Twelve Days until Christmas Countdown: Day 3
Christmas; the season of family, happiness, good TV and eating LOTS of food. This is the time of year when any diet becomes… what diet!? The average Brit eats an extra 3000 calories on Christmas day and can gain up to 4lbs during the festive season, 34% of whom are still desperately struggling to shed those pounds all the way through until Easter*.
From Christmas dinner, to work parties, to family get-togethers, food is unfortunately the centrepiece of all celebrations. But it doesn’t have to be like that; the change in routine can provide a perfect time to get fit, not fat this Christmas. The Slimming Clinic can help you achieve your weight loss goals quickly and effectively. Read The Slimming Clinic’s daily three top tips on cutting out calories, keeping fit and cooking healthy meals for the twelve day countdown to Christmas…
1. Diet: When you’re offered finger food and dips, always ensure you go for a tomato based dip like salsa rather than a cheesy/sour cream dip. At 110 calories and 11.3g of fat for 2 tablespoons of sour cream versus 20 calories and only a trace of fat for the same amount of salsa, there’s no comparison!
2. Fitness: If you’re not one for going outdoors as soon as temperatures reach below 20°, (if your ceilings are high enough) grab a skipping rope and jump around for 10 minutes a day this Christmas. It’s great for facilitating weight loss; in 10 minutes you can burn up to 135 calories. This exercise is also brilliant for improving muscle tone – so click here for a skipping rope workout that you won’t regret http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/arms/express/jump-rope-workouts/.
3. Healthy Recipe: Turkey salad with Chinese cabbage, beansprouts and Vietnamese mint.
Ingredients:
- 100g/3½oz shallots, peeled, very thinly sliced
- ¼ tsp salt, or to taste
- 350g/12¼oz cold, cooked leftover turkey meat, sliced into strips
- 400g/14¼oz Chinese cabbage, core removed, leaves finely shredded
- 100g/3½oz beansprouts
- 1 large carrot, peeled, cut in half, finely shredded
- 15g/½oz Vietnamese mint leaves (available from some Asian grocers), or a mixture of coriander and mint or Thai sweet basil leaves, roughly chopped
- 40g/1½oz roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped, plus extra to serve
- freshly ground black pepper
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp fish sauce (nam pla)
- 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 tsp very finely chopped garlic
- 2 red bird’s-eye chillies, finely chopped
Method:
1. Mix the shallots and salt in a large bowl and set aside for 30 minutes, or until softened.
2. Meanwhile, for the dressing, mix together the dressing ingredients in a separate bowl until well combined.
3. Just before serving, add the cold turkey strips to the bowl of salted shallots. Mix in the Chinese cabbage leaves, beansprouts, shredded carrot, herbs and peanuts until well combined.
4. Pour over the dressing, season, to taste, with freshly ground black pepper, then mix well until the dressing coats the salad ingredients.
5. To serve, pile the turkey salad into the centre of each of four serving plates. Sprinkle over the remaining chopped roasted peanuts.
The Slimming Clinic operate 27 clinics nationwide, specializing in medical weight loss and cosmetic treatments. They are the UK’s largest chain of specialist medical weight loss clinics.
To book a free consultation at one of our clinics, please click https://theslimmingclinic.com/contact-us/book-appointment/.
* Statistics found on 01/12/2014 from source: http://www.womanandhome.com/galleries/diet-and-health/34798/1/0/how-to-keep-the-pounds-off-over-christmas#k0tyrW3QIKIk55AC.99