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Mum’s Sausage Casserole
Steak and Chimichurri Sauce
Sweets and Treats
Hot Cheesecakes with a Naughty Topping
Pineapple Crisp
Wholemeal Cheesy Scones
Walnut Digestive Biscuits
Not-So-Naughty Chocolate Brownies
Pear and Blackberry Crumble
Sticky Toffee Puddings
Hot Raspberry Puddings
Banoffee Pie
Frozen Yoghurt
Snacks and Drinks
Pick-Me-Up Power Balls
Banana and Pecan Muffins
Peanut Butter Three Ways
Tom’s Chocolate and Hazelnut Spread
Quick Protein Shakes
My Daily Workouts
Nutritional Info
List of Searchable Items
About the Publisher
WELCOME TO MY DAILY PLAN (#ulink_6df2572a-0ea2-552d-8284-a1ce370891ac)
As an Olympian, it’s my job to know all about eating healthily as well as getting – and staying! – fit. I have learned a huge amount about food and nutrition and I’ve spent a lot of time trying to learn about my body so I can perform to the best of my ability. But I’ve also worked with a lot of experts on lifestyle factors, such as willpower, motivation, achieving a healthy work/life balance, and it’s amazing how much of a difference that can really make. I wanted to write this book so I could share some of these ideas, because I know they will work for you too.
My plan will show you how to eat well, build strength, tone up and train both your body and mind to reach your health and fitness goals in easy, accessible steps. The following pages feature more than 80 of my favourite recipes for quick, delicious and easy-to-prepare meals, home workouts for all fitness levels, and lifestyle tips to improve your overall performance. My aim is to help you achieve your best and feel amazing, all day, every day.
What’s the plan? It’s simple, and I promise you don’t have to follow my Olympic training schedule of five hours, six days a week!
• EAT All my recipes are truly delicious. Mix and match the breakfasts, lunches and dinners that will work for your day, and don’t be scared to add in a treat too.
• MOVE Follow my customised fitness routines five days a week. These are QUICK and it doesn’t matter how fit – or not – you are. Just 20 minutes a day will really help.
• LIVE Make some ‘you time’ with my daily life hacks. They are designed to keep you firmly on track with your new healthy, happier lifestyle.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
We all lead busy lives and it’s all too easy to fall into a pattern of grabbing unhealthy food on the go or trying the latest fad diets. These diets do not work and they go against the basic principles of nutrition and the way your body functions.
I love food and my food memories all involve great meals with my family. My mum always cooked for us when we were growing up and Sunday roast dinners were a real ritual with all the family, including my grandparents, sitting around the table talking and laughing.
I think making food a social occasion is really important, so rather than eating at your desk or in front of the TV, sit down at the table and create your own food rituals.
MY AIM IS TO HELP YOU BE YOUR BEST AND FEEL AMAZING, ALL DAY, EVERY DAY
I enjoy cooking and experimenting with new dishes and food is an important part of my social life; I often make dinner for my friends, and my fiancé Lance and I always take time out to cook and eat a meal together.
MY RECIPES
The recipes in this book will give you a balance of nutritious foods, meaning you will never be hungry – and they are so tasty, you’ll want to cook them time and time again. Most are easy to prepare – you’re not going to spend hours and hours in the kitchen chopping and stirring. I don’t have time for that either!
All my recipes can be cooked on a budget; you’ll be able to buy the ingredients at your local shop or you’ll already have many of them your store cupboard. I promise you won’t have to hunt down lots of strange-sounding items!
For me, breakfast is the most important meal of the day so I’ve included all my favourite breakfast recipes and hope you enjoy them too. Then there are plenty of soups and salads, delicious supper dishes and some weekend specials – even my mum’s Sunday roast! – for days when you might have a little more time in the kitchen.
By the way, I do love chilli and I add it to quite a lot of dishes. If you’re not a fan, just leave it out!
We all need to cut down on sugar and the less you eat, the less you will crave, but I had to feature a few treats! Most are sweetened with honey or maple syrup or using the natural sweetness of fruit. I never deny myself and think that it’s important to allow yourself the occasional treat.
Having regular snacks will ensure you’re always energised. I like a snack right after training. While your body can store fat and carbohydrates, it does not store protein, so it has no reservoir to draw from when you are running low. After training is when muscle is sensitive to nutrients that it can use to repair and grow. Try the protein shakes or the power balls in the snacks chapter in this book – they are delicious!
CALORIES IN, CALORIES OUT
For many people, losing weight and looking good is simplified into the equation of calories in versus calories out – if you use up more calories through exercise than you eat, you will lose weight. In fact, it’s more complex than this and in order to fuel your mind and body properly, you should never deprive yourself of any food groups or deliberately go hungry.
The recipes in this book are not intended to be a calorie-counted regime, but they are well balanced and do not include empty calories in the form of refined carbs, or lots of salt or sugar. There is a calorie count for each one, should you want to know, plus there are full nutritional details for the recipes at the back of the book.
GET MOVING
Every person is unique and you will have individual energy demands, according to your age, weight, activity levels and so on. Whether you have a very active job, are on your feet all day running around after children, or you sit at a desk most of the time, it’s important to listen to your body and to eat foods that make you feel energised, nourished and strong, so you achieve the results you want.
My Daily Workouts are designed for time-poor people and require no extra equipment outside of what you already have at home. I’ve designed 20-minute routines that can be adapted, depending on your ability, for five days of the week, with two rest days.
Alongside these workouts, the more exercise and activity you can build into your everyday life, the better. So whether it’s taking the stairs, cycling to work, dancing around the house or using the latest apps and technology to track your activity, every small change helps.
BOOST YOUR BRAIN
What you eat and drink is not only fuel for your body but also fuel for your brain. After the Olympic Games in 2012, I went through a phase of not eating as well as I should – I was going out a lot and drinking too much. Soon I found that I wasn’t performing well in the diving pool and I had no energy; my mood was low and I found myself caught up in negative thinking patterns. I knew there was no quick fix. I had to get back to focusing on what I was eating and making other changes, so I could start performing well again. Stress and tiredness make us crave unhealthy and sugary foods and it’s so easy to get stuck on what I call ‘the sugar train’ – starting the day with unhealthy sugar-packed cereal, which sets you on a cycle of blood sugar spike and then crash.
The way we think and feel are central to the food and lifestyle choices we make. With mental strength in mind, I have included some lifestyle tips in the book to help you eliminate stress, change negative thought patterns, improve energy levels and effectively manage your time and reach your goals. There are also tips about the importance of sleep, secrets to increase your exercise performance, and a simple meditation routine to help you feel calm, centred and happy.
PLAN, PREPARE, PERFORM!
In my world, where physical and mental strength are of the greatest importance, this is one of the mottos that I live by. And I believe that planning your meals, your exercise and your rest and relaxation is vital for everyone’s health and happiness. You may not be able to follow your plan to the letter, but it’s a great start and will help you feel good from the inside out.
Eat well, exercise with enthusiasm and calm your mind – and you’ll soon start to look and feel amazing!
GOOD LUCK!
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PLUM YOGHURT POTS
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SERVES 2
265 CALORIES PER SERVING
If you’re a get-up-and-go person, like me, this is an ideal breakfast that you can prepare the night before so it’s ready to enjoy at home or to take to work with you. This recipe tastes good with plums or see my other ideas for using other fruits, such as bananas or strawberries, here (#ulink_c836cfd1-fc43-5316-81d9-df28ef1f8239).
2 large plums, chopped
½ tsp maple syrup
½ tsp ground mixed spice
juice of ½ orange
200g full-fat Greek yoghurt
50ml whole milk
20g oat bran
15g flaked almonds, toasted
1 Put the plums in a bowl and toss them with the maple syrup, mixed spice and orange juice.
2 Mix the yoghurt, milk and oat bran together and spoon this mixture into 2 x 300ml pots. You can use glass tumblers or plastic sealable pots – whatever you prefer.
3 Add the plums, scatter the flaked almonds on top and cover the pots with cling film or lids until you’re ready to eat.
VARIATIONS
BANANA YOGHURT POTS
324 CALORIES PER SERVING
Slice a large banana and divide the slices between the pots. Prepare the yoghurt mixture as above, then pile it into the pots and sprinkle with a pinch of cinnamon. Toast 8 pecan nuts in a dry frying pan, then chop them and scatter them over each pot.
STRAWBERRY YOGHURT POTS
221 CALORIES PER SERVING
Roughly chop 100g of strawberries and toss them with the juice of half an orange, half a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar and half a teaspoon of honey. Divide the fruit between the pots. Top with the yoghurt mixture, then scatter 15g of chopped pistachios on top.
BLUEBERRY, BANANA AND SEED PANCAKES
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SERVES 2
97 CALORIES PER PANCAKE
Who doesn’t love pancakes? This is a change from the traditional recipe and it’s packed with fibre and vitamins. It satisfies my sweet tooth too! The seeds and oat bran will help to fill you up or you can add some protein powder for a post workout boost.
1 banana, chopped
1 medium egg
100ml whole milk
2 tbsp oat bran or protein powder
pinch of cinnamon
100g blueberries
1 tsp chia seeds or linseeds
1 tsp butter or coconut oil
TO SERVE
Greek yoghurt, extra blueberries, honey and cinnamon
1 Put the chopped banana in a bowl and mash it with a fork. Add the egg, milk, oat bran or protein powder and the cinnamon and beat everything together until smooth. Set the mixture aside for 5 minutes to allow the oat bran or protein powder to be absorbed, then fold in the blueberries and seeds.
2 Heat a frying pan over a medium heat for a minute or so. Add the butter or coconut oil and let it melt. As soon as it’s melted, drop spoonfuls of the batter into the pan – 3 or 4 will probably be enough as the pancakes expand as they cook. Once the pancakes are golden underneath, flip them over and cook them on the other side, again until golden.
3 Remove the pancakes from the pan, put them on a plate and keep them warm while you make the rest.
4 Serve the pancakes with a dollop of yoghurt, some extra blueberries, a drizzle of honey (a teaspoonful is plenty) and a pinch of cinnamon.
