The Healthy Living Blog

Starting a new health and fitness plan is exciting, but sticking to it can be surprisingly tough. There are a few key reasons why making these changes can be so challenging.

Psychological Resistance

Our brains love routine because it’s easy and comfortable. When we try to introduce new habits, it takes a lot of mental effort, and this can be exhausting. This is why it’s so hard to break old habits and form new ones.

Biological Factors

Our bodies are also set in their ways. When we start exercising more, we might feel tired and sore, which can be discouraging. Changing our diet can lead to cravings and feelings of deprivation because our bodies miss the foods we're used to.

Lack of Immediate Results

We live in a world where we expect quick fixes, but fitness and health improvements take time. The slow pace of visible results can be frustrating and make us feel like our efforts aren't paying off.

Social and Environmental Influences

Our surroundings and the people around us have a...

Winter brings its own set of challenges for maintaining health and fitness goals. The shorter days and colder weather can make it tough to stay motivated. However, by embracing a balanced approach, you can stay committed to your goals while also recognising the need to slow down, listen to your body, and prioritise self-care.

Embrace the Need to Slow Down

Winter is a time for rest and rejuvenation. Adjusting your training routine to align with the season can help you stay on track without burning out:

• Modify Your Workouts: Shift to lower-intensity exercises like yoga, Pilates, swimming or gentle strength training. These activities are easier on your joints and muscles, reducing the risk of injury.
• Prioritise Recovery: Incorporate more rest days into your routine. Use this time for foam rolling, stretching, and other recovery practices that support your overall well-being.
• Get More Sleep: The longer nights are a natural cue to increase your sleep. Aim for minimum 7-9 hours each n
...

There’s a trait that separates people who reach their goals from those who struggle.

It’s not talent, luck, or genetics (although those things don’t hurt).

This trait does more than just help you reach your health and fitness goals.

It also helps you do better in school, excel in sports and your career, and it also plays a role in being a better parent and/or spouse.

What is it? It’s mental toughness — aka personal responsibility and accountability — and it’s something you can get better at, over time.

FUN FACT: It might mean something different than you think.

It’s NOT about being a drill sergeant who goes on about discipline all the time.

In fact, it’s almost the OPPOSITE of that.

It’s more about being able to stay focused and determined when challenges pop up — and having the resilience and flexibility to overcome obstacles so you can keep moving toward your goals.

It pays off by helping you manage your thoughts, emotions, and actions so that you can keep a positive mindset...

Can I let you in on a not-so-secret secret? 

Almost everyone struggles with sticking to a healthy diet from time to time.

Yes, even ME. 🖐

In fact, it seems like every week I have someone confessing to me that it’s the #1 issue getting in the way of their health goals.

So this month I’ll be sharing a lot of time-tested tips to make eating a healthy diet easier. 

You see, what you eat matters a LOT…

And, your eating habits can:

• Help you live longer
• Boost your immunity
• Help you reach & maintain a healthy weight
• Support your muscles and bones 
• Keep your skin, teeth, and eyes healthy
• Lower your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers
• Help your digestive system do its job
• Support healthy pregnancies & breastfeeding

Not to mention give you more energy, cut down on aches & pains, help you sleep better, and improve your workout performance and recovery. Pretty amazing.

Here’s an easy tip to get you started:

Every time you make dinner, make extra! This wa...

I'd love you to just chuck out the scales! Seriously. They are not a good indicator of what is happening inside your body. When you weigh yourself, all you are doing is weighing your self-esteem. 

Too often I see people who weight themselves daily, focusing on that number on the scales. They benchmark their entire progress on this single metric, which means that momentum, adherence and further progress all hinges on it.

 IT'S NOT ALWAYS THE WEIGHT

One of the most effective ways to reduce the fear or apprehension toward weight change is to highlight the factors (outside of actual fat loss/gain) that can influence it. I'm going to highlight these below.

WATER RETENTION

This is definitely one of the main culprits. Often, individuals will weigh themselves on Monday morning after a busy and indulgent weekend, only to find that they have added 1-2 lbs. of weight. However, if you
did not adequately hydrate, consumed a little more sodium than usual, these can both lead to the retention ...

Click here for a metaPWR video

What is MetaPWR?

MetaPWR is a unique 30-minute metabolic resistance workout and has been carefully designed by the industry experts who created Metafit™.

What is Metabolic Resistance Training?

Studies show that metabolic resistance training is one of the best, most intense strategies for building muscle and burning fat. It's done through specific intense resistance exercises that increase the efficiency of your body's metabolism, which burns more calories at rest.

So how exactly does metabolic resistance training work, you might be asking? I’m going to keep it real simple for you – so stay with me! This will only take one minute out of your day but it may be the most powerful information you’ve read about how to train smarter, more effectively and get better results in less time.

How It Works

It’s all to do with your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR). MetaPWR aims to increase your RMR. Your RMR is the amount of calories your body needs to survive and...

MAKES: 12 | PREP: 20 MINS | COOK: 20 MINS

NUTRITION PER SERVING: 
141 kCal | 10g Fats | 10g Carbs | 3g Protein

Ingredients:

For the crust:
6 digestive biscuits 
3 Tbsp. butter, room temperature 

For the filling: 
230g (8 oz.) cream cheese, room temperature 
½ cup (120g/4.2 oz.) Greek yogurt 
4 Tbsp. honey 
1 large egg white 
1 tsp. vanilla extract 
4 Tbsp. raspberry jam

Method: 

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a muffin tin with paper muffin liners. 

Next, prepare the digestive cookie crust. Place the cookies and butter into a high-speed blender or food processor and blitz until the mixture forms a crumble. 

Spoon 2 tablespoons of the crumble into each muffin liner and gently press down. Place the tray in the oven and bake the crust for 5 minutes. 

Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Place the softened cream cheese, yogurt, honey, egg white, and vanilla extract into a high-speed blender or food processor and blitz until smooth. 

Top the baked crust with around 2 tablespoons of...

SERVES 4 | PREP: 15 MINS | COOK: 10 MINS

428 kcal | 22g fat | 35g carbs | 30g protein 

INGREDIENTS

300g (10.5 oz) chicken breast fillets
2 Tabs Tamari
¼ cup (90g) honey
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tabs sesame oil
3 ½ cups (350g) cabbage, finely sliced
1 large carrot, finely sliced
1 cucumber, finely sliced
3 spring onions, sliced
1 cup (30g) mint leaves, chopped
1 cup (30g) fresh coriander, chopped
½ cup (80g) almonds, roughly chopped
1 Tabs toasted sesame seeds

METHOD

Lay the chicken between 2 sheets of clingfilm and pound with a rolling pin to slightly flatten.
 
To make the marinade, put the tamari, honey, garlic and 1 Tabs sesame oil in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the chicken and put in the fridge. Allow it to marinate for at least 10 minutes (the longer is better).
 
Heat 1 Tabs of sesame oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Fry the chicken for 4-5 minutes each side or until brown. Then take off the pan, and set aside to slightly cool and thinly slice or shred.
 
Reduce the he...

SERVES 12 | SERVING SIZE: 1 SERVING | PREP TIME: 10 MINS | COOK TIME: 8 HOURS

24g PROTEIN | 8g FAT | 16g CARBS

INGREDIENTS

1 cup (250ml) beef stock
4 Tabs honey
4 Tabs coconut sugar
2 Tabs tamari sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1.3kgs (3 lbs) beef chuck roast

INSTRUCTIONS

In the bottom of a 6 litre (6 quart) slow cooker, combine the beef stock, honey, sugar, tamari, Worcestershire sauce and garlic. Mix well until combined.

Cut the beef in half lengthways. Place in the slow cooker and turn to coat the beef with the sauce on all sides. Place the lid on the pot and cook the beef on a low setting for 8 hours.

Once the beef has cooked, remove it from the slow cooker and place it in a large bowl. Gently pull the beef apart using two forks, then return the beef into the slow cooker and mis with the cooking juices.

Once cooled, store the beef in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Alternatively, you can freeze the beef for up to 3 months.

Se...