M W Nutrition

Can’t believe this is the first time I’ve used the showers

Probably should have used the hairdryer too.

It’s been a while since I’ve made it to a class. I’ve missed it. It makes me feel good. It makes me feel strong.
I’m working out with a tribe of wonderful women.

I’m also still working out what my body needs, my mind wants, in the time that I have.

Do I spend Sat morning with my family, or for me? Should I do some exercise or chill (read: do housework, cook dinner, sort the washing).

There’s no straight answer. And it changes every week.

I try to see it all with a wide lens. How I spend my time most of the time.

This was a one off. I hope to make it more regular again at some point. But that’s not where I’m at right now.

Priorities… what are yours? How do you manage? # # #

Is this you?

You spend all your energy looking after your baby, your partner, the dog, the house and leave yourself until last.

Any 'free time' is spent tidying, washing, tidying, cooking, tidying and organising your family's life.

You last sat down with a warm cup of tea in LBM (life before motherhood).

Your health has inevitably taken a backseat.

But you are starting to think this doesn't need to be the way. Maybe you could use some help...

💚I’m looking for a group of 5 mums who want my 💯 support for 5 weeks.

Who want to feel more energised, more healthy and more just themselves again.

Does this sound like you?

Hit the link in my bio to register your interest 👆 (no commitment or obligation, just to hear the details)

I look forward to hearing from you
x

A little break in the Douro and Porto.

Need another holiday, but here are some highlights ☺️

Introducing Ris-OAT-to!!
My super speedy

AKA savoury porridge. But that doesn’t sound as fun right?

Why? It’s filling, nutritious, have-with-anything-in-the-fridge, one-pan bowl of goodness.

I chuck in leftover veggies and top with an egg, so I have great carbs, proteins, and fat for a balanced plate.

It would work with tofu too, or cheese!

I cook the oats in a water base - can use stock, or this time I used a new product from for a new flavour - ‘brilliant broth’ - bought in food.

Until recently I thought I was super cool and original but then I heard and taking about risoatto on BBCs Fortunately podcast, so turns out I’m late to the party, but it’s a great party and I invite you to join 🥳

IMPOSTER SYNDROME

Gosh isn’t this something we all feel from time to time?

I was just reading this article in mag, the Health one, and i really relate to this type - the ‘expert’ identifier - I literally lose my words when I feel self doubt as I’m talking about a subject I feel I should know about (or I do, and lose confidence).

It’s a relief to understand the mechanism behind this - my nervous system kicking in as a survival instinct in a stressful situation, which means the part of my brain that processes language goes offline.

This understanding is what I hope to provide my clients. Seeking to identify the underlying mechanisms beneath a host of health symptoms, so they can be empowered to chart their journey to optimal health.

6.5 months out I pop my post partum parkrun cherry. I wasn’t in a rush to run again, but the opportunity today was there and I took it.

Have to thank the team for super workouts powering me up again with care and consideration after Teddy arrived.

I’ve loved the strength and conditioning work, the yoga, the Pilates and the coffee, but maybe not the assault bike.


👏👏👏 to you all, thank you and Happy Easter 🐣

No-cook quick wins!

You’ve got your eggs and toast, or just toast, or oats. Now what??

How to upgrade without the effort…

Even just one of these will add a decent hit of nutrients and healthfulness:

🌱HERBS! Chuck on some parsley leaves
🥑AVO! A few slices of this mighty fruit
🌶 KIMCHI! Can you handle a bit of morning heat? Your gut bugs will thank you.
🐟FISH! A few slithers of smoked salmon and you’ll be grand

Go for it x

Dinner for breakfast.

Why oh why???

1. Saves time
2. Savoury keeps hunger locked up (not shreddies)
3. I’ll find it easier to eat better throughout the day now I’ve had a strong start

Try it tomorrow?

Breaking hearts and hair records since 30/09/21.
Happy 6 months Teddy 💙💛💚

2017 & 2022

One of my favourite places with one of my favourite people.

An ice cream day (/week) if ever there was one
•
Had a positive week - go figure sunshine - and it felt smashing to finish it with a strawberry gelato. With actual strawberry pieces in👌from Greenwise in Ashtead YUM
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Hope you have been able to get your face in the rays at some point. Tomorrow should be good too! 🙌
•
😘

Lunch for one?

Looks like a lot, but with a little prep this is no fuss at all:

🍆Roasted aubergine with miso glaze (180C for 20mins)
👉Miso glaze (1tbsp miso, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp chilli flakes)
🍚Quinoa: simmer for 10 mins
🥬Kale: pour boiling water over leaves in a sieve
🌶1 spoon of kimchi

And done ✅ Bon appetit

💚Good for:
Flavour
Happiness
Fullness
😋

⭐️Quick wins to boost that winter warmer!

Cottage pie, shepherd's pie, fish pie, bolognese.. and round again...

Freshen up your weekly food rota with some easy additions:

🥕 Add one more veg (leek, peas, spring onions, spinach)

👊Plump up the fibre & protein (beans or lentils)

🌱Sprinkle in those mighty micronutrients (herbs & spices)

🍷 Slosh in a glass of the red stuff (yes, it contains beneficial plant chemicals called polyphenols 🙌 )

🍫 And EVEN a square of the dark stuff for the same reasons. Winner winner.

You're welcome 😋

What are your cheeky tricks?

Face-off: Juice versus Smoothie

Both options can be great ways to:
👍Increase your vitamin and mineral intake
👍Save time by taking on a load of nutrients in one hit
👍Provide greater total benefit than popping that multivitamin you saw David Gandy or Tess Daly advertising on public transport.

However, there are some things to consider…

👉Juices tend to be heavily fruit-based, often from concentrate and high in sugar
👉They lack the fibre that slows down the digestion of the fruit sugars

So what about smoothies?

👉Smoothies are blended whole foods. This means the all the goodness and beneficial fibres from the food are kept in the drink.
👉Blending even helps unlock nutrients within the whole food.

We need the fibre for optimal digestion, a healthy gut and regular p**p. A healthy gut makes a happy human 😄

Tips?
⭐️Add a little fat to help absorption of the beneficial nutrients and to curb the the sugar spike, e.g. 1 tbsp nut butter, 1/4 avocado, 2 tbsp full fat yoghurt
⭐️Make sure there is a portion of veg in too, e.g. spinach, kale, celery, carrot, beetroot

Any questions? 😃

Out out

I feel weird, on a train, alone.
The bright lights and dance beats ahead.
My baby with his very capable daddy.
I am excited. But.
It’s not guilt.
I know I’ll have fun.
It’s the transition. It’s uncomfortable.
Feel like I need to breathe out the other and embrace the evening to come.
Gearshift.
Let’s go.

In a rush?
Had this on the table in the same time it took to brew my coffee 🙌

Nutrient packed breakfast
Zero cooking

The secret?
I boil a batch of eggs for 6 minutes. Then them in the fridge for instant gratification at a later date.
Not exactly rocket science. Barely cooking.

Making helpful habits easy.

The other bits?
👉Slice of Biona Rye bread (no toasting required)
🤜Slather of hummus
💪Sprinkle of sauerkraut and seeds

What are your morning time savers?

So much joy for

Get up get out and move your body. Sunshine (sometimes), fresh air, community. Good for the soul.

It doesn’t have to be a 5k run. I’m nowhere near that right now. Just enjoying the vibes and supporting the runners.

How are you spending Saturday morning?

How easy is it to get to eat 30 different types of plants a week?

Broccoli, peas, carrots… do potatoes count?

I tried this out last week and got to 43. This is not meant to be a boast. I should reach 30, food is my game, I love experimenting with new foods and if I could not do it, that would be pretty shameful.

But how many do you think you consume?

To recap what is included, we are talking:
Fruit, vegetables, rice, grains, herbs, spices, pulses, legumes, nuts and seeds.

Potatoes do count. Once. Everything counts once.

That’s probably the main challenge. Batch cooking does not necessarily lend itself to continued variety. However, if we batch cook and freeze some for another week, then you can spread it out and continue to enjoy variety each day!

Herbs and spices are ¼ point each as they’re quite diddy but no less important! Black pepper, tea and coffee are included in this category!

Having completed the challenge I have a few tips:
💚Buy a veg box (this is probably my favourite tip in all nutrition 😂)
💚Or, pick a couple of new vegetables or fruits from the supermarket
💚Buy a bag of frozen mixed berries (that’s like 3 in one)
💚Make a smoothie! Chuck in a host of frozen fruit, veg, nuts and spices YUM
💚When compiling a meal, think, can I add just ONE more thing?
💚Also, would any herbs / spices go well in this?
💚Those pouches of grains are great as they’re ready to go and easy to add to any meal (lentils, quinoa, rice etc)

Give it a go! Let me know how it goes 😁

🙌Credit to Dr Megan Rossi for this awesome initiative

No message. Just breakfast.

I liked the colours so thought I’d share. 💛💚💜🧡

What’s your motivation?

We all need a reason.

It could be something deeply personal, virtuous and noble, such as overcoming a chronic health issue or wanting to reduce the risk of succumbing to a disease that you are genetically predisposed to.

It could also be something more aesthetic but no less legitimate, like wanting to fit into your favourite jeans again, or feel more energetic to play with your kids.

Whatever it is, it’s essential to have in your mind when embarking on any new goals.

Write it down. Make it known. Tell your partner or mum and become accountable.

So here’s mine.

Teddy is going to have a mummy who looks after herself so she can do the best job of looking after him.

Ok fine you’ve got me. I’ve basically shoehorned a topic around wanting to post pictures of my baby boy. Can you blame me? (3 months today 🥰)

What’s your motivation? x

What do all of these images have in common?

They all different things I have (and regularly do have) for Breakfast.

What influences my choices?

- including a source of protein, fat and carbohydrate
- seeing where I can add some micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients etc)
- time is a factor
- hunger level
- what is in my fridge!

There has been much made of cereals being the bad guys, toast not enough and smoothies too sweet.

I am not going to indulge those claims, but rather, focus on how to make what you like to have a little bit better.

If you have cereal, try to opt for a low sugar option, and add some fat and protein and additional micronutrients to boost the nutritional value of that bowl. Think live yoghurt, nuts, seeds, some chopped up fresh fruit or I love stewed apple at this time of year.

If toast is your thing, again, add some fat and protein like a nut butter, some sliced banana or smashed raspberries (frozen are brill for this) instead of jam. Sprinkle some cinnamon for anti-inflammatory benefits and to help curb a sugar spike.

If its a smoothie you're into, this is a great, quick way to pile a load of powerful nutrients into one meal. Make sure you include some vegetables as well as fruit, such as spinach and apple, celery and pear, beetroot and orange. Also, you've heard it before, but add some protein and fat to this mix to mitigate the risk of feeling hungry again in two hours' time. A tbsp of nut butter, some full fat yoghurt, a quarter avocado, or coconut yog are all great options. If you have protein powder to hand, chuck in a scoop of this.

If you have any questions about the above or any of the images, let me know!! :D

One legged meal planning

That thing we all know would solve many an issue:

👉reduce food waste
👉 save time spent wandering around the shop or peering in the fridge waiting for a recipe epiphany
👉save money
👉save relationships 👀 (stress reduction!)

But did you also consider the effect on your health?

✅ better portion control
✅ less likely to reach for fast processed food
✅ more variety
✅ SATISFACTION

This is me making an effort to put my money where my mouth is.

My strategy (rough and ready):

1. List the ingredients in my fridge
2. List the ingredients in my freezer
3. Write down the days / meals / no. of diners
4. Write down the go-to meals that pop into my head
5. Search 🖥for recipes with the remaining food
6. Match the meals to the days!

Done.

Ideally this would be done on a Sunday or sometime sensible but there’s nothing wrong with Thursday mid morning or even Saturday night. Who’s judging? 😆just get it done.

I would also love to say I have a stylish planner and wall chart but no. Back of an envelope is my deal.

What’s your strategy? I’m all ears!

Winter wonder salad

If only I could take photos that made the food look as good as it tasted.

This recipe landed in my inbox this morning from and what luck! I had kale, squash and onions in the wings waiting for this moment, thanks to my veg box.

An all in one tray bake 👍
Minimal prep ⏱
All the good stuff:

✅4x veg (squash, kale, onion, garlic)
✅3x spices (paprika, cumin, fennel)
✅2x protein (halloumi, pumpkin seeds)
✅2x fats (olive oil, halloumi)

👌 superb. Would recommend

From this…. To that….

How I threw together that salad, following the steps of my last days’ posts:

1: 💚greenery
2: 💜carbs and fibre
3: 💙protein
4: 💛fat

I used…
💚Spinach, red chicory
💜Roasted veg, pomegranate seeds, falafel
💙Smoked mackerel, feta
💛Extra V Olive Oil, avocado

Happy Friday! X

If Carlsberg did salads… they would never miss the drizzle of a good dressing.⠀
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Now for the fabulous fat and flavour.⠀
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Choosing a good quality olive oil can have a host of health benefits due to the high plant compound content, essential fatty acids and antioxidant properties.⠀
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Mixed with a deliciously sharp acid like a vinegar which can help curb blood sugar spikes, we will be creating a balanced meal that is super tasty and will help to keep our energy stable.⠀
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💙Anti-oxidising⠀
💛Energy balancing⠀
💚Delicious⠀
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Inspo:⠀
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I like to keep it simple as there’s already so much going on in this bowl!⠀
I’ll use one fat and one acid:⠀
⠀
Extra Virgin Olive Oil⠀
Tahini⠀
Avocado oil⠀
Nut butter⠀
⠀
Apple cider vinegar⠀
Lemon / lime juice⠀
Balsamic vinegar⠀
Mustard ⠀
⠀
😁You don’t even have to mix them together just drizzle a bit of each on top. Simples.⠀
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Now we are nearly there!⠀
What would you like to see tomorrow? ⠀
⠀
1. A bonus layer, or ⠀
2. A demonstration?⠀
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Let me know in the comments! ⠀
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Thanks for being with me

If Carlsberg did salads… they would definitely include some serious protein!⠀
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We’ve got our greens, our carbs and fibre, now we need the protein layer. ⠀
⠀
🚫Protein is not just for the growth of muscles. ⠀
🏆It is the building blocks for EVERYTHING. ⠀
DNA, cells, messengers, transporters, tissue… and responsible for repair and rejuvenation. ⠀
⠀
⚠️Essential doesn’t even begin to cover it.⠀
⠀
💙Growth and repair⠀
💛Blood sugar balancing ⠀
💚Yummy umami flavour⠀
⠀
Inspo:⠀
⠀
Feta, mozzarella, goat’s cheese, blue⠀
Tofu, tempeh⠀
Eggs⠀
Chicken, duck, bacon⠀
Beef, lamb, pork⠀
Salmon, Anchovies, Mackerel, Sardines, Prawns⠀
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😁Tips!⠀
👉Beans, lentils, pulses & nuts are also decent protein sources when combined together (2+)⠀
👉Tinned fish is a cheap, convenient & very nutritious source of protein. Win!⠀
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Now pick your fave of the above and chuck a bag into your trolley or online basket this week.⠀
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Next up tomorrow… dress to impress!