Monthly Archives

May 2020

May 26

ICED COFFEE SHAKE

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Due to popular demand. And endless sunshine. It’s an easy one

INGREDIENTS

1 scoop vanilla protein (whey or vegan)
Ice
150ml milk of your choice
Water
Coffee

METHOD
Boil the kettle
Melt 1 teaspoon of coffee with a dash of water
Put all ingredients into a blender
Blend

May 19

SUMMER SHAKE

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I’m always asked about protein shakes. Yes they are a healthy part of our diet and can be a convenient way to get protein in. Here’s a quick recipe. This one works best with a fruit flavoured powder.

INGREDIENTS

Ice
Water
1 scoop banana whey
Handful of spinach
2 pineapple rings
Semi skimmed milk

METHOD
Blend

May 14

#38 THE VEGAN DIET

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SUNDAY SHUTDOWN #38 THE VEGAN DIET

I was asked by one of my high school friends to cover this. And with good reason too. I have previously discussed it in my post on The Gamechangers movie on Netflix if you’d like some further reading.

The vegan diet gets hailed as the be all and end all of healthy eating sometimes. And whilst there are elements of it we can all take into our current lifestyle I wanted to set the record straight.

The main things to think about

  • Excluding all animal products from the human diet isn’t suitable for most people, it can leave the diet lacking vital nutrients and also be a form of controlled obsessive eating masking other problems like eating disorders.
  • Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient which only comes from animals. We cannot make it in our own body. Therefore if we don’t consume animal products we must take a supplement. This is fine in principal, we do it for other nutrients too. However it’s worth noting that when we obtain nutrients from food we get other nutrients too. So in this instance, we get B12 from animal sources but we can also get protein, dietary fats, iron and zinc to name a few.
  • Dairy is the main source of iodine for the human population. It can also be obtained from things such as seaweed however not in the same quantities. To date we have no data on how iodine deficiency may or may not affect those adopting a vegan diet. Iodine is important for brain development, particularly for pregnant women and their babies.
  • From an environmental perspective, yes consuming less meat is advisable. But if we all just stopped consuming animal products, we’d be in a bit of a pickle too. Take the current state of affairs in the UK.
  • Dairies are having to throw away excess milk because it’s not in demand as much as it was. This is because the hospitality sector has near on closed down. Imagine if everyone stopped consuming milk. That’s just one example.
  • What about for losing weight. There is no superior diet for losing weight. It comes down to consistently being a in a calorie deficit.
  • You can safely consume a vegan diet, I’d just ensure you get some advice to ensure you aren’t lacking any macro or micro nutrients. .

So my advice….

Consume less meat. Consume less dairy. Don’t exclude them completely unless its for a medical or ethical reason.

May 11

CHICKEN BROWN RICE

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This recipe has been shared with us from a friend @supasparks It’s the perfect one pot meal and you can up the spice if you like it extra hot. Or drop it right down if you if you’re kids aren’t a fan. It makes enough for 4 generous portions.

INGREDIENTS

6 chicken thighs, skinless & boneless, diced
1 mug of white basmati rice
2 mugs of tap water
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
1 medium tomato, roughly chopped
1 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander

METHOD

In a large pot (preferably oven proof with a lid) fry the onion in a teaspoon of oil until it’s gone black. It will also leave a residue on the pan. It’s not burnt just blackened.
Add the tomato, ginger and garlic and cook for around 8 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Add the chicken, salt and chilli powder and cook for a further 10 minutes.
Add the water and bring to the boil.
Then add the spices.
Rinse the rice under warm running water until it runs clear.
Add the rice to the pot. Stir.
Cover the pot with the lid or tin foil.
Place in the oven for around 20 minutes. Remove and check, if it’s a little dry add a dash of water to loosen.
Serve with mango chutney and mint yoghurt.