Welcome to week two of Healthista’s 12 week anti-ageing food and fitness plan. Created by nutritional physiologist Rick Hay, it incorporates the latest scientific and nutritional research to help you look younger and get slimmer and fitter
Here’s how it works:
1. Weekly instructions Every Monday for the next 12 weeks we’ll be putting up an instructional post from Rick with everything you need to do that week. It will include meal ideas and recipe tips plus snack and exercise guidelines and advice for little things you can do to keep hunger at bay and energy levels up.
2. Weekly food videos We’ll also be posting up a recipe video each week to give you guidelines on making some of the food on the plan. Don’t worry it’s all designed to be super-fast and super-easy as Rick describes himself as ‘The world’s laziest nutritionist’.
3. Weekly workout videos Each week will come with its own 5 minute workout designed for all levels and to increase in difficulty as the plan progresses (you want results don’t you?). This is designed to be done daily – come on, it’s five minutes.
4. The Healthista with the best results will win a hamper featuring an array of health products from the plan worth over £100. Here’s the best bit. You send us your results via Twitter and Facebook and the Healthista with the best results walks away with a hamper of health booty including posh protein and super green powders.
PRINCIPLES OF THE PLAN
This easy-to-follow detailed plan targets ageing and fitness at a cellular level using nutrient dense meals and snacks.
1. Healthy proteins The first four weeks involves the consumption of healthy plant based protein, combined with low-fat fish and white meat options. A diet full of nutrient dense plant based protein has been shown to increase life expectancy while lowering the risk of today’s common diseases, such as cardiovascular problems, diabetes and obesity related illnesses.
2. Eating small and often There are three main meal choices and three snack options focusing on controlled portions on the plan. That means the meals can remain varied throughout the course but they’e designed to ensure you get to eat plenty of healthy food and never get hungry.The plan also includes healthy carbs to help with cognition and promote high energy levels.
3. Promoting digestive health The food choices in this plan also help the body achieve the correct digestive function to slow down the ageing process and assist with weight management.
4. Daily HIIT fitness A fitness regimen of 5-minute high intensity interval training (HIIT) and yoga or pilates is recommended to help increase general fitness and slow down the ageing process and features in each or our weekly workout videos on the plan. See the end of the post for an outlined fitness regimen.
5. Moving more, aiming to take 10,000 steps a day Sitting less and moving around more through your work day is one of the best things you can do to lose weight and feel younger. More on how here
Missed week one? Read it here
Week 2 – WHAT TO DO
Before breakfast:
Drink half a glass of warm water with juice from half of a grapefruit to kickstart the liver, gallbladder and digestive function. This will also help with fat metabolism.
Breakfast:
2 Poached or Scrambled Eggs with a palm sized piece of Smoked Salmon or Tofu.
OR
Carrot, Apple & Ginger Juice, (250 mls), or store bough cold pressed. This juice is immune boosting, as well as high in phytonutrients and enzymes for anti ageing cellular health. Ginger works as a circulatory and digestive tonic. Pair this juice with a handful of Pumpkin seeds, Almonds, Cashews, or Walnuts to boost protein and vitamin content.
OR
Protein Smoothie: Blend 200-250mls of Rice or Almond Milk with one Banana or a cup of Berries and a few Almonds. You can add 1 scoop of plant based protein. We recommend Sunwarrior Sunwarrior Protein Vanilla, a plant based protein powder. These shakes can be used as a meal replacement because they are high in protein and amino acids that keep you feeling fuller for longer. Add enzyme-rich vegetables like spinach or kale for more nutrients. Don’t be afraid of the green color, as the vegetable taste is masked by the fruit, nuts and yogurt.
You can also add 1 tablespoon (serving) of Sapphire Blueberry Shots, nutrient dense cellular fuel great for hair, skin, nails and to help with energy levels.
Mid Morning:
1 Banana or Apple with a few Almonds and Yogurt if desired. Eating every few hours helps control portion size and regulate blood sugar levels to reduce cravings.
OR
1 Small Fruit Salad with a few Cashew Nuts
OR
2 Rice Cakes with Avocado or Nut Butter – Low-fat, high in antioxidants and healthy omegas.
TIP – Before lunch and dinner, six spiraling tablets or capsules can be taken to help prolong feelings of fullness from the meal.
Lunch:
Spinach, Bean and Lentil Soup: Add 4 tablespoons in total of the Beans and Lentils and two large handfuls of Spinach to 300mls of water. Season with thermogenic spices such as black pepper, garlic, cayenne, or chili.
OR
Grilled Tofu/Quorn Meat Substitue/Salmon/Tuna or Turkey (150g or less) with a cup of Chilli Chickpeas and Mixed Beans. Add olive oil, balsamic vinegar and chili or cayenne to the Chickpeas this protein based meal in high in antioxidants and healthy omegas to help with mood and skin conditions.
OR
Smoothie, like the breakfast option, can be used as a meal replacement but only for one or two meals. A half serve of the shake can be used as mid morning or mid afternoon snack if you aren’t using it as a meal replacement.
Mid Afternoon:
4 or 5 dried dates or prunes with 2 of 3 teaspoons of mixed nuts or seeds
OR
2 or 3 teaspoons of mixed nuts and seeds with half an apple
OR
1 Small Yogurt tub – non sugary varieties like Greek Style with added honey
Dinner:
Lightly Fried Fish/Turkey/Chicken/Tofu/Quorn Meat Substitute (150g) with a cup or two of Green Steamed Vegetables. Season with thermogenic spices such as cayenne, chili, garlic or black pepper. Fry on a low heat using a little cold pressed olive oil.
OR
2 or 3 Free Range Omelette seasoned with chili or cayenne for their thermogenic properties. Serve with Salad Greens or Steamed Green Beans.
OR
Broccoli, Green Beans and Spinach Stir Fry. Include this with your choice of Lightly Fried Fish/Turkey/Chicken/Tofu/Quorn Meat Substitute (150g) and season with thermogenic spices of your choice. Serve with half a cup of brown rice.
VIDEO: Rick Hay shows you how to make a spicy vegetable and tofu stir fry.
After Dinner:
Half a cup of Rice or Almond Milk with a teaspoon of 100% Organic Cocoa and a hint of chili powder to burn fat if desired. This dish can be warmed slowly.
Before Bed:
1 cup of Herbal tea of calming varieties like: Chamomile, Lemon Balm or Valerian.
Fitness Plan Week Two: The daily 5-Minute Fat-Burning Challenge
As part of Rick Hay’s anti ageing fitness plan, he suggests making movement a part of your daily routine. Here’s how:
1) Commit to do five minutes’ HIIT exercise daily. We’ll provide a different HIIT training video each week, all you have to do is give us back five minutes – and a little sweat – by doing the video each day. If you can’t do daily, try and rank up at least four times weekly.
2) Try and walk more than 10,000 steps a day. You’ll be surprised how the steps build up. Here’s a detailed how-to post to get you started walking for weight loss
VIDEO: This week’s 5-minute cardio challenge video – do it daily or as often as you can this week.
This 5 minute cardio challenge includes a 3 minute high intensity program followed by a lower intensity yoga or pilates move. Do each individual cardio exercise as many times as you can for one minute (three minutes in total), followed by the yoga/pilates move for two minutes. Repeat as often as you like, tailored to your own fitness level. Within each movement we have included varying levels of intensity to suit you.
THE WORKOUT
Jumping Jacks:
Also called Star Jumps, simply jump your legs to the sides as you raise your hands in the air and back again in quick succession.
TIP: To make it harder, hold your hands at the side of your head.
Squat with Shoulder Press:
(Hands only or with light weights). Start in standing position, go down to a low squat with your hands at shoulder level, (arms at right angles).. as you stand, press the hands (with weights) straight up overhead.
Abs – Elbow to Knee (Obliques):
Slow motion. Lying down, raise your lower legs to ‘tabletop’ (parallel to floor), with hands behind head, rotate 1 elbow to the opposite knee as you stretch out the other leg. Repeat.
TIP: Keep your shoulders off the floor at all times engaging abdominals.
Pilates – Superman:
Start on all fours (hands under shoulders, knees under hips) then ‘slide’ your opposite arm and leg away from each other until parallel to floor, pause to breath then lower.
TIP: Breath in to prepare, exhale on movement, core engaged at all times, including Pevlic floor.
RELATED:
Week 1: Anti-ageing fitness plan
This is an extract from the Anti Ageing Fitness Plan by Rick Hay. Available for download at the Xynergy website. The Anti Ageing Fitness Plan is a 12-week plan, complete with fitness regimens that are high-intensity and fat-burning. There are 12 weeks of meal plans that help to slow the ageing process, promote weight loss and alkalize the body at a cellular level.
Rick Hay is an Anti Ageing and Fitness Nutritionist with many years clinical experience in nutrition, naturopathy, botanical medicine and iridology. He specializes in obesity treatment and weight management. He writes a regular Natural Health and Fitness Blog for Healthista. Picture: Lydia Jones
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