Markus Andrews
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Exactly How To Make A Healthy Pizza With 6 Delish Topping Variations
It can be done…
We get it – it’s hard to eat healthily all the time. If you auto-dial or Uber Eats your local pizza place once a week, you’re not alone: according to a Euromonitor International Consumer Foodservice report a few years back, pizza was South Africa’s best-loved takeaway/home delivery fast food, with double the sales figures of any other takeaway.
READ MORE: Umm, These Vegan Pizzas Might Even Taste Better Than The Real Thing
The problem: our fave fast food is loaded with fat and sodium. But you don’t have to forgo this tasty and convenient meal option altogether.
“The right toppings can transform this fattening grease bomb into a healthy meal,” says dietician Keri Gans, author of The Small Change Diet. “When making a pizza, use plenty of tomato-based sauce (you can add chilli, basil or chives for more flavour) and veggies,” suggests WH weight-loss advisor Elienne Horwitz. “Then lightly sprinkle mozzarella or feta over it.” Top a shop-bought wholewheat crust or cheeseless build-your-own takeaway with one of these combos.
1. Barbecue Chicken Pizza
You don’t have to weigh down your slice with chorizo or extra cheese to score a hearty serving of satiating protein. A reduced-fat hard cheese such as Slimmer’s Choice Cheddar, Gouda or mozzarella (around 13 percent less fat than regular cheese) and skinless white meat chicken with a coating of tangy barbecue sauce keeps you satisfied – so you won’t be tempted to polish off the rest of the pizza by yourself.
Make it: Toss a third of a cup cubed grilled chicken breasts and two tablespoons diced red onion with one tablespoon barbecue sauce. Spread evenly over one slice ready-made pizza base. Sprinkle with one teaspoon grated reduced-fat cheese. Bake in a 190°C oven for five to seven minutes, or until cheese melts.
Per slice: 1 212kJ, 9g fat (2g sat), 500mg sodium, 32g carbs, 4g fibre, 22g protein
2. Ricotta-pear Pizza
If you like your slice on the sweet side, there’s another option besides Hawaiian style (that’s pineapple and ham for the uninitiated). Try some low-fat ricotta sweetened with a touch of honey and slices of fibre-filled pear for a healthy meal that tastes like it could be dessert.
Make it: Spread two teaspoons orange marmalade over one slice ready-made pizza base. Top with a quarter cup ricotta and spread well to cover. Top with a third of a thinly sliced Bosc pear. Drizzle with one teaspoon honey and bake in a 190°C oven for five to seven minutes, or until warmed through.
Per slice: 1 254kJ, 5g fat (1g sat), 310mg sodium, 54g carbs, 6g fibre, 10g protein
READ MORE: This Creamy Kale Pasta Recipe Features Cottage Cheese As A Secret Ingredient
3. Parma Ham And Goat’s Cheese
Hold the sausage. “Parma ham is much leaner and provides the same meaty satisfaction without all the kilojoules or grease,” says Gans. Trade mozzarella for goat’s cheese or feta and you’ll get a mouthful of creamy goodness and 11 percent fewer kilojoules.
Make it: Layer one slice ready-made pizza base with half a cup diced tomato and half a cup chopped rocket. Top with 14g thinly-sliced Parma ham. Sprinkle with one tablespoon crumbled goat’s cheese or feta and a pinch of freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle with one teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil and bake in a 190°C oven for five to seven minutes, or until cheese melts.
Per slice: 1 254kJ, 26g fat (5g sat), 700mg sodium, 30g carbs, 15g fibre, 13g protein
4. Greek Pizza
“Feta on pizza is a really smart choice,” says Gans. “You only need a little to get a lot of flavour, which results in a huge kilojoule saving.” Then there’s a generous serving of veggies, including roasted red peppers and up more than 40 percent of your daily vitamin C.
Make it: Top one slice ready-made pizza base with two tablespoons drained roasted red peppers, five halved rosa tomatoes, five halved and pitted kalamata olives and one teaspoon feta crumbles. Bake in a 190°C oven for five to seven minutes, or until cheese melts.
Per slice: 1 090kJ, 12g fat (3g sat), 710mg sodium, 32g carbs, 6g fibre, 8g protein
READ MORE: Serve This Tasty (Yet, Easy) Butternut Wellington At Your Next Dinner Party
5. Spinach Salad Pizza
You could order a side salad with your pizza – or you can just pile your greens on top instead. This combo features crumbled goat’s cheese, which adds a big kick of robust flavour for a fraction of the fat you’d get from a standard mozzarella-loaded piece. And best of all, there’s zero cooking required.
Make it: Toss one cup baby spinach with half a cup sliced red grapes, one teaspoon toasted pine nuts, one tablespoon crumbled goat’s cheese and one tablespoon light balsamic vinaigrette. Top one slice of a ready-made pizza base with the salad.
Per slice: 1 200kJ, 10g fat (3g sat), 590g sodium, 45g carbs, 6g fibre, 8g protein
6. Cheesy Fennel
and courgette pizza Fennel is one of the ingredients that give Italian sausage its very distinctive taste. Sprinkle it, fresh or dried, onto your pizza and you’ll get the flavour you crave minus all that unwanted fat and bloat-inducing sodium.
Make it: Sauté half a cup diced fennel, three-quarters of a cup grated courgette and a pinch of chilli flakes with one teaspoon olive oil in a small pot over medium heat for five minutes, or until fennel softens. Spread over one slice ready-made pizza base. Sprinkle with two tablespoons reduced-fat grated mozzarella cheese. Bake in a 190°C oven for five to seven minutes, or until cheese melts.
Per slice: 1 090kJ, 12g fat (3g sat), 370mg sodium, 32g carbs, 6g fibre, 11g protein
Try this easy beetroot chocolate cake for dessert. More
Coffee And Lemon For Weight Loss? What To Know About The #LemonCoffee TikTok Trend
When you hear about a weight loss trick that promises to help you shed kilos with little effort on your end, it’s understandable to have a healthy dose of scepticism. Case in point: the whole coffee and lemon weight loss hack.
TikTok is blowing up with #LemonCoffee posts that feature people swearing that having lemon juice in black coffee can help you lose weight. (What they don’t claim is that it tastes good!)
The process of making this is simple: You just squeeze lemon juice into a cup of black coffee daily and drink it to (allegedly) help you lose weight.
Lemon coffee devotees don’t just claim the drink is a weight-loss aid, though—some also swear it will help with mood regulation and headaches, among other things. Still, weight loss is the focus angle here.
Meet The Experts:
Sonya Angelone, registered dietician, is a former spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Dr Mir Ali is a bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center.
It’s important to note that weight is a personal thing and no one should make you feel like you need to lose some, whether it’s by drinking lemon coffee or some other method. But if the #LemonCoffee trick piqued your interest, we’re here to help.
Does coffee alone help with weight loss?
There is some data that suggests coffee may help with weight loss, but there are a ton of caveats. “It depends on the type of coffee you drink,” says registered dietician Sonya Angelone, a former spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. While regular brewed coffee has about five calories a cup, extras like half and half, sugar and flavourings can jack up that calorie count quickly, she points out.
“Some research has suggested that caffeinated coffee can slightly increase metabolic rate and help with weight loss,” Angelone says. “Other studies have shown that coffee—regular and decaf—can suppress hunger by increasing the feeling of fullness and leading to eating fewer calories at a meal.”
But some of those perks require you drinking a lot of coffee—and that’s not necessarily a great idea (think: jitters). The FDA recommends having no more than 400 milligrams of caffeine a day, which is equivalent to four to five cups of coffee.
On a more indirect level, though, the caffeine in coffee can also help you feel less tired, increasing the odds you’ll be more active and burn more calories, Angelone notes. There’s also this to consider: “Coffee has been shown to slightly increase fat burning during exercise when coffee is part of a pre-exercise routine,” says Angelone. That particular study was only on 15 men, however.
All in all, coffee in and of itself is not a magic weight loss tool—it just may help give you a teensy boost when paired with other key weight loss efforts, such as making changes to your nutrition and strength training.
Does lemon alone help with weight loss?
Lemon water has become a buzzy drink in its own right, but there’s nothing about lemon itself that will help you to lose weight, Angelone says.
“The best part of adding lemon to water is that it encourages drinking more fluids, which can help you feel fuller and eat less,” she says. And research has linked staying hydrated with weight loss. Worth noting: The same benefits aren’t true for lemonade, which has sugar and added calories, per Angelone.
Benefits Of Lemon And Coffee For Weight Loss
The experts we consulted don’t endorse this hack or even really think it works. “There is no scientific data to support this for weight loss,” says Dr Mir Ali, a bariatric surgeon. Angelone also says this really isn’t a thing. “There isn’t anything particularly magical about adding lemon juice to coffee that makes it a weight loss aid,” she says. “It doesn’t raise your metabolic rate to help burn calories faster.”
Ali does note, though, that if you drink lemon coffee (which has very few calories) in place of a sugary or calorie-rich drink, it could potentially help simply because you’re ditching some extra calories. But having black coffee would achieve the same.
Angelone agrees. “Most people drink sugar-ladened coffee drinks because they like the flavour in addition to needing a coffee or caffeine fix,” she says. “However, if adding lemon satisfies a need for flavoured coffee then it may help with weight loss because this beverage contains fewer calories.”
As for those headache-curing claims made by lemon coffee TikTok devotees, there is some data to suggest that a certain level of caffeine could help with migraine headaches, but there’s nothing in there about lemon juice. It’s possible that there’s a link between coffee consumption and reduced depression, which some TikTokers also claim is a benefit of lemon coffee. But lemon juice isn’t included in that and the limited studies available are inconclusive for coffee alone too.
Risks Of Drinking Lemon And Coffee For Weight Loss
There are a few potential downsides to consider before you start squeezing lemon into your coffee. One is that it can be rough on your stomach.
“People who are sensitive to acid might find that adding lemon to coffee increases reflux,” Angelone says. “But these people may also find just plain coffee too acidic.”
All that lemon juice can also erode the enamel on your teeth if you have it consistently over time, Angelone says, leaving you with sensitivity and an increased risk of other dental issues.
Finally, adding lemon to your coffee is a sure-fire way to mess with an otherwise enjoyable cup of coffee. If you actually like the taste of lemon in your coffee, more power to you. But just know that it’s unlikely to help you achieve the weight loss results you may be after.
This article was first published in WomensHealthmag.com More
Connie Ferguson’s Favourite Strength Training Workouts
When personal trainer Muzzi Zikalala first started training our July/August 2023 cover star Connie Ferguson, together with her close friends, the mandate was clear. Connie wanted muscle strength in her legs and upper body. “She already does boxing and skips regularly. Anyone who loves boxing needs to have muscle strength to be able to maintain a firm stand.”As a group, our focus at the moment is legs and butt,” says Zikalala. He adds: “The exercises vary. On some Saturdays, we focus on quads, glutes and calves and the next time we focus on hamstrings, glutes and calves. And on other days, it’s a round-off of everything.”
READ MORE: Get Cover Star Connie Ferguson’s Look
When it comes to exercise, and overall, fitness Zikalala says Connie’s mindset is already on point. “If we’re doing four sets, that’s exactly what she will do — even if it means taking a breather. But she never cheats an exercise,” he says. The point, he reiterates, is to always push past the pain point because that’s when muscles really start to get transformed.
“The one thing I enjoy about training sis’ Connie is that she never rushes an exercise. She takes things slowly, which is how you attack muscles. The slower you do it, the more painful it is, the more it burns and the more beneficial it is.”
Below, are some of the moves that Zikalala has curated as part of Connie’s strength training programme.
Donkey Kicks
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Fire Hydrants
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Hip Thrusts
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Leg Extensions With A Twist
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Leg Press With A Twist
(PS: this one almost always brings Connie to tears, warns Muzzi)
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Squats With A Ten-Count Pause
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Walking Lunges With Weights
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Also Worth Noting
When switching from a cardio-focused to a strength training programme, remember that it’s a different type of fitness altogether. “Fitness in its very nature is varied and wide. You could be a brilliant swimmer but struggle when you get to weight training because now you’re loading the weights on top of your own body weight. Because you’re now pushing with, probably, twice the force that you would when doing cardio,” says Zikalala. More
REVEALED: Planet Fitness’ Supercharge Sweat Is Heading To Fit Night Out!
To get ready for the best workout party in the country, we’re showing you all the magic the trainers will be bringing to Fit Night Out. The Supercharge Sweat with Planet Fitness promises to be a high-energy routine that you’ve never tried before. “It’s a fun, engaging, non-stop, low impact, high energy, calorie-guzzling exercise to music class,” says Ceri Hannan, head of product at Planet Fitness. At this class, you can expect music-driven moves that’ll keep you pumped up all the way through.
Why we’re loving Supercharge Sweat
This class is made exactly for group classes, using the vibe from the crowd as fuel to go harder. “When it comes to ‘classes for the masses’ The Supercharge Sweat class is perfect,” explains Hannan. “Doable choreography is the name of the game, set to music from musical theatre to Michael Jackson!’” And this workout has pumped up the crowd the world over, from Iceland to India to Times Square. “For me, the magic is all about making the participants feel like the real rockstars,” says Hannan. Ready to rock?
What makes group classes so special
It’ll hold you accountable
Per a study in the Journal of Social Sciences, people gravitate towards the exercise behaviours of those around them. What that means? Working out in a group setting pushes you to work harder, since you’ll be with peers around you who are working hard, too.
There’s strength in numbers
When going it alone, you’re likely to stumble. But with a group supporting you, you’re more likely to push through and make it to the other side. Study after study shows that working out in group settings keeps you going for longer.
You’ll have fun
You’re more likely to be smiling your way through the workout, since you’re spending it in a group setting, with people around you. And Supercharge Sweat is going to be so much fun that you’ll forget how hard you’re working!
You’ll stay motivated
Last set of moves really getting to you? Being in a crowd setting pumps up your motivation – and positive vibes are infectious, permeating throughout the entire area, so everyone feels as good as the next person.
At Fit Night Out, we’re bringing tons of workouts from different forms of movement that’ll challenge and inspire you on your journey. “The magic of group exercise is super special and seeing thousands of people all connecting and moving as one is priceless,” says Hannan. Want in? Get your tickets to Fit Night Out right here! More
PB Banana Waffles
I know what you’re thinking: “Waffles? Again?” But hear me out. These peanut butter banana waffles are not your average waffles. They’re fluffy, flavourful and made with wholesome ingredients that will leave you feeling satisfied and energized all day long.
Peanut butter is a good source of protein and healthy fats, while bananas are a good source of potassium and fibre. So not only will you be satisfying your taste buds, you’ll also be giving your body a healthy boost.
Grab your waffle iron and whip up a batch of these mouthwatering delights.
Prep Power
Two options here: Either make and refrigerate the batter for up to four days or make and freeze the prepared waffles. Freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet until firm, then freeze in freezer-safe bags or containers for up to three weeks. Ready to eat? Reheat in a toaster oven until hot and crisp or in a skillet on medium, turning once.
Peanut Butter Banana Waffles
You’ll go bananas for these waffles!
Total Time 20 minutes mins
Servings 6 waffles
1 large ripe banana 1/2 cup milk1/2 cup plain yogurt1/4 cup creamy nut butter2 large eggs1 tbsp maple syrup1 cup all-purpose flour1 tsp baking soda1/4 tsp salt1 tbsp chia seeds
In a blender, puree banana, milk, yogurt, nut butter, eggs, and syrup. Add flour, baking soda, and salt and process to combine. Stir in chia seeds. Cook waffles per manufacturer’s instructions. Top as desired.This article was originally published on www.womenshealthmag.com More
What Exactly Can You Drink While Intermittent Fasting Without Breaking Your Fast?
Intermittent fasting (IF), an eating style that’s typically paired with high-protein or keto diets, begs a lot of questions, especially if you’re new to it. You might be curious about what type of fasting schedule you should try, what the legit health benefits are, whether you’ll experience any side effects and what kind of weight-loss results you can expect. Another common question is whether you can have beverages, like coffee and water, during your fasting periods.
What is intermittent fasting?
Intermittent fasting works by allowing you to eat only in specific windows of time. It’s thought that by taking on this method, there are health perks. It might be anti-ageing and elevate energy levels. Added to that, there are thought to be weight loss gains to me made.
There are various intermittent fasting schedules, each tailored to different body types and needs.
Can you drink while intermittent fasting?
The short answer is: It depends on the beverage and the type of IF diet you’re following. Different types of intermittent fasting, from dry fasting to the Warrior Diet, have different guidelines. But a good rule of thumb is to avoid any drinks that have any calories while you’re fasting, says dietitian Erin Palinski-Wade, author of 2 Day Diabetes Diet.
Consuming any carbs, proteins, or fats when you’re trying to maintain a fasted state can negate the weight-loss benefits of intermittent fasting, she says. IF diets are also thought to lead to a reduction in insulin resistance and help control blood sugar, both of which can reduce your chances of becoming diabetic. These benefits can be quickly cancelled out if you consume too many liquid calories during a period of what should be a fasted state.
Here’s what you should know about some of the most popular drinks you might *want* to consume while doing intermittent fasting and whether or not they’ll take you out of a fasted state.
Coffee
You can drink it black. Black coffee is calorie-free, so it’s fine to enjoy during the fasting phase. But adding in sugar, cream, or milk is best avoided. It can add calories to the drink that can take you out of a fasted state.
“If you do want to flavour your coffee during a fast, experiment with calorie-free flavouring from a spice like cinnamon,” says Palinski-Wade. “Save the coffee add-ons for your non-fast windows of time.”
Additionally, avoid having more than one cup, or switch to decaf, when you’re fasting. Excessive caffeine, especially on an empty stomach, may increase those jittery feelings which can often increase appetite and the desire to snack, she says.
Tea
Go for it. Just like coffee, tea is naturally calorie-free and fine to have during a fast, so long as it’s simply brewed tea that comes from tea bags, leaves, or flakes. Bottled ice tea is often heavily sweetened. So if you go that route, make sure you’re opting for one that is unsweetened and not loaded with added sugar and calories, says Palinski-Wade. Caloric add-ons such as honey, milk or cream should be reserved for non-fasting times, just like with coffee.
“Since tea is naturally lower in caffeine than coffee, you can have a bit more during fasts, however, I would still recommend opting for decaf when possible,” she says.
Water and soda water
Drink up. Water is naturally calorie-free so there’s no need to restrict it, says Palinski-Wade. Water in general is a good idea to sip on during fasting times. It ensures hydration but also is a way to fill your stomach and prevent hunger.
If you enjoy flavoured water, you can add in fruit wedges or a splash of lemon or lime juice (or a splash of another juice) as long as it is a true “splash” and doesn’t add more than a trivial amount of calories, says Palinski-Wade. Carbonated water can be treated in the same way as water, as long as it is naturally flavoured and calorie-free.
Soft drinks
Skip it. Palinski-Wade recommends staying away from soft drinks in general. That’s even if you’re not following a diet like intermittent fasting.
Regular soft drinks are usually loaded with sugar and calories and offer no nutritional value, she says. There also isn’t enough data and research to say whether diet soft drinks are okay to drink during IF, but research suggests that consuming too many artificial sweeteners (as diet soft drinks tend to have) can increase cravings and appetite, as well as promote weight gain and the storage of fat.
“Your best bet is to limit all soft drinks as much as possible and satisfy carbonation cravings with carbonated water,” she says.
Alcohol
Pass on it. Alcohol should never be consumed when in a fasting period, as its effects can be intensified when consumed on an empty stomach, says Palinski-Wade. Alcohol is also a source of calories, so drinking it would break your fast. It will also likely stimulate your appetite and lead to increased hunger and cravings.
What about taking supplements during a fasting period?
This depends on the fasting schedule you’re following. You should discuss any supplements with your doctor before beginning to take them, says Palinski-Wade. You could take your supplements during the eating hours (unless otherwise instructed by your doctor or dietitian). Most supplements like a multivitamin are better absorbed when taken with food.
If you intermittently fast that involves fasting on specific days, like the 5:2 diet, you should still take a supplement. You still need to ensure you are meeting your nutrient needs each day. Palinski-Wade recommends taking a high-quality multivitamin daily when following any IF plan.
“Generally, the small amount of calories found in a chewable/gummy/liquid vitamin would not offset a fast day,” she says. “But do discuss this with your doctor or dietitian first to make sure you can take your supplement on an empty stomach.”
The bottom line: At the end of the day, you want to consume close to zero calories during fasting periods. By avoiding sweetened drinks and bottled iced tea, as well as caloric add-ons in your hot beverages, you can ensure you follow your IF plan correctly and successfully.
This article was originally published on www.womenshealthmag.com More
3 Comforting Soups That’ll Boost Your Immune System
Cold weather begs for warm, steamy dishes and these comforting soups will give you enough variety in texture and flavour so you don’t feel bored. Also, you can whip up a couple and freeze them for work lunches. Score! Start with a good-quality chicken or vegetable stock (plus, some chilli, garlic and onion) and build up from there.
Soup stars
Get your kitchen tools ready and you’ll be off creating flavourful, comforting soups in no time.
Smeg Hand Blender
This retro-styled hand blender does it all, including mashing, blending and chopping.
Haden Jug Blender
Jug blenders make it easy to dump soups into and blend in a blitz.
Kambrook Smartlife Soup Maker
Blades whirr and break down veg, while a heating plate makes it easy to create your soups in one container.
Comforting soups that boost immunity
These vegetable soups are jam-packed with immune-boosting veggies. They’ll ward off illness and have you feeling like your strongest self. Here’s why.
Cauliflower
This white veg is high in nutrients, despite its lack of colour. And just one serving gives you 58% of your daily allowance of vitamin C. It’s also high in fibre, feeding your gut’s healthy bacteria and dialling up digestion.
Spinach
The benefits of spinach are so large that it’s considered a superfood. And for good reason: from flushing out the free radicals that lead to cancer to enhancing your body’s essential functions, spinach is an all-rounder queen.
Butternut
Butternut is a powerful source of vitamins, including vitamins A, C and E. From taking care of your hair, skin and nails to boosting immunity, butternut is great at souping up your meal’s nutritional profile.
Cauli Soup
This dreamy, creamy soup boosts immunity, thanks to healthful ingredients.
Prep Time 5 minutes minsCook Time 40 minutes mins
Course SoupCuisine Healthy
1 large onion chopped1 clove garlic chopped1 red chilli finely chopped1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil1 head cauliflower chopped2-3 cups vegetable stockparsely for garnishing
In a large saucepan, sauté the onion, garlic and chilli in the olive oil.Add the cauliflower, cover with stock and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes, until the cauliflower is soft.Blend with a hand blender until creamy. Garnish and serve.Keyword Cauliflower soup
Spinach and broccoli soup
Bitty and bright, this soup is a super-healthy dose of nutrients.
Prep Time 5 minutes minsCook Time 35 minutes mins
Course SoupCuisine Healthy
1 large onion chopped1 clove garlic chopped1 red chilli finely chopped1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil1 head broccoli roughly chopped1 bag baby spinach divided in half3-4 cups vegetable stock1/2 handful fresh basil
In a large saucepan, sauté the onion, garlic and chilli in the olive oil. Add the broccoli and half the bag of baby spinach then cover with vegetable stock. Cook over medium heat until broccoli is soft, about 30 minutes.Remove from the heat. Add the rest of the baby spinach and some basil and blend with a handheld blender. It’ll go bright green. Serve with some chopped spring onions and extra basil. Garnish with extra chilli (optional).Keyword miso soup, spinach and broccoli soup
Spicy butternut soup
Love butternut soup? The spicy kick in this one punches up the flavour even more.
Prep Time 10 minutes minsCook Time 1 hour hr
Course SoupCuisine Healthy
1 medium-sized butternut chopped1 large onion chopped1 tbsp masala curry spice1 chilli chopped1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil1 cup vegetable stock1/2 tin coconut creamcoriander for garnishing
Preheat the oven to 180° C. Place all the ingredients, besides the stock, coconut cream and coriander, in a roasting pan and roast for 40 minutes until cooked through and slightly charred. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.Squeeze the sweet, soft garlic flesh out of the cloves and place with the rest of the ingredients in a large saucepan. Add the cup of stock and coconut cream.Using a hand blender, blitz all the ingredients together and reheat until the desired temperature is reached. Garnish with coriander.Keyword butternut soup, healthy soup, miso soup More
