Colour Challenges - Red

The general idea of these is to set up meals and activity around a colour.  This will give you a menu for the day in terms of nutrition as well as give you suggestions and ideas for some activity.  Most of the workouts are based around not going to a gym as I realise many of you may not be able to do this - however, please stick to your normal routines if you are a regular at your local workout place!  The food choices are "clean" so as free from too many chemical processes as possible, and designed for a healthy living rather than weight loss - however, this might be a happy side effect for many of you :)

Today is Red...

For Breakfast, think about some of the following:  Porridge with some red berries (buy fresh or just have a tub of frozen ones in the freezer - you can add a dollop to the hot porridge - it will cool it down and defrost at the same time!). Or sliced beef tomatoes on top of wholemeal bread with a small amount of salt and some pepper. Or Fresh strawberries with some granola and Greek yogurt.  If you don't do breakfast, think about a smoothy - cranberry juice, ice cubes, banana (with yogurt if you like it) or even strawberries in a protein shake.

For Lunch - see picture above, with is tomato salad with feta cheese, butter beans, red lettuce and basil, or have tuna with spicy tomato salsa (make your own with tomatoes, onion, and parsley) and some red kidney beans, or have homemade tomato soup (sweat some onions a carrot for 5 mins, add a kilo of fresh tomatoes or even a tin if you don't have any, some parsley and a handful of rice.  Cook for 30 mins, blitz and season to taste - use chili if you want.  Or roast a tray of sliced red peppers, when they come out, sprinkle some cous cous over the top - these will absorb the juices and flavour - serve with parsley,chick peas and pumpkin seeds.

For Supper - Roasted Salmon with green beans and sweet potato, or refried red kidney beans (sweat a spring onion with cumin seeds then add a half strained can of kidney beans and a shot of expresso  - if you don't want expresso just use the whole can of liquid. Cook for about 15 mins till nearly all liquid has gone. Mash up with a fork and add a drizzle of oil with some seasoning) with a tin of mackrel or pilchards in tomato sauce or some grilled halomi cheese and green salad. Pudding is stewed berries with greek yogurt and runny hunny or strawberry granita

Snacks - one choice for mid morning, mid afternoon and before bed if you are still hungry. Granola with strawberries, rasperries with a handful of almonds, Flapjack with fruit filling, pot of cinnamon porridge, handful of walnuts with 3 small cubes of red Leicester cheese

Exercise is cardio of course and your main aim is to get a red face :) so, Running or jogging for 30 mins. Walking is allowed if you are new to this, but each of you have to add 5 sprints for at least 10 seconds within this. Set up your smart phone to get the timings right. You will need 1-2mins recover.  Or 3 sets of 20 squats with 5 power squats at the end of each set (squat and jump up with both feet off the floor) interspersed with lying down on your stomach and getting up off the floor to standing x 5 times with a 15 second plank. So squat, power squat, lie down get up 5 times - then 15 sec plank (longer if you can) and repeat.  Or go to a high intensity group exercise session for at least 45 mins.