Recipe: Mango Chicken Pasta Salad

Everyone loves convenience meals (especially from Woolworths) but they are DAMN pricey and full of hidden fats and sugar. One of my favs is their mango chicken pasta so I've re-created a (slightly) healthier version at home. This recipe makes one perfect single serving, enjoy! :)

Woolies Copycat Mango Chicken Pasta Salad with sweet curry dressing

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw wholewheat pasta
• 1/2 cup cooked chicken, diced
• 1/2 cup mango, diced
• 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
• 1 tbs pumpkin seeds

For the dressing:

• 2 tbs fat free yogurt
• 1 tbs mayonnaise
• 1 tsp apricot jam
• 1/2 tsp garlic, crushed
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• salt and pepper
• squeeze of lemon juice
  
  
  Method:

1. Cook the pasta according to packet instructions then set aside.
2. Whisk together all the dressing ingredients and mix with pasta once cooled.
3. Mix in remaining ingredients. I served mine alongside rocket and broccoli.

Maintenance Update #2

I've been struggling to write this post because everything I think of sounds terrible. I've been re-reading my old posts and, to be honest, 6 months later I still feel the same. As one of my New Year resolutions, I said I would only step on the scale on Fridays. Guess what? After the last maintenance update I've been checking my weight every single day. If you're following my insta account, then you know my body fat percentage has gone from 22% in December to 25% in May. Not only was this hugely demotivating, but it made me paranoid that I'm moving backwards on this journey. My goal is still a body fat percentage of 20 (and I feel confident that I will reach it eventually) but every day is a struggle - often mingled with feelings of anxiety and guilt.

I still feel like I'm fat (or at least fatter than most people). Why is it that other people - who weigh the same as me or even more - have a completely flat stomach and I still have a flabby muffin top? I know we all have different bodies, but really? This seems unfair. I look at myself in the mirror and wonder how long it will take to undo 25 years of damage. Will I ever reach my goals?

Sometimes the most unexpected things upset me the most. When a friend says "you're so lame" after I refuse a shot. When a family member says "you're taking this too far". I might be overly sensitive, but those words play on my mind. I start to wonder if they're right... I wake up at 5 for gym and finish work at 6. I cook, I do dishes, I go to sleep. Repeat. I start to question what my life has become - Am I boring now? What do I do with my time? Do my friends even like me? I realise that many people won't understand my journey - and that's fine - but it still hurts when what I deem hard work is met with criticism and disdain.

What did I tell you? It all sounds terrible. It sounds as if between cooking, work, and the gym, I sit in my room weeping. This is not the case. After maintaining my goal weight for 6 months... I'm proud. I'm confident. I celebrate small victories.

I'm really happy with how my relationship with food has changed. It's the little things that I'm most proud of: knowing that I need a colourful plate of food with 50% veggies, eating a big breakfast full of healthy protein. I've changed my frame of mind from a life of indulgence to a life of balance. Well, I'm slowly getting there at least. I'm trying to eat when I'm hungry and not when I'm stressed, and not when I'm bored. I fail miserably a lot of the time but, the point is, I'm more aware of it now.

I like how I'm pushing my body. People love to comment "oh you're taking it too far, you're pushing yourself too much" but I'm doing things with my body that I never thought was possible for me. I never thought I'd start pole dancing, hanging upside down, and holding on for dear life with the back of my leg. It makes me feel brave and in control of my own life, and I think that's what people don't understand. My friends and family see it as fitness taking over my life, but I see it as me taking back control of my own health, body, and fitness.

I have this stuck on my fridge: Don't be scared to be alone. Goals are personal. No matter what issues I have regarding my family, my friends or my body image... I'm stronger than I was 6 months ago, I'm pushing harder, and that's all that matters.

Frankenstein food

Today is a public holiday and I'm currently sitting at the office, working on projects due tomorrow. In what could only have been a self-loathing, self-pitying fury, I ate an entire large packet of chips. They're called Chipi Multigrain Chips (basically a rip-off of Pringles) and they are - what Weight Watchers would call - my frankenstein food. 

Frankenstein foods are those terrible snacky-type foods that are impossible to stop eating at just one. We all have a particular weakness... and mine happens to be bizarre discount chips from Dischem.

Needless to say... I feel quite ill now.

The Best Breakfast Toasts

As I said in 5 tips to stick to your eating plan, my ideal breakfast is low GI seed bread with some form of delicious topping. Check out these tried-and-tested yummy combinations :)

PS: How to make basil mayo? Mix up mayo with strips of fresh basil and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. For a lighter version, swap out half the mayo for yogurt.

5 tips to stick to your eating plan

30 kilos later... and at least once a week I'm asked the question "How did you do it?" There's no simple answer and there's no quick solution. To put it simply, it takes perseverance. That said, I have some tips that worked for me. I'm not saying they'll work for you - everyone has different diet habits - but I'd like to pass on any knowledge that might help :)

1. Don't drink your calories

Sodas, juices, ice tea - all full of sugar. The best thing to drink is water. Alcohol is another biggie - one glass of dry white contains up to 77 calories. If I do have wine, I choose a lite variety and add lots of ice.

2. Always eat breakfast

We've all heard the 'most important meal of the day speech' - well you know what? #TRUTH
When I wasn't eating breakfast, I would starve it out till about 11, at which point I resembled a zombie from The Walking Dead. My personal preference for a good breakfast is low GI seed bread with avo or egg.

3. Have a little junk food

I know what you're thinking... How can this retarded girl be telling me to eat junk food when I'm on a diet?? 
Well, in my version of healthy living you can eat everything. Yesterday I ate delicious greasy BACON CHEESE FRIES. Today? Back to healthy eating. Having just a little satisfies my craving so I have the motivation to keep going. I mean, a life without bacon is not worth living, right?

4. Get some sleep

If I'm out with friends, I start getting itchy feet by 11pm - God it's so late, I need to get to bed! When you're tired, you make bad food choices - you crave something carby and sugary to give you an energy boost. 8 hours - your body will thank you.

5. Stay active

Yeah yeah, I know the story... you had a rough day at work and now you just want to sink into the couch and watch junk TV. I know the feeling all too well. Even on the days I feel like that, I try to at least take a walk or do a chilled gym class. My problem? If I don't do any activity, I feel guilty and start eating the whole kitchen.

Midweek Lunchbox

I saw this on Pinterest and just had to make my own version. I used a fresh sourdough loaf for the base of this delicious sandwich.

Side 1: Pesto Hummus, Baby Spinach, Watercress, Mozzarella

Side 2: Cucumber, Avocado, Green Chilli

The Skinny Rules

Last week was just one of those weeks when absolutely everything was falling apart. Emotionally and physically, I was not in it. I found myself trapped in this cycle of feeling guilty, eating badly, and not attending gym. Repeat. 

The theme for this week is: GET. YOUR SHIT. TOGETHER.

I have it in big letters on my bedroom cupboard. No more wallowing in self doubt. No more eating crap. No more idle walking on the treadmill. 

Often when I need fitspiration, I'll look back at my Heart Health pins. I came across these 20 Skinny Rules which, if followed in moderation, are actually pretty good. I'm certainly not going to start force feeding myself apples and berries, but they're good indicators to live by. One thing that really sticks out for me - RULE 18: Go To Bed Hungry. Last week, I fell into that old habit of late night snacking - the WORST thing to do when you're trying to lose weight. I found it also makes me feel fat and sluggish in the morning - definitely not a good way to start the day.

So this week - no more! I'm following these skinny rules.

Weight Watchers

This morning I was doing group training and someone asked how much I've lost. I said 28kgs. She said, "Wow, that's like half of you!" And then I realised... Shit she's right! I weigh double that amount. 

It's both a scary and wonderful thought. Wonderful because damn, I lost a lot of weight... and scary because, well, I was carrying all that baggage before.

The journey started when I decided to tag along with a friend to her Weight Watchers meeting. At the time I honestly didn't have any faith in myself - I thought I wouldn't even lose 5kgs. I took it slow, without expectations, and was pleasantly surprised with the results each week.

The beauty of the Weight Watchers eating plan is that everything is allowed. You want chocolate? Have it. Just do it in moderation and track what you eat. That being said, I've never been too strict about the eating plan. I took the lessons they taught me and applied it to my life.

Fast forward a year and a half... I'm still going to weigh-in every Monday afternoon. I like being accountable to someone - it's reassuring to know there's something to keep me in check. Every week we get a motivational hand-out, and every week I read it, grasp it, and try to apply it.

I'm not saying Weight Watchers is for everyone... For me, it was a way to come to terms with my eating habits. The program showed me how unhealthy my old habits were, how I could change them, and how I could live a life of eating well without restriction.

Old Habits

Sometimes I feel like I haven't learnt anything. I've lost almost 30kgs. I've changed my eating habits. I eat more veggies now. I eat seeded bread. I eat BEANS (13-year-old me would have shuddered at the thought) And yet... I still find myself making some of the bad decisions I've always done.

Today, after a big helping of dinner, I ate chocolate chips right out the box. Chocolate chips! It's not even a dessert! It's for baking damnit, not for stuffing in your face at hyper speed. To my knowledge there was no good reason for this shameful binge - I'm not upset, I didn't have a bad day, I don't think I was even craving sweets. It was just there and I had it.

Perhaps sometimes, when we're not vigilant, we fall back into our old habits. My old habit is being a Constant Craver and I just want to eat non-stop. There's something ridiculously familiar and comforting about that motion of hand-to-mouth. Then, once I've stopped, I get another familiar feeling - one of disappointment and shame. I get so mad at myself because, even though I've lost all this weight, I've still got this great big belly I'm trying to get rid of. They say abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym - well I've eaten the whole damn kitchen, now what?

As always, I think the only thing to do is pick yourself back up, shake off the dust (and cookie crumbs) and start over.

Recipe: Healthier Mac & Cheese

I despise food wastage, so I try to use up all the leftovers in my fridge. The notion was probably burned into my psyche from childhood - don't you know there are starving children in Africa?!

This recipe was born from some leftover fat-free yogurt that was just begging to be used.

I know there is butter in this recipe. Before you start shunning the heathen... just know that I don't care what you think. Life is not worth living without a little bit of butter. I'll go low fat, but I'll never compromise on flavour :) I also LOVE garlic so I use a lot. You can reduce the amount for your recipe if you're not in the business of warding off vampires.

Healthier Mac & Cheese
Serves: 2 hungry people (or 3 regular humans)

Ingredients:

•  Half a packet of pasta
• 1 tbs butter
• 1 tsp olive oil
• Half a small onion, diced
• 2 tsp garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tbs flour
• Half cup fat-free milk
• Half cup fat-free yogurt
• 1 cup mozzarella, grated
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper 
• salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Cook the pasta according to packet instructions. While the pasta is boiling, reserve about a quarter cup of the pasta water. 
2. When the pasta is cooked, drain and set aside.
3. Place the butter and olive oil in a large pan. Add the onion and cook over a medium heat, until the onions are soft and translucent.
4. Add the garlic and cook for a minute, stirring constantly so that it doesn't burn. 
5. Stir in the flour and cook for another minute.
6. Add the milk and bring to the boil. Add cayenne, salt, and pepper to the mixture (I use lots of cayenne because I like a bit of heat)
7. Once the mixture is getting a thicker consistency, take the pan off the heat and add the yogurt and cheese. 
8. Stir in the pasta and do a final taste test for seasoning. 
9. If the sauce is too globby, add a bit of the reserved pasta water to make it smoother and thinner. 

I had some cooked bacon in the fridge so I chopped it up and added it to the sauce. You could add any toppings you like - mushrooms, peppers, chicken... Enjoy!

Home is where the food is

I put on a kilo in a week. How did I do it? Did I eat my weight in cake? No. I went home for the weekend.

I always go home with the intention of sticking to my healthy eating plan... but did I do that this time? As soon as I entered the house, I ate two big pieces of quiche. Just like that. There's something about being home that makes me want to eat and eat until I'm bursting at the seams... and then eat some more. One major problem is that my great big Indian family often shows love through food. Suppose I went to my grandmother's house and refused to eat the rich delicious meal she lovingly slaved over for hours? The correct answer is: It would not go down well. Each family member you visit expects you to share a meal with them. They bake something special just for you because they know you like it. They want to see the joy on your face when you eat and to know you had a good time with them. This is the joy, and the curse, of being at home.

I realise now that if I hadn't left home, I honestly wouldn't have had the strength to lose weight. Living on my own in Jhb, I have managed to keep a healthy environment. When I do buy junk food, I keep it to single serving portions. The last time I went home, my mom baked a tray of triple chocolate brownies. I pinched a slice every. single. time. I passed the kitchen. When you're in a shared living space, you can't expect other people to ban junk food or to restrict themselves because of you. You have to learn to live with the everyday-temptations and grow your own personal strength.

I failed this time, but next time I go home I'm going to exercise restraint. If I know I'm going out for a big supper, I'm going to have a light lunch. If someone makes brownies, I'm going to have one, not the entire tray. Every day is a challenge, and every good choice is a victory.

One more thing about being home... people exaggerate. Like, a lot. Someone said to me "You lost so much weight, you're the size of your sister now," to which I reply NO! I lost weight, not my damn eyesight! 

Corn Side Salad

On day 4 of the salad challenge I made aubergine burgers (a recipe for another day) and a corn side salad. Nothing special, but a salad is a salad :)

Salad Challenge Day 4: 

Corn Side Salad

Ingredients:

- 1 cooked corn, cut from the cob

- 1/4 cucumber, chopped

- a chunk of feta

Method:

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Tip: If you have time, remove the seed part in the cucumber's core. It prevents the salad from getting watery.

Chopped Chicken Salad

When cooking, I usually just chuck in a bunch of random ingredients and if it's good I have no idea how to recreate it. Therefore, the following measurements are a bit of guess work... I think if you know you like certain ingredients then add more :) For example, if you like a more spicy mustardy flavour, add more mustard. 200g of chicken is enough for 2 meals, so you have leftover for tomorrow :)

Salad Challenge Day 3: 

Chopped Chicken Salad

For the marinade:

- 200g chicken strips
- 2 tbsp fat free yogurt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp crushed garlic
- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
- pinch of salt and pepper
- chilli flakes (use at your discretion)

For the salad:
- 3/4 cup lettuce, shredded
- 1/2 cooked corn, cut off the cob
- 1/4 avocado, chopped
- 1/2 tomato, chopped
- 1 spring onion, finely chopped
   I usually use red onion, but you use what you've got :)
- 1/4 cucumber, chopped
- a chunk of feta

For the dressing:
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp sugar
- pinch of salt and pepper

Method:

1. Mix the chicken with all the marinade ingredients and store in the fridge overnight. If you can't do overnight, let it marinade for at least two hours.
2. Add 2 tsp of olive oil to a non-stick frying pan. Add the chicken and fry on medium heat for about 7 minutes. If you had any leftover marinade, you can pour it on. Flip the chicken and cook for another 7 minutes, or until cooked through.
3. In the meantime, put all your chopped veggies in a bowl.
4. Lastly, put all the dressing ingredients in a cup and whisk with a fork.

Weight Loss Tip: Don't add all the dressing to the salad at once. Add a little as needed and save the rest for later.

Tomato Salad Snack

In case you haven't realised yet... almost all my recipes are single-serving. It's an art I've been perfecting for the last two years. Cooking smaller portions of food is so important for weight loss, especially if you have the magpie syndrome like I do - basically, you don't want any food to go to waste ever so you will consume it yourself.

Salad Challenge Day 2: 

Tomato Salad Snack

Ingredients:

- 1 tomato, chopped

- 1/2 tsp olive oil

- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar

- 2 basil leaves, shredded

- salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Mix all your ingredients in a bowl. Serve with two pieces of fried haloumi.

The 5-Day Salad Challenge

After yesterday's abominable food decisions, I've decided to be a little more proactive and make sure I have ready-made meals for the week. The artery-clogging takeaway from yesterday has left me craving my greens so I'm posing a challenge to myself - to create different types of salads for at least 5 meals this week. That means any type of salad - cold, warm, asian, fruit, in a roll, on toast - anything goes.

Salad Challenge Day 1: 

Chilli Tuna Salad Wraps

Ingredients:

- 1 can of shredded tuna

- 1 medium carrot, grated

- 1 handful of lettuce leaves, shredded

- 1/4 avocado, chopped

- 1 heaped tsp low fat mayo

- 2 heaped tsp fat free plain yogurt
- 1 tsp lemon juice

- 1 chilli, finely chopped

- 1 whole grain wrap

Method:

Combine all your ingredients in a bowl. Place the mixture in the centre of the wrap, fold over, and cut in half. Tip: I only put the filling in my wrap at lunch time to prevent the whole thing from getting soggy.

Poor Life Choices

Sometimes you just have a bad day and make poor life choices. For instance, when you eat two helpings of the devil's nectar (otherwise known as dessert) after a rather large pasta lunch. On Monday you decide enough is enough, you just HAVE to have a salad for lunch. Silly you, you don't plan in advance so you have to buy lunch. By 12 you are so hungry you see food every time you close your eyes. The salad idea goes out the window and you opt for Chinese food to warm that vast empty pit (sometimes goes by the technical term 'stomach'). Alas, the restaurant is closed on Mondays. Instead of getting the hint the universe is giving you, you proceed to the crappy Chinese restaurant down the road, forgetting that their food is oily and has a bit of a weird flavour. Finally, you get back to the office... sit down with your crappy, greasy chow mein... and wish that you had ordered the salad.

Food Addiction

I realise what I posted two days ago was incredibly de-motivating, and I wish I could retract my statements and say it's all a lie - but I can't. The truth is, every now and then you will feel worthless, you will feel unmotivated, you will feel like giving up - and that's okay! We're human beings and these are normal feelings. I think what I've learnt is that you have to push through those feelings to get to the bigger issues - what is the real cause of my feelings of helplessness?

The way I've been viewing food is like alcoholism - one little slip-up and you descent into the foul depths of despair and cake. Food CAN be an addiction. It can make you lie awake at night pondering about pizza or chocolate, or pizza AND chocolate, or chocolate ON pizza... the list goes on. The mind can be a terrible thing - simultaneously giving you junk food cravings and feelings of desperation and helplessness. In my mind, I'm still a slave to the addiction - constantly beating down the sugar monster that dwells beneath. In reality, this is only half true - yes, every day is a struggle - but, you lost 20 kilos, bitch! I always fail to remember just how far I've come from what I used to be.

In an attempt to meld my old lifestyle with my new one, I'm going to make some changes. I'm going to pick one night of the week where I can completely let go - don't worry about gym, stay out late, drink (although maybe stay away from the neat tequila shots). At the same time, I'm going to try to give myself a break and stop feeling guilty every time I miss a gym session - I'm not going to let fears of reverting to my old chubby-cheeked self ruin my life now :)

When does it end?

I dropped two kilos this week, but I don't see it as a victory.

I practiced mindful eating, and it was amazing because I got full so quickly, but it was also horrible because it forced me to be alone with my thoughts. I'm realising that one of the main reasons I (and so many others) eat in front of the telly or PC, is because it distracts you from loneliness. For almost every meal this weekend, I laid out the table, sat alone, and slowly ate my food. It got to a point that I didn't even want to eat because I didn't want to experience that soul-crushing sense of emptiness. By Sunday, I had half a brownie for dinner and went straight to bed.

It makes me wonder... when will this journey be over? I've enjoyed a lot of it, but there are moments such as this where I wish I could just switch it off and be normal again. This weekend, for whatever reason, I pushed myself way too hard at gym. I was sore and broken and I kept on going. Is this to be my life forever? Constantly pushing harder and harder trying to reach an unattainable goal? Most of the time I'm so happy and content with my progress... and then I see not one, but TWO girls at gym with crop tops and perfectly sculpted abs. (Seriously, bitch? Stop flaunting your perfect body in front of me) I look at how much time and effort it's going to take me to get to that level and it feels impossible.

Early Sunday morning, as I was putting on a load of laundry and doing other household chores, my room mate arrived back from a night of partying. I stopped drinking because they're empty calories, I don't stay out too late so that I can gym the next morning, I turn down events because I feel out of place, and I wonder if it is all worth it.

Mindful Eating

 Pic: freeimages.com

When I was a child, I got banned from watching TV while eating breakfast because it would take me about an hour to eat half a bowl of chocos. Pepper-Ann and Doug were so enthralling that I forgot to eat. (Who does that? Forget to eat? The idea is ludicrous!)

Now I have the exact opposite problem. I can sit watching an episode of QI and next minute I realise all my food is gone. (What did it even taste like? I can barely remember)

So this week I'm trying to put a new way of eating into practice: Mindful Eating
This means you really have to take note of everything going on your plate from prep to finishing off the last bite. A few guidelines:

• Your main meal should have a protein and at least two veg. I struggle with this because when I think 'dinner' my mind immediately jumps to pasta, rice, roasted potatoes, more pasta. What I've tried to do this week is only buy protein and veg. If it's in the fridge, you have to eat it.
• No eating in front of the TV. My GOD I struggle with this. When you're eating alone what the hell else do you have to do? Will update you if I ever win this battle.
• Put your knife and fork down in between mouthfuls. This is such a simple one but I've never thought about it before. If you keep pausing between bites, your brain has more time to register that you're full.
• Don't go for seconds. THIS is a tough one, especially when you're at dinner parties or family gatherings. If you're at a buffet, you have to survey all the items, dish up what you want, and stick to that portion. It's tough at first, but you'll notice you're actually full from that first serving.
  
  

The idea is to eat slowly and savour the flavour of each bite of food. I've discovered it's incredibly difficult, but it's an interesting challenge in terms of self-discipline. Oh and another thing - if you don't like something, don't eat it! This seems like a reasonable assumption but I don't know how many times I've found myself chowing chips or a McD hamburger and thinking "this tastes gross" but carrying on. So learn from my mistakes and be mindful of everything you eat :)

Thanks Weight Watchers for these awesome tips!

Annoying things people say: GRANDMA EDITION

As people get older, they start to lose a lot of senses. They lose their hearing, their eyesight, and then some people completely lose the ability to hold their tongue. My granny says whatever inappropriate comments come to mind, but we love her for it.

Granny: Oh Nikita you're looking so good!

Me: Ah thanks Dadima...

Granny: Do you want a chocolate?

Me: Oh I met ***** yesterday...
Granny: I don't like that girl.

Granny: Please, have some more!

Me: No no, Dadima, it was delicious but I can't eat anymore.

Granny: What, you don't like my food?

Granny: You know your sister has gotten fat!

Me: Tasha is so skinny!

Granny: Ya, but she's put on weight.

Lady: Hi Bhindoo, how are you?

Granny: Sorry, I don't remember you...

Lady: I used to be the secretary at the office.

Granny: Oh yes! I couldn't recognise you because you got so fat.

Granny: You've gotten fat hey. Now come have lunch.
Tasha: No, you just said I'm fat!
Granny: Noooo I didn't say that.. you must eat.

In the summer...
Granny: Why have you gotten so dark? You used to be so fair