HILARY DUFF LEAVES A PILATES CLASS IN STYLE

Hilary Duff has been spotted leaving a Pilates class almost daily for the past few months - and her hard work and dedication is paying off! After being subjected to much Hollywood flack by announcing that she was going to lose her baby weight healthily and gradually, it is clear from recent photos that Hilary will have the last laugh. Hilary was spotted on Tuesday leaving a Pilates class rocking some very stylish skinny jeans and Christian Louboutin heels (see first picture above). Photos of the new mother displayed that Hilary is winning her post baby weight struggle, as she looked slim, toned and happy. 

Hilary has always spoken very highly of Pilates, her long-term exercise regime. Miss Duff revealed in a recent interview that she has not taken the easy route in losing her post baby weight. "There are some women who look the same right after (pregnancy); I think they are freaks of nature! I don't know how that happens. I'm not one of those people. It takes your body nine months to get there, really ten months. So I'm trying to be patient but I'm working hard. And I think now more than ever, I appreciate my body and what it's done for me."

Hilary's frequent Pilates has definitely paid off, as she is comfortably keeping off the post-baby pounds in addition to shedding a few kilos and toning up in the process! Miss Duff is often found gushing about how her much-loved exercise regime has altered her body. “Seriously, my body changed in three weeks. I’ve always been really muscular; that’s why pilates is good for me. I have broad shoulders and if I do weights or something I’ll bulk up and feel manly, but Pilates  lengthens me out. Also you feel really powerful.”

We think that Hilary is an inspiration for all women struggling with their post-baby weight! Hopefully Miss Duff will not be the first and last celebrity to lose her baby weight healthily, safely and gradually.

Want a strong, toned body like Hilary? Finding it increasingly difficult to shed post-baby weight or a few extra kilos? Call Premium Pilates Studio today or visit us online at premiumpilatesstudio.com to start your weight loss journey.

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A PORTRAIT OF SPAIN IN BRISBANE

Unfortunately, due to some sickening food poisoning over the past weekend, the last thing I want to do is look at food. Cooking is out of the question, which as you can imagine is quite tough when you write a predominantly food related blog. So when one cannot write about what they truly love, they find something else to write about.

I was lucky enough to secure a ticket to see the much talked about 'Portrait of Spain: Masterpieces from the Prado' painting exhibit recently held by the Queensland Art Gallery. What made this exposition extra special was that it was the very first exhibition from the Prado collection ever to be displayed in the Southern Hemisphere. That’s right, small town Brisbane beat out the likes of Melbourne and Sydney to showcase this exhibit for over three months. The spectacular paintings had a long journey ahead of them, as they travelled all the way from the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid, Spain. These 100 plus masterpieces tell a romantic and somewhat violent story of the evolution of painting and the history of Spain over several centuries. Now, I will not pretend to understand art and tell you all about the intricate brush strokes, vivid still lifes and juxtaposition of the foreground and background. Instead I will leave with you a few of the paintings that caught my eye and you can decide if they are worthy of a second glance.

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EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA

It’s so funny how much food and the art of cooking can teach you, if you are open to it. For example, I used to despise eggplant. Would not touch the stuff. I thought the texture was slimy, unappealing and the seeds creeped me out. A few weeks ago, I was leafing through my November issue of Feast magazine and I came across 4 eggplant recipes, each photo of the finished product looking more delectable than the previous one. An Eggplant Parmigiana or Melanzane alla parmigiana caught my eye. The recipe looked so filling and satisfying, without including any meat and only a handful of ingredients. Hence my aversion to eggplant was over. And I learnt a very valuable lesson, which I am sure you are all simply dying to hear. Never judge a vegetable by its cover (or slimy interior, in this case). How can I say that I loath something that I have never tried, or tried only once several years ago? My taste buds have matured, my perspectives have changed, but it appears that my ability to judge without knowing all the facts has not. So there you have it, another life-lesson that cooking has provided me with.

(Below is my adapted gluten-free, dairy-free and low-fat version of Feast's Eggplant Parmigiana. The homemade pesto is added for more flavour and as an example for another use). 

INGREDIENTS


Eggplant Parmigiana 

• 1- 1.1 kg eggplants (2 large or 3 medium), cut widthwise into 1.5cm slices (the widest slices can be cut into 1/2). 
• 2/3 cup gluten-free plain flour
• 700ml tomato passata
• 75g sheep's pecorino cheese, finely grated
• sea salt 
• a handful of basil leaves 
• coconut oil 

Pesto 

• 1 large bunch basil leaves, washed & stems removed
• 1/4 cup raw and unsalted cashews
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• sea salt

COOKING 

1. Toss eggplant slices with 2 teaspoons sea salt in a large bowl. Stand for 30 minutes, then rinse eggplant and pat dry with paper towel or a clean tea-towel. 

2. Meanwhile, place basil leaves, cashews, garlic, pinch of sea salt and lime juice in a food processor. Process on medium speed until well mixed. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil at a time until you have used 2 tablespoons. When the oil has been combined, remove pesto from the processor and let sit until required in step 4. 

3. Preheat a fan-force oven to 200 degrees celsius. Lightly grease a deep baking dish with coconut oil. Place one-quarter of the eggplant slices in a large bowl and cover with one-quarter of the flour, shaking off the excess. Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook the flour-covered eggplant slices for 3 minutes each side or until golden. Remove from heat and drain on a paper towel. Repeat with the remaining eggplant, flour and oil. 

4. Place one-third of the cooked eggplant in the base of the dish, then top with one-third of the passata, one-third of the pecorino cheese and one-third of the homemade pesto. Repeat this process for the next two layers until all eggplant, passata, pecorino and pesto is used up. 

5. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until the eggplant is golden and the sauce is bubbly. (Note - some oven's may require that the parmigiana be cooked for 45 minutes, some for only 35 minutes). Sprinkle fresh basil and a touch more grated pecorino cheese over the parmigiana, if desired. Serve warm. 

Serves / 4 - 6 
Total Preparation time / 40-45 minutes (including 30 mins standing time for the eggplant & the time taken to make the pesto)
Total Cooking time / 1 hr 10 minutes / 1 hr 15 minutes 

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CORN PASTA WITH BASIL & CASHEW PESTO

There are a few pesto recipes available on my blog if you go far back enough, however I am happy to say that this one is my very own recipe. I use the least amount of olive oil that I can (2 tablespoons) which does give the pesto a rougher quality, which I do prefer to the creamier texture of some store-bought pesto. As my partner loathes pine nuts (how can you possibly hate them?) I used cashews as the nut base. Do not go crazy with the lime juice as anymore than 2 tablespoons will give the pesto a runny quality. Since experimenting with this pesto a month or so ago, I have made it half a dozen times. It has become a wonderful addition to several dishes; I have used it in Eggplant Parmigiana, as a sauce for poached eggs and as a topping on corn & rice crackers. If you make a big batch it can be stored in the fridge for 4 days in an air-tight container. I find that there is something so primordial about making one's one sauce from scratch and I intend to do it more. 

INGREDIENTS

• 400g Sam Mills gluten-free corn pasta
• 1 large bunch basil leaves, washed & stems removed
• 1/4 cup raw and unsalted cashews
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• sea salt

COOKING 

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil with a generous pinch of salt. Pour the pasta in the boiling water and stir occasionally for 8-10 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat and drain well with cold water. 

2. Meanwhile, place basil leaves, cashews, garlic, pinch of sea salt and lime juice in a food processor. Process on medium speed until well mixed. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil at a time until you have used 2 tablespoons. When the oil has been combined, remove pesto from the processor and serve a generous dollop on top of one quarter of the pasta. Serve immediately. 


Serves / 4
Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 
Total Cooking time / 15 minutes

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CRUNCHY NOODLE STIR-FRY

Another simple yet satisfying stir-fry. The mirin seasoning is a must - it is a sweet, natural cooking wine that is made from sweet rice. Mirin is a seasoning ingredient for all types of cooking and controls all other flavours. It is available at all major supermarkets in the Asian food section. The crunchy gluten-free noodles add a delightful touch. 

INGREDIENTS

• 400g chicken breast fillets, cut into 5cm thin strip
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3cm fresh ginger, finely grated
• 25g gluten-free crunchy noodles
• 1 cup brown rice
• 4 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce or tamari sauce
• 2 tablespoons mirin seasoning
• 1/4 cup gluten-free sweet chilli sauce 
• 2 heaped cups red cabbage, finely shredded
• 1 broccoli, cut into florets
• 1 small red capsicum, finely chopped
• sesame oil 

COOKING 

1. Bring brown rice and 2 cups water to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 18-20 minutes or until rice is tender and water has been absorbed. 

2. Meanwhile, heat wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Swirl 1 teaspoon sesame oil in wok until warm. Add garlic, ginger and chicken strips and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often until chicken is coloured and no pink flesh remains. Remove chicken from wok and set aside, keeping warm in a heatproof bowl. 

3. Heat another teaspoon of sesame oil in the wok and stir-fry broccoli florets, capsicum and red cabbage for 5 minutes, stirring frequently so vegetables do not stick. When broccoli is become slightly tender, return chicken to the pan and add the sauces/seasonings (soy sauce, mirin and sweet chilli sauce). Stir-fry for 2 minutes, tossing the ingredients so that the vegetables all covered in the sauce. Remove from heat. 

4. When rice is cooked, place the stir-fry vegetables on a bed of brown rice (one quarter of the cooked rice) and scatter crunchy noodles on top. Serve warm. 

Serves / 4

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 30 minutes 

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JANE SEYMOUR IS AGE-DEFYING DUE TO PILATES

Beautiful actress Jane Seymour credits her youthful body to a lifetime commitment to fitness and health. Looking at her toned & trim figure, it blows my mind to think that Mrs Seymour is 61 years of age! She is truly age-defying. Jane reveals her workout and health secrets in a recent interview. 

The stunning hollywood actress is the first to admit that she has splashed out on an eye lift and breast implants in the past. However, Jane's underlying secret to achieving long lasting beauty and fitness is something that everyone can do and achieve. 

Mrs Seymour's exercise regime involves regular isometrics and Pilates. Jane explains that she suffered from herniated disc in her back many years ago and her doctor recommended these forms of exercise for rehabilitation. Since starting isometrics and Pilates Jane's back pain has been manageable and have become her exercises of choice, as Jane's injury prevents her from bike riding, practicing yoga or working out on stair-masters. Besides her frequent Pilates' classes, Jane likes to 'get on the tread for 10 minutes to half an hour" and "do light weights very carefully". 

Mrs Seymour's age-defying body has been the result of numerous years of Pilates. "I was doing Pilates long before anyone even knew that word!I did it in Beverly Hills back in 1976, with Jaclyn Smith, Natalie Wood, Kate Jackson and Joan Collins. We were all clients of the same person, who only had three machines. You can do no harm with the Pilates machine (reformer)." 

Moving onto the diet of this former Bond girl. "I’m not obsessive about diet but I do work at it." Jane eats small portions often and does not restrict what she eats when she really craves something.  

Mrs Seymour has led a very interesting and full life, having five children and four husbands. When pregnant with twins at the age of 44, Jane suffered from quite severe weight gain. "It was nearly impossible (having twins), physically,” she says. “I looked like Tweedledum!" Jane stayed dedicated to her life-long goal to stay fit and health and was able to lose her pregnancy weight with a lot of hard work. 

Refreshingly, Jane is one of the few Hollywood actresses that actually enjoys ageing. “I’m proud of my wrinkles,” she says. “They give my face character. As an actress, you mess with that at your peril.” Mrs Seymour has no plans to resort to anymore plastic surgery or Botox in the future. 

Want an age-defying body like Jane Seymour? Sick of living with back pain and want to start an exercise regime that tones whilst rehabilitating you? Call Premium Pilates Studio today on 0402 680 724 or visit us online at www.premiumpilatesstudio.com 

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START YOUR SATURDAY THE RIGHT WAY

Physical fitness is the first requisite to happiness. 

Start your Saturday (and every day) with good old fashioned exercise. 

Images by Premium Pilates Studio, Fuel for Life Fitness, NeuroBodyFit, Dr LaurieND, Medi Manage & All Women Stalk. 

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