In this months newsletter we've got a few tips on how to get a good nights sleep, as well as a recipe for kale pesto which is yummy on fish or chicken.

• News from Fitbiz Training
• Lifestyle Tip: How to Get a Good Nights Sleep
• Seasonal Foods
• Recipe: Kale Pesto

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]

• There is one space left on the Spot Reduction Workshop on the 9th March at 7.30pm, and two spaces on the one on the 17th March at 9.30am. If you'd like to come along and learn all about what's causing your body to hold fat on certain areas, and what to do about it, take one of the last spaces. Send me a message to book!
  
  
• The first Transformation Challenge has been completed - the winner lost a massive 14.5" over the month on the program and is off to Lythe Hill Hotel for a yummy meal and overnight stay later this month. All the participants did brilliantly, with the lady in second place losing an impressive 11".
  
  
• Another Transformation Challenge is going to be open for entries over the next couple of weeks, put your name down in advance if you'd like to be the first to know when it opens for registration. The Transformation Challenge is our 28 Day Challenge program, but the participants all start and end at the same time. Whichever of the participants lose the most inches over the month wins a prize.

Lifestyle Tip: How to Get a Good Nights Sleep!  [back to top]

I read this morning that 1 in 10 people take some kind of sleeping pill to help them sleep - this seems crazy! Let's look at what might be causing you a poor nights sleep and what to do about it... Remember you're not not sleeping because you have a sleeping pill deficiency!

Two of the most key reasons people aren't sleeping are:

1) Caffeine: this raises your cortisol levels (this is your stress hormone) and in order for you to get a decent nights sleep, your cortisol levels need to lower. This demonstrates why there is such a vicious cycle of surviving on caffeine all day, then not being able to sleep.

2) Using computers and watching the TV before bed: the backlight of the computer and the bright light of the TV stimulate your eyes and engage your brain - which is the very opposite of what you want. If you're falling asleep with the telly on in the background, that might explain why you wake up with zero energy.

Here are a few ideas for how to improve your sleep quality:

1) Chill out before bed, really allow yourself to wind down - turn off the TV and computer an hour before bed, take a bath, read some fiction - etc

2) Take some magnesium - it's great for relaxing you, and is also beneficial to every single cell in your body

3) Eat a "clean" dinner - no stimulants and nothing stressful to your digestive system (if you're still digesting when you get into bed, you're not going to get into a proper sleep). Think natural and nutritious.

Hopefully these simple tips will lead you to a better nights kip, more energy, and less caffeine and sugar cravings.

Seasonal Foods  [back to top]

Vegetables around in March are:

Beetroot, brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, celeriac, chicory, jerusalem artichokes, kale, leeks, parsnips, purple sprouting broccoli, rhubarb, shallots, spinach, spring onions, swede

And March's fruits are:

Bananas, blood oranges, kiwi fruit, lemons, oranges, passion fruit, pineapple, pomegranate

Recipe: Kale Pesto  [back to top]

This recipe came with my Abel & Cole delivery a couple of weeks ago, and it is seriously good! I'm not a huge fan of kale, but this recipe totally changes that!

This will store in the fridge for a couple of days - so you can make it in advance for the evening you're due in late from work and know you'll be starving!

The pesto is nice on top of a bit of chicken or fish - just top it with the pesto when it's very nearly cooked and pop it under the grill for a couple of minutes.

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: about 4 minutes on top of your fish or chicken

Serves 3-4

• 4 handfuls kale, chopped and woody stem-free
• 1/2 mug pinenuts
• 1 mug grated parmesan
• Bit of red chilli (as much as you like)
• Good glug of olive oil
• Pinch of salt

  Method

  1. Whiz up the pinenuts, parmesan, kale and chilli in a food processor
     
     
  2. Add a good glug of olive oil
     
     
  3. Blitz until it makes a nice paste
     
     
  4. Taste and add more of any of the ingredients as you wish

  

  Until next time, enjoy staying healthy!

  Best wishes,