Eggs Benedict

Serves 1

Ingredients:

1 egg, poached (see instructions)
50g lean ham or cooked bacon, fat trimmed
1 slice of Toast
Kato Hollandaise Sauce, 30g
Fresh Spinach Leaves
Fresh Crushed Garlic or Minced Garlic

Method:

Cook Bacon in Oven ...? Or Grill Ham until slightly crispy.
Meanwhile, Poach eggs (per instuctions below).
Grill garlic in a fry pan, add fresh spinach leaves and cook until slightly wilted.

Add spinach to toast, add bacon/ham and a poached egg. Top with Hollandaise sauce and garnich with cracked pepper.


Fool-proof Poached Egg:

Grab a mug or cup and place clingwrap over the top, pushing into cup slightly to form a 'ditch'.
Break egg into cup then twist the top to close.
Boil in water for desired time.

While I wouldn't have this everyday, it makes a nice treat on the weekend rather than a fry-up.

'Feed the Man' Pizza

***to be edited***

Serves 2 (1 male, 1 female)

Per serve: Grams of carbohydrate ? Grams of protein ?

Ingredients:
1 Empower Golden Wholemeal Bakery Mix Pizza Base (full instructions on box)
2 tablespoons BBQ sauce...
50g mozzarella cheese, grated
A total of 340g of assorted cooked meats (ie. shredded chicken, champagne ham, pepperoni, sausage, etc)
70g mushrooms, thinly sliced
black olives, halved
50g? low fat cheese, grated

BBQ Sauce Instructions:

Method:
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Coat pizza base with a thin layer of sauce.
Add a thin layer of champagne ham.
Add shreded pieces of chicken, Piece of sausage, pepperoni, and any other meats you like.
Top with a small sprinkle of cheese, add mushrooms and black olives.
Bake in oven for around 20 minutes until base is crispy and cheese is melted.

Tasty Tip:
When rolling out the dough wrap cling wrap around your rolling pin, as this prevents the dough from sticking to it.
Also, it's a great idea to let the dough "relax" for a few minutes once you've rolled it out.
This will stop the dough from shrinking once you place it on your pizza tray.

This pizza is perfect for freezing - just wrap the cooked and cooled pizza in cling wrap and freeze.
Defrost and reheat in the oven for around 10-15 minutes.

Serve with a Salad

Satay Chicken Pizza

***to be edited***

Serves 2 (1 female, 1 male)

Per serve: Grams of carbohydrate - 4.5, Grams of protein - 36

Ingredients:
1 Empower Golden Wholemeal Bakery Mix Pizza Base (full instructions on box)
2 tablespoons Empower LC Satay Sauce
300g cooked chicken, shredded
50g mozzarella cheese, grated
50g tasty cheese, grated
Mushrooms

Method:
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Mix together the satay sauce and the chicken. Spread over the pizza base.
Top with mozzarella and tasty cheese.
Bake in oven for around 20 minutes until base is crispy and cheese is lightly browned.

Tasty Tip:
When rolling out the dough wrap cling wrap around your rolling pin, as this prevents the dough from sticking to it.Also, it's a great idea to let the dough "relax" for a few minutes once you've rolled it out. This will stop the dough from shrinking once you place it on your pizza tray.This pizza is perfect for freezing - just wrap the cooked and cooled pizza in cling wrap and freeze. Defrost and reheat in the oven for around 10-15 minutes.

Satay Chicken Skewers

Serves 2 (1 female, 1 male)


Per serve: Grams of carbohydrate - 6? Grams of protein - 75?

Ingredients:
340g chicken breast, skin removed, cut into cubes
Vegies of Choice (ie mushrooms)
4 tablespoons Empower Foods LC Satay Sauce

Method:
Thread alternating pieces of chicken and vegies onto skewers.
Using a pastry brush, brush Empower Foods LC Satay Sauce over the skewers and leave to marinate for 30 minutes.
Grill, turning often, for 10 -20 minutes until chicken is cooked.

**Rice Optional (obviously not recommended for anyone restricting carbs)

No Tomato Lasagne

A Chicken Lasagne, plain and simple!

For those who aren't fans of tomato based lasagnes!

Serves 2 (1 female, 1 male) Per serve:...g carbs and ...g protein

Ingredients:
340g chicken mince
mushrooms, sliced
1 Jar Dolmio's Bechemel Lasagne Cheese Sauce
3 Tablespoons Green's Chicken Gravy Granuals
3 Empower Foods Power Wraps, cut in half (alternativley you can use eggplant slices)
Parmesian Cheese, grated

Method:
Preheat Oven 180°C.
Cook mince, and add any desired herbs and spices. Cook until mince has browned.
Add 3 Tablespoons of Greens Gravy Granuals and 3/4 cup water.
Simmer for 5 minutes or until gravy has thickened.
Line a lightly oiled baking dish with one layer of Power Wraps.
Top with half of the meat mixture, add a layer of sliced mushrooms, then a layer of cheese sauce.
Repeat with another layer, then add the last sheet of power wraps and the remaining cheese sauce.
Top with a sprinkle of parmesian cheese.
Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes until parmesian is melted and golden brown.

Serve with a delish salad, like Greek Salad (see Salad Recipe)

*Chicken mince can be replaced with Beef, and Chicken Gravy Granuals can be replaced with Green Roast Beef Gravy Granuals, if preferred.

Laksa

Serves 2 (1 Female, 1 male)


Ingredients:

1 can of Valcom Laksa Soup
2 Serves of Cabbage, Sliced into strips
2 Serves of Mushrooms, Quartered
340g of Chicken, cubed or Prawns (alter protein serve if for 2 females or 2 males)


Method:

Add soup to a medium sized pot and cook on high until near boiling. (You can add 1/2 - 1 cup of water to make more soup, I like to water it down slightly - but it isn't a neccesity)
In a seperate pot boil water then add sliced cabbage and a teaspoon of pepper (optional)
When soup is near boiling reduce heat to medium and add chicken or prawns.
Simmer for 5 minutes then add mushrooms and simmer until cooked.

Divide cabbage into 2 bowls, then add soup to the bowls.

Per Serve (of the soup, no meat added):

Energy: 753kj / 180cal
Protein: 2.5g
Fat (total): 13.9g
Carbs (total): 11.5

Chicken Caesar Lunch Wrap

Serves 1

Ingredients:

1 - 2 Empower Foods Low Carb Power Wrap's www.empowerfoods.com.au

Salad fillings (eg. lettuce, cucumber, alfalfa...)

1/4 - 1/2 of a mashed avocado

1 serve of protein (ie. BBQ Chicken Breast)

1 tablespoon of Paul Newman's Creamy Ceasar Dressing

Method:

Spread Mashed Avocado onto the middle of the wrap

Fill with Salad, add Chicken and dressing (optional)

Done! Simple, low carb, low fat and delicious!

If you have any ideas for different meat and dressing combos, add it in the comments section below.

Curried Egg Salad Wrap

Serves 1

Ingredients:

2 Eggs, hard boiled

1 - 2 Tbs Curry Powder

2 Tbs Mayonaise

Lettuce and any other salad fillings you desire.

1 - 2 Power wraps

Salt & Pepper

You can alter amounts of curry powder and mayo to your liking

Method:

Boil eggs. Peel off shell and mash in a bowl. Add curry powder and mayonaise.

Add curried egg mixture to wrap, then fill with salad.

Ham & Cheese Salad Wrap

Ingredients:

1 Serve of Ham (100g approx for women, 200g approx for men)
Salad Fillings
1 - 2 Power Wraps
1 Serve of Cheese (optional)
1/4 - 1/2 of mashed avocado

Method:

Mash Avocado and spread down centre of Wrap.
Add Salads, Ham and Cheese. Garnish with Salt and Pepper.

Simple!

Why I don't do TF anymore...

I use to be on the TF diet, which really does work - it definatly helps you lose weight, and faster than many other diets.

However, I'm no longer doing it.

Why? I was diagnosed with depression at the age of 15, and battled it for many years.
For the past few years I have been fine, no medications, no depression, getting on with my life.

I have tried the TF diet 3 times, the first for 6 or so weeks, the second for around 8 -10 weeks and recently for 3 weeks.
Each of these times my depression returned, and each time I went off the TF diet, my depression went away. Coincidence? No.

I was curious as to why a diet could cause such a difference in my moods. I am aware that at any stage in my life depression could return, but could a diet really be the cause of this?

I researched my suspiscions, and discovered that restricting carbs can mess with your serotonin levels therefore causing mood disorders - which, to the normal person is a simple mood swing.
But, to people who have had issues with serotonin levels in the past, it can be hell.
I'm not saying this happenes to everyone, I was just unlucky. And I'm definatly not saying that the TF diet is bad, because I think it is a great diet - just not for me.

Although I don't follow the TF shake diet anymore, I still do follow a lot it's rules. I try to still limit my carbs, sugar, salt but I don't restrict my carbs quiet as much. I have learnt a lot from the diet, and occationally I replace a meal with a shake. I still do not have any carbs with my dinner (or very rarely), I stick to the 'allowed vegies', watch carbs and fat in sauces, among many things.

If you're on the TF diet or considering it, and you've had depression or any mood disorder, keep an eye on your moods. Don't let what happened to me deter you from TF - it really is a great diet. Keep in mind the first couple days, everyone feels like crap - it's your body detoxing and going into ketosis, you may feel crap for a week or two, but generally you'll feel great after a few days. If you've been on the diet for a month or so and notice your depression coming back (and I don't mean depression over not eating carbs or chocolate, I mean real depression!), then see your doctor and discuss your options with them.

Anyway, I am going to share what I do and some recipes with anyone out there whos interested, and also some recipes for those who are on maintenence.


Q: What do you do now you're not on the TF shake diet? Are you still losing weight?!

A: Almost every day for breakfast I have some Toast (Burgen Soy-lin or Tiptop 9 grain) with poached eggs & pepper, plus a Lady Grey Tea for breakfast. The rest of my day is fairly low in carbs, as I use the Empower Power Wraps with my lunch instead of bread. I have a snack of yoghurt everyday too. Dinner, is almost always free of carbs (generally a meal that is TF friendly). I eat lots of vegetables (see allowed list above) and drink 2 or 3 litres of spring water every day (sometimes with diet cordial). Diet soda I restrict to a max of 2 glasses a day, but generally I just have one glass with dinner. I'm not much of a fruit person, I have a mango or some grapes less than once a month, but you can have 2 pieces of allowed fruit everyday as a snack if you wish (again, see list above)

I workout on the treadmill daily, and also use a fitball and handweights. But really, anything you enjoy is great - I'd love to get into kickboxing when I'm fitter, and also pilates.

Exercise is really important, when you've lost weight you have to keep exercising to keep the weight off, also it feels amazing to be fit. A little bit of muscle and tone will help curb the fat creeping back (as well as eating healthy for life), This is more a change of lifestyle than a diet.

I've only been doing my new diet for 1 week, but so far I've lost 1.2 kilos. I'll keep you updated on my progress.

Feel free to send me any questions you may have, and I'll try my best to help.

Hope you enjoy!