MEDIA RELEASE

EAT YOURSELF SEXY
EXCLUSIVELY FOR LIFESTYLE YOU

MONDAY 8 NOVEMBER

XYZnetworks’ LifeStyle YOU today announced that it has commissioned Southern Star Entertainment to produce an Australian series of the Cineflix International format, EAT YOURSELF SEXY. Inspiring and uplifting, EAT YOURSELF SEXY encourages women to take control of their lives and get back on the road to loving themselves.

“LifeStyle YOU prides itself on knowing Australian women. Our viewers contact us all the time with requests for makeovers, diet and exercise plans and relationship advice. When we found this show we knew it was perfect for LifeStyle YOU as it covers the gamut and the goal of what Australian women want to be – healthy, happy and sexy,” said Nicole Sheffield, General Manager, LifeStyle Channels. “Eat Yourself Sexy crosses genres with diet and fitness advice along with makeover tips and is about the realistic makeover to get Australian women feeling sexy again.”

EAT YOURSELF SEXY follows the stories of eight women, one per episode, as they transform their bodies and find the power to reignite their relationships with the help of a team of experts. From the salad dodging housewife whose libido has gone missing to the frantic mum-of-three who never has time for herself, this series will help Australian women lose weight, regain health and reclaim their long-lost mojo once and for all.

Hosting the Australian series and guiding these women along their life changing journey is LifeStyle YOU presenter Sarah Wilson. Sarah knows it’s possible to eat yourself sexy and she is going to prove it. Along with expert nutritionist Emma Sutherland and trainer Blake Worrall-Thompson, they are on a quest to transform these women from saggy and stressed-out, to sexy and stunning in just eight short weeks.

"The premise of Eat Yourself Sexy is so refreshing. The series is about changing your eating patterns to not just lose weight, but feel better about yourself and regain confidence, energy and sexual spark. I think Australians will learn a lot from this show... it goes into the kitchens and bedrooms of everyday women and holds a mirror up to our habits,” said Sarah Wilson.
EAT YOURSELF SEXY follows the Cineflix International format of the series, which sees international nutrition sensation Gillian McKeith use her no nonsense, tough love approach to get women back into shape.

Southern Star Entertainment will produce the eight-part one hour series for LifeStyle YOU which is currently in production. EAT YOURSELF SEXY is set to premiere mid 2011.
“Eight Australian women with very relatable food issues fess up about wanting to get their health on track and find a new sense of body confidence. What they learn and how they change is deeply inspiring,” said Courtney Gibson, Director of Programmes at Southern Star Entertainment.

LifeStyle YOU is available on FOXTEL and AUSTAR.

Book Update

Sorry we haven't blogged for awhile; Emma has been busy with her clinic work and i have been busy with my full-time job (Breville's Test Kitchen Manager and Cooking Specialist). So, I wanted to give you a update on the book. Emma has completed all her research notes and i have been madly recipe writing and testing. We sent out all the recipes recently to keen recipe testers and this was such a positive experience for us; we received constructive feedback and some twigging and retesting was required and now we are in the second round of recipe testing. So our aim is by end of December to have all recipes tested so that we can start approaching publishers early next year - Wish us luck! Cheers, Michelle

My New Best Friend is also Product of the Month!

Ssshhhhh - I have a secret to share with you. It's my new kettle and it is amazing! You may be wondering what all the fuss is about but this is not just a kettle. It is the Breville Automatic tea maker and kettle and it makes me the perfect cup of tea every single morning. It has 5 different temperatures and 3 different tea strengths. All I do is press "Herbal" and "Strong" and put my tea in the large tea basket and voila - perfectly brewed tea and it even keeps it warm for an hour! Perfect as I love to top up my tea throughout the morning.

As far as smart designs go, this little baby is hard to beat. A clear glass jug so I can see my tea brewing, a clear beeping to alert me to my cuppa and it really does look rather special in my kitchen. So bravo Breville on making my morning tea ritual just that one bit more special and enjoyable!

Zucchini Fritters

We'll ladies who would have thought zucchini and mozzarella to be friends! Last night i made Bill Grangers Zucchini Fritters from October Issue Delicious Magazine and they were absolutely fabulous. Attached my photo for proof! Happy Healthy Cooking. Cheers, Michelle.

Mint Lassi

I have mint growing wildly in my courtyard at the moment and I've been using the mint leaves in tea, or finely shred and/or tear leaves to mix in salads or add to other herbs to garnish curries and if your planning on cooking a spicy curry, I have the most soothing drink to refresh and cool down your mouth, here is my Mint Lassi.

Mint Lassi
2 Tablespoons biodynamic organic wholemilk yoghurt
125ml fullcream organic milk
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
8 ice cubes
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
Sprig mint

In a cocktail shaker, add all ingredients except mint and shake well.
Pour chilled yoghurt drink into a glass and top with a sprigs of mint.

Delicious!

Happy Healthy Eating!

Michelle xx

Pomegranate Martini

Pomegranates are a good source of Vitamin C, B5, Potassium, Polypheriols such as Tannins and Flavonoids. Besides from being good for you the humble pomegranate is delicious in taste and looks spectacular!

Last night after a busy day the office, i made a refreshing pomegranate martini and sat in my courtyard, sipping generously and reflecting at the day events. I used Rosehip tea in my recipe for extra wellbeing and if your on a alcohol free diet this drink is still very good, just remove the vodka and add extra tea.

Pomegranate Martini

Makes 4

1/2 pomegranate (seeds removed)

100ml rosehip tea, cooled

100ml 100% pure pomegranate juice

60ml vodka

16 small ice cubes

1. Place all ingredients except pomegranate seeds into a cocktail shaker. Shake and fine strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with pomegranate seeds.

Drink in moderation!

Enjoy and Happy Cooking.

Mich x

Get the Scoop on Natural Sunscreens

After the last few days of beautiful weather I started thinking about how to protect my skin yet still enjoy the sunshine. I love summer and feel so alive after a day at the beach, sand in my toes and sun on my face! So to find out what a natural sunscreen is and how to avoid the nasty chemical sunscreens this summer keep on reading.

How do sunscreens work?
Sunscreens protect the skin from burning by either absorbing the harmful rays or reflecting them from the skin. No sunscreen can provide total protection from all of the sun's rays and that’s why it is always important to cover up using appropriate clothing and eye wear especially during the hottest part of the day. Sunscreens are filters of UV energy. They are used to filter a proportion only of UV rays.

What active ingredient does natural sunscreen use?
They use Zinc Oxide (250mg/g) which reflects UV-A and UV-B rays rather than chemical actives which absorb these rays.

Does natural sunscreen contain Nanoparticles?
Nanoparticles are man made, extremely small particles that can easily enter the body and can be found in cosmetics, moisturizers, mineral make up and sunscreens. They are used in sunscreens to prevent the white film once applied. Natural sunscreens should not contain Nanoparticles. Friends of the Earth's Safe Sunscreen Guide states "Studies have shown that Nanoparticles can produce free radicals and DNA damage, especially when exposed to UV light. These studies suggest that rather than offering us sun protection, if nano-sunscreens are absorbed into our skin, they could result in serious damage."

What does Broad Spectrum mean and is it important?
A sunscreen that provides broad spectrum protection protects against UV-B rays as well as UV-A. All sunscreens protect against UV-A rays which cause loss of elasticity, premature aging and skin cancer however not all protect again UV-B which causes sun burn.

Recent studies have shown that UV-B radiation plays a large role in causing gene mutations that can lead to skin cancer. Therefore it is vital that when using a sunscreen you check that it offers broad spectrum protection.

Check List for Your Sunscreen

Free from:
Chemical UV filters/absorbers
Nanoparticles
Titanium dioxide
Sulphates
Parabens
Petrochemcials
Artificial fragrances

Emm

xxx

Tomatoes

I just love tomatoes, they are rich in Vitamins C and A and provide the body with lycopene, a valuable source of nutrition which prevents damage to the cells causing cancers. They come in all different varieties which vary in colour, size and flavour.

Over the weekend i made Baked Chicken in Tomato and here is my quick and easy recipe.

Baked Chicken in Tomato

Serves 2

1 eggplant, trimmed and sliced in 1cm rounds

1 x 250g punnet cherry tomatoes (mixed varieties)

1 x 400g bottle organic tomato pasta sauce

4 organic chicken drumsticks

In a large baking dish, layer eggplants and tomatoes. Pour tomato sauce over and add chicken drumsticks, turn to coat in the sauce.

Bake in a hot oven (180C) for 1 hour until chicken flesh meat is falling off the bone and vegetables are tender.

Spoon a large ladle of vegetables into a shallow bowl and top with two chicken drumsticks. Add more sauce and serve hot.

(Optional) Top with shredded basil and grated Parmesan.

Happy Cooking and Eating !

Cheers, Michelle xo

Morello Cherry and Almond Little Cakes

Spring; this morning i jumped out of bed and made these yummy little cakes for breakfast. The taste and smell of the sweetness of maple and cherries mixed with roasted nuts is just amazing!

1 cup almond meal (or process mixed nuts)
1/2 cup 100% pure organic maple syrup
3 x 60g organic eggs
1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
1 cup stoneless cherries, drained (morello)
10g butter, melted for greasing

1. Preheat oven to 160C. Grease 6 cup muffin tin with melted butter.
2. In a medium bowl add almond meal, syrup, eggs and vanilla and mix with a wooden spoon or soft spatula until well combined. Add cherries and gently stir in (be careful not to break cherries).
3. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin and bake for 30-35 minutes until cakes have risen and are golden brown in colour.
4. Cool in tin for approximately 10 minutes before running a knife around the edges of each muffin to release from the tin.
5. Cool completely on a wire rack before serving with a creamy yoghurt. Enjoy!

Happy Cooking and Have a good day :-) Cheers, Michelle xx

Mushrooms – the New Superfood!

Those innocuous mushrooms in your shopping basket could be the answer to your vitamin D deficiency! Expected revisions to the recommended daily intake of vitamin D, which are expected this summer, may do wonders for mushroom sales. "There's a better understanding of importance of vitamin D in human health," said Tara McHugh, a research leader at the USDA.

At least 40% of Australians don't get enough vitamin D, but others estimate it may be twice that number. In addition to aiding calcium absorption by the body, vitamin D may help numerous health conditions including osteoporosis, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, multiple sclerosis and even a reduction in overall mortality.

Vitamin D, a fat soluble vitamin found in few foods, occurs naturally in fish oils and has been added as a supplement to milk since the 1930s to help combat rickets, a major health problem at the time. Humans also create it naturally when ultraviolet rays from the sun strike the skin. It’s our “sunshine” vitamin!

While it has been known for years that mushrooms also can generate the vitamin, it wasn't until a few years ago that people started thinking about its commercial viability. It was found that exposing mushrooms to a short burst ultra violet light produces a daily allotment of vitamin D in 120 grams of mushrooms without a negative impact on other nutritional benefits, appearance, taste or shelf life. In comparison, one cup of fortified milk provides about 30% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin D.

So, add mushrooms into your diet for an added boost of vitamin D, an essential nutrient for optimal vitality! Read about my immune boosting soup that features the powerful Enoki mushrooms.

PS

Have you checked you vitamin D levels after our cold winter?