Right now most of us are thinking about the summer holidays and what we can do to look our very best for the week , 2 weeks or whatever were lucky enough to enjoy .
I saw this today and it really just sums up what we must do to get to where we want to be!
💗 Clare with the Hair 💗
Each day we bring you a hint, idea, or tip to keep you on track, be it with activity , eating better or a combo of both, today’s tip or advise is a super one and one most of us can do quiet easily, the toughest part to this is getting off the sofa.
The evening are getting brighter , the weather is getting warmer (it is really) and the summer sun is only weeks away, keep moving now so you can enjoy the summer, you will have more energy and you will feel better, that is a fact!
Thank you for reading you FABULOUS people
❤ Clare with the Hair ❤
Day 1: simple motivational quotes , tips , pictures & idea .
Today’s is this :
Thank you for reading you FABULOUS people
❤ Clare with the Hair ❤
I use this tasty, versatile peanut sauce not only as a dip for grilled satay skewers, but also for Stir Fried Rice or Noodles with Chicken and Peanut Sauce.. The sauce contains a little bit of heat, but you can cut back on it or eliminate it altogether if you wish. The sauce keeps for days in the fridge so make ahead of time for a simple go to sauce mid week. You also can thin the sauce with a little coconut milk, water, or chicken stock.
Makes: 4 servings (main meal) 8 (starter)
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
4 Skinless / Boneless Chicken Breast Fillets
1⁄2 cup peanut butter ( I used Almond Butter, reasons in week 6 Food & Activity Dairy)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon chilli paste / I clove of minced Garlic (Fresh can be unpredictable heat wise hence opting for the paste option) 1⁄2 teaspoon fresh chopped coriander
1 cup water
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice.
In a small saucepan, combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, ginger, brown sugar, chilli, garlic and coriander. Stir in the water. Heat the ingredients over medium heat, stirring to combine. Do not let the sauce boil or it will separate. The consistency of the sauce should be pourable, like double cream. When the peanut sauce is hot, stir in the lime juice. Taste the sauce and add a little more lime juice if you like more acidity. The sauce will keep, covered in the refrigerator, for about 1 week. Then take the chicken fillets and slice into finger size lengths. Thread onto skewers ( you can buy these in your supermarket or pick them up in your butchers.) then smother the chicken in your satay sauce, leave to sit for 30 minutes, place on a baking tray lined with baking parchment and grill, turning after 6-8 minutes and brushing with remaining sauce as you go.
Tip: Soak the Skewer Sticks in water while you prepar all the other bits, this will help them not to burn under the grill
I served these with some sweet chilli Prawn Skewers and Brown rice for our Saturday Night ‘Fake Away’ (I will add full details for both.
If you have a favourite Take away and would like me to create a ‘Fake Away’ version then please get in touch 🙂
Thank you for reading you FABULOUS people
❤ Clare with the Hair ❤
Day 1 down, how did you do?
I began and ended on plan with a 40 minute walk to ease me into moving again 🙂
So today is day one of my 28 day, kick start 2015 Eat Clean plan and I want to start with something extra scummy, yet seriously low in fat and packed with goodness you might think we have yet to begin eating clean 🙂 If you think Eating Clean means eating bland, boring foods, well think again, I have 28 day’s of tasty, exciting meals that will have you thinking differently , Trust me!
Today I bring you ‘Clare’s Warm and Zesty Thai Beef Salad‘ and this is a hit with my husband, children and friends alike and it is one you will go back to time and time again. This works really well with Chicken, Tofu and Mushrooms also.
Makes: 4 servings
Preparation Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
1: Remove the leaves from the coriander and place in a bowel, place the stalks in a food processor with the garlic, chilli, ginger, lemon juice, lemon zest, fish sauce and honey, turn the processor on until all ingredients are mixed well and finely chopped.
2: Trim and slice your beef into 1cm pieces, add to a bowel and top with half the Thai mixture in the processor, leave the other half to one side as this is used to dress the noodles, salad later.
3: Heat 1 tsp of coconut oil in a large frying pan, place 1/2 – 1/3 of the beef into this and cook on hot for 2-3 minutes, remove and cook the next 1/2 or 1/3 until all has been cooked.
4: Place the Thai noodles in hot salted water and cook for 8-10 minutes , drain and rinse in cold water, they will stick together if you do not do this. Steam the carrots above the noodles. They need no more cooking than the 8-10 minutes. Place the beef, noodles and carrots back into the large pan and heat gently.
5: Place the Cucumber, coriander, onion, mint and nuts in a large bowel, add the warm meat, noodles, carrots and pour over the remaining Thai dressing and mix well, server straight away.
Top Tip; If you are making an extra portion for your lunch the following day, do not warm the meat and noodles back up until you plan to serve, it is also delicious cold, so if no heating options then no problem, this is just as yummy.
Thank you for reading you FABULOUS people
❤ Clare with the Hair ❤
Week 7 but we are almost ready to post week 8 🙂 Oh yes!! Only in my world would this ever be ok, These last two weeks have been crazy however with work, social life, family and hobbies, my time has been whizzing by.
Regardless of how busy things have been, the eating well and moving more plan has continued, I did have a wobble last Friday week as we attended a Lady Gaga concert and the options for healthy eating just did not exist and the 3 Arena is not somewhere you would pack a picnic for. So we had some really bad chippy food, it was not good at all but worked wonders in it has us not wanting any chippy food 😉
We are almost the end of October and I feel my body is being clever and adjusting to all my changes so from November 1st I am have a wine, beer, cocktail free month and I plan to exercise every day, no day’s off!! now to be fair I plan some of these day’s to be no more than a walk but the plan is to not have one day without exercise 🙂 Easy!! … Probably not but by the 1st of December I will feel very proud of myself and hopefully a few of my readers will follow along and we can push each other over the 1st of December finish line!
The additional exercise classes I will begin this week is Thump Boxing and here is why:
> Boxing for fitness requires no choreography which makes it easy to learn and simple to follow providing there is structure and planning in your routines. You can utilise your training in small spaces as well as creating high intensity exercises with
minimal impact and stress on joints.
>A light to moderate intensity boxing sessions can expend between 354 to 1035 calories per hour
> Correct Boxing training not only works all parts of the body but also all aspects of fitness such as; Cardiovascular fitness,
Muscular endurance, Muscular strength, Stamina ,Co- ordination, and power.
Physically;
Strength and endurance gain – No strain of weights but all the benefits (Stregnth & endurance are natural by-products
of boxing training)
Low impact on joints but high intensity
Cardiovascular improvement in little amount of time
High energy and calorie expenditure in shorter amount of time
Adaptable to aerobic and anaerobic training
Whatever the goal is remember there is always the physical and mental advantages to any type of exercise training.
Let me know about the changes you are making and this things you now do that you would have never thought possible 3,4, 5 weeks ago.
Thank you for reading you FABULOUS people
❤ Claire with the Hair ❤
Hello diary readers, this update is some what better than last weeks as in it was a far better week for me as I ate very well and moved a lot 🙂
Lets begin with food!! I have continued to eat clean (not 100% clean but continuously moving towards 80-90% clean eating) This is not a sprint and like I always say, the little but constant changes are what work best for me. I don’t want take-outs anymore, I don’t fancy sweet treats daily anymore ( I do want them sometimes and sometimes I will say yes and sometimes I will say no) This week I have been good food wise and had just one sweet treat on Saturday evening, it was homemade sweet coconut popcorn, almost healthy 🙂 and I will pop full details in the easy meals section of this site. I am away for the weekend so I expect the odd wobble (excuse the pun) food wise as a trip to some of my favorite food stops in Dublin are on the cards this weekend.
I was asked what types of foods I used to feed my family and what we now eat, so I have put a list of examples for you to see the changes, seems big all together but I have tacked things one by one and 6 weeks in we have actually made big changes and we will continue to make these.
Example of meals cooked 6 weeks ago: 
And now the examples of foods we eat now, it is a big change but it is a real positive change like I said, doing this little by little is how we have managed this without feeling deprived, we are re programming our cravings and thoughts .
No fizzy drinks are included in our weekly shop, no crisps, no sweet treats. I think if they are not in the house then you are far less likely to have them as a trip to the shop is not always easy and often not worth the hassle 🙂
This weeks ‘One Big Change’ is Almond Butter, no regular butter, no peanut butter, we have swapped these out for Almond Butter and here is why:
On of almond butter’s health benefits come from its calcium and copper content. Both minerals play a role in brain cell communication and keep your nervous system functional, while calcium also aids in muscle function and keeps your skeleton strong. Copper enables you to make melanin, which is a pigment that helps protects your skin from the sun. Each 2-tablespoon serving of almond butter contains 111 milligrams of calcium, or 11 percent of the recommended daily intake, as well as 299 micrograms of copper, or one-third of the daily requirement.
Almond butter also contains beneficial magnesium and vitamin E. Like calcium, magnesium contributes to the health of your bones. It also helps you produce energy, as well as synthesize fatty acids needed for energy storage. A serving of almond butter offers 89 milligrams of magnesium, which is 28 percent of the daily recommended intake for women and 21 percent for men. Vitamin E supports health communication between your cells, and prevents blood lipid oxidation, which is a process linked to cardiovascular disease. Consuming 2 tablespoons of almond butter boosts your vitamin E intake by 7.8 milligrams and provides 52 percent of your recommended daily intake.
Almond butter offers cardiovascular benefits because of its fiber and fat content. Each serving of almond butter contains 18 grams of fat, made up primarily of unsaturated fatty acids. These fats improve your blood cholesterol levels to combat cardiovascular disease, and also provide energy. Fiber also benefits your cholesterol levels, and following a diet rich in fiber can reduce your coronary heart disease risk by up to one-third, notes the Linus Pauling Institute. A 2-tablespoon serving of almond butter offers 3.3 grams of fiber, which is 9 percent of the recommended daily intake for men and 13 percent for women.
Opt for all natural almond butter that’s free of sugar, hydrogenated fats and other additives. Check the nutrition label, and look for varieties that list almonds, or almonds and salt, as the only ingredients. Use almond butter in the same way you would peanut butter. It works well on toast or blended into fruit smoothies. Or you can even add a spoonful of almond butter to your morning porridge to add richness and flavor. It can also be used for cookies, cakes, fudge and tarts.
Almond Butter is yummy and really fabulous for you.
So Activity wise, we are still attending ‘Fit Camp’, walking and spinning, this week I am looking for a new class so suggestions very welcome 🙂
I miss not attending a class, if I go a day or two of doing nothing, then I miss it. Amazing how quickly the mind set and routine can change.
Thank you for reading you FABULOUS people
❤ Claire with the Hair ❤
I use this tasty, versatile peanut sauce not only as a dip for grilled satay skewers, but also for Stir Fried Rice or Noodles with Chicken and Peanut Sauce.. The sauce contains a little bit of heat, but you can cut back on it or eliminate it altogether if you wish. The sauce keeps for days in the fridge so make ahead of time for a simple go to sauce mid week. You also can thin the sauce with a little coconut milk, water, or chicken stock.
Makes: 4 servings (main meal) 8 (starter)
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: minutes
4 Skinless / Boneless Chicken Breast Fillets
1⁄2 cup peanut butter ( I used Almond Butter, reasons in week 6 Food & Activity Dairy)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon chilli paste / I clove of minced Garlic (Fresh can be unpredictable heat wise hence opting for the paste option) 1⁄2 teaspoon fresh chopped coriander
1 cup water
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice.
In a small saucepan, combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, ginger, brown sugar, chilli, garlic and coriander. Stir in the water. Heat the ingredients over medium heat, stirring to combine. Do not let the sauce boil or it will separate. The consistency of the sauce should be pourable, like double cream. When the peanut sauce is hot, stir in the lime juice. Taste the sauce and add a little more lime juice if you like more acidity. The sauce will keep, covered in the refrigerator, for about 1 week. Then take the chicken fillets and slice into finger size lengths. Thread onto skewers ( you can buy these in your supermarket or pick them up in your butchers.) then smother the chicken in your satay sauce, leave to sit for 30 minutes, place on a baking tray lined with baking parchment and grill, turning after 6-8 minutes and brushing with remaining sauce as you go.
Tip: Soak the Skewer Sticks in water while you prepar all the other bits, this will help them not to burn under the grill
I served these with some sweet chilli Prawn Skewers and Brown rice for our Saturday Night ‘Fake Away’ (I will add full details for both.
If you have a favourite Take away and would like me to create a ‘Fake Away’ version then please get in touch 🙂
Thank you for reading you FABULOUS people
❤ Claire with the hair McCarthy ❤
Well week 5 has to be hands down my least active and worst food week to date 😦 But I had kind of planned it like this, ‘honest’ as my regular readers will know I have been on a 21 day No candy, No cakes, No white bread, No white pasta, No white rice, No chips, No fast food (be it curry’s, burgers, pizza etc) No chocolate, No ice cream, No alcohol challenge, this came to an end before the weekend so I indulged in a nice Thai meal from Limerick’s newest Thai and Noodle restaurant KAYA and I choose to have my favourite from here which is ‘NASI GORENG’ Malaysian Fried rice (I opted for brown rice) with prawn, chicken and topped with
a fried egg and grilled chicken sate, incredibly tasty and a real treat at the end of my 21 day challenge. I washed this down with 3 very large glasses of my favourite wine 🙂 
, After just 21 day’s without any wine I was actually quiet merry after my three glasses.
I then headed off to Dublin Saturday and Sunday night, to enjoy some night life, get in some shopping, visit the new beauty bar in Penney’s and to see the fab Ed Sheeran, a busy few days filled with fabulous moments and memories that will last a life time 🙂 On week 5 and I have been taken this plan very seriously and I think the odd down time and weekends like I just lived are as important as the food and activity plan.
I found the 21 day No candy, No cakes, No white bread, No white pasta, No white rice, No chips, No fast food (be it curry’s, burgers, pizza etc) No chocolate, No ice cream, No alcohol challenge pretty ok to do and I felt great from doing it that I have decided to jump right back in to another 21 day’s 🙂 (My hubby and kids just love this decision) 🙂
So as much as I think breaks are needed and treats are good I also think you need to use them as a break and not the norm, if I didn’t go straight back into the 21 day challenge then I may give up altogether and this can not happen. I am too determined for that!!
I have served up some delicious foods to the family this week even though I had a bit of a break and from a few weeks ago where they thoughts some meals were a little boring or tasteless, they are now enjoying them and I think I am learning to create ‘Clean meals’ better than I could 5 weeks ago. 
We have swapped out most junk food for healthier food options and as a family we are all feeling better. I do not buy junk food in the supermarkets, I think if it is not in the house then it is highly unlikely that in the evening (when the dinner is done, the soaps are on and my feet are up / this is my weak time) I will get up and walk to the shop for nibbles or nice things. even the label ‘nice things’ or ‘treats’ is wrong, sugar is not good for us, white breads and pasta are not good, yet we have been programmed to think these are our treats, out rewards in food form, the marketing teams and advertising people behind these ‘nice things’ have fooled us all 🙂 the swine’s!!
This is a selection of some of the food’s I prepared at home this week, the hubby and the kids fancied something nice so i treated them to home-made scones ( I gained serious brownie points with these) 🙂
Exercise wise, activity wise, I actually did ok , even with my days away. I used the gym in the hotel I stayed at in Dublin, I attended two ‘Fit Camp’ classes and one ‘Spinning’ class, with still walking to and from work each day, this is a serious improvement from where I was 5 weeks ago. If you would like to join me on one of the classes I attend in Limerick then get in touch and we can go together, messages I have received from readers over the last few weeks mentioned the lack of an exercise buddy or the fear of entering a class alone when they did not have any idea what to expect, has been putting them off attending. So if you would like to join me then you are more than welcome. Get in touch and we will attend together 🙂
Still an on-line Unislim member (in membership alone) not actively following the plan because as I said last week, I find the on line plan so what confusing and the advise given by Unislim has been to attend a class (as yet I have not found the time) but this week I hope to find time to do this, I have a fairly busy week in work and a few social events to get in, so it maybe the following week before I attend a class but I am determined to learn how this plan works as from looking at all the plan’s out this seems like the best for me and the social media supports via Twitter and Facebook are brilliant.
Thank you for reading you FABULOUS people
❤ Claire with the hair McCarthy ❤
Here we are, Week 4: (all be it a day late) 🙂 But WOW what a week, changes galore and feeling FANTASTIC, I hope all my readers who are following along are feeling as good but if you are not, do not worry, we have some messages and tips to keep you on track and focused today.
“One Big Change” became 2 this week but if you wish then stick to one at a time, this is not a sprint and you are in no hurry, little changes will yield great results.
So we are now on day 17 or our 21 days challenge with (( No candy, No cakes, No white bread, No white pasta, No white rice, No chips, No fast food (be it curry’s, burgers, pizza etc) No chocolate, No ice cream, No alcohol)) only 4 days to go and by day 19 I should not want to revert I am told 🙂 Lets see!! will be enjoying this weekend coming as I am going away for a few days but I will begin a new 21 days without the above once again.
So my ‘One Big Change’ that became 2 is, well first of all I joined Unislim http://unislim.com/ and not for the weight management side of this but more for the support from the unislim community, via their classes and on-line supports, meal planning and they also have exercise recommendations etc, Now I have opted to join on-line and I find this a little confusing to follow but I plan to get to a class this week to gain some insight to how this plan actually works but for the time being I am using the on-line tools to document my food intake (all be is hard to fill in) and spending lots of time looking at meal suggestions and options.
The 2nd thing I have done for this weeks ‘One Big Change’ I have started a 4 week Fit Camp, Last night was night number 1 and today, lets just say stairs, sitting down or any movement is not what you would call easy today 🙂 
I have signed up with Aidan Shanahan Personal Trainer and his site say’s this about the Fit Camp ” Welcome to the INDOOR fitness program at the DELTA SPORTS DOME designed to get you in your best shape ever with a trainer that care about your goals and will do whatever it takes to get you what you want. Instead of your bodyweight workout in the park doing Burpees and Starjumps, why not come and join a group program run by myself where I can effectively deliver a 121 personal training style workout to multiple people in one go.
This program uses weights, sleds, kettlebells, boxing, circuits, slam balls, tyres, farmers walks, battling ropes plus al lot more and all safely indoors at the Delta Sports Dome complex.
Yes, there’s no muddy cold weather here, this membership provides the ultimate experience for my class members and deliver a cutting edge training program so you can get in the best shape of your life! So don’t waste any more time and get yourself signed up to Limericks best Large Group Training program.
In addition you get FREE NUTRITION PLAN AND BODY COMPOSITION ASSESSMENT…
Aidan including a nutrition plan and regular body comp assessments in this membership. This usually costs €150 for a months membership. You are now getting it for €75… 12 classes, 2 body comp assessments, online support, nutrition plan. This is guaranteed to take you to another level. Incredible value really.
(My Post Workout Face) ((Testing a Foundation/ if you wondered why I have a face on while working out)) 🙂 All in the name of research.
As well as walking home for lunch, carrying on with the Spinning, we now have Fit Camp slotted into our weekly workouts, looking at it all together it seems a lot but as we have take little baby steps and tacked each phase one by one it has been totally dooable 🙂
I have been super good on the food front with eating clean and following my 21 days challenge.
One of the new things I make for my family this week was Sushi, as we love the stuff but finding it or finding it at a good price is near impossible so I said I would attempt this myself, and do you know what?: It is not actually that difficult and it is super low in fat and a little goes a really long way ( I struggled to make brown rice Sushi look good) so here is my Sushi making attempt in pictures from the traditional Sushi white rice. 
Any questions on any of my blog,then please do not hesitate to make contact with me.
Oh and last but not lease for today, some words Aidan places around the Fit Camp class, these may help you
Thank you for reading you FABULOUS people
❤ Claire with the Hair ❤
ClareWithTheHair.Com 