Testing, testing.. FAST Pudding

FAST Pudding is a new protein product, launched by FAST Sport Nutrition in October-November 2012. Finnish personal trainers, fitness models and competitors have been "hyping" this for a month now, and I've been meaning to try it out myself to see what the fuss is all about. Now, because this is a Finnish product, I'll be writing this in Finnish, too.

The product comes in two flavours: creme caramel and chocolate. I got my hands on a 700 g bag of creme caramel. The bag costs around 26€ and will give me up to 24 servings of pudding.

The instructions are very simple: mix a scoop of protein pudding powder with 1,5-3 dl milk in a shaker, pour in a bowl and let it set in the fridge for 5 minutes before consumption.

Picture source

/// FAST Pudding on loppuvuodesta 2012 lanseerattu proteiinivanukas, jota suomalaiset valmentajat, fitnessmallit ja -kilpailijat ovat kovasti mainostaneet ja kehuneet viimeisen kuukauden aikana. Olen itse ollut jokseenkin kiinnostunut kokeilemaan tuotetta, vaikka aiemmat kokemukset proteiinivanukkaista eivät ole olleet maininnan arvoisia.

Tuotetta on kahdessa maussa: toffee ja suklaa. Sain käsiini toffeen makuisen 700 g säkin, josta ehtiikin "testailla" tuotetta jonkun aikaa. 700 g säkki kustantaa kaupassa noin 26€ ja siitä riittääkin noin 24 käyttökertaan, eli yhden annoksen hinta on noin 1€.

Puddingin käyttöohjeet ovat hyvin selkeät: sekoita yksi mitallinen (n 30g) jauhetta 1,5-3dl maitoa "sheikkerissä" (eli proteiinisekoittimesta, esimerkiksi tällaisessa), ravistaen seosta kunnolla. Kaada seos kulhoon ja anna seistä jääkaapissa 5 minuuttia ennen tarjoilua. 

WHAT IS IT MADE OF?

Nutritional info and ingredients of FAST Pudding (Creme Caramel).

Calcium caseinate is a protein derived from casein in skim milk. Caseinate is widely used by bodybuilders and other athletes. Calcium caseinate is ingested before bed or after a workout, as it breaks down at a slower rate than whey protein and supplies the body with a sustained amino acid release. This can help you prevent catabolism, i.e. the breakdown of muscle proteins. Additionally, calcium caseinate contributes to a feeling of satiety, aiding in weight loss. Also, calcium caseinate has a high content of L-glutamine, which is an amino acid essential to building muscle. Calcium caseinate is soluble and does not clot in the stomach. Other than possible allergic reactions, there are no known side effects associated with use of calcium caseinate. 


Inulin is a carbohydrate produced by many types of plants (banana, agave, garlic, onion and many more). Since inulin is not absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract, it is considered a dietary fiber. Inulin is used in processed foods, because it can be used to replace sugar, fat, and flour. Inulin is generally recognized as safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The consumption of large quantities (in particular, by sensitive or unaccustomed individuals) can lead to gas and bloating, and products that contain inulin will sometimes include a warning to add it gradually to one's diet. If you're interested in learning more about inulin, read this article.


Sucralose is an non-caloric artificial sweetener. Sucralose is stable under heat, so products containing sucralose can be used in baking. Sucralose is ranked as "safe" and is accepted by the FDA and the European Food Safety Authority, after reviewing more than 100 safety studies on sucralose.
 

// FAST Pudding toffeen ravintosisältö ja ainesosat:


Kalsiumkaseinaatti on maidosta johdettu proteiini, jota kehonrakentajat ja muut urheilijat käyttävät katabolian eli lihaskadon estämiseksi. Kaseinaattia suositellaan käytettävän iltaisin tai treenin jälkeen, sillä se hajoaa kehossa hitaammin kuin heraproteiini, taaten pitkäkestoisen aminohappojen erityksen. Kalsiumkaseinaatti sisältää myös korkean määrän L-glutamiinia, lihaksen kasvuun tarpeellista aminohappoa. Kalsiumkaseinaattia käytetään myös painonpudotuksen apuna, sillä se luo tunteen kylläisyydestä. Mahdollisten allergisten reaktioiden lisäksi kalsiumkaseinaatin käytöllä ei ole raportoituja haittavaikutuksia.


Inuliini on hiilihydraatti, jota esiintyy luonnossa useissa kasveissa (suurimmat pitoisuudet mm. banaanissa, agavessa, valkosipulissa ja sipulissa). Inuliini ei imeydy ruoansulatuselimistössä, joten se lukeutuu ravintokuituihin. Inuliinia käytetään yhä enemmän prosessoidussa ruoassa, sillä inuliinilla voi korvata sokerin, jauhot ja rasvan. Inuliini on Yhdysvaltain elintarvike- ja lääkeviraston mukaan turvallinen aine. Suurten inuliinipitoisuuksien käyttö saattaa aiheuttaa vatsavaivoja (ilmavaivoja ja turvotusta), jonka vuoksi inuliinipitoiset ruoat suositellaan otettavan käyttöön vähitellen. Jos olet kiinnostunut lukemaan enemmän inuliinista, tsekkaa tämä artikkeli.

Sukraloosi on kaloriton keinotekoinen makeutusaine. Sukraloosi kestää hyvin kuumuutta, joten sukraloosia sisältävät elintarvikkeet soveltuvat hyvin mm. leivontaan. Sukraloosi on luokiteltu turvalliseksi Yhdysvaltain elintarvike- ja lääkevirastossa sekä Euroopan elintarvikevirastossa yli 100 turvallisuustutkimuksen perusteella.

I mixed the pudding powder with 2 dl skimmed milk. It coagulated almost instantly, I had to scoop it out of the mixer - a pleasant surprise. The pudding felt almost like a mousse, not at all like a decent pudding. Not sure whether I like that or not, because the "pudding" was a lot lighter than I expected. The taste was OK, a bit too sweet for my taste. I'm not that into caramel flavoured products, so I'm a bit biased. I tested the product again with satsumas and grapes - MM! Now there's a combo I can honestly recommend. You can also add a teaspoon of raw chocolate powder to the mix to get a lovely chocolate pudding.

Sekoitin pudding-jauheen 2 desilitraan rasvatonta maitoa. Pudding hyytelöityi samantien, jouduin kaapimaan sen sheikkeristäni - olin tähän positiivisesti yllättynyt! Olin odottanut puddingilta aika paljon, tekstuuri ei ollut lähellekään niin hyytelömäinen kuin odotin, enemminkin moussemainen ja aika kevyt. Itse maku oli todella makea, hieman liian makea omaan makuuni. En ole hirveämmin toffeenmakuisten proteiinivalmisteiden ystävä, joten olen tässä puolueellinen. Toisaalta, söin puddingin välipalaksi aamupäivästä, enkä ollut kovinkaan makeanhimoinen, joten vanukkaan makeus meni mulla vähän hukkaan. Kokeilin tuotetta uudelleen satsuman ja viinirypäleiden kanssa - tätä komboa voin suositella :) Voit myös kokeilla sekoittaa pudding-jauheeseen 1 teelusikallisen raakakaakaojauhetta saadaksesi suklaisen vanukkaan.

Conclusion: The product is OK to use when you have a serious hankering for something sweet. The ingredients of the product are pure and suit most people well (but not for people with milk protein allergy!). Because the product has inulin and sucralose, I recommend that you start using the product gradually to minimize any side effects (see above).

Yhteenveto: Tuotetta on ihan OK käyttää, kun on järkyttävä makeanhimo - ihan perus "välipalaksi" tämä ei sovi ainakaan allekirjoittaneelle. Vanukkaan ainekset sopivat suurimmalle osalle ihmisistä hyvin (huom. ei maitoproteiiniallergikoille). Inuliinin ja sukraloosin vuoksi suosittelen puddingin vähittäisen käyttöönoton, jotta mahdollisilta haittavaikutuksilta vältytään (kts. yllä). 

Did I answer all your possible questions about the product? If not, leave me a comment :)

Vastasinko kaikkiin mahdollisiin kysymyksiisi tuotteesta? Jos en, jätä kommentti :)

/Ulrika  

Clean eating: Smoothie (part 6)

Hi guys, 

Hope you've recovered from all the eating on Christmas. I returned to work today, whoo-eh! 800 emails in my inbox, I thought I would die. Why didn't Santa bring me a nice-looking secretary for Christmas? I'm dissapointed.

I started this morning with a lean ham omelette and this smoothie. I added this picture (and recipe) to my Instagram, and people seemed to love it! Now I want to share this with a bigger audience. (by the way, my instagram account is @pug_a_licious. Follow me for new recipes (and "pugstagram" pictures, ha-ha).

Clean eating: Mango and blueberry smoothie
(serves 4)

Ingredients
1 cup diced mango (fresh or frozen)
½ cup frozen blueberries
1 banana
1 tbsp maca
1 tbsp lucuma
1 tbsp Opti-MSM
1 tsp spirulina
1-2 cups water

1. Place all the ingredients in a mixer and blend until smooth.
2. Adjust the consistency of the smoothie by adding more water - the smoothie should be drinkable :)
3. Pour in medium to tall glasses - enjoy!

Tip #1: You don't need to use "superpowders" at all - just blend the fruits and berries together for a nutritious smoothie.
Tip #2: In case you want to start using superfoods, start off with one powder. I'd recommend maca for a start - I use lucuma to balance the bitter taste.

I challenge you to try this one out - let me know what you think!

/Ulrika

Top 5 tips to stay in shape during the holidays (part I)

Hi guys,

First off, I have to apologize for being offline for so long. I've been extremely busy, to say the least. My 4-day work week has expanded like crazy. Some days it feels like I haven't gotten any shuteye at all, because I've been going through work issues in my sleep. Sounds great, doesn't it? ;)

My k-razy workout routines have been on a break, too. It felt really weird not to work out for two whole weeks, but I totally needed the break. My stress levels were through the roof 24/7 for three weeks - all I did was brisk walks with my puppy pug and yoga. *sigh* Thank goodness it's over.

I've been seeing quite a few nutritional coaching clients in the last week. The main topic of our discussions seems to be Christmas: how can I get through the holidays without gaining weight?

Ok, I understand the question. Christmas is all about staying indoors and eating for most people.

Tip #1: Think of it this way: Christmas lasts three days, consider it a long weekend. It is physically impossible to gain more than a pound or so during that time (depending on your normal eating habits, of course).
If you have a regular eating routine, you most likely won't screw everything up in a few days.

Tip #2: Maintain your normal eating rhytm during the holidays. Eat a protein-packed breakfast, a decent salad for lunch and healthy snacks to make sure you're not starving before the big christmas dinner.

 Tip #3: Fill your plate with veggies and lean meats, take it easy with carb-filled foods. As always, stop eating when you're satisfied - it's OK to leave food on the plate. Have fruits and berries for dessert and skip the truckloads of chocolates.

Tip #4: Don't eat between meals. I know, holiday treats are delicious, but try to steer clear from the kitchen between meals. Eat because you're hungry, not because you're bored.

Tip #5: Enjoy your meals. Don't feel guilty for enjoying holiday meals with your friends and family. As I said earlier, Christmas is just a few days - make it a happy holiday!


Merry Xmas, guys.

Coming up: How to stay in shape during the holidays (part II) - the workouts.

Picture source

Clean eating: Smoothie (Part 5)

Boost your immune system with this antioxidant-packed supersmoothie!

Clean eating: grapefruit and blackcurrant smoothie
(serves 3-4)

Ingredients
1 avocado
200g blackcurrants
4 dl grapefruit juice (or 2 large grapefruits, peeled)
100g vanilla whey protein powder
4+ dl water

1. Peel and pit the avocado. Put the avocado, berries and grapefruit juice (or grapefruit) in the blender and blend until smooth.
2. Add the whey powder and water to the mix, blend on low speed (if you blend it on high speed, the whey will foam). Add extra water to get the perfect consistency, if the smoothie feels too thick.

Tip #1: In case you don't want to use additional protein powder, like whey, substitute it with 400 g quark. Make sure you add enough water to the mix to get the desired consistency.
Tip #2: Vanilla whey is quite sweet. In case you don't use whey powder, add a banana or 2-3 dates to the smoothie to sweeten it.
Note: Don't use plain sugar (or even honey) if possible, never use artificial sweeteners like asesulfam K or aspartame. Use natural sweeteners like banana, dates, organic stevia or erytritol.
Tip #3: To kick-start your morning, use chilled green tea in stead of water. Green tea works perfectly for morning smoothies, since it's packed with caffeine and antioxidants.
Tip #4: This smoothie is really nice as a dessert, too. Skip the whey and add a banana to create a tangy, dairy-free, sugar-free smoothie. I like the freshness of this smoothie after a heavy and/or greasy meal, it leaves me feeling light yet satisfied.

Have a great Thursday!

/Ulrika

15 tips to stay motivated

Hi gorgeous people,

My personal training clients have asked for this post for sooooooooo long. Sorry chicas - better late then never, right? ;)

Here are my top 15 tips to stay motivated.

• Set a specific goal, not just ‘I want to be healthy’ or ‘I want to be stronger’. Pick a date and work hard to reach your goal on that specific date. 
• Write down your goals. When you remember where you're going, you'll get there much faster. The more precise you are, the better. And once you reach your goal, set another one! Click here for my post about setting goals.
• Know it’s going to be hard You’re going to have good days and bad days. This isn't going to be easy, in fact it's going to be very frustrating, but believe in yourself and you will go far.
• Be willing to do whatever it takes Do everything you possibly can to succeed and be where you want to be and make it a priority. If you don't have time to go to the gym, make time.
• Stop focusing so much on the negatives. Bring out the positives and be proud of every achievement made no matter how small. Staying away from the cheesecake, or dragging yourself to go for a run - it all pays off in the end. If you took all that energy you put towards hating your body into changing it, you would be amazed with the results!
• To be truly successful you need to be passionate about it Think about it all of the time. Some call it obsession, I call it dedication.
• Remember that you are in control Nobody else can make the decisions for you. You can have all of the knowledge in the world, the best trainer, the experience, but if you’re not mentally and physically ready to do it then it’s not going to happen. You are the one who decides whether you’re going to indulge in social situations or stay on track. Remember that there's always going to be people who won't support you. Some people will try to convince you to share a pizza or go drinking with them and tell you to stop being so "boring", but you have the will power to say no. You should have a social life and enjoy yourself, but shouldn't feel forced into anything you don't want to do.
• Think ahead This takes practice. Think about how you will feel if you do indulge. Will you regret it? If so, avoid the situation.
• If you keep failing, maybe you’ve set your expectations too high. Set goals that are realistic, not ridiculous. Don’t set goals that are so far out of reach that every time you try, you fail and beat yourself up about it. 
• There's always going to be times when you feel progress is going nowhere.  Don't give up! Just because you're hitting a hard point doesn't mean you can't break through it. Sit back, evaluate, change. If it's in your heart then it's worth it.
• Stop worrying about being perfect NOBODY IS PERFECT. We all strive to be perfect but knowing that you’re going to make mistakes and not living in the past is very important. Even if you have a piece of cake and fall off the diet, there is nothing you can do about it. It is in the past, so move forwards. Learn from your mistakes and you know how you’ll feel next time you’re put in that same situation. Compare yourself against yourself, and no one else.
• Don’t do what you hate If you hate running, then go swimming. If you hate avocado, eat almonds. If you hate every choice, you won’t last very long and you’ll get unmotivated. Remember you chose to set this goal. If you’re having trouble staying on track, think back to why you started it in the first place.Whatever reason you have is great enough for you to keep going. Don't forget that.
• Have fun Look at what you're doing and enjoy it! There's endless ways to make exercise and clean eating fun, it doesn't have to be as grim as some people make out. Work out with a friend, have a clean eating cook-off with your family or promise your dog to take it for three super-long walks every week.
• Make a vision board Cut out pictures of bodies that you aspire to be like and quotes that keep you motivated. My motivational diary works the same way - I regularly "post" my favourite inspirational pictures and quotes in my little pink book and on my blog.
• Surround yourself with positive people not with people who question why you go to the gym so much or eat in a certain way. Find people who are like-minded and you can help push each other when things get tough. And remember, be proud of yourself.

Any other motivational tips you'd like to share with the crowd?
/Ulrika

Monday motivation (part III)

Happy Monday, people!

I hope you had a great weekend. I sure did.

Reasons to stay motivated - part 1.

Picture this: Sunday night (around 9 p.m.), I realized that we (my hubby and I) haven't done our workout for the day. My mister was really tired and didn't want to work out - although he loves his TRX routine. I told him I'd work out as well - I needed to get a few (hundred) crunches in, plus a few planks of course. He did his routine, I did my "core crunch" right beside him, our dog playing around us. I <3 family-time. Working out together is the bomb! Motivating each other to push a little further... We need to do this a lot more often.

We worked out for 20 minutes or so, but guess what? A 20-minute workout is better than a 0-minute workout. He was really happy that I gently pushed him, since he wouldn't have done his routine if it wasn't for me.

The lesson of the story: By staying motivated you'll help yourself, and others too. Spread the spark! Partner yourself with a friend, co-worker or a loved one - someone who'll support you and your goals without sabotaging them.

Have a great week,

/Ulrika

Picture source

How should I start running?

Hey,

Hope you've had a great Halloween! I don't know about you guys, but we had a really quiet Halloween with just two trick-or-treaters. We didn't stock up on sweets, because we didn't want to eat all the leftovers ourselves. My plan worked perfectly, no excess candy to munch on the weekend.

I promised myself last week that I'd go jogging on Saturdays. I promised myself to keep my promises too, ha ha. Since I woke up an hour earlier than I should and I had a tremendous amount of energy, I decided to go for a 45-minute run before work. I felt awesome!

If you haven't been exercising regularly for years, start off with brisk walks. When your walks feel light in intensity, you can add a few jogs into your regular routine (read a bit further, running for beginners-routine coming up!).


How should I get started?
 
Make sure you're exercising properly. Don't be greedy, your fitness level won't improve massively on the first jog.

Here are a few pitfalls you should avoid when beginning your new hobby:

• You're running too fast. Make sure your pace is mild and you feel good during your workout (and afterwards!). Running at a high velocity requires a few week's training, so be patient.
• You're runs are too long in duration. Keep in mind that your career as a runner should start with walking and progress into jogging. Running won't become a habit if you start with high-intensity workouts and feel like sh*t afterwards.
• You're running because you "should be running". If you have no interest in running, why do it? There are a million different cardio exercises that are just as good. If you don't like what you're doing, it's hard to stay motivated.

Set goals.
Set your own goals based on your own fitness level. Read here about setting goals, if you're insecure. An example could be to run for 45 minutes without feeling like dying.


Exercise routines -interval training

Beginner
If you've never run before, start off with 2-3 brisk walks per week. Each workout should last for 20-30 minutes and you should feel energized afterwards.
When your walks feel really easy and light in intensity, add a few minutes jogs into the routine. Your walks could look like this:

Warm-up for 10 minutes (brisk walking)

Light jogging 1 minute

Walking 4 minutes

Repeat the jogging/walking-interval twice for a 20-minute workout.

After completing this routine for 2-3 weeks (and still feeling good), add a little bit of length to your runs. Keep in mind that the workout should still feel easy and you add a maximum of five minutes to each workout per week.

Intermediate
Your fitness level is "intermediate", you work out 2-3 times a week and have done the beginner phase already, or you've been walking/running 20-45-minute runs for 3-4 weeks.

When your fitness level is improving, you can easily crank up the volume:

Warm-up: walk 10 minutes

Jog 2 minutes

Walk 3 minutes

You can slowly move onto a more jogging, less walking type of routine: jog 3 minutes, walk 2 minutes or jog 4 minutes, walk 1 minute. As soon as this routine feels easy, start doing your workouts jogging.

Advanced
In case you've been running straight for 45 minutes and it still feels easy, add a little more intensity to your workouts.

Warm-up: light jogging 10 minutes

Run 1 minute

Jog 4 minutes

Repeat the run/jog-routine 2-6 times.

Run a maximum of three times per week, keeping at least one rest day in between workouts. Remember to stretch your quads, hamstrings, calves, glutes and hip adductors after every workout!

Have a nice run ;)
/Ulrika

Picture source

Workout routines: Lower body plyo circuit

This is what really got me and my friend Maija going last month  - a lower body plyometric circuit! I presented my September workout schedule earlier (here), and now is the time to show you exactly what the plyo circuit is.

Get shredded with this awesome routine! Incorporate it into your workout schedule by replacing a lower body resistance training or a high intensity interval training (HIIT) routine with this. I recommend that you do this 1-2 times per week, keeping a minimum of 48 hours between workouts.

This is one of my favourite workout routines so far. It's short (it takes me about 35 minutes to complete five rounds), effective and I can totally feel my buns and thighs burning afterwards!

Before starting the circuit, make sure you're decently warmed up. By that, I mean a 10-15 minute light cardio on a stationary bike, treadmill or any cardio machine of your choice. You should have broken a bit of sweat before moving on to the circuit.

You'll need: a bench or a step, 2 x 3-5 kg dumbbells, a water bottle and a towel to wipe your sweat (trust me, you'll need it!). Bring a stopwatch to time your progress.

Remember to drink lots of water after the workout. Have a healthy carb-filled recovery drink or meal waiting for you ~30 minutes after working out.

Five rounds of:
Weighted reverse lunge from bench or step (15 reps per leg)
Mountainclimbers (30 seconds)
Bench jumps (10 reps)
Weighted lunge jumps (10 reps per leg)
Jumping jacks (30 seconds)

Try to keep minimal pauses between rounds, no pauses between exercises. Start off with three rounds and work your way up as your body adapts to the workout. This set shouldn't feel easy; in fact, this is one of the toughest sets I do during my workout week.

Breaking down the routine

Reverse lunge from bench or step

Get ready: Stand on an elevated platform, feet hip-width apart with two 3-5 kg dumbbells in each hand. 

Go: Step back with your right leg and lower your body until your left knee is bent at at least 90 degrees. Pause, then push through the left heel and step your right foot on the board. That's one rep. Do all reps on the right leg before stepping back with your left leg.

Mountainclimbers

Get ready: Start in a full plank position, with your palms straight under your shoulders and feet hip-width apart. Make sure you don't round your shoulders or let your hips sag!

Go: Alternate running your knees into your chest as fast as possible, sprinting for 30 seconds until you're completely out of breath.

Bench jumps

Get ready: Stand in front of your bench (or box) with your arms by your sides, feet hip-width apart.

Go: Jump onto your bench, landing as softly as possible, and jump back down. Repeat 10 times.

Lunge jumps

Get ready: Feet in a hip-width position, hands by your sides (holding dumbbells, if possible). Step back with your right leg and lower until your left knee is in a 90 degree angle.

Go: Jump up as fast as you can, extending your knees. Land softly in the same position, lower and repeat 10 times before stepping back with your left leg.

Jumping jacks

Get ready: Stand with your feet together, arms straight by your sides.

 Go: Jump and spread your feet, extending your arms up. Jump and bring them back together. Repeat for 30 seconds.

Tip: Keep your arms as straight as possible, stay on the balls of your feet.

Have a great workout!

/Ulrika

Picture source 1 2 3 4 5

Clean eating: Keeping a dietary log

Hi guys,

I wanted to share my dietary log of one day with you guys - just to show you what a day of clean eating can look like.
My doctor told me that I'm supposed to eat at least one serving of dairy per day, plus one serving of wheat, oats, barley or rye for three weeks before undergoing lab tests. Normally I'd stay off grains, except for the occasional oatmeal.

Monday 29.10.2012
I woke up at 6.30, stayed in bed for an additional hour reading a cr*ppy Stephen King book. Drank 2 huge glasses of water before getting up.
I was at work from 13 to 22: a few personal training clients plus a few hours of customer service. Not bad at all.

8.00-8.30 Brisk walking with my dog
9.00 2 cups of coffee (with milk), 2 glasses of water, 1 glass freshly pressed apple juice. An omelette: 2 eggs, 160 g tomato, 1 dl chopped spinach, 50 grams Greek cheese.
+ multivitamins, Omega-3's and liquid vitamin D
11-12 lower body strength & plyo workout + 7 dl water (similar workout here!)
12.30 Recovery smoothie: 30 g whey, 2 dl semi-skimmed milk, 150 g strawberries
16.00 Chicken salad with pomegrenade, some yellow bell pepper, tomatoes and rocket. 7 dl water
18.30 1 pink grapefruit, 10 almonds. 7 dl water + a few cups of herbal tea with my friends
19.30 Tuna salad with bell pepper, cucumber, tomatoes, rocket and lettuce. 7 dl water.
21.00 Evening smoothie: 30 g whey, 15 g oatmeal, 1 tbsp coconut flakes, 150 g blueberries and 3 dl milk.
22.45 Omega-3's, magnesium, zinc, B-vitamins. 2dl water.

Nutritional info:
1830 kcal
97g carbs (22%)
76g fats (38%)
177g proteins (40%)

Workout info (according to my heart beat monitor)
Brisk walking 30 mins 172 kcal
Gym workout 60 mins 516 kcal
 

One simple picture to explain what clean eating actually is:

I don't really want to think of stuff as "allowed" or "not allowed", since that makes clean eating sound like a fad diet. I'd rather say "more fresh fruits and veggies, less white flour".

We (as in my hubby and I) eat organic meat and dairy. We buy our beef from an organic farm close to our villa - we know the meat is organic, grass and grain-fed. The final product looks (and tastes!) a lot different than non-organic beef. Especially ground beef is a lot thicker, it feels almost solid compared to the spaghetti-like non-organic ground beef.

Now, just to be clear, this isn't a diet plan. It's just my diet plan at the moment. If I didn't work out, I'd skip the recovery smoothie (~270 kcals). 

So, tell me - what does your dietary log look like? :)

/Ulrika

Picture source 1 2

Vitamin D - sunshine in a bottle?

Good morning, people!

I'm challenging myself to achieve a healthier body - besides working out and maintaining a balanced diet I've focused on supplementation and de-stressing.

Clean eating is a huge part of a healthy lifestyle, but since modern food doesn't provide all the micronutrients we need, I take supplements. I'll write a "Top 10 superfoods and supplements" post in the future to satisfy my readers. Keep sending me emails (and feel free to comment on my posts) in the future, I love your suggestions!

I'm trying something completely new: liquid vitamin D3.

The product I'm using is Solgar Natural Liquid Vitamin D3, 2500 IU. It's recommended to take 0,5 ml every day or every other day, preferably with meals. One dropper (0,5 ml) provides: sunflower seed oil, flavour: natural orange, vitamin D3 62.5ug (2500iu, as cholecalciferol), mixed tocopherols.

Liquid vitamin D - sunshine in a bottle?

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, which is unique because it can be ingested as Vitamin D3 or D2 and because the body can also synthesize it when sun exposure is adequate. Vitamin D can be synthesized in the skin when exposed to sunlight. Sunscreen, cloud cover and pollution (smog) can filter out some UVB rays, so less of them are able to reach your skin every day. People with dark skin have more melanin in their skin compared to fair-skinned people. Melanin filters even more of the sunrays, so people with dark skin should make sure to get their vitamins. Supplementation and a proper diet is key.

Every cell in your body needs vitamin D. The vitamin is very important, because it plays a big part in maintaining your calcium, phosphorus and magnesium balance, insulin secretion and it regulates blood pressure among many other benefits. You want your brain to work properly when you're older, don't you?
Low blood levels of vitamin D are associated with increased mortality, and giving supplementary vitamin D3 to elderly women seems to decrease the risk of death. Vitamin D deficiency causes osteomalacia, falls and low bone mineral density and is associated with multiple sclerosis and some cancers. Moderate to high doses of Vitamin D may reduce cardiovascular disease risk.

Vitamin D manufactors and retailers claim it to have an effect on common colds. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of 322 healthy adults concluded that a monthly intake of 100,00 IU of vitamin D did not reduce the incidence or severity of common colds in healthy adults (source). However, it seems that vitamin D has an effect on influenza infections.

Now, the good part: Vitamin D seems to have an effect on your metabolism. There has been found a link between vitamin D deficiency and high body weight. Special receptors for vitamin D signal whether you should burn fat or simply store it; when vitamin D plugs into these receptors, it starts a fatburning process. Meanwhile, receptors in your brain need vitamin D to keep hunger and cravings in check, as well as to pump up levels of serotonin, a mood-lifting chemical. I like the sound of that, since a low-calorie diet makes me cranky ;)
As I said earlier, vitamin D maintains your electrolyte levels by optimizing your body's ability to absorb calcium, an important weight-loss nutrient. When your body lacks calcium, it can experience up to a fivefold increase in the fatty acid synthase, an enzyme that converts consumed kilocalories into fat. In a 2009 study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, obese women who were put on a 15-week diet and took 1200 milligrams of calcium a day lost six times more weight than women who followed the diet alone. Conclusion: By fueling your body with the D-rich nutrients it needs to get out of a fat-storage state and into a fat-burning one, you could potentially speed weight loss by up to 70 percent.


Dietary sources of vitamin D are for example fatty fish species (salmon, sardines, tuna, mackerel), different mushrooms (portobello mushrooms are the highest in vitamin D), egg, fish liver oils and beef liver. Vitamin D is added to staple foods (such as milk) to avoid disease due to deficiency (osteomalacia).

The recommended daily amount of vitamin D in the European Union is 5 µg. One dropper (0,5 ml) of my Solgar liquid vitamin D has 12500% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin D. I can feel it!

I've taken liquid vitamin D for two weeks now, and I can feel the difference! Waking up at 5.15 a.m. doesn't seem that bad, when I know I'll get my vitamin kick in a few minutes.... Love it.

/Ulrika


//P.S. Check my Facebook page for more motivational pictures, healthy recipes and articles!

Clean eating: making raw chocolate

My post on raw chocolate earlier received quite a lot of attention, and since I got a few emails about making raw chocolate, I wanted to share the recipe I (always) use.

Making raw chocolate is actually quite simple. You need to buy a lot of ingredients, but once you've got them in your cupboards, you can make raw chocolate as often as you like.

Clean eating: Raw chocolate (makes ~20 small pieces)

Ingredients
125 g cacao butter
1 tbsp organic honey (or a tsp Stevia)
5 tbsp raw cacao powder
3 tbsp raw lucuma powder
2 tbsp raw maca powder
a pinch of high-quality salt (pink Himalayan salt, grey sea salt)
(2-4 drops mint oil)
(nuts, dried berries or fruits)

1. Grate the cacao butter (or chop it up to tiny pieces).

2. Boil some water in a pan. Remove it off the heat after it's boiled.
3. Place the grated cacao butter in a bain marie and wait until all the solids have melted. 

4. Add the honey (or stevia) and the cacao powder and mix with a spoon until smooth.
5. Add the lucuma, maca (, mint oil) and salt and mix until smooth.

6. If you want a little twist, put some (crushed) walnuts, goji berries, mulberries or other dried fruits in silicone moulds and pour over the raw chocolate mixture.

7. Let the raw chocolate set for a few hours in the fridge (or if you're as impatient as I am, place the moulds in the freezer for 30 minutes).
8. Pop out your chocolates and share them with the people you love.

Our friends love these delicious treats. The chocolates in the picture above are flavoured with mint oil and I've added a few crushed walnuts. These tiny walnutty pieces were delicious! In case you haven't got greedy friends like I do ;) , these chocolates will store in the fridge (or freezer) for a week or so.

Try this recipe out and let me know what you think!

/Ulrika

Clean eating: raw chocolate

Need a healthy treat for the weekend?
Do you love sweets, but not the excess sugar, fat and additives?
Do you want to enjoy chocolate without guilt?

If you answered yes to one of those questions, raw chocolate is the way to go.

Cacao pod.

Picture source

What is raw chocolate?

Cacao is the raw, unprocessed form of chocolate.  These untreated seeds referred to as cacao beans can be considered a superfood offering a wealth of antioxidants and essential vitamins and minerals.
The cacao beans are grown on small tropical trees named Theobroma cacao, which literally translates to “cacao, the food of the gods” in the Greek language. These trees are native to Central and South America. Today Western Africa produces around 60% of the world's cacao.
The pods are harvested throughout the year, because not all pods ripen at once. Each cacao pod that emerges from the tree typically houses between 40 and 60 cacao seeds. After careful harvesting, the pods are opened (and the peels discarded), the seeds are removed, and they undergo a natural fermentation and drying process (preferably by the sun). The fermentation and drying process takes several days, and the bitter cacao seed is transformed into a sweet, mild cacao bean.

Cacao beans

 Picture source

The cacao bean consists of 54% fat or Cacao butter (Heart-healthy fats: Oleic acid, Stearic acid and Palmic acid), 31% Carbohydrates (high in fiber), 11% Protein (arginine, glutamine, leucine), 3% polyphenols=antioxidants (flavanols, proanthocyanins) and <1% minerals (iron, magnesium, copper...), vitamins: B1, B2, B3, B5, B9, E.

Raw cacao beans are then roasted to form cocoa, ground and mixed with sugar and fats to make chocolate. The high heat during the roasting process reduces the levels of antioxidants in the cacao, minimizing the powerful health benefits found in the unprocessed, raw cacao. To receive the greatest benefits from cacao, look for "raw" (non-roasted) cacao beans. 

Chocolate contains an antioxidant called flavanol and it’s this little component that could potentially have health benefits such as lowering blood pressure and improving circulation, lowering LDL cholesterol, neutralizing free radicals, improving digestion and enhancing mental well-being by improving mood and fighting depression. As flavanol and the vitamins are contained in the cocoa itself, you should obviously choose a chocolate bar with a high cocoa solid content, specifically dark chocolate. Dark chocolate generally has a much higher cocoa content than milk chocolate and the milk itself will dilute the effects of the flavanols. As white chocolate often doesn’t contain any actual cocoa, this won’t have any effect on your health.

 Picture source

Basically, dark chocolate has the most amount of cocoa solids and therefore the most actual ‘chocolate’ in it. The higher the cocoa solids in a bar of chocolate, the better the quality and, if you like your chocolate authentic, you should be looking at choosing something with at least 70% cocoa content. You also know that if there’s plenty of cocoa in there, there isn’t going to room for much else. Dark chocolate doesn’t have any milk or milk powder in it either so you get more of a true chocolate flavour. However, this isn’t to everyone’s taste, as it can be quite bitter. Also, you need to remember that if the cocoa solids are high then there’s going to be less sugar, which will again make the chocolate taste bitter.

A BBC report indicated that melting chocolate in one's mouth produced an increase in brain activity and heart rate that was more intense than that associated with passionate kissing, and also lasted four times as long after the activity had ended. "The study also found that as the chocolate started melting, all regions of the brain received a boost far more intense and longer lasting than the excitement seen with kissing." Click here for the full article!

Now, before you empty your fridge of veggies and fruits and replace them with chocolate bars, bare in mind that chocolate is high in calories and should be eaten in moderation. Stick to my 90%/10% rule and you'll be just fine. That means, eat 90% clean and you'll get to "cheat" 10% of the time. If you eat 5 meals a day 7 days a week, you get to endulge up to 3-4 times per week. Here's my post on cheat meals.

Hope you're having a perfect weekend,
/Ulrika

Obsession: yoga

I know this is an old video, but I still watch this every now and again. It's just mesmerizing, you know? I recommend taking three minutes to watch the video, it's worth it.

The first time I saw this video I couldn't help but thinking "I need to master this". Too bad I'm not that skinny or flexible, and my arm balance could definitely need a lot more work. But you know what? I'm still going for it. Maybe not this year, but the next. I'll practice until I'm there.

Briohny Smyth from Equinox makes it look so easy. *sigh*
Well, I guess she didn't just browse videos on YouTube and go "ooh I need to learn that" :D She lives and breathes yoga, just like I live and breathe the gym. I need to refocus. More yoga? Oh, yes.

I've had some issues with my lower back. It feels tired and stiff every now and again, mostly after long runs or lifting heavy. Completing just a few sun salutations eases the pain - completing a full 90-minute session makes me feel reborn. The best part is that I don't have to go anywhere special to do it. I can just walk into our spare room and close the door behind me, roll out my yoga mat and close my eyes.

You know the feeling after a tough workout at the gym? The feeling I get after a yoga workout is entirely different. I feel warm, but not necessarily sweaty. Every muscle and joint in my body feels like it's had a workout, but nothing feels sore. I feel at least a few inches longer after the deep stretches. My mind is peaceful and my breath is eased.

I do my yoga in silence, or listening to sounds of nature. Raindrops on our tin roof; the wind rustling in the trees; the sound of my deep breaths.
 
Inhale, exhale.

/Ulrika

Saturday motivation.

Motivational pictures of the week.

I wanted to share some beautiful pictures with you guys. These pictures are printed and glued to my motivational diary for this week's entry. As I've said before, i love to keep a log on my eating, working out and just overall feelings. My workouts this week haven't been perfect (I injured my left glute muscles last week), but I've really focused on clean eating and sleeping enough.

I've kept a dietary log this week, just to stay on track. I've written everything down, every sip of water and every supplement. Keeping a dietary log even for a week gives me perspective on my diet. I should be drinking a lot more water (even though I drink 2-3 litres every day), making sure I take my HCl supplements on every meal (with solid proteins, that is) and eating a lot more greens. We eat a lot of veggies and fruits, but we should focus a lot more on deep green leafy veggies like spinach. I grew my own spinach in the summer and got a bit of an overdose of it - eating spinach on every meal gets tiring after a month! Any ideas for a great substitute?

I completed my upper body CrossTraining workout on Tuesday, and my lats have been on fire ever since! Scap pulls, negative pull-ups and ring work seems to work my lats in a totally new way - adding some eccentric work to the mix seems to help too ;) As always, I did something different this week - I completed a BodyCombat class at 7 a.m. on Thursday morning. I'm not usually for cardio training at the break of dawn, but it was a lot of fun!

I've been working out with friends this week. It's so much fun, I bet we both feel so pumped up afterwards. I'm able to add a lot more weights and my plyo training goes a lot better when I'm not alone - I guess I'm a bit of a show-off :D Just kidding, it feels so much safer to squat with heavier weights when you know that if anything happens, there's someone there for you. I'll ask a friend to photograph my gym workouts next week, so you'll see both my workout routines! Prepare to be amazed.

I'm off to meet my nieces in a few hours, so I have to go now... I really hope you're having a great weekend!

Stay on track,
/Ulrika


Picture source

October and November workouts

Hi guys,

I'm so pumped up on this workout schedule!

I decided to go with this for two months, since I really need to focus on my ring work. I've heard that it takes several years to get good at ring gymnastics, which sucks for me :) Well, anyway. I'm really hoping that I get good at something before I ditch it.

(I'm really impatient, just in case you haven't noticed)

I've been doing this set for three weeks now. I'm really seeing a difference in my ring work, and especially on my handstand push-ups. This week I was able to complete four sets of two push-ups, yeah! I just couldn't stop smiling afterwards. You know the feeling, right?

So, here is my weekly workout routine:

Monday
Leg plyo workout. Alternating (supersetting) heavy lifts with plyometric exercises. (workout routine coming up!)

Tuesday
Upper body crosstraining-inspired workout. As I said before, I'm working on ring workouts, plus trying to master handstand push-ups. It's hard, I tell you. (workout routine coming up!)

Wednesday
Leg plyo workout, same as Monday.


Thursday
Upper body crosstraining-inspired workout, same as Tuesday.


Friday
Core training and HIIT (running, cycling, stairclimbing)

Saturday
Yoga


Sunday
Rest


Each workout is 45-65 minutes long, except for the Friday ab workout, which consists of 7 exercises plus a 30-minute cardio and a four-minute Tabata. Oh, how I love and hate Dr. Tabata.

So, how's your weekly workout schedule? Something new and exciting for fall?

/Ulrika

Experiencing acupuncture

Some days I feel really clumsy. (Prepare for a long story)

Like yesterday, for example. I did my regular (short) set of handstand push-ups and landed a bit off, causing my left glute to crampe up. I tried to shake it off, do some short dynamic stretches but nothing seemed to help. I just had to limp my way out of the gym. Sigh.

I tried to move around at home, but nothing seemed to work. Rotating my hip caused sharp pain in my glute, and the pain kept moving around, up and down my buttock. Sometimes I thought it was the piriformis muscle, other times I thought it was something entirely different. I did a differential diagnosis on it, which was that I'd strained my piriformis muscle together with a deep hip muscle.

Luckily I'd already set up an appointment with my friend  Mikko, whom I visited earlier for thai herbal massage (read about it here). He was supposed to treat my lower back, but since I'm accident prone, he got to treat my hip instead.

I was prepared for acupuncture, but hadn't a clue what it would feel like. I'm not afraid of needles, so the thought of having a few needles stuck in my skin wasn't something I feared, although I wasn't exactly looking forward to it either... Well, anyway. Mikko was really soothing, he explained how it would feel when he inserts the needles and he kept asking me how I felt. I felt surprisingly good.

After locating the strained muscle he showed me where he'd place the needles: two needles on the foramens 1 and 2 of the sacrum, two needles on my left glute and one needle on the back of my foot. ( i.e. Gall Bladder 30, Bladder 54&29&30 and Spleen 4.) I'm surprised that placing the needles didn't hurt. I felt a small pinch when the needle went through my skin, but it didn't feel bad at all.

After a few minutes I felt a somewhat tingling sensation combined with a deep heat coming off the needles. It almost felt like electricity running through my glute and thigh, all the way down to my foot. And that was before adding the heat.

A few minutes after inserting the needles Mikko added a few chinese moxa cones (i.e. small pieces of burning coal) on the needles. Since I had five-centimeter (2-inch) needles in my sacrum and 7,5 cm (3-inch) needles in my glute muscles, the warmth was spreading quite quickly through my tissues. Oh, how good it felt. Weird, but good. The moxa cones burned for ten minutes. When the moxa cones had burned all the way, Mikko took the needles off and I got a chance to move around.

After not being able to walk stairs without limping, or even standing on one leg, anything would be an improvement. Now I can stand on one leg, even jump around a bit without pain. The strain hasn't been cured, but I'm so happy to be pain-free.

Mikko said that I shouldn't do any exercising today or tomorrow (bleh), and I should avoid going to the sauna today, since acupuncture may lower my blood pressure.

Have you ever tried acupuncture? Any experiences you'd like to share?

/Ulrika

Picture source 1 2 

Clean eating: Lemon chicken

 

I plan most my meals on Sundays and prepare most of them on Sunday nights or on a Monday morning before work. This is one of my favourite lunches, because it's super-easy to cook in bulk! You could easily cook 6 chicken legs at once, because they stay perfectly well in the fridge for 5-7 days. Freezing the cooked chicken is always an option.

This meal takes about 5 minutes to prepare, plus the 50-60 minutes it bakes in the oven. 

Quick and easy - what's not to love?

Clean eating: Lemon chicken

(serves 3)

Ingredients

3 chicken legs, lightly salted

1 lemon

1 tbsp sage

1 tsp rosemary

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (400 degrees Fahrenheit).

2. Cut the lemon in thin slices (appr. 1 cm thick).

3. Place the chicken legs in a large oven-proof bowl. Spice the legs with sage, rosemary, salt and pepper to taste. (I, personally, don't need any extra salt or pepper)

4. Place the lemon slices between and around the chicken legs and drizzle some olive oil on top.

5. Bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes, until the chicken legs are golden brown and the meat comes easily off the bones.

6. Enjoy with clean eating sweet potato chips, quinoa or fresh salad.

Tip #1: Use different citrus fruits. Oranges, lemons and limes are great with chicken!

Tip #2: Bake a few potatoes, carrots or sweet potatoes with the chicken - lemon and potato is a great combo.

Tip #3: Use duck, goose or different forms of poultry for new flavors.

Let me know what you think!

/Ulrika

Clean eating: Sweet potato chips

Thursday treat: sweet potato chips!
 
Do you love chips or french fries, but can't stand the excess calories? Do you want to keep your meals clean, yet exciting? If you answered yes, here's a recipe you should definitely try.
 
This is one of the easiest cheat meals ever. If I can do it, you can. I really love the simplicity of the recipe. Few ingredients plus a really simple preparation is always a plus when it comes to eating clean!

The chips take about five minutes to prepare plus the 15-30 minutes in the oven. You could easily cut up the slices in advance to cut a few corners. I usually keep cubed and sliced veggies in the fridge to save time.

Ingredients (makes 2-4 servings)
1 sweet potato
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Salt, herbs and pepper to taste


  
1. Preheat the oven to 200C. 
2. Peel the sweet potato and cut it in thin slices (approx 5mm each). 
3. Spread the slices evenly on a oven-proof pan, drizzle on some evoo and the spices of your choice. 
4. Bake in the oven for 15-30 minutes (depending on the thickness of the slices) and enjoy as a snack or with some chicken.

Tip #1: Mix it up by using different veggies. Sweet potato, yams, potato, zucchini and aubergine are perfect for this, and they work splendidly together.
Tip #2: Use different spice mixes. Try cinnamon, different herbs (rosemary potato is one of my personal favourites) or a low-sodium & sugarfree spice mix (e.g. bbq or pumpkin spice mix)
Tip #3: In the summer, use the grill. A smokey flavour is perfect with the sweet potato.

Enjoy!

/Ulrika

Wednesday motivation.

 

Motivational pictures of the week, borrowed from here and here.

I've been sick for the last 6 days, so no workouts for me.. My throat is still really sore and I have a runny nose, so it's nothing serious - but I still don't want to risk it. I'm getting better though, hopefully soon enough to go for a light jog later this week.

It's better to rest now and be healthy in a few days than work my butt off and get pneumonia. I went through it in May and I'm not exactly looking forward to doing it again.

It's really hard to be away from lifting when I've got a cold. I'm trying to do as I preach - I'm always telling my clients to wait until they are properly healthy before breaking a decent sweat.

I'm more motivated than ever right now. Without going into further details I'll tell you that I've seen a specialist about my health issue.. It's really eye-opening, to finally get answers to questions I haven't dared to ask, and maybe getting some closure. I just hope that these issues will be solved fast.

I've planned my workouts for October and November: surprise - I'm mixing it up again!

I'll ditch most of my resistance training and go for bodyweight training in stead. More chin-ups, more handstand push-ups and ring training (which I find really challenging). I'd really love to master a few muscle-ups by next spring. It sounds like I'm making huge changes in my workouts, although I'm not.. Just modifying the upper body workouts, inspired by CrossTraining.

I won't ditch my front squats, deadlifts or kettlebell swings. I'd rather die.

How are you guys doing? Anything new for this fall?

/Ulrika