“A lack of self-awareness is poison, reflection and review is the antidote!”

Reflecting on any particular experience can produce significant value and learning for individuals. However, it is important that when we reflect, we line up our reflections with particular goals and objectives that we have set out. This will allow you to progress towards what is important to you and overcome areas that may be standing in your way!

To maintain a reflective mindset, we must be consistent because, on the more difficult weeks, it can be easy to say “That was a write-off” or “I’ll only focus on the easier weeks”. But every day/week/month gives us an opportunity to learn and progress. And once we begin reflecting over a long period of time, we start to notice patterns emerging. Then this is when we can understand what works for us and what doesn’t, i.e. you have always done x so that enabled you to achieve y or when I was consistently working at x I wasn’t able to progress to y.

Therefore, being aware of your habits, be it ones you want to change or the ones you want to maintain, will allow you to strive to become a better you and achieve things in life that you initially thought were impossible

So maybe while reflecting going forward (some may do it daily others may do it weekly or even monthly), try to consider the following questions:

• What were my 3 main successes?
• What did I do to make them a success?
• What were the 3 main challenges I faced?
• What made these challenges arise?
• What do I need to focus on to maintain the successes and avoid challenges occurring again?

Nutrition fact of the week

We all know that nuts are high in fat, so people can sometimes tend to avoid them due to their high-calorie content. Nuts are actually highly nutritious and a fantastic addition to stir-fries, salads or even just as a snack.

Research over the years has shown that tree nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts, pistachios) actually contain fewer calories than previously estimated. Due to this fact, we don’t digest them in their entirety because of the body’s inability to break down the nuts cell walls. Instead, a percentage of them are passed through faeces. Therefore, it ends up being between 10-30% less calories consumed than what was previously suggested.

But the same doesn’t go for nuts that have been processed i.e. roasted, made into nut butter as the cell walls are much easier for the body to digest!

Nutrition tip of the week

It’s coming up to that time of year when we should start considering taking a vitamin D supplement. This is due to the climate in Ireland and we cannot acquire sufficient amounts through sunlight or our diets therefore supplementation is required!

Why? Vitamin D is required for calcium absorption, good bone health, normal function of the immune system, and muscle function. And therefore, is necessary for young children and as we age!

Recommended requirements for supplementation:

• Ages 5-11 who get sunlight exposure during summer
• Fair-skinned ethnicity, a daily vitamin D supplement containing 10 µg (400IU) from October to March
• Darker-skinned ethnicity a daily vitamin D supplement containing 10 µg (400 IU) for the full year
• Ages 12–65 years getting sunlight exposure during summer
• Fair-skinned ethnicity, a daily vitamin D supplement containing 15 µg (600 IU) October-March
• Darker-skinned ethnicity and individuals of all ethnic groups who are pregnant, a daily vitamin D supplement containing 15 µg (600 IU) for the full year

Performance & Health

See last week’s blog post on Nutrition FAQs.

This week’s simple swaps

This week’s recipes

Salmon Stirfry

Time: 30 minutes / Difficulty: Easy / Serves 2 / Nutritional values – 450kcal 45g carbs, 28g protein, 18g fat

Ingredients: 2 large salmon fillets / 2 tbsp reduced salt Soy sauce / 3 tbsp grated ginger / 2 clove garlic chopped / 3 tbsp lemon juice / 4 tsp oil / 100g rice noodles / 1 onion (spring onion preferably) / 1 red chilli / 100g sugar snaps / 100g spinach / 1 pepper / juice from half a lime

Recipe:

• Combine 2 tsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp ginger, 1 garlic clove, 2 tbsp lemon, and 1 tsp oil to form a marinade. Place the fillets in a bowl, add the marinade and leave covered for 10 minutes
• Cook noodles as instructed
• In a frying pan, add the salmon and leave for 2-3mins or until slightly crispy and flip and repeat. Add in all the marinade. Once cooked, position the fillets skin side up with juices and cover in tinfoil
• Separately in the frying pan heat the remaining oil, add the onion, garlic, chilli, and ginger and stir! Then add the pea, spinach and pepper and cook for another 2 minutes
• Add the remaining soy sauce, lime juice and salt & pepper and the cooked noodles
• Remove from heat and split between 2 bowls + salmon.

Carrot cake bites

Time: 10 minutes / Difficulty: Easy / Serves 16 balls / Nutritional values – 117kcal 14g carbs, 4g protein, 5g fat

Ingredients: 140g carrots grated or blitzed / 50g walnuts / 16g flaxseed / 60g desiccated coconut / 100g oats / 1/4 tsp ginger / 2 tsp cinnamon / 100g dates (soak in boiling water for 10 minutes) / 70g nut butter of choice / 1 tsp vanilla / 1 tbsp maple syrup

Recipe: Blitz or grate the carrots and set aside. Add all dry ingredients (oats, coconut, walnuts, ginger, cinnamon, flax) to a food processor until finely ground! Add in almond butter, vanilla, syrup, carrot and dates and blend until a dough is formed! Scoop out dough and roll into 16 similar-sized balls and roll in coconut or chopped walnuts Keep in the fridge for up to a week!