Despite the majority of people recognising that skipping breakfast is unhealthy (63% in a recent poll), the chances are that eating first thing in the morning isn't always top of mind in our busy lives. But what if there was evidence to convince the non-believers that breakfast really IS the most important meal of the day and what you choose to eat can make a big difference? Breakfast and health The fact that eating breakfast is a positive part of a healthy and balanced diet isn't new news – in fact having a meal in the morning began as far back as the Stone Age! Breakfast as we know it (the first meal of the day, taken before starting the day) began probably in the 19th century when middle class men started to work regular hours in offices. The invention of Cornflakes by Mr Kellogg at the turn of the 20th century made breakfast popular and started the breakfast revolution that we know today. Breakfast is considered to be important as it breaks the overnight fast, replenishes your supply of energy and nutrients and gets your body ready for the day. Many studies have been conducted which highlight the negative impact of not having breakfast – lack of concentration, lethargy, mood swings, headaches... the list goes on! More recent research has shown that skipping breakfast may actually increase your risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes – in fact missing just one breakfast per week was shown to increase the risk of diabetes by 20%. The type of breakfast you choose is also important – protein rich breakfasts may have a protective effect on blood sugars, with women eating high-protein breakfasts having better control over blood sugar and insulin levels than those having a carbohydrate rich breakfast. In the long term this could have a benefit against Type 2 Diabetes. Protein rich breakfasts also help to keep us fuller for longer, so they can really help with appetite control too. Breakfast and weight loss The evidence for eating breakfast when you are trying to lose weight or keep it off is pretty overwhelming. In fact, studies following people who have lost weight and kept it off for a year show that over 80% include breakfast in their eating plan. Breakfast eaters tend to consume less calories overall across the course of the day too – so making time for it really can reap rewards. By eating first thing you are getting your metabolism revved up for the day, making it more efficient to burn calories throughout the day. As well as that, eat a good breakfast and you're less likely to reach for unhealthy snacks mid morning when you feel starving! What's the best choice for breakfast? I'm a firm believer in breakfast, and to be honest ANY breakfast is better than nothing at all. So if you can manage to eat something in the morning – even if it's just a piece of fruit or a yogurt – that's better than nothing. A small amount of food is enough to kick start your metabolism and get things going for the day. In an ideal world, we'd all have more time and be able to enjoy leisurely breakfasts but in the real world we need quick options to get us up and out the door on time! Here is my take on some healthy breakfasts to get your taste buds going! Wholegrain breakfast cereal with fresh fruit and skimmed milk e.g. Shredded Wheat, Weetabix, Porridge Low fat yogurt with granola and berries Poached egg on a toasted wholemeal muffin Grilled bacon rashers with tomatoes Scrambled egg (made with skimmed milk) on wholemeal toast Pancakes with low fat crème fraiche and blueberries 2 egg omelette with as many veggies as you can cram in! So what are you waiting for? Make changes to introduce healthier starts to your day – I'm sure you'll soon notice the difference! And if you are a habitual breakfast eater already why not try and mix things up a bit. It's easy to have the same cereal every day and never make a change. Keep it interesting!

📷Here are some simple recipe"s Smoked salmon risotto Serves 4 - 365 kcals per serving KcalsFatSat fatCarbsSugarProteinSalt3655.9g2.0g69.7g4.2g13.2g3.74g Ingredients Frylight 300g risotto rice 1 onion, chopped 100g mange tout, sliced 120g smoked salmon trimmings 1.2 litres of vegetable stock Juice of 1 lemon Method Fry the onion in the Frylight until browned. Add the rice and stir well, until the rice becomes translucent around the edges. Slowly add the stock, stir and bring to the boil, simmer for 15 minutes. Add the mange tout and salmon, simmer for a further 5 minutes, continuously stirring. Add the lemon juice, stir well and serve. 📷Cod with chorizo Serves 4 - 220 kcals per serving KcalsFatSat fatCarbsSugarProteinSalt2209.6g2.9g4.4g4.1g27.5g1.75g Ingredients 80g Spanish chorizo 500g skinless and boneless cod loin 400g tin of chopped tomatoes 30g flat leaf parsley 5g sweet or smoked paprika 10ml extra virgin olive oil 10ml lemon juice Black pepper to season Method Season the cod with black pepper and sprinkle over the paprika and lemon juice. Drizzle with a little olive oil and bake uncovered at 180°C for 15-20 minutes until the fish is just firm and opaque. Meanwhile heat remaining oil in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Chop up the chorizo, add to the pan and cook until the fat is rendered (about 2 minutes), drain off excess fat. Add the tomatoes to the pan and bring to a simmer, turn down the heat. Season with black pepper and stir in roughly chopped flat leaf parsley. Top fish with chorizo/tomato mixture and serve with vegetables of your choice. Just remember to add the extra calories. 📷Spicy fish cakes Serves 6 - 134 kcals per serving KcalsFatSat fatCarbsSugarProteinSalt1343.1g0.4g8.8g7.1g18.0g1.19g Ingredients 600g skinless and boneless cod fillets 6 spring onions 1 tsp chilli powder 1 tbsp Thai fish sauce Zest and juice of 1 lime 1 tbsp vegetable oil 6 tbsp sweet chilli dipping sauce Handful of coriander Method Place the cod fillets, spring onions, chilli powder, Thai fish sauce, lime juice and zest and a good handful of fresh coriander in a food processor and blend until smooth. Divide the mixture into 12 and shape into fish cakes. Place on a plate, cover and chill for 30 minutes. Heat a little oil in a shallow pan and cook the fish cakes, in batches, for about 5 minutes, turn and cook for a further 3 minutes or until firm. Serve with sweet chilli dipping sauce. 📷Prawn madras Serves 2 - 301 kcals per serving KcalsFatSat fatCarbsSugarProteinSalt3014.0g0.7g22.9g17.8g43.3g4.67g Ingredients Frylight ¼ tsp mustard seeds ¼ tsp cumin seed ¼ tsp turmeric ¾ tsp garam masala 2 tsp chilli powder 4 cloves garlic, crushed 1 large onion, chopped 300g passata Handful of coriander, chopped 500g ready to eat prawns 2 tbsp fat free natural yogurt Method Spray the Frylight into a frying pan or wok. Add the mustard and cumin seeds until they start to pop a little after a few minutes. Add the onion and garlic and fry until brown. Add the passata, turmeric, garam masala, coriander and chilli powder. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, adding water as required. Add the prawns and heat through. Take off the heat, and stir in the yogurt. 📷Alternative fish & chips Serves 2 - 571 kcals per serving KcalsFatSat fatCarbsSugarProteinSalt57111.7g2.1g77.0g3.5g42.8g0.87g Ingredients 300g skinless and boneless haddock fillets 400g potatoes, raw ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 medium egg 50g plain flour 80g fresh breadcrumbs 1 small lemon 100g garden peas, frozen Black pepper to season Method Peel the potatoes and slice into equal chunky chip sized portions. Cook in an Actifry with ½ tbsp of olive oil, as per the instructions.* Meanwhile, put the egg and breadcrumbs into 2 separate bowls. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the fish, then coat with the egg, then the breadcrumbs and sprinkle over some pepper. Bake the fish in the oven for 20 minutes at 200°C. When the fish and chips are almost cooked, boil the peas for 5 minutes. Serve the fish, chips and peas with a wedge of lemon. *If you don't have an Actifry, par boil the potatoes for around 4-5 minutes, then evenly spread on a baking tray with a little Frylight and cook for 30 minutes at 200°C.

Stress can be a large contributing factor to increased fat gain, heavily affecting your goals. Without boring you too much with the breakdown of stress, how cortisol and insulin are formed and work together to aid in your unexpected bodyfat increase we’ll hit you with some key points. When experiencing stress our body goes into ‘Fight or Flight’. Our bodies then produce cortisol (hormone produced by the adrenal glands) to help manage the increased energy we need to deal with the stress. Usually, when stressed, we don’t actually need the energy produced for anything strenuous such as working out, therefore the increased energy (insulin) is stored as fat. I’ll admit, I have always overlooked stress and it wasn’t up until learning how it aids in increased bodyfat levels and muscle tissue breakdown that I really paid more attention to it, not only in myself but heavily within clients. So what are some simple steps to help reduce stress? Supplementing Magnesium/ZMA before bed helps you to relax and promotes deep, peaceful sleep. Aim to get around 7-8 hours of peaceful sleep per night. Pinpoint where your stress stems from and have a plan in place on how you can reduce/remove it. Always have some ‘Me’ time each week. Time in which you can just relax, focus on yourself and do what makes you happy. Reassess what is important to you. Also, take a look at your attitudes and how you seem to react to any stressful situations. Not everyone shows signs of stress which is why it is so important to try and build a bond with in your fitness or lifestyle circle,its good to talk remind each other that every now and then you can chat about anything other than just fitness and getting summer ready!

Far too many people view six-packs as a kind of fitness status symbol, reserved for the genetic elite or those who spend more time in the gym than they do in their own home. And that’s simply not the case. Yes, your genetics and diet influence just how much muscle definition you have around your midsection. But the good news is that everyone has abs—regardless of how well you can see them. And that means that everyone can build better abs. You might have to relearn a few things, but by incorporating the principles below and trying some new exercises, you can build stronger, better abs than ever before. Your Abs Have More Than One Purpose Ever wondered why sit-ups became such a popular exercise? It’s because most anatomy books state that the purpose of your abdominal muscles is to flex your spine. As a result, people think that by creating a “crunch” type movement, you’ll build your abs the way nature intended. Unfortunately, most anatomy books are “at least 35 years out of date,” while your abs do flex your spine, that’s just a small part of their duty. Your abdominal muscles also… Create movement: Let’s say you’re standing upright, and then you bend forward at your waist as fast as you can, as if you’re a boxer ducking a punch. When you do so, you’ll feel your abs activate; since you’re moving faster than the speed of gravity. Your abs will kick in to propel your torso downward. Counterbalance movement: Ok, now pretend that you’re standing upright again, this time with your hands on your belly. If you were to start leaning backwards, you’ll again feel your abs activate, but this time in a different way. Your abs are doing the opposite of what anatomy books tell you. Rather than flexing your spine, those muscles are fighting the extension of your spine to keep you from falling over. Resist movement: All right, last example. You’re again standing upright, but with your arms reaching straight out in front of you at shoulder-level, with your hands locked together. Let’s say a friend tried to push your arms to one side, but you didn’t want to move. How would you resist their efforts? Your abs. Your core would activate to keep your arms pointing straight ahead. It’s important to do exercises that will work your abs in all of these different ways to protect your body from injury and reveal the lean body you desire. Almost every movement you do works your abs in some capacity—especially if you’re standing. Press a weight overhead, your abs engage. Stand on one leg, your abs are working. Struggle during a tough exercise and “cheat” a little on your form—yep, you’ll probably feel your abs coming to the rescue. These non-abs specific movements hit your midsection indirectly by working your “core” muscles, which are different from your abs. (Your core encompasses your entire torso, including your chest, glutes, back, and even neck muscles.) The following six movements work your core and help your abs “pop,” too. Push-Ups: Everyone knows that planks are killer abs exercises. Push-ups are essentially planks crossed with a bench press, so you can strengthen your six-pack and build your chest. Start in the push-up position, with your arms slightly out in front of you and your elbows near the side of your body. Keeping your back straight and abs tight, lower your body until it almost touches the floor. Pause, then push yourself back up into the starting position. One-Arm Push-Ups: This exercise is the king of upper-body pushing exercises, hitting every muscle that regular pushups hit while placing extra emphasis on your abs and obliques. Start in the pushup position but put one hand behind your back. Your other arm will be slightly out in front of you, with your elbow near the side of your body. Keep your legs wide (the wider they are, the easier the exercise). Lower your body down until your torso almost touches the floor. Pause, then push yourself up to the starting position. Standing One-Arm Cable Press: If one-arm pushups are too advanced for you, standing single-arm cable presses are the next best thing. Like the one-arm push-ups, the exercise strengthens your upper body, abs and obliques. Holding a cable in one hand, step out so that one foot is in front of you and the other leg is bent behind you. Lean forward slightly, pick your back heel off the ground, and tuck your elbow in. Drive the cable in your hand forward, pressing with your shoulder. Return quickly to the starting position and repeat. Cable Chops: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your abs braced. Grab a cable in one hand and pull it across your body. Then turn your shoulders and hips, as if you are swinging a bat. You have three options for the motion: high to low, low to high, or you can press horizontally, from the shoulder level. For best results, mix them up. Offset Dumbbell Lunges: These lunges are a great way to work your obliques. Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and grab a heavy dumbbell in one hand. Take a step forward with one leg and lower your body until your knee is bent at a 90 degree angle. Then step forward with your other leg to return to the starting position. Take a step forward with the opposite foot and repeat the movement. Continue this pattern as you walk across the floor. Tight Rotations: This body-weight movement is a relatively new exercise, but just as effective as the classics. Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart with your arms straight out in front of you and hands locked together. Rotate your arms and torso as quickly as you can from left to right, keeping the movement between your feet – your shoulders shouldn’t extend past your left or right foot. Move your hips with your shoulders. But You Still Need Ab-Specific Training While nearly every exercise works your abdominal muscles in some way, the benefits of these movements are limited. Most only test the stability of your abs. They don’t develop other aspects of ab strength, like the ability to initiate movement. That’s why doing targeted abs movements is so important. Abs-specfic exercises allow you to strengthen your midsection completely, helping you build an impressive six-pack that’s built to move. And perhaps the best way to strengthen your abs is to do Swiss-Ball Pike Rollouts. A 2010 study in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy found that both the Ball Pike and Ball roll Out exercises were the most effective way hit your upper abs, lower abs, and obliques all at once. Swiss-Ball Pike Rollouts: Start in a pushup position with your hands on the floor and shins resting on top of a Swiss Ball. Your hands should be shoulder width apart, with your back kept straight. To start the exercise, tighten your core muscles and pull your legs in towards your arms, lifting your hips in the air. Pause at the top of the rep and hold for 1-2 seconds. Then lower yourself back down to the starting position, sliding your legs back over the ball until your arms are extended out in front of you. Remember to keep your abs braced and your back straight throughout the movement. Perform 2-4 sets of 6-12 reps.

INGREDIENTS SERVES 9/ calories per serving 78 2 banana 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 2 cups Oatmeal-Rolled Oats 1/2 tsp Salt 1/4 cup Dates, Chopped 1/4 cup Walnuts - Chopped 1 dash Cinnamon Ground DIRECTIONS 1Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9x9 inch-square baking dish using butter or olive oil.2Mash the bananas very thoroughly in a mixing bowl until they are almost liquid. No large chunks should remain (about 1 cup and 1 ? cup).3Stir in vanilla (optional). Mix in oats, then dates, nuts and salt (optional).4Press the mixture evenly into a 9x9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the top lightly with nutmeg or cinnamon (optional).5Bake for 30 minutes in an over preheated to 350 degrees.