The Buyer’s Guide To Olive Oil

I use Olive Oil a lot in my day to day cooking, and I love that there are so many different varieties that can help you bring out unique flavourings in the dishes that you are preparing. My usual rule of thumb is to eat clean, I enjoy the food and my body in turn reaps the benefits. It's amazing how tasty vegetables can be when they are prepared with lots of different herbs, spices and Olive Oil. 

I prepare my own fresh Pesto, and I love being able to play around with the flavouring and since the Olive Oil is a vital ingredient in the ingredients list, it can have a huge impact on the over all taste satisfaction at the end.

As I use Olive Oil in many of the meals I prepare, it is a staple item in my kitchen. Before I buy olive oil online I always check sites such as Promo Vouchers to see if there are any voucher codes available.

As there are so many different varieties of Olive Oil in 2016, Jamie Oliver has put together a really helpful infographic that takes all of the guess work out of purchasing your Olive Oil for the home. 

The Buyer’s Guide To Olive Oil

Unsure on what foods to eat during pregnancy? - Use this checklist to help you with your dieting plan

It’s important for every woman to consider her diet closely during this precious time. It can be common for women to feel quite overwhelmed about which food they can and cannot eat during pregnancy.

Hartmann Direct, specialists in providing healthcare products, explores what types of food women should aim to consume whilst they are expecting to make up and healthy and balanced diet. Consider as many of the foods from this list as possible to ensure you get a great level of varied nutrition in your diet:

1. Starchy foods (carbs)

Starchy foods are an essential source of energy. Many also provide a mix of essential vitamins and fibre. They'll keep you filled with substance without being overly rich and packed with calorie overdoses. Ideal foods within this category include breads, potato, rice, pasta and oats. These foods should make up around 30% of your diet.

2. Fresh fruit and vegetables

Fruits and vegetable play a vital role in digestion as they contain fibre and almost all varieties are a fantastic source of vitamins. Get a good selection of different fruits and vegetables into your diet to help fight constipation and varying deficiencies.

3. Protein from meat and fish

You should aim to take in sensible amounts of protein daily from lean meats and eggs. Make sure you’ve removed excess natural fat and try not to use too much oil in the cooking process. It’s a good idea to have fish at least twice a week but avoid shark, swordfish or marlin. Salmon and mackerel are great examples of healthy oily fish that provide a good amount of omega 3, which is important for maintaining a healthy brain.

4. Calcium and dairy

Dairy products supply a great deal of calcium which is vital for bone growth and combating harmful deficiencies. Milk, cheese and yogurts make up the bulk of easily accessible calcium rich dairy foods. It's important not to overdo it as these foods are often very high in fat. If you are trying to refrain from eating dairy products, then it’s best to aim for alternatives that are calcium fortified and do not contain sweeteners.

5.  Have healthy snacks instead of sugary options

When hunger strikes, it can be very tempting to reach for convenient snacks that are filled with fats and sugars. Foods like biscuits, cakes, fizzy flavoured soft drinks and sweets like chocolate are all packed with high amounts of sugar. Not only is sugar bad for the condition of your teeth, sugary diets are a leading cause of weight gain and diabetes. Instead of sugary products you should try and incorporate healthier snacks into your day to day routine. Here are few ideas you can try:

●       A bowl of salad with lean ham and a small amount of grated cheese.

●       A plain bread or pita sandwich with tuna, salmon or chicken filling.

●       Sticks of carrot, celery, or cucumber with hummus.

●       Plain yoghurt with fresh or canned fruit. Keep an eye out for the sugar contents in canned fruit with cyrups. High sugar content should always be a concern.

●       Apricots, figs, dates, and prunes make great alternatives to convenience sweets as they are easy to eat but are also packed with natural sugars and high levels of fibre.

●       Soups made from vegetables or beans. Beans are a great substitute for meats in various meals, as they offer a great savory flavor, dense texture and are crammed with fibre.

●       Porridge is a good breakfast that releases energy slowly and keeps you full for longer than sugary simple carb cereals. Mix porridge with fresh fruit and nuts to add sweetness and crunch.

●       Tropical fruits like pineapple and mango are bursting with very strong sweetness. Have chunks of them on their own or add them to dishes instead of refined sugars. 

●       Baked potatoes are very quick and easy to prepare in the microwave. They are very filling and pretty much go with anything. Have a baked potato instead of chips, crisps and other high fat options.

By getting a regular supply of the key food groups above you’ll be doing everything possible to ensure your pregnancy diet is well in line with optimum levels of health and nutrition.

This post was written by Hartmann Direct, experts in health care and incontinence solutions. If you think we’ve left anything out, please feel free to let us know in the comments below!

Homecooked meals

I spend a lot of time in my kitchen, I think it is fair to assume that most people do, because after all the kitchen really is the heart of the home. 

I love cooking, and I can only really say that this is a hobby that has come around in recent years because of my passion for health and fitness. I discovered that by cooking from scratch, I could eat tasty food that I enjoyed, and also know the exactly ingredients of what went into the recipes, and in turn this helped me to achieve my personal fitness goals. 

I think the beauty of preparing your own home cooked meals is that you can be that little more adventurous, you can spiralize some zucchini noodles to throw into some home made pesto or you can cook up a lasagna using butternut squash slices in replacement of the pasta sheets. The possibilities really are endless, and it puts you in complete control of what goes into your body.

As I cook up to 3 times a day, and it has to be said that I'm not the neatest chef in the world, I am prone to dropping things all over my freshly cleaned stove or splashing sauce up the back of the cooker and inevitably the wall behind it, and this does not sit very well with my inner neat freak. I have been looking at getting some acrylic  kitchen splash-backs from Simply Plastics to sit behind my stove, so that I can easily wipe away the daily mess that may land there (thus saving my magnolia wall).

It was only a few years ago that I was ordering ample takeaways each week, and I thought preparing my own food meant grabbing a shop bought jar of pasta sauce and boiling some spaghetti in a pan. Somewhere along the way I found a love in cooking healthy wholesome food that now feeds the whole family, and none of us have looked back.

Takeaways are a rarity these days as I much prefer to cook a healthier curry at home, where you get all the taste of a takeout, but none of the bad bits. I realised that you don't have to compensate on taste when you eat healthily, but you can cut all of the bad bits out and still enjoy your meal. 

Pizza Express Review - Worcester

Pizza Express has been a family favourite for many years, and today that remains as true as it ever was. When it comes to eating out it's often hard to please the entire family, Leo will always demand his need for pizza, where as I want the option to be able to eat a healthier meal, and Luke who is pretty easy going will change up what he wants on a day to day basis. I guess the hardest part out of all of that, is for me, trying to find that healthier option on a menu that is going to make everyone else happy too.

Yesterday (Saturday 26th March 2016) my little family visited the Worcester branch as guests of Pizza Express for their #PizzaExpressFamily campaign. This is for us is our local establishment, and having eaten there on a number of occasions before, I knew that we were going to be well looked after. 

We arrived with rumbles in our tummies and were more than ready to feast our eyes upon the menu. We were greeted warmly and shown to our table which was prepared and waiting our arrival. The team gave us all the time we needed to make our drinks order, and as we had got carried away chatting they were very patient with us. I ordered a Cappucino as I felt like I needed a small caffeine fix before anything else, and decided to try their new Watermelon Chill, which was incredibly refreshing.

As always it was service with a smile, and they all made conversation with Leo which was just lovely. Of course Leo loved this too and before long he had stolen my camera and was snapping away at the service team. They asked Leo what his plans were for after lunch and Leo told them all about how we were going to be taking a trip to the cinema to watch Disney's Zootropolis!

Leo had already found the selection of colouring material that had been prepared for him, and he decided to start writing his name for us all to admire. Our drinks were with us quickly and as we had pretty much instantly decided what we were going to eat, they took our food order right then and there.

Luke and I decided to share the Classic Italian Antipasto and Leo had the Dough Balls. I haven't had an Antipasto before, but after hearing such amazing things I decided that it was a must, and boy was I not disappointed. I couldn't believe my eyes when a huge plate of Italian meats and accompaniments arrived on our table.  That big plate was shared between myself and Luke, and every bite was just incredible. I don't often eat bread, but whatever this bread on the platter was, it was so moreish that I couldn't stop eating it! If you are heading to Pizza Express soon, Luke and I highly recommend the Antipasto!

Leo demolished his dough balls and actually helped us finish off some of the Antipasto in the end. It was nice to see him actually trying some new things for once, because he can be so fussy at times, and that in it's self is so frustrating. In the past Leo has refused to eat the Dough Balls which has meant that I have eaten them all, but on this occasion my little man did not waste one single bite (Aside from the salad...)

The starters were cleared away and within a few minutes our main courses arrived. Leo had decided on the Piccolo menu, which meant he was in for a 3 course treat! Leo followed his Dough Balls up with an American Pizza (Pepperoni), 

I had set my heart on the new Leggera Superfood Salad, it ticked absolutely every box for me and I even got to add grilled chicken to the meal which just sealed the deal. The salad along is under 500 calories, and is a mix of green lentils, black rice, edamame beans, red quinoa, chickpeas, cranberries, pumpkin seeds and kale, all mixed up in a tasty vinaigrette on a bed of mixed leaves, rocket, cucumber, roasted red and yellow peppers, red onion and finished with fresh parsely and light house dressing. 

Fancy a takeaway right now? Here are some Pizza Hut Voucher Codes!

Luke ordered the Margherita Bufala which was a pizza with torn Buffalo mozzarella and tomato. All of our food came out together and I was once again blown away by the generous portions that were provided. I could not get over the size of my superfood salad, and after eating such a big starter I knew that I was going to be taking some of it home with me (and I did, I ended up finishing it off for my dinner later that night!).

They very kindly took the remainder of my food away and put it into a takeaway box so that I could take it away with me. While they were doing that for us, they kindly brought us the dessert menu, and I have to admit that I wasn't going to indulge in pudding, but after seeing the Raspberry Sorbet, I couldn't resist. So while Leo enjoyed his Brownie, Luke and I shared the sorbet, which was so tasty.

All 3 of us enjoyed a fabulous meal, from the food, right down to the service we received. Everyone was welcoming, accommodating and the food was just fantastic. You cans see the chefs busily preparing orders in the open kitchen, and I took Leo over for a closer look, and he was fascinated by it all. The chef even looked over and waved at Leo as we stood and watched, and that again just highlighted how friendly everyone was, which for a 4 year old just made his entire visit!

Keep an eye on the #PizzaExpressFamily hashtag as everyone who is taking part in the campaign are sharing their personal experiences! Not to mention that on Thursday 31st March from 2:00pm - 3:30pm we are hosting a Twitter Party with some pretty great prizes up for grabs, even the chance to win a family meal for your own family!

Tune in with @lovelyleosmummy!

A massive thank you to Pizza Express for looking after us and sending us away with full bellies! We had a great time and can't wait to visit again soon!

If your suddenly in the mood for pizza here is a Papa Johns Promo Code for you.

Disclaimer: We were guests of Pizza Express as part of the #PizzaExpressFamily campaign. All thoughts and opinions are our own.

Raspberry Ketones - Urban Legend?

We live in a time of quick fixes and cutting corners, but when it comes to losing weight, is there really such a thing?  I am the first to admit to buying into these miracle weight loss aids, but the reality is that if they sound too good to be true, then they probably are.

One of the latest weight loss trends to hit the market are the Raspberry Ketones, it first became popular after it was mentioned on Dr. Oz television show back in 2012,  during the piece dubbed ‘Raspberry Ketone: Miracle fat-burner in a bottle’.

Raspberry Ketone is actually a chemical found in Red Raspberries (Rubus Idaeus), that is thought by many to help with weight loss. There is actually no scientific evidence backing this up, except  for some research that has been carried out with small animals, such as rats that show it may help speed up the metabolism.

Now after having my Facebook timeline inundated with adverts for this apparent wonder pill, I was curious. Having seen the before and after images of these girls who are obviously completely different people my alarm bells were instantly ringing. I followed the adverts through onto the page where you can ‘collect your free sample’ only to find that they required my bank details… It was here that I decided to abandon my quest and leave well alone. You need to be incredibly careful in these instances, and this has recently been publicised on Watch Dog, where companies have been taking random amounts of money out of people’s accounts in order to pay for the Raspberry Ketones once the ‘free sample’ has expired.

Back in July I was actually sent a sample of Raspberry Ketones to try out, I thought that it couldn’t do any harm in taking them just to see if there was any truth in how they are being portrayed. I began taking them, they leave a fruity taste in their wake but nothing to sinister. For a little while I found them a little sickly in terms of the after taste but this is something that doesn’t really bother me 2 months later.

In the first couple of weeks I maintained a steady weight loss of around 1-2lbs per week. This had been the average in my regime anyway, and I couldn’t say that the Raspberry Ketones aided or increased any noticeable changes in weight loss. I know this is what you want to read, but this is my personal experience… and I quite honestly think that the only effect the Raspberry Ketones have is the Placebo Effect. Of course taking them isn’t doing any harm, and my experience is just one of many, but before you part with your cash think about where you are purchasing them from, remember that just by taking these tablets alone the weight isn’t going to just come away. I have been eating better, and paying daily visits to the gym. I cannot say that the Raspberry Ketones have helped me along my way at all, hard work is what has been delivering my results.

My personal advice would be to ignore the adverts and save your money. I have continued to take the Raspberry Ketones throughout, and I am still taking them today. I won’t be purchasing anymore when my 3 month sample comes to an end, but I am pleased that I have laid the urban legend of the miracle fat burner in a bottle to rest.

Disclaimer: I was sent the Raspberry Ketones for the purpose of this post. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest and my own.

A healthier 2014

I often find myself going through a health kick phase. I mean well and fully intend to stick to a healthy eating plan... But it is in these moments I tell myself that I flat out cannot have ANY chocolate WHAT SO EVER, in the next breath all I want is to pig a whole bar of Cadbury's the most...

I cook the majority of what we eat from scratch, but I am as guilty as most when I spring for a jarred sauce rather than whizzing up my own, especially during the week when I have been at work. Sometimes it is just easier to reach into the cupboard and pull out a easy option... and then of course the forbidden chocolate bar that I neglected to hide very well..

I tell myself I am going to find time to exercise.. (insert giggle here) and that I will spend more time in the kitchen following the Slimming World diet (which they won't actually let me join...Ironically) but somehow my best intentions don't get me any where.

Back in the summer I was looking into how useful a George Foreman Grill may be in the kitchen. I eat a lot of meat and thought this may be a great way to cook in a more sustained way. Although I haven't really been using it to cook healthier meals... Admittedly I use it regularly to grill stuffed chicken, with cheese a plenty! 

Maybe I will use the New Year as jumping board to get healthier in 2014, and leave chocolate and other temptations back in 2013. I have been looking at sessions at the gym, and think that I will somehow make some time out of the house for just me.

Disclaimer: This is featured post