Susie’s Tips for the week ahead: When it is better to be a man?
There have been few times in my life when I think it would have been better to be male – the footy watching, back slapping, beer drinking, second to none mate ship has been challenging to understand at the best of times and continues to be so as I get older. But, if there was one aspect of being male I would give my left arm for, it is their rather simple relationship with food.

Men eat when they are hungry and they stop when they are full. They rarely snack, and they can even forget to eat. They are not obsessed with chocolates, can skip a meal without concern and they have so much more muscle mass then women that they seem to be able to eat whatever they like without gaining weight. Men generally only have weight problems because they drink too much beer or they are lazy and do not exercise and the minute they start to exercise the weight falls off them.

So, for all my ladies out there, here are some tips on eating like a man:

1)      Eat larger, more balanced meals, and ditch the snacks
2)      Always sit down with your mates to eat so it is an enjoyable experience
3)      Ditch the emotional attachment to food. Chocolate, chips and wine are not going to make you feel that much better

4)      Slight hunger is not a bad thing, and if you sit with it long enough, it will pass
5)      Practice having food in the cupboard and not eating it
6)      Only ever eat when there is real food available and only when you are hungry
7)      Try and only think about what you feel like eating when you get hungry
8)      Eat what you feel like, not what you think you should be eating
9)      Most importantly, where possible try and get someone else to get the food ready for you. This expectation seems to work particularly well for them!

And to finish this week, George Foreman Grills are on sale at Big W this week for just $146. If you do not have one, it is a great addition for the kitchen.

Product of the week: http://www.dairyfarmers.com.au/df/ourproductsandrecipes/cheese/coon
I love it when someone else does the update work for me and my close friend Ange has outdone herself this week in finding this new shaved variety of cheese from Coon. Great protein and fat per serve amounts, you can now add your tasty cheese to all of your sandwiches in a perfect, portion-controlled style.

Food Tip of the Week: In season
Much food writing recently has focused on the importance of purchasing fresh produce when it is in season, but for busy shoppers who are purchasing their fresh fruit and veges after hours at big supermarkets, it can be hard to know what is best to buy each week. If you go to your local Harris Farm, they do the work for you, with an email that tells you what types of produce are good to buy each week. Sign up today for great tips and fresh food info  - http://www.harrisfarm.com.au/

Your Body: Curves and Contours
The 30-minute work out craze that is growing across the country can be very appealing for the time poor and gym terrified but does it work? For individuals who do not do any activity, any activity they do is good for them. The beauty of these 30-minute programs is that they are conducted in a warm, friendly environment and are a social way to workout. The downside is that because they are generally the same thing each time, people’s fitness tends to reach a plateau and hence you would need to look for other ways to pick up the intensity after 3 months of starting such a program to continue to see change in your fitness and body shape. So, remember, something is always better then nothing when it comes to activity but you may need to change the structure of these sessions every few weeks if your primary goal is weight loss.

 Recipe of the Week: Chili & Lime Chicken Salad

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup salt reduced chicken stock
• 1kg chicken breast fillets
• 1 large carrot
• 1 large red capsicum, sliced thinly
• ½ small Chinese cabbage – can also use English Spinach
• 2 green onions, chopped finely
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 100g watercress, trimmed

  CHILLI LIME DRESSING

• ¼ cup lime juice
• 2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  

1) Bring the water and stock to boil in large saucepan. Reduce heat; add chicken, simmer about 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Allow chicken to cool in cooking liquid before draining. Discard liquid; slice chicken thinly.

2) Meanwhile, halve carrot crossways, cut each in half into 2mm-wide lengths; cut lengths into matchstick thin strips.
3) Place chicken and carrot in large bowl with capsicum, cabbage, onion, sprouts, coriander and watercress; add chili lime dressing toss to combine.

Chilli lime dressing
1) Combine ingredients in screw-topped jar; shake well.

Your Life: Pregnancy
I am asked often about what dietary changes girls who are pregnant or planning to be should make, but as it tends to be of interest only to those concerned I have added it to the “Your Life” section. The most powerful thing you can do if you are pregnant or planning to be is to vigilantly prevent excessive weight gain. For many, weight gained during pregnancy is never lost, so aiming to gain no more than 10-13kilos and lose all of it again after the birth is the key. Now, I am not saying new mums should flog themselves after giving birth, but allowing time to start some gentle exercise is important when new mums are feeling well enough, and when they are medically able to exercise after their baby is born – this can be where new dads become important to give new mums the time or company to exercise by joined them for a walk or by taking the baby for half an hour so mum can get out of the house.

Pregnant women do not need a lot of extra calories, just 600-800kJ per day, or a glass of low fat milk, so the “eating for two” is often a psychological act pregnant women focus on, as they finally have an excuse to indulge and gain weight after years of dietary restriction to keep their weight low. Being aware of this and making sure you enjoy plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meat, low fat dairy and nuts and seeds for good fats, and enjoy just one small treat each day is a good starting point to avoid taking in too many calroies. The other major food issue is to avoid raw seafood and unpasteurised cheese (the sushi and feta need to go) and not choosing large fish such as swordfish or marlin when you are pregnant.

Have a productive week

You have within you right now, everything you need to deal with whatever the world can throw at you (Brian Tracy)

Susie Burrell
Susie@susieburrell.com.au
www.susieburrell.com.au