From The Straits Times    |

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Burning body fat and building muscle isn’t just about hitting the gym all week. In fact, your diet makes a whole lot of difference when it comes to working out because what goes into your body affects the rate your body burns fat.

A tip: Eat clean, it works. 

Hang on, you don’t have to settle for boiled vegetables and bland-tasting chicken breast. In fact, what your body needs for full muscle-recovery is a balanced diet of protein, fibre and carbohydrates. 

And like what Nick Mitchell, founder and global chief executive officer of Ultimate Performance, says: “The more options you have to make meals like how they should be – nourishing, palatable and enjoyable all at the same time – the better set up you are for success.” And “success”, in this case, refers to making your healthy meals taste better and your workouts – work. 

So Mitchell and his team at Ultimate Performance (UP), a results driven body transformation gym, have launched a cookbook that will help you keep your calories in check.

And to get things going, we’ve selected three recipes to go with UP’s signature workouts for you below.

Breakfast

No one can pass up a savoury breakfast, especially if it’s made with whole foods and a good amount of healthy fat. 

The UP Eggs Royale consists of 413 calories – a great amount to start the day with. There’s 41g of protein, 10g of carbohydrates and 22g of fat. Pair that with UP’s female fat loss workout for the best effect.

Recipe:

100g smoked salmon

3 eggs

60g tomato

100g fresh spinach leaves

50g asparagus

1 tbsp white vinegar 

7g almonds, sliced

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

For Hollandaise sauce:

50g Greek yogurt

1tsp Dijon mustard

Chives 

1 wedge of lemon 

Method:

Halve your tomatoes.

Season them and roast in oven at 200 deg C.

Steam the asparagus spears for around 5min.

Add the white vinegar to a large saucepan of water.

Bring water to boil, switch to a simmer and crack eggs in to poach.

To make the sauce, gentry heat the greek yogurt, dijon mustard and chopped chives together until warm.

Serve it like a regular eggs benedict, only with the tomatoes as the buns.

Lunch/Dinner

Bringing the flavours a little closer to home, UP’s Coconut Chicken Curry is every health fanatic’s answer to the decadent local curries. And yes, this is a curry dish you can eat every day without worrying about the fat content.

This dish consists of 340 calories. It has 40g of protein, 16g of fats and 9g of carbs. At the gym, go for something a little more intense to lose fat and build muscle. 

Here’s UP’s top fat-loss workout: If the number of reps and sets intimate you, take it down a notch by reducing them. You can always work your way up once you’re feeling a bit more confident. 

Recipe:

1 chicken breast

50g baby corn

50g mangetout

¼ white onion

1 tsp ground almonds

½ tsp coconut oil 

½ tsp curry powder

¼ tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground turmeric

¼ tsp garlic powder 

Fresh coriander for garnish

Method:

Preheat oven to 170 deg C.

Season the chicken and place on a foil lined tray.

Roast chicken in oven for 20min, until fully cooked.

Pull the chicken apart with two forks.

Dice onion and saute in pan with coconut oil and spices.

Add the chicken to the pan with the baby corn and mangetout.

Pour coconut milk into the pan, reduce the heat and simmer for 10min.

Season and top with ground almonds and fresh coriander.

Dessert

It’s 8pm and you’re craving something to satisfy your sweet tooth. But you don’t want to put the day’s effort to waste. This UP Greek Yoghurt Parfait is refreshing and will curb your late-night hunger pangs. The dish consists of 438 calories. It has 42g of protein, 5g of fats and 58g of carbs. 

Before you say that carbs-before-bedtime is a bad idea, hold that thought. Pairing certain carbs like whole grains and fruits will give you better sleep. And adding a small amount of fat will stabilise your blood sugar throughout the night.

Recipe:

75g of avocado, diced

30g UP Chocolate Protein Whey Powder 

p>1 tbsp cacao powder

1 tbsp coconut oil, melted

1 tbsp honey (or agave nectar, if vegan)

1 tbsp Greek yoghurt (use almond milk if vegan)

30g of raspberries to serve

10g dark chocolate, 100 per cent cocoa

Method:

Combine avocado, whey protein, cacao powder, melted coconut oil, Greek yoghurt and honey in a food processor

Blend till smooth and stop when you get a creamy texture

Pour into a serving bowl and leave in fridge to chill for 15 – 30 min, so the coconut oil will set and thicken the mixture

Grate dark chocolate over it and garnish with raspberries

UP Cookbook is available for purchase at 8 Cross Street, Ultimate Performance Singapore or via amazon.

Brought to you by Ultimate Performance