Tis the season for spring cleanin'

So whilst you are thinking about throwing out old clunky dusty old furniture and clothes, take a think about how you are going to clean up your insides after the long cold winter…  Months of hearty meaty stews, pastas, wine, hot chocolates, bread and cheese have probably cluttered up your inners, and even increased your own internal storage systems (if you know what I mean…).  While in winter you can cover it all up and pretend all is still clean, healthy and svelte underneath the layers, all it takes is the first warm weekend for the blinkers to get ripped off and realization to kick in.

Now, you can’t guzzle soap and shampoo, detergent and bleach to expect to get the same clean feeling on the outside that you want on the inside… So how?  Well, there are a number of cleansing programs and products available at the moment, try just water fasting which is a fairly extreme way to let you body do its own cleaning.  You can try surviving on lemon juice/syrup concoctions  or you can try to do a juice cleanse.  There are definitely pros and cons to each type of cleansing you do, but there are more nourishing ways than others too.

A juice cleanse is method of cleansing that not only uses the body’s own toxin removal system, but is able to enhance the process through the natural properties of good organic produce.  Fruits and vegetables should be part of everyone’s daily diet, and not just once a day, at least twice a day! And juicing is a fabulous way to get huge doses of those naturally occurring infection, cancer fighting antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.  Just think – your lunch salad has maybe 1 carrot, half a cucumber, handful of baby spinach, 2 tomatoes, some fresh herbs, ¼ capsicum and a sprinkle of seeds.  But juice all this up and get around 300mls of juice which is just over a cup.  That might feel like a snack, but probably won’t feel like a meal.  BUT double those amounts and you get a hearty satisfying juice, THEN do that for at least 5 times a day – WOAH – your body will be so dosed up on fresh raw goodness that it won’t know what is happening!

Now, those with a bent for thinking about the logistics of HOW, will be thinking to themselves, but that is a lot of fruit and veg I have to buy, then store in the fridge, then juice, and then….clean and wash up.  And you would be right!  It can be a mission.  There are certainly people out there that can help you, well, do it all for you and deliver you a fresh little esky each morning for your cleanse.  But it also something you can do yourself.  Here are some recipes you can try yourself at home.  Dust off the juicer, get the markets/grocery store and get stocked up!

Green Juice

1 cucumber

2 apples

1 pear

1 bunch kale

1 lemon

Orange Juice

3 carrots

1 orange

3 sticks celery

1 cucumber

Pink Juice

½ beetroot

2 carrots

2 apples

1 lemon

Small piece of ginger

Try these yourself at home – they are delicious, nourishing and packed full of rich antioxidant goodness to get your insides spring sparkling!  If this does seem like too much, check out Schkinny Maninny in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.  They can juice up and deliver for your juice cleanse, book online at www.schkinnymaninny.com.au or on 1300 021 601.

Is it time to Spring Clean your Fitness?

Is it time to Spring Clean Your Fitness?
by Sally Symonds, Healthy Life Mentor and author of  “50 Steps to Lose 50kg . . . And Keep It Off” & “50+ Recipes to Lose 50+kg . . . And Keep It Off”

I change personal trainers almost as often as I change shoes – well not quite . . . but you get the idea. 

Don’t get me wrong, “I’m not fussy,” but as a qualified PT myself, I do like to ensure that my money is well spent. 

I’ve had three great long-term trainers – one became a musician, one became a fencer, and one moved to a gym too far away for me to go regularly. 

Admittedly, 95% of the time I actually only use a PT to hold the pads for me while I box.  But most people use their PTs for much more, which I why I am constantly surprised by people who see the same PT year in and year out, despite getting very little changes or results. 

If our cleaning lady doesn’t clean properly, we find someone else. 

If our drycleaner doesn’t clean our clothes properly, we go somewhere else. 

If we are unhappy with the hairstyle inflicted upon us at the hairdresser, we change stylists. 

Why are we so reluctant to change our personal trainers if we aren’t getting the results we want?

Perhaps part of the reason is the bond we build with them. 

For many people, their PTs have replaced their hairdresser as their confidante [or gossip buddy?].Perhaps we're scared they'll share all our secrets . . . perhaps they already do?

In the fitness industry, like any other, there are good practitioners and not so good ones.  

However, there are at least 25 000 personal trainers in Australia at the moment, as well as countless other online exercise and wellness coaching programs. 

My advice is: don’t be afraid to leave if you aren’t getting what you want or need.  It’s your money and your time and your body. 

If you aren’t happy, don’t quit altogether – just quit that particular PT and try someone else. 

Sure, it can be a tad awkward if you end up going to someone else at the same gym, but awkwardness fades – wasting your time and money doesn’t. 

For more information on weight loss and healthy living visit www.sallysymonds.com.au

Yellow Belly and Murray River Cod Sashimi

This is perhaps the most delicious feast we have enjoyed at home EVER!

Home made nigiri and sashimi from yellow belly and cod caught that day from the beautiful Narran river.

There is very little to say other than it was 8pm when I got home and by 840pm we were feasting on this spread!

My nigiri forming skills could use a little work, but it still tasted amazing!

We have eaten some pretty spectacular Japanese in some great places in Sydney and Melbourne and I can tell you, that this definately compares...if not beats!

YUM, my mouth is watering just looking at it again!

An Aussie inspired Japanese FEAST!

Yellow Belly and Murray River Cod sashimi, nigiri and served with rocked (which we then drizzled boiling sesame oil over!)