Posts tagged health
Chicken Schnitzel From Scratch

I don't eat a whole lot of bread but when I do buy it, it's that really dense, unprocessed, expensive stuff that's low GI goodness. Particularly on a weekend, I love grabbing an avocado and a couple of boiled eggs and popping them onto two pieces of rye toast. That there is my porn! "Get a life, Jason" . Washed down with a long black or two, that to me is perfection. I'm a simple guy...

But what do I do with the rest of the loaf? It will be stale bread by next weekend so it usually ends up in the freezer. But wait, I have an idea...

If you know anything about me, you'll know I LOVE chicken schnitzel. The problem is when you get it from the pub, it's deep fried and calorie-laden. That's why I prefer to make and bake it in the oven at home where I can eat more chicken and less shitty, cheap oil.

Usually I use just inexpensive, white breadcrumbs. I see them as a commodity that's like flour or sugar - "just get the cheap one". But would my schnitties taste better if I was to use a healthier bread? At minimum, it helps me use up the left over and I'm all about trying to use fresh ingredients I already have rather than buying more and more stuff. 

Well guys, I've got to tell you, the outcome was tremendous. It's hard to get baked schnitzels to taste exactly the same as their fried cousins but these were the bomb. Super-moist, it's almost as if somehow the home-made crumbs kept the chicken more succulent.

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Salmon Got Speared

I've grown up in a family that eats seafood on a frequent basis. Some of my fondest memories are of Dad taking my brother and I fishing as kids. We'd go out for 5-6 hours and have an absolute ball, whether we caught fish or not. I can also remember Dad going absolutely bananas when our lines got tangled... haha! He hated that but he's calmed down is his old age!

That childhood experience of fishing with the old man gave me an appreciation of two things:

  1. The opportunity we have to be able to source fresh, healthy seafood from our own means and the importance of preserving that opportunity by paying attention to size and quantity quotas. 
  2. That cooking seafood need not be hard at all. While we may pay hundreds to eat at a flash seafood restaurant, often you can cook a fillet of fish at home that is just as delicious, for a fraction of the cost. 

This recipe is an illustration of this. Could it not be any simpler to prepare a healthy, delicious dinner? I think not. 

Salmon is well known as a fantastic protein food to include on a weekly basis. It's heathy fat profile makes it great for the heart and when prepared properly, it's supportive of healthy weight management. Try this one as a quick meal this week; 20-25 minutes and you're done!

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Face Masks... For Blokes!

Just so you know, I fully expect to cop it for this post! I expect all the manly men out there to blow up and say "pffft, you'll never catch me doing that shit! I'm a real man!"

But before you comment fellas, I want to ask you a quick favour. Head into the bathroom and look closely at yourself in the mirror. Really inspect your face close up... Notice anything? 

How about those tiny little black dots that are right across your nose - what are they? Well my masculine friend, they are blackheads!

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Coriander and Lime Slow-Cooked Chicken Wraps

Sure, slow cookers tend to be the domain of winter. True! But for some reason, I woke today and just felt like slow-cooked chicken wraps. By now, you're probably aware that I love lime and coriander as a combo and here's just one more example. 

Slow-cooked dishes are just so easy. Get a bunch of ingredients, tip them all in the cooker, cover and walk away Then, 6-8 hours later, come home and smell the deliciousness wafting up the stairs. Too bloody good! 

Slow-cooked dishes can also be super-healthy if you are using decent cuts and trimming some of the excess fat. In the case of chicken, simply trimming the visible white fat does the job and you're left with a tasty-as, shredded meat that can be eaten freely with rice or added to a wrap. 

The best part? As the left-over shredded meat soaks in its juice for a day or so, it just gets better. This recipe gives you enough for a good few sessions!

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Berry Bash Bowl

I remember the first "bowl" I ever had was in Bali at the famous Nalu Bowls near Single Fin in Uluwatu. I'd always thought of these as kind of 'girly' but one taste got me hooked. I'd joined the "superfood rebellion". Haha! Not...

I've got to say, I don't really believe in the concept of superfoods being magic silver bullets to health as that little magazine in the Sunday paper may have you believe. I do however believe in nutrient density and the fact that some foods are just packed with goodness if you eat them in their rawest state. 

The thing about acai, chia and other bowls is that in Australia, they cost you and arm and a leg to buy. Interestingly though, when you have the ingredients, they are super easy to make and the PERFECT anecdote for a hot summer day. 

To demo what I mean, check out this simple recipe below...

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Panko-Crusted Honey Mustard Salmon

So when your mate puts on you at the gym that he's very hungry and has nothing to eat, what do you do? Of course, you offer him dinner at your pad - with one condition: he must cook. 

So in this simple but tasty recipe, I've got hold of my buddy Keil and commissioned him to whip up dinner for the two of us. Like a dancer with two left feet, his cooking skills are moderate at best. But when you cook in JS's kitchen, shit goes down! 

Salmon has got to be my favourite fish. It's proper BANG for the buck. High in both protein and heart-healthy unsaturated fats, it's muscle and brain food. And it's so versatile - this recipe is just the start of my salmon collection! 

Enjoy... J

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Tomato Baked Eggs

Breakfast or dinner, eggs are my healthy 'go to'. But have you ever thought about the fact that at most cafes, you'll pay around double what it costs you to make them at home? Well this is what inspired me to cook this one. I could either go and pay $20 to have it done for me or have a go at making it at home for an easy, cheap dinner at half the price. 

This simple recipe requires minimal ingredients and will take only 25-30 minutes to get together. 

And for you Instagrammin', hashtaggin' Facebookers, the end product is a very sexy looking dish to take pics of and share for a little social proof of your cooking skills...

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100 Things To Do Instead Of Watching TV

What's the issue with a little relaxation? Short answer is... nothing. The issue is when relaxation is synonymous with watching television for hours on end.

With 62.8% of Australians being overweight or obese and the prevalence steadily growing, we’re in trouble…

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Morning Motivation In Six Steps

In my last post, I discussed the strategy for forming habits according to Hal Elrod, author of The Miracle Morning. This book for me was a real reinforcement of one of my key success strategies - getting up early! Having lunch when others are having breakfast! 

While the post covered Hal's recommendations on how to form any habit more generally in 30 days (using the three-stage process), today I want to focus in on what practical advice he provides on how to make the most of your early wake-up. If you get this down pat, you become a productivity machine and your life will completely change for the better. 

The Miracle Morning - Why Wake Early? 

If I asked you whether you were a morning person or a night person, what would you say? If it's the latter, does the concept of becoming a morning person seem so foreign to you that you cannot quite comprehend it? And let me ask you, do you think this idea is rooted in physiology - your body's individual, specific tendency to operate better at night? Or is this a learned belief? Is it that you stay up late frequently so naturally you are tired in the morning? 

My belief is that this concept is purely psychological and that anyone can learn to rise up before the sun. The question is, why would you do this and what are the benefits? Well here are my main reasons to rise 'early doors':

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