Brrr so its cold, wet and windy...yes it's definitely Autumn! So when its cold all I want to do is stuff myself with soups, stews and casseroles, but seeing as the other half is away today I can have something he doesn't like...Cottage Pie :).

Now a standard Cottage Pie with mashed potato, cheese, oil and full fat mince will cut you back a massive 810 calories with 36g of fat and only 30g of protein. Now I promise you this recipe will not only be super super tasty but much much healthier.





(Serves 2)
Ingredients:
- Half a pack of Healthy Living Lean Mince (250g)
- 2 Cups of Broad Beans or Peas
- Carrot
- 3 Medium Sweet Potatoes
- Beef Stock Cube
- Large Onion
- Can of baked beans
- Handful of Grated Cheese

(I highly recommend either a tbsp of marmite or a squirt of HP Guinness sauce when browning your mince as it will make the flavours so much more richer.)

1) Peel and chop your sweet potatoes then put in a saucepan.

2) Chop your carrot and onion and put to one side.

3) In a pan brown your mince with no oil, if you are left with a lot of fat after frying then sieve this off.

4) Add your chopped carrot and onion to the browned mince and cook until the carrot is tender.

5) Boil a kettle and add boiling water to your pan of chopped sweet potato, simmer on medium heat and preheat your oven to 220 degrees.

6) Now add your can of baked beans to your mince, onion and carrot, crumble in your stock cube and pour in about 50-100ml of water.

7) Add your broad beans and peas and set to simmer.

8) Once your sweet potatoes are cooked take everything of the hob, and strain and mash them.

9) Pour your Cottage Pie mixture into an oven proof dish then spoon on your mash and smooth out with a fork.

10) Top with your grated cheese and pop in the oven for 20 mins.

Et Voila! A wonderful cockle warming Autumn Cottage pie which clocks in at....



492 Calories
44g Protein
19g Fat
(per serving)

Yum yum the boyfriend needs to go away more often :). Try this at home everyone and let me know what you think.

Water water everywhere....but why is it so important for your healthy lifestyle?

1) Kick starts your metabolism!
When you wake up in the morning drinking 16oz (about a pint glass) of water will boost your metabolism by 24% for the next 90 minutes. Great news for all you early bird workout people as you will be getting so much more from your workout as you will be burning more calories. Also drinking super cold water improves your metabolism by about 8 calories per 8oz of water consumed, neat huh? Drinking water also helps your body burn stored fat. If you’re not drinking enough water, your liver will be forced to help your kidneys detoxify your body. When you drink plenty of water, your kidneys don’t need any extra help, so your liver will be able to metabolize stored fat more efficiently. 


2) When hunger strikes
Drink a glass of water! Our bodies like to trick us into feeling hungry when we are actually thirsty, so feeling those hunger pangs mid morning? Ditch the coffee and choccie bar and drink some water, then wait 20 minutes. If you are no longer hungry then perfect you were just thirsty, still peckish? Grab a piece of fruit, another great source of water.


3) Builds muscle
And the more muscle you have = higher your metabolism = more fat you burn. Drinking plenty of water makes your muscles much stronger by enabling your muscles to work harder for longer. Water carries oxygen to the cells in your body, including those in your muscles. If your dehydrated when you work out you will feel tired and lethargic and will not be getting the most out of it.


4) Bye bye bloat
Water retention is a big cause of working really hard and not seeing that scale budge. This is caused by not getting enough water and high sodium in your diet. So cut out the salt and get guzzling down that water and I promise your skinny jeans will feel looser before you know it!


5) Good for your joints
Attention all runners! You especially need to really take care you your joints - knees in particular. Drinking water helps keep your joints strong, healthy and lubricated. Your joints need moisture in order to remain strong and flexible, so that your movements are smooth and pain free.

Find water just too plain for your taste buds? Then squeeze a lemon into your bottle of water, not only is this super tasty but it helps with your digestion, freshens your breath, cleanses your skin, and boosts your immune system (perfect as winter is just around the corner).


Personal Tip: Invest in a funky water bottle, I personally love this one and set reminders on your phone throughout the day for you to drink. There are also some free apps out there that do this 

How to lose weight?: Ditch Dieting!

Seems silly no? Silly because we have been trained for years by the media to go on these crazy diet schemes to shed our unwanted pounds that do not work. Yes you heard me they do not work! Well, lets rephrase that, they work as long as you are on that diet but what happens when you come off it? Bingo! You put the weight back on and with some extra to spare. Then what happens? You go on a new diet, spend more money and then go around and round in this vicious weight fluctuation, self hating circle.

So what do we do then to lose weight? Well its so simple you could kick yourself....

1) Calculate how many calories you need in a day and create a calorie deficit

Calculating the number of calories you need in a day is actually really simple and I will show you how to do so. The golden rule to losing weight is to eat less than you extend, this creates a calorie deficit.

Firstly, we will need to work out your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). This is how many calories your body burns just by keeping you alive, this is the amount you would burn even if you were in a coma. Now here comes the math! To work out your BMR use this formula:

Women: 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) – ( 4.7 x age in years )
Men: 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) – ( 6.8 x age in year ) If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : BMR x 1.2
If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : BMR x 1.375
If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : BMR x 1.55
If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : BMR x 1.725
If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : BMR x 1.9