A Transformational Journey

Hi, and welcome to the Body Transformation corner of our blog! This is the place where we are going to record our lives as we put everything that we teach and preach into practice. Ultimately transforming our bodies and our lives!

Follow along with us as we discover the best known (and the best hidden) health and wellness tips and recipes from around the world.

A few years on from the COVID-19 crisis and we are all getting on with our lives and learning to adapt to a new sense of 'normality'. As we lived through the lock-downs and quarantines of 2020 we were pushed to the edge, physically, mentally and emotionally. As relationships were strengthened, skills mastered and Netflix series binged, many of us also found the weight piling on from another type of binging altogether. The experience hit every one of us hard as we all faced the same crisis, albeit in different ways and circumstances.

For us in the Fletcher household, despite many a morning spent with Joe Wicks, we have found ourselves moving through 2023 with a few extra pounds of weight dragging along with us!

It was all very well for a while, blaming the extra stress and weight on homeschooling the kids, working from home, the fact that the pools and gyms were closed, but we finally had to admit that enough is enough!

We've both taken some time to contemplate our individual approaches to weight loss and fitness. The new contract for the gym/yoga studio will soon be signed, the yoga mats unrolled, and the veggies bought.

Next we shall be taking the step to not only shed that extra weight, but to tackle some of the ailments that have been a part of our lives for too long. As I personally go on a quest to cure(!) the chronic migraines that have plagued me for the past five years, and James takes the steps to ease the pain of arthritis in his joints.

This will be done with a very complementary holistic approach and will involve lifestyle and environmental changes such as diet and exercise, meditation, and by taking prescribed medication from the GP as needed. And of course we are always open to recommendations from our lovely readers too - if you have found ways to overcome migraines or arthritis we would love to hear about it.

It is time to get motivated and become the healthiest, happiest and most confident versions of ourselves, and we look forward to seeing you join us on our journey from body bleugh to body health, happiness, and confidence!

For now I will leave you with this rather tasty looking recipe from an old edition of Natural Health magazine.

Halloumi Saganaki

These rectangles of halloumi are dusted in semolina or polenta, sauteed until crisp, drizzled with a warm, thyme-infused honey and topped with crunchy pomegranate seeds.

Serves 4 as part of a meze

• 300g halloumi cheese

• 1 medium egg

• 4 tbsp fine semolina or polenta

• 3 tbsp sunflower oil

• 2 tbsp runny honey

• 1 tsp finely chopped thyme leaves

• Couple of handfuls of rocket leaves

• 4-5 fresh figs, quartered (optional)

• 3 tbsp pomegranate seeds

1. Cut the halloumi into 8 thick slices. Beat the egg in a small bowl and lay the semolina or polenta out on a plate.

2. Dip the halloumi slices in the beaten egg, then roll them in the semolina or polenta, so that they have a crust around them. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan until it is hot, then fry the halloumi pieces for a few minutes on each side until they are golden brown.

3. Place on some kitchen paper to soak up any excess oil. Meanwhile, heat the honey in a small saucepan with the thyme.

4. Now assemble the dish. Place the rocket on a serving plate and arrange the halloumi on top, nestling the figs around, if using.

5. Drizzle a little of the hot honey over each slice of halloumi. Finish with a smattering of pomegranate seeds and grind over some black pepper.

6. And enjoy!