Healthy fries

The perfect crispy French fries! I really crave some fat and salty foods sometimes, and fries are my guilty pleasure! I’m pretty sure that I’m not the only one. Unfortunately, they aren’t really healthy, as you probably already know, but they are absolutely delicious. That’s why I searched for a healthier and skinnier version. Curious what I found?

French fries made of celeriac, together with a homemade and healthier version of tzatziki. I can imagine that the idea of this version of French fries does not make your mouth water, but you will certainly be amazed by how tasteful they are!

What you need for 1 person:

  • 1 celeriac (about 500 grams / 1 pound)
  • Sea salt, pepper, garlic and paprika seasoning
  • Olive oil
  • 150 grams / 0,3 pound of yogurt or quark
  • Fresh parsley

How to make it:

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Peel the celeriac and cut into strips (fry shaped).
  • Put all the fries in a bowl and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons olive oil, sea salt, garlic and
    paprika seasoning. Toss the fries around so the seasoning covers them all.
  • Line an oven-tray with parchment paper and spread out the fries.
  • Bake the fries for 45 minutes in the oven. Caution! Turn the fries after 25 minutes.
  • Make the yogurt dressing out of yogurt, salt, garlic, pepper and freshly chopped parsley.
  • Do you want to complete the dish? Bake some chicken strips with some salt and pepper and viola!

Enjoy your delicious and healthy dish! Be sure to follow me on my Blog, Facebook and Instagram for more delicious and healthy recipes!

Healthy candy balls

Who doesn’t love snacking? I noticed that many of you choose snacks like sweet protein bars. These products are made to believe that they’re healthy, but unfortunately this is not always true. Most tend to contain a lot of sugar which we all know isn’t very healthy. And although I like to snack, I’d rather not eat products with added sugars or unnatural substances. That’s why I started to look for products that are not only tasty, but also super healthy.

”Powersnack balls”, that’s what I call these delicious and healthy little candy balls made of dates, nuts, pits, coconut and MACA. It’s a real power snack because it’s filled with healthy nutrients, fibres, vitamins and minerals. And why did I add MACA? Well, MACA is a tuberous plant that originates from Peru. First of all, it is a source that stabilizes your nervous- and muscular system, and keeps it balanced too. Also, it stimulates the production of hormones in your body. Last but not least, it stimulates your libido (don’t let your man read this ;)). Not entirely unimportant, right? Yes ladies, this little snack does a lot of good to our body!

What you need:

– 200 gram of dates
– 50 gram of oatmeal
– 50 gram of pumpkin pits
– 50 gram of sunflower pits
– 50 gram of raw cacao powder
– 3 tablespoons of maca powder
– grated coconut
– 2 raspberries

How to make it:

– Add all the ingredients, except the raspberries and coconut, into a food processor and pulse until everything is well mixed.
– Scoop out the ”dough” with a tablespoon and use your hands to roll the mixture into small balls.
– To make the pink coating, blend the grated coconut and rasperries together. Roll the balls in the grated coconut mixture.

Enjoy! 🙂

Lisa from Inlovewithhealth.nl

Work on your balance

Holla Fit Girl! How many of you are keeping up your Fit Journeys? First you were afraid, you were petrified. Kept thinking you could never live without another training. But then you spent so many nights thinking how you did it wrong, and you grew strong, you learned how to train along! *sings*

I must admit, I need to get my balance back after all the wine I consumed these past couple of weeks. After a huge party I attended I wasn’t able to walk in a straight line for days. I started off with some serieous healthy eating, and what’s better to complete this than with a Balance Workout?!

Who needs Balance anyway?
Balance benefits your neuromuscular coordination – basically it helps improve the communication between your brain and muscles. It helps with muscle isolation – during balance training you have to maintain stabilization and you are forced to engage an individual muscle predominantly so that you are not using other muscles to help you “cheat.” During balance training your body has to work that much harder to stabilize – in turn this helps you to burn more calories. Balance workouts also improve your hip stabilization. For example, single leg balance exercises engage your glute medius very well.  It also helps with core stabilization – this in turn helps to improve your coordination, athletic skill, and posture.


All right, if you’re absolutely determined and you can complete this workout in three rounds with a 30 second workout time per exercises try the following:

Put your interval timer on 40 seconds per workout with a 10 seconds break; now try this for 3 rounds.

Good luck!!! And for more videos check out Modelworkout.com!

Ps: If you want to become super sporty put your interval timer to 50 seconds for each workout. You’ll feel superior!

xoxo

Paultje

Be yourself, but be your BEST self

The other day I found myself wandering around on Instagram (once again), when I bumped into this one quote saying ‘Be yourself, but be your best self ’. This quote left me thinking, especially because nowadays the majority is always trying to work towards a specific body or goal, trying or hoping to become someone else. But, to what extent is this behaviour ‘healthy’? Research has shown that comparing yourself to others makes you generally unhappy. Yet, this is something most of us do every day. Such a shame! Therefore, with the above mentioned quote ‘Be yourself, but be your BEST self’ in mind, I’ll give you some tips & tricks to stop comparing and start loving yourself. Ready for a positive mindset? Yes? Let’s go!

Appreciate what you already have

It’s easy to start complaining or feeling sorry for yourself. At such moments it’s important to put the situation into perspective. Let’s be honest, you can be pretty thankful for what you’ve got: you have a (most likely healthy) body, you’re able to make your own decisions and you have the ability to take care of yourself. There are people around you that are worse off, people that are not blessed with mental or physical health. Be thankful for what you have rather than focussing on what you don’t have!

Keep it realistic

Of course, we all would like to have Beyonce’s butt or the abs of Jillian Michaels. Still, we have to face the reality: you simply aren’t Beyonce or Jillian Michaels. Everybody is different, and even though you might succeed in creating or building something comparable, the question is; do you really want to? Why not work on your own best shape instead? In the end, everyone is built differently, so there’s no way you will get the exact same shape as your so called #fitspiration. Make your own body, your dream body. Your body is capable of some impressive things. Admire it, challenge it!

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Embrace your own beauty 

After reading this article, I want you to think of 3 things you like about yourself. No negative thoughts allowed! Instead of focussing on what we don’t like, the trick is to focus on what we do like. This can be anything: from your freckles to your fingers, from your hair to your personality. Feeling negative about yourself will bring you nowhere, whereas the opposite will! See the connection? Starting your day with some positive thoughts will result in happy, positive thoughts throughout the day. That’s exactly what we want!

Smile

Now this might seem silly, but in most cases when I feel sad I just force myself to smile. Tricking your own brain, is what I call it. Your brain links a smile to happiness, sending that sparkle of brightness through your body. By the time your brain realizes you are messing around, there’s a big chance your fake smile will make you laugh for real. Try it, it’s worth it!

Surround yourself with love

Get rid of the people that you always try to please, but never give you anything for it in return. Surrounding yourself with people that love you and support you for who you are will make you a happier person in general. No one around? Cats and dogs can spread more love than humans ever did. Just saying.

Set goals

Structure will keep you going. Write down your short term and long term goals in a sweet notebook. You could even customize your own inspirational notebook, full of positive quotes, inspiring images and sweet pictures to keep the motivation high. Here’s the best list to get inspired and get to know yourself and others. When you’re having a rough time, just grab your personalized notebook and remind yourself why and for whom you’re doing this: yourself.

Dream big. Smile often. Realize how fortunate you are.

Don’t be negative when you have so much to be thankful and positive about!

What is your best tip on staying positive? Share the positivity with me in the comments! 

Love,

Lau

Post workout cocoa smoothie

If you’ve just finished a workout and you’re anything like me – you’re hungry. I’m not always able to eat right after a work out, so a shake is the perfect solution. This cocoa smoothie is the perfect combination of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, protein and electrolytes.

What do you need for one big shake?

  • 2 bananas
  • 200 ml water (bit less than a cup)
  • ½ avocado
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 dates
  • 2 tablespoons raw cocoa powder
  • pinch of salt

cocoa smoothie

Mix all the ingredients in a blender. If the consistency is too thick for you, add more water. When done, put it in cup or bottle and take it with you. Drink it right after your workout. This cocoa smoothie is also really good at home when you heat it up in a small pan… Yum.

Go on now, kick some ass today at the gym and drink this chocolate cocoa smoothie afterwards.

Looking for more post workout or pre workout inspiration? Follow me on Instagram!

Tips for healthy weight gain

Losing weight can be challenging, but gaining weight can be just as hard. Earlier this week the topic of weight was discussed, and why you don’t always have to be skinny to be fit. For the majority, the fact that some people are trying to gain weight might be a shock, but it turned out that there are a lot of Fit Girls (and guys!) out there with the goal of gaining those last few pounds (even if it’s just for the big, round booty 😉 ). This raised a lot of questions regarding weight gaining, bringing us to today’s topic: what are the best ways to gain weight in a healthy way?

No matter if you’re trying to gain weight because of health issues, the desire to build muscle, refueling during an intensive workout or simply to defeat the ‘skinny genes’; these tips will help you reach your goal in the long-run. Prepare your stomach for some crazy amounts of healthy (and good) food! Are you ready to gain some extra weight? You better be hungry…

1. Consume more than you burn 

The process of gaining weight is as simple as that of losing it. Burn more than you consume, you lose weight. consume more than you burn, you gain weight. It’s as simple as that. There are several ways found online to calculate your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), which will give you an approximate amount of calories your body needs to maintain weight. If you do sports, take into account these burned calories as well. Now, the trick is to add approximately 500 calories to your daily amount in order to gain weight in the long-run.

For example: I burn only 1700 calories at rest. Given the fact that I want to gain weight, I add another 500 calories. This makes a total of 2300 calories. But wait! We’re not there yet. Let’s say I run today, and burn a total of 500 calories. This means I have to add this number again to the total, resulting in 2800 calories a day in order to gain weight. Now, you’ll be surprised how challenging that can be.

Have you tried to gain weight already but is your weight not changing? Re-calculate what you approximately eat a day and add another -/+ 500 calories to this amount. If you’re ‘naturally skinny’ it could be that your body does not even respond to 2500 calories a day at rest. For your body to gain weight, it might need 3000+ in order to slowly increase weight. Your body isn’t a machine and every body functions differently. Therefore it is important to listen and see how your body reacts to different amounts. If you have not gained a single gram after 1 week, consider increasing your intake.

 2. Do not only focus on quantity

While gaining weigh, it is important to take into account the nutritious value of the calories you’re consuming. When your goal is to reach a significant amount of calories every day, it can be tempting to go for the (saturated) fat, sugary and caloric meals. This, however, is one of the worst mistakes you can make.  Feeding your body with ‘unhealthy’ food is in fact feeding your body with empty calories. Instead, go for the foods that are real health-bombs: vitamins, minerals and nutrition’s are all essential for a balanced, strong and healthy body. 

3. Food anywhere, everywhere

Let’s be realistic: every calorie you put in your mouth will bring you one step closer to your goal. Grab every chance you get to feed your body with a nutritious and healthy meal or snack. Of course it is not the intention to keep eating until you feel sick, but carrying some extra food with you ‘just in case’ you feel like eating is always a smart idea. Try to eat multiple times a day. Having somewhat smaller, but more caloric meals during the day will make it easier for you to reach your calorie goal than when you’re having only 3 meals a day which will keep you full all day long.


4. Protein, protein & more protein

Given the fact that you’re reading this article here, already means there’s a big chance that you’re a real Fit Girl. Are you exercising on a daily basis or is your aim to build muscle? Than protein will be your best friend during this journey. In order to gain weight on the right places while building muscle and to feed your muscles with the necessary post-workout fuel, protein is there for you! Make sure you give your body the food it needs by having enough protein-rich snacks and at least one protein source during every meal.

Last but not least: allow yourself to indulge every once in a while. Honestly, a few extra 1000 calories from the McDonalds won’t do you any harm. You’re aim is to gain weight, something the ‘BigMac’ and ‘McFlurry’ would love to help you with. As long as you make sure your ‘basic’ intake consists of healthy, nutritious choices, you can allow yourself to enjoy some unhealthy choices too every now and then.

What are your tips on healthy weight gain?

Love,

Lau

www.runninglau.com

Healthy homemade Nutella

Healthy homemade nutella! Everyone who has been following me for a while knows that this is my absolute number 1 guilty pleasure, or actually, addiction. Nutella should actually be one of my basic needs, I need it to lead a happy life. Okay, maybe I am exaggerating a bit, but it is just so incredibly delicious! Big thanks to the inventor of Nutella. I always have a big jar of it in my cupboard, but I keep that one for my cheat day (at least I try).

Fortunately, I finally found a healthy replacement that I can eat guilt-free! I have to admit, it is still a bit high in calories, but counting calories is not what we want, right? 😉 It’s full of healthy nutrients and that is what really counts for your body.

This is what you need:

  • 1 1/3 cups hazelnuts
  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup almond milk
  • 4 tablespoons honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt

nutella (1)

How to make it:

  • Preheat oven to 374 °F. Spread the hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast them until they are fragrant en dark. This takes about 12 to 15 minutes. Stir the nuts halfway through the roasting process. Beware that you don’t over-bake the nuts; they must not turn black!
  • If you haven’t removed the skin from the hazelnuts, remove it after roasting them. Let the nuts cool to room temperature first. Put them in a bowl and put another bowl on top of it. Shake it well so the skins come off.
  • Put the hazelnuts without the skin in a food processor and pulse for about 5 minutes until you get a smooth paste. Stir the paste every minute so the nuts can release their oils and become a buttery paste.
  • Add the cacao, almond milk, vanilla extract, salt and honey and mix it well until it becomes smooth again. The paste has to become soft and shiny. This will take about 2 minutes.
  • The quantities in this recipe are enough for a small jar of ‘nutella’ of roughly 1/2 a cup. If you keep it in the refrigerator it remains good for a week, for sure!

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

www.inlovewithhealth.com

Pink rice with tomatoes

Last Friday I really felt like eating fried rice. It’s so tempting to go to the Chinese take-away, but I wanted to make a healthy version so I ran into the kitchen. This dish of pink tomato rice is not only super healthy, it also looks adorable. I just have to share it with you, a true Fit Girl dinner.

I love fried rice, because it’s a dish that contains everything I like; rice, meat, vegetables and herbs. Traditionally, the rice should be baked in oil but for for this recipe I choose to cook the rice. While the rice is cooking, add ½ a beet cut in cubes. This will make the rice turn pink and make your plate look adorable.

For this fried rice, I like to use a lot of vegetables, such as tomatoes. The tomato is filled with vitamin C, zinc, iron but most of all lycopene, a very powerful antioxidant. Also, tomatoes stimulate the production of pro collagen, a protein that makes your skin glimmer and shine. Apart from the vegetables, this dish also contains a lot of fresh herbs. I love herbs because they add so much taste to your dish and they are filled with a lot of healthy nutrients. For this dish particularly, I like to use coriander. This herb contains a lot of iron, which is good for your blood, reduces the growth of bacteria and improves the digestion.

What you need:

– 1/4 cup whole-wheat rice
– 3 1/2 ounces cauliflower
– 3 1/2 ounces broccoli
– 1 cup (roughly 7 ounces) different kinds of baby tomatoes (mixed)
– 1 onion
– 1 garlic clove
– Fresh coriander
– 1 beetroot
– 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
– 1 teaspoon of (vegetable or meat broth) herbs
– Salt, pepper, cayenne to taste
– 1 teaspoon of soy sauce

nasi

How to make it:

– Cook 1/4 cup of whole-wheat rice as instructed, together with one beetroot (cut in cubes) and some salt.

– Take a different pan and boil the cauliflower and broccoli.

– Cut an onion in small pieces and cook it in a pan. When the onion is golden, add a squeezed clove of garlic. Cut the tomatoes in small pieces and add it to the onion and garlic.

– When the rice is done, add it to the tomatoes together with the cauliflower and broccoli.

– Finish it off with adding a little soy sauce, lemon juice, coriander and other herbs.

Enjoy!

Two-in-one vegetable lasagna

In my experience and those of my clients, I noticed that it is sometimes pretty difficult to cook for your whole family, boyfriend or friends if you want to watch what you’re eating. 9 out of 10 times, I am eating something different than my boyfriend does at night. Despite that, I always cook with fresh ingredients, even though he doesn’t have to watch what he’s eating. For example, cheese as a topping for a lasagna is possible for him but not for me. 

Therefore, it can sometimes be pretty difficult to cook something that is good and nice for the both of us! Making two meals isn’t quite handy, is it? So that’s why I try to combine my meals by cooking some extra rice or having another sauce. This happened today as well… Two different lasagnas in one casserole. They had the same sauce but a different composition. One lasagna with tomato sauce, vegetables, lasagna leafs, minced meat and cheese, and one healthy version with tomato sauce, cottage cheese and vegetables. A good recommendation!

What do you need for 4 portions (2 portions of normal lasagna – 2 portions of vegetable lasagna)

  • 3 cans of tomatoes (preferably organic)
  • 4 tomatoes
  • 200 gr tomato purée
  • 1 onion
  • 300 gr minced meat
  • Spelt lasagna leafs
  • 2 zucchinis
  • 250 gr cottage cheese
  • Grated cheese
  • Oregano, garlic, salt and pepper spices

How to make it

  • Pre-heat the oven at 190 degrees Celsius.
  • Fry the minced meat with some salt and pepper. Put the meat away in a bin and set it aside.
  • Put the pan back on the fire and put a bit of olive oil in it. Cut the onion in pieces and put them in the pan.
  • Fry the onions and add the tomatoes together with the oregano, garlic, salt and pepper spices.
  • Add the canned tomatoes and leave the mix for 5 minutes.
  • Cut the courgette into thick horizontal stripes so that it has the form of a lasagna leaf.
  • Grab a casserole and grease it with some olive oil.
  • We start with the normal lasagna. Put 2 lasagna leafs on the first half of the casserole.
  • Put 1/2 minced meat on it and 2 slices of courgette. Add 1/4 of the sauce.
  • Again, put two lasagna leafs on the mix with the rest of the minced meat and again add two slices of courgette. Add 1/4 of the sauce. (you now have used half of the tomato sauce.)
  • Add some grated cheese on top of the lasagna.
  • Now it’s the vegetable lasagna’s turn. Add the cottage cheese to the tomato sauce and mix it up.
  • Add 3 courgette leafs on the bottom of the other half of the casserole. Add 1/3 of the sauce.
  • Repeat this 2 more times until there’s no more sauce.
  • Add some oregano spices and put the casserole in the oven for 40 minutes.

Good luck!

Add some waves to your fit life!

I am a big fan of water. Moreover, I am a big fan of moving and water. Those two combine pretty well in one of my favourite things to do: surf. Not only is surfing one of the most rewarding ‘sports’ out there which gives you an ultimate happy feeling once you’re amongst the waves; you also dynamically train so many muscles at the same time! No wonder surfers look so ripped…! Are you going for surf soon? Check out these tips this to prepare!

Not everyone has the beach sitting just in front of her house. That’s why I do these exercises regularly to train just those parts of my body, to stay in shape for those moments when surf’s up or the next holiday is planned. Even if you’re not into surfing, the following four simple exercises will absolutely help you tone and strengthen your back line, core and your muscles’ ‘springiness’ or resilience. Everyone can do with a little more of that, I’d say! ☺ A swiss ball is your best friend, when it comes to ‘surf fitness’. Your gym should definitely have one!

Surfing is all about controlling your body in an environment that’s always moving and unstable, so this kind of tool is super nice to use. Whether you’re paddling (laying on your belly on the board, moving yourself forward in the water by paddling with your hands) or standing up, it’s crucial to find stability!

  1. ‘Swiss ball jack knife’: get yourself in a plank position with your feet resting on a Swiss ball. Tighten your core, but and push yourself up, fingers spread and solid placement on the floor, shoulders move away from the ears. Now bring your knees to your chest as you breath out. Back to plank position as you breath in. In this first round, repeat for 12 times.

 

  1. Same start position as the first exercise. Now one foot comes off of the ball, lift it up a few cm. Then cross it over diagonally as your standing leg keeps pressing down into the ball for stability, your stomach muscles are working hard, as are your shoulders and arms to carry the weight of your upper body. Cross the left leg first 8 times, then switch legs and go for it with the right leg, 8 times.

 

  1. Lay on your belly, on top of the ball. Feet (toes) touch the ground, upper body hangs over the ball, back of the neck is long. Now engage the core and lift up your chest from the ball while your hands stay next to your upperbody or on the back of your head. Come back down in a controlled manner. Lift up your chest from the ball 12 times in this first round. Do this exercise slowly and never lose tension in your legs, buttocks, core and chest to keep stable on the ball and strengthening your stomach muscles. Protect your back by keeping your spine lengthened and pushing your pubic bone into the ball.

 

  1. Sit down with your feet on the ground in front on you. Bend your knees. Tighten your core and place an object (1-3 kg) in your hands. Now tap lift up the object with both hands and bring it from your left to your right, touching the ground. The rotation in the core is a perfect preparation for turns and stability, once standing up on your board!

 

  1. Of course there are loads more exercises you can do! Anything which targets the core, back, shoulders, are real winners. Regular push ups are also a great, especially while your feet are lifted on top of a bench or step-up as your shoulders, arms and chest need to work hard while paddling, so definitely add that one in, too. Go for as many well performed push ups as you do can in one minute.

 

Do this round 2, maximum 3 times 2-3 times a week.

 

Want to get 100% prepared for your next holiday destination with surf in reach, and keep up with the big guys? Treat yourself to this book Advance Surf fitness by Lee Stanbury. Even if you’re not into surfing, these exercises in this book are awesome and challenging and explains loads!

 

Enjoy and see you on the water!

 

Hang loose,

Eefje

 

 

Healthy soy sauce noodles

As you all know, I’d prefer not to talk about calories. Today, I am going to do this since I want to make clear how you can easily change your meals into a much healthier dish. The most used and standard version are the wheat noodles of 650 kcal. The identical dish that I made for you today (and tastes just as good) contains only 400 kcal and I’ve only changed one product! Yep, it’s as easy as that to get some healthy soy sauce noodles.

Nowadays, this meal is my number one dish since it is very easy to variate with vegetables and all kinds of meat! For example, slices of beef, shrimps and even pieces of egg (for a vegetarian meal). Well, how to make this delicious, but especially easy recipe?

What do you need for 1 portion?

– 400 gr of wok vegetables
– 150 gr of chicken
– 1 tbsp of soy sauce
– 1 tbsp of sweet soy sauce
– 1 clove garlic
– Lime juice
– Salt & pepper
– 100 gr calorie free noodles

How to make it?

–  Cut the chicken and bake it for 5 minutes in a wok together with 1 squeezed clove of garlic and salt and pepper.
–  Add the wok vegetables to the sliced chicken and wok for another 5 minutes until both are overly cooked.
–  Add the noodles together with the ketjap, soy and lime juice.

Enjoy your delicious Asian meal!

Peanutbutter Banana Pancakes

Last week was all about experimenting with pancakes. After I saw Michelle’s photo and recipe, I found myself in the kitchen the next morning – with success! 

Peanutbutter Banana Pancakes

I’ve twisted the recipe a little bit – I added peanutbutter and superfoods and used whole eggs in stead of just egg whites. Here’s what you’ll need to make 4 pancakes:

Pancake batter:

  • 1 banana, mashed
  • 2 whole eggs
  • 6 tbs whole oats
  • 1 ts pumpkin spice
  • 1 ts peanut butter (or pb2)
  • 30 ml (almond) milk

Toppings:

Stir all the ingredients for the batter in a bowl to combine. The batter should be thick. Heat up a good pan and add 1 tbs of coconut oil. Make small pancakes (about 1/3 cup batter for each one), and with each new pancake add coconut oil in the pan! When all 4 are ready, serve with 1 tbs of peanutbutter and 2 tbs of greek yoghurt / soy yoghurt. Add fresh fruit and superfoods!

Tip
This meal is perfect for breakfast, but also serves as a good pre work out meal. Just eat two about 1,5 hours before you’re hitting the road/box/gym. They are really filling.

Looking for more breakfast inspriration? Follow me on Instagram!

Delicious chicken celery salad

We all know the famous Waldorf salad… Traditionally made with chicken, walnuts, apple, celery and mayonnaise. Mmmm, it’s one of my favorites! Since I don’t eat mayonnaise anymore, (as always) I’ve chosen to make an alternative… A healthy and delicious chicken celery salad! And I hope you guys will believe me when I say that this salad tastes even better than the original Waldorf salad!

Tip: I always bake enough chicken for 2 days. That way, I can enjoy this salad again the next day!

Delicious chicken celery salad for 2 portions:

  • 300 gr. chicken filet
  • 1 banana
  • 5 celery stalks
  • Roughly crushed walnuts
  • 2 tbsp quark
  • Salt, pepper and garlic spices
  • Optional: pieces of pineapple

kipsalade21

How to do it:

  • Bake the chicken with some garlic, salt and pepper spices
  • Cut the celery and the banana into pieces
  • Cut the chicken into slices and add the celery and the banana
  • Add the walnuts and quark and mix
  • Taste if the dish needs some more spices like salt, pepper and garlic
  • Serve and enjoy!

This delicious chicken celery salad can also be served as a appetizer, a small bite or a sidedish with a BBQ.

See you next week!

Lisa (Inlovewithhealth)

How to stick to your work out regime

It’s almost Friday and that means… Weekend! Back in the days it was all about going out, having drinks and hangovers on Sunday. But hey, I’m getting older too and I started to work out a bit more, especially in the weekends. When I received this Jogha box earlier this week I knew it was a sign to pick up my workout again and working on those abs. Also struggling to work out more often? Today I’m sharing with you a few tips to get more motivation. I say, let’s go!

Get new work out gear
Of course, you can work out in an old tee from your boyfriend and old yoga pants, but that doesn’t do the trick in the end. Getting a fresh new set of workout clothes gives you motivation to shine in the gym and make the best out of it. When I get some new activewear, like this amazing Jogha set, it just gave me the right amount of excitement to work out the next morning. Showing off that new colorful jacket or those super comfortable bottoms that makes every workout a blast!

Do what you love
I always hear people complaining about the fact that they hate going to the gym or working out in general. In that case, find something you love! Do you like running, kickboxing or maybe weightlifting? There’s always something to find that suits your schedule and interests. And these days, there are enough ways to get in shape again. Look at all those free videos you can find on YouTube. Go get yourself a (yoga)mat and get those abs working.

Set up your goals
When you’re setting a goal it’s getting easier to get motivated and start working out on a regular base. In my case I didn’t want to only get in shape, but also build more confidence this summer. And it worked. During my holiday to La Palma I still didn’t have a six-pack but I felt so much happier and free in my own body. Setting goals of reaching a certain body weight, getting those abs or lifting a certain weight gives you a road to follow!

Eat healthy (and have yolo-day)
Ok, I’m not the best example of this but eating healthier helps so much with sticking to your workout regime. It doesn’t work when you’re working out a lot and on the other side eating hamburgers all week long. See your body as a machine that needs the right fuel to perform at its best. On the other side, we have our cravings and it’s always good to have one day a week that’s planned for that yummy ‘bad’ food.

Work out with others
I noticed I work out so much more often and better when I have people around me that support me along the way. It can be a close friend or just someone you met at the gym. Challenging each other to work out a couple of hours a week and getting through those tough workouts is the best. I worked out at a CrossFit box and for me that was the perfect way to get more motivation and strength to go through.

How protein can help you lose weight

Let’s talk about protein! What’s the deal and how can it help you to lose weight? There are several foods required in your diet if you want to burn fat, build muscle, lose weight, improve endurance and improve recovery speed. The intake of protein is extremely important and beneficial if you want to get in shape faster.

Besides your workouts, your diet plays a key role in achieving that dream body. Today I want to tell you more about the function of protein and how you should consume it to make it beneficial.

So here’s what happens:
1. When you workout your muscles will actually break down.
2. Your body will naturally respond by trying to repair the fibers and recover your broken muscles.
3. To help your body to repair your broken muscles, you should feed your body with protein. Protein is the main building block of muscles!

It’s quite obvious that your diet can’t miss out on protein if you want to see your muscles grow and maintain. Now I receive a lot of questions about how much protein you should consume and whether it’s required for us girls to consume Whey protein shakes next to your regular diet?

TIP: Aim to eat 1-2 grams of protein per kg of your body weight. For example: 60 kg x 2 gr. protein = 120 gr. Want to know how to divide your total required amount of protein over all meals of the day? Go to this blog post to find out how much calories you should consume in order to get in shape fast.

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When it’s hard for you to eat enough protein with your regular diet, a Whey protein shake can be an easy solution. I believe it’s not necessary to drink Whey protein shakes in order to boost your metabolism, build muscles, burn fat and lose weight. By choosing the right (clean and healthy) foods you are easy able to reach your protein intake with protein rich foods. On busy days I prefer to bring a Whey protein shake with me to be safe!

Live happily ever active,
Foodie-ness, Carolina.

 

Healthy homemade wraps

I got you covered for dinner tonight! Try these buckwheat wraps filled with vegetables! I love wraps, they’re not only very yummy but they’re so easy to make. Perfect when you don’t have a lot of time to cook. No need to be a kitchen princess with this very easy recipe.

Apart from the fact that buckwheat is a gluten free product, it scores very low on the glycaemic scale. This means that your blood glucose level won’t rise rapidly. It also contains more protein than other types of grain, increases your resistance which isn’t entirely unimportant during these cold winter months.

One of the vegetables that I like to use is avocado. Many of you will know this healthy green buddy. Do you ever wonder why this vegetable is so healthy? It does contain a lot of calories and fat, but these fats are unsaturated fats and therefore very healthy. ½ an avocado gives us 20% of our daily need of fibres and 10% or vitamin K. It also lowers our cholesterol, improves our sight and it contains vitamin C which is healthy for our (muscle) tissue and repair of our body.

What you need for one person:

– 50 gr of buckwheat
– 100 ml water
– Pinch of salt

Topping
– 1/2 Avocado
– 500 grams chinese wok vegetables
– 1 tablespoon quark
– Fresh coriander
– Salt, pepper, paprika and garlic

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How to make it:

1. Mix all the ingredients in a big bowl with a whisk.

2. Put a pan on the stove and add a little olive oil. I only use olive oil for the first wrap; for the ones that follow no added oil is needed. Add a little of the garnishment in the pan turn and twist the pan in order for it to become like a pancake.

3. Give the wrap time to cook through properly. Put the pan on low fire and be careful when you turn the wrap on the other side.

4. Bake the wraps until they have some color. If they look a little stale, they’re ready to be filled with your toppings.

5. Fry the vegatables and herbs together.

6.  I always start with a spread of quark and then add the vegetables.

7. Enjoy!

 

See you next week sweeties!

www.inlovewithhealth.nl

MTV presents Blog Fair by Ilovefashionbloggers.com

On Sunday the 31th of May all Dutch fashion bloggers united at the ‘MTV presents Blog Fair by Ilovefashionbloggers.com. The event took place at the MTV Studio’s in Amsterdam and was for fashion bloggers, followers and labels to connect. 

The event started of with a Question & Answer-session with 4 successful bloggers: Noor de Groot (Queen of Jetlags), Serena Verbon (BeautyLab), Anna Nooshin (NSMBL) and #FITGIRLCODE’s very own Aranka van der Voorden. The room filled up quickly with many bloggers, girls and guys. The session was led by Kay Nambiar and founder of ilovefashionbloggers, Jolique Möller.

 

Inside tips
Several questions were raised, such as: ‘How do you get more followers on Instagram?’, ‘What is the future of bloggers?’ and ‘What is the key to success?’ Anna Nooshin, queen of Instagram, told the crowd that there’s a big difference between a private account and a business Instagram account. She lives by the keywords: food, travel, selfies and fashion and all her photos are edited by apps such as VSCO Cam.

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Meet our new ambassador Julia Vogel

Hi, I’m Julia, 18 years old and from beautiful Austria. I’m a student with a passion for cooking, healthy eating and working out. But let me tell you a little more about myself!

My fitness journey started in 2013 when I got back from my exchange semester in the United States. Even though I was in the volleyball and cheer squad, I gained 10 kilos in 5 months due to emotional eating and really bad food choices. I felt terrible, insecure and self-conscious so I decided to change my life. I went from being the chubby party chica to the girl who loves to spend her free time in the gym. Not only did my body change, but also my mindset. I feel comfortable in my body 99% of the time and I’m strong, fit and happy.

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So what does my daily life look like? I go to school from Monday to Friday and even on my longest schooldays, I can’t wait for my workout. I go to the gym or I go outside for a run in the woods. Running has always been a huge passion of mine and I actually started when I was about 12. It all stopped during my exchange but it eventually came back to me and I feel like it’s the most relieving thing in the world. Furthermore, I fell in love with weightlifting. I used to believe that women should only do cardio and use 1kg dumbbells in order to look feminine – turned out I had never been so wrong.

This lifestyle has become my passion and I’m so grateful for this life.

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Instagram and julesvogel.wordpress.com

I have to admit that without my blog and my Instagram account, I would have never gotten that far on my journey. I found so much inspiration and motivation through social media and sharing my experiences and helping others is something I love doing. On my blog, you can read about my fitness tips, personal experiences or recipes. It would be amazing if you would check out @julesvogel on Instagram since I’m hoping to reach out to many girls with the same passion.

 

I’m really proud to be an ambassador of #FITGIRLCODE and really looking forward to writing an article every month from now on.

 

Let’s do this ladies!!

 

Love, Julia

7x abdominal exercises & win your own BLACKROLL

I like to keep things simple, however effective. Working out with your own bodyweight and gravity, is something I believe to be smart movement: it’s all you need to stay super fit, in a safe way. However, some intelligent and simple product design to support training can really get my spirits lifted too. Small training tools that I can take along when I travel (and I do this quite a bit!) I especially enjoy to get moving on days I would rather just don’t.

Resistance bands, (self massage) rollers, ankle weights or just some simple water-or sand filled bottles, are enough to add just a tad more challenge and fun to your work out. In the following series of articles ‘simply fit’ we will go through some of my favorite and most effective body-inspired exercises to stay fit, lean and strong, using as little as your own bodyweight and some real simple, cool tools.

In this kick-off, we’ll start with some great and effective abdominal exercises that I do daily to strengthen the core: the very centre of our body that needs to be strong to be able to train all other parts of the body in a balanced manner. The only thing you need is your lovely body and a floor. And gravity. Ok, so far so good – and no money is spent ;-).

Check out these 7 abdominal exercises & win your own BLACKROLL

As you already read in my last article on foam rolling, I like adding a Blackroll to my workouts. Not only to recover faster by ‘rolling it out’ and to shortly warm up, and stimulating my blood circulation, but also to actually use it during my work out to make things more challenging and fun. The following exercises* are inspired by experiences I have collected over the last year, from Pilates and Yoga classes to studying Essentrics . Using the legs as levers, our own body and gravity we’re working on a strong, flat stomach. Simplicity is AWESOME! Check out all the exercises and don’t forget to enter the contest to win your own Blackroll!

* Some of these exercises can (also) be executed with the roller, to make it more fun and challenging.

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How to stay (or get) fit as a student

As a student, I know it’s very hard to juggle between school, work, friends, gym, cooking, studying and having some me-time. Of course, just like many other people, I want to have fun, do good at school, go to the gym and eat healthy. But (sadly) all those things cost time and money: things students wish they had more. I’ll give away some tips on how to be (or remain) a true Fit Girl student!

5 tips to a healthier diet

  1. Have a healthy breakfast

Your body needs energy to start a new day, so nourish your body with an awesome breakfast, oats for example. Click here to find out why oats are awesome.

  1. Prepare a kickass lunch

I love my bed and I never want to leave it, especially when I have to get out. To give myself more quality time with my bed in the morning I prep my lunch or dinner the evening before.

  1. Don’t forget to bring some healthy snacks

To prevent unhealthy snacking at the school cafeteria I bring my own healthy snacks with me. My favorites are nuts, dates, carrots and a banana.

  1. Eat your veggies

Just like my mother always said. A lot of people don’t reach their daily recommended amount of veggies and that’s too bad because they’re amazing for your body! Why? Vegetables are a great source of dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals and they’re low in calories.

  1. Keep track of your own workout and health journal

It helps me to see my progress, which will motivate me even more to continue. It’s a great way to monitor your workouts and reach your goals. Next month I will share my own workout and health journal with you!

And remember: you can work your ass off in the gym, but if your diet isn’t on point, your body won’t be either.

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