Fingers crossed the last couple of days of sunshine are a sign summer is finally on its way! This month we've got a recipe for chicken, fennel and tomato casserole, as well as some thoughts about "false fat".

• News from Fitbiz Training
• Lifestyle Tip: False Fat?
• Seasonal Foods
• Recipe: Chicken, Fennel & Tomato Casserole

And as ever, please feel free to forward this to family or friends, or alternatively point them in the direction of the sign-up box on the website - remember they'll get a free copy of my article Myths of Fat Loss when they subscribe!

News from Fitbiz Training  [back to top]

• The first couple of weeks of Fat Busters have gone very well - we've done two workouts which left everyone burning extra fat for days afterwards, and we've discussed what food to eat, as well as some "behind the scenes" knowledge about dairy products. Remember you can join Fat Busters at any time you like, so just send me a note to book your space.
  
  
• There were quite a lot of enquiries from people who weren't able to make Fat Busters on a Wednesday evening. If you'd be interested in a daytime session, let me know, and if there are enough people interested, I'll look into running a second session each week.
  
  
• An opportunity has arisen for a qualified Trainer to join our team to help us continue to deliver fantastic fat loss results to more people! The right Trainer will have masses of energy and enthusiasm, be driven by the desire to help people and have the inclination to go the extra mile. They'll have a positive can-do attitude and be a self starter too. In return, they'll get plenty of support and training from one of Surrey's top trainers. If you know someone who you think might fit the role, please get them to get in touch with me!

Lifestyle Tip: False Fat?  [back to top]

False fat is a term which refers to bloating and water retention caused by eating the wrong sorts of foods - ones your body might be sensitive to. You may find that actually what you have isn't true fat, instead it is simply a reaction to a food (or foods) your body is sensitive to.

If you're sensitive to a certain food you're eating, your body sends water to surround the food, as you are struggling to digest it. This is a normal part of the inflammatory response - your body is viewing the undigested bits of food as invaders, and protecting you from them by surrounding them with water.

As well as the bloating and water retention, your body will also release stress hormones like adrenaline since they have anti-inflammatory properties.

Over time, too much of the foods which are causing you this "false fat" will end up causing you real fat, directly through hormone imbalances, or indirectly via long term stress; so listen to the warning signs. The most common foods people are sensitive to are grains, dairy, sugar and - try removing them from your diet for a few days to see whether any of them are causing you "false fat".

Seasonal Foods  [back to top]

Vegetables around in June are:

Artichoke, asparagus, aubergine, broccoli, carrots, courgettes, fennel, mangetout, peas, radishes, rocket, spinach, spring onions, watercress

And June's fruits are:

Cherries, elderflower, kiwi fruit, strawberries

Recipe: Chicken, Tomato & Fennel Casserole   [back to top]

This is tasty and summery, and makes for a pretty quick and easy dinner.

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: about 50 minutes

Serves 4

• 8 chicken thighs
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 large fennel bulb, trimmed & thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp saffron threads, soaked in 1 tbsp water
• Punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
• 500ml chicken stock
• Tin butter beans

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180. Brown the chicken thighs in a pan over a high heat, then remove and set aside
   
   
2. Reduce the heat, and cook the onion and fennel in the pan until soft
   
   
3. Add the garlic and paprika, and stir for a minute before adding the saffron and water, the tomatoes and stock. Stir well
   
   
4. Return the chicken to the pan, leave the tops out of the casserole so the skin doesn't go soggy
   
   
5. Pop it in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through
   
   
6. Serve with some steamed broccoli and spinach

Until next time, enjoy staying healthy!

Best wishes,