Welcome everyone to the very first day of the CelluBlue Slimming Challenge for summer 2016! Ready to change your life?
This challenge will help you rediscover a healthy, varied diet while still enjoying yourself and exploring new flavours.
You should have already received your shopping list for the first week, so you’re all set to make your first healthy recipes.
Don’t forget to always keep a packet of rice, a packet of pasta and some salad leaves on hand to accompany certain meals.
Before we begin, it’s important to get to know yourself and understand your needs.
One thing we’ll keep reminding you of throughout this challenge is to DRINK WATER. It’s the foundation of a healthy diet, and drinking one and a half litres of water every day is essential for your body to function at its best.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day — skipping it only increases the risk of snacking between meals or overeating at lunch.
During this challenge, we won’t ask you to count calories: it’s unnecessary and can lead to an unhealthy obsession with food. Weighing yourself every day would be more discouraging than anything else.
Take your measurements today, take a photo of yourself and calculate your BMI using this formula: BMI = Weight (in kg) / Height squared (in m). Then compare your result to the following:
16.5 to 18.5 = underweight – 18.5 to 25 = normal weight – 25 to 30 = overweight – 30 and above = obesity
Bear in mind, however, that BMI does not account for muscle mass in athletic individuals. This challenge is suitable for all results, as it’s about rebalancing your diet — not depriving yourself of food!
Your mission for today is to find at least 5 friends who will take part in this challenge with you! You can of course go it alone… but based on three years of running these challenges, the success rate when going solo is around 20%. It rises to over 70% when you do it as a group of at least 5 people (family, friends, colleagues).
Outside support is essential when starting to eat better — and it’ll be so much more fun if you share the experience with people you care about!
Don’t skip this crucial step… your success depends on it!
Now, let’s get to the recipes! Every day you’ll receive 3 recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
You can complement these meals with an afternoon snack — but of course it needs to be healthy! Think fruit or nuts, and make sure you stay well hydrated throughout the day, not just at mealtimes.
BREAKFAST
- 1 fromage blanc with almonds, cranberries and chia seeds
- 1 lemon green tea
- 1 fruit of your choice
LUNCH
TOMATOES STUFFED WITH AUBERGINE CAVIAR
Ingredients – serves 4:
- 4 tomatoes
- 1 aubergine
- 1 shallot
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 pinch of salt and pepper
- A few sprigs of coriander
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Cut the tops off the tomatoes and set the lids aside, then scoop out the flesh with a teaspoon and reserve it.
Cut the aubergines in half lengthways and score the flesh about 1 cm deep.
Roast them at 180°C for 30 minutes.
Once cooked, scoop out the flesh. Roughly blend together the tomato flesh, shallot, garlic, coriander and aubergine flesh.
Fill the tomatoes with the stuffing.
Drizzle with olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar, then add a pinch of salt and pepper. Bake the tomatoes at 150°C for 20 minutes.
Ready to serve! This dish pairs beautifully with sliced ham or a piece of fish.
DINNER
A HEALTHY SALAD
Ingredients – serves 4:
- 1 bunch of radishes
- 1 courgette
- 1 cucumber
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 4 pinches of curry powder
- 100 g rocket
- Black pepper
- Method:
Wash the vegetables, use a peeler to shave the raw courgette into thin ribbons, and dice the cucumber into small cubes.
Slice the radishes into rounds.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, curry powder and soy sauce.
Add a little pepper to taste.
Rinse the rocket.
Arrange the salad on plates, top with the vegetables, then drizzle over the dressing you’ve prepared.
Serve this salad with tuna or grilled chicken breast.
TIP OF THE DAY
Today we’re sharing a little spotlight on one ingredient: chia seeds! You may have already heard of chia seeds — this plant is packed with omega-3s, antioxidants and vitamins!
Chia seeds help boost metabolism, supporting fat burning, particularly around the stomach and waist. Their omega-3 content and anti-inflammatory properties can also help target the appearance of cellulite.
They’re rich in antioxidants and vitamins that help improve skin suppleness and firmness. They’re gluten-free and very low in sodium, which supports blood sugar regulation and tissue renewal. 25 g of chia per day is plenty.
In fact, just one tablespoon of chia seeds a day is enough to enjoy all the benefits this plant has to offer. You can follow a one- to two-month course, using whole or ground chia seeds. Add them to plant-based milk, salads, soups, sauces, starters or desserts.
You can also sprinkle chia seeds over fruit salads, yoghurts and more.
CHALLENGE VALIDATION STEP
At the end of the day, don’t forget to confirm your participation in Day 1 by heading to our Facebook page and/or our Instagram account and leaving a comment on today’s post with “DAY 1 DONE!”
Join us on social media and share your culinary creations every day using the hashtag #defiminceurcellublue! Our coaching team will be checking in every day to cheer on everyone who takes up the challenge! 🙂