Bikini & Fitness Model Competition update...

I took the above pic last night, nearly 2 weeks into my contest prep for the bikini division.

It's crazy to think that Lionel the kidney cancer mass/tumor lived in there and was extracted (along with Mr Right Kidney) just 5.5 months ago. I was bloated for about 3 months after the surgery but decided to have manual lymphatic drainage, which certainly helped.   I have been in contest prep for 2 weeks now and am happy to see changes - I have lost 2% body fat and 3.5kg.  The main focus (body wise) right now is to cut cut body fat and build lean muscle, it's a cool process to witness.

I am writing all about it on my other blog (GetFoxFit).

I'm also posting daily photo updates on my Instagram and facebook :)

If anyone has any questions about fitness after surgery / cancer please get in touch, I am very passionate about this and always happy to help / support! info@lisannekeir.com

Pumpkin and garlic soup

It's autumn... That means pumpkins!

Today's soup - pumpkin and garlic.

Cooking time: 35 mins. 15 mins prep and 20 mins cooking

Ingredients:
1 large onion
8 cloves of garlic
1.5 kilo pumpkin
1 spoon coconut oil
Salt and pepper

How:
Cut up all your veggies.
Heat the coconut oil and "fry" the I onion and garlic for 3-5 mins.
Add the pumpkin and cook for 5 mins
Add 750 ML water and let it simmer for a further 10 mins
Take off the heat and using a brand held blender whizzzz into a creamy consistency.

Voila - ready to eat. Enjoy!

Apple, Carrot & Celery Juice

Can't believe I haven't gotten into veg & fruit juices sooner.

New fav: 1 x apple, 1 x carrot and 2 x celery sticks - 1/3 glass filtered water.

Blend. Enjoy.

BTW click here for more Clean Eating recipes, ideas and resources.

For those who are interested in the difference between juicing and blending (like me), I found the following.  

Gluten Free Pizza's

Pizza's are well loved in our household, a year ago we should have been sponsored by New York Pizza.

As a treat I wanted to make gluten free pizza's with Curious Kid.  He loved deciding on what he would have (salami and cheese), getting all the ingredients and creating it.

So simple!

Total time: 25 mins (10 mins prep and 15 mins in the oven)
We used gluten free pizza bases and added our own homemade tomato sauce:

- 6 tomatoes

- 4 cloves garlic

- Oregano

- Basil 

- Pepper corns 

Chuck it in the processor and done
Then add your own toppings

15 mins later - a very yummy (and healthier) pizza :)

Aubergine and Mushroom Quinoa

Quinoa, gluten free and packed full of protein & goodness. One of my fav food stuffs right now. You can do so many things with it - add to salads, have as a healthy breakfast instead of oats, use in main dishes... The list is endless.

Cooking is creativity to me and I like to try new dishes and come up with new flavor combinations. Today that new thing was an Aubergine and Mushroom quinoa dish. I was pretty happy with the result if I do say so myself and went back for thirds #phatty

Total time: 30 mins (10 mins prep - cutting everythining) and 20 mins cooking.

Ingredients:

1 big spoon of coconut oil

1 onion (roughly chopped)

4 garlic cloves (put through the garlic press)

Half lemon (squeezed juice) 

Ginger (about 2 tablespoon fulls finely chopped) I'm a little addicted to ginger so I added quite a lot

8 mushrooms (thinly sliced)

1 big Aubergine (cut into big chunks) 

1 tomato (roughly chopped after peeling.)  You can easily remove the skin by putting the tomato in just boiled water, leave for a few mins and then peel it off

3 sprigs of rosemary

Half a handful of thyme 

10 basil leaves (roughly chopped)

Himalayan salt and pepper to taste 

Method:

Add all the veggies to a big pan and bring to the boil.
Add half a cup of water and leave to simmer for 20 mins

In the meantime rinse 150g quinoa and then let it boil for 10 mins.   Drain any remaining water and add the quinoa to the big pan of veggies (the quinoa will soak up the left over tasty juices). 

Serve and sprinkle some pumpkin seeds on top.

Ta da, done! :)

Creamy Mushroom and Avocado Spaghetti

Today's mission - how to make a creamy spaghetti without dairy products and eggs.  Mission succeeded in the form of a mushroom and avocado spaghetti.

Total cooking time - 15 mins (5 mins prep and 10 mins cooking).

Ingredients:

Half lemon (squeezed juice)

3 garlic cloves (I recommend 4 actually.  Put through the garlic press)

1 onion (roughly chopped)

8 mushrooms (roughly sliced)

1 avocado 

100g gluten free spaghetti

Himalayan salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Bring water to the boil and add the spaghetti and mushrooms. Boil for 10 mins.

In the meantime put all the other ingredients into a blender / food processor until creamy.

Once the spaghetti and mushrooms are cooked - drain the water, put back on the stove and add the creamy avocado sauce.  Stir and mix in for a couple of minutes, until all the spaghetti is covered.

(The heat from the spaghetti and mushrooms will warm up the creamy sauce).

Enjoy! 

Lunchtime!

Gluten free bread
Homemade hummus
Avocado
Pepper
Cayenne pepper

Spinach
Cherry tomatoes
Cucumber
Avocado
Pepper
Apple cider vinegar

#thumbsup

Chickpea "Andatouille"

Since coming home from surgery my awesome mum has been such a huge help in ensuring I'm fuelled with the right (clean) nutrients.

Last week she was briefed  - "Your daughter is no longer eating meat".  So she has been on a mission to create some fabulous vegetarian and clean eating dishes, which we can both savour and enjoy. 

We are loving trying new dishes and suggesting new ingredients to try (it's real life Ready Steady Cook and Masterchef rolled into one).

Tonight she made Chickpea Ratatouille, which Mr V named "Andatouille" after mum's name :)

YUMMY and packed of good healthy ingredients. Details below...

Ingredients:

- 2 Aubergine

- 2 Courgette

- 1 Large onion

- 1 Red Pepper

- 5 + Cloves of garlic

- 6 Fresh tomatoes

- 3 Bay leaves

- Teaspoon of mixes herbs

- Handful of fresh basil

- Handful mixed olives

- 250g Soaked and cooked chickpeas (soak overnight and then simmer for 2 hours)

- Chilli power (to taste)

- Pepper (and salt if you wish) to taste

- Teaspoon coconut oil 

Method:

1. Peel and chop all the veggies

2. Gently fry the opinion and garlic in coconut oil

3. Add all the veggies and cook gently for 5 mins with the lid on

4. Add (cooked) chickpeas, tomatoes, olives, herbs and seasoning and basil

5. Cook gently for 20 mins

6. Serve with fresh basil over the top 

Easy peasy salad

1 x Avocado

Handful x Spinach

1 x Boiled egg

Handful x Chopped onions

1 x Tomato

With a sprinkling of:

Pepper

Chili pepper

Cayenne pepper

Sea salt (teeny tiny pinch)

Why strawberries rock - health benefits

Not only are strawberries yummy and packed with nutrients & antioxidants but they have so many health benefits, such as:

• Helps burn stored fat
• High in fibre, low in calories 
• Lowers cardiovascular disease
• Stimulates bone health
• Helps fight cancer
• Boosts short term memory 
• Eases inflammation 
• Builds strong nails and hair and prevents skin from sagging
• Promotes blood flow and oxygen, which can result in weight loss
• Good for your eyes (can lower the risk of macular degeneration and vision loss)
• Provides relief for high blood pressure 
• Helps to whiten your teeth

Not bad for a little berry! And that is why they rock :) 

Clean broccoli soup recipe

Soups, my new addiction...

Soup of the Day: Broccoli

Ingredients:

2 broccoli

1 onion

4 cloves of garlic

Celery salt

Pepper

Cayenne pepper

Water

Easy peasy instructions:

1. Chop everything up (doesn't matter how, just chop away)
2. Add everything to the biggest pan you have and then fill half the pan with water
3. Bring to the boil then reduce to simmer for about 20mins
4. TA DA... done.  And then choose from the following options:  A) If you want a chunky broccoli soup (more like a veggie soup with loads of broccoli) then serve as it is or B) Use a handheld blender to whizz it up and make it nice and creamy
5. Add more seasoning if need be (at this point I usually add just that little bit too much pepper haha)

Healthy eating and maintaining a good weight

In terms of food and nutrition, I have 2 era's in my life - Before March and After March.

'Before March' - when I ate everything that I wanted to eat (cupcakes, fizzy drinks, fast food whatever, if I wanted it I ate it).  I was a carb monster.  Hungry (probably just bored) but when I 'felt' hungry I went for carbs.

Then came the week from hell - the worst flu I have ever had, along with a sinus / chest infection and a migraine that lasted 4 days.  Yes, I cried.  Anyone who suffers from migraines know these things are a fate worst than death, seriously!  Pain... with very little that will help stop it, apart from riding out the thunder storm in your head. 

'After March' - in the midst of that awful week I did a deal with my body and health - I would look after myself, starting with brushing up my nutrition.  I cut out processed foods, started clean eating, ate more protein and (good) fats than carbs, started with my morning ritual of lemon juice etc.  I researched, spoke with others and felt empowered to make healthy changes.

Now, yes I have just been diagnosed with having this and I do wonder where it has come from.  Have my food choices in the past helped create this uninvited visitor and unwanted cells? It could be for a variety of reasons (chemicals in the things we consume, pollution, stress etc.), I know that.  I also know that other people have led perfectly healthy lives without even thinking about clean eating, but from speaking with others, reading various health / science blogs and consulting my friend google there have been many people who have been diagnosed with a variety of illnesses (from heart disease to cancer and everything in between) and who have changed their eating habits and seem to be living healthy long lives (check out Dean Ornish's TED talk on 'Healing through Diet').  Coincidence?  You can be the judge of that but, from my experience, since March I have truly 'felt' a lot healthier, clearer, energetic etc.  My guess is that this mass hasn't happened over night or the past few months, it seems way too big for that.  It has probably been building up its size for years.  So I'm pretty sure these unwanted cells didn't suddenly appear or multiply since I started clean eating, in actual fact the food changes I made earlier this year just may have helped slow its growth.  I'm not a scientist or a Dr so I can't give you the answer, but did my decision of eating clean help me these last few months? Maybe, just maybe.

I have to say that I feel confident in the clean eating choices I am making today.  It can't hurt, right?  Even in the same way a placebo works, if making healthy eating decisions make me feel better and make me believe I am in control of my health, then that can only be a good thing.  I want to be around for a while longer, I want to minimize unwanted cells and stress in my body (now and after surgery) and essentially create an optimal quality of life, not only for myself but for my family as I hope to bring our son up empowered to make healthy decisions.

On to the 2nd part - maintaining a good weight (especially when your weight drops)

4 days ago I stood on the scale and saw that my weight had gone down by 1.5 kg, not typical for someone who has hovered around the same weight for 15 years, so I really wanted to get that back up again (not to mention keep the muscle mass and "guns" I had been working on).  If I am going to be strong for my surgery and recovery I need to maintain a good weight, so I started googling.

I would have loved to have found an example or list of what others are eating to maintain a healthy weight (when they have had a diagnosis and their weight started dropping), so just in case others are in the same boat and looking for an example, here is what I basically eat in a day to keep my weight stabilized.

For those looking to put on some weight (or get back to their normal weight) - I found that by adding an extra 400-500 calories per day helped me.

Breakfast 

Lemon juice

50g gluten free oatmeal + hot water 

Green tea

Mid morning snack

Banana
Peanut butter and some cinnamon
4 gluten free rice crackers

Green tea

Other ideas of snacks here

Lunch

3 Eggs (boiled, scrambled etc) - 2 yolks and 3 whites 

2 slices of wholegrain bread

Half avocado
Salad (greens, tomatoes, cucumber etc.)

Remember to season these things with pepper, cayenne pepper, chili pepper etc. if you like :) #peppersruleandarehealthy

or

Homemade soup
2 slices of wholegrain bread with hummus
Salad (as above)

Mid afternoon snack
Kiwi and strawberries

Handful of dates
50g gluten free oatmeal & lactose free milk or just a big glass of lactose free milk

Dinner
Examples and recipes here

Evening snack
Low fat quark
Handful of cashews or almonds

*I'm also drinking a whole load of water throughout the day


For those looking for info on good/bad carbs and good/bad fats, see below:

List of good carbs and bad carbs  

List of good fats and bad fats

I am always looking for recipes, ideas and inspiration and am lucky to have a friend who is sending me some great ideas (thank you!!!).  If you have any feel free to share them in the comments below :)  Or if you are on Pinterest, please let me know and I can follow your food boards.

Sharing is caring ;)

*** A side note:  the above 'eating schedule' is before I chose to go dairy free and egg free. That choice was made after my surgery. 

Morning ritual - lemon juice

Lemons.  You can find loads of research and info thanks to Google but I have tried to summarise the main findings here.

Drinking lemon juice with warm (not boiling) water first thing in the morning (on an empty stomach) has so many health benefits, for example:

• Strengthens your immune system
• Helps you lose weight (regulating your body's metabolism & absorption of sugar and helps curb hunger)
• Natural energizer and enhances your mood (don't we all need that in the morning?!)
• Aids digestion (relieves symptoms of indigestion, such as heartburn and bloating)
• Cleanses and detoxes your system (flushes out unwanted toxins) 
• Balances pH levels (removes acidity in the body)
• Good for your skin (and cures skin related problems as it is an antiseptic)
• High in Vitamin C (promotes healing, helps decrease wrinkles & blemishes, fights colds and keeps you Zen by giving you an extra shot of Vitamin C that helps your mind and body against stress)
• Hydrates the lymph system (prevents dehydration, stress and toxic buildup)

3 easy steps:

1. Boil the kettle
2. In the meantime, squeeze a small lemon (or half a big lemon) into a mug or glass
3. Pour warm (not boiling) water into the mug (boiling water will destroy some of the fresh lemon's properties)

*For best results wait 30 mins before eating your breakfast

Healthy snack time

Gluten free rice crackers

Peanut butter

1 Banana

Cinnamon 

Detox your body

Thanks to my friend who just emailed me this, exactly what I was looking for ;)

Remember to feed your body right people.

In need of inspiration for a healthy snack?...

Strawberries
Grapes
Flaxseed
Low fat quark (I'm still indecisive of whether to continue with dairy, but right now it's still on the menu)
Easy, breezy, CoverGirl!

Today's salad

Lettuce
Red paprika
Hard boiled eggs (1 yolk and 2 whites)
Cherry tomatoes
Cucumber
Goat cheese
Pepper
Chili pepper
Cayenne pepper