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Jesse

Easy Spinach Salad

Easy Spinach Salad 150 150 Jesse

05recipehealth_600-articleLargeHere’s a high protein salad that is bursting with flavor and nutrients. Try the simple homemade salad dressing – it’s much healthier than store bought dressings, doesn’t contain refined sugar, and still lends lots of flavor. Servings: 4
Here’s what you need…
6 cups organic baby spinach
4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
6 pieces bacon, crumbled
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 teaspoon olive oil
Juice from one lime
dash of pepper
Combine the spinach, eggs, bacon and tomatoes in a large bowl.
In a small bowl whisk the olive oil, lime juice and pepper.
Pour the dressing over the salad, mix and serve.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals:  170 calories, 10g fat, 337mg sodium, 5g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, and 13g protein

Slow Cooker Stuffed Apples

Slow Cooker Stuffed Apples 150 150 Jesse

If you’ve been looking for a quick and easy apple recipe to add to your repertoire, look no further! Our Slow Cooker Stuffed Apples are super simple to make, and you probably have most of the ingredients lying around the house. Put these in the slow cooker when you start making dinner and they’ll be perfectly cooked by the end of your meal!

Best of all, these are naturally sweetened with dried cranberries and honey. Trust us, you won’t miss the added sugar! You can also swap in different nuts and dried fruits to make your own variation.

Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 tbsp dried cranberries
2 tbsp raw honey
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
5 green apples, first half inch of top cut off and cored

Directions:
Combine the oats, walnuts, cranberries, honey, coconut oil and spices in a bowl. Mix until well combined and sticking together. Stuff the apples with the mixture. Cook on low for two hours.

Nutritional Information: 5 servings, serving size: 1 stuffed apple, cals: 254, total fat: 8g, sodium: 4mg, carbs: 44g, fiber: 7g, protein: 3g

Grilled Turkey Burgers with Cucumber Salad

Grilled Turkey Burgers with Cucumber Salad 150 150 Jesse

What’s more satisfying than biting into a juicy, flavourful turkey burger. This grilled turkey burger recipe calls for clean ingredients like chopped parsley, crunchy onions, and garlic. These grilled turkey burgers are packed with nutrients and offer that rich, meaty flavour you crave without upping your cholesterol levels.

Ingredients:
Turkey burgers
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup plain whole wheat breadcrumbs or whole wheat panko
1/3 cup grated or finely chopped onions
1/3 cup finely chopped parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons canola oil or cooking spray to lightly coat the pan or grill

Cucumber salad
1 cucumber, diced small
1/2 cup chopped chives or green onions
1 medium-sized ripe tomato, finely diced
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

Directions:
Combine all ingredients for turkey burgers, except olive oil.
Form into 4 to 5 patties.
Sprinkle each patty on both sides with olive oil, using fingers to coat. Lightly oil grates of grill.
Set grill to medium-high heat or place a lightly-oiled skillet or grill pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat.
Add patties to grill or skillet and cover (cover if using the grill) and grill for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, until cooked through.
Meanwhile, mix together all ingredients for cucumber salad. Serve room temperature or chill until serving.
Nutritional Information: serving size: 1 patty and 1/4 cup of salad
4 servings: calories: 314, total fat: 17g, saturated fat: 4g, sodium: 637mg, carbohydrates: 15g, fiber: 2g, sugar: 3g, protein: 26g.

Grilled Pork Chops with Asparagus and Pesto

Grilled Pork Chops with Asparagus and Pesto 150 150 Jesse

When you want to whip up something wholesome and delicious, look no further than this Grilled Pork Chops with Asparagus and Pesto recipe! It’s the perfect example of a dish whose appearance is deceiving. Surprisingly enough, the protein-packed meal is actually super easy to create.

These clean, feel-good ingredients are topped with uber-nutritious pesto. It’s the perfect finishing touch to a summertime meal.

Ingredients:
4 (about 1-inch thick each) bone-in pork chops
1 tsp kosher or sea salt, divided
1 tsp black pepper, divided
1 bunch asparagus, woody bottoms removed
1 cup cherry tomatoes
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 cup clean eating pesto, store bought or homemade
4 medium bamboo skewers, soaked for 20 minutes in warm water, or metal skewers
1/4 cup basil leaves for garnish, optional

Directions:
1. Rub pork chops with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper on both sides. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
2. Oil the grate of a grill and set to medium heat. Add chops and grill for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Internal temperature taken with a meat thermometer should read 145 to 160 degrees.
3. Toss the asparagus in 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add alongside the pork chops, after the chops have cooked for 15 minutes.
4. Thread cherry tomatoes onto skewers and drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper.
5. Grill asparagus and tomatoes for about 5 minutes, until asparagus is slightly tender and tomato skins have blackened a bit in places. After removing pork chops from grill, allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.
6. Cover veggies until ready to serve. Tomatoes may be served on skewers or removed from skewers.
7. Serve asparagus and tomatoes alongside pork chops and drizzle with pesto.
Nutritional Analysis: Four servings equals: 332 calories, 25g protein, 24g fat, 4g carbs, 2g sugars. 647mg sodium, 2g fibre

Warm Roasted Autumn Vegetable Salad

Warm Roasted Autumn Vegetable Salad 150 150 Jesse

This delicious salad is full of colourful vegetable goodness, and features chickpeas- a legume that provides a vegetarian protein alternative to meat, chicken and fish.

Ingredients:

¼ cup olive oil
2 teaspoons Ras el Hanout or Moroccan seasoning
2 Golden Nugget pumpkins (or 550g of other pumpkin), halved, deseeded and sliced
1 large red onion, peeled and cut into 12 wedges
1 bunch baby beetroot (500g), trimmed and halved
1 bunch baby carrots (400g), trimmed and halved
6 sprigs lemon thyme
400g Brussel sprouts, halved
1 cup (200g) dried chickpeas, soaked and boiled or 2 x 400g tin, drained
¼ cup coriander leaves
¼ cup parsley leaves
¼ cup mint leaves

Tahini, Lemon and Yoghurt Dressing:
2 tablespoons tahini
Juice of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic, crushed
⅓ cup Greek style yoghurt
Salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Line two baking trays with baking paper.
2. In a small bowl combine olive oil and Ras el Hanout together, stirring to combine.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, onion, beetroot, carrots, thyme sprigs and 2½ tablespoons of the oil mixture, tossing until well coated. Divide mixture evenly between prepared baking trays and place in preheated oven; cook for 30 minutes. Remove trays from oven.
4. Toss sprouts and drained chickpeas in remaining oil mixture until well coated. Add to roasted vegetables and return baking trays to oven for a further 20-30 minutes or until sprouts and chickpeas, become golden.
5. For the tahini dressing, combine the tahini, lemon juice and garlic together in a small mixing bowl, stirring until mixture is smooth. Add yoghurt, 2 tablespoons of water and salt and pepper, stirring to combine.
6. To serve salad, sprinkle roasted vegetables with coriander, parsley and mint leaves and drizzle over the tahini dressing.
Nutritional Analysis: One salad (six servings) equals: 1557.3 kJ, 15g protein, 17.1g fat, 30.9g carbs, 18g sugars. 352.7mg sodium, 16.5g fibre

Cauliflower Pizza

Cauliflower Pizza 150 150 Jesse

For those of us living a healthy lifestyle, pizza is usually on the no-no list. Our Cauliflower Pizza now makes it possible to enjoy one of America’s favorite foods, so you won’t have to ruin your diet! We’ve developed a cauliflower crust topped with pizza sauce, low-fat cheese, and lots of veggies. You can really add anything you want, though, like turkey pepperoni, diced chicken, and Canadian bacon. The options are endless!
This pizza is incredibly simple to make, but flavourful enough that you won’t miss the mainstream alternative. Enjoy with a side salad for a complete meal that’s both gluten- and guilt-free!

Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower
3 tablespoons water
2 egg whites
1 cup low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 cup no sugar added pizza sauce
2 tablespoons green pepper, diced small
2 tablespoons mushrooms, diced small
2 tablespoons red onion, diced small
2 tablespoons black olives, sliced
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Remove core from cauliflower and cut into small florets. Place florets into food processor and finely chop until cauliflower resembles rice.
3. In a large skillet on medium heat, add chopped cauliflower and water. Bring to a simmer and cook until cauliflower “rice” is soft. If needed, add more water. Once cooked, drain off excess water and set aside to cool.
4. Once cool to the touch, pour cauliflower onto a thin kitchen towel or cheese cloth. Squeeze out any extra liquid and return cauliflower to a bowl. Add egg whites, 1 cup cheese, garlic, oregano, basil, onion powder, and paprika and mix well. If mixture appears too wet, ad a tablespoon of almond or coconut flour.
5. Line a pizza pan with parchment paper and spread cauliflower mix onto sheet and shape into a circle about 1/2 in thick. Bake for 30 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and spread pizza sauce evenly over crust, followed by remaining cheese, then top with remaining ingredients. Return to oven and bake until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Allow to rest for a few minutes before slicing.
Optional: This pizza can be made without pizza sauce. Substitute sauce with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Brush crust with oil after it has been baked for 30 minutes and top with your favorite toppings!
Nutritional Analysis: Two servings equals: 292 calories, 21g protein, 16g fat, 21g carbs, 9g sugars. 876mg sodium, 7g fibre

How to build your best body ever!

How to build your best body ever! 150 150 Jesse

Just as we need guidance in life, we may need even more guidance when it comes to our bodies, our health and our strength. That’s what we hope to give you in this article. We’ll remove the noise, the overload of information, and bring to you the simplest, most straight-forward way to your best body.

Follow these 4 tips and we PROMISE you, you will see results.

1. Sculpt and tone your physique by adding weights to your training.

Not only is resistance training good for your bone health but also 80% of your metabolic rate is determined by how much lean muscle you have. This means the more muscle you have the more energy your body will burn whether you are working out or at rest.  Two to three 30-minute weight sessions per week is the secret to a toned body shape.

2. Eat the right food specifically for you.

We love healthy fresh food and encourage all our clients to have a nutritious well balanced diet but it’s important to understand that there are healthy foods that may not be good for your specific goal. Research it yourself or find a professional who can advise you on the right foods to eat.  For example, nuts are awesome these bite-size nutritional powerhouses are packed with heart-healthy fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals, but if you are eating too many or at the wrong time of the day, these tiny pieces of goodness could be preventing you from getting your best body ever!  If you want a professional result that your friends will be jealous of, use a professional approach.

3. Change it up.

If you have been doing the same exercises for months and you have noticed your results have plateaued, this means you need to change up something about your exercise or the food. The body takes around 4 weeks to make physiological adaption to any exercise, so at week five you have the perfect excuse to add variety and will also prevent boredom setting in. Your body needs to be continually challenged so that it will burn more energy and get strong or faster but that doesn’t mean you need to train for longer.  The change can be made in the intensity of the workout or in the type of workout.

4. Set a deadline

It is important to set a date for yourself if you want to see strong results. You have deadlines at work, at school, at home because deadlines get things accomplished!  Getting the body you desire is no different than all the other things you do every day.  You need a deadline to get moving and stay on track.  Once you do set a deadline you start to take action and the results happen.

Slow Cooker Balsamic Beef

Slow Cooker Balsamic Beef 150 150 Jesse


Balsamic beef can be served on its own, or over rice or pasta. A green salad or vegetable makes the perfect side dish. It’s lighter than a hearty beef stew, with the fresh flavors of tomatoes and balsamic.

Ingredients:
2 pounds round steak or cube steak, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 medium onion, thinly sliced (not chopped)
4 garlic cloves
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (for gluten-free use White Balsamic Vinegar which doesn’t have caramel coloring)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp each: dried oregano, basil, and rosemary
1/2 tsp thyme
Ground black pepper and salt, to taste
Directions:
Pour the olive oil on the bottom of the slow cooker. Salt and pepper the beef and add it to the slow cooker. Placed sliced onion on top of the beef, and sprinkle on the dried herbs evenly. Add the garlic cloves. Pour in the vinegar and top with the tomatoes.
Cook on high for 4 hours or low 6 to 8 hours. Serve over whole wheat angel hair pasta or long grain brown rice.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 200 calories, 7g fat, 218mg sodium, 9g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, and 26g protein

Exercises to Strengthen your Core

Exercises to Strengthen your Core 150 150 Jesse

Whether we are standing, sitting or lying down, gravity exerts a force on our joints, ligaments and muscles and posture simply refers to the body’s alignment and positioning to help us look better, but also ensuring we move more economically so no one structure is overstressed.

In our modern day lives, posture suffers due to life style choices and genetics.  There are range of specific exercises that we encourage clients to do to build strength however, it is important to speak with an exercise professional if you have any specific postural concerns.

The following back and core exercises will help improve your posture by strengthening your supporting muscles so you stand straighter and pull your shoulders back.

Cable seated row
Set the appropriate weight on the weight stack and using a close grip bar, grasp the bar with a neutral grip, keep your legs slightly bent and sit upright with your shoulders back and down.  From this starting position pull the handle into your stomach, squeeze your shoulder blades together, pause and then slowly lower the weight back to the starting position.  Your back should remain straight at all times.  For each exercise repeat 3 sets of 12.

TRX row
This works all the muscles in the back and allows you to lean backwards while using gravity to increase the intensity of the movement.  Stand facing the anchor point, lean back with your arms straight with palms facing each other.  Keeping your torso stiff as a board, pull your body toward the anchor point and squeeze your shoulder blades together and return to start again.

Standing cable twist
This exercise works your abdominals and lower back. Stand on one side of the cable at chest height, arms straight and legs shoulder width apart.  Bend the knees slightly, engage the core and pull the cable across your body to the other side, twisting your torso, keeping your arms straight.

Plank hold on a Swiss ball
Beginner – Position the ball so the top of your chest is resting on the ball and place your hands around the ball.  Your body needs to be in a straight line, feet on toes, pull in your belly button towards your spine and head in line with your back.  Work at staying balanced on the ball.  Hold position.
Advanced – complete the exercise with straight arms and hands on the ball