The Weekender: 5 Simple Ways to Avoid Extra Calories this Weekend

Photo credit: livelifeactive.com

My guess is that you probably have a wedding to attend this weekend. Alright if it isn’t a wedding, then perhaps a naming ceremony or a birthday party—or better still, just a weekend at home where you want to be a couch potato and not worry about what you’re eating. And indeed, it is well deserved (if you’ve been good with your portions this week). Here are some things to consider before “turn-up” begins and your TGIF is encumbered with unnecessary consumption:

1.    Calculate your risk:

Just because you’ve decided to indulge doesn’t mean you cannot calculate and control your indulgence. If you’re planning on having a cheesecake, input those calories in your diet and cut down on, say, the carbohydrates in your lunch. You’ll find that the satisfaction from your cheesecake will outweigh the portion of yam pottage or pounded yam that you halved.

2.     Enjoy your indulgence:

I usually enjoy my indulgence with my own mini party. Invite a friend to have it with you, or eat it whilst watching your favourite show or pairing it with a fantastic cuppa. Don’t beat yourself up for indulging. Trust me, if you don’t indulge, you’ll feel deprived. And deprivation is unsustainable. Your lifestyle must be sustainable so that it doesn’t end up being a “phase”. Phases end, but lifestyles are for a lifetime.

3.     Eat a healthy (but filling) meal before setting out:

a.     Instead of an akara/fried yam/pancake/bread breakfast, why not have a whole leaf of moin moin with ogi (pap, akamu, kunnu) or even oatmeal? This meal is much lower in calories and will keep you full for a long time. With the accompaniment, watch the sugar and milk. Again, measuring is key! I submit that you can thoroughly enjoy your ogi (and its variations as mentioned above) with 1 (level) teaspoon of sugar and 1 (level) tablespoon of powdered milk or 2 tablespoons of evaporated milk. I really don’t encourage powdered milk because it’s been processed quite a bit and is packed with saturated fat but I know that lots of people enjoy it and won’t compromise. OR, why not try banana pancakes? Yum Yum.

4.    Steer clear of what looks the “whitest”.

It’s a party, so you will probably overdo the calories. But there doesn’t need to be collateral damage. You can enjoy vegetable (efo), moin moin, fish, pepper soup and similar foods to your satisfaction. However, significantly reduce portions of foods such as puff puff, pounded yam, cake, semovita, rice and egusi (list not exhaustive). Even the former set of foods will need portion control, but stricter control is required for the latter.

5.    Share the calories

That’s what friends are for! Sharing your dessert with friends often does the trick when you’re trying to be prudent with your calories. Again, the same satisfaction you get from having one full cup of ice cream is sometimes the same satisfaction you attain from half a cup. And when fod is shared, you tend to eat more because you’re enjoying the foo’company (yes, I just made that word up. :D).

Have a lovely weekend guys!

Healthy Breakfast Ideas #1

I know many folks who aren’t breakfast people. Some are, but don’t have the time to make breakfast. I have also noticed that when people are on a ‘weight loss’ journey, the first thing they do is cut out breakfast to reduce their calories. Please don’t join them.

Breakfast is highly important, and I’m speaking from experience. When you have a good breakfast, you’re less likely to overeat for lunch and dinner. I’m not sure how to explain this, but it certainly works. I’m learning to be a breakfast person too!

Today, my focus is on pancakes.

I love, love, love pancakes. But a regular pancake breakfast is loaded with unhealthy calories that don’t even keep you full for a long time. So guess what? I did some research online and I found the PERFECT pancake recipe at Eugenie Kitchen that’s so, so guilt-free I pinch myself whilst enjoying it! It’s flourless, butterless and sugarless!!!

 

Granted, I have had banana pancakes in the past. But this is the best thus far. It’s so fluffy and so healthy. It’s really, really good and I implore you to try this recipe and let me know how it goes. Don’t procrastinate on it. Try it tomorrow, or even today.

Ingredients:

Bananas – 1 ½ whole. Mashed.

Eggs- 2 whole eggs, beaten

Baking powder –  1/8  spoon

Method:

Mash bananas but leave it lumpy, set aside.

Beat eggs in a separate bowl**

Add beaten eggs to the banana mix

Add the baking powder

On a heated non-stick pan, add about 2 tablespoons of the mix in each set

Enjoy with fruit or a tablespoon of maple syrup!

**Although this meal is already incredibly low in calories, I will attempt to make my own recipe without the egg yolks and let you know how it turns out. If you make it without the yolk at all, it’s virtually a “free” food. “Free” food means it doesn’t need to be counted towards your daily caloric intake.

#let’s eat!

Till next time,

anu 

Ways to Manage Calories on a (Nigerian) Diet. (Portion No.1)

So I am reading an article in a magazine. A Nigerian ex-beauty queen was asked about how she keeps in shape and what foods she consumes. Her response has stuck with me even 4 years after reading that article. “I don’t eat Nigerian food. I only treat myself to amala once in a while, because it is one of my favourites”, was her response.

… Wait. What?

There is this totally misguided and uninformed perception about Nigerian cuisine. And the repercussions are grave, because it slowly erodes our livelihood and sells our culture cheap. It also contradicts itself because when you examine our staples, they are foods high in fibre, vitamins and protein - which are key ingredients to healthy living. What our issue is, however, is portion control.

Cc and double Cc Nigerian eateries, where one serving of rice is about 2 or 3 cups of cooked rice. In Weight Watchers (WW) land, this is a whopping 16 Points! The average daily allowance was 29-30 points (of course, depending on sex, weight and height. Imagine how much unnecessary energy you’re piling up and NOT using. What happens to it? It turns into fat. Those love handles and flabby belly -- that’s where they emanate from!

Not to worry, you definitely can eat your rice and lose weight. As Nigerians, jollof rice, fried rice and white rice are cherished. And this is perfectly OK. Some health nuts won’t eat rice because it’s an “empty carb”. Empty carb means a carbohydrate without fibre or protein. In all fairness, rice isn’t the healthiest of foods and there are alternative ways to enjoying rice which I will share now and in the near future, but rice in a small proportion gives you the satisfaction from “eating rice” without causing a detriment to your weight loss.

My mum returned from Kigali with an entire basket of tree tomatoes (tamarillo) and passionfruit. I wish everyone reading this could taste the ah-ma-zingness that is tamarillo. I didn’t have any greens at home so I settled with these for my Sunday lunch.

1cup jollof rice – approximately 300 calories 

½ wrap of moin moin (bean cakes) – 150 calories

A slice of pan seared steak – Varies mightily, depending on size and cooking method. This piece is no more than 100 calories.

Rice:

If your aim is to lose weight, you have no business having more than one COOKED cup of rice. There’s just no point. And here’s why: rice is a simple carb so it doesn’t keep you full for a long time. This reason basically encompasses the reasons rice should be limited in diet. I could go on and on, but that’s the gist of it. Should you require more information, I am more than happy to write another post on rice.

Moin-Moin:

Beans is a complex protein. It is so complex that it has both protein and carbohydrates in it. And in amazing proportions. Beans is a full meal. It actually needs no addition. It’s packed with vitamins and fibre.

What to watch in moin moin:

The oils. Ensure that whoever is making your moin moin does not use more than one cooking spoon (per 10-15 servings). If you like it velvety, an egg will give you just that velvety feel and emulsification you need without packing on extra calories.

The egg yolk: I would stay away from egg yolk because it carries 55 calories whilst the egg white carries 17 calories. In addition, the bulk of the protein is in the White AND whites are fluffier, anyways ;)

After watching these, you are perfectly OK with one leaf of moin moin, which is usually about 1 (measuring) cup.

I'm all for working with what you have at home. If you don’t have lettuce/greens, slice some tomatoes, perhaps carrots if you have any, or whatever vegetable you have (watch the sweet corn if you must have it). I have Tamarillo as my vegetables to accompany my meal because I was out of greens. Every little helps.

Pps: In case you’re wondering, I will give more information on other Nigerian foods and portions you should be having in the near future.

Till next time,

anu 

The Fruit Fad

  

As usual, I found myself at Kuluwaz’s dining table. In case you didn’t know, she’s the chicken wings Celebrity LOL. Anyway, we settled down to have two prima facie healthy meals: a salad and freshly made fruit juice. Anyway, I gave the juice a “look” and she said “it’s all fresh fruit oh, don’t start with your calorie talk”. LOL. I realllly want to discuss the “salad fad” but I’ll save that for another time.

There are foods, which seem perfectly healthy at the beginning until you start enjoying them a little too much. At that point, do your homework on it. Such is the case of fresh fruit, fruit juice, and smoothies.  Fruit is comprised of sugar (fructose), vitamins, water, and all sorts of good stuff. And no matter how you spin it, you need to watch sugar intake for a healthier lifestyle.

This was my breakfast smoothie after a run this morning. I blended these and got an amazing energy boost. For those who don't fancy green tea, this is a great way to have it without tasting it!

Here’s how to maximize your fruit intake without overdosing on fructose:

·                    Count how much fruit you’re having but don’t be too religious about it:

•   On my WeightWatchers journey, fruit was “free”. Essentially, we were permitted to have unlimited fruit. However, my Leader always said “you didn’t start out with a fruit problem, so don’t end up with one”. She advised to limit our fruit intake to 6 pieces a day. I advise measuring intake of high-sugar fruit such as pineapple, grapes, mangoes and bananas.

·                        Fruit Juices

•          When you have an entire jug of fruit juice, your body doesn’t know the difference between what you’ve just had and a chocolate bar! I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true. It’s just so much sugar that you don’t need. Also, you’ve eliminated the fibre, which your body desperately needs to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I advise that you get used to eating fruit whole, and make fruit juices an occasional treat!

·                      On Smoothies

•      Because smoothies contain the pulp and skin of fruit, it’s a wiser option than fruit juices. However, It’s super easy to blend 600 calories into a smoothie! I advise using your measuring cup to ensure you don’t have more than a half cup of each fruit, depending on how many fruits you’re using. You can bulk up your smoothie with natural sugar free yoghurt or even dry oatmeal. This will help you feel fuller for longer. You can also add green tea to your smoothie – the benefits of green tea are endless!

·                  Bananas, bananas, bananas!

•     You don’t need to run away from bananas, but I advise that you don’t do more than two bananas a day (if you’re on a weight loss journey), and perhaps for good measure, consume in the morning.  My issue with bananas is that they don’t have a lot of fibre and that’s why I always suggest that you add them to your oatmeal in the morning. This way, you eliminate having to use any processed sugar (including honey). Bananas also contain a lot of potassium which helps your organs work properly. A medium sized banana contains about 110 calories (a 25 minute walk, approx).

   Lastly, Up the Amp on Veg!

•     Veggies are brilliant because they are almost calorie-free, and they contain amazing boosts of iron, vitamins, water and countless other benefits. Get accustomed to snacking on carrots, adding spinach to your smoothies, and picking up a carrot or even a tomato (though this is a fruit) when you’re craving an afternoon snack!

All in all, fruit is an essential food to healthy living. However, too much of it can be an impediment to weight loss.

I’d love to know the ways and portions you consume your fruit! Leave a message in the comment section ;)

Till next time,

anu.

A measuring cup

For me, I see the bigger picture when it comes to healthy eating, looking good, and feeling good. Yes, I encourage everybody to love their body. Whether you’re a size 20 or an 8, you must love yourself. In the first place, if you didn’t love yourself, you wouldn’t consider getting healthier. But more important to me is being proud of your body.

Love your body. But it’s even better when you’re proud of it.

That’s why I started this blog. I read a similar quote some weeks ago and it inspired me to attempt and complete the #30DayPlankChallenge which, by the way, was painfully crazy. It also inspired me to eat better, because anyone who knows me knows that I love my food and that I will have EVERYTHING albeit with small portions.

As a Nigerian, I believe that I can fully enjoy food and still maintain a healthy lifestyle. I’ve managed to prove this by losing about 10kg and not once did I crash diet or cut out carbs or Nigerian food. I want everyone that I can influence to have a good relationship with food and get moving somehow, some way.

I want to begin a journey with you. A journey of wholesome eating and living. Let us share the contents of our food and how much we should be having of it per serving, per meal.

I invite you to ask questions so that we can dialogue about food.

What you need:

• ·       A willing heart,
• .   Scales and a measuring tape; and
• ·      Measuring cups!

Till next time,

anu