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Which foods are able to act as natural relaxants and anti-depressants is a question I’m often asked by clients.
Mediterranean Diet probably is one of the best combinations of ingredients with anti-depressants properties. To begin with, an overall balanced diet is always helpful. By that I mean a clean wholefood diet with the minimum possible amount of processed food intake. Macronutrient modulation varies and depends on factors such as your:
– activity level
– overall fitness level
– body composition
– body related goals
– lifestyle
Probably the best healthy ratio is:
– up to 20% healthy fats
– 30-40% lean protein
– 40-50% carbohydrates.
We’ll talk about an ideal macronutrients’ modulation ratio in another article in more detail.
Returning to the main topic, the following is a (non-exhaustive) list of foods with calming and relaxing properties:
1) Almost all fruits and berries: They are full of natural sugar and antioxidants. Fructose is the quickest carb (source of energy) after refined sugar, and your body will automatically feel happier and more relaxed with more sugar in the bloodstream. However, do keep in mind that if you aim to become leaner you will have to pursue a diet with a low fructose content.
2) Oily fish. Fish oil is well-known nutrient that increases the brain’s metabolism. By combining fish oil with nootropics you can easily achieve a state of calm and have a clearer mind. Book aconsultation to get a list of over-the- counter nootropics.
3) Herbal tea. A blend of mint, chamomile, artichoke and lavender is one of the best relaxation options.
4) Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cacao are four spices that were historically used as natural mood lifters and relaxants. Adding a sprinkle of cinnamon in your coffee can help, or even simply inhaling their scent.
5) Chicken hearts and liver are perfect sources of essential amino acids, vitamin B, choline, inositol and Iron. This combination of nutrients is one of the most effective ‘cocktails’ for boosting the central nervous system.
6) Despite the negative publicity and misconceptions surrounding the consumption of egg yolks, the high concentration of cholesterol in them is designed by nature as a perfect source of nutrients. Rich in lecithin, vitamin B, amino acids, choline, inositol, vitamins A and E, phosphatidil serine and many more beneficial substances, egg yolks alone could provide your body with almost everything it needs. However, do not exceed the healthy allowance. Have 1-3 whole eggs a day, adding some separated egg whites if you need to increase your protein intake.
7) Now anyone with a sweet tooth can celebrate – Dark Chocolate!! Yes, having a piece or two of dark chocolate each day will definitely help your body to boost its ‘positive vibe’ hormones.
8) Have a glass of wine. Yes, and YES again!!! But only one, and make sure it’s a high quality wine. First of all, it’s an additional 75 kcal of quick energy that your body will be grateful for. Secondly, high quality wine contains a high concentration of bio-flavonoids and antioxidants.
Taken in a moderate quantities, wine can also act as a minor natural relaxant.
And remember; even if you eat healthily all the time and are a fitness fanatic, allowing your body a little bit of what you really love is always beneficial. By keeping your diet 95% clean, let’s say, you will have even better results than confining yourself to a strict regimen of traditional lean and mean boiled chicken breast, and rice and broccoli.
Try a piece of this chocolate heaven. It is perfect protein enriched snacks to go. They are not too sweet, and sugar-free, so you can enjoy them without worries. They are simply so delicious that it may be hard to stop eating them. Luckily, they are not high in calories, so eating more than one bar at a time is not a big problem.
Yield: 15 brownies, prep time – 15 min, baking time – 30 minutes, total time – 45 min.
Macros:
Total calories per portion: about 87kcal
Protein – about 6.5g
Carbs – about 9g
Fat – about 3g
Ingredients
1 cup any gluten-free flour (I prefer oat flower)
4 egg whites
2 scoops chocolate flavoured protein (the darker the better!)
3 Tbsp sweetener (I use stevia as it’s natural and low in calories)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
150g sugar-free jam (apple, plum, or rhubarb jam)
3 Tbsp. raw cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. dark chocolate chips (I love just unsweetened 100% dark cholate junks)
75g pitted prunes (chopped)
30g fat-free Greek yogurt
85ml almond milk
2 Tbsp blanched almond flakes
Directions
Preheat oven to 180C degrees
Chop prunes into small pieces.
Whisk egg whites with sweetener and salt (added salt makes egg whites “fluffier”), until they double the size.
Add almond milk, Greek yogurt and jam of your choice. Mix together in a same bowl.
In another bowl mix dry ingredients (flour, powder and baking powder, raw cocoa).
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix together.
Stir in the chopped prunes, dark chocolate chips and almond flakes.
Pour batter into the baking form and bake for 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Let it cool on a wire rack and divide into squares.
This awesome light desert is perfect for any time of the day, completely sugar and gluten free, low in carbs, high in fiber and suitable for vegans. Plus, it’s super easy to make! No cooking required.
Yield: Serving 4-6 portions, prep time – 5 min, cooking time – 5 min, waiting time – 1 hour, total time – 1.30 min.
Macros:
Total calories per portion: about 100 kcal
Protein – about 10g
Carbs – about 10g
Fat – about 3g
Ingredients
450g Organic Fat reduced Tofu, drained
495g (2 cups) 100% Pure Pumpkin Puree, canned (you can make it yourself if you prefer). You can also swop it for Apple, Pear or any other fruit puree
1/4 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
2 Tbsp Toffee or Pumpkin pie Flavoured unsweetened syrup
2 tsp Pure Maple Syrup
1/2-1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 portion of gelatin
Fat-free yogurt or Cashew butter (optional)
2 scoops of Bannofee pie whey protein (optional if you aim to increase your protein intake)
Directions:
Drain tofu
Put it between two paper towels to remove liquid completely
Prepare pumpkin (apples) if you don’t use canned puree (oven-baked would be a perfect option)
Mix gelatin with 3 Tbsp of warm water until dissolved. Do not boil.
Put tofu into a high-speed blender
Add gelatin and the rest of the ingredients to the blender and puree until completely smooth
Pour the liquid into serving bowls and put in the fridge
Just because the weather outside says it’s still spring, it cannot stop us from embracing the summer! We prepared a special summer treat recipe just for you guys! Refreshing fruit pops boasting with vitamin C!
Yield: 8 portions, prep time – 30 min, cooking time – about 10 min. Total time – about 4 hours.
Macroc:
Total calories per piece: about 40 kcal
Protein – 0g
Carbs – 10g
Fat – 0g
Ingredients:
LEMON LAYER:
2 tsp sweetener
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 teaspoon orange extract
APPLE & PEPPERMINT LAYER:
3 tsp sweetener
3 cups of water
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh peppermint
2 chopped apples
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Directions:
LEMON LAYER:
Mix 2 teaspoons sweetener with 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to the boil
Cook about 30 seconds
Pour into a bowl
Stir in lemon juice, orange juice and extract
Cool for 15 minutes
Cover and chill at least 1 hour.
APPLE & PEPPERMINT LAYER:
Chop apples into small squires
Add 3 teaspoons sweetener and 2 cups of water and boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes
Stir in chopped leaves of peppermint
Cover and set aside for 30 minutes
Strain through a sieve into a bowl. Discard solids.
Stir in lime juice
Cover and chill 1 hour.
ICE POPSICLES
Pour about 2 1/2 tablespoons apple mixture into each of 8 ice pop molds
Freeze 1 1/2 hours or until almost set.
Arrange 1 wooden stick into mixture, being careful not to push through to bottom of mold. Return to freezer.
Freeze 1 hour or until frozen.
Remove molds from freezer.
Pour about 3 tablespoons lemon mixture over frozen apple mixture in each mold.
I’m not a cheesecake lover but this one is simply amazing: low in calories, high in protein, very easy to make, end extremely delicious! When I cook it at home I can’t even notice how quick it’s gone.
Yield: 8-10 pieces, prep time – 20 min, cooking time – about 60 min. Total time – about 2 hours.
Macroc:
Total calories per piece: about 200 kcal
Protein – about 15g
Carbs – about 10-12g
Fat – about 7-10 g
Ingredients
Crust:
1.5 cups crushed crackers
2 Tbsp. melted coconut oil
2 Tbsp. almond milk
1 Tbsp. sugar free syrup (optional)
Cheesecake Filling:
8 oz light cream cheese (I use 3% Philadelphia)
12 oz fat free greek yogurt
2 eggs
2 egg whites (2 Tbsp. liquid egg whites)
2 scoops vanilla whey protein
1-3 tsp. sweetener of your choice (I use stevia + 1tsp. sugar free lemon cheesecake syrup)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 250 F
Mix Filling ingredients! Let the mixture sit out in room temperature
Put the filling mixture aside and start working on the Crust
Mix crushed crackers with coconut oil, almond milk and syrup
Put parchment paper into a form and plop the crust onto the parchment paper.
Pour the cheesecake filling onto the crust
Bake the cheesecake for 30 minutes at 120C.
Then bake for 45 minutes at 105C!
Let it cool COMPLETELY for a few hours/overnight in the fridge to set!
I’m a bit pancakes fan. These recipe is, probably, one of my favourites, as the pancakes are delicious, quick to make (about 15 minutes), and also gluten, dairy and sugar free.
Yield: 6 pancakes, prep time – 5 min, cooking time – 10 min, total time – 15 min.
Ingredients
½ cup pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp. coconut oil (melted)
¼ cup unsweetened almond/soy milk
½ tsp. cider vinegar or lemon juice
1 cup almond/oat/buckwheat flour
¼ cup ground flax seed
1 scoop whey/soy protein powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. sea salt
a pinch of cinnamon
pure maple syrup
toasted walnuts/almonds/peanuts, optional
Directions
Heat griddle to 300 degrees F (or heat a skillet over medium heat)
Combine the pumpkin, eggs, coconut oil, almond milk and vinegar (or lemon juice) in a large bowl. Mix well.
Add flour, protein, flax seeds, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt and stir until well combined. Batter will be slightly thick.
Lightly oil griddle or skillet surface with coconut oil. Pour batter onto griddle using an ⅛ cup measure or a heaping tablespoon. Pancakes are ready to flip when bubbles pop on the surface of pancake. (about 3 minutes).
Continue cooking other side until golden brown.
Enjoy with pure maple syrup (homey) and some toasted walnuts on top.
Since Fit&Treat production kitchen in London was closed November 2016 I received hundreds of emails from our customers and followers asking me to share recipes we used to cook their loved healthy meals. So I decided It would be at least selfish to keep a secret. From this moment i’m going to publish bit by bit all Fit&Treat’s healthy recipes created in Fit&Treat’s kitchen and gathered from best industry experts for years of my bikini-fitness expurience.
Starting the series with healthy muffins.
Personally, I’m not a big fun of muffins but my Fit&Treat’s customers and followers, my family and friends simply love them.
Peanut Butter & Banana Muffins – happy school days flesh back.
These muffins taste exactly the same way as traditional school days snack but far lighter in terms of nutrition. I swaped all heavy and sugary ingredients on healthy substitutes and here we go! Try to make this fantastic snack to spoil your loved ones. Peanut butter-banana healthy muffins could be a great idea as a pre-workout snack or breakfast. Let me know if you liked it.
with love
Tatiana Dmitrieva
Macros:
Calories: 135
Protein: 4 grams
Carbs: 23 grams
Fat: 4 grams
Ingredients:
1 cup white whole-wheat flour + 1 cup oat or whole grain flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 3/4 cup mashed bananas (about 4 large bananas)
2-3 Tbsp. of stevia or any other sweetener (i never use refined sugar in my recipes)
2-3 Tbsp. of honey or agave nectar (optional for those who have a bigger sweet tooth)
1 Tbsp. coconut melted oil
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup creamy peanut/almond butter
1/2 cup unsweetened almond/soya milk
Yield: 15 MUFFINS; prep time: 15 min; cook time: 20-25 min; total time: 37 min
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line a muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.
3. Whisk together hard ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
4. Mash bananas until smooth. I use mixed but fork is also an option. Add stevia, honey (optional), coconut oil, egg, vanilla and beat everything together. Add in the peanut/almond butter. Add the flour mixture and milk. Mix until smooth.
4. Fill muffin liners half full. Bake about 20 min. until toothpick inserted into muffin centre comes out clean. Cool. I like to serve the muffins with peanut butter and berries. You can store them in room temperature for up to 3 days.
You can also freeze and use when needed just reheat in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
Yummy, healthy and lean option of your favourite banana bread. I use oat flower and oatmeal to make it even healthier. You can easily fortify this bread with protein powder if you aim to increase your protein intake and swop stevia with other sweaters or fructose.
Perfect for breakfast, as pre and post-workout snack.
Could be stored up to 3 days in room temperature but usually it’s not the case.
Enjoy.
Macros per piece: macros is approximate (depends on the portion size)
Calories: about 90-130 kcal
Protein: about 5 grams (without protein powder), about 15 grams fortified
Carbs: about 10 grams
Fat: about 4 grams
Yield: 1 loaf (about 5-6 pieces); prep time: 15 min; cook time: about 1 hour; total time: 1.30 min
Ingredients
1 cups oat flour + 1 cup whole wheat flower + 1 cup oatmeal
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1-2 scoops whey protein powder (optional). I use bannoffee pie flavour.
½ tsp salt (optional)
8Tbsp coconut oil, plus 1 tsp. for greasing
1 Tbsp. stevia
2 Tbsp. honey (optional)
2 eggs
4 ripe bananas, mashed
mixed crushed nuts and dried fruits (optional)
85ml/3fl oz unsweetened almond milk mixed with 1½ tsp lemon juice
1 lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
Mix together flour, baking soda, salt and protein powder into a large mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl, combine coconut oil butter, stevia and honey together until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, mashed bananas, almond milk and vanilla extract to the butter.
Add crushed nuts and dried fruits to the butter.
Grease a loaf tin and pour the cake mixture into the tin.
Transfer to the oven and bake for about an hour.
Remove from the oven and cool in the tin, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
Have you ever noticed that after any diet, the pounds inevitably pile back on? Not only that, but people often actually gain more than they lose after finishing a diet. The idea of dieting is fundamentally flawed, with the process frequently being useless, painful and even dangerous to the person following it. In this article we are going to shed light on fad diets and provide you with some recommendations on how to avoid mistakes, and achieve long-term results.
Are still considering dieting?
What does an average diet consist of? They vary enormously in terms of the type of food stipulated or prohibited, timeframe, and degree of strictness. However, there are a few common features. Let’s examine them briefly.
All fad diets are low in calories and rely on a nutrients deficiency principle. That means a dieter consumes fewer calories than he or she burns. This usually leads to a certain weight loss, but a series of studies have shown that the drop in body weight usually occurs predominantly as a result of muscle – but not fat – loss. This is only the tip of the iceberg. Beneath the surface, the body experiences a significant metabolic slowdown.
All diets are short-term (up to a few weeks). First of all, that does not allow the body to change in the longer term. Secondly, it means that a dieter will soon return to his or her “normal” – often unhealthy or semi-healthy – eating habits. These dietary habits caused weight gains in the past, so it’s fairly certain that the same thing will happen again.
All diets impose strict restrictions on the type and quantity of food consumed. That might provoke not only temporary mood swings and fatigue but also long term hormonal problems. Another consequence can be malnutrition (i.e. a deficiency of some important micronutrients and vitamins). It could impair bodily functions and negatively impact the overall health of the dieter.
Now, let’s dig a little deeper.
to diet or not to diet
Calorie restriction
Very often calorie restriction in the course of a dietary programme is too extreme, and has no scientific basis. The buckwheat diet, green diet, zero carbs diet, fruit diet and even the lemon-water diet are just few examples of type of diet which are – to put it bluntly – complete nonsense. Do people lose weight on such diets? Yes, they do. Do they gain it back? Yes, and it happens very quickly.
less muscle burn less calories
Decreasing calorie intake is another form of dieting. People keep their eating habits unchanged and just reduce the size of the portions or general quantity of their food intake, and exclude “criminal” food such as white bread or refined sugar. At first glance, this approach looks logical. Curbing excessive unhealthy food consumption will inevitably lead to weight loss. However, it is temporary. Having reached his or her target, a dieter reverts to “normal” eating habits, quickly gaining back everything that was lost, plus a little bit more, after every diet.
Another important point is that dieters almost never measure what they eat (we’re not speaking about bodybuilders, who, in opposite, obsessively weigh every ingredient). All food intakes is approximate and cannot be precisely replicated every day. Eating in public spaces makes tracking exact consumption even more complicated. It is impossible to be certain how purchased meals were cooked, and what additives such as oils, sugar, starches and so on were used. I’ve heard this stock phrase a million times: “I eat healthily but can’t lose fat”. When I start analyzing what people really eat I always see an abundance of hidden salt, sugar and fats in ready-to-eat or processed meals consumed. As a result, a dieter has fluctuating macronutrient intake (proteins, carbs, fats, fibre as well as salt and water) from day to day without any degree of consistency, consuming extra unnecessary nutrients that negatively impact the body in both the short and long term.
never starve yourself
Sometimes people stop eating completely for a while (“detox” fasting). This is probably the most terrifying scenario in terms of negative metabolic adaptation and the degree of harm it inflicts on the body.
Juice diets, which are currently extremely popular, are another example of outrageous fad strategies that inevitably cause overcompensating fat gain after the diet is over.
To recap, people do lose weight during diets but mostly due to three key factors:
muscle degradation,
loss of body water due to loss of muscle glycogen (1 molecule of muscle glycogen retains 3 molecules of intramuscular water keeping the body hydrated),
loss of intestine bulk due to extremely low food consumption.
Muscle loss
fad diets cause muscle loss, metabolic damage, hormonal mess
Now, let’s look in more detail at muscle loss. Why is this factor important? It has been scientifically proven that muscles burn more calories for maintenance than fat. In other words, two 130 pound individuals with the same activity levels but with different body composition (let’s say, the first has 10% of body fat and the second – 30%) have completely different daily calorie expenditure. Who is going to burn more? Obviously the first one, as he has more muscle tissue.
Another interesting fact is that the human body starts burning muscle tissue for energy when calorie intake is insufficient. Fat is used to store nutrients for the body in case of starvation, which is why the human body tends to keep it for as long as possible, destroying muscle tissue first. It’s a survival mechanism. Only in certain circumstances the body uses fat for energy (for example, when a certain heart rate is reached). Muscle loss during fad diets is inevitable even if a dieter continues exercising, and the less muscle tissue the dieter has, the fewer calories he/she burns. That’s why prolonged fad diets provoke muscle degradation and, as a result, significant metabolic slowdown.
Metabolic slowdown
more muscle burn more calories
Let’s say a couple of words about metabolic adaptation (slowdown/damage). This probably the simplest correlation to explain: The human body is both ingenious, and highly efficient. Survival is its main objective, so the fewer calories consumed, the fewer calories used. The body becomes very efficient and stores everything possible to deal with the possibility of starvation. In other words, the less you eat – the less you burn. And it works the other way around: the more generous the food supply, the less the need of the body to store fat for a raining day. However, don’t forget about food sources. Fat-laden, sodium-rich and sugar-heavy processed food never brings benefits. When boosting your metabolism, always opt for whole foods.
To sum up, when a dieter starves him/herself for a prolonged period, negative metabolic adaptation occurs. In combination with inevitable muscle loss it causes even more dramatic consequences – a dieter simply starts gaining more and more weight, while eating less and less.
High cortisol
Cortisol is a human stress hormone. Overwork, fad diets, long and exhausting cardio sessions, over-exercising, and lack of quality sleep, sunshine and fresh air are only a few examples from the long list of cortisol boosters. High cortisol levels cause major water retention (in case of some extreme female dieters, up to 25-30lbs). Moreover, high cortisol slows down the metabolism even further.
To diet or not to diet
Taking into account all of the above evidence, the question must be asked: is it actually worth dieting?
The answer should be obvious: No, if we’re talking about fad diets.
Another, related, question is how can we achieve targeted body correction?
It’s all about long term life-style changes: Short-term diets don’t provide long term results and may be harmful, whereas permanent changes to your eating habits bring long-term benefits.
How to start and what to do
stick to whole food and healthy eating
Here are just a few simple tips that could make your healthy eating easier, and more effective.
Always rely on a scientific, fully customized approach! Generic diets and programs work poorly. Don’t copy someone else’s strategy. Most likely it was designed for an individual with a different somatotype, body fat percentage, activity level and other differentiating factors.
Would you perform dentistry on yourself? I didn’t think so. Always rely on professionals. Hire a qualified nutritionist to design the right strategy for your needs and guide you through the journey. It’s not going to be easy, as any life-style change requires complete focus, dedication, patience, and competent support.
Never starve yourself. Remember, fad diets are harmful.
Accept that finding healthy food in public places, or around your office, is pretty much impossible. Make it a habit to carry around a few little Tupperware boxes containing your freshly made meals. You will definitely be hungry at some point. Take care of yourself and don’t allow hunger to force you eating rubbish, or to starve.
Try to avoid processed food. This step alone will be hugely beneficial in the long-term.
Always put your health first.
Fast food and junk food cravings only exist in your head. The normal human body does not need junk food at all. Believe it or not, our brain can work perfectly on complex carbs. The human body is able to produce endorphins and serotonin without eating mountains of sweets. Our ancient ancestors never knew McDonalds or Nutella and lived happily without them. So the biggest monster lives in our own heads. Stop feeding it!
Take your time. The human body needs a far longer time to change than we tend to believe. Give yourself time. Be generous. Healthy eating will start working sooner or later. Just be consistent
Keep calm and eat your chicken (or broccoli/spinach/cod – whatever suits you!). Stress slows down the metabolism, making the body store more fat and retain water.
Sleep well and get enough fresh air every day. It’s a basic rule and you shouldn’t make excuses for yourself.
Just as you can’t be “almost pregnant”, you can’t “almost eat healthily”. You either do it or you don’t. The more you cheat the more you crave. It is better to eliminate junk food from your diet completely. Good luck!