How to Revamp Your Home Workouts

by Nada Abdelkader

We’ve been staying put in our own homes for quite some time. Naturally, we’ve all picked up a new trick or two when it comes to enjoying ourselves, cooking new and improved meals, and finding new forms of entertainment. And so, naturally, it’s about time we started working on improving our home-based workouts as well.

See, we all know that working out does not stop just because all gyms are, at the time of writing this, shut down until further notice. We can still exercise and meet our workout goals and milestones from home—no, it’s not a myth.

It can be done and it can be done in ways that will revamp and add tons of fun to your working out routine. You can start now by adding free workout applications and following these instructors’ online, free-of-charge classes, too.

AMAZING ABS – PERSONAL FITNESS TRAINER APP

A free Apple app, this app don’t exactly exist for Android users, but it may just convince you to change your phone type. In this app, you will find features like extensive information overviews about exercising your abs and different HD workout videos for different fitness levels, making the app more challenging as you train as well as keeping you on your toes.

The Amazing Abs app also has full descriptions for each and every ab-related exercise, so you can use up these exercises to their fullest.

NIKE TRAINING CLUB

Another free iPhone app, Nike Training Club has been hailed before as “one of the best and most realistic apps out there”. The app begins with taking your personal information and using it to recommend a series of workouts that it thinks will match your level. Of course, you can always choose to peruse through the many other workouts available, but it doesn’t just stop at that. One of the best features of Nike Training Club is that it helps you customize your very own personal workout plan, according to what you would like to focus on and what exercises you would like to include in your daily and/or weekly plan. To top all of this, this app’s coveted premium level is now being offered for free because of the current quarantine situation.

FITON

Found in the Android App Store, FitOn is the one app to rule them all! As a disclaimer, we’d like to mention that there are premium features you can only access via purchase but, generally, FitOn is a free app. In it, you begin by setting your profile and your workout and/or weight goals and then you follow that by testing the waters in FitOn’s many recommended workout videos in all its different workout styles.

And here’s another great tidbit. FitOn also has a YouTube channel, in which it shares little tips and tricks that will help adding to your regular workouts.

7-MINUTE WORKOUT

If you’re busy or on the move, this free Apple app is perfect for you! Beginning with a pretty basic setup, you will have three options available. A basic 7-minute workout, an ab-focused 7-minute workout, and the high-intensity 7-minute workout.

While working out, you can read specific moves’ descriptions and see animated pictures displaying how to perfect them, leaving no room for confusion.

DAILY BUTT WORKOUT

An app that is available for both Apple and Android users, Daily Butt Workout is here just in time for us to perfect our summer bodies. With this app, you will basically be carrying your very own personal trainer wherever you go. The setup is pretty simple. You will have regular, daily workouts and trainings that will help you achieve the backside you want.

In this app, you will also be able to track your progress as well as be able to do pretty basic exercises anywhere you please.

YOGA WITH FARAH NOFAL

After all this training, you must be dying to relax those sore muscles and we happen to have just the treat for that. We all know Farah Nofal as an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach as well as an athlete and the Yogi everyone aspires to imitate. That last descriptor is more important here, since Farah Nofal can now be your Yogi too.

With an active YouTube channel dedicated to teaching Yoga in all its forms, Nofal is giving you intensive Yoga training that you can commit to from the comfort of your own home. The perfect end to the perfect list.

POST-COVID CRAVINGS

by Soha Darwish

Blogger, Food Writer & Menu Consultant Member of UK Guild of Food Writers Diploma in Food Journalism - London, UK My One-Pan Beef Shawarma with instant marination

It has been a while and I’m not sure where to start! Let’s just say: No, it’s not acheesy Sci-Fi movie! It is real and is still happening, but hopefully we’re at the end of the tunnel. But we must acknowledge the collective anxiety across the globe, as well as our weariness of e-learning, working online and conducting virtual meetings with pyjama bottoms! However, I think we can agree that despite the monumental difficulties of these unprecedented times, it taught us valuable lessons. We are somehow adapting to a much-needed slower pace of life, while reflecting on our pre-Covid busy life admitting that it was neither healthy nor sustainable. I truly hope that we don’t come out of this unchanged and to eagerly bounce back to ‘normal’ life, because our ‘normal’ was not perfect.

Now, time to talk food! Millions of families have found themselves in a lockdown leading their new quarantined life from their kitchens to nurture their families- kitchens have never been busier. To make the best out of the current situation, family members of all ages got together engaging passionately in baking and cooking. It certainly became the favourite part of the house – in my opinion it should always be.

This time I thought about recipes that are ultimately nutritious and easy to make, but I can see the divide in people’s food choices. So, I decided to cater for all: the takeaway craver, the clean eater and the comfort eater. Here are the recipes: 50 August 2020 Serves 2 or 3

It’s one of those dishes that were created in a cooking frenzy; I wanted to satisfy a family craving for take-away shawarma with zero preparation ahead and minimal time to spare. So I set it up as a challenge for myself; a complete shawarma feast in one pan to be served straight in rolled bread or on a bed of rice..triumph!

SHOPPING BASKET:

500g beef fillets, thinly sliced – 1 large onion, thinly sliced – 3 tbsp olive oil – ½ tsp nutmeg – ½ tsp sumac – ½ tsp cinnamon – ½ tsp mixed Arabic/Levantine spices – ½ cup of white vinegar - 2 garlic cloves, minced – 3 tbsp Tahini – 1 tomato, diced – handful of fresh parsley, chopped - salt & black pepper.

STEPS:

1. In a bowl, mix the beef strips with all the spices, white vinegar, garlic and 3 tbsp olive oil. Season well. 2. In a hot pan, squeeze out the excess liquid from the meat and sear until browned. 3. Add in the remaining juices from the marinade then stir in the tahini. Mix well. 4. Add ¾ cup of water and simmer for few minutes. 5. Meanwhile in another pan, stir fry the onion slices until light golden colour on high heat. 6. Transfer the onions to the meat pan and stir in the diced tomato together with the chopped parsley; turn off the heat. Serve immediately. It has it all!

My Warm Couscous Salad Serves 2

I love couscous and I wanted to use it in a quick & delicious recipe. It is incredibly easy to prepare - no cooking needed. I honestly couldn’t recommend a tastier or a more nutritious recipe than this Moroccan inspired Warm Couscous Salad. Give it a go and see for yourself!

SHOPPING BASKET:

1 cup dried couscous – 1 large onion, sliced – 1 red pepper – 1 large zucchini, sliced – 1 eggplant, sliced vertically – ½ can of chickpeas, drained – 4 dried apricots, finely chopped – handful of roasted almonds – 2 handfuls of baby spinach leaves - 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil – salt.

DRESSING:

½ tsp Harissa paste (Tunisian chili paste) – ½ tsp cinnamon – ½ tsp cumin – ½ tsp dried parsley – ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar – 2 to 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil - salt & black pepper.

STEPS:

1. In a glass bowl, add 1 cup of boiling water to the couscous. Season with salt, drizzle with olive oil, then immediately seal the bowl tightly with cling film for about 10 mins. Remove the cling film and fluff it up with a fork – it’s ready! 2. Brush all the vegetables with olive oil then grill either in the oven or on an electric grill until charred and cooked – sprinkle with salt. Grill half of the onion and chop the remaining raw half. 3. When all vegetables are cooked, dice them. 4. Prepare the dressing by just mixing all its ingredients separately in a bowl. 5. Assemble the salad, start by laying 5 big spoons of couscous then add the grilled vegetables, raw onions, chickpeas and baby spinach leaves. Drizzle the dressing and mix well. Finely, top it with almonds and apricot slivers. Tuck in! Spaghetti & Meatballs - My Way!

Serves 4

This is the epitome of happy comforting food in all households around the world. Still remember my Meatza recipe? It’s almost the same ingredients just swap the oat bran with breadcrumbs and when you shape the meatballs, put some grated mozzarella in the middle - melted cheese inside meatballs is never a bad idea. Right?

SHOPPING BASKET FOR THE MEATBALLS:

500g minced beef - 3 tbsp breadcrumbs - 1 egg - ½ grated onion – 1 garlic clove – ½ tsp oregano – ½ tsp basil – ½ tsp paprika – drizzle of olive oil – salt & pepper.

TOMATO SAUCE:

3/4 cup of passata - splash of balsamic vinegar - 2 minced garlic cloves - olive oil – ½ tsp basil – ½ tsp oregano - 1 tsp sugar - salt & pepper.

STEPS:

1. Blitz all the meatball ingredients in the food processor, then shape into medium balls with a pinch of grated mozzarella cheese in the middle. 2. In a large saucepot, sear the meatballs on both sides in olive oil until browned. 3. Mix all the tomato sauce ingredients in a bowl, then add in the garlic and tomato sauce mix to the seared meatballs in the pot. 4. Simmer until meatballs are cooked through. Serve on a bed of spaghetti and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.Yum!