This post was inspired by quinoa. Because it’s exceptionally good for me and even ‘normal’ (aka, not super healthy) chefs are cooking with it. And I love to try out cheffy trends! But when it comes to the crunch, I just don’t like it very much. Which left me stuck with a couple of boxes in the pantry. You can see what I decided to do with them at the end of this post. But for now, let’s focus on what they did to my brain…..
It made me think about diet and exercise fads. I like to think I’m quite smart when it comes to food and exercise. In fact, smart enough to put together plans for people like you all over Australia. And I’m pretty good at weeding out exercise fads. But when it comes to diets, I’ve tripped myself up a handful of times. OK, so I never went down the road of the lemon detox and I never, ever will. And I’m not rich enough to go fully organic or committed enough to make everything from scratch. But I have eliminated entire food groups that, quite honestly, were fine as they were.
When it comes to exercise, my guidelines are simple:
- If you’re watching TV or reading a book at the same time, you’re probably not working hard enough.
- If your sessions takes less than 20 minutes, you better be doing a lot of them.
- If your session takes over 90 minutes, don’t do too many each week.
- Variety is key, results take time, your body responds best to new challenges and what works for your best friend might not work for you.
- Pssst… As a side note, only do Cross-fit if you have great technique and are exceptionally injury prone….
But what about detoxes and diets? You can guarantee there’ll be a new one in every magazine once January rolls around. The best theory that I can come up with is that everyone is different. Some people thrive on a challenge and need to really push themselves for a few weeks. While others are better making minor adjustments. Some people can live a no- or low-sugar life and be perfectly happy, while others feel deprived and end up bingeing.
So how about we go with these diet guidelines:
- If you need to lose weight for your health, not for vanity, ditch the magazines and see a dietician. You need someone who works with facts and can assess your situation.
- Your body needs food. A little hunger is fine, but total deprivation is madness.
- Your body needs balance. Make sure you have a proper understanding of the food groups and which foods belong to which group.
- If something has worked for you in the past, give it another go.
- If you do something structured, like a sugar detox or the 5:2 diet, have a plan for how you will come off the diet when you have achieved your goal.
- If you are a rebel who breaks all of the rules on any diet, then dieting is not for you. Work on what to include each day, rather than what to exclude. Like 5 serves of veges, 2 serves of fruit, 2 snacks between meals and a balance of grains, protein and dairy. There won’t be room for much else.
Whatever path you choose to take, good luck!
And here is the quinoa solution……
Quinoa crunch
It’s quicker to make than standard muesli & is protein-packed.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups of white quinoa
- 1 1/2 cups of rolled oats
- 1/2 cup of shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup of flaked almonds
- 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds
- 1 tsp of ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup of maple syrup
- 30ml of coconut oil (warmed until it is liquified)
Method
- Preheat your oven to 180.
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, and then spread it over a baking tray lined with foil (or baking paper).
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, tossing half-way through. Keep an eye on it, so that it doesn’t burn.
- Leave to cool. Serve with fresh fruit and yoghurt. It’ll keep in a sealed container for a few weeks.
