New Year - New Beginnings

Everyone lets go of their diets a bit over the Christmas period, it's natural. The New Year is classically the time when people turn themselves around and change their priorities. We have put together some meal ideas that are healthy but still makes sure you are getting all the goodness you need. We have also created some exercise programmes that are ideal to begin at this time of the year, there are "beginners", "intermediate" and "Complex" plans which cater to several levels of ability. 

Healthy Meals:

Teryiaki Salmon with sesame pak choi - BBC Good Food

Pork Steaks and Creamy Peppercorn Sauce - HelloFresh

Ingredients:

• 900 grams Potatoes
• 2 sachet Dried Thyme
• 1 unit(s) Red Onion
• 300 grams Green Beans
• 400 grams Broccoli Florets
• 4 unit(s) Pork Loin Steak
• 2 sachet Black Peppercorns
• 20 grams Chicken Stock Paste
• 150 grams Creme Fraiche (ContainsMilk)

Method:

Step 1

• Preheat your oven to 200°C. Chop the potatoes into 2cm chunks (no need to peel). Pop the chunks onto a large baking tray. Drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper then sprinkle over the dried thyme. Toss to coat then spread out in a single layer. TIP: Use two baking trays if necessary. When the oven is hot, roast on the top shelf until golden, 25-35 mins. Turn halfway through.

Step 2

• Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water with 1/2 tsp salt to the boil for the veggies. Halve, peel and chop the red onion into small pieces. Trim the green beans. Halve any large broccoli florets.

Step 3

• Heat a drizzle of oil in a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Season the pork with salt and pepper. IMPORTANT: Wash your hands and equipment after handling raw meat. Once hot, add the pork steaks. Cook until browned, 2-3 mins on each side. Reduce the heat to medium and fry for an additional 6-8 mins, turning every couple of mins. Once cooked, remove to a plate and cover with another plate or foil to rest. IMPORTANT: The pork is cooked when no longer pink in the middle.

Step 4

• While the pork is resting, return your (now empty) saucepan to medium heat with a drizzle of oil. Add the onion and cook until soft, stirring frequently, 3-4 mins. Add the crushed peppercorns, then stir in the chicken stock paste and water for the sauce (see ingredients for amount). Allow it to reduce by half, 3-4 mins.

Step 5

• While the sauce simmers, add the broccoli and green beans to the pan of boiling water and cook until tender, 4-5 mins. Once cooked, drain in a colander and return to the pan to keep warm. Stir the creme fraiche into the sauce, bring back to the boil then remove from the heat.

Step 6

• Slice the pork steaks widthways and serve on plates with the veggies and roast potatoes on the side. Add a splash of hot water to the sauce to loosen if needed, then spoon over the pork. Enjoy!

Fragrant Chicken Laksa - HelloFresh

Ingredients:

• 2 unit(s) Bell Pepper
• 2 unit(s) Spring Onion
• 1 unit(s) Red Chilli
• 2 unit(s) Garlic
• 1 bunch(es) Coriander
• 1 unit(s) Lime
• 100 grams Red Thai Style Paste
• 400 milliliter(s) Coconut Milk
• 2 sachet Chicken Stock Powder (ContainsCelery)
• 2 pot(s) Peanut Butter (ContainsPeanuts)
• 420 grams Diced Chicken Thigh
• 4 pack(s) Egg Noodle Nest (ContainsEgg, Gluten)

Method:

Step 1

Pop your kettle on to boil. Halve the pepper and discard the core and seeds. Chop into small pieces. Trim the spring onion and thinly slice. Halve the chilli lengthways, deseed then finely chop. Peel and grate the garlic (or use a garlic press). Roughly chop the coriander (stalks and all). Zest and halve the lime.

Step 2

Heat a splash of oil in a large saucepan on medium heat. Add the pepper, garlic, chilli and half the spring onion. Stir and cook for 2 mins, then add the red curry paste and stir together. Tip: Add less chilli if you don't like spice! After 1 minute, pour in the coconut milk and mix until smooth. Add the chicken stock powder with the boiling water from your kettle (see ingredients for amount) and bring to a simmer.

Step 3

Add the peanut butter and a pinch of sugar (if you have some) to your pan. Simmer gently for 10 mins. Taste the laksa and add seasoning if you think it needs it - salt, pepper, sugar - whatever suits your taste!

Step 4

Meanwhile, heat a splash of oil in a frying pan on medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken pieces and lime zest. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir-fry until cooked through, 8-10 mins. When cooked, remove to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. IMPORTANT: The chicken is cooked when it is no longer pink in the middle.

Step 5

When the laksa has been cooking for 10 mins, add in the egg noodle nests. Cook until soft enough to eat, about 4 mins. Tip: The noodles may soak up some of the coconut liquid. If this is the case, just add a splash of water to get it back to a soupy consistency.

Step6

Add the chicken to the pan and simmer until the chicken is piping hot, 1-2 mins. Remove from the heat and add half the lime juice. Taste and add salt, pepper and more lime juice if you feel it needs it. Serve in big bowls topped with the coriander and the remaining spring onion. Enjoy!

Spicy Cajun Prawn Risotto - HelloFresh

Ingredients:

• 2 unit(s) Leek
• 4 unit(s) Garlic
• 2 unit(s) Spring Onion
• 1 unit(s) Lemon
• 3 sachet Vegetable Stock Powder (ContainsCelery)
• 1 pot(s) Cajun Spice Mix
• 350 grams Risotto Rice
• 50 grams Panko Breadcrumbs (ContainsGluten)
• 300 grams King Prawns (ContainsCrustaceans)
• 80 grams Grated Hard Italian Style Cheese (ContainsMilk, Egg)

Method:

Step 1

Fill and boil your kettle. Trim the root and the dark green leafy part from the leek. Halve lengthways then thinly slice. Peel and grate the garlic (or use a garlic press). Trim the spring onion and thinly slice. Zest and halve the lemon. Pour the boiling water for the stock (see ingredients for amount) into a saucepan on low heat. Stir in the stock powder. You'll add the stock to the rice later.

Step 2

Heat a drizzle of oil in a large saucepan on medium-high heat. Once hot, add the leek and season with salt and pepper. Cook the leek until softened, 4-6 mins, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic and cajun spice (add less spice if you don't like heat) and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the risotto rice and cook until translucent around the edges, 1-2 mins.

Step 3

Stir in a ladle of your stock. When the stock has been absorbed by the rice, stir in another ladle of stock. Keep the pan on medium heat and continue stirring in the stock, letting it absorb each time. The cooking time should take 20-25 mins and your risotto is done when your rice is ‘al dente’ - cooked through but with a tiny bit of firmness left in the middle.

Step 4

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan on medium high heat (see ingredient list for amount). Add the breadcrumbs and season with salt and pepper. Toast them until golden, 3-4 mins, stirring every minute. Once golden, stir in the lemon zest and remove to a bowl.



Step 5

Once the risotto has 5 mins left to cook, stir in the prawns and simmer for 4-5 mins. IMPORTANT: The prawns are cooked when opaque all the way through. Remove from the heat and add the hard Italian cheese and a knob of butter (if you have it). Stir vigorously until well combined, then squeeze in some lemon juice.

Step 6

Taste the risotto and add more salt, pepper and lemon juice if you feel it needs it. Spoon into bowls and top with the lemon crumb and the spring onion. Enjoy!

Nieuwe alinea

"Intermediate" exercise plan:

This is the second of the 3 exercise plans, so this one is more intense than the last, we recommend that you start with the "simple" plan and then move up to the "intermediate" etc... when the level you are one seems easy and manageable to do for several weeks. If you are getting comfortable with the level you are on, then it is time to move up a level. Growth is made in uncomfortable situations.

The "intermediate" level is building on the "simple" exercise plan, with this one, instead of walking 3/4 times a week, try to replace 1/2 of them with a jog or a bike ride. This will raise your heart rate a lot more and help you lose weight significantly. When starting off you can run some and walk some, you can try implementing some technique to help you run further, for example, "running lampposts" is a great one, this is where you run from one lamppost to the next then walk from that one to the next, then run to the next, then walk etc... If you are in an area where there is not lampposts, try to be creating and use other landmarks. "Run fields" for example, where you use the same method as "running lampposts" but you run a lot a field until you reach the hedge dividing them, then you walk to the next, then run etc... You can do the same with trees, bins, signs etc...

Also with the "intermediate" exercise plan, instead of doing 2/3 body weight sessions, try to change this to 2 body weight session each week and 2 weighted exercise sessions each week, you can also find these exercise plans on our social media, like the body weight one, The "Train with Duane" video include some weight exercise plans. We have added an example of one below so you have an idea of what you are looking for when you look for them.

Weighted exercise plan example:

• Squat to over head press 10 reps
• Burpees 10 reps
• Goblet squats 10 reps
• Press-ups

"Advanced" exercise plan:

This is our hardest exercise plan we have put together, With all of the exercise plans we have made, you can tweak this to suit you and your needs/preferences.

With the "Advanced" plan, you should jog/cycle 3 times a week for cardio and weight loss, you can add a walk in there as extra if you like. Then change the 2 body weight/ 2 weighted sessions into 3 weighted sessions a week. Its great to add a walk on one of the days as well as a bit of a detox. With this plan, you will be working 7 days a week, you can always go for a jog in the morning and complete a weighted session on the evening, once a week. This will mean that you can have a rest day. If you do decide to do this, we recommend you have the rest day the day after your 2 exercise session day, therefore your muscles have time to repair. You can be very flexible with the jog or bike rides, you can vary the length if desired, as the main point is that you actually got out of the house and did it. A good recommendation is to make one of the runs/bike rides longer than the rest, as you can do one long one a week and 2 short ones.

With the 3 weighted sessions, they are very similar, if not the same as the intermediate level exercises. If you want to challenge yourself more, you can just added another exercise to the session or increase the reps/sets/weight of the sessions.

The best place to find loads of weighted and body weight exercise circuits/plans is on our Social media, All the videos that will be useful to you will be posts under the title of "Train with Duane". They are on our Instagram @hands_that_heal_clinic and Facebook page Hands That Heal - Phsyio and Sports Massage Clinic.

Another weighted exercise plan example: (Harder)

• Weighted lunges 10 reps
• Weighted squats 10 reps
• Press-ups with rows 10 reps (5 each arm)*
• Box step-ups 12 reps (6 each leg)

Please note that all of these exercise plans are examples and templates. So feel free to swap out an exercise or reduce to reps to suit your needs etc...