Dark Chocolate Porridge

I always seem to struggle when picking out healthy breakfasts. I seem to gravitate towards sugary cereals which I know aren't good and only keep you full for an hour or so. I went back to the drawing board and came up with a new idea...

...Dark chocolate porridge!

Porridge, firstly, is healthy! It is high in fibre, improving digestion and lowering cholesterol. The oats, also, allow for a slow release in sugar and energy, keeping you fuller for longer and stabilising your blood sugar levels.

 I make my porridge with almond milk, which is lower in calories, and contains far less fat than cows milk. I find it gives the porridge a more creamy texture too. 

Then comes the dark chocolate. It not only tastes great, but has numerous health benefits. Research has shown that it can have protective effects against cancer and heart disease, as well as lowering cholesterol and improving cognitive function. To me, it seems like a no brainer to add a square or two of dark chocolate into porridge instead of adding sugar or syrups!

The recipe below has taken me several attempts to master, but I think I have finally perfected it!

Ingredients

- 30g oats

- 200ml unsweetened almond milk

- 1-2 squares dark chocolate (the higher % coco solids the better)

Method

- Heat the milk and oats in a pan, once they start to boil, stir until the consistency thickens

- Pour into your favourite bowl

- Add the chocolate and stir until melted

- Enjoy!

Holiday Health

Most holidays mean lazing by the pool, eating lots of good food and sipping cocktails. But it doesn't have to be that way. You may not have access to your usual running route or favourite gym equipment but there's lots of alternative ways to keep fit but most importantly have fun whilst on holiday.

Like myself, many of you may only go on one holiday per year, so when you do finally get to go, you want to have as much fun and relaxation time as possible. Which is why exercise and nutrition can, and most likely do, suffer. I have recently got back from a two week holiday to the Caribbean, everyday we would see people running around the resort or heading to the gym. I don't know about you, but I really did not fancy doing structured, strenuous exercise in the heat and humidity. 

So what is an easy, fun solution? Well, I have put some ideas together, most of which I did myself, which I feel work well at keeping your fitness ticking over but also allow you to enjoy yourself with family and friends!

1. It sounds obvious, but swimming is one of the easiest forms of exercise to do on holiday. More often than not you'll be sat by the pool anyway, so why not go for a dip? Swimming can have multiple benefits on holiday, you are not only getting some exercise, but you will also cool yourself down and escape the heat for a while. It doesn't have to be regimented lane swimming either, a couple of lengths of easy swimming whilst talking to your family/friends, or even swimming to the bar is better than nothing. Slow swimming can still burn around 25 calories every 5 minutes.

 Snorkelling also works great, either in the pool or in the sea, you have so much fun looking around under the water you completely forget that you are exercising!

2. Depending on where you are on holiday, water sports might be available. Anything from kayaking, to paddle boarding will be a good form of exercise, especially if you are fighting against waves and currents in the sea! Stand up paddle boarding can burn around 300 calories per 30 minute session and provides a good core workout. Similarly kayaking can burn around 200 calories per half hour, and works your whole upper body.

3. Depending on your chosen resort, other sports and activities may also be available. The resort which I stayed at had a sports hub where you could play tennis, football, basketball and baseball, all great forms of cardio that are also fun for everyone in your holiday party to be involved in. For those who are competitive why not compete in your own mini tournament?

4. Again, depending on where you are on holiday, you may decide to explore the local area. You can take to the road on foot or hire a bike to explore a bigger area faster. And guess what? Walking and cycling are great forms of cardio burning 100 and 48 calories per mile respectivley!

So next time you find yourself on holiday, remember these tips and you'll find yourself feeling both healthy and happy!

Chocolate Milk Post Exercise?

I have heard a few times now that chocolate milk works great as a post exercise supplement, but is this really true? I know that it tastes great as a snack, but can it really be good for you? Okay, so I have just done my research on this and it seems to be true...chocolate milk can be an effective recovery drink for exercise (Karp et al. 2006; Pritchett et al. 2013).

So now for the science...Chocolate milk is made up of a 4:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio as well as containing fluids and electrolytes. This composition is very similar to that of your typical sports drink. The idea, is therefore, very similar to that of any fluid based recovery drink - the liquids replace the fluids lost by sweat, the electrolytes help with efficient re-hydration, the carbohydrates replace glycogen that has bee used to aid energy replacement and reproduction and the protein aids muscle growth and repair. Simple!

In research, chocolate milk has been found to increase time to exhaustion and lower ratings of perceived exertion, meaning you can exercise for longer and feel less tired whilst doing it! (Karp et al. 2006)

Whilst the science of chocolate milk sounds very impressive, I don't think that it would be suitable for drinking after all exercise types. As mentioned earlier, it does contain a fair amount of carbohydrates and so can only really be suited to carbohydrate burning (endurance) exercises, such as running, swimming or cycling. If drank regularly after short exercise sessions weight gain could occur, but again, this is the case for other post exercise supplements, such as protein powders.

So next time you go to grab a bottle of pre-made sports drink after your workout, maybe think again and consider drinking some chocolate milk!