The fit foodie: Orange Juice with a twist and Fancy Toast

This week my recipes are more food assembly than cooking. And if you’re looking for a new fitness regime then you should definitely read on.

To crossfit or not to crossfit

When I first retired from professional athletics I joined a crossfit club.

For those of you that don’t know, crossfit it is a fitness programme aimed at getting people stronger and fitter through weight lifting and circuit training.

It’s become a global fitness phenomenon in the past five years with clubs popping up all over the place.

I eventually dropped off crossfit, mainly because I was pregnant, although I did do adapted crossfit training until about seven months.

These days I pop into a class every now and again. So here’s what you need to know about crossfit from my experience:

Who is crossfit suitable for?

If you are in a fitness slump and need some motivation this is a good place to go. There is a great community feel in crossfit and a sense of team.

It’s very structured which means that you are guided through your fitness.

In terms of age profile, I noticed that it was mainly age group 30-40 with more men tending to take part.

What is the time commitment?

One of my favourite aspects of crossfit was that I was in and out of the session within one hour and I always felt like I achieved something.

The weekly commitment varies depending on your goals.

From my experience most people benefit and achieve their fitness targets if they do three days a week in crossfit.

What are the downsides?

Crossfit is not a cheap way to keep fit.

Prices will vary nationwide but you can assume that for three sessions per week a monthly membership will cost you between €110 and €160 per month.

The training is very prescribed so if you like a little bit of free reign on what you are doing this isn’t the place for you.

What are the up sides?

Crossfit has a serious feelgood factor.

There is huge variation in the training, so boredom doesn’t tend to kick in.

It’s a real goal-orientated way to keep fit, so you will always be striving to get better.

Where can you find crossfit?

Crossfit is one of the most successful athletic brands globally. There are crossfit affiliate gyms all over Ireland.

From my experience you need to make fitness accessible, so try to find a club that is as close to your house as possible.

It’s worth starting with the element classes to test out whether this training is for you or not.

Fitspiration

This week my fitspirationties in with the fitness theme of my column.

It is the head coach of crossfit returned to Cork, his name is Billy O’Regan and he can be found online at @billyorpt on Instagram or Billy O’Regan personal training on facebook.

OJ with a twist

I love fresh juices. I often find myself buying them when I’m travelling for work or in between meetings. The issue is that this is harsh on my wallet.

Fresh juices are expensive so I don’t think it’s sustainable to be buying fresh juices every day.

I try to make fresh juice at home but I have to confess I hate cleaning my juicer. So it rarely sees the light of day.

Instead I use a nutri-ninja to blend the juice.

This option leaves you with a less smooth juice but it’s worth it for the lack of cleaning time.

This is my OJ with a twist. It is simply three ingredients. They are three of my favourite healthy ingredients.

Serves 4 glasses

Prep time: 2 minutes

• 4 large oranges, peeled
• 2 tbsp turmeric
• 2 inches of fresh ginger, peeled
• 200 mills water
• 1 tbsp honey, optional

Method

Add all the ingredients into your blender. Blend on high for 1-2 minutes.

Drink immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Give it a good shake before drinking it after you remove it from the fridge.

Fancy Toast

I’m in Dublin every week for work. This means I’m constantly looking for nice places to grab food.

One of my pet hates is eating crap food while I’m out working.

I was told about a gorgeous little café on the Long Mile Road called “The Farmhouse” by Blathnaid Bergen.

Blathnaid owns a great company called The Business of Food and has the best recommendations around.

I popped into this café and I loved it. I ordered toast and it was a perfect combination of good quality bread with lovely toppings.

Ever since I’ve been making this toast at home.

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cook Time: 1 minute

Serves 1

• 1 slice of good quality bread. I like sourdough
• 2 tbsp nut butter, my preference is cashew
• 1 tbsp mixed seeds
• a drizzle of honey

Method

Pop your toast in the toaster.

When it’s done butter the bread with the nut butter.

Scatter the mixed seeds over it and drizzle with honey.

This goes beautifully with a cup of coffee.

If you’re feeling energetic after the food is settled go for a jog.

This is my favourite pre-jog snack!