Fresh and Tasty Middle Eastern salad – Taboulleh

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Ever tried Bulgar Wheat? The great thing about is that it’s great value and super nutritious. Bulgar (also spelt bulgur, bulghur, burghul) is high in fiber and rich in B vitamins, iron, phosphorus and manganese.

Minted Bulgar Wheat Salad or Taboulleh

To serve 2 person (225 kcal per person)

Preparation time; Less than 10 mins

Cooking time; Less than 15 mins

Taboulleh salad

Ingredients

  • 100g bulgur wheat (once cooked makes approx 360g) – 285 kcal
  • 250ml very hot vegetable stock – 20 kcal
  • 75g of cucumber, finely diced – 8 kcal
  • 20g (approx 4) spring onions, finely chopped – 5 kcal
  • 60 g tomatoes, finely chopped – 12 kcal
  • 1tbsp extra virgin olive oil – 120 kcal
  • Lemon juice to taste – as mush or as little as you prefer
  • Approximately 10g mint leaves, finely chopped
  • Handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
  1. Place the bulgur wheat in a bowl and pour over the hot stock. Stir, cover with cling film and let the bulgur wheat cool down and absorb the liquid for 15 minutes. Alternatively, you can follow the cooking instructions on the packet then leave to cool.
  2. Then stir the remaining salad ingredients into the bulgur wheat and the salad is ready.

Presto – quick, simple and delicious!Try it with a grilled chicken breast and some home made tzatziki (Another quick, easy & low calorie delight– just chop some cucumber and mint & mix with low fat natural yoghurt)!

For a more traditional version of this dish add tons more parsley!

Low calorie lunch – veggie omelette – healthy options for weight loss

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Another low calorie, healthy option for a delicious lunchtime snack – it’s quick and easy to make but packed full of nutritious veggies which are so necessary to ensure a balanced diet! Don’t forget you can include whatever vegetables you prefer, this is just an example!

Veggie Omelette *

To serve 1 person (321 kcal per person)

Preparation time; Less than 30 mins

Cooking time; Less than 10 mins

Ingredients

Fry Light (to coat pan) (4 -5 kcals)

Medium Eggs x2 (166 kcals)

Mushrooms 50g  (7 kcals)

Spring Onion 25g (7 kcals)

Cherry Tomatoes 50g (18 kcals)

Low Fat Crème Fraiche or Low Fat Natural Yoghurt 60g (46 kcals)

Parmesan 15g (60 kcals)

Garlic and or Chilli (optional but tasty) (3 kcals)

Seasoning – A little Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation method

  1. Spray Fry Light around a small frying pan and cook up all your veggies (add garlic or chilli here if you prefer a little more kick).
  2. Once lightly cooked through any drain excess water and add seasoning.
  3. Whisk together the eggs and crème fresh/yoghurt in a bowl.
  4. Pour the egg mixture over the cooked vegetables (in the small frying pan) and cook on hob until the mixture has solidified.
  5. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on the top and grill for a few minutes until the top  is golden brown.

Serve with a delicious fresh green salad for a light, healthy and tasty lunch.

*Fits in a mug!

Don’t forget if you want to lose weight it’s not about “dieting” it’s about changing your lifestyle – eat better, get active & enjoy life – get off the sofa & live a little!!!

Healthy low fat recipe – Chinese Chicken with Garlic & Cucumber

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Weight loss is an area I work with a lot in my Essex hypnotherapy practice and often my clients seem a little uninspired when trying to create low calorie but tasty dishes so I thought I would share some of my favourites here :-)

I love Chinese food but takeaways are often laden with salt, sugar & all sorts of additives so why not try this delicious and simple recipe at home for your own oriental option?

Chinese Chicken with Garlic & Cucumber

To serve 2 people (217 kcal per person)

Preparation time; Less than 30 mins

Cooking time; Less than 10 mins

Chinese Chicken with Garlic & Cucumber

Chinese Chicken with Garlic & Cucumber

Ingredients

1 large boneless chicken breast (200g), skinned & cubed (220 kcal)

100g cucumber, peeled and diced (10 kcal)

1 tbsp groundnut oil (125 kcal)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped/crushed (8 kcal)

1 tbsp spring onion, finely chopped (2 kcal)

1 tbsp light soy sauce  (15 kcal)

1 tbsp Mirin or rice wine (44 kcal)

1/2 tsp chilli powder (optional)

Preparation method

  1. Cut the chicken into 2.5cm/1in cubes and set aside.
  2. Peel the cucumber and dice.
  3. Rinse the cucumber cubes under cold water and blot with kitchen paper.
  4. Heat a wok or large frying pan until very hot.
  5. Add the oil and when it is very hot and slightly smoking, add the chicken cubes and stir-fry them for a couple of minutes.
  6. Add all the other ingredients except the cucumber and continue to stir-fry for another 2 minutes.
  7. Now add the cucumber cubes and keep stir-frying the entire mixture for another 3 minutes. Serve at once.

Serve with a small portion of plain rice or noodles and a big helping of stir fried veggies for a tasty & low calorie oriental treat!

Adapted from a Ken Hom recipe.

Hypnotherapy Training – Expanding Your Understanding as a Therapist

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I take what I do as a hypnotherapist very seriously and as such regularly undertake further training courses to expand my knowledge and learn new techniques I can employ with clients.

The courses I have done have been fascinating on the whole and covered far ranging subjects from psychosexual issues to past life regression and a whole plethora of other subjects in between.

With Marx Howell and Terence Watts

With Marx Howell and Terence Watts

Some of the most interesting study I have done is with the renowned expert in the Forensic Application of Hypnosis (police use) and Criminal Personality Profiling, Marx Howell. He was a guest tutor at the Essex Institute where I carried out a lot of my studies.

You can visit his website here: Marx Howell and Associates

The Essex Institute is run by Terence Watts, one of the most experienced therapists and teachers in the United Kingdom, and he is someone from whom I have learned a great deal. Find out more about training in hypnosis at: Essex Institute

With Steve Miller - Authoritarian Weight Loss Training

With Steve Miller - Authoritarian Weight Loss Training

Another great trainer with a totally different, no nonsense approach is Steve Miller, who’s Authoritarian Weight Loss Hypnosis training I did earlier this year. You might have seen him on TV presenting Fat Families on Sky1 or have heard his catchphrase “little pickers wear big knickers!” He is a friendly, colourful and creative man and I learned some new & useful techniques to use with my weight loss clients.

I am always looking for new methods to learn and am regularly booked on training courses to keep expanding and updating my skills so my clients get the very best care they can!

Hypnotherapy Clients Feedback – Makes Me Smile!

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I love getting positive feedback from my hypnotherapy clients – it really makes my day to know that people feel better and are acheiving their goals :-)

Here are some of my recent favourites;

“My silly eating habits have calmed down and I’m pretty much back to “normal”. THANK YOU!!! Interesting thing is that you said in your script that I would feel proud of not eating junk, and I do. That’s new! Clever, aren’t you!”

“Everyone keeps telling me I look good. I feel good but I also feel positive which I never had before, Thank you for all you have done and for the support.”

“The biggest achievement of the day was going out to dinner at a friend’s house – I think it was the first time this sort of thing happened since we began our sessions. I had plenty of vegetables, a bit of the meat and a little rice, trying to calculate in my mind what sort of portion size I was allowed. And on the way back home I saw this girl get on the bus, she was quite fat, holding a bag from Burger King and sipping on some soda. I looked at her and felt like telling her that, if she wanted to, getting slim wasn’t so bad at all and wouldn’t be such a difficult thing to do. Because it really isn’t.”

Lentil and Garlic Soup

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Lentils

Lentils are some of the most nutritious foods in the world. They are high in fibre, both soluble and insoluble. (Insoluble fibre, or roughage, doesn’t dissolve in water, and therefore passes through your digestive system intact. Soluble fibre absorbs excess water in the colon, helping to regulate your system.) Lentils are also rich in nutrients; they are a great source of protein, folic acid, dietary fiber, vitamin C, B vitamins, essential amino acids and trace minerals. As if that’s not enough lentils are also low in calories and cholesterol free making them a great, healthy and good value food.

Check out the World Food section of your supermarket rather than the Whole Food section & you may bag a bargain!

Try this delicous recipe for a heathy lunchtime treat.

Lentil and Garlic Soup

Serves 4 – Approx 195 calories per bo

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 onions, roughly chopped (approx 250g or 9oz)
  • 1 carrot roughly chopped (approx 70g or 2.5oz)
  • 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 150g (3/4 cup or 5.4oz) red lentils, rinsed and drained
  • A pinch of Oregano
  • 1.5 pints (900ml or 3 ¾ cups) vegetable stock
  • 1 tbsp fruit or balsamic vinegar
  • Salt and pepper

Cooking Instructions

  1. Add the oil, onions, carrot and garlic to a large saucepan and cook gently for 2 minutes.
  2. Add the lentils, oregano and vegetable stock. Bring to the boil over a medium heat, the lower and simmer for 1 hour. Remember to stir the soup regularly to stop the lentils sticking and a further hour scrubbing the pan afterwards!
  3. Remove from heat, season with a little salt and pepper. Stir in the vinegar.
  4. Once cooled, liquidise.
  5. Reheat and serve with wholemeal bread or some Ryvita for a tasty, filling, and most of all, healthy lunch!

Enjoy!