Nutrition and Fitness Tips This Christmas

With Christmas fast approaching it might well be a period you worry about too many big meals and parties to keep your fitness goals on track. But life is about living and occasional overindulgence within reason can be managed. Here are some strategies to help you navigate the party season.
Play the long game
It may well be inevitable that you will overeat at some points over the festive period, but rather than try to refrain from enjoying a celebratory meal or snacks, try to play the long game. If you know you have a big dinner or party, plan around it by trying to attenuate your eating either before and/or after. People that are good at maintaining bodyweight are naturally good at compensating for over indulgencies by moderating in subsequent meals, often unconsciously. Remember, it’s calories in and out that matters most and it doesn’t matter if you have your whole daily intake in one meal or over several meals, if on average you are not eating too much.  
 

 
Intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting is another strategy gaining popularity and one you may want to consider. For example, having a longer period of not eating after a big meal out. You could follow a similar pattern to a time-restricted eating, such that you are only eating 8 hours of the day, and not eating the other 16. Or simply wait longer until you next eat. There is some good evidence to suggest that extending the period of not eating is actually better in terms of helping us cope with what we eat and evidence also that after fasting for 16 hours you actually eat less than otherwise in the later meals.
 
Exercise clever
Make a plan to exercise and set some goals, even if these are a bit more relaxed than your regular ones. Don’t write off exercise for the whole of December thinking you’ll double up in January. Consider doing some of that exercise on an empty stomach. Exercising fasted, or without any newly consumed carbs, helps your body utilise more fat. So perhaps a morning moderate intensity exercise (e.g. walk, run, cycle) may be a good way to help burn off some fat.
 
Exercise is also of potential benefit in helping to regulate your appetite and curb hunger.  Both in terms of a distraction from eating and as a way of helping you compensate for overindulgences.
 
If you are a frequent exerciser, you may also consider higher intensity exercise such as HIIT training. This exaggerates the effect of exercise both in terms of calories burnt, fat burning and appetite control. And contrary to belief does not make you more hungry. 
 

 
Eating clever
To help you manage the festive period you may want to look at what you are eating and when. The festive period is conducive to eating luxury/tasty foods that are often high in one or more of fat, sugar and salt, even on a vegan diet. In addition, you are often eating and drinking more at some meals than normal (e.g. Christmas lunch), and eating and drinking later in the evening (e.g. your office party). 
 
Try to therefore to moderate the types of foods you eat across the day. For example:
 
•    Don’t eat high carb foods at every meal, perhaps have either a low carb breakfast and/or low carb dinner. 
•    If eating and drinking late at night, try to make these low carb meals. Favour lower carb drinks such as red wine and spirits with sugar-free mixers. 
•    If doing exercise, try to refrain from having lots of carbs before the exercise, or immediately after exercise if you can, to maximise the effect of the exercise. 
•    Try to base most meals around a good source of protein and vegetables predominantly.
 
Hopefully, these strategies will help you navigate the party season in good health and arrive in January ready for new challenges. Never feel guilty about enjoying yourself and above all, have fun and a great Christmas!
 

 
Damian Soong - CEO, Form, formnutrition.com
Form is a range of plant based nutrition built around the belief we can be the greatest version of ourselves while being mindful of others. 
 



Protein Mocha - by Shona Vertue

Ingredients

• 1-2 shots of espresso
• 2 scoops of form nutrition vegan protein powder
• 1,5 cups Plenish almond milk

Method
Pour hot coffee and protein into a blender. Heat the almond milk.
Once milk is heated pour it into the coffee and protein mix, blending it for roughly 3-5 seconds.
 
That is it ! 



 

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Ho Ho So Sustainable Christmas!

This month’s blog was meant to be about being Zero Waste when you’re on the go. But it’s come to my attention that Christmas is nearly upon us and everyone probably needs some help with getting through the festive season without totally trashing the planet!
There’s a few ways to look at Christmas – either a hellish consumer-fest that we spend too much money on, buy too many things that we don’t need whose forced jollity is horrible for people who are having a hard time. Or it’s a magical time spent with friends and family, eating lovely food and not going to work. The truth for all of us is probably somewhere in the middle.
 
We like a bit of thought provoking stuff so where better to start than with an article questioning the whole of the consumerist Christmas construct; or how we can’t buy our way out of trouble because conscious consumerism is a lie and how the only way to cure us is to be satisfied with what we already own which is down to changing the culture & messages we receive!
 
The reality is that we can’t ethically consume our way out of climate change – we need to drastically reduce the amount of (in Gerald Ratner’s words) cra*p we are all implored to buy this side of December. Joke toys are no joke when the impact of their production lingers far longer than the 30 seconds enjoyment on opening.
 
So, what to do (now that I’ve put the weight of the world on your shoulders?!) Below is a set of practical tips to make your Christmas this year more sustainable. Some of them are easier, some of them harder to implement but try and do something. Whilst I agree with the article above that there’s no substitute for systemic change, I do think that individual actions have a wider ripple effect so do as much as you can this year, and a little more next year – that’s how change happens. 
 
Changing your Family’s Culture
This is obviously the ideal but might be too much of a stretch to start with – so think of this as the ultimate goal. But seriously, can you do things differently in your family? We now do a (not so) Secret Santa. Everyone buys one gift for someone else, drawn out of a hat. Everyone still gets one really-nice present but it makes it all a bit more restrained and we just focus on spending the day together.
 
Replacing Gifts with Experiences
Instead of buying a thing, why not offer an experience – vouchers, a day out, sharing a skill (babysitting vouchers go down a treat, hint hint!), be creative and think about the best experience you could offer someone – the gift of time, in our frenetic world, is a rare thing indeed.
 
Or could your gift help someone else? There’s a wealth of charity gifts so why not have a think about what the receiver loves & buy something that fits – my Mum helped me set up Unpackaged, so one year I passed it forward by making a donation in her name helping women set up micro businesses in the developing world, she loved it.
 
And what can you make yourself? The internet is awash with ideas – Pinterest is probably your best friend BUT only make things that people want – we’re not replacing ill-conceived shop bought items with terrible home-made stuff here people!
 
If you do need to buy gifts then can you support small, independent creative businesses? The UK is a nation of shop keepers after all so – on the high street, or online – support a small business who will have put their heart and soul into designing your present and it will be much better because of it.
 
And remember, if you’re giving any gifts that involve batteries – invest in a rechargeable set and remember to charge them up before the day!
 
It would be a bit miserly to get rid of all vestiges of Christmas so here’s our list of swapping out bad for better in the home:
 
The Tree (& Wreaths)
The debate rages on between real vs. artificial trees (which are ultimately reusable). Some companies have tried to rent them but we’ve never managed to find a viable one (we wish Paul a speedy recovery!). If you have the time/ energy, you could make this amazing pallet Christmas tree or just decorate up a pot plant. But if you are going to buy one - the science shows that both real and artificial have an impact so if you’re buying real, make sure it comes from a responsible grower, if you’re buying artificial, buy well and reuse it for years and years to get the best value out of the plastic used.
 

Decorations
Once again, Pinterest is amazing for those who have time. How’s about some fun kids ideas? popcorn garlands, homemade paper snowflakes etc. If you don’t have that much time, then focus on the box of baubles you already have, it’s all about decorating with friends and family, not whether it matches this year’s tree at Claridges. And Christmas fairy lights – remember when your Dad would go through and check each bulb?? You can still do that, reuse & repair, do not buy new cheap lights!
 
Advent Calendars
More plastic, more things you don’t need, but all kids (and big kids like us) love an advent calendar.
Options here - buy or make a reusable advent calendar, another a great activity with kids or how about a reverse advent calendar where you donate to your local food bank? If you still need a chocolate one – go Organic & Fair Trade – and if you don’t know why, watch The Dark Side of Chocolate.
 

 
Stockings
Now this is something to invest in – everyone remembers the stocking they had as a child! You can go all Martha Stewart and make your own or buy a delightful one off an independent designer, they’re everywhere at the moment.
 
Crackers
Crackers seem to be EXTREMELY important to my family but if I get another set of mini nail clippers… so this year we’ll be getting the ultimate in reusable crackers, made in York, although these from Asos are mostly recyclable and very cute.

Cards
Your best bet here to be super eco is to go digital and donate the money to charity. But it’s hard if, like us, you want to take the time to put pen to paper to distant friends, which is a beautiful thing. So, you could make your own from scrap (yes Pinterest again) or buy charity cards.
 

Wrapping Presents
Old paper – newspaper, pages from design magazines, reused wrapping paper that your gran insists on carefully flattening each year – this is where it’s at. Or get involved in the Japanese art of furoshiki – cloth present wrapping. Vintage silk scarves from charity shops are ten a penny so get creative. The wonderful Wallace & Sewell sell amazing offcuts from their cashmere scarves which work for gorgeous ribbon that no one will want to throw away.
 

Christmas Food – 3 Steps to Zero Waste

• Plan in advance – we all want to be generous, but simple planning in advance will stop you over producing food, and throwing it away.
• Make your own -  this year, it’s all about making what you can – all your favourite chefs have recipes galore so get inspired. If you don’t want to lose your mind doing it all then why not divvy it up and ask each guest to bring one homemade item? It takes the pressure off you, spreads the cost and reduces waste. 
• Shop in bulk – if you prepare in advance, you can buy as many ingredients in bulk as possible – check out our range at Unpackaged, shop at the farmer’s markets and ask your local independent stores to help you shop unpackaged, check out our handy guide in last month’s blog post. 

 

Waste Management!
It’s not glamorous but you need to get a handle on waste management before the day. Presents, food, the tree – they can all be recycled but someone needs to be in charge on the day to ensure that everyone doesn’t just get drunk (what us?) and throw them in the bin. Get the children to be in charge… (they can’t drink!)

• Food – ensure you have enough food waste bags so that everything goes into your food waste bin/ compost. If you don’t have a doorstep collection, find your local communal food waste bin here.  
• Wrapping Paper – it’s complicated! Hopefully if you’ve taken the steps above, you won’t have any dodgy glittery wrapping paper but, if not, do the scrunch test - simple paper wrap can be recycled, but foil or glitter-decorated paper cannot and needs to go in the general waste.
• Cards – keep and make into other cards, tags etc. for next year. If you know you won’t, then just recycle them at supermarkets, they will all have bins in January.
• Tree – your council will collect it, just check which day to leave it out.

 
And finally, when it’s all over, what about a gift to the world? Instead of giving yourself a hard time about losing weight in 2018 (yes, we all do), why not make this New Year’s resolution one to get involved? Whether it’s campaigning or volunteering, the world would be a much better place if we all got out there and became active citizens, rather than passive consumers.
 
Happy sustainable living and we’ll be back in January with the aforementioned ‘On The Go’ feature, ready to help all your New Year’s Resolutions to live a more minimal life ;)
 
 
 

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Beet Leaf Pesto

We have enjoyed many different pesto’s this year – dandelion leaf pesto, of course, kale pesto, carrot top pesto and now beet leaf pesto. They make a delicious mild pesto. We saved the pesto on spaghetti with the beets cut in small cubes. The pesto also makes a nice spread for crackers.

Yield: 1-2 cups

Ingredients:

• 4-5 cups beet leaves, cleaned and chopped
• ¾-1 cup walnuts
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 lemon, juiced
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon dry mustard powder
• splash chili sauce (optional but nice)

Directions:

1. Wash and roughly chop the beet leaves. Chop to a fine consistency.
2. Add the olive oil and lemon juice. Puree again.
3. Add the walnuts and again puree to a smooth consistency.
4. Add the nutritional yeast, mustard powder, salt and pepper and puree.
5. Optionally add a splash of hot chili sauce.

 

Related Posts:

• Vegan Dandelion Pesto
• Wild Garlic Pesto
• Turnip Green – Almond Pesto
• Zwiebelkuchen with Chestnuts and Sage Pesto
• Vegetable Ravioli and Mushroom Salad with Kale, Walnut Pesto

The post Beet Leaf Pesto appeared first on Vegalicious Recipes.

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Spicy Lentil and Vegan Sausage Stew

Autumn has arrived. Nights are cooler, days are blustery and the leaves are falling. This calls for good hearty stews. This lentil stew recipe makes a lot, and tastes great the 2nd day as well.

Serving Size: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 cup lentils (dry), soaked for 4 hours (or overnight)
• 4-6 links vegan sausages
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into rounds
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2-3 cups water, more if needed
• 1 tablespoon vegetable bouillon powder
• 2-4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
• 4-6 ounces mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• splash liquid smoke, optional but nice
• splash Sriracha sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Slice the vegan sausage links into bite sized pieces.
2. Chop the onion.
3. Peel and cut the carrots.
4. Peel and cut the potatoes
5. Slice the mushrooms
6. Heat the oil in the bottom of a large soup pot.
7. Add the sausages and cook until lightly brown on the sides.
8. Remove from the pot and place in a dish to await later use.
9. Add the carrots to the oil and sauté until they begin to soften.
10. Add the onions and continue cooking until the onions are glassy.
11. Add the water and vegetable bouillon powder.
12. Add the potatoes and lentils.
13. Bring the pot to a boil, then turn down to a rolling simmer.
14. Cook until the vegetables and lentils are soft.
15. Stir from time to time and add water if needed.
16. Add the mushrooms and can of crushed tomatoes. Stir to mix well.
17. Add a splash of liquid smoke and Sriracha sauce
18. Add salt and pepper to taste.
19. Shortly before serving add the vegan sausages pieces to re-warm.
20. Serve hot in bowls.

Notes:

This could also be made in a slow cooker.

Related Posts:

• Vegan Chuck Wagon Stew
• Baked Pears En Croute Filled with Vegan Spicy Caramel Sauce
• Vegan Tortellini with Spicy Pumpkin Sauce, Ricotta…
• Persian Stew with Rhubarb
• Review: Potato Mushroom Stew

The post Spicy Lentil and Vegan Sausage Stew appeared first on Vegalicious Recipes.

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Our New Winter Menu

The days are getting shorter and its getting colder outside. Lunch times are no longer reserved for salads sat outside in a spot of sunshine.
It’s a dash from our desks and back again as we try to avoid the cold and rain. We’re aiming to brighten things up for you with our new Winter menu. We’ve focused on new hearty dishes to warm you from the inside out and colourful Winter salads to brighten up your day.

We’ve picked out a few of our favourite from the new menu to give you an idea of what is in store. The only way to really see if to try them for yourself… Pick up a veggie mix & match, meat box or plant box and decide which new dishes are for you. The new menu launches in all our stores from Sunday 22^nd October.


Fake & Ale Stew
The heartiest new hot dish on our menu; our take on the classic steak & ale. Our ‘fake’ is actually chunks of Portobello mushroom is a rich sauce made with real organic ale. Perfect with rice and some veggies, this is bound to warm you up.
 

 

Paella Bake
All the classic Spanish flavours of paella, this bake uses brown rice as the base. We’ve made ours vegan, using pumpkin seeds for crunch and added protein.
 

 

Spelt, Squash & Fig
Christmassy tastes in a hearty salad. We’ve roasted chunks of butternut squash and combined them with spelt and dried figs. The whole thing is tossed with chestnut puree, we challenge you not to feel the festive spirit when you eat this salad!
 

 
Portobelly
The newest addition to our plant box menu. Roast Portobello mushrooms in a sticky BBQ sauce, vegan and meat eaters alike will love this dish. We make our BBQ sauce from scratch so we can ensure its gluten and refined sugar free.
 
Look out for more seasonal specials over November & December, including Brussel sprouts on our mix & match, turkey soup in our serve yourself section and a boxing day turkey curry on our meat box menu. 

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Special Edition Christmas Drinks Menu

Forget Pumpkin Spiced Lattes….this Christmas we are bringing you clean, organic speciality hot drinks to indulge in.
These drinks are all available in all our stores from the beginning of November through until Christmas.

Hot Chocolate: made from organic, dark chocolate buttons and hazelnut milk, our hot chocolate is vegan. Creamy and indulgent without the sugar rush, it is a simple combination of these 2 ingredients.
 

Red Velvet: for those who want to take their hot chocolate to the next level. We’ve added beetroot juice to our classic vegan hot chocolate to create our red velvet. The creaminess of the chocolate combines well with the earthiness of the beetroot for a less sweet taste.
 

Chai Latte: a classic and something we’re often asked for in our stores. Classic chai spices with our own twist…we’ve combined these with Tigernut Milk. The newest milk on the block is naturally sweet & creamy with a rich and nutty flavour. We think is compliments the spices perfectly.

Dirty Chai: all Aussies will recognise this name but it may be a bit unfamiliar to us Brits. The Dirty Chai gives a caffeine kick to our classic Chai Latte with an added shot of espresso. Try it instead of your morning latte. 
 

Charcoal Latte: a newbie onto our main speciality menu…the black latte. Not as ominous as it sounds, a creamy combo of charcoal, coconut nectar and coconut milk. Charcoal is known for its detoxifying properties so it’s a win-win; delicious drink with benefits. 

Check out our hot drink menu 

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Raw rainbow salad with soft-boiled egg and creamy miso dressing

This lovely salad is inspired by a Kylie Kwong recipe.
It is high in health-protective carotenoids from both the veggies and the egg yolk and makes a great shared plate as part of a meal.

Ingredients - serve 4

• ½ large celeriac, peeled
• 1 beetroot (beet), peeled
• 1 carrot, peeled
• 150 g (5½ oz) large radishes (approx 4–5)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 large handful chives, cut into 5 cm (2 in) batons

Creamy miso dressing

• ¼ cup (60 ml/2 fl oz) brown rice vinegar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon white (Shiro) miso paste
• 1 teaspoon tamari
• 2 cm (¾ in) knob of ginger, peeled and finely grated
• 1/3 cup (80 ml/2½ fl oz) light-flavoured extra-virgin
• olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Method
To make the creamy miso dressing, place the brown rice vinegar, egg yolk, miso paste, tamari and ginger in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine. Gradually pour in the olive and sesame oils, whisking continuously, until incorporated.

Using a mandoline, finely shred the celeriac, beetroot, carrot and radishes. Wash the mandoline between each vegetable to prevent the colours from bleeding. Alternatively coarsely grate using a hand-held grater.

Place the eggs in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Simmer for 3 minutes. Transfer into a bowl of iced water for 2 minutes, to cool slightly. Peel the eggs.

Combine the shredded vegetables and chives in a large bowl and toss to combine. Add three-quarters of the dressing and toss to coat.

Serve the salad topped with the soft-boiled eggs and drizzled with the remaining dressing.
 

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