Come rain or shine these picnic recipes are great for all the family, and a sure winner for this May Bank Holiday.

Rocket and Parma Ham Twists:

Long stemmed wild rocket

Parma Ham

Black Nigella Seeds (if you can find them) or freshly ground pepper

1. Take a small handful of rocket. Ensure the stems are at one end and the ‘leafy’ bits at the other end. Wrap a piece of Parma ham around them (similar to how you may have done previously with a bread stick).
2. Sprinkle with seeds or pepper

To really impress, try this recipe with very finely sliced smoked salmon and a squeeze of lemon. Delicious!

Tomato and Sea Bass Ceviche:

Serves 4

800g of tomatoes

500g of sea bass

2 limes

1 red chilli – finely sliced

50g of coriander leaves

½ a red onion

A bit of olive oil

Salt and pepper

1. Slice all the tomatoes into small pieces.
2. Slice the sea bass very thinly and ad to a bowl/tupperware together with the tomatoes, coriander, chili and onion.
3. Once at the picnic, squeeze the limes and add lime zest to the mixture. Season and add a dash of olive oil.
4. Serve on a platter with lots of green leaves.

You can add French bread for the non dieters too!

Gazpacho with Vodka:

(Yes, vodka!)

1 head of celery

Pinch of celery salt

500g of ripe tomatoes chopped

500 ml of tomato juice

1 shallot

1 garlic clove

100ml of sherry vinegar

100ml of olive oil

50g of basil

1 red chilli (chopped)

Vodka

1. Juice the celery with celery salt and pop in freezer the night before.
2. Put all other ingredients in a bowl, cover and leave overnight.
3. In the morning blend the ingredients until smooth and pass through a sieve. Pop everything into a large plastic bottle and pack some ice around it. Remove the celery from the freezer and pack ice around it.
4. Once on the picnic, pour the gazpacho into shot glasses, spoon over the celery granita and pop some vodka on the top.

And for the kids….

Berry Good Ice Lollies:

• 40g caster sugar
• 60ml water
• 150g strawberries, hulled and cut in half
• 130g raspberries
• Juice of 2 medium oranges

The best bit of this recipe is that any fruit works, so why not try pineapple, mango, blueberries, lemon…or anything you like!

As some of you may know these last 2 weeks the Jane Plan team have been on a diet challenge. We all wanted to shed a few pounds now the summer is upon us, and to do this we trialled 3 different diet plans.

Jane went for the fast diet – with two days a week of only 500 calories.

Kirsty did the popular special k diet – eating only cereal for 2 meals a day and then having a Jane Plan dinner at night.

Alex did our Jane Plan weekends off plan – giving her flexibility over the weekends.

So here’s how we all got on:

The Special K diet

Well this was a tough one. The basic principal is you eat special K cereal for breakfast and lunch, and have dinner as usual. You can add in fruit throughout the day and special K snack bars (I only added in the fruit).

I decided to try this diet for 2 weeks to see if I could actually lose any weight, and to my surprise I actually lost 5lbs. To be honest the start of the diet was very hard! I felt hungry and weak all day, and with working in such a busy office I thought ‘this is just not going to suit me’, but I persisted and (with the exception of a Saturday) I stuck to it closely and my body started getting used to it. I complimented the Special K with Jane Plan dinners each evening and they really boosted my energy levels!

I have 2 more days to go, but don’t expect to lose much more. I would only recommend this diet if you are trying to lose weight for an event or a holiday. It is definitely not sustainable and long term I felt would be extremely unhealthy. We all know we need certain food groups to stay healthy, and cutting them out just isn’t a good plan long term.

I am happy that I lost a few pounds and my body is now probably used to smaller portions, but from now on I won’t be fad dieting, only healthy calorie controlled meals for me!

The Fast Diet

Hi hum…the Fast Diet! Well the name indicates that the weight loss will be fast. That wasn’t quite the case with me, but that was probably because I wasn’t very ‘good’ on my non fasting days!

I started my 7 day Fast Diet on Monday. I usually have porridge or yoghurt for breakfast, but somehow knowing I was going to be fasting made me want to be naughty. On the way into work I stopped off for a cappuccino and a pastry. I haven’t done that in years! On my actual Fasting Days, I followed the Jane Plan 500 calorie a day menu. Interestingly I didn’t feel at all hungry, but I missed being able to snack on fruits and vegetables. The problem with only 500 calories a day, is that you do have to be super strict! Even the odd carrot stick can take you over your allowance. I have a slight issue with this, as I like to encourage people to eat healthy foods in the right quantities. Also, the diet really only works if you are very disciplined on your non fasting days. I have survived the week, and am 1 lb lighter. I found it quite easy to fit into my lifestyle because I had the Jane Plan menu all planned out. I’m not sure how easy I would have found it had I needed to plan and buy my own 500 calorie menu. For me, just losing a lb didn’t make it worthwhile. I like to see a better result in week 1. That said, I think it’s a great weight maintenance device.

The Jane Plan Way

Alex is currently on her holiday in Greece looking slim and gorgeous and we know she lost the weight she aimed to lose.

All in all The Jane Plan diet seemed to be the best (Not that we are biased at all). Alex not only lost the most, but didn’t seem to struggle as much. Our main goal for this task was to try out these diets and see what truly worked. The results show us we are doing the right things here at Jane Plan.

When people embark on a diet there’s a lot of talk about willpower – if they can just summon up enough willpower they can succeed this time around.  However, when I ask my clients why things have gone awry in the past, they generally say that their willpower failed them.

Willpower is great when you’ve got it, but it’s not a constant, and the amount you need varies according to your situation. When you come home late after a long day in the office and you’re tired, you might need quite a bit of willpower to prepare a healthy meal and not just order a takeaway or reach for the biscuits.  But on a sunny, spring weekend when you’re relaxed and you have time and energy, you’re far more likely to feel motivated to prepare something which is going to be nutritious and enjoyable.

Here’s another example – let’s say you love chocolate.  You decide you’re not going to give it up completely, but limit your consumption.  So far, so good.  Then you see a family sized pack of chocolate biscuits on special offer – you buy the pack, and tell yourself you’ll only have one every couple of days.  You’ve inadvertently set up a situation where you have to rely on your willpower.  When you open the packet and eat your first one, two things could happen.  You could enjoy it so much that you decide to have another, and then perhaps another, and then feel guilty.  Or you could spend the time before your next meal exercising your willpower and not eating a second biscuit, but actually thinking of those remaining biscuits ALL THE TIME.  Neither option is a great one.

Now what if you’d just bought one individually wrapped chocolate biscuit every two days?  No second/third/fourth biscuit calling to you from the cupboard, no need for willpower.

So if you’re constantly beating yourself up for a lack of willpower, consider how you organise yourself and your food – how can you make things easier?  Plan your days and your diet in advance, don’t surround yourself with temptation, and stay on track.

For daily motivation, follow me on Twitter – @joannemh

Arm extensions

For this exercise, adding in some kind of weight will benefit the outcome greatly. You can use weights of course, but we find a couple of bags of sugar are just as good. We like doing this one while waiting for the kettle to boil.

Stand straight, feet slightly apart. Start with your elbows bent behind your head and down your back, the weights just above your shoulders.

Gradually extend your arms up towards the ceiling so they are straight.

Repeat 10 times. (Or until the kettle has boiled)

We have a very special offer for you this week. WIN an a FREE WEEK of Jane Plan meals.  All you have to do is log on to Facebook, go to Jane Plan (like us) and then answer the simple question…

What do you find hardest about losing weight?

All the entrants will be added to a prize draw and one winner will get a one week hamper.

It’s that simple!

This competition ends on the 2nd April so hurry hurry

Every day, hundreds of people tell us why they’ve been putting their diet on hold, so we’ve put together some easy to use ideas to help you over come ‘the diet starts tomorrow syndrome’.

Top 5 common excuses:

1. I’m too busy to diet

Finding time to  plan, shop and cook is hard, and trying to prioritise losing weight is even harder.

Solution: Know your food and know your limits. If you’re eating on the run, having accurate information to make the right food choices is key. Use My Fitness Pal to track your calories. (All the Jane Plan meals are on there)

Eating out? It doesn’t mean you can’t diet. Watch your portions, eat 1/3 less than you are served and restrict yourself to one glass of wine.

2. I always gain weight again

If you  are a yo yo dieter, it can be hard to get up and try again because all that motivation has gone. At Jane Plan we understand this – it’s a toughie to get over.

Solution: Don’t lose faith – even if you’re not on Jane Plan, we’re here to help. Learn from your diet – understand what, when and why you are eating, and take the principles of the diet with you, even when it ‘s over. Compare your attitude to dieting with other people’s attitudes to getting fit. For example, fit people don’t stop exercising once they have become fit, they keep going to maintain their fitness levels. It’s the same principle with a diet. Once you have finished your diet and reached your goal, don’t forget what you have learnt, continue being a conscious, healthy eater, and don’t let your old habits creep back in.

View your diet as a long term learning curve, not a short term fix, and the weight will stay off – forever.

3. Eating healthily is too expensive

Today the supermarket shelves are filled with ‘BOGOF’s (love this word), especially for cheap, often unhealthy, high calorie foods. These deals are tempting, but often a false economy. FACT – did you know, if you buy larger portions, you’ll eat larger portions?

Solution: Plan your meals and buy accordingly. If you plan your weekly meals you will only buy the ingredients you really need and can budget accordingly. It also stops you adding extra naughty things into the basket.

Shop from a list and buy seasonally to help you balance your budget.

4. I love food too much!

‘I can’t live without bread, biscuits, chocolate, wine…’ Diets are commonly associated with banning all the foods you love, but this doesn’t have to be the way.

Solution: Being on a diet doesn’t have to mean boring rabbit food. At Jane Plan, we never ban anything! You can still eat a little of what you fancy – but in a controlled and conscious way. Build into your diet a ‘night off’, that way you won’t get bored and research suggests you’ll stick to your diet longer.

Want to do Jane Plan and take a night off every week? Ask the team, and we’ll create a diet that does exactly this. (It’s not on the web site, but we’re a flexible bunch, it does mean you’ll have to call to order this though).

5. I deserve a treat

Tough week at work? Friday night comes and we think we deserve a treat and food is the first thing we think of…so it’s straight to the takeaway menu draw. Time to think again…

Solution: Instead of turning to food to reward yourself, turn to some ‘me’ time. Take some time out, relax and unwind. A warm bath, a walk in the park, a great movie – anything that doesn’t involve food.

Stop using food as comfort and you’ll be surprised how easily the lb’s slip away.

Making the decision to start a diet can be a diffuclt one, and sticking to it can be even harder. We all have our own little excuses that stop us taking that leap and starting a new healthy eating plan. What’s yours?

For fun play areas and a great atmosphere for the children, Eddie Catz caters for all. With 3 separate locations it’s not only accessible from most parts of London, its affordable and enjoyable too.

Jane Plan has had the privilege of Working with Eddie Catz and we have an exclusive offer running just for the parents! ( Because sometimes you need something just for you!)

We are offering a FREE WEEK when you purchase any pay monthly plan. Check out the offer here .

So go on, why not treat yourself and the children this February and get down to Eddie Catz!

]]> http://www.janeplan.com/2741/need-somewhere-to-go-with-the-children-this-half-term/feed 0 http://www.janeplan.com/2726/stick-with-it http://www.janeplan.com/2726/stick-with-it#comments Mon, 11 Feb 2013 13:00:15 +0000 Jane http://www.janeplan.com/?p=2726 Struggling with your weight loss?

 Jane Plan has a brilliant guest blog here from Joanne Henson, with handy hints on  getting through your weight loss journey, even with a hectic lifestyle.

However much we all want to be healthy and happy, maintaining healthy habits within a busy lifestyle isn’t always easy.

If you’re struggling to stick with a diet or exercise regime here are some things to bear in mind:

One slip does not equal total failure

Don’t let one slip end your plans – one unhealthy meal or slice of birthday cake is not going to undo all of the healthy eating you’ve done so far.  And if you’ve missed a workout, you’ve still got all of the workouts you’ve done so far under your belt.

My clients get so angry at themselves for one mistake that they forget to congratulate themselves on all of the successes they’ve had, and start believing that they have failed.  You’ve only failed if you’ve given up, so if you’ve had a bad day make tomorrow a good one and you’ll be back on track.

Stay focused

You’ve probably heard the saying “begin with the end in mind”, and it’s true that you can only start to work towards a goal when you’ve clearly defined it.  But what is even more important is to progress with the end in mind.

Remind yourself daily of what your goal is and, more importantly, why you want it.  Focus on what the benefits of reaching your target are going to be – how great you’re going to feel and look.  Consider creating visual reminders such as pictures of the clothes you’re looking forward to wearing when you’ve lost weight, or the beach on which you’ll relax when you feel more confident in a swimsuit.  Then look at them, often.

Mind your language

So many resolutions are about giving things up that it’s very easy to talk about them in negative terms, eg. “I am giving up alcohol for January” or “I am not eating any more chocolate”.   But what you are doing has a positive end – a healthier you, a leaner you, a happier you.

If you talk only about what you are giving up, it’s natural that you’ll feel deprived, so try to replace your negative statements with positive ones – for instance, instead of “I’m on a diet” try saying “I’ve got a great new eating plan which is making me feel much healthier”.  This shifts the focus from what you are missing to what you are enjoying.

Be patient

Were you hoping to lose a certain amount of weight in a certain amount of time, and now that time has passed and despite taking control of your diet, you haven’t quite made it?  Things like weight loss aren’t an exact science so there’s no dishonour in resetting your time frame now that you have some real evidence of how long things are going to take.  As long as you’re following a sound diet plan and seeing your weight reduce you’re going in the right direction and getting healthier along the way.

Or have you started an exercise regime but aren’t seeing results yet?  If you’re a regular reader of certain types of magazine and newspaper articles you’ll see lots of get-fit-quick plans promising visible results in a matter of weeks or even days.  For most people, it takes longer than that.  Unless you sign up for an intensive program with a personal trainer you might not see real changes until you’ve been exercising for around two months.  So hang on in there, enjoy the fact that you are getting fitter every time you work out, and know that the visible results are on their way.

And finally – don’t beat yourself up

I hope my tips have been helpful and that some of them have resonated with you.  Most importantly though I hope I’ve encouraged you to be kinder to yourself.  Permanent change is hard, and many people have several attempts at things, with slip ups along the way, before they finally succeed.  So understand the reasons you’re struggling, don’t beat yourself up, then keep going.

Good luck!

Joanne Henson is a Health and Wellness Coach who helps her clients get healthy and happy and stay healthy and happy. She can be contacted at www.joannehenson.co.uk.

Tax, detoxes, jogging…January is miserbable enough without making it worse by denying life’s pleasures. Treat yourself the Jane Plan way

If you feel the need to comfort eat and are tempted to dive head first into the biscuit tin or fall into the fridge, STOP. Try a relaxing soak, light a Jo Loves candle, listen to some music and re read 50 Shades of Grey. (Well perhaps just the good bits). My favourite bath soak is  Cowshed’s Grumpy  Cow Bath Oil! And guys,if this sounds a bit girly why not try their Bullocks range.

Research suggests that people who take care of their bodies are more succesful in managing their weight. So if the biscuit tin beckons, dash up to the bathroom instead and take  some time out.

I guarantee there will be none of the self loathing that follows a biscuit binge, just a rather smug feeling.

At Jane Plan we love to receive new recipes and we are particularly enjoying this Turkish recipe from the wonderful Ozlem’s Turkish Table. A tasty take on a traditional dip and a simple recipe for all to follow. We love the fact it’s served warm, perfect on a cold winter’s night.

Here is Ozlems recipe for you to enjoy, with a few hints, tips and a bit of history!!

Warm Hummus with Red Pepper Flakes infused Olive oil

The humble but ever so tasty hummus is delicious, healthy and so easy to make. I wonder if you have ever tried hummus warm? In Turkey, especially in the South, hummus is served warm with red pepper flakes infused olive oil or with some sautéed pastirma (similar to pastrami; dried cured beef coated with spices) over the top. I’d very much encourage you to try hummus this way, as I feel you may be pleasantly surprised, and maybe converted to eat hummus warm as many of my friends have done.

Please adjust the hummus recipe according to your taste, as some like it garlicky, some with more tahini and others may prefer it more lemony. You can get tahini, the crushed sesame seeds in paste, in most supermarkets these days and Middle Eastern stores.  This warm hummus would make a wonderful appetizer to share with friends and family. It also complements any grilled meat or vegetable beautifully.

225gr/8oz dried chickpeas, soaked in water overnight or for at least 6 hours or equivalent amount of precooked chickpeas in can

5ml /1 teaspoon salt – please adjust according to your taste-

60ml/4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

30ml/2 tablespoons water

1-2 garlic cloves, crushed – optional-

Juice of 1 lemon

1-2 tablespoon tahini (sesame paste)

5ml/1 teaspoon (or a little more!) ground cumin

To serve:

30ml/2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes or paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

If using dried chickpeas, drain the chickpeas and transfer them to a pan with plenty of cold water. Bring to boil and boil for a few minutes. Then lower the heat and partially cover the pan, Simmer the chickpeas for 1 hour, until they are soft and easy to mash.

Chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, water, e.v. olive oil, salt and cumin; all to blitz together

If precooked chickpeas are used, drain the juice and give them a little wash in a colander. Put the precooked (or cooked) chickpeas in a food processor and blitz them together with the extra virgin olive oil, water, lemon juice, garlic and tahini. If it appears thick and difficult to blend, add a little more olive oil or water. Season with salt and mix in the cumin. Process until you achieve a soft, smooth paste. Refrigerate until required.

If you would like to have the hummus warm as in the Turkish way, just before serving, warm this mixture in a pan for a couple of minutes. In a separate pan, heat the olive oil gently and stir in the red pepper flakes. Combine for a minute or two and let the red pepper flakes infuse to the olive oil. Put the warm hummus in a plate and drizzle the red pepper flakes infused olive oil over the top. You may sprinkle some extra ground cumin over the top, if you like.