Quinoa & Lentil Stuffed Pepper

This delicious dish works as a meal on its own or as a great side if you're feeling hungry!

Serves 2

2 Peppers
8 Cherry tomatoes
1 Garlic clove
1/2 courgette
1 Leek
1 Onion
1/4 cup of cooked quinoa
1/4 cup of cooked lentils

* Cut the top off the peppers and remove the seeds
* Slice the tomatoes in half and put inside the two peppers
* Using a knife, press on the garlic glove to crush it slightly. Cut it into about 6 pieces and put half into each pepper
* Cook at 180° until they start to soften

* Cook the quinoa and lentils according to the instructions on the packet
* Finely chop the onion and leek and sauté in a pan - I use a tiny bit of coconut oil for this
* Mix the lentils, quinoa and sautéed veg and spoon into the peppers

* Cook for a further 10 minutes or until the peppers are soft if needed.

I served mine on a bed of steamed kale and spinach but they are delicious alone or as a side themselves!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas is one of the strangest times of year. Everyone spends weeks 'getting ready' for the event, stressing over present buying, cooking and family politics. Then before you know it, Christmas morning has passed, the presents have been opened and piled away, enormous quantities of food and drink have been consumed and you're sitting on the sofa feeling sick!

If the guilt of Christmas calories is getting too much, here are some handy hints to get you feeling positive again!

1) Give away anything you know you shouldn't eat. I've managed to almost single handedly demolish a tube of smarties... this was the final straw - the rest are being removed from the house so there is no temptation to continue the Christmas binge.

2) Exercise. This one seems fairly obvious but with many gyms closed over Christmas it isn't as easy as it should be. Go for a run, walk the dog, do a workout at home or even just do some stretching or yoga to get yourself off the sofa.

3) Do a food shop. If your kitchen is anything like mine, there are leftovers spilling out of every cupboard. While we all know that "waste not, want not", it isn't going to help you feel better living off leftovers for the next week. Write a list and go to the supermarket! Although cold turkey can be a great addition to salads for a bit of protein.

4) Rehydrate! Drink lots and lots of water. Not only will this help restore your alcohol induced dehydration but it will also help you to feel full if you have stretched your stomach a little over the past few days!

5) Don't be too hard on yourself. Christmas happens once a year and as long as you don't drag it out for weeks on end, you really wont set yourself back too much. Indulge but don't loose all self-control and work hard to keep yourself on track!

Refocus

In September I set about to reach 20% body fat. At my last reading I reached 20.3% from a starting point of 24.4%. While the accuracy is questionable, I make sure I measure in the same way and same state each time so this is great progress none-the-less! Although I try to stay away from the scales, I had weight to loose. Now, 5.3kg/11.7lbs lighter, I am ready to adjust my goal and step into the new stage of training.

I am out for two weeks with tooth extractions which is highly frustrating, but it giving me time to plan and reminding me of my appreciation for my usual lifestyle - trying to sit still, not exercise and be restricted to eating foods that are edible with a swollen face is not getting any easier and I can't wait to get back into my usual routine.

My next aim is 18% body fat. I imagine that this will be as low as I want to go (although I will need another goal once that is reached!). It would put me well into the 'athlete' range and I should notice some muscle definition without losing my shape too much.

I will be focusing on building my bum - an area I have always struggled with - while also targeting the toning in my upper body. I will continue to concentrate on strength training for the majority of my workouts and increase the protein in my diet to allow for it.

I will post my plan once I have finished putting it together.