Start as you mean to go on: Breakfast

An oatmeal or porridge concoction will give you a strong start. Try adding almond nut butter, like Pip & Nut or Meridian Foods. Flaxseed has numerous benefits, too, and can be sprinkled onto an omelette, waffles, pancakes or yoghurt. If you like cornflakes but you’re looking to  go grain free, try Amaranth flakes with ice-cold almond milk. They’re entirely made from a seed, so are naturally gluten free. If you fancy a little Sunday breakfast treat,  give Dr Zak’s toast or cinnamon bagels a try; they’re enhanced with protein so will contribute positively to your macros. Winning

Bulking up? Try these…

1.Multi-Vitamins

There are many different manufacturers, so be sure to find a suitable product for your individual needs. Your micro nutrient needs are individual, so you won’t necessarily need the same one as your mate.

2. Weight Gainer

You’ll need a decent quality weight-gaining protein. Be sure to find the right balance for yourself.

3. EFA’s – Essential Fatty Acids

Often overlooked as a bulking tool, you can look to a dietary source from foods, such as salmon, or take a supplement.

4. ZMA

A synergistic blend of zinc and magnesium so often overlooked, but hugely beneficial.

5. Amino Acids and Branch Chain Amino Acids

Some products can be difficult to mix with water and therefore hard to take. When you find one you like, try to ensure that the additional ingredients are minimal – keep your products as pure as possible.

6. Beating Those Cravings

If you’re regularly craving the same foods, it could be your body’s way of telling you that you need to consume certain minerals. However, if you just fancy trying something between planned meals, try chickpeas, edamame beans and coconut oil. You may find that a decent daily probiotic, or perhaps a supplement of zinc and/or L-glutamine, will also help to alleviate cravings.

Top Five Healthy Drinks. Cheers!

1. TreeVitalise

This is tasty, and can also help boost your body’s antiinflammatory responses.

2. Rebel Mylks

If you fancy a milk shake, try Rebel Mylks; they have some beautiful flavours and are completely dairy and sugar-free.

3. Green Tea

This magic brew has been associated with so many healthboosting effects that drinking it should be mandatory. DO IT!

4. Aloe Drinks

They’re soothing on the digestive tract, low in carbs, naturally sweet tasting and reasonably cheap. What’s not to like?

5. Coconut Water

This is the fastest-growing soft drink in the UK. Why? It’s great for re-hydration, it tastes great and it’s full of nutrients.

6. Food On The Go

What should you snack on for a speedy saviour? Top of the list should be a single-serve cottage cheese pot, or a Pip & Nut single-serve sachet. If all else fails, try to find a protein bar, or almonds, which are packed with good fats and protein and which help to keep your blood sugar steady (and can aid longterm weight loss). For a protein-rich snack, try jerky, biltong or a tuna pouch.

Getting Lean? Stick these on your shopping list

1. CLA – Conjugated Linoleic Acid

An essential fatty acid (alongside your omegas) found in grassfed cattle and which is perfect for body-fat loss. CLA has also been associated with the prevention of breast cancer.

2. Glucomanan

A water-soluble polysaccharide that is considered a dietary fibre and which can help you feel full. Often used as an emulsifier or thickener.

3. Chromium

A natural, non-stimulant that can help block the assimilation of carbs and hence storage, possibly then helping with fat loss as an energy source

4. White Kidney Bean

A sugar obtained from the hard outer skeleton of shellfish that binds with fat molecules in the digestive tract to  prevent absorption.

The Healthiest Fast Foods

Choose between a McDonalds’ chicken caesar salad or a Subway salad. Alternatively, try and find a Pret a Manger for a salad box, or a Starbucks for one of their chicken and hummus boxes. If you are lucky enough to live in Yorkshire, head to a Filmore & Union and sample some of their delicious clean eating and healthy meal options.

Want to burn Fat? No Problem…

1. Raspberry Ketone

A revolutionary product causing waves online, on social media and currently being sold by the bucket load.  The anecdotal evidence is pretty compelling.

Budgeting Top Tip? Tinned tuna, which is packed with protein and super cheap!

2. T5

These 100% natural fat burners are scientifically backed as a potent fat-loss product. They provide natural thermogenic stimulation within the body, which raises the metabolic rate and increases the breakdown of fat and calorie burning.

3. Omegas

Increased omega-3 levels may assist in achieving your weight loss goals, possibly focusing on getting rid of that stubborn  belly fat.

4. Lipo-6

A powerful and extremely popular fat-loss support formula that utilises maximum strength liquid capsules for absorption and rapid effects. It is an all-natural vegetable capsule devoid of any animal derived gelatin materials.

5. Thermobol

A combination of caffeine, green tea and vitamin B. It can make you feel more alert, give you better mental focus and concentration. It is high in chromium, which helps you control blood sugars whilst leaning out.

Top Tips For Those On a Budget

Try buying your chicken breasts in bulk. Also, try peanut butter instead of almond or cashew butter, add eggs to any meal and chow down on some Rizopia pasta (basically brown rice in disguise but better value for money and highly nutritious).  Then there’s tinned tuna, which is packed with protein and  super cheap.

Snacks (Because We All Have them)

1. Fossil Fuel Bars

These are made from the highest quality real food ingredients, providing clean, long-lasting fuel your body will love, whatever your activity. Bursting with nutrients, each delicious bar is a handy hunger-busting snack to get you through the day, and a power-packed energy bar to fuel your WOD, ride, surf or climb. A brilliant healthy treat for kids, too.

2. Jerky/Biltong

The meat that forms Savanna biltong comes from grass-fed Aberdeen Angus beef cattle. They use premium silverside sourced in the stunning Cairngorm Mountains and matured on the bone for extra flavour. The butchers cut the meat  by hand and remove the sinew, the tough layer of skin that makes biltong chewy, and it is then spiced and slow dried for four days to produce medium-wet, tender tasty biltong. Original and Chilli Chutney Beef Biltong won gold in the 2014 Great Taste Awards.

3. Greek Yoghurt

A firm favourite in the foodie world is the Fage Total Greek.  It has 0% fat and is good for your overall macros (not great for those on the keto diet or who have a dairy allergy).

4. Kale Crisps

Full of vitamin E (add cashew butter for flavor and crunch), these are the perfect low-calorie snack for those craving crisps.

5. Crobar

The first UK natural energy bar, CROBAR contains flour made from… crickets! Insects are set to be one of the food trends going into 2016 because they are not only tasty, high in protein and iron, they also have a much lower environmental impact than cattle, and are thus a much more sustainable source of protein than most meats.

Founder of CROBAR and fitness fanatic Christine Spliid was dissatisfied with current protein bars using sugar and artificial ingredients, and decided to use a source of protein that has already gained a big following in the US, Netherlands and Belgium: roasted and pulverized crickets. Because crickets are very high in protein, the addition of a small amount of cricket flour makes for a sustainable way to add more protein to food products. Other ingredients include nuts, dates and seeds, and the bars are free from added sugar, gluten and dairy.  CROBAR has launched with two flavours, Cacao & Chia and Peanut Crunch.

Need A Treat?

1. WheyHey

WheyHey is the world’s first and best-selling protein ice cream. Two pals with a common interest in good nutrition and great food founded the company, and the duo dreamt up the idea of a tasty ice cream that’s also good for you. They haven’t looked back…

2. Lenny & Larry

The all-natural Snickerdoodle Complete Cookie is the newest addition to the Lenny & Larry product line-up. It’s a great-tasting vegan cookie with no animal products, no dairy products and no preservatives. With 16 grams of protein,  6 grams of fiber, 0 grams of trans fat and 0 grams of cholesterol, you can see why The Complete Cookie is the perfect snack.

3. Quest Nutrition Bar

Just when you thought their unbeatable, super-clean, lowcarb range couldn’t get any better, Quest surprise us with their own take on the toasty-sweet marshmallow. One of Quest’s chunkiest bars yet, the ‘graham cracker’ (think crunchier Lady Fingers/Sponge fingers) is something else, and they come with chocolate chunks – big ones – on the topping. This is covered by a lightly sweet, subtle marshmallow-flavoured bar. As good as it sounds.

4. Two Chicks

Munching on crisps as a snack or lunch accompaniment can be a hard habit to break. They’re convenient, they have a long shelf life and, annoyingly, they taste good, too.  And they’re impossible to ignore when in a pub or at a BBQ. This is why Chirps, the alternative crisp from Two Chicks (the people behind the liquid egg whites in a carton), are perfect. Described as a ‘snack with the bite of a crisp high in protein while lower in fat and carbs’,  Chirps contain egg white – a high-protein source, of course – combined with rice flour, and they are a healthy alternative without having lost any taste. You can choose from Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper, Sour Cream & Onion and Smoky Jalapeño flavours, the last of which boasts more spice than your dad’s aftershave. They’re low in sugar, full of natural flavours and are made with non-GMO products, plus they have 30% less calories than other crisps, so perfect for when you’re on  the move.

Two Chicks have certainly got your back when it comes to protein snacks. If you haven’t tried their Free-Range Liquid Egg Whites, high in protein and in all the major supermarkets, then you probably need to have a long hard look at yourself. Their egg whites have zero fat or cholesterol and have put an end to the arduous task of separating eggs. They also mean less mess/waste with unwanted yolks, plus they’re pasteurised, and therefore safe to put straight in your protein shake (unlike eggs from shops). And with 70% less calories than whole eggs, they’re an eggcelent [sorry] addition. You can get liquid whole eggs too, if you wish. Better still; get their free-range egg white omelette mix, which is low in fat and carbohydrates and high in protein.

5. Joe And Seph Popcorn

Joe & Seph’s are a family business that launched in 2010 with a mission to produce the best-tasting popcorn in the world. All of the popcorn is handmade in London by a small team of pastry chefs. They now have a range of over 40 flavours of gourmet popcorn, and have won a total of 15 Great Taste Awards.

Dessert?

1. Swedish Glace

A soy-based frozen dessert, perfect if you’re lactose or gluten intolerant.

2. Booja Booja

Booja Booja produces organic chocolates, truffles and ice creams. They’re dairy, soya and gluten-free. And delicious!

3. Tofutti

A tasty replacement for cream cheese, perfect for those on a diary-free diet.

4. Bessant & Drury

Another delicious and dairy-free alternative to ice cream. Uses coconut milk.

5. Almond Dream

Non-dairy ice cream made from almonds with added sea salt.

6. Coyo

Uses freshly squeezed cream from the white flesh of the coconut to create vegan yoghurt alternatives and coconut ice cream.

7. Perfect World’s Ice Creams

No added sugar and dairy and wheat-free, these ice creams actually come with health benefits! Sold via Ocado.

Lower Your Cholesterol

If you have been diagnosed with high cholesterol; consider trying some natural remedies before you start taking prescription medications. Artichoke leaf, fish oils, ginseng, niacin and red yeast rice should all help.

Pre- Workout

Need a Boost Before You Hit The Gym?

1. Paleo Coffee

After some energy boosters? Most sports nutrition companies will have their own pre-workout formulas that will deliver a buzz or kick. I prefer paleo coffee, particularly their Nates Fighting Coffee.

2. Amino Drinks

These are increasingly popular and you can buy the powder to mix yourself, which increases the shelf life. They are great to drink throughout your workout, too.

3. Nix & Kix

I am an advocate of utilising natural ingredients and products, and this Nix & Kix natural energy booster contains spice cayenne pepper, which is blended with other natural ingredients to provide a tasty and natural energy kick.  No added sugars or chemicals.

4. Oats

Oats can be quite heavy on the stomach, and they’re not suitable for gluten allergic or intolerant fitness folk, or those following a paleo-style grain-free diet plan. For everyone else, get stuck in!

PS After Your Work Out, Refuel Quickly.

High-protein formulas are extremely popular and many come pre blended. However, if you want something a little different, or you want to avoid sugars, try eating homemade hummus, a wholewheat or Dr Zaks bagel with almond nut butter on it, a glass of Chocolate milk, or a Go Nutrition egg white and spinach omelette with feta.

Vegan For Victory

If you’re trying a Vegan diet, or if you want to give yourself a meat break, try Alpro, Redwoods Foods, Tofu, Calcium supplements and Daiya.