Recently I watched a few health programmes on the television, from losing weight to getting fit. I have taken some ideas and made a few simple changes myself. One that I’m experimenting is intermittent fasting using the 5:2 Fast Diet model. This means for two days a week, I reduce calorie intake to 500 calories, (600 calories if you are male). The rest of the week, i.e. 5 days I eat normally without restriction, on fresh, healthy, nutritious and seasonal food. And if I so desire an ice cream for dessert, like I did on Sunday, I enjoyed that immensely. I have just completed the fourth week and actually quite looking forward to getting 2 fasts done weekly. This way of eating and fasting is surprisingly easy to follow, it just needs a bit of willpower, lots of water on the fast days, keeping active and busy and when I did eat, they were delicious and enjoyable meals; it wasn’t at all like a hungry dragon unleashed! Another bonus is that it requires no special equipment or food replacement, nor a daily perpetual abstinence and joyless existence. And when I struggle, let’s face it, who doesn’t, I tell myself it’s just one day, tomorrow is another day and I can eat normally. A little delayed gratification and abstinence is no bad thing!
On hindsight, I have incorporated several eating habits for a while, e.g. preparing some brown rice and a huge plate of greens to eat with an Indian takeaway, and ordering just two curries to share, usually one vegetarian like dhal or saag paneer (spinach curry with paneer cheese) and a meat/poultry/fish curry. I haven’t felt particularly deprived in any way. To me, these are little simple ways to enjoy food but a little healthily.
I have come up with the recipe below on one of my fast days. It is so simple to make and tasty, I thought I would put it on here. And don’t worry, this is absolutely family friendly, all you need to do to make it more substantial is to add a side dish and maybe a fresh chopped salsa and everyone will enjoy it. No one will feel deprived or put in a naughty corner, ogling other people’s plates! No more cooking different meals!
The vegetable of choice used in this recipe is asparagus, mainly because it is seasonal in the UK at this time of year. I love the crunchy texture and the health benefits in a bunch of these. Did you know asparagus is a pre-biotic, and the difference between pre-biotic and pro-biotic? In a nutshell, pre-biotic “feeds” the good bacteria in our gut, whereas pro-biotic are the “good” bacteria found in food products and food supplements that can beneficially affect our health by improving the balance and function of the gut bacteria. Common and popular form of pro-biotics are yoghurt and kefir. For optimal gut health, eating a wide range of pre-biotic is a good idea. Asparagus, along with many plant foods contain pre-biotics, such as artichokes, bananas, berries, tomatoes, garlic, onions, legumes, green vegetables and wholegrain cereals. In other words, fibre is the key word for pre-biotic.
Griddled spiced chicken breast with asparagus
300g asparagus, peel the tough ends with a vegetable peeler
1 skinless and boneless chicken breast, about 200g
1/4 lemon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon Zataar
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salt & pepper
– Mix the spices with salt and pepper in a small bowl. Coat the chicken breast all over with half a teaspoon of oil.
– Take a large sheet of greaseproof paper, sprinkle half the seasoning on it, then put the chicken breast on top. Sprinkle the rest of the spices on top of the chicken breast, fold over the paper over it. Now take a small saucepan, and bash the chicken breast so that it flattens, tenderises and the spices stick to it.
– Preheat a griddle pan or a skillet or a frying pan. Rub the asparagus with half a teaspoon of oil and grill them till tender but cooked, still retaining a crunchy bite. Remove to a serving plate. Now griddle the chicken, flip over after the crust has formed, keep turning and grilling until it is cooked.
– Place the cooked chicken breast on top of the asparagus. Squeeze over some fresh lemon juice and a generous sprinkle of fresh parsley before serving.
* If you would like to bulk this up, roasted sweet potato wedges, a green side salad and a sweetcorn and avocado salsa would make a satisfying meal for the family.
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