Lunches I love: Proudly South African Salad

An easy, healthy weekday lunch that feels like you’re treating yourself. Or, an excellent accompaniment to your weekend braai.

Ingredients:

  • Biltong (about 100g)
  • Avo (1/2 medium)
  • Peppadews (about 2 Tsbp)
  • Cashew nuts (about 2 Tsbp)
  • Cottage/cream cheese (about 1Tbsp)
  • Sweet Chilli Sauce (1 Tsp)
  • Feta to taste
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Greens of choice (lettuce, spinach, rocket). Brag: those pictured were grown in my very own garden!

 Simply toss the above, drizzle with balsamic vinegar and serve or pack for lunch. 

Meatfree Monday: Warm Roasted Butternut and Lentil Salad

To drop those kilos with Herbalife, the programme includes 2 shakes a day, healthy snacks, as well as a healthy meal. The shake makes 2 of your meals easy, but are you stumped for the third? This warm winter salad includes colourful veggies, lean protein, healthy fats, not to mention a delicious flavour pop!

Healthy lentil and butternut warm salad

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 bag chopped butternut (cheat’s version, it’s Monday!)
  • 1 can lentils (cheating again, you can cook them from scratch)
  • Feta/ Goat’s cheese
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Smoked Olives (optional)
  • Avocado
  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Fresh Rocket
  • Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat oven to 200 degrees. Lay butternut on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Roast the butternut until it’s almost done, then add the pumpkin seeds and cherry tomatoes for the last 5 minutes or so of roasting. Simply mix the roaster butternut with all the other ingredients and serve warm.

Link of the day:

Snack ideas to fuel your weight loss

Healthy Snack: Gluten Free Bread with Caramelized Banana and Macadamia Nut Butter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contact me for your free 5-day challenge meal plan:

Do I need supplements?

4. Can you really eat all the right foods in the right balance all the time?
 
Even if it weren’t for point 1-3 above, are you really eating all the right foods? Do you have time to prepare the foods that you need to live a long and healthy life? The truth is probably not.
 
Supplementing with the right stuff is necessary if you want to live a long and healthy life. We need all the help we can get. I use many of the Herbalife Supplement Solutions to fill the gaps. These are some of my favourites:
 
  • Herbalife Formula 2 Multivitamin (slow release so it doesn’t end up being flushed down the toilet like many other multivits!) R159
  • Herbalife Personal Protein Powder – do you know that most people need over 80g of protein per day? Not that easy! Herbalife’s protein powder is any easy way to sneak in those extra grams you need to build muscle and burn fat! R223.50.
  • Herbalifeline: It’s almost impossible to get all your omegas through diet, and they have sooooo many benefits for your brain, your bod, and your looks! R368.06
  • RoseOx: If you get allergies like me, or if your immune system has taken a beating, this amazing herb regenerates antioxidants. 
  • roseox

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Hormone Help: For ladies, Tang Kuei is a saviour when the hormones are haywire. It’s an ancient Chtang-kuei-plusinese plant remedy. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Niteworks: this is Nobel-prize winning stuff, I kid you not! (trademarked too!). It supports energy, circulatory and vascular health, and helps with Nitric Oxide (NO) production at night when NO levels are lowest. Great for the old (heart help) and for athletes (endurance and stamina!)
  • 3150us_niteworkspow_400

 

 

 

 

 

WEIGHT LOSS ENHANCERS:http://products.herbalif e.co.za/subcat_enhancers

This list is by no means exclusive, and you need to tailor your supplement programme according to your needs. Visit http://products.herbalife.co.za/subcat_targetednutritionrange for more information. 

If you would like to find out more, or order your personalised supplement solutions, contact me: s.karssing@gmail.com and I can help tailor your programme according to your unique needs. let’s live long happy, and healthy!

 

 

Power to the Pancake!

I love my Herbalife shake for breakfast – quick, convenient, filling… and I know I’m getting everything my body needs in the right balance to get the day started in the right way. When I have a little more time on my hands on a Saturday or Sunday morning, pancakes are the perfect way to use my shake in a an even better batter.

POWER TO THE PANCAKE!

 Bircher Muesli Pancakes with Herbalife F1

Breakfast Just Got Better

Breakfast Just Got Better

 3 Ingredient Pancakes (gluten free if using Free From Herbalife Formula 1)

Pancake Stack Herbalife low calorie pancakes

 Apple Cinnamon Pancake Stack

Herbalife Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

 

A side note: I apologise for the  lack of regular blog posts ! The worst part is that I have no excuse. One thing that did happen though was that my media card gave me the finger, and a host of photos for the blog along with it. It deflated my drive, pardon the pun!

Link of the Day:

Keeping it clean with organic produce + stuff you DON’T have to worry about!

The Dirty Dozen and Clean 15

The Dirty Dozen and Clean 15

 

Lick my Locks!

My tresses are far from my pride and joy – fine, DEAD straight (even after the curling iron ladies have trapped me in the mall)… EXCEPT for the lethal recipe of dry from winter + dry from artificial heaters + in desperate need of a trim + subjected to a hair band + on a run + in the drizzle = matted Barbie hair beyond any conditioner or comb.

“So Help-Me Selfie (with perfunctionary pout* oops, forgot the hashtag)”
Homemade Hair Repair

I needed Hair Repair Extraordinaire, and I wasn’t about to pay over R100 for chemically-laden goop. Good ol’ Google referred me to the kitchen – coconut oil, olive oil, and honey:

Homemade Hair Repair Mask

I have loaded the locks and I’m hoping the birds will leave the nest in my hair and take it with them. If all else fails, I can wring out my hair into a pan to make a stirfry, or enjoy a few hours smelling like a salad.

Link of the Day: SuperSuperfood Crunch Granola Muesli - Best Herbalife Recipesfood Muesli Crunch

 

 

 

Meatfree Monday Roundup

Making Mondays meatless has never been this easy (+ healthy + delicious). So what’s for dinner?

MeatFree Monday Breakfast for Dinner Meatfree Monday Brupper Omelette

 

 

10 Minute Healthy Pizza Recipe using Tortilla

 

10-min Cheatza 

Veggie Burgers.

Veggie Burgers

MeatFree Monday: Healthy Butternut and Chickpea Fritters

 

Chickpea, Butternut, And Coriander Fritters with Coconut Cream 

MeatFree Curried Butternut Soup. Low fat soup

 

Curried Butternut Soup with Homemade Yogurt Bread

Healthy Yogurt Bread Homemade

 

Meatfree Monday: Veggie Scramble Wrap. Healthy Eating

 Veggy Scramble Wrap 

Healthy Vegetarian Eggplant Stack with Hummus, Tomato and Spinach

 

Aubergine Stack with Hummus and Tomato Chutney 

Vegetarian Wrap with Coleslaw and Fry's Strips

 

Meatfree “Chicken” Wraps 

Healthy Eating for weight loss: Mexican Fusion Quinoa Salad

 Mexican Fusion Quinoa Salad

Lentil Coconut Curry Wrap - Healthy, high protein meals. Vegan, Vegetarian

 

Curried Lentil Wrap 

Meatfree Monday: Low Carb Frittata

Mini Frittatas

Low Carb Leek and Cauliflower Soup - instead of potato

Low Carb Leek, Cauliflower and Coconut Soup

What’s your favourite Meatfree Monday go-to?

 

The Simple Substitute Series: Healthy Baking Swaps

In almost all my recipes, I make ingredients swaps to turn indulgent favourites into healthy indulgent favourites: from muffins to pancakes to brownies and beyond. In fact, I actually find it impossible to follow any recipe ingredient-for-ingredient, and always find myself making subs as I go.

Basically, the “bad guys” to sub out are white flour, refined sugar and unhealthy fats.

Lose: White flour

Use:

DSCF0164

Lose: Refined sugar

Use:

DSCF0123

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lose: Unhealthy fats

Use:

 

More ideas:

Healthy Baking Substitutions Healthy Baking Substitutions (Infographic)

More Healthy Substitutes:

Substitute Series: 8 Tips for Healthier Cooking

Substitute: Ditch the Diet!

 

 

Gluten Free, Low Fat A-MAIZE-ing Savoury Muffins

 

MIELIES, as we call them in South Africa; the much over-looked naturally gluten-free staple of many African countries. Did I mention gluten-free and cheap? (Seems somewhat of an oxymoron, as most gluten-free foods cost a wheatless fortune!)

corn muffins gluten free low fat

 

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups mielie meal
  • 4 cups water
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1-2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp curry powder (optional)
  • 1 can corn
  • 1 Tbsp whole-grain mustard
  • 1 Tbsp fresh herbs
  • A slug of olive oil
  • THE INSIDES – whatever tickled your fancy/pantry: I used spinach, chickpeas and Peppadews. Other ideas: cheese of choice, butternut, cherry tomatoes, baby marrow, whatever veggies you have and need to use up!

Directions:

Mielie Meal Muffins - Gluten Free, Low Fat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First, make your mielie-pap – mielie meal, water, and salt, brought to the boil, then simmer until semi-stiff (about 20min). Keep stirring to avoid sticking! Then simply add all the other ingredients, spoon into a greased muffin pan and bake at 200 degrees until golden brown and begging to be bitten (about 25min).

Link of the Day:

Mexican Fusion Quinoa Salad

Healthy Eating for weight loss: Mexican Fusion Quinoa Salad

 

Chai Spice Love-a-Latte Shake

As autumn approaches, there is nothing better than curling up with something warm and delicious. Now, breakfast just got better with a hot ‘n spicy (or cool ‘n creamy) chai spice latte.

Herbalife Chai Spice Latte. Best Herbalife recipes Ingredients:

  • 2 Scoops Herbalife F1 Vanilla/ Cookies ‘n Cream
  • 250ml soy milk/ milk of choice
  • 1 Rooibos/ Honey Bush/ Herbal tea teabag
  • 1 Tsp honey
  • A scraping of fresh ginger
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • A pinch of nutmeg
  • 5 whole cloves
  • A pinch of cardamon

 Directions:

Add the tea bag to your cup and add boiling water/milk and wait a few minutes to allow the teabag to steep. Then, add the rest of your milk, shake mix, and all the other ingredients. Heat if desired, or serve cold with ice blocks. Strain if you’re afraid of “bits”.

Link of the day:

Rooibos Red Spice Latte

Rooibos Red Spice Latte Herbalife Shake

 

Ditch the Diet!

The D-word. D-I-E-T. Have you used it? Has it dangled over every Monday? Does it scare you? Throw the word and its associations away. “Diet” has become such a loaded word in our society, so I urge you never to go on one. Rather, make sustainable changes and new choices every day – the only way to lose that weight and KEEP IT OFF for good. Diets say: “I wish… but I can’t”; healthy choices say: “I am in control and I choose to…”

It’s your choice. We don’t always make THE best choices, but we can always make better ones!

Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Craving chocolate?

CHOOSE Herbalife Protein Bars:

Herbalife Protein Bars for Chocolate Cravings

2. Feeling fruity? Real fruit has far more fibre than fruit juice, as well as 1/4 of the calories!

Whole Fruit for Fruit Juice

3. Sandwich spreading?

4. Winter warmer?

CHOOSE Herbalife Gourmet Tomato Soup – 8 x more protein than normal tomato soup and only 104 calories per serving!

5. Ditch the sugary energy drinks for a healthy herbal tea:

 

7. Minty mania?

6. What are you having for breakfast?

Making small changes every day is easier than you think, so ditch the diet and ring in the change!

Read more about healthy food swaps:

 

DSCF0168

10 Commandments for Weight Gone For Good #2

Remember Commandments 1-5? Time to add to that list…

6. Get your zzzz

If you want to lose weight, you need to get at least seven hours of shut-eye every night. Full stop. When you are lacking sleep, your body produces a nasty hormone called ghrelin, which TRIGGERS HUNGER and causes FAT RETENTION. Double yuck! When you’re tired, you also lack energy and often end up making poor food choices. 

 

 

7. Avoid Artificial Sweeteners

They may be calorie-free, but did you know that artificial sweeteners actually do bugger-nothing for weight loss? Reason being that they’re  so intensely sweet that they seem to make you CRAVE SWEET THINGS more!

8.Eat More Often

“Don’t eat between meals!”; ya, right, maybe in 1980. Rather, don’t go more than 5 hours without eating. that sounds more like it! Eating smaller meals more often prevents over-indulgence, and keeps your blood sugar steady, lowering cravings.

Try Herbalife High Protein Snack Bars for a healthy, chocolatey, 10g of protein in only 134 calories. Snacking sorted!

9. Keep on Movin’

I’m not even going to start listing the benefits of exercise, we will be here all week. Just do it, whatever it is and for however long. Just MOVE! Every muscle fibre in your being will thank you. Not to mention that your weight loss with be QUICKER and safer; and it will be easier for you to keep it off for good.

10.  Keep it Chilled

Last but not least, is reducing stress. Not only will this benefit your weight loss, but it will improve all aspects of your life. Stress causes the release of cortisol; and cortisol = body fat = no thank you. So spend time in beautiful surroundings, switch off that cellphone, BREATHE, and slow down… your body and brain will thank you for it.

For more weight loss tips and answers, feel free to contact me:

 

 

 

 

10 Commandments for Weight Gone for Good

Losing weight and keeping it off isn’t for sissies! But following these pointers goes a long way in helping you stay in shape and keeping healthy.  Take some time to think about how you can improve on each, then write those steps down and put them somewhere visible to keep you motivated and on target.

To get you started, here are steps 1-5. Follow my blog so that you don’t miss out on the next 5 and will get email notifications for new posts and recipes.

1. Eat Protein at Every Meal

Protein helps you feel fuller longer, recharges your muscles after intense workouts, and according to recent research, sheds more fat than muscle. For an extra protein boost (to add to your shake, sauces, mashed veggies, anything goes!), try Herbalife Personalized protein Powder, which is composed of pure protein).

2. Breakfast: the most important meal of the day

More than 10,000 successful dieters who have lost more than 15kg and kept it off for more than a year say that eating breakfast is a key strategy. The best breakfast is one that contains both protein and fiber to boost your energy levels and help you stay satiated throughout the day. ie. Your easy, convenient Herbalife shake, which ticks all the nutritional boxes in only 217 calories!:

formula-1-nutritional-shake-mix-nutritional-value

3.  5-9 Servings of Veggies and Fruit

Time and time again, research has shown that eating more vegetables is essential for long-term weight loss, which is why you should aim for five to nine servings a day. Vegetables fill you up with the fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients important for overall good health in a low-calorie, high volume package. Fruits are also bursting with fiber and antioxidants and can be a good way to treat your sweet tooth. 

To sneak in extra servings, try adding fresh fruit or veg to your morning and lunchtime shake:

Green Monster Shake

Banana Blush Shake

Nectarine and Nutmeg Shake

Nectarine and Nutmeg Herbalife Shake: Best Herbalife Recipes

4. Downsize your dishes

Smaller plates, bowls, and utensils can be the key chopping the calories. Your brain is actually rather a simple mechanism; if you eat from a salad plate rather than a dinner plate, it thinks that you’re eating more. The proof: Researchers from Cornell University found that people given larger bowls at breakfast ate 16 percent more cereal than those given smaller bowls, yet they estimated that they were eating less.

weight loss 4

5. Drink Up!

So often, when you think you’re hungry, you’re actually thirsty. So make it a weight-loss lifestyle rule: Stay hydrated. Drink a glass of water or Herbalife Herbal Tea (actually burns calories!) before and after every meal. 

 

Giftin’ from the Kitchen

Box of chocolates? Bottle of wine? Bunch of flowers? B-B-Blah…

Bring on the blender…these gifts are actually (ssshhh) very easy to make when you don’t have time on your side!

1. Salmon Mousse for Ganna (gran)

Homemade Salmon Mousse

Recipe:

  • Can/ slices of smoked salmon
  • Tub of cream cheese
  • Salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste
  • A dash of cayenne pepper

Easy salmon mousse recipe

Directions: Blend ’em

2. Chilli Sauce for Uncle Craig

Homemade Chilli Sauce

Recipe:

  • Dried chillies
  • Good quality olive oil
  • Mother-in-law’s tongue
  • Garlic
  • Dried and fresh coriander
  • Salt
  • Dash of curry powder
  • Cayenne Pepper
  • Dash of cumin

Directions: Blend ’em

Other gift ideas:

Sue-perfood Muesli Crunch

Superfood Crunch Granola Muesli - Best Herbalife Recipes

Almond Chocolate Cookies

Healthy Cookie Recipes: Chocolate Almond Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies

Herbalife Peanut Butter Cookies. Sugar Free, low calorie

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Low Calorie Carrot Cake Cupcakes

The Green Monster Goes Rogue

Meet the Bircher MuesliGreen Monster lovechild:

Green Monster Overnight Oatmeal with Herbalife

Ingredients (2 servings):

  • 4 Tbsp Herbalife Formula 1
  • 1 banana
  • 2 Tbsp hemp seed powder
  • 1/2 avocado
  • 3 spinach leaves
  • 1 apple
  • 1 cup oatmeal
  • 2 Tbsp. mixed seeds
  • 1 cup plain yogurt
  • honey to drizzle

Directions:

Juice the apple and spinach. Add to a blender along with the banana and avocado. Mix all ingredients together. Leave the mixture to set in the fridge for at least 3 hours – add more liquid (milk/juice) if you’d like a more runny texture.

You May Also Like:

Bircher Muesli Pancakes

Breakfast Just Got Better

Breakfast Just Got Better