Mish Fit: 7 Things I have learnt so far

As I am sitting here, I feel energetic, confident and pretty inspired. My morning did not start out this way. It started off with a cyclist giving me the finger as I took a turn at a robot, then I braved the morning traffic to work and decided to treat myself to a breakfast at i-Cafe, which is on the ground floor of the Naspers building. I ordered a Monte Cristo Breakfast while paging through a YOU Diet magazine dated 2011 while waiting. Not paying attention to the menu, I stupidly overlooked that the breakfast I ordered consisted of a ham and mozarella french toast and carmelised onions and chips. Argh, I caved and had a few chips! Bought a gift small gift and a biggish gift bag and the gift did not fit. My mind was boggled.

I knew I could not possibly be the only one having an odd day and feeling a bit bleh (for lack of a better word). I overheard a friend of mine's frustration because her day started out weird too. Anyway,it made me think of how my week was going and here are the things I discovered. I hope you enjoy it!

1. I have more persistence than I thought.
2. Two is better than one. We have read this in the Bible and this is great motivation. Exercising together is a great motivator to stay commited and to push through.
3. Warming up and cooling down is not optional! My body is not aching after I workout but, I feel like I have done a solid training session.
4. Whenever I am done working out, I crave bread. I thought this was bad but, according to studies and Women's Health SA you carbs speeds up the recovery after a good workout.
5. I discovered a hormone that is linked to stress and weight gain, called cortisol. The more you stress, the more of this hormone you produce. Cortisol is the hormone. So if you backslide, don't stress, just keep at it.
6. I found that when I eat after I workout, I am less rebelious about what I eat and more accepting of fruits and veg.
7. I discoverd the best proudly South African dark chocolate with blackberries by Chocolates by Tomes as a treat. Hmmm, truly gives Lindt a run for its money.

Mish Fit: 4 Diet Derailers and what to do about them!

A week into my slim down undertaking and so far, everything seems to be on track. The cravings are minimal and I have only slipped up about four times. My commitment to regular workouts has been okay and hopefully I will do even better this week.

But you know life happens and gets in the way of all your good intentions. What causes you to blow your diet? I gave it some thought and listed 4 reasons why my healthy intentions were derailed after a couple of days worth of good practice.

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The time-out
You have done so well, so now you decide to pig out for one night. After all you have worked really hard and earned your calorie splurge. This friends, is not wisdom. I have done this so many times.

Solution
Granted, you are allowed a break from your diet plan but the fact remains that you don’t have to go over board. A break once a week is enough. The only difference is that you can have a few more calories, so go for the fried chicken if you want but skip the chips and add a garden salad. Pick your day. Stick to your new portion sizes.

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Your hips still lie
You have not lost an inch in spite of all the exercise and eating. What is causing this? You become despondent and later tonight, you end up sitting with the Coke in a mug (to hide the shame) and slice of comfort me pie.

Solution
You might just be in a rush and your goal might be a bit outrageous. Revisit your goals. Look at your exercise routine. Workout 3 times a week to start off with and try to create a deficit intake of the amount of calories you ingest. You need a deficit of at least a 1000 per week. Do more cardio, this is the workout that truly slims you down, no matter how much you hate sweating.

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Laduma
You have shed that stubborn kilogram that makes a difference between a size 12 and 14 and you are elated! So, let’s celebrate this accomplishment with a slice of Death by calories, I mean chocolate… Stop it! Put down the spoon and back away from the plate.

Solution
When you have lost a crucial kilo and you should reward yourself. This will keep you motivated. BUT seeing as a diet plan is actually more of a lifestyle change, than just trying to fit into a smaller dress size, your reward should be apt. Opt for a great outdoor activity and soak up some vitamin D or go for a spa treatment.

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Social butterfly
You get invited for pizza or to the launch of a new restaurant or as in my case… a book launch and you have been so good and now it is going to be spoilt by a series of unfortunate eating events. The easy thing to do is say no but sometimes you just can’t get out of the work events and or nights out with your friends. What do you do? Call in diet, in stead of sick?

Solution
This scenario derails even the most committed, resulting in you pushing your diet plans to the next week. Try to find out where you are meeting up with your friends. Check out the menu online. This will help you decide in advance on the healthier option and don’t be encouraged to get anything else than what you have settled on beforehand. In case of the finger foods at an event, eat two small plates and avoid a serviette. This can be misleading, causing you to eat more. Don't load up on the pastries either.

I hope you were able to identify with these scenarios. If you know what could derail your plans, you can counter with these simple solutions. Just try it for yourself, don't take my word for it!

Friday Food Fest

What a crazy week this has been and I for one, think that it is time to kick back and just erase the series of unfortunate events and celebrate the things that went as planned and the surprises! Low points, not being able to complete the blog post I had hoped for, an unnecesary spat with a collegue and not being able to spend more time with my folks. The high points: taking back control and not lowering myself to a level that I don't live on, enjoying new found respect, look forward to my diet diary on Monday because the post is going to be awesome! The cherry ontop of this week is being announced as the winner of a four day cycling tour in the Mother City, compliments of the V&A Waterfront and AWOL Tours! Laaa! I am elated!

So, in celebration of the weekend and all things right, bright and beautiful, here is your Friday Food Fest recipe! I have decided on a fab new recipe book, Make Give Sell, coming this November by super styling siblings, Callie Maritz and Mari-Louis Guy! If you are into markets, fete's, street food, church bazaars etc, this book is jam packed full of tasty ideas! This book is so terrific, I will be posting a number of favourites for you to try and do buy the book, it makes for a great gift - filled with gifts!  In the spirit of fun and colour, let's enjoy Jelly in its simplest form as Adults!

 

SERVES 4

Jelly for grown-ups

Jelly in any form is always fun to eat, but Gelatine can be quite tricky to work with. We certainly prefer working with Gelatine powder as opposed to Gelatine sheets as the size varies from country to country. The General rule though is 6 sheets = 1 tbsp = 1 x 10 G sachet. Always soak the Gelatine in cold liquid to allow it to bloom before adding hot liquid.

INGREDIENTS

1. cup (190 ml) water

1/3 cup (70 g) sugar

1 Tbsp (15 ml/10 g sachet)

gelatine powder

1. cup (190 ml) rose wine

1/3 cup (50 g) fresh sliced

strawberries or raspberries

or

1. cup (190 ml) water

1/3 cup (70 g) sugar

1 Tbsp (15 ml/10 g sachet)

gelatine powder

1. cup (190 ml) fruity

white wine

1/3 cup (50 g) fresh grapes

a few sprigs of fresh

tarragon or a few

mint leaves

or

1. cup (190 ml) water

1/3 cup (70 g) sugar

1 Tbsp (15 ml/10 g sachet)

gelatine powder

. cup (190 ml) pink

lemonade

a few drops of rose-water

petals of 1 rose

Heat the water in a saucepan, add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Sprinkle the gelatine over the wine or lemonade and let sit for 5 minutes to allow the gelatine to bloom. Stir through. add the hot liquid to the cold liquid and stir until well combined. Pour a small amount of the liquid jelly into the bottom of your glasses/jelly moulds and refrigerate until set. Keep the rest of the jelly at room temperature. Remove the glasses/moulds from the fridge. top with berries/grapes/petals and then add the rest of the liquid jelly. Chill until completely set. unmold by briefly dipping the glasses/moulds into hot water. Serve with either thick plain yoghurt, clotted cream or vanilla infused cream.

ISBN: 9780798157339 

To be released: 01 November 2012
Price (incl. VAT): R 250.00

Also available in Afrikaans as Markdag.

 

The 1 hour diet! Mish fit or not?

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Today is the first day of my slimming down series. I might be shooting myself in the foot by sharing my intention to shake off the winter warming weight, so I am loading the gun with this post. Hopefully writing about mission will keep me motivated and inspire those of you who need inspiration as well.

Not too long ago, I was feeling down in the dumps over certain things that were not going the way I had hoped. A good friend and colleague of mine came to my rescue with sweet tea, a tissue and a piece of life changing advice. She said when things get so tough you feel like you can't catch your breath, stop, regroup and literally take it an hour at a time. This is so simple and yet so profound. I took it in and decided to start applying this wisdom.

This brings me to the one hour diet! Dieting is such a daunting task for me and this is the why I have come up with one-hour-diet tips! Hopefully you will find it as useful as I have. It is more of a mental cheat.

The One Hour Diet

Rise and shine
When you wake up in the morning, eat within the first hour. This kick starts your metabolism and you will not over eat because you will take in what you require.

Quench your thirst
Drink a glass of water every hour, this way you will have reached your quota of water by the time you head home after work. Tip: Start your morning with hot water and lemon to rev the metabolism!

Snack attack
When you crave chocolate or something crammed with kilojoules, delay your snack by an hour. Chances are your craving has left the building and if the craving persists, opt for a healthier alternative!

Come dine with us
Switch your television off and eat with friends or family. Take an hour to eat your food. The slower you eat, the better because your body will have enough time to let your brain know that you are satiated.

No pain, no gain!
Exercise for an hour, at least 2 to 3 days a week for an effective work out! Do not go over this time, especially when you are starting out. I am doing the Kim K Fit in your Jeans by Friday workout and it is really gruelling but I love it.

Try these easy little adjustments and see what happens! Don’t take my word for it, try it one hour at a time for yourself!

Friday Food Fest: Let's Jan Braai!

I just realised that it is 2 days, 10 hours and 22 minutes to National Braai Day. Seven years ago a very determined young man by the name of Jan Scannell decided to brand Heritage Day with something that ties us as South Africans together. No matter who you are in this country or where you are from, chances are that you have had or been to a braai. This is the one thing every South African has in common... We all braai!  Jan Scannell made this cross-cultural connection and earned himself the name of Jan Braai!

Jan recently buckled down and wrote a nifty recipe book crammed with tasty braai treats from the traditional tomato and cheese bread to his famous peri-peri sauce, lamb shanks, delicious paella and lasagne potjie. The idea of lasgne and a pot is errrrrrr... Crazy but to each his own. Jan insists on a wood fire, not gas and says it best in Afrikaans..."'n Gas is iemand wat jy na 'n braai nooi, nie brandstof waarmee jy braai nie.". He encourages burning up Auzzie crap as he puts it like ... Rooikrans that does more harm than good.

So as I finish my post, I bid you a fabulous Braai Day in celebration of Heritage Day! Here is a winner chop from Mr Braai himself!

Ps. If you want to join Jan Braai for a Kameelhout boerie and a cider with Jack Parow and the GoodHope FM crew, R80,00 gets you entry to Hamiltons Rugby Club. It promises to be lots of fun! Click here for more info.

Braaied tandoori lamb chops

 What you need (feeds 6)

16–20 lamb chops (lamb rib chops work well for this recipe)

500 ml plain yoghurt

2 tots (50ml) tandoori masala or tikka

masala (or whatever ‘special’ masala your local spice merchant suggests when you tell him you want to make tandoori lamb chops; otherwise, just buy normal masala at a supermarket)

1 tot  (25 ml) lemon juice

1 tot (25 ml) chopped garlic and ginger

(you can buy a pre-mix of this from some supermarkets – I wouldn’t use it but

braaing should be fun, so if you’re in a rush or feeling lazy, go for it)

salt

What to do

1. Trim excess fat off the chops but leave some on for flavour.

2. Make the marinade by mixing the yoghurt, masala, lemon juice and garlic and ginger together in a bowl. Use your recently washed hands or a spoon to toss the chops around in the marinade, ensuring all the chops are coated.

3. Leave them to marinate for a few hours or a day.

4. Braai over hot coals (but not too hot) for about 10–12 minutes until that point between medium rare and medium where lamb chops taste their best. Grind salt onto both sides of the chops while they are braaing.

And . . .

You can also make tandoori lamb sosaties. Use cubes of lamb from the leg or shoulder, marinate as above and skewer them just before braaing.

Jan's book is available in both English and Afrikaans. Fireworks in Englishand Vuurwerke in Afrikaans. They are both available at all good bookstore.  

Jan and I at the NB Publishers trade presentation

Mish encounters Eagles and more!

My birthday was last Monday and since I have been blessed with a new life year... I was treated to a beautiful sunny day with birds, to celebrate! The Mishtery loves nature and wild animals, so it was no surprise to find me ruffling feathers at Spier’s Eagle Encounters.

Wally the Wahlberg's Eagle

A perfect stranger and Mick, the Black Eagle

Mishtery, Wally and keeper

We visited Eagle Encounters, an NGO located at Spier Wine Estate in Stellenbosch. Eagle Encounters focus on the rehabilitation of birds of prey. These are injured, confiscated or even poisoned birds. These beautiful animals are released into the wild when they are fit to hunt and live a normal life again. 

Buzzard in flight

Unfortunately there are some birds that cannot be released back into the wild because of injuries or human imprinting (This is caused by being raised by humans). These are the birds you will find at this centre. They are the representatives of their species, giving us insight into their lives.

This beautiful Barn Owl landed on my hand.

 
Eagle Encounters is peaceful fun. It is the perfect Sunday afternoon. Entrance to this special bird park is R40 per person and R30 for a child between 3 and 12 years old. Activities include a personal encounter with Wally, the Wahlberg’s Eagle at R25 pp or a personal encounter the dancing owls (free), interactive Falconry display with kites, buzzards and a very lively American black vulture at R20 per hour show. Click here for the full list of activities.  

Large Vultures!

You can adopt a bird of prey, like Evita Bezuidenthout and name it Evita! Find out about adopting a bird… Hmmm, Mishtery is a great name for an owl, just a thought. I will treasure this experience and I absolutely recommend it. As I always say, don’t take my word for it, see for yourself! 

  

 

Visit www.eagle-encounters.co.za for more information!

Poking fun at a bird of prey? Hmmm, luckily they are Dancing Owls!

 

The Spotted Eagle Owls

·        A Mish take: To all guys, if you want to do something out of the ordinary for a special date… Please try Eagle Encounters but make sure your date is not afraid of birds! 

Some owl wisdom!