8 habit changes to make some serious changes

Bad habits are the cause of stunted and slow progress towards your goals - be that losing weight, gaining muscle or shaving 5 seconds of that sprint time. This shows the importance of breaking them. As soon as you change your ways, you will be one step closer. Over the years I have found that many of these bad habits are the same for a lot of people so have a look below, see if any apply to you and learn to break them!

1) You skip breakfast!

I recommend that you need to have breakfast every day. You need a nutritionally balanced and use things like honey as a substitute for sugar if you have a sweet tooth. You can even start experimenting and adding protein powder to you oats! If you want to lose weight a black coffee (hold the milk!) in the morning will also wake you up and help burn fat due to the caffeine speeding up the metabolism.

2) You drink a lot of sugary, fizzy drinks!

You need to stop drinking fizzy drinks. Each fizzy drink you consume will likely have an alarming amount of sugar in it, spiking your blood sugar, affecting your training and your mood - while pre-disposigng the body towards fat storage. It's also thought that cutting fizzy drinks from your diet can secure a better night's sleep - supporting better recovery. It has been shown that also 8 hours of sleep a night can boost free fat weight loss. Switch to water!

3) You drink too much!

For most of us, sometimes going out is inevitable. I mean it's fun and important to let loose and enjoy yourself once in a while. Just learn that if you do go out, try not to overdo the usual binge, just take it easy. The usual binge can lead to a hangover where you will often crave junk food afterwards. Without even mentioning the fact that alcohol will take its toll on the liver and dehydrate the body. And rememeber, a dehydrated cell is not geared for efficient functioning for performance or fat burning.

4) You eat a lot of pizza and high salt ready meals!

Easy to cook meals such as pizzas and microwave ready-meals are easy and will be out of the oven quick and the food is done. However nutritionally they are not ideal - often far from it. If time is a common issue, a good solution to this is to precook a day's food the night before with things such as sweet potato, chicken, salmon, rice etc. This way the healthy food is all prepared and it just needs to be reheated. So no excuses!

5) You eat a lot of sugary, sweet snacks!

Hopefully as you start eating better quality food the snacking will subside but what I can do is provide healthy snacking alternatives. Dry fruit and nuts is a great way to keep the hands busy and keep the calories down. The nuts have good fats in and particularly almonds are good for filling up. Beef jerky is also brilliant and so tasty to snack on and gives you some extra protein to repair those muscles!

6) You miss meals!

By missing a meal you are denying the body the nutrients it needs to function, grow and repair. This is particularly true for anyone training regularly. When you train, the body will need more of these nutrients so if you don't eat you will be in a deficit and be in danger of losing weight rapidly and unhealthily. It is important that you stay in the recommended guidelines for your age.

7) You don't drink enough water!

Relating back to the fizzy drinks you need to increase your water intake so to keep the body in a constant hydrated state. This will allow you to perform and feel better. 2hr before exercise you should have up to 500ml of water, during you will need 200ml every 15 minutes and post 15% of BML (body mass levels) to keep yourself hydrated. 

8) You're not getting the your RDA of fruit & veg!

Here's the big one, you will need to up you veg and fruit intake. This is because these food items will provide yourself with nutrients and minerals. These foods are also low in fat and calories and will fill you up so can be used for snacking also. An easy way to hit the recommended daily allowance and take in a whole host of key vitamins and minerals would be to supplement with a greens powder such as SUPER GREENS.

BEANIES COFFEE

Coffee, the holy grail for any fitness fanatic who wants high amounts of energy with low calories. Coffee while speeding up your metabolism, promoting you to burn fat quicker at the same time suppresses your hunger so you eat less! Along side this it has been proven to even improve your performance, I would even say it is better that most pre workouts out there. Why? Well I know for a fact that if I get good quality coffee all that will be in it is 100% coffee beans while pre workouts contain alot of ingredients which your average layman will not be able to decipher. As coffee is a plant there is also nutrients and antioxidants within which help improve the health of your body preventing illness and disease. It is also proven to help with depression and keep you happy.

So with that little insight to coffee I will start my review. I am at the moment prepping towards two competitions meaning my calories and intake are fairly low. A good pick me up is coffee! As some of you may understand that food and drink is very bland with this sport and you do not really get to have many sweet things due to it messing with your insulin levels. Anything which perks you up and at the same time hits your sweet tooth is a god send with this in mind. I found Beanies while going through social media and here is the answer. What this company specialize in is flavoured coffee, the amount of flavours are unreal so listing them would take up alot of time. You may as well visit the site with the link below and look for yourself. I got the double chocolate, cinnamon and hazelnut, chocolate orange and ginger bread flavours. My brother tried them and put an order in as soon as he tasted it aswell!

The coffee is 100% coffee beans with some flavouring.  There is only 2 calories per cup making them the perfect little delight. It has allowed me to have different flavours which I would not usually be allowed due to my strict diet. At the same time as picking me up and helping me through my workout it settles the craving for sweet things. The flavours are great too, very intense and bold. Its not like the other diluted brands. Obviously it doesn't taste exactly the same but it is the closest you can get for 2 calories!!! There is much more things you can do with it too for example I will experiment and make a coffee protein cake when I finish this diet and provide you with the recipie! & even if instant coffee isnt for you, they also do filter! I haven't tried this yet but if its anything like the ones I have, I will be in for a treat.

I would give this product a solid 9/10 as it does exactly what is says with providing me with different and wonderful flavours. Remember though, caffeine can be dangerous and shouldn't be abused.

Link: www.beaniesflavourco.co.uk

sorry for the poor picture, need a new camera

GAINING MUSCLE PART 2:

Gaining weight/muscle is a big part of the gym and most sports for certain people. This is the case for both males and females. This is because the ‘skinny look’ is a very unhealthy look. There is a reverse to this though when people put too much weight on the wrong way which will promote many health risks.  Obviously to gain the weight your intake must be higher than your expenditure BUT we do not want fat to increase we want lean muscle to increase. So how do we gain weight and look good at the same time without any health risks. It’s simple really you eat clean and have a good diet. Most people think diets are all about losing weight but they are used for gaining too. So eat clean and up your intake. These two things will promote muscle growth and therefore increase your weight.

As I am gaining weight at the moment I will tell you want I do. I have found that having 6 meals a day is working for meal well. I started on 6 small portions a day and have gradually increased them. This process is slow but because I’ve done this I feel less bloated and I have a lot more energy.  This is rather than jumping in at 4 massive meals a day. I have a rule with myself also which is, ‘if I’m hungry enough for a snack, I have enough room for a meal’ but if I’m keep on feeling hungry it is time to up the portion size!

So my top five foods to eat to gain muscle:

Whole eggs

EGGS! What a brilliant way to gain muscle. Well these are brilliant. I’m a student so don’t have much money and this is a great inexpensive way to get protein and calories in. An egg will have about 10 grams of protein so if you have 4 for a meal that will be 40g of protein. There is about 155 calories per one average sized egg. This will significantly boost your intake which will lead to growth. Obviously if you are trying to cut a way to completely cut the calories would be to take the yolk out as this contains most of the fat but the yolk contains so many vitamins and minerals it would be wise to have at least one yolk per egg dish. The reason I like eggs is because you can do so much with them to mix things up but the healthiest way to eat an egg is to boil it.

Meat (chicken, beef, turkey)

Well this will be the most expensive part of anyone’s diet. It will be the most expensive but it is also the most needed. Meat is the best way of getting good quality protein in.

Chicken: This is packed full of amino acids and there is many ways of eating it so you don’t get bored of it. Chicken is low in fat and is perfect for building muscle. There are only around 180 calories and 21g of protein in a 100g chicken breast which is really good. This high amount of protein mixed with the low calorie index makes it great for building lean fat free muscle.

Beef: This amazing meat contains high amounts of iron, zinc, creatine, magnesium and many vitamins. Per 100g there are about 330 calories and 14g of protein. As this is high in calories obviously your intake will increase after every meal resulting in a gain of weight. The zinc in the beef is brilliant; zinc is proven to boost testosterone while improving sleep and even spots! I think the other super thing about beef is the creatine in it. Creatine boosts and aids the production of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) this is the only form on energy your muscles actually use. This increase of ATP production will make you able to lift more and exercise harder which will again aid muscle growth. 

Turkey: This is an easy one. It’s cheap and contains very low saturated fat. There is about 155 calories and contains about 30g of protein per a 100g serving. Perfect for building lean muscle.

Nuts and nut spreads

Nuts are brilliant to snack on whenever you feel peckish.  This is because they are portable and easily eaten without creating any sort of mess and they are full of protein and fiber. Almonds are one of the best to have as they make you feel full while repairing your muscles. Nuts are expensive though and you must only have plain otherwise your sodium levels in your body will sky rocket.

Nut spreads on the other hand are full of good fats while being very calorie dense. Peanut butter monounsaturated & polyunsaturated fats which have been proven to aid weight-loss, reduce belly fat, reduce your cholesterol levels, reduce the risk of heart disease and aid joint movement. What I mean by aid weight loss is that unwanted fat. Don’t worry.  Also this is a very cheap way of getting a meal in. It is also quick, have a peanut butter sandwich with brown bread and you will be getting a nice amount of calories in. 

Spinach

This super food contains many vitamins and contains a lot of calcium. Per 100g there is only 23 calories in it! This may make you believe that it is not good for gaining weight but you’ll be wrong. What do we want to achieve? Gaining lean muscle so good weight rather than fat. The many vitamins in it will keep your muscles functioning well so you can lift weight at a more efficient rate promoting muscle growth, thus promoting a weight increase.

Fish

Fish is a very good source of protein. It is very low in fat and contains a lot of important vitamins. I think the most important thing about this food is the fatty acids within. People do not tend to get enough Omega 3. There is strong evidence towards omega-3s EPA and DHA can help lower triglycerides and blood pressure. These are essential acids. This is because the body cannot make them within so we have to derive them from the diet. They help energy production while keeping a lot of diseases at bay. There are not many foods that can do this much good for you. I recommend salmon, cod, tuna and oily fish like mackerel.

Cottage cheese

Most body builders will have some cottage cheese before bed. This is because it has a slow release of protein which is perfect and when you are sleeping your muscles are still being nourished. It is also very low in fat and has about 28g of protein in per 200g of this food. It is also quite cheap and can be mixed with almost anything to change it up. Pineapple is a popular choice and it does taste really good.

Brown rice

A staple diet in many body builders diet. This is a complex carb which releases energy at a sustained rate. Carbohydrates are a big part of gaining muscle. The protein repairs it but doesn’t give you much energy. Having complex carbs will give you the energy to exercise and build that muscle. Brown rice is also versatile and can be put with any meal which is nice so things do not get boring.

Oats

Oats can be eaten whenever. When mixed with honey and skimmed milk with a banana this is an energy filled meal which will sustain your through your workout and even your day. Oats are very low in calories and fill you up! They are easy to prepare and are very cheap. This food is actually full of vitamins as well which is also a massive plus.

Remember you must exercise eating these foods. If you do not you will gain weight and it will be fat. If you’re nutrition and exercise plans are great you will one day look great. If you include these foods into your diet you will see a significant difference you will feel a significant difference. My advice though would be don’t eat the same foods all the time, and if you do make it differently! This will stop you getting bored of them and going towards unhealthy food. Don’t cheat on your diet or you will get nowhere.

Picture is about a year old.

SWEET POTATO PROTEIN BAR

Protein bars are expensive. So why not make your own. They are cheaper, they taste better and you know exactly whats going into it.

Main mix:
750g sweet potato
300g ground oats
4 egg whites
1 egg yolk
60ml of coconut milk
4 scoops of protein powder
6tsp ground ginger
6tsp ground cinnamon
6tsp vanilla essence 
3tsp nutmeg
2tsp of baking powder
6tbsp honey

Middle layer:
100g peanut butter

Top Layer/Coating:
200g dark chocolate (above 70% coco)
100ml coconut milk

Bake at 200 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
Makes 18-20 thick bars.

MAIN MIX

Firstly you need to put the oven on and bake the sweet potato at 180 degrees for about 20-30 minutes. While this is cooking ground your oats by blending them. Add the protein powder, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon & ginger to the oats so you have a dry mixture.

In another bowl add your honey coconut milk and eggs. This will be your liquid mixture.

When the sweet potatoes are soft and squidgy take them out of the oven and leave for an hour to cool (if you don't let it cool you will scramble the eggs). Once cooled turn the oven back on to 200 degrees to pre heat & then peel the skin off a mash in a larger separate bowl. Add your dry mixture to this and mix in well. Now this is well blended gradually add your liquid mixture while continuously mixing. It should resemble a loose cake mixture.

Line the baking tin you will be using with grease proof paper and add the mixture in. Bake for 20-25 minutes and then leave to cool.

MIDDLE LAYER

Now that they are cool carefully lift the mixture out of the tin and put onto a chopping board.Heat up the peanut butter in the microwave or saucepan for about 30 seconds. Spread this evenly across your protein bar base & wait until it hardens. (speed up the process by putting it in the fridge).

TOP LAYER/COATING

This is the messy part. Boil some water in a saucepan. In heatproof bowl break up your chocolate and add the coconut milk. Put this bowl on top of the saucepan and wait for the chocolate to evenly melt. While this is melting put greaseproof paper or cling film of top of a tray.

Now simply dip each side of the protein bar in the melted chocolate and scrape off any part gets too much. Put them on the tray, put them in the fridge and leave to harden!

Id recommend you leave them in the fridge and they should last about a week and a half in a sealed container.

This is the calorie count for this recipe. There is 10g of protein per bar but that's only because I cant pump it in like some of these big brands. The fat content is alright but not great. If you've read my other recipes you'll know that this is mostly from the peanut butter, which contains your good fats! The sodium content is very high, iv explained why in previous posts also as this is the same for my other recipes. It's because this calorie count is very crude, to get a true reading it would cost ALOT of money. Have a read of the others though because salt is brilliant for exercise, recovery and general well being.

What I really want to talk to you about is some of the new ingredients I have put in. Dark chocolate for one! I know what you're thinking chocolate on a fitness/nutrition website is abit weird but because the coco content is so high they cant  put all the milk and sugar in which in fact makes this good for my bars! This ingredient is actually a energy booster aswell. It contains something called theobromine which is a mild stimulant. This means you its brilliant to eat before the gym, during the gym or after. If you eat it after the chocolate will replenish your glycogen stores which had been used during  exercise making you feel more perky. Dark chocolate also contains many vitamins and minerals which lowers your blood pressure, prevents heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

The sweet potato gives you a boost of vitamin C & D which will increase collagen stores keeping your skin elastic and youthful while the coconut milk contains many minerals, vitamins and electrolytes such as calcium and potassium. It is also high in fiber which will keep you fuller for longer. To take the fat away just go for some coconut lite! I used this as it a much healthier binding agent than butter.

This is a bit more long winded than my other recipes but I feel it is worth making. These do not have that weird protein bar texture and they do actually taste very very good. There are very portable and a lot cheaper per bar than buying them, but eat in moderation!

This is what it looks like uncooked.

And this, cooked.

And finally the finished product

Also guys if you are on Facebook give me a like as I will do a give away when I reach a certain number. Share this about and recommend with your friends as you will love it and get hold of me through twitter if you want a chat about anything! All my details are to the right >>

MY PROTEIN AND OAT PANCAKES (PROTEIN OATCAKES)

I did abit of experimenting with oats the other day. This is because I have to eat them all the time to get good quality carbs in. There is only a certain amount of toppings you can put on oats before you get bored. I got bored. Very bored, so I decided to try something new. I had a look at recipes and did not like them at all due to them looking very boring and being full of fat, so here is my oatcake recipe:

Ingredients:
4 egg whites
1 egg yolk
2tbsp of honey
1 banana
1 scoop of protein powder (30g)
100g of oats

Crack your eggs into a bowl making sure you only keep one egg yolk in and whisk. In a another bowl measure out your your oats and protein powder scoop. Combine the eggs and oat mixture and stir. Now mash up the banana and add that to mixture aswell as the honey. The consistency will not be like normal pancake mixture, it will be abit more stiff but you don't want it too stodgy. If this happens just add either a little milk or water to loosen it.

Once you have your mixture, heat up a frying pan and put a very small amount of olive oil into it. (Make sure it is very hot before adding the oatcake mixture.) Spoon about two or three spoonfuls of mixture into the frying pan and spread into the pancake shape. Once this is done turn the heat down and watch carefully. Flip when needed, it should be golden brown by the end.

Serve straight from the pan with some warm honey and fruit.

(makes 3 to 4)

Here we go then...

So there is only 193 calories per pancake! This isn't the lowest calorie breakfast you can have but it will keep you going and feeling full for a good amount of time. It is a balanced breakfast to have which is full of complex carbs, proteins, fibre, salt and sugar! As you have just been in a resting state during your sleep you need a pick me up in the morning! This is because you don't eat during sleep and your body still burns a high amount of calories to keep your body going. By having all of this come into your body It helps restore what you have lost making you feel better.

As the oats are a source of complex carbs it provides your body with a slow release of energy. The protein helps repair muscles and the salts help your cells retain water so you will feel less dehydrated. The sugar from the honey also gives your a nice pick me up in the morning so before the slow release of energy kicks in you have that instant buzz from the sugar. There is not much fat at all in this recipe aswell. This is because I have taken the yolks out. I have kept one in because there is alot of good vitamins and minerals in there along with good fats. 

This is a very filling breakfast and did give me a nice lot of energy. If you want it to taste more fruity just add some more mashed bananas in. You can even substitute bananas for blueberries or even add both! If you make them thin aswell you can put two together and make a sandwich for your lunch, just take the fruit out. They are easily portable, can be eaten as a snack and are very cheap and easy to make!

Stack of oatcakes drizzled in honey

The uncooked oatcake in the frying pan

BURN FAT BY EATING & DRINKING

Recently I gave you the choice to decide what I was going to write about via my Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/mmillarnutrition

So this article is to help you burn fat while still eating a good amount of food. Well exercising is obviously one of the best ways to get in shape but dieting is key. Good eating separates people who have amazing bodies from those people in 'alright' shape. Within this article I will tell you what foods increase your metabolism. This means by eating food you are actually burning fat which will decrease your weight and waist line. 

The Foods:

Green tea 

This raises your heart rate which makes your system burn calories faster. It also has many minerals and vitamins which nourish the body. Studies have shown that it promotes weight loss by stimulating the body to burn abdominal fat. That's right this tea will decrease your waist line. 

Chilies 

Chilies! This actually raises you core temperature very very slightly, which is why people go red and start sweating. As your body is hotter the chemical reactions happen quicker within which promotes fat burning. Your body at the same time is trying to cool you down (the sweating) this means your body is working harder so you are burning more calories. It is also easy to add to dishes, just chop a few and whack them in and there you go.

Water 

Well, your body is made up of about 70-80% water. Your skin is made up of it, your muscles are made of it and so are alot of other things like organs. Dehydration makes you look bad and feel bad. It also makes you want to eat more because your body wants the water out of the food. This means your calorie intake heightens and you'll put on weight. Water also clears toxins and helps you transport vitamins and minerals around the body. SO UP YOUR INTAKE. 

Broccoli 

This super food is very low in calories and very high in vitamin c, so this food will not only promote weight loss but make your skin look better also. This is because vit c increases your collagen production. There is alot of fiber which helps you clear toxins and makes you feel much more full. This means you wont want to snack. 

Greek Yogurt (low fat)

This dairy product contains probiotics. This is friendly bacteria which helps the body reduce the amount of fat your body absorbs. It is also rich in calcium and vitamin D helping maintain a good metabolism. 

Oats

Oats are rich in fiber and are very filling. Again, this means you will be less likely to snack because you will be full.

Almonds  

These are full of protein, fiber and good fats. Studies have shown that almonds can promote weight loss and improve cholesterol levels. A few almonds fill you up alot also! They are perfect for a healthy snack. 

Black Coffee

Caffeine kicks your metabolism up some gears. It also helps with the breakdown of fat. So have a cup in the morning and you will feel more awake and you will lose the pounds. 

Blueberries 

These little blue gems are loaded with antioxidants. They satisfy that sweet tooth and are brilliant to snack on. They don't have many calories in them and have a high water and fiber content.

This will take time, don't expect things to happen over night as it's not magic. By adding these foods into your diet in time you will lose weight and feel better. Keep in mind though to look really good you have to both exercise and eat well. I would also recommend that you eat smaller meals at a more frequent rate. this is much better than eating three massive meals a day or even the worst thing you could do which is not eat all day and chug down loads of food at night. By keeping yourself topped up throughout the day you will not go feeling hungry, you will have alot more energy, you will feel alot better and you will reach your fitness goal/goal weight. 

Didn't have all the food listed!

I hope this is what you're looking for. 

Like the group and I will ask again soon what you want me to write about!

MY ENERGY BOOSTING FLAPJACKS

Well as i'm a student currently living at home my Mum was not impressed with the increased food bill, healthy food is not cheap! So with this is mind I needed to create something I could snack on that doesn't cost much, I rummaged through the cupboards and this is what I came up with: 

Mixture A:

150g crunchy peanut butter

50g unsalted butter

200g clear honey

Mixture B: 

350g porridge oats

50g of myprotein, protein powder (optional) 

50g dried fruit (optional) 

Preheat the oven to 180 Degrees. Prep oven proof dish by coating it in butter or lining it with grease proof paper. Put all of mixture A into a small saucepan on a low heat. Stirring occasionally make sure it all melts and creates a liquid. While this is heating put all of mixture B into a separate mixing bowl and stir together so it is evenly mixed.

Add mixture mixture A to B and stir it all in. The dry mixture should be coated evenly and have a nice gloss on it. Transfer this mixture into the prepped oven proof dish making sure it's spread evenly. Now put it into the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes. 

Once you take them out cut them into squares carefully with a sharp knife while they are soft and then leave to cool and harden. They will then be ready to eat! Enjoy.

Now for the interesting stuff:

This mixture made ten flapjacks for me. I made a crude calorie count for this recipe just to get a basic outline on what was in it nutritionally. I can't be sure on how accurate this is. 

Now I think the first thing you will notice is there is the fat, but it doesn't identify what fats they are. As most of the fat comes from the peanut butter it is good fats. As the peanut butter is high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, the flapjacks will be as well. Now monounsaturated & polyunsaturated fats have been proven to aid weight-loss, reduce belly fat, reduce your cholesterol levels, reduce the risk of heart disease and aid joint movement. 

We can see per serving it gives you a massive 42g of carbohydrates which will give you that slow release of energy. It  also contains a lot of natural sugars from the honey which will give you and immediate boost of energy. There is also more protein in this than a normal flapjack which is a plus due to it nourishing the muscles. The fruit is there for taste mostly and it adds fiber into the mix which is always good because most people these days don't get enough of it. 

The salt content is quite high. I think to remedy this I will cut the butter and just add peanut butter next time. The only reason the butter is in there is because I ran out of the peanutty goodness. BUT salt has it's good points, as you are going to sweat alot when exercising you will lose alot of salt in your body so the boost of salt before hand will in fact keep you hydrated for longer, this is because salt helps us maintain the fluid in our blood cells. It is also used to transmit information to your muscles this means salt will make your muscle more efficient when training. It will also reduce the risk of you getting cramp which is brilliant because that's painful.

These are portable and  great tasting. They were just a snack for me but have now ended up as something I eat pre workout because the energy boost is so great. I was alert and focused throughout my session and I didn't feel tired during at all. Now for the working person they would be great to start your day with so you don't skip breakfast.They would also be great for snacking on during an endurance race. They are cheap to make, easy to make, healthy and taste great. Go try it for yourselves!