Jos Swingler ~ Bespoke Nutrition

I recently had this article published in Natural Lifestyle Magazine, thanks to MuleBars PR team (thanks MuleBar!).

You can view the article at:

http://issues.nat-lifestyle.com/imag/nlapril2012/files/html5/index.html

I hope you enjoy

Thanks Jos

RGActive Nutrition are a nutrition coaching company. They are a sister company of RGActive who run triathlon and sports coaching.

They have just posted a new blog on their website. A tasty, nutrient dense, sweet snack that is rich in protein and fibre for satiety.The recipe was provided by www.sbsportsmassage.co.uk

Hit the image to view the blog…

Sunday mornings are my favourite. That well deserved lie in, lazily followed by a mug of strong milky coffee, sitting sleepily on the couch whilst being entertained by the usual morning cooking show. Before psyching myself up for a long, icy training run around Hampstead Heath. Dodging walkers out on mass, hurdling their dogs and narrowly missing their unpredictable children. This may not be everyone’s idea of a great Sunday morning, however for me; it’s the definition of relaxation.

And breakfast? Like most, week days are spent rushing around like a headless chicken. Mornings provide just enough time to slap together some salads for lunch, drop a portion of muesli into a bowl and top with a dollop of organic plain yoghurt, maybe a sprinkle of ground almond if the cupboard allows.

But Sunday morning is a different mater. Time is an afterthought. Breakfast gets the cognition it deserves. Though I am sure a rushed breakfast is better than no breakfast at all, it feels right to give breakfast the time of day, just once a week.

On Sundays the humble egg is on the menu, scrambled is the favourite. For me they should be smooth in consistency, erring on the side of underdone, and creamy on the palate. Slow cooking is the key. There is nothing worse than over cooked scrambled eggs. So do your eggs some justice and don’t rush them.

If you have never tried proper creamy scrambled eggs before, then now is the time. The following recipe is a combination of fragrant garlic, creamy whisked eggs and sweet juicy piquant peppers. These vibrant red capsicums add a spicy twist to this Sunday morning classic. If you are not a hot foods fan, capers would make an excellent substitute.

To make this recipe you will need:

-          2 diced cloves of garlic

-          A generous knob of butter

-          5-6  hens eggs

-          7-8 Piquante peppers  (hot and sweet), finely sliced

-          A pinch of salt and cracked pepper

-          1 slice of whole grain or rye toast per person

Method:

Prepare all the ingredients. Crack the eggs into a bowl. Add the cracked pepper and a pinch of good quality sea salt. Lightly whisk with a fork. Set to one side. Meanwhile, place a knob of butter in a saucepan and gently melt over a low heat until it starts to sizzle. Low heat is the key here. Too hot and the egg will become over cooked and rubbery. Add the garlic until it becomes fragrant and transparent.

Pour the eggs into the pan and stir constantly with either a wooden spoon or a metal whisk. Keep stirring, the more you stir, the smoother the end product. You know you are getting this one right if your arm hurts.  As the eggs begin to turn, they will get thicker. Stir in half the sliced peppers. And keep stirring. The eggs are done when they resemble a smooth, slightly creamy consistency. They should not be runny. But nor should they resemble an omelette.

Serve either on a slice of toast with the remaining piquante sprinkled over the top or replace the toast with a 50g portion of Camargue red rice.

Yes it’s true. Juicy burgers, chilli soaked kebabs and those palate tingling salty fries. My early 20’s were spent chowing down on the lot. I loved it. Au fait with all McDonalds had to offer, a quintessential connoisseur of everything that could only be defined as a nutritionist slasher movie.

I was embracing the “supersize me” dream. Fast food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Proudly, I would guzzle down five double cheese burgers and a chocolate milkshake. No guilt, just the occasional belch and a flabby waistline that was beginning to visually represent my “McMorning” Muffin.

One extreme viewed nutrition book and a degree in health sciences later and I would never feel the same about eating a burger again. Thanks nutrition degree! Thanks for enlightening me. But before defining myself as a dietary saint, let’s get one thing straight. I still love burgers. Dammit! I still love chips.

I will happily acknowledge that I am not adverse to the occasional slab of red meat trapped between the fluffy stuff. But now it must be well made. As close to its natural state as possible. A 100% beef burger, topped with a rocket salad and lightly pressed between some houmous coated whole grain, seeded loaf. Sweet potato and finely sliced parsnips these days take on the guise of chips. My definition of good fast food has matured, like the beef in my burger.

But Fast food doesn’t just have to represent what some die hard food activist may hail as “junk”. Two favourite fast food ingredients of mine these days are tinned artichokes and raw grated beetroot. Yes that’s right, vegetables. So I may have just lost some of you. But the rest of you, hang in there! The combination of sweet, succulent, vibrant red beets tossed with the uniquely flavoured, lightly salted artichokes hearts, just work.

Better still, short of draining a can, grating for a minute and maybe sprinkling some crunchy pumpkin seeds. And adding some diced chicken breast if you need it (Told you it was worth reading on “meat lovers”). This meal will be ready faster than your local kebab man can say “yes boss!” No it’s not a burger and fries. Nor is it that Friday night dominos. But it is real, natural and tasty. The way nature intended.

We all live busy lives. Myself included. And sometimes fast food can be selected over real food due to a lack of those sacred minutes. I sympathise. But let’s not use that as an excuse not to enjoy good, real food.

Give it a go:

Serves one, so multiply for more….

• 1 grated medium raw beetroot
• 1 tin of artichoke hearts (drained)
• 1 handful of rocket
• 2-3tsp of balsamic vinegar
• 2tsp of olive oil
• 150g of cooked chicken breast diced (optional)
• 1 tbsp of pumpkin seeds

Method

Place the beetroot, artichoke, chicken (optional) and rocket in a bowl. Stir very gently until well mixed. Place on a plate and sprinkle with olive oil, pumpkin seeds and balsamic vinegar. Serve and enjoy.

Thanks

Jos@bespokenutrition.net

RGActive Nutrition are putting on a seminar this Friday at 1930.

If you are keen to understand the fundamentals of diet and weight management for endurance athletes, then this presentation is an absolute must.

Written and presented by Jos Swingler, Nutrition Consultant to RGActive Nutrition. This event will take place at Ham Lake and you can book a place online by clicking here

To know more about RGActive Nutrition Just Click the image below.

So there are a lot of nutritionists out there who are offering their practical advice for healthy eating over the christmas period.

Instead of jumping on the band wagon and offering idealistic nutritional goals for the festive period. I thought I would provide you with some facts about weight loss over the holiday season. Yes there are some tips, but bottom line is that moderation is the key. Be mindful of what you need and you should stay on track.

Enjoy this festive article Christmas Eating to Avoid Weight Gain

Happy Christmas and Happy Eating!

jos@bespokenutrition

Burgers have a bad reputation. When bought from fast food chains they are usually packed between two slices of heavily refined carbohydrates and topped with a slab of processed cheese. If you are lucky you may get a couple of measly wilted lettuce leafs and a gherkin.  To make matters worse  diets high in processed red meats are associated with an increased risk of colon cancers.

Despite this, things are not all bad for the outlawed beef burger. Red meat in moderation, less than 500g per week, is deemed OK. Good news, as beef is a great source of iron and protein. So what can be done to make the humble beef burger a little healthier and bring it back from the depths of its fast food reputation?

The answer. The vegetable. Making your burgers from good quality lean mince and adding grated vegetables along with an array of fragrant spices can turn the simple meat patty into a fibre and vitamin rich super food! For the sake of your colon don’t eat more than 500g of processed red meat per week. But moderate amounts are OK, particularly if you follow this recipe and up the fibre content: Veggie Burgers

This link was found on the BBC website.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15113440

Interesting evidence for those who prescibe probiotics for digestive bacteria imbalances. Will we be ditching the Yakult for faecal transplants in the future? Watch this space…..

This article was written by Jos of Bespoke Nutrition on behalf of RG Active Nutrition for Running Free Magazine. You will be hearing a lot more of RG Active Nutrition in the future, so watch this space. If you are interested in what RG Active Nutrition do, go check out their site at www.rgactivenutrition.com . Happy reading.

If you are keen to lose weight try these tips. They are evidence based and they work if done properly.

During the summer we took advantage of the free fruit Hampstead Heath had to offer, an abundance of blackberries. Over the last few months we have used them to make a variety of foods, from blackberry cheese cake to blackberry cocktails and fruit smoothies.

Yes that’s correct I said cheese cake and yes, I am a nutritionist! But as a nutritionist I acknowledge that the dietary choices we humans make should be based around moderation. Moderation is the key. There is nothing wrong with the odd treat. Just don’t go overboard. Anything in excess is probably not great for you. The westernised diet that many of us have become accustomed to and that sustains us is generally based around excessive levels of refined carbohydrates, processed foods and an unnatural imbalance in dietary fats. In conjunction with this many of us consume too little in the way of nutrient dense natural foods such as; fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and good quality sources of proteins.

With this said however, banning yourself or trying to abstain from the sweet treats that many of us love to consume may cause more harm than good. Think back to being a child. When your parents or an adult told you not to do something, what was the first thing you wanted to do? Exactly what you had been told not to! The same thing has been shown to happen when we try to abstain or cut foods from our diet. In those who are susceptible, cutting foods completely from the diet can lead individuals to binge on the very foods they have tried to cut out.

Of course this doesn’t happen to everyone and some who are incredibly strong willed or determined to improve their diet or lose weight, manage to remove processed and refined foods completely from their diet. If however you are not one of these people and you have a history of “yo-yo” dieting or you are just plain confused about what is deemed “healthy”, you can rest assured that the odd treat is OK.  Yes, that is right folks, you heard it from the nutritionists mouth! Allow yourself a treat once in a while, but ensure the majority of your diet is based around “natural and real” food. Moderation is the key.
If you would like to know more or would like to know about how to lose weight, support health and still have the odd muffin drop me an email (jos@bespokenutrition.net). For now here is a picture of my girlfriends amazing blackberry muffins.