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Good hydration is always essential, but drinking enough water is even more important in pregnancy.
Firstly, it helps deliver all the goodness from your food and prenatal vitamins to your baby. Water helps your body to absorb essential nutrients from food and transports them to your blood cells, from where your baby consumes them via the placenta.

Water also encourages good digestion, which can often slow down during pregnancy (leading to constipation),it flushes you out and takes away toxins, helping you feel less uncomfortable, especially as your baby grows bigger and your stomach gets squashed.

During pregnancy you’re more prone to water retention, known as Oedema, it’s responsible for those puffy ankles and feet and the fact that your rings may no longer fit on your fingers anymore. Drinking more water will help with fluid retention by flushing you out along with excess sodium, minimising swelling.

You don’t need to drink more water than usual when pregnant, but you do need to make sure you drink enough, stick to around 2 litres a day. Keep it still and filtered in a drink bottle which you can carry around with you wherever you go, avoid sugary drinks and too much caffeine which acts as a diuretic, which can dehydrate you.
If plain water gets a little boring, try adding lemon or cucumber slices to water. Lemon acts as a great natural detoxer and cucumber gives you a hit of vitamins, or try some fresh mint leaves to help your digestion.

This healthy chicken sang choy bow has been awarded as my meal of the week. It’s light, fresh and super easy to make and prepare.

Left overs can be taken to work the next day for lunch, just make sure you store the chicken mixture and lettuce leaves in separate containers.

You could also use lean minced turkey, beef or pork instead of the chicken for this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 small thinly sliced brown onion

500g minced, free range chicken

2 cloves of crushed garlic

1 medium grated carrot

1 medium grated zucchini

1 cup finely shredded wombok

2 tablespoons tamari

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 teaspoon finely grated lime rind

2 tablespoons lime juice

6-8 baby cos lettuce leaves

1/2 cup loosely packed coriander leaves

1/4 cup chopped roasted unsalted cashews

Method:

1. Heat sesame oil in a wok, stir-fry onion for 2 minutes or until softened. Add chicken and garlic, stir-fry for 5 minutes until chicken is browned, breaking up any large lumps.

2. Add carrot, zucchini, wombok, tamari and fish sauce; stir-fry until heated through. Remove from heat, stir in rind and juice.

3. Spoon chicken mixture into lettuce leaves. Sprinkle with coriander and cashews.

4. Enjoy!! 😊

Serves 2 people
Prep + cook time- Only 20 minutes

How to stay on track with your health and wellbeing at your favourite restaurants.

Firstly, I believe that you should enjoy food without any feelings of guilt. I often go to beautiful restaurants and eat exactly what I feel like, but I also think that it’s important that you only limit it to once or twice or twice a week and definitely not all of the time.

When eating out, try to consider the quality of place that you have chosen to dine. I try to choose restaurants that have fresh, quality produce and a great reputation for taste and nutrition.

I don’t believe that you should lower your nutrition standards just because the food isn’t coming from your own kitchen.

Here are a few guidelines to help you stay on track when eating out:

1. Try to skip the entree and just order a main course. If you are really hungry, try ordering a salad or fresh juice.
2. Try to choose meals that a healthy side can be added to, such as a fish or lean steak. Ask for it to be grilled or steamed, ensuring it is healthy but still delicious.
3. When choosing a side, opt for green foods such as spinach, salads, broccoli, beans or brussel sprouts. Try to avoid things like fries, creamy mashed potato or anything drenched in butter.
4. If your meal comes with a sauce, ask for it to be served on the side so that you can control how much is used.
5. If you are dining out an Italian restaurant, choose tomato based sauces over cheese or creamy ones. Avoid the garlic bread and go easy on the Parmesan cheese.
6. If you are eating Asian food, look for stir fried vegetable- based or steamed dishes and avoid the fried foods and sauces that are laden with salt, cream or fats.
7. If you feel like dessert, try to choose the lightest option such as a sorbet or fruit based dish.
8. If there’s something on the menu that you can’t resist, ask someone to share it with you and stop at a couple of spoonfuls.

Remember to make the healthiest choices possible when eating out, but also relax and enjoy your time with family and friends. Just make sure that you get back into your healthy eating the very next day.

I have to be bikini ready all year round and can’t use Winter as an excuse to hide beneath track pants until the warmer months roll around. I have photoshoots that pop up without notice and I don’t believe in quick fixes or extreme measures.

Here are some of my favourite tips to keeping bikini ready all year round:

Find the exercise that you love to do

If you enjoy the training that you do, you are more likely to stick to it. Don’t let the latest fads and trends dictate what you do, exercise to make make yourself happy and feel good.

Drink more water

Most people struggle to drink as much water in the cooler months as what they do in Summer.
Drinking lots of water will keep your energy levels up, decrease bloating and fluid retention, and also help to smooth out cellulite.

Aim to drink at least two litres per day. Keep a bottle on your desk at work, in the car and of course with you when training.

Watch your snacks and portions

Try to keep some healthy snacks in your bag at all times to avoid unhealthy treats. Nuts, fruit or a protein shake are great and convenient options.
Portion control can also make a huge difference, try using a smaller dinner plate and avoid going back for seconds.

Fake it

We all know how much better a tan makes us feel, it covers flaws, makes you feel leaner and also more toned.
My favourite place to get a healthy glow is at Bronzalicious at Neutral Bay, though a DIY home job is also a great option.

Enjoy alcohol in moderation

Nowadays I only really enjoy a drink or two when on holidays. Personally I find alcohol to have the most impact on my body in terms of making me feel bloated and puffy. I’m not saying that you should cut it out completely but you will probably notice a huge difference in how your body looks and feels when enjoyed in moderation.

Lift heavier weights

You have probably heard this before and may still be sceptical, but I promise you that lifting heavy weights will not make you bulky, big or manly.
I feel my most toned and tightest when I lift heavier weights and it’s also great for creating curves in all the right places.

 Some simple tips to a flatter stomach

Nothing kills your confidence more than annoying belly bloat when wearing your favourite bikini or workout gear, especially when you have been training so hard.
Everything from your emotions and eating habits to the bacteria that call your gut home can balloon your waistline. Luckily there are some foods that you can eat and some tips to follow to help you avoid it!

Water, water, water!! – Keep a bottle with you at all times in order to flush out the toxins from your body and eliminate the extra salt from your system, which is a major contributor to bloat. You can also add lemon to your water for even more debloating properties, since lemons are a natural diuretic and will help reduce the amount of salt retained in the body.

Herbal teas – Teas such as peppermint or chamomile soothe inflammation and help relax the digestive tract.

Yoghurt – The probiotics found in yoghurt are good bacteria that regulate the health of your entire digestive tract.
The active cultures lactobacillus and acidophilus improve symptoms of bloating. Make sure to choose a yoghurt that is not highly processed or containing artificial sweeteners.

Pineapple and papaya – Both pineapple and papaya are rich in an enzyme called Papain which breaks down protein, easing the digestion process.

Asparagus – This anti bloating superfood flushes out any excess water from your system, alleviating any discomfort or puffiness.

Probiotics – Probiotics are helpful organisms that help to replace the good bacteria in your intestinal tract.
These good bacteria inhibit the growth of yeasts, parasites and bad bacteria, as well as restoring normal bowel function and promoting regularity which helps to eliminate some of the causes of bloating.

Get moving – Don’t skip your workout, exercise can help gas pass through the digestive tract faster, easing the bloated feeling.

Things to avoid:

Gum – Chewing gum causes you to swallow more air which

can result in a bloated stomach.

Straws – Choose to drink straight from the glass if you want to avoid consuming extra air.

Alcohol – Drinking too much alcohol can cause dehydration, which results in bloat and puffiness from your body holding onto any fluid that it can.

Don’t stress – As if stress wasn’t bad enough on its own, it can also make you bloat. When you are anxious, your body releases cortisol and adrenaline, hormones that stimulate your digestive system causing gas and bloating.