Derval O’Rourke's fit-foodie column: Keep focused over Christmas!
I recently did a talk at a business all about staying focused in ‘Q4’ of the year.
I feel that’s applicable to food and fitness too.
As the year begins to come to an end it’s tempting to switch off.
You may feel like lying on the couch in a slug like state whilst eating whatever is the easiest thing to lay your hands on, but I promise you, keeping moving an eating well in November is a much better plan.
Whilst it’s great to get into a fit mode in the new year, it’s even better to start the new year fit and healthy.
This week’s recipes are super fast.
They are recipes that you can’t use time as an excuse not to do them.
They will satisfy your brekkie, dinner, and snack needs without you spending half your evening stuck in the kitchen!
Very Berry Overnight Oats
This recipe is one of the simplest breakfast solutions around.
I love jumbo porridge oats and this is them at their best.
I joke all the time that it is the key to a happy marriage!
My husband makes overnight oats every night before he goes to bed and it guarantees my household gets fed the next morning.
I like to make my overnight oats in a jar that I can grab and go out the door with.
I usually end up eating them after I’ve left the house (often sitting in traffic!).
A kilner jar is perfect for this, just make sure that it doesn’t leak or spill. Stale milk in your bag or car is never good!
Prep time: 1 minute (and then popped into the fridge overnight)
240ml milk or water
50g jumbo porridge oats
40g frozen mixed berries
1 tsp chia seeds
1 tsp honey
2 tbsp nuts/seeds (optional)
Combine all of the ingredients, except the honey, in a bowl or container. Mix gently with a spoon. Place in the fridge overnight. Next morning, drizzle with honey and eat.
Quick Cookie
It’s always nice to have a cookie with your cup of tea. These cookies only have four healthy ingredients and are super simple to make. They are great straight out of the oven or on the go. Pop them in a sandwich bag for a tasty, healthy snack during the day.
2 ripe bananas, mashed
50g dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
40g porridge oats
20g mixed nuts, chopped
Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees.
Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and using a large spoon mix them all together. The banana binds the mixture so make sure to get it mixed through.
When the mixture has formed a dough, roll it into individual balls and place on a parchment sheet. Using your hands, flatten each ball out on the parchment.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
Allow the cookies to cool on a wire rack.
Stuffed Peppers
Minced turkey is a staple in my food shop. I find it a really easy ingredient to work with.
It cooks really fast and it soaks up other flavours like chilli and garlic brilliantly. It’s a great alternative to beef, it’s a very lean meat. These stuffed peppers are perfect on their own but if you want to bulk them up add a portion of brown rice or cous-cous.
2 tbsp olive oil
½ onion finely chopped
½ chilli finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 thumb size piece of ginger, grated
200g turkey mince
1 carrot, peeled and cut into small pieces
2 peppers, halved lengthways and deseeded
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp cashews, chopped
1 handful of mixed fresh herbs, roughly chopped
Rice (optional)
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Place the pepper halves on an oven-proof dish and bake for about 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion, chilli, garlic, and ginger. Cook for about 5 minutes until softened, if the pan gets dry, add a splash of water. Add the turkey mince, carrot, peppers, and soy sauce. Cook for about 8 minutes until the turkey is cooked through. Carefully remove the peppers from the oven and spoon the turkey mixture into them.
Scatter the cashews and mixed herbs over the stuffed peppers. Serve alone or with rice.
FITNESS FOCUS
During my running career I spent about three hours most days training.
My exercise load was big and I really enjoyed most of it. The point of all the training was to get ready to perform in races. My work day was training, the track was the office (the Oval office!).
When I stopped running for a living my daily routine changed.
I spent far less time training and far more time working at a desk.
The shift was massive and definitely challenging in terms of staying fit.
I stumbled across HIIT training shortly after I retired from athletics. It’s become the real buzz-word in fitness.
High Interval Intensity Training (HIIT) is basically working hard, resting and working hard in a continuous way for a period of time with an elevated heart rate.
My HIIT workout preference is for it to be 20 minutes long, I find any longer than 20 minutes and I’m not doing it properly.
The exercises vary depending on which training session you do.
They could be short bursts of hill sprints or circuit work or gym based.
I prefer doing a workout to going for a long run, that might be a reflection on the fact that the HIIT only lasts 20 minutes and is not too dissimilar to parts of my past training regime. Basically hard but short efforts – perfect for a girl that formerly ran for just 12 seconds!
I tend to do HIIT workouts if I know I won’t make it to the gym or it’s lashing rain outside.
It’s easy to find the workouts online, a YouTube search will throw up about 300,000 videos.
Joe Wicks is a fitness expert and his sessions are hugely popular.
I’ve often followed them on his YouTube channel.
Wicks’ sessions are a great starting point if you’re looking to do some the training at home.
HIIT training is claimed to help burn fat and build muscle. It’s become a really popular way for people of all abilities to train.
Many HIIT sessions will have really familiar exercises.
They tend to be full body exercises like burpees.
My mum has joined me doing a session and she really enjoyed it.
Her normal exercise level would be walking a few times a week.
If you are considering giving HIIT training a go as an alternative to your current training regime I would definitely recommend it.
Who can resist a training session that promises so much yet only takes 20 minutes and can be done in your living room?
Go on give HIIT a go!
