Adding some heat to your main meals with chilli peppers and other spicy ingredients can help you shift your spare tyre thanks to the fat-burning properties of capsaicin, the compound responsible for giving these foods their fiery kick. Research published in the American Chemical Society journal found that capsaicin helps fight rising body-fat levels by decreasing total calorie intake, shrinking fat tissue, and lowering fat levels in the blood. Try increasing your intake of capsaicin-rich food by adding chillis to scrambled eggs for breakfast and to salads at lunchtime – and try these Mexican-inspired fajitas for dinner, which also contain chicken, avocado and veg to give you the high-quality protein and fats needed to build muscle and strip away your belly.
EAT THIS CHICKEN FAJITA
This classic Mexican fajita provides lots of protein in a portable package that can be eaten hot or cold, making it a highly convenient muscle-building meal or post-gym snack. The spicy recipe also adds a whack of calorie-burning capsaicin to help you burn fat too.
INGREDIENTS
1tbsp olive oil / 2 skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips / 1 red onion, sliced / 1 red pepper or 1 red chilli, sliced / 1tsp chilli flakes / 200g tomatoes, chopped (fresh or canned) / 4 wholemeal tortillas / A handful of fresh coriander / 2tbsp Greek yogurt / 1 avocado, diced
TO MAKE
• Heat the oil in a wok until it starts to smoke.
• Add the chicken and stir-fry for four minutes.
• Add the onion and pepper or chilli and cook for a further three minutes.
• Add the chilli flakes and tomatoes and cook for another three minutes.
• Warm the wraps for two minutes under a preheated grill.
• Spoon the mixture into the wraps, dress them with the coriander, yogurt and avocado, and fold to eat.
Age creeps up on us all. Little twinges become aches and pains and maintaining muscle mass while keep the belly at bay becomes a war of attrition against Old Father Time. But the battle isn’t over yet, and adding these three supplements to your diet – so long as you continue to eat well, exercise intelligently and get good-quality sleep – can give your body a better chance of staying fighting fit for longer.
1 Get stronger joints
Glucosamine is an amino sugar and a major component of cartilage, which is the stuff that absorbs the shock to your joints when you run, lift or do plyometric drills like box jumps. As you age your cartilage starts to lose the elasticity that protects your joints and so becomes less effective at doing its job. Taking glucosamine, which is typically made from shellfish, can reinforce cartilage by stimulating the cells to produce proteoglycans, which can improve joint function and mobility. Aim for three daily doses of 500mg.
2 Add muscle faster
Glutamine is an amino acid that studies suggest minimises the breakdown of muscle tissues during strenuous exercise as well as improving muscle synthesis, which is the assimilation of the protein you eat into new tissue. Having adequate levels has also been linked to improved brain and gut health. You should already get enough of this compound from your diet, but it can be worth taking a supplement if you’re under a lot of stress or training harder than normal.
3 Better overall health
Make sure you eat as many servings of fresh veg as possible every day – then try adding a greens supplement to fill any nutritional gaps you may have missed. Most powders contain multiple servings of veggies along with other highly beneficial compounds you’d be loath to eat in their natural forms (think algae and grasses). You can drink it straight – if you have no sense of taste – or blend it into a breakfast shake or smoothie.
Still struggling to hit your five-a-day? Bad news: you’re dithering around at the low end of what’s acceptable. The World Health Organisation says 400g of fruit and veg a day (or five 80g servings) is the bare minimum required for health benefits, and official recommendations in other countries are higher – Australia suggests five portions of veg and two of fruit should be your target, while Japan’s 5 A DAY organisation urges its citizens to eat 350g of veg and 200g of fruit daily. And if you’re planning to top up with some multivitamins and greens powder, remember: you do need the real thing.
“Vegetables contain antioxidants and other disease-fighting compounds that are difficult to get elsewhere,” says body composition expert Luke Leaman (musclenerds.tv). “Plant phytochemicals reduce inflammation, eliminate carcinogens, regulate cell reproduction and maintain DNA health.” A 2014 meta-study found that higher veg consumption is linked to a drop in all-cause mortality, but even if you’re planning to live fast and die young (unlikely, we know), there’s more to it: more fibre will help keep you feeling full and in fat-burning mode, helping you get lean while maintaining muscle. Here’s how to keep things green and pleasant.
SIMPLE SWAPS
INSTEAD OF ICEBERG…
HAVE ROCKET
It’s been less selectively bred, hence that peppery flavour – and as a result, it has a better antioxidant profile. Serve it in salad with a glug of olive oil and a dash of balsamic vinegar.
INSTEAD OF SPINACH…
HAVE KALE
It’s full of folate and magnesium, as well as fibre. Get rid of the stems, then stir-fry it for a few minutes with a clove or two of crushed garlic.
INSTEAD OF SWEET POTATO…
HAVE CELERIAC
There’s nothing wrong with the orange beauties, but you should rotate your veg occasionally and celeriac’s a better source of vitamins C, K and manganese. Chop it into wedges and roast it with paprika.
Q SO, APART FROM VITAMINS, WHY ELSE DO I NEED VEGETABLES?
A ALL SORTS OF REASONS
“I would honestly rather see almost anybody jack up their fruit and veggies and take their protein intake down, rather than having three shakes a day,” says Leaman. “By eating more veggies you’re upping the amount of fibre you eat, raising your alkalinity and reducing acidosis in the body.” Acidosis occurs when the kidneys and lungs can’t regulate your pH levels, causing sometimes serious health problems. “If you’re trying to cut calories you should still keep veg high. You’ll also ramp up your anti-ageing pathways.” Basically, Leaman says, if you want a healthy diet, “veg is the first thing you should add, and the last thing you should think about cutting out”.
Q ANY OTHER BENEFITS?
A YOU’LL EAT LESS OF THE BAD STUFF
“One of the best reasons is food displacement,” says Leaman. “I work a lot on habits and if someone hasn’t eaten right for 30 years, they’re going to do three days of good diet and then have a pizza. Instead of changing everything, the trick is to add more of the good stuff until it pushes the bad stuff out. If your breakfast right now is eggs on toast, add some broccoli or spinach, or maybe throw in another egg. Eventually you’ll leave the toast out. Think practical instead of optimal, and keep making minor changes.”
Q DOES IT MATTER HOW I COOK THEM?
A YES
“There’s good evidence that you keep more of the fibre and antioxidant content in most green veggies when you steam rather than boil them,” says Leaman. Toss your asparagus or broccoli in a saucepan with a shot glass’s worth of water for four to five minutes. For extra flavour, finish them off with a blob of butter and a sprinkle of salt.
Q DO I NEED TO GO ORGANIC?
A IT MIGHT HELP
We’re still not sure of the benefits of organic food in general, but the evidence is starting to pile up for veg in particular. A Newcastle University study published in 2014 concluded that there are “statistically significant, meaningful” differences, with a range of antioxidants being “substantially higher” – between 19% and 69% – in organic vegetables. The study was based on an analysis of 343 peer-reviewed studies, and found lower levels of heavy metal cadmium and pesticides in organic foods – but there’s still controversy over how exactly the results link to health results. The consensus? Go organic if you can afford it – but any veg is better than none.
5-6
DAILY SERVINGS OF VEG YOU SHOULD EAT BEFORE THINKING ABOUT A GREENS POWDER
Tossing a handful of greens powder into your protein shake might be more appealing than wolfing handfuls of broccoli, but sadly things aren’t that simple. Though its vitamin content is similar, the fibre and phytochemicals you get from veg are hard to replicate. “I don’t recommend greens shakes,” says Leaman. “That should be a treat you earn when you’re already smashing five or six portions of veggies a day. If you want a greens drink that works, steam some broccoli and throw it in a blender, then have a couple of cups of that with every meal. I’ve seen guys literally go from no abs to abs, just doing that.”
Still boiling your broccoli? Step away from the saucepan now if you want maximum goodness from the veg for better health. Researchers from Zhejiang University in China cooked broccoli using the most common cooking methods and concluded that steaming kept intact the most number of nutrients, including soluble fibre, vitamin C and glucosinolate, the compound thought to be behind its cancer-fighting properties. Microwaving was next best, with stir-frying and boiling resulting in the greatest nutrient loss because of the veg’s exposure to high heat and vitamins leaching into the water.
This supports Harvard research that found the best cooking method for retaining nutrients is one that “cooks quickly, heats food for the shortest amount of time, and uses as little liquid as possible”. That sounds like microwaving to us. Eat your peppers raw, though: a medium one contains around 150% of your daily vitamin C needs, but cooking peppers above 190°C irreparably damages the antioxidant, according to the US National Institutes of Health.
2 “Butter is bad for your health”
Butter spent decades in the nutritional wilderness because of a suggested link between its high saturated fat content and heart disease, obesity and high cholesterol. But support for butter is spreading – global sales were up 7% in the five years to 2014, while sales of non-dairy spreads such as margarine fell 6%, according to research firm Kantar Worldpanel – because the studies behind these claims has been discredited.
A meta-analysis of 72 studies of 600,000 people from 17 countries, published in the Annals Of Internal Medicine, found total saturated fat consumption had no relationship to heart disease risk, while research in the British Medical Journal found death rates among men with heart disease actually increased when they ditched saturated fat for the type of polyunsaturated fat found in margarine. Butter is also a source of vitamins A, D, E and K, as well as selenium, a powerful antioxidant that plays a big role in an efficient metabolism. Time to dust off that butter dish.
3 “High-protein diets damage your kidneys”
We evolved to become the smartest animal that’s ever walked the Earth thanks to a diet high in protein, so it’s hard to believe that in the last human generation – a blink of the eye in evolutionary terms – protein has suddenly started damaging our kidneys. And you shouldn’t believe it, because the study that linked high protein intake to organ damage was done on people with preexisting kidney disorders. If you’re in good health a high-protein diet can help weight loss without any side effects, according to the Journal Of The International Society Of Sports Nutrition, as well as reducing blood pressure, according to Dutch research.
It’s worth noting that the World Health Organisation last year classified red meat as a Group 2 carcinogen and added processed red meat in Group 1, advising people to limit daily intake of both to no more than 70g. However, it matters what meat you eat: organic and grass-reared red meat is very different nutritionally to that which has been factory farmed or heavily processed.
4 “Booze before bed helps you sleep deeper”
You may have found that a snifter after a long day helps you nod off faster – but booze before bed doesn’t encourage a good night’s rest because of how alcohol influences activity in your brain, according to research in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
Subjects who drank just before bed had more slow wave sleep patterns called delta activity, which is the period of deeper sleep that’s associated with restoration. So far, so good. But the subjects also had heightened alpha waves, which your brain typically displays when you’re awake. This competition between alpha and delta waves disrupts sleep, which is why after a drink or two you’ll wake in the morning feeling as though you’ve not really slept.
Each night you should have around six or seven cycles of deep and restorative REM sleep – but if you’ve been drinking you’ll typically have just one or two, according to charity drinkaware.co.uk, so you can wake feeling exhausted. Horlicks, anyone?
Photography Getty
5 “Carbs after 6pm make you fat”
This one really won’t go away. The belief that eating carbs at night is a fast route to fat gain is built on the assumption that our resting metabolic rate (RMR) slows down during sleep, so any excess energy gets stored as fat. While energy expenditure does decrease 35% during early-stage sleep, according to the journal Metabolism, it then increases significantly during deeper REM sleep to the extent that your RMR is the same at night as it is in the day, according to the European Journal Of Clinical Nutrition. What’s more, if you exercise you significantly increase your RMR during sleep, according to the Canadian Journal Of Applied Physiology, prompting your body to burn more fat as it recovers from exertion.
In reality a high-carb dinner can help reduce body fat by sending you to sleep faster because carbohydrate consumption increases blood concentrations of the amino acid tryptophan, which makes you feel drowsy. People who ate a high-carb meal in the four hours before bed fell asleep faster than those who weren’t given carbs in a study conducted by the University of Sydney.
26% Reduction in the odds of developing bowel cancer by drinking two cups of coffee a day after adjusting for other lifestyle factors, according to the USC research
Whether you take it short, long, black, with milk, with cream or decaf, drinking more coffee can reduce your risk of developing cancer, according to a new study from the University of Southern California (USC). Researchers tracked the coffee-drinking habits of more than 9,000 people and found that the more coffee subjects drank, the less likely they were to develop bowel (or colorectal) cancer. This was the case even when other lifestyle factors, such as family history, diet, physical activity and smoking were factored in. Better stick the kettle on.
Jordan Henderson knows how to dominate matches. With a powerful mix of explosive runs, robust physicality, pinpoint passing and relentless stamina, the Liverpool man has established himself as one of the Premier League’s fittest and most effective box-to-box midfielders – not to mention an inspirational captain who leads by example. According to player-tracking service Opta, Henderson is officially the hardest-working player in the Premier League, covering 11.8km per game, making an average of 88 passes and winning 70% of his tackles. As captain of Jürgen Klopp’s high-flying Liverpool team – and skipper of the England national team for their autumn 2016 games against Slovenia and Spain – the 26-year-old is proving that natural leadership skills fused with supreme fitness make a powerful combination.
Henderson joined Liverpool from Sunderland for an undisclosed fee (believed to be around £16 million) in June 2011 and went on to succeed Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard as club captain last season. He is now in the form of his life, orchestrating Liverpool’s high-tempo performances, altering the course of matches and driving his club into the Premier League title race. By the end of January, Henderson had made 1,824 passes this season – 302 more than any other player in the league.
Having won the League Cup with Liverpool in 2012, and narrowly missed out on the league title in 2014, Henderson is now aiming to harness his athleticism and stamina to power his teams to more success, with Liverpool in the race for the Premier League title and England pursuing World Cup qualification. He met Men’s Fitness to discuss the art of leadership and explain why strength, endurance and good nutrition can make the winning difference for any athlete.
Henderson with his club manager Jürgen Klopp and national coach Gareth Southgate
Some men enjoy the responsibility of leadership. Others suffer from the pressure. Does captaincy suit you?
Yeah, I think I do enjoy taking more responsibility. I like trying to help the players around me and trying to do the best I can for the team. Obviously when things are going well that is much easier. But we have a lot of leaders in the [Liverpool] team so I feel as though we lead this team together. We have really good morale and togetherness in the dressing room, and I think you can see that on the pitch in the way we all work for each other and fight for each other.
How do you ensure the team remain united?
It’s about making sure everyone in the team knows what they need to do. As captain I try to make sure everyone’s feeling good, preparing the right way and working as hard as they possibly can on the training field to become a better player. If everyone is doing that, we will automatically have a better team. We also do things as a team, like going out for food or playing golf together for a bit of team bonding. We are a very close group.
He says he’s been “lucky enough to work with a lot of great leaders in football”
Are there any particular captains you admire?
I’ve been lucky enough to work with a lot of great leaders in football, both managers and players. I’ve learned a lot from everyone. But the main thing I’ve learned is to always put the team first and try to do what you feel is right for the team.
In what key moments do you speak to the players?
Before the game a few of us might say one or two things. At half-time it is mostly the manager who will talk about different things we need to work on, such as what we can do better going forwards or defensively. If I have anything to say it will normally be before the match.
Do you have any pre-match routines?
I’m pretty relaxed about getting myself into the zone. I just concentrate on what I need to be doing in the game so I stay focused and feel ready physically and mentally.
As Liverpool captain do you hope to write yourself into the club’s history?
Personally, that’s not my aim. My aim is for the team to write itself into history – that’s all I’m bothered about. If you’re successful as a team then of course you will be remembered. That’s what we’re trying to achieve this season and in seasons to come.
What are the main physical qualities you need as a box-to-box midfielder in the Premier League?
You have got to be robust and you have got to be able to cover the whole pitch, because it’s about both attacking and defending. You have also got to be able to get about the pitch quickly because it’s a high-intensity game, which means you do need a good level of fitness, but we had a great pre-season so we are prepared to stay in good shape. We play a very intense game at Liverpool and we run a lot – whether we have got the ball or not we’re always working hard, making options for each other and trying to win the ball back quickly. Because of that fitness levels are very important.
What is your main focus in the gym?
It is mainly core work and a bit of upper-body work now and again. Because we do a lot of training work on the grass and our training is so intense, we don’t do many leg-specific sessions or it can lead to injury and fatigue. We all do individual work too – if a player has had an injury they might do specific stuff to make sure they are stronger in that area.
“After every single match you should be coming off the pitch exhausted,” says Henderson, pictured playing against Scotland in 2016
How do you boost your speed for those high-intensity sprints?
We have a speed session during the week where we use speed ladders and practise short-distance sprints. We often do that as part of our warm-up.
Describe how your body feels after an intense 90-minute match against, say, Everton or Manchester United.
The body aches after every game – not just derby games. After every single game you should be coming off the pitch exhausted. Mentally. Physically. Everything. This season whenever we’ve got back to the dressing room everybody is exhausted, but that means you’re doing something right and giving everything in every single game. You feel drained but that’s a good feeling, when you know you’ve given everything.
How do you recover in time for the next match?
Recovery is a big part of football, especially when you are playing every three days. You have to recover very quickly and as best you can. That might involve ice baths or a jog or just making sure you eat the right food. We have a lot of protein after matches to help our recovery and to make sure we’re ready to go again as soon as possible.
Nutrition is key for any athlete. Are you any good in the kitchen?
[Laughs] I’m OK. I don’t do much if I’m honest with you! But when I need to I can put on a decent meal for myself. Nutrition is a big part of football and we have to make sure we are eating and drinking the right things. Are any other players good at cooking? Well, I haven’t met any yet… But I’m sure they must be out there! Everything is done for the players at the training ground so we’re very lucky in that respect.
What is the main nutritional lesson you have learned in your career?
The big thing about nutrition is variety. You don’t want to be eating the same things all the time. So for breakfast I’ll often mix things up, so it’s eggs on toast, or porridge, or fruit and muesli. It’s important to have different things because different foods support your body in different ways. I also aim to eat as much natural food as possible before and after matches to get maximal nutrition.
What is your pre-match meal?
Before a game I normally carb-load with pasta and rice, but that can vary as well – I will have different carbs and different proteins. But in general before each match is the one time I will tend to have a very similar meal – pasta or rice with chicken. At that stage we are just trying to get as much energy into the system as possible.
What is the main thing you have learned from Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp?
We learn something every day, not only on the pitch but off the field as well. He’s very close to the players and wants to help them in whatever way he can, whether that’s tactically on the field or making sure they are doing the right things off the field. We are all learning from probably the best manager in the world every day – it’s an honour to be playing under such a good manager and in such a good team.
Is winning the League Cup in 2012 your career highlight so far?
Obviously when you win your first trophy that is a big thing for anyone. The game that really sticks in my memory though was the Borussia Dortmund game [the Europa League quarter-final second leg in April 2016, when Liverpool came from 3-1 down to win 4-3]. I was injured so I wasn’t even playing but it just sticks out because of how the team went behind, came back and went on to win the game. The atmosphere and everything about it really stands out.
Finally, was your 30-yard wondergoal against Chelsea in September the best you’ve ever scored?
Yeah, that was probably… one of my best goals! It was an amazing feeling to score but even better to win that really important game. Hopefully I can get a few more like that for the team this season.
Jordan Henderson is a Maximuscle athlete. Maximuscle’s new range of raw ingredient powders is now available atmaximuscle.com
If you’ve ever tried something hard – running a marathon, getting a six-pack, learning to box, writing a best-selling dystopian novel where children fight each other – you already know that just wanting it isn’t enough. Motivation can get you started, but what gets you to the finish is persistence: the ability to push on through obstacles and in spite of difficulties. The bad news? Humans are lazy creatures, primed by our psyches and society to resist change while we dawdle along the path of least resistance. The upside? Science has brought us more ways to fix this than we’ve ever had before. Read on to find out what they are.
STEP 1 CHOOSE A BETTER CLASS OF GOAL
Want to get lean? You’ll need to be more well-defined. Or, to put it another way, vague plans like “lose weight” or “put on muscle” are too imprecise. “Lose 3kg by June” or “add an inch to my arms” is slightly better, but there’s still a problem: you aren’t entirely in charge of the results, and anything short of hitting them counts as a (de-motivating) failure. Instead, aim to make goals that are based on processes, not results.
“The key is to scale the overall goal down into pieces,” says personal trainer Alexander Edwards. “Break it down: what do you need to do, on a week-by-week basis, to get to where you want?” To stay focused on the process, pick goals like”‘learn to cook one new meal a week”, “go to the gym at least twice a week” or “do 50 press-ups a day”. Process-based goals are more satisfying because you get a tiny jolt of success every day and you’re fully in control – which ultimately makes you more likely to succeed.
STEP 2 STACK THE ODDS IN YOUR FAVOUR
Got your processes in place? Excellent. Now it’s time for some more motivation. “Motivation in a fitness context can generally be divided into two categories, intrinsic and extrinsic,” says Jack Coxall, a sports psychologist who works as a performance director. “Intrinsic refers to an individual’s motivation centred around the individual themselves, whereas extrinsic motivation centres on the idea that an individual wants to perform well for an external source, such as a parent or spouse.”
Which one should you use? “In my opinion, in a health and fitness context, a balance between both types of motivation is the ideal scenario,” says Coxall. “So someone who’s motivated to become fitter and healthier to improve their life and daily performance for themselves and their own sense of achievement, but also has the motivation to accomplish the same for external reasons like performing better for their five-a-side team, or being able to play for longer with their children in the garden.”
Extrinsic is easy, but intrinsic is tougher. Focus on finding exercises you’d like to master or the endorphin rush you get from a good session. And calm down on the post-workout treats – in studies, volunteers who were offered rewards for completing a task put less effort into it than people doing it for the incentive of a job well done.
STEP 3 AVOID THE INSTANT DIP
In the gap between starting and seeing your first results, apathy is inevitable: you’ve given it everything you have, everything feels hard, and you’ve got nothing to show for it. “Focus on processes that give you positive reinforcement,” says John Brewer, professor of applied sport science at St Mary’s University London and 18-time London marathon finisher. “A great example of this is when you’re racing, and split times show that you are on for a great time or a PB. This has the effect of motivating you to keep going and possibly run even faster, whereas if early split times are poor, the negative feedback from this can have the effect of making things even harder – and slower.”
With a new training programme, easy wins in the early going will have a knock-on effect that helps you gear up for later workouts. So start with weights slightly lighter than the heaviest you can handle, but aim to add weight, reps or sets – or just reduce your resting time – every session. And when it starts to hurt, make sure you’ve got an exit strategy.
“Sports psychologists often recommend a mixed technique using both association and disassociation,” says Brewer. “Association means you focus on your body and how it’s feeling, and concentrate on doing the best that you can. With disassociation, which is often used when the going gets tough, you disconnect from thinking about your body and focus on the external environment.”
If all else fails, use the idea of “non-zero” days. If it’s approaching bedtime and you’ve done nothing towards your chosen goal that day, then do the bare minimum: one press-up, one glass of water or one line of your epic space-fantasy trilogy. It’s about building the habit, not hammering yourself every day.
STEP 4 THINK IN BLOCKS
It’s easy to get after it when you’ve just started a new regime, especially since you’re adapting to new movements and the results are coming fast. But there’s a point – usually after about four to six weeks – when things slow down. That’s when it’s time to embrace the grind.
“I believe that you can only train hard in blocks of two, four, six and maybe eight weeks. Then you slide back to medium,” says strength coach and author Dan John. “Most of the time, you need to do what I call ‘punch the clock’ workouts. I suggest doing all the basic movements – push, pull, squat, carry and ‘hinge’ with a swing or a deadlift – do any corrective work you need, improve your technique on one or two exercises, break a sweat and get the heart rate up. Then pat yourself on the back.”
Despite all the well-meaning advice from social media, not every workout has to be a fight to the death. Just getting something done three days every week beats the occasional all-out effort followed by a fortnight of indolence.
“The non-cook is in a helpless position,” says former New York Times food editor Raymond Sokolov, author of How To Cook. “Much like that of a car owner who can’t change a tyre and has to depend on mechanics to keep his car running.” Movie director Robert Rodriguez puts it more bluntly in his video recipe for puerco pibil, the slow-roasted pork dish fetishised in his film Once Upon A Time In Mexico: “Not knowing how to cook is like not knowing how to fuck.”
The point? By learning to cook, you’ll be better equipped to prep healthy food from the simplest ingredients, making it easier to eat well without spending too much time or money. And here’s the better news: cooking doesn’t have to mean squinting at endless recipe books and buying 15 sorts of fresh herbs you’ll never use.
Adam Gray (adamgraychef.com), who’s executive chef at Bourne & Hollingsworth Group, the owner of a Michelin star and runs healthy cooking courses, has selected the recipes you’ll find over the next few pages as the best ones to teach you the basics of knife skills, ingredient prep and cooking on the hob. Once you’ve nailed those, it’ll make everything else easier.
LEANPIZZA
Even if you don’t feel the need to go gluten-free, cooking with gram flour and cauliflower makes this pizza a low-GI option, saving you the bloodsugar spike you’d get from your shop-bought American Hot. By going home-made, you’ll also cut down on the preservatives and fats your typical takeaway includes as non-optional extras, and you’ll be able to add toppings that help, rather than hurt, your efforts to get lean.
Otherwise known as besan, gram flour – made from chickpeas – is lower in calories than wheat flour but more nutritionally dense: it’s high in fibre, iron, potassium, manganese and vitamin B6.
CAULIFLOWER
Frequently overshadowed by broccoli, the other cruciferous veg that comes in florets is high in betacarotene, quercetin and vitamin C and, according to a study published in Molecular Nutrition And Food Research, is linked to a reduced risk of several cancers.
RAPESEED OIL
Rapeseed has half as much saturated fat as your extra virgin olive oil –although the jury’s still out on whether that’s important – but it’s also worth cooking with because of its omega 3 content and high smoke point, which keeps it stable for cooking.
Keyskills
Know your onions
Most people throw away too much of their spring onions, but prep couldn’t be simpler. Rinse them under cold water, then chop just above the stringy roots to remove them. Take about 2cm off the top, then “roll” your knife – keeping the tip on the surface of your cutting board to cut the rest as you feed them through with your other hand.
Use ’flower power
This recipe uses cauliflower to bulk out the pizza dough – but it’s a good substitute for carbs elsewhere too. Blitz it in a food processor to make a healthier substitute for couscous and rice, or steam it for ten to 15 minutes and then mash it up like potatoes with a splash of coconut milk.
Pick your toppings
Not feeling the chicken? There’s more to life than Hawaiian and pepperoni. Top your crust with red onions for folate and potassium, or mushrooms for selenium and hard-to-acquire vitamin D.
How to make it
• Mix the gram flour, ground cumin, ground coriander, chopped spring onions and grated cauliflower together in a large bowl.
• Add the milk and mix until it forms a doughlike consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Wrap cling film around the bowl and leave the mixture to rest for ten minutes in the fridge.
• When the dough is rested, remove from the bowl and place on a clean work surface. Use the palm of your hand to gently press the dough flat until you have a disc about the size of a small dinner plate and about ½cm thick.
• Lightly grease a flat baking tray with half the rapeseed oil and place the dough base on it.
• Spread an even layer of passata over the pizza base.
• Place the chicken slices and the baby spinach leaves on top of the passata in an overlapping pattern.
• Drizzle the remaining half of the rapeseed oil over the pizza and finely grate the parmesan evenly over the top.
• Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180°C/gas 4 for 18-20 minutes, until the base is golden brown and the cheese in the topping is melted.
The final dish
FAT TORCHING SOUP
A can of store-bought soup often contains more sugar than a bowl of Frosties, alongside other undesirable elements that include MSG, modified starches and mechanically separated meat. This home-cooked version cuts out all the bad stuff, and packs in a double-dose of capsaicin-heavy peppers to kick-start your metabolism. Serve it hot in the winter or chilled with a dash of herb oil in the summer – either way, it’s a spicy little number.
Ingredients
8 red peppers, de-seeded and cut into 2cm pieces / 1 large onion, chopped / 2 red chillies, finely sliced / 8 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped / 100ml rapeseed oil / 1.5 litres vegetable stock / Salt and pepper
Why cook with…
RED PEPPERS
If you’re cooking with peppers, bet on red: they have the highest concentration of vitamin C, as well as fatburning capsaicin and an array of other helpful phytochemicals, including a rare combination of six carotenoids.
CHILLIES
Go hot if you can take it – the spicier the chilli, the higher it is in capsaicin, a fat burner that’s may also help reduce some types of inflammation. There’s also some evidence that chillies can reduce blood cholesterol and triglycerides, lowering your risk of a heart attack or stroke.
PLUM TOMATOES
Tomatoes – canned or fresh – are your best source of the carotenoid pigment lycopene, which studies suggest can help prevent prostate, lung and stomach cancers. They’re also an exception to the rule that cooking destroys nutrients – lycopene is better absorbed when it’s been heated.
Keyskills
De-seeding factors
Prepping peppers is laborious unless you know how. Slice off the top and bottom, then make a neat vertical slice down the pepper, allowing you to open it up. Put it skin-side down and work the knife along the inside with the blade parallel to your worksurface, removing the “ribs” and seeds as you unroll it. You’ll end up with a flat, seedfree pepper, ready for chopping.
Sautéeing sorted
Cooking onions is something you’ll do a lot, so do it right. Keep the pan on a medium heat until your oil shimmers, then toss them in. Stir occasionally – you don’t need to throw them around like it’s a cooking show. Unless the recipe demands it, don’t let them start to brown. And remember: red onions are sweeter, so you can get away with cooking them less.
Blitz tactics
Rule one of using a blender: be careful with hot stuff. When you blend soup, steam forms and increases the pressure, which can pop the top off. The fix? Either remove your blender’s central plug and cover the hole with a tea towel or, if you’ve got a holeless blender, start on low and blend gently. Alternatively, invest in a handblender and do it all in the pan.
How to make it
• Prepare the peppers, onion, chillies and tomatoes as directed.
• Heat a large thickbased sauce pan to a medium heat. Add the rapeseed oil to the pan.
• Add the onions and chillies to the pan and cook for five minutes, stirring with a spatula until they start to soften.
• Add the red peppers and continue to cook for a further five minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the tomatoes and continue to cook until
• Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil.
• Simmer the soup gently for 15 minutes, then season with salt and pepper.
• Serve the soup chunky, or blitz it in a blender if you prefer a smooth consistency.
The final dish
BULKING LASAGNE
Step away from the ready-meal aisle. Lasagne might have the whiff of intimidation about it, but it’s actually a dish that’s simple enough to make, and arguably better when reheated a day or two after you make it. This recipe substitutes sweet potato for starchy carbs, but you don’t have to leave the swaps there – once you’ve tried it once or twice, sub in turkey or lamb for the beef mince, and experiment with the cheese ratios for a solid hit of protein.
Ingredients
500g lean, organic minced beef / 2 red onions, peeled and finely diced / 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed / 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced into 2-3mm discs / 300ml chunky passata / 100ml rapeseed oil / Worcestershire sauce / 500ml low-fat natural yogurt / 100g mature cheddar cheese, grated / ½ bunch of fresh basil leaves, stalks removed and finely chopped / Maldon sea salt / Ground white pepper
Why cook with…
BEEF
Disregard the red meat scare stories – the ones linked with carcinogenic effects are talking about the processed kind, not raw beef. Good-quality mince is packed with vitamin B12, zinc, selenium and iron, as well as 36g of protein per 100g.
GARLIC
There’s some evidence that the more you smash your garlic, the better it is: chopping activates alliinase enyzymes, which will eventually convert to allicin – a sulphur compound linked to keeping blood pressure under control.
SWEET POTATOES
The sweet potato vs “real” potato war isn’t as clearcut as you think: the former are far higher in vitamin A (438% of your RDA as opposed to, er, none) but otherwise it’s a nutritional near-tie. They’re also a good source of slow-burn energy, making them an ideal sub for higher-GI carbs.
Keyskills
Crush it
How much flavour garlic gives your dish depends on how you prep it: the more cells you rupture, the more potent it gets. Full cloves are bland and even slicing doesn’t do much; crushing with a press or the flat of a knife makes things more pungent, but for ultimate intensity invest in a microplane, which finely minces your cloves for a serious flavour punch.
Slice it fine
In this recipe, you’re replacing sheets of pasta with sweet potato, and thickness is key: make them too hefty, and they’ll be too crunchy by the end of the cooking time. To make thin-slicing easier, get yourself a full-size chef’s knife and keep it sharp – five minutes on a whetstone every couple of weeks will do the trick.
Know your herbs
Chefs will tell you fresh herbs are better than dried, and they’re mostly right – but sometimes it’s fine to reach for the jar. Herbs that flourish in hot, dry climates contain flavour compounds that stay stable at high temperatures. Basil is best used fresh but with dried oregano, bay leaves, sage or rosemary you’ll notice little difference once they’re cooked.
How to make it
• Heat a large thick-based sauce pan to a medium heat. Add the rapeseed oil and then the onions and garlic.
• Cook the onions and garlic for three to four minutes without letting them brown.
• Add the minced beef, making sure you break it up as it cooks using a wooden spoon or spatula so that it browns evenly.
• Continue cooking for a further five minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the passata and mix thoroughly.
• Bring the mixture to the boil and simmer gently for ten minutes, then add a good splash of Worcestershire sauce and the chopped basil, mixing thoroughly. Season and remove from heat.
How to build it
• Spoon some of the beef mixture into a shallow ovenproof baking dish, so that it completely covers the bottom.
• Place the discs of the raw sweet potato on top of the beef mixture, ensuring that it completely covers the beef mixture.
• Repeat the process so that you have two layers of beef mixture and two of sliced sweet potato, then finish with a layer of beef on top.
• Cover the top layer of beef with yogurt, and then scatter the grated cheese over the top.
• Place the lasagne in a preheated oven at 180°C/gas 4 for 25-30 minutes.
It may have achieved unprecedented popularity in the past few years but whatever you’ve heard, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) isn’t new. In 1912, Finnish athlete Hannes Kolehmainen used interval-style training in his preparation for the Olympics, and came away with three golds in the 5,000m, 10,000m and cross-country events. In 1952 Emil Zátopek, one of the most celebrated distance athletes of all time, won the Olympic marathon on a regime that included 400m interval sprints. And in the 1970s, Sebastian Coe’s father Peter used HIIT principles to create sessions of repeated 200m sprints that shaped his son into one of Britain’s best ever middle distance runners.
What’s changed since then is the science. You’ve probably heard of the Tabata regime – eight sets of 20 seconds’ high-intensity work with ten seconds of rest, based on a 1996 study by Professor Izumi Tabata – but that research is just the tip of the iceberg. In recent decades, there’s been a huge amount of research into exactly how different work-rest intervals, levels of intensity, and movements affect the results you get from HIIT.
And yet, when a lot of trainers explain it, the only description given is “hard work, short rests”. In short, there’s a better way to do HIIT.
HIGH ENERGY
First, it’s important to understand that while HIIT is an effective fat burner, it has a host of other benefits: upping your VO max (the amount of oxygen your body can use and an indicator of cardio fitness), reducing lactate accumulation (so you can train harder, for longer), and increasing enzyme activity to reduce fatigue. When you start, almost any format will work, but as you get better adapted to the workout method, tweaking your routine will help you focus on what you need to improve.
It starts with your body’s energy pathways. There are three: the ATP-PC, which fuels high-power, short-lived activities like explosive weightlifting or sprints; the glycolytic, which takes over for moderate-duration activities; and the oxidative, which is in control for anything beyond that. The first two are anaerobic, which means they don’t use oxygen, and the last is aerobic because it does. HIIT works both your aerobic and anaerobic systems, but how it works the different energy pathways depends on the work/rest ratios you’re using.
In a 2001 study, for instance, researchers found that the aerobic system’s contribution to energy rockets from 6% after ten seconds of exercise to 45% after 60 seconds. But the same happens during repeated sprints: in one Loughborough University study, the anaerobic systems provided all of a test subject’s energy for the first of ten six-second sprints (with a 30-second rest), but by the end they were supplying around 35%, with the rest coming from aerobic fitness.
What does that mean? Well, it means that 30 seconds’ rest isn’t enough to improve power, but the main takeaway should be that your workout doesn’t have to leave you in a pool of sweat on the floor (depending on your aim). A 2011 study published in the Journal Of Strength And Conditioning Research found that test subjects doing a “descending” sprint protocol, which was rated easier than an “ascending” protocol that used the same distances, experienced a higher rise in growth hormone and testosterone. Sometimes, it’s not about how exhausted you feel.
FEEL THE BURNOUT
If you’re feeling worn down in the first place, of course, HIIT isn’t the session to go for. “A common mistake with HIIT is the assumption that it trumps steady-state cardio at all times, which isn’t true,” says trainer David Jordan (thefittingrooms.com). “HIIT is highly effective because it requires less time and burns calories during recovery. However, to reap the benefits of HIIT you need to attack it with a lot of energy. On days when you’re feeling less than 100% or, more importantly, you’re sore from your previous workout and are at risk of pulling a muscle, then steady-state cardio is probably more effective – and safer.”
Finally, it’s important to consider how often you can do “real” HIIT. “It’s true that HIIT can trigger protein synthesis but it also causes protein breakdown,” says Jordan. “Doing several HIIT sessions a week would be catabolic so while you’d lose weight overall, some of that loss would be muscle mass. If building muscle is a goal, proper weight training still needs to be your primary focus with HIIT as a supplement. A training split of two weights sessions and two HIIT a sessions a week would keep you lean, while making sure you aren’t overtrained.”
Remember: it’s supposed to be short, intense and infrequent, not an everyday effort. Read on to find out how to structure your HIIT workouts.
01 FOCUS ON A GOAL
Decide on your main aim for the session: is it power production, fat loss or the ability to sustain endurance efforts at high intensity? “You need to choose a goal before you start, or you’ll end up in the middle ground, not achieving as much as you can,” says Philippe Ndongmo, a personal trainer at Dolphin Square Fitness Club in London.
02 KNOW THE VARIABLES
There are five: learn what they do, and crank the sliders accordingly
WORK DURATION
You can measure this in time under tension or reps. Either way, it’s dependent on your goals: shorter/harder is better for power; longer/more builds endurance.
REST DURATION
More rest builds power, less builds cardio. Minimal rest is best for fat loss, but you’ll compromise on intensity.
WORK INTENSITY
“You need to know your target heart rate or understand the rating of perceived exertion (RPE),” says Ndongmo. Rate the latter out of ten and try to keep the effort constant across every interval.
RECOVERY INTENSITY
Are you going to stop completely, or do “active” recovery like pedalling slowly on the bike? Sometimes, the latter can help to flush away lactate, which is something to think about when you’re choosing exercises.
VOLUME
It’s easy to do too much, which is when intensity drops. As a rule, start with low volume and go as hard as possible. When it feels easy, add a round or two. You’ll have to drop the RPE slightly.
03 CHOOSE YOUR WEAPONS
Some tools are better than others
FOR CARDIO AND FAT LOSS
KETTLEBELLS
A Louisiana University study that compared kettlebell swings, cleans and deadlifts with a more traditional sprint training programme found that maximum heart rate was only slightly higher in the sprints, while calorie expenditure was bigger with the bells.
FOR ALL-OUT INTENSITY
BIKE
There’s a reason lots of studies use exercise bikes: going all-out on the pedals isn’t too technical, injury risk is low, and you can ruin yourself. For “supramaximal” efforts, which stimulate every available muscle fibre, the bike is the perfect choice.
FOR AN ALL-DAY BURN
BATTLE ROPES
In a College of New Jersey study, battle ropes beat 13 other exercises for energy expenditure, including burpees – and produced the highest average heart rate. The protocol: 15 seconds of single-arm waves, then 15 of double-arm waves, 60 seconds’ rest, repeated eight times.
FOR IMPROVED ENDURANCE
BURPEES
In the same New Jersey study, burpees beat four other bodyweight moves and every free weights exercise for VO response. If you’re short on time and space, use the Wingate protocol: 30 seconds all-out, then four minutes of rest, done four to six times.
04 PICK A PROTOCOL
Got an aim and staked out a corner of the gym for yourself? Go for it
BEGINNER TIMMONS METHOD
Developed by a team at Loughborough University, this one’s entry level. Do 20 seconds of all-out work, followed by two minutes of active recovery (walking/freewheeling will do) or complete rest. Repeat three times, and you’re done.
INTERMEDIATE 10-20
Also known as “reverse Tabata”, this doubles the rest and reduces the work intervals to shift the focus to anaerobic fitness. Use it if you’re aiming for power production, or if you don’t have the fitness for an all-out Tabata. Warm up for ten minutes, then do six to eight rounds.
ADVANCED 10-20-30
Now things get complicated. In this plan, you’ll do five “blocks” of work, made up of 30 seconds at 30% intensity, 20 seconds at 60% and ten seconds all-out. Result? Lots of volume, at manageable intensity.
NASTY TABATA
The most famous HIIT protocol is ideal for increasing V0 max – as long as you do it right. Twenty seconds of all-out work, followed by ten seconds of rest, repeated eight times, improved endurance as much as 30 minutes of steady-state cardio in a Queen’s University study. The key is keeping intensity high – if you can talk during the session, you’re getting it wrong.
WORKOUT 1: SPRINT
“Production training” workouts improve your ability to put out maximum effort, with short rest. Ultra-short, super-hard exercise intervals combine with long rests for a workout that’ll improve your power: one for a 500m row PB or white-collar boxing bout.
1 Mountain slider
Work 15sec
Rest 1min 30sec
Rounds 6
Start in a press-up position with your feet on a pair of small towels or Valslides, then bring one knee and then the other up to your chest as fast as possible. Think of it like a crawling sprint.
2 Thruster
Work 15sec
Rest 1min 15sec
Rounds 6
Holding a pair of dumbbells or a barbell at shoulder height, drop into a squat. As you stand up, drive the weight overhead, then lower straight into the next rep.
WORKOUT 2: SUSTAIN
“Maintenance training” workouts use longer work intervals and slightly shorter rests to increase your body’s ability to sustain exercise at high intensity, using both your aerobic and anaerobic systems. Use this one to improve your 5K time.
1 Kettlebell swing
Work 30sec
Rest 1min 30sec
Rounds 6
Using a moderate-weight kettlebell, swing it back between your legs and then pop your hips forward to swing it to eye level, letting it drop straight into the next rep.
2 Assault AirBike
Work 15sec
Rest 45sec
Rounds 10
The Assault AirBike forces you to use your full body for a short-butnasty experience. Haven’t got one? A regular exercise bike also works.
WORKOUT 3: STRIP
Shortening the rests and keeping the work rate high burns more calorie burn during and after your workout, for maximum fat loss. This session from Ndongmo will get you lean in your lunch break. Do all three exercises to complete one round, and repeat eight times.
1A Jump lunge
20sec
Explode off the ground and change legs in the air on each rep. Rest for ten seconds, then go straight into 1B.
1B High knees
20sec
Run on the spot, bringing your knees as high as possible. Keep the intensity high throughout, then rest for ten seconds.
1C Jump squat
20sec
Drop into a squat and then explode off the floor, landing as softly as possible. Rest for 30 seconds before you start the next round.
You’ll find it difficult to stay mindful if you’re trying to extract your gym shorts from awkward places mid-pose. To fast-track your mental contentment, make sure you’re wearing the right gear. The new range from yoga specialist Manduka is kind both to the environment (it’s made using a combination of recycled polyester, plant-based material and organic cotton) and to your body. The Minimalist tank (pictured, £32) is made with a lightweight stretch mesh fabric to aid movement, while the Atman tights (pictured, £72) have contoured flat-locked seams and an elastic waistband to maximise comfort and performance. manduka.com
Practising mindfulness, a form of meditation, could offer a host of mental benefits such as improved memory, accelerated learning and reduced stress, according to research from Harvard Medical School. Scientists compared brain scans of long-term meditators with those of a control group and found that the former “had more grey matter in the frontal cortex, which is associated with working memory and executive decision making”.
If you’re new to mindfulness, it can be tricky to achieve the serene state that allows you to enjoy the full effects. If that’s the case, you may want to take up yoga, which will deliver the mental benefits while also giving you a workout that helps to strengthen your core and reduce your risk of injury.
