RSVP before 14th May and your weekly rate will be reduced from $40 to $38. PLUS, you still get all the freebies that are included in this year’s package.

We have added a new location and time too: Camperdown Oval, Tuesdays/ Fridays 6.00am.

Have you ever considered removing sugar from your diet? I mean right down to the hidden sugars you find in low fat foods…even fruit, yes fruit!

TV presenter Sarah Wilson has published a 40-page eBook  “I Quit Sugar…” which takes you through her journey of being a sugar addict and how you can be sugar free in just 8 weeks.

Is this just another fad diet? Perhaps but it highlights the fact that sugar, not fat, is the real enemy!

According to Sarah’s research The American Heart Association recommends 6 to 9 teaspoons of sugar per day for women and men respectively and that’s inclusive of hidden sugars. Today, the average person eats nearly one kilo of sugar a week!

Only 150 years ago we consumed next to no sugar. Our bodies evolved and adapted to an environment where sugar – that is, fruit and honey – were relatively rare. The struggle for survival programmed us to binge on sugar whenever we were lucky enough to find it, and store it as “insta-energy”.

These days sugar is easily attainable and found in so many sources yet our programming has not changed. Most of us binge on sugar.

Most surprisingly, every molecule we eat has a corresponding appetite hormone and that hormone is able to tell our brain when we’ve eaten enough. All molecules that is, except fructose (a form of sugar). There is no “off-switch”, thus we binge and when fructose is consumed, it is not used as energy, it is converted directly to fat.

In fact, according to Sarah, the REAL enemy is fructose!

Is sugar a poison to our bodies?  Sarah gives us a snapshot of what dangers lurk behind the intake of sugar. Besides the obvious weight gain issues, sugar leads to insulin resistance, which can be a precursor to heart disease and diabetes.  It can affect our adrenaline, hormone and immune systems and has been linked with the development of some cancers…to name just a few.

Beyond just eliminating this “poison”, a reduced or nil sugar diet can leave you feeling clearer in the mind and rid of those sugar highs and lows. You’ll also see benefits from weight loss and reduced bloating or fluid retention.

Sarah’s journey through being sugar free is a nurtured and friendly approach to reprogramming your body to a state where you can ultimately break the addiction of sugar. Whether you choose to completely eliminate sugar from you diet or re-set your body, her book offers helpful tips, recipes and further reading.

http://www.sarahwilson.com.au/i-quit-sugar-ebook/

Why Quinoa?

Quinoa, pronounced ‘Qee – no – wah’ is a gluten free seed like plant that is a great substitute for rice.

Quinoa is extremely easy to cook.   It’s high in protein and contains all the essential amino acids your body needs. In particular, quinoa is

high in lysine, an amino acid important for tissue growth and repair

A great way to try out quinoa is to mix it with roasted vegetables. Please see the recipe below:

Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables with Quinoa

This salad is delicious warm or cold. It keeps for around two days. It can often be a good idea to make up a big double batch so you can have it for lunch the next day. It’s good to have something healthy in your fridge you can grab instead of going for a less nutritious quick fix like a packet of crisps. It’s delicious topped with a little feta, lemon zest and a light sprinkle of pistachio or pumpkin seed.

Ingredients

2 capsicum, cut into chunks (red and yellow)
500 g pumpkin cut into large chunks
1 red onion, cut into wedges
2 zucchini, cut into chunks
180 g (1 cup / 6oz) quinoa, well rinsed + drained
2 cups water
1 lemon
small bunch parsley chopped
1 tablespoon pesto

How to Cook

Preheat oven to 200 C.
Combine capsicum, pumpkin, zucchini and red onion with 1 teaspoon olive oil.
Season with ground pepper and a little cinnamon.
Roast for 30 minutes or until pumpkin is tender.
Cook quinoa by combining into a small pot with 2 cups of water, similar to rice. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat to low and cover.
Cook for 15 minutes until tender and water is absorbed.
Remove from the heat and allow to sit for another 10 minutes.
Remove vegetables from the oven and place into a large bowl.
Add the quinoa, lemon zest and a little juice, parsley and pesto.
Mix through lightly until combined.
Spoon into serving bowls and enjoy.

Additions: Top with crumbled feta or ricotta or top with fish for extra protein.
Add extra vegetables such as baby spinach or sautéed kale.
Sprinkle with chopped pistachio nut just before serving.

Nutrition per serve:
Protein: 8.5 g
Total fat: 7 g
Saturated: 1.2 g
Carbs: 27 g
Fiber: 5.8 g
kilojoules: 882
Calories: 211

Quinoa is available from most supermarkets and health food stores.

Run then a swim the day after? Come on!!

This gentle 6.5km run is on Saturady 4th February… check it out on: http://www.sunrun.com.au

http://www.sunrun.com.au

Australias largest ocean swim…. earlybird closes Friday January 20th.

Dive into Australias largest ocean swim and secure your spot for Sunday, Febuary 5, 2012.

Ingredients:

• one slice of Burgen toast
• avacado (quarter)
• 2 eggs
• 1 chopped tomatoe
• spring onion
• basil
• baby spinach

Method:

Simply fry (with olive oil spray) the tomatoes, onions, basil and baby spinach until lightly cooked. Add the eggs and scramble all together. Spread the avacado on the toast. Add the scambled vegies and eggs on to the toast, add a pich of salt and pepper. Enjoy : )