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GTI<br />
FITNESS<br />
G E T<br />
I T<br />
T O<br />
I T N E S S<br />
F<br />
Eat, Shrink<br />
and be<br />
merry!!<br />
www.gtifitness.co.uk
Introduction<br />
Christmas is just around the corner and there will be lots of temptations<br />
over the festive season, it’s really easy to fall off the wagon and can be<br />
incredibly difficult to get back on it<br />
Did you know that most people gain around 10lbs of extra weight<br />
over the Christmas and New Year period? That’s nearly a stone of<br />
unwanted body fat that you will need to shift in the New Year!!<br />
Fear not as The Eat, Shrink and Be Merry <strong>Xmas</strong> guide will help you<br />
through the festive minefield with tasty recipes and top tips to help you<br />
limit the damage<br />
Fail to Plan….Prepare To Fail!<br />
Planning is key to ensure that you won’t be struggling to get your<br />
jeans done up come the new year, no one likes that Christmas Pudding<br />
feeling!!<br />
It’s vital you stay hydrated throughout the party season, so shoot for<br />
around 1 litre of water per 50lbs in body weight and increase this if you<br />
have had a few drinks on a social event<br />
01
23rd December<br />
Increase your intake of fat burning green<br />
vegetables and aim to have 2 portions of<br />
watercress, broccoli, cabbage, kale, sprouts or<br />
spinach. Watercress or spinach can be eaten<br />
straight from the bag so are the perfect on<br />
the go fat burning snacks<br />
A great way to get your greens in for breakfast<br />
is in a smoothie and you don’t even taste<br />
them, here’s my favourite recipe for a Green<br />
Smoothie<br />
Ingredients<br />
2 celery sticks<br />
¼ cucumber<br />
1 tsp cashew nut butter<br />
1 tsp coconut oil<br />
Handful of spinach & watercress<br />
½ avocado<br />
Splash of coconut milk, rice or almond milk<br />
Ice cubes<br />
Place all ingredients into blender and blend until smooth<br />
Drink immediately<br />
02
Christmas Eve<br />
A busy day for everyone and with last minute shopping to be done, you<br />
might be stuck for what to choose for lunch if you are out and about.<br />
There are always healthy options available, you just have to make the<br />
right choice of where to eat and what to have.<br />
Most pubs and cafes will have salads of some sort on the menu, or<br />
a tasty omelette is quick, tasty and won’t wreck your healthy eating<br />
regime. Opt for a juicy steak served with a plate of greens and or salad<br />
My favourite place for lunch would be Pizza Express, yes that’s right, a<br />
pizza place! They do the best chicken and avocado salads, just ask them<br />
to hold the dressing and the bread<br />
You might fancy treating yourself to a tasty curry from the takeaway in<br />
the evening, it’s mega easy to make your own and much cheaper too! If<br />
you have a slow cooker, prepare the meal and leave to cook while you<br />
are shopping, if you don’t have one get it on your <strong>Xmas</strong> list now!<br />
03
Here are 2 of my favourite curry recipe’s for you to try<br />
CHICKEN BREASTS IN COCONUT MILK<br />
Serves 4<br />
Ingredients<br />
• 4 skinless chicken breasts<br />
• 1 tsp coconut oil<br />
• 1 onion, chopped<br />
• 1 green chilli, chopped<br />
• 1 inch piece of ginger, grated<br />
• 1 tsp fennel seeds<br />
• 1 tsp ground star anise<br />
• 1 tsp cardamom pods<br />
• ½ tsp turmeric<br />
• ½ tsp black peppercorns<br />
• ½ tsp ground cloves<br />
• 600 ml coconut milk<br />
• 2 tsp ground coriander<br />
Method<br />
Place the onion, chilli, ginger, ground coriander, cumin, fennel seeds, star<br />
anise, cardamom pods, turmeric, peppercorns, cloves and 400ml of the<br />
coconut milk in a food processor to make a paste.<br />
Slash the chicken breasts several times and place into a bowl. Pour over<br />
half of the coconut mixture and leave to marinate for at least one hour.<br />
Heat oil in a frying pan and brown chicken breasts on both sides.<br />
Add left over marinade to pan with left over coconut milk and bring to<br />
boil. Simmer for 20 minutes and serve.<br />
04
CREAMY CHICKEN CURRY WITH SPINACH<br />
Serves 4<br />
Ingredients<br />
• 1lb skinless chicken breasts, sliced<br />
• 3 tsp coconut oil<br />
• 1 onion, chopped<br />
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed<br />
• 1 tsp fresh chopped ginger<br />
• 1 green chilli, chopped finely<br />
• 1 celery stick, chopped<br />
• 400g chopped tinned tomatoes<br />
• 2 tbsp tomato puree<br />
• ½ tsp ground cumin<br />
• ½ tsp ground coriander<br />
• ½ tsp ground turmeric<br />
• ¼ tsp garam masala<br />
• 100ml water<br />
• 150 ml live yoghurt<br />
• 200g baby spinach<br />
Method<br />
Melt oil in a pan, add the onion, garlic, ginger, chilli and celery and cook<br />
on low heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, puree, spices and water.<br />
Increase the heat to medium and bring to the boil, then reduce heat to<br />
simmer for 15 minutes.<br />
Add the yoghurt to the sauce, stir then add in the chicken and cook<br />
for 15 minutes. Stir in the spinach and cook for just a further 2 minutes<br />
before serving.<br />
05
Christmas Day<br />
It’s only once a year and it’s time to let your hair down, enjoy a nice<br />
meal with your friends and family but maybe you still want to eat clean?<br />
How about starting your day with a breakfast of smoked salmon and<br />
poached eggs or boiled eggs and asparagus soldiers? Both easy dishes<br />
that will set you up for the day<br />
The traditional Christmas lunch can also be a healthy affair<br />
Here’s a great <strong>Xmas</strong> menu that is easy to prepare<br />
Roast Turkey with Sausage, Sage and Onion Stuffing<br />
Roasted Parsnips & Sweet Potato<br />
Cauliflower Mash<br />
Steamed Broccoli & Brussel Sprouts<br />
Gluten Free Yorkshire Puddings<br />
06
We all love a pudding so as its Christmas day, treat yourself to a pudding<br />
of your choice. Just don’t go overboard and consume a whole chocolate<br />
gateau to yourself though.<br />
There are always lots of leftovers on Christmas day, use the leftover<br />
turkey to make a nice salad or fry up leftover greens in coconut oil,<br />
throw in some chilli and turkey for a tasty stir fry<br />
10 Minute Damage Limitation Exercise<br />
30 seconds of Jump Squats, 30 seconds rest x 10<br />
07
Boxing Day<br />
So today you’re likely to be feeling a little bloated and can’t face much<br />
food at all, or you’ve gone the other way and are craving carbs big style?<br />
It’s time to put the detox in action starting your day with a pint of warm<br />
water with the juice of one lemon in it, I like to add crushed mint and<br />
grated ginger too for a bit of a kick<br />
Breakfast<br />
Have a green smoothie this morning then head outside for some fresh<br />
air, a leisurely walk will do you the world of good<br />
Lunch<br />
Tuna fishcakes with pineapple salsa<br />
Dinner<br />
Turkey and sweet potato bubble and squeak<br />
10 Minute Damage Limitation Exercise<br />
30 seconds of burpees, 30 seconds rest x 10<br />
08
27th December<br />
Breakfast<br />
Fruity pancakes if you fancy sweet or spicy pancakes for the savoury<br />
lovers<br />
Lunch<br />
Beef Hotpot Soup<br />
Dinner<br />
Chunky Chilli with Sweet potato<br />
10 Minute Damage Limitation Exercise<br />
30 seconds of Jump Squats, 30 seconds rest x 10<br />
09
28th - 31st December<br />
Getting all glammed up and celebrating the New Year coming??<br />
If you want to look fab in your outfit, its best to stay on the ‘clean’<br />
foods over these days. Plenty of protein with lots of greens are what<br />
you should be aiming for<br />
If your body is happy on the inside you will be happy on the outside<br />
with the added bonus of looking hot on New Year’s Eve.<br />
10
Snacks<br />
If you are worried about what to snack on over the festive period, see<br />
some of the options below.<br />
*Sweet potato crisps*<br />
*Hummus with celery*<br />
*Nuts, preferably ones that you need a nutcracker to get into to<br />
encourage you not to have too large a portion*<br />
*Coco nutty power balls*<br />
*Almond fudge balls*<br />
*Sweet potato wedges with a herby dip*<br />
*Fruit with nuts/cinnamon*<br />
*Bowl of spinach, watercress with walnuts and olives*<br />
*Crispy chicken bites*<br />
11
Recipe Corner<br />
Fruity Pancakes<br />
• 110g wheat free plain flour<br />
• 280ml rice milk<br />
• 1 egg<br />
• Chopped up fruit of your choice<br />
Mix together ingredients, fry in hot coconut oil until cooked. Serve with<br />
fruit.<br />
Spicy Pancakes<br />
• 2 tsp cumin<br />
• Coconut oil for frying<br />
• 1 tsp chilli flakes (more if u want it quite spicy)<br />
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed<br />
• 1-2 tsp ginger<br />
• 110g plain wheat/gluten free flour<br />
• 280ml rice milk<br />
• 1 large egg<br />
• Himalayan sea salt and pepper<br />
For the spiced potato filling<br />
• Coconut oil<br />
• 1 tsp mustard seeds<br />
• ½ onion chopped<br />
• 1 tsp turmeric<br />
• 2 cold sweet boiled potatoes, chopped<br />
To serve<br />
• 6 tbsp natural yoghurt<br />
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander<br />
12
Toast the cumin with a pinch of salt in a dry pan for about a minute.<br />
Add a bit of coconut oil and sauté the chilli, garlic and ginger for a<br />
couple of minutes. Remove from heat.<br />
Put the garlic/spice mix in a bowl along with flour, egg and half of the<br />
milk. Whisk while gradually adding the remaining milk until a smooth<br />
batter is formed. Leave the batter to rest for 10 mins.<br />
Meanwhile, heat a little coconut oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and<br />
cook for 2 mins or until they begin to pop. Add the onion and cook for<br />
5 mins until soft. Stir in the turmeric and cooked potatoes, add more oil<br />
if needed for frying. Fry for 5 minutes until heated through. Put to one<br />
side while you cook the pancakes.<br />
Potato Cakes<br />
• 115g cold mashed sweet potatoes<br />
• 200ml rice milk<br />
• 75g gluten free self raising flour<br />
• Pinch of salt<br />
• 1 egg, beaten<br />
• Coconut oil for frying<br />
Blend the mashed potatoes and rice milk in a food processor until it<br />
resembles a thin puree.<br />
Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl; add the beaten egg and potato<br />
puree. Gradually whisk the flour and liquid together to make a smooth,<br />
creamy, thick batter.<br />
Heat coconut oil in a large non stick frying pan. Pour a tablespoon of<br />
batter per cake into the pan – I fit 4 in the pan at one time. Cook each<br />
cake for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove from the<br />
pan and keep warm while cooking remaining potato cakes.<br />
13
Beef Hotpot Soup<br />
• 450g stewing beef, cubed<br />
• 225g diced carrot and swede (I used Tesco’s ready prepared)<br />
• 3 large onions, 1 peeled and quartered, 2 chopped finely<br />
• 4 cloves of garlic, (I used smoked garlic)<br />
• 1.5 pints of wheat free beef stock (try Waitrose or make your own)<br />
• 8 small new potatoes<br />
• 1/2 teaspoon wheat free english mustard powder<br />
• Black pepper<br />
• 2 teaspoons of coconut oil<br />
• Parsley to garnish<br />
Heat the coconut oil in a large pan and brown meat all over, add garlic<br />
and fry for 1 minute.<br />
Transfer to slow cooker (or to oven dish with lid).<br />
Add in chopped onions, pepper and mustard powder. Cook for 2 hours.<br />
Add in quartered onions, potatoes and root veg cook for a further 90<br />
minutes.<br />
Serve garnished with chopped parsley and some greens<br />
Cauliflower Mash<br />
• 1 Cauliflower<br />
• 6 garlic cloves<br />
• Coconut oil<br />
• Salt and pepper<br />
• Blend all ingredients together and<br />
serve together<br />
14
Gluten and Wheat Free Stuffing<br />
• 1 onion<br />
• 2 garlic cloves<br />
• 450g pork mince<br />
• Chopped parsley<br />
• Chopped sage<br />
• 25g gluten free oatcakes crushed into crumbs<br />
• Salt and pepper<br />
• Heat oven to 220ºC/gas mark 7.<br />
Mix the ingredients together. Shape into balls.<br />
Place in the oven for approx 30 minutes.<br />
Yorkshire Puddings<br />
• 75g gluten free plain flour<br />
• 25g cornflour<br />
• 1 tsp xanthan gum<br />
• 1 pinch of salt<br />
• 2 eggs<br />
• 300ml rice milk<br />
• 2tbsps coconut oil<br />
• 25g organic butter<br />
Heat oven to 220ºC/gas mark 7. Mix together the plain flour, cornflour,<br />
xanthan gum and salt. Add the eggs, rice milk and coconut oil to form a<br />
batter and beat well.<br />
Smear the butter into the cavities in your baking tray. Heat the tray in<br />
the oven until the fat is hot.<br />
Add the batter to each cavity and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.<br />
15
Turkey and Sweet Potato Bubble and Squeak<br />
• Christmas dinner leftovers<br />
• Flour for dusting<br />
• 1 egg, beaten<br />
• Wheat/gluten free breadcrumbs<br />
Save your Christmas dinner leftovers, turkey, sweet potatoes and<br />
veg and mix together. Add a little melted coconut oil and some<br />
breadcrumbs to get a stiff mixture. Make into 4 patties.<br />
Dust with flour then dip the patties in the beaten egg and then coat in<br />
breadcrumbs.<br />
Fry for 3 minutes each side until golden brown and warmed through.<br />
Tuna Fishcakes with Pineapple Salsa<br />
• 2 Tuna steaks<br />
• 4 sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered<br />
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon<br />
• Salt and pepper<br />
• 1 egg, beaten<br />
• Coconut flour<br />
• Sesame seeds<br />
• Coconut oil<br />
For the salsa<br />
• 200g fresh pineapple, chopped<br />
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped<br />
• Olive oil<br />
• Juice and zest of 1 lime<br />
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon<br />
• Sanchi/tamari sauce, to taste<br />
• Bunch of coriander, chopped<br />
16
Boil potatoes until tender. Drain, mash and set aside to cool. While<br />
potatoes are boiling grill tuna steaks 2 minutes on each side.<br />
Chop tuna steaks in small pieces and set aside to cool.<br />
Combine COLD mash with tuna, lemon zest, juice, salt and pepper.<br />
Shape into 4 large fishcakes.<br />
Combine flour and sesame seeds, then dip each fishcake in the beaten<br />
egg and then into the flour and sesame seed mixture.<br />
Fry in hot oil until golden brown on each side. Finish in the oven to<br />
warm through if needed. Serve with a green salad.<br />
Chunky Chilli<br />
This dish is made with mini meatballs, which can be made with minced<br />
beef, pork or even lamb.<br />
For the chilli<br />
• 2 medium red onions, chopped into chunks<br />
• 1 large red pepper, halved, deseeded and diced into chunks<br />
• 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled<br />
• 2 tbsp olive oil<br />
• 500g cherry tomatoes, halved<br />
• 2 tsp dried chilli flakes<br />
• Good pinch sea salt<br />
• 1 x 420g cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed<br />
• 55g sunblush tomatoes<br />
• 200ml tomato passata<br />
• Fresh coriander to finish (optional)<br />
17
For the meatballs (Makes approx 24)<br />
• 500g lean minced beef/pork<br />
• 4 tbsp rice flour<br />
• 1 egg, beaten<br />
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped<br />
• Seasoning<br />
• 4 small sweet potatoes<br />
Method<br />
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.<br />
Place the onions, pepper and garlic on a medium sized roasting tray,<br />
drizzle with the oil and roast for 15 minutes.<br />
Remove the vegetables from oven. Add the halved tomatoes, chilli, and<br />
salt. Roast for a further 15 minutes or until the tomatoes look lightly<br />
charred.<br />
Meanwhile, in a bowl combine the meatball ingredients and season well.<br />
Using wet hands roll the meat mixture into 24 even sized meat balls. Set<br />
to one side.<br />
Scatter over the kidney beans, sunblush tomatoes and passata and<br />
combine well. Lie over the meatballs and return to the oven for a<br />
further 15-20 minutes or until bubbling hot and cooked.<br />
For the crispy jackets<br />
Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas<br />
mark 6 and bake for 40 minutes<br />
18
Coconutty Power Balls<br />
• 1 cup of soft pitted dates<br />
• 1 cup of shelled hemp seeds<br />
• 1/2 cup almonds or any nut will do<br />
• 1 cup raw shredded coconut<br />
• A pinch of himalayan sea salt<br />
Place all ingredients except 1/2 the coconut in a food processor and<br />
whiz until blended, don’t let it get to smooth, if it’s too wet add some<br />
more hemp, if it’s too dry add a little water.<br />
Roll into balls, rub into leftover coconut and chill for an hour or so<br />
Almond Fudge Balls<br />
• 1 tbsp smooth organic peanut butter<br />
• 2 tsp almond butter<br />
• 1 tsp tahini<br />
• 3 tsp agave syrup<br />
• 2 tsp chopped almonds<br />
• 5 tbsp ground flax seeds<br />
• 4 tsp organic desiccated coconut<br />
Mix together the nut butters and tahini. Add the agave syrup and<br />
chopped almonds. Add ground flax seeds to the mixture. Divide into 6<br />
balls, roll these into the coconut then refrigerate for at least 3 hours or<br />
ideally overnight.<br />
19
Hummus<br />
• 1 tin chickpeas<br />
• 2 garlic gloves<br />
• 1-2tbsp fresh lemon juice<br />
• 1 tbsp tahini<br />
• Salt and pepper to taste<br />
• Olive oil or virgin rapeseed oil<br />
Rinse chickpeas. Place chickpeas in the blender with lemon juice, garlic<br />
oil, tahini and water to make a thick loose paste.<br />
Sweet Potato Crisps<br />
• Sweet potato<br />
• Salt and pepper<br />
• Optional: spice of choice e.g.<br />
Cajun<br />
Heat oven at 200C/gas mark 6.<br />
Slice potatoes with potato peeler to<br />
ensure they are thin.<br />
Season with salt and pepper/spices<br />
Bake for approx 25/30 minutes.<br />
20
Sweet Potato Wedges & Herby Dip<br />
• 2 sweet potatoes<br />
• Coconut oil<br />
• ½ tsp smoked paprika<br />
• 4 fresh basil leaves, chopped<br />
• 2 tsp chives<br />
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice<br />
• Natural yoghurt<br />
Preheat oven to 180c/gas mark 6.<br />
Scrub the sweet potatoes and cut into wedges. Boil a saucepan of water<br />
and add the wedges. Let simmer for 3 minutes.<br />
Remove potatoes from pan and pat dry with kitchen roll.<br />
Mix the melted coconut oil and paprika in a bowl, add the wedges and<br />
toss until wedges are coated.<br />
Pop onto baking tray and cook for 30-35 minutes.<br />
To make the herby dip mix the basil, chives, lemon juice and yoghurt<br />
together and serve with wedges.<br />
Crispy Chicken Bites<br />
• 4 chicken breast fillets<br />
• 6 tbsp pesto*<br />
• 300g gluten/wheat free breadcrumbs<br />
21
For the pesto<br />
• 150g walnuts<br />
• 2 cloves garlic<br />
• ½ tsp salt<br />
• ¼ tsp pepper<br />
• 3 cups of basil<br />
• Extra virgin olive oil to blend<br />
Firstly to make the pesto, put walnuts, garlic, salt, pepper in the food<br />
processor and pulse until coarsely ground. Add the basil and pulse a few<br />
more times. With the food processor on, gradually add the oil until you<br />
reach the desired consistency.<br />
Cut the chicken breasts into chunk. Place in a bowl along with the pesto<br />
and mix together.<br />
Put the breadcrumbs in a large freezer bag, add the chicken chunks and<br />
give the bag a good shake.<br />
Spread the chicken chunks onto a baking tray and freeze for<br />
approximately 4 hours until solid.<br />
Pre-heat the oven to 220oC/Gas mark 7/ fan 200 o C.<br />
Pour a little oil onto another baking sheet and pop in the oven for 5<br />
minutes to get the oil very hot.<br />
Tip as many chunks as you need onto the baking sheet and bake for 15-<br />
20 minutes until cooked and crispy.<br />
22
Tips to remember for the festive period<br />
*Drink plenty of water*<br />
*Continue with your supplements*<br />
*Plan your meals, don’t get caught out*<br />
*Eat lots of greens, they are great for fat loss*<br />
Do 10 Minutes of Damage Limitation Exercise each day<br />
**AND LASTLY HAVE A FANTASTIC CHRISTMAS**<br />
23