthy food. A Chinese proverb says, "Eating pungent radish and drinking hot tea, let the starved doctors beg on their knees".
• Radishes are very low calorie root vegetables; contains only 16 calories per 100 g. However they are very good source of anti-oxidants, minerals, vitamins and dietary fiber.
• Fresh Radishes are rich in vitamin C; provide about 15 mg or 25% of DRI of vitamin C per 100 g.  Vitamin C is a powerful water soluble anti-oxidant required by the body for synthesis of collagen. Vitamin C helps body scavenge harmful free radicals, prevention from cancers, inflammation and helps boost immunity.
• In addition, they contain adequate levels of folates, vitamin B-6, riboflavin, thiamin and minerals such as iron, magnesium, copper and calcium. 
• They contain many phytochemicals like indoles which are detoxifying agents and zeaxanthin, lutein and beta carotene which are flavonoid antioxidants.
  
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TUNA SALAD

a Can of tuna

a scoop of Fromage blanc. (sub with bulgarian yogurt)

tablespoon of cooked lentils and peas

a tomatie

a shallot

fresh garlic

rocket leaves.

Chop, and mix.. and voila!  Guilt free salad!

LEG WORKOUT 1 - next 8 weeks

I train my legs with much lighter weights than my arms, because they tend to grow and bulk really fast.  So instead of muscle building exercises, I stick to toning! 


I divided the exercises into categories. I am now really focusing on 'butt toning' lol....


This workout took me 1h15 to complete. 


GLUTES:


1.  Glutes Master;
15kg, 4sets of 15 per leg


2.  One leg cable kickback;
10kg, 3sets of 20 per leg


3.  Cable pull through;
20kg, 4 sets of 15 per leg


HAMSTRINGS


4.  Deadlift;
Bar (10kg) + 15kg, 4 sets of 15 .  Do these very slow and accurate. DO NOT HURT YOUR BACK!!!


QUADS


5.  Cable hip adduction;
10kg,  4sets of 15 per leg - - - - -  THIS IS A KILLER!!!


6.  Leg extension:
5kg, 4 sets of 15 per leg.  
I know 5kg might sound like nothing, but do the movement slow, and be sure to contract the quad when you have fully extended your leg! FEEL THE BURN!


7.  Narrow leg press;
20kg, 4sets of 15


8.  Hip adductor machine.  
Push inward on 23kg.  3 sets of 20
Push outward on 36kg.  3 sets of 20

Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.
- Newt Gingrich

BACK TRAINING - next 8 weeks

Once again, I will be doing most of these exercises in sets of  8.  Adjust the weight for yourself and do 3 sets of 15 - 20 to tone muscles.  This workout takes me 50min to complete.

BACK


1.  Seated cable rows - Wide grip;
25kg, 4 sets of 8


2.  Seated cable rows - Close grip;
25kg, 4 sets of 8


3.  Straight arm cable pull down;
25kg, 4 sets of 8


4.  Straight arm pull down with bar;
30kg, 4 sets of 8


5.  Dumbbell rows;
8kg, 4 sets of 8 (each side)


6.  Wide grip pull-ups - Machine;
45kg, 4 sets of 8


7.  Close grip pull-ups - Machine;
45kg, 4 sets of 8


8.  Wide grip lateral pull downs (front pull down);
30kg,  4 sets of 8


9.  Close grip lateral pull downs (front pull down);
30kg, 4 sets of 8

Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.

Bicep & Shoulder training next 8 weeks....

This is the program I will be following for the next 8 weeks.  I usually stick to a program for 8 weeks and then I change it again.  I get many questions about workouts. 
This is just the weights I use, I want to put on some muscle, that is why I am doing sets of 8 with heavier (I'm a girl okay!!!) weights. 
If you just want to tone, use the same exercises with lighter weights and do 3 sets of 15.

SHOULDERS

1.  Barbell shoulder press;
Bar + 10kg
4 sets of 12

2.  Lateral raises with dumbbell;
2x6kg, 4 sets of  8

3.  One arm side lateral raises with dumbbell;
2x4kg, 4 sets of 8

4.  Full circle delt raises;

2x4kg, 4 sets of 8

5.  Bent over reverse flyes;

2x6kg, 4sets of 12

6.  One arm front dumbbell raise;

2x4kg, 4sets of 8

7.  Standing should press with dumbbell;

2x6kg, 4sets of  8

BICEPS

1.  Alternate bicep curls; 

2x6kg, 3sets of 30

2.  Incline bicep  curls;

6kg, 4sets of 8 per arm

3.  Barbell curls;

Bar(10kg) + 10kg,  4sets of 8

4.  Hammer curls;

6kg, 4sets of 8 per arm

5.  Cable bicep curls;

15kg, 4sets of 8

“I pray to be like the ocean, with soft currents, maybe waves at times. More and more, I want theconsistency rather than the highs and the lows.”

Drew Barrymore quotes

Friday!

Heyyyy my Friends!
Long busy day with visitors! NOT too busy to get my cardio session in.. :)

This is the loveley ladies with me who place 1st and 3rd at Gym&Co Grand Prix.  Beauties right?

Summary of my day.
Breakfast was Rye and egg (yea yea it know.. its getting old.. but I really love it!! )
Lunch was chicken salad , we dined out.
Snacked on some nuts and a yogurt! yummy!

THEN the big treat! This is one of my favourite proteins! Salmon...
This was turned into dinner - - - - - - - >

I marinated the salmon with fresh, chopped dill, pepper, salt and lemon juice.
After I put it into a very hot pan, I added few drops of Soy sauce! Let it steam for 1Ominutes.. well depending on how rare you like your fish?

With this, I served oven grilled veggies!

Chopped carrots, onions, mushrooms, bellpeppers, zuchini... spiced with paprika, salt and pepper and a table spoon of olive oil!
Voila! it was delish!

I have salmon once a week!

 health benefits of salmon.

1. Maintain Brain Health
   Salmon is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, which known to support brain function by increasing the memory, relax the brain and prevent age related decline in brain function which inducedAlzheimer’s disease.
2. Improve Eye Health
   As salmon high in omega 3 fatty acids and amino acids, they help improve eye health and prevent macular degeneration, dryness and fatigue of eyes.
3. Protect body against Free Radicals
   Salmon is great source of selenium, a mineral that help protect the body from free radical damage, which can weaken cells and leave them vulnerable to infections and other diseases.
4. Reduce High Blood Pressure
   Salmon help control high blood pressure. It provides protection against heart attack andstroke.
5. Prevent Heart Disease
   Omega-3 helps in lowering the level of triglycerides, which increases the risk of heart disease in case of its high accumulation.
6. Protect Skin
   Omega-3 is also known to have anti-inflammatory effect. It has the ability to protect skin against sunburn as well as skin cancer.
7. Protect Digestive Tract and Prevent Cancer
   Salmon is healthy for the digestive tract and offer protection against some type of cancer. People eat salmon have less chance of developing cancer in the breast, colon, esophagus, pharynx, pancreas, mouth, ovary, stomach and rectum.
8. Reduce Depression
   The omega-3 in salmon helps in reducing depression and thus keeps a person in good mood.
9. Protect body against Kidney Cancer
   Like other fatty fish, Salmon is helpful against kidney cancer. It is effective in defending against renal cell carcinoma, which is the most common kidney cancer form.
10. Reduce the risk of Leukemia
    Eating salmon is also effective in reducing the risk of leukemia, multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkins lymphoma 
11. http://www.healthonlinezine.info/10-health-benefits-of-salmon.html  (The link if you need more)