Author Archives: Pen Jaquet Owner

Chinese-poached chicken in aromatics

This simply delightful dish is abundant with flavour and is a must for any chinese food lover:

Chinese Poached Chicken in Aromatics

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup soya sauce
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 2 star anise
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 x 10 cm piece ginger, thinly sliced lengthways
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 4 pieces orange peel
  • 1 free-range whole chicken
  • 50 g Tenderstem broccoli
  • 100 g baby pak choi, halved lengthways
  • 3 spring onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 t sesame oil
  • Cooked cauliflower rice, for serving

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Place the soya sauce, stock, star anise, cinnamon, ginger, garlic and orange peel into a large saucepan. Add the chicken, breast side down, and bring to the boil.

Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the chicken in the pan for 3 hours, covered with a lid.

Blanch the broccoli and pak choi for a few seconds, then refresh in ice cold water. Fry the spring onions in the sesame oil until crispy. Drain on kitchen paper.

Serve the chicken with the cauliflower rice, broccoli, pak choi and spring onions.

This might just be the most succulent, tender chicken you’ll ever taste. The bird is cooked whole and slowly absorbs the flavours of orange peel, ginger, star anise and cinnamon.

 

Are Hunger Hormones Sabotaging Your Fat Loss #1

LEPTIN AND GHRELIN EXPLAINED?

Leptin and ghrelin are two hormones that have a huge impact on your hunger levels and weight-loss success. Learn more about these hunger hormones and take control of your appetite!

Millions of people go on diets every year, but by the end of the year, most of them have regained any weight lost and find themselves starting back at square one. After all, dieting is no easy feat, and it might even be harder than you think! Your body has an appetite, and if you consistently take in fewer calories than you burn, your body responds by revving up your appetite hormones, making you hungrier.

It’s not uncommon to hear names like insulin, testosterone, estrogen, and cortisol thrown around when talking about hormones that affect body fat. For example, insulin is often cited as a fat-storage hormone and criticized for being a key contributor to weight gain and obesity. While this is oversimplified and not entirely true, there are two hormones that may play a much larger and more direct role in weight gain and weight management: leptin and ghrelin.

These two hunger hormones can directly affect energy balance and play a much bigger role in weight-loss success.1If you want to improve your body composition and be successful with long-term weight management, understanding the role of these two hormones and how you can manipulate them is key!

WHAT IS LEPTIN?

Leptin is considered the master regulator of hunger, and is known as your appetite suppressor. Leptin influences food intake due to its effect on the hypothalamus, a region of the brain that governs many processes and emotions such as hunger, thirst, sleep, and mood.

LEPTIN INFLUENCES FOOD INTAKE DUE TO ITS EFFECT ON THE HYPOTHALAMUS, A REGION OF THE BRAIN THAT GOVERNS MANY PROCESSES AND EMOTIONS SUCH AS HUNGER, THIRST, SLEEP, AND MOOD.

For example, when you eat a meal, leptin levels increase. This sends a signal to the brain telling your body that it’s full and to put the fork down. However, if an individual is leptin-resistant, or if the leptin pathway isn’t working properly, they may continue to overeat and often have poor control over food intake—in other words, they overeat without even knowing it.2

For these reasons, it’s easy to understand why leptin plays a key role in long-term dietary adherence and success.

By Rudy Mawer, CISSN

Banting & hCG

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There has been a lot of hype around the use of hCG together with the Banting protocol that has been revived by Prof. Tim Noakes.

We have been asked on numerous occasions if one can use hCG whilst Banting and the answer to this is yes!

You most definitely may use hCG if you are Banting and yes you can experience up to 40% more weight loss with the use of hCG whilst using the Banting protocol.

The hCG hormone produced by women during pregnancy is linked to the natural suppression of one’s appetite. The unique effects of this diet plan decreases the sensation of hunger, depression, moodiness, as well as fatigue. The benefits of an hCG-hormone diet also extend past weight management.

However, please note the following:

-We do not advise changing over from the Bettabods protocol to the Banting Protocol once you have started our programme or you may experience weight gain. It is better to stick to one protocol once you have started with your weight loss journey. However, if you have not experienced successful weight loss whilst Banting and before starting with our products, we highly recommend you change over onto the Bettabods protocol before embarking upon use of our products

-We do not guarantee the same weight loss on the Banting protocol as opposed to the Bettabods recommended 800 calorie Phase by Phase diet that we supply together with our product. However, having said that, we have numerous clients who are experiencing significantly increased weight loss since going onto our products whilst Banting and who are happy to stick with the Banting protocol,

-We firmly believe that the Banting protocol works notably better if you’re a certain blood type (and in particular we refer you to the reference at the bottom of this page ) and that the use of our products have most definitely enhanced weight loss in the case of these specific blood types who are banting

-As opposed to the Bettabods protocol, Banting is a substantially more expensive protocol

Who we recommend not to Bant:

-If you have any medical issue that you are unsure of and you have not received consent from your doctor to go ahead and Bant

-You are fairly lean and only have a little weight to lose and you do regular high intensity exercise

Who we recommend not to use the Bettabods hCG products:

-Do not use hCG if you are pregnant

-Do not use hCG if you have not hit puberty yet

-Do not use hCG if you are on heart medication or have a heart problem and are using nitrates, or if you are a Type 1 diabetic and are on Insulin or if you have a history of cancer.

Note: For those who aren’t lactose intolerant, full cream dairy is fine. However Bettabods firmly believe you are likely to lose more weight if you omit dairy when Banting and using the Bettabods products. Dairy is unique to every person as lactose is a form of carbohydrate that each person responds to in a different way.

Bettabods will gladly assist you should you wish to follow the Banting protocol or any other protocol where you have been losing weight, but aren’t losing as much as you would like. The key here is to remember that HCG is the secret to increasing your weight loss and curbing your appetite, and Bettabods can point you in the right direction as to which of our products would be beneficial to you.

Click here for the History of Banting

Click here for a list of the Banting Food Lists

Click here for a Blood Type Diet Review

Advantages of the hCG Diet

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What are the Advantages of the hCG Diet?

Weight loss is a major trend in today’s society. Unhealthy food is cheap and easy to get and our lifestyles are becoming increasingly more sedentary as time goes on. With the advent of computers and the internet, far more people than ever before are able to make a living without resorting to manual labor. While the rate in which technology improves our lives is staggering, it is not helping with our health. Should you need to lose weight, the use of real hCG hormone injections will assist you in losing weight quickly and easily.

Here are just a few of the benefits of using real hCG:

The Bettabods hCG diet does not require exercise to lose weight, and should you find yourself unable to do any whatsoever, then this is the protocol for you. Weight loss is achieved through daily injections or sublingual drops of the hCG hormone combined together with an extremely easy to follow, and no fuss, inexpensive 800 calorie diet.

hCG releases stored fat into the bloodstream and is used as energy throughout your day. Because the fat is released via the hCG, there really is no need to spend hours in the gym or for that matter doing any other form of exercising.

Weight loss  with the Bettabods Protocol is extremely quick , as well as being being effective and safe. Whilst there may be several adaptations of hCG diet protocols out there, we endorse the 800 calorie protocol. The shortest hCG round lasts 30 days and elicits weight loss results from 5 to 10 Kg’s . You can safely use the Bettabods hCG Diet Protocol until your desired weight loss has been reached.  You won’t find results like these outside of the hCG diet community with the possible exception of liposuction or surgery which are both costly and painful.

The 800 calorie diet comes with a list of approved foods and contains very few starches or sugars and diary, consists of lean proteins, vegetables and fruits. Not only is it 100% healthy, but once you’re finished with the hCG diet, you will find that you’ve acquired the knowledge to continue eating a healthy, balanced diet thus a lifestyle shift takes place.

The benefits of losing weight are numerous and the hCG Protocol has been known to reduce the effects of type 2 diabetes, sometimes even eliminating it altogether. Further to that, it also becomes easier to breath after losing weight, your blood sugar levels will often stabilize and risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes will be reduced.

Plus of course you will feel like a million dollars because you look so much better!

To top this off, there are a load more benefits from a health aspect that will benefit you as a result of the weight loss you will experience.

benefits

 

Advantages of the hCG Diet

benefits_top

What are the Advantages of the hCG Diet?

Weight loss is a major trend in today’s society. Unhealthy food is cheap and easy to get and our lifestyles are becoming increasingly more sedentary as time goes on. With the advent of computers and the internet, far more people than ever before are able to make a living without resorting to manual labor. While the rate in which technology improves our lives is staggering, it is not helping with our health. Should you need to lose weight, the use of real hCG hormone injections will assist you in losing weight quickly and easily.

Here are just a few of the benefits of using real hCG:

The Bettabods hCG diet does not require exercise to lose weight, and should you find yourself unable to do any whatsoever, then this is the protocol for you. Weight loss is achieved through daily injections or sublingual drops of the hCG hormone combined together with an extremely easy to follow, and no fuss, inexpensive 800 calorie diet.

hCG releases stored fat into the bloodstream and is used as energy throughout your day. Because the fat is released via the hCG, there really is no need to spend hours in the gym or for that matter doing any other form of exercising.

Weight loss  with the Bettabods Protocol is extremely quick , as well as being being effective and safe. Whilst there may be several adaptations of hCG diet protocols out there, we endorse the 800 calorie protocol. The shortest hCG round lasts 30 days and elicits weight loss results from 5 to 10 Kg’s . You can safely use the Bettabods hCG Diet Protocol until your desired weight loss has been reached.  You won’t find results like these outside of the hCG diet community with the possible exception of liposuction or surgery which are both costly and painful.

The 800 calorie diet comes with a list of approved foods and contains very few starches or sugars and diary, consists of lean proteins, vegetables and fruits. Not only is it 100% healthy, but once you’re finished with the hCG diet, you will find that you’ve acquired the knowledge to continue eating a healthy, balanced diet thus a lifestyle shift takes place.

The benefits of losing weight are numerous and the hCG Protocol has been known to reduce the effects of type 2 diabetes, sometimes even eliminating it altogether. Further to that, it also becomes easier to breath after losing weight, your blood sugar levels will often stabilize and risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes will be reduced.

Plus of course you will feel like a million dollars because you look so much better!

To top this off, there are a load more benefits from a health aspect that will benefit you as a result of the weight loss you will experience.

benefits

 

HCG for men

Is HCG safe for men?

Yes! HCG is very safe for men!

Men are often uncomfortable with any sort of hormone therapy, which they tend to associate with sex or a deficiency in that department. This is echoed by Dr. Simeons, “It neither makes men grow breasts nor does it interfere with their virility, though where this was deficient it may improve it. It never makes women grow a beard or develop a gruff voice. I have stressed this point only for the sake of my lay readers, because, it is our daily experience that when patients hear the word hormone they immediately jump to the conclusion that this must have something to do with the sex- sphere.

 

What are the positive effects of hCG:

Besides the accelerated weight loss and body re-shaping, many patients report:

  • Better rest
  • Improvements in blood chemistry including lowered cholesterols, blood pressure and HBa1C, which typically remains low following the diet
  • Higher energy levels without a nervous or edgy feeling with increased clarity of mind
  • Helps prevent Thrombosis
  • Helps alleviate Migraines
  • Helps to relive arthritic pain
  • Helps increase your sex drive

 

What is Sublingual hCG?

Sublingual hCG comes in a liquid and is taken sublingually (under your tongue).

The Bettabods HCG sublingual drops are an affordable but effective alternative to the lypolytic injections of HCG, of which we supply both.

 

hCG and Testosterone:  Benefits of hCG for Men?

HCG And Testosterone: Benefits of hCG for Men:

The benefits of using hCG for men include boosting healthy levels of testosterone that are needed for all biological processes to ensure optimal health – even in women. Just a few of these processes include maintainance of weight, muscle mass, bone density, heart health, and sexual development

Although men need significantly higher levels to not only produce masculine features and deep voices, but also to support the ‘goings-on’ of things we can’t see happening that occur deep down inside. Correcting low testosterone levels with the use of hCG for men can bring on an incredible amount of positive benefits effects as follows:

Increase red blood cells
Support the cardiovascular system
Increases flow of blood and oxygen
Healthy body hair growth
Weight loss, reduction of fat mass
Increased energy levels, endurance, and performance
Increase in lean muscle mass and muscle strength
Reduced risks of obesity
Improved oxidation in the groin area
Increase in libido
Improved penile growth due to oxidation
Proper stimulation to continue boosted sexual desire
Proper stimulation to improve endurance and sexual performance
Reduced risks of erectile or other sexual dysfunctions
Increase in bone density
Reduced risks of arthritis-related conditions

Using Bettabods hCG for testosterone therapy will enable you to reap the rewards that allow you to feel like a man again. If it is increased energy you need to pound away at the gym, or more muscle to burn the fat off, improved overall health, or even better bedroom performance, the use of Bettabods hCG injections will more than do this job for you.

HCG for men

Is HCG safe for men?

Yes! HCG is very safe for men!

Men are often uncomfortable with any sort of hormone therapy, which they tend to associate with sex or a deficiency in that department. This is echoed by Dr. Simeons, “It neither makes men grow breasts nor does it interfere with their virility, though where this was deficient it may improve it. It never makes women grow a beard or develop a gruff voice. I have stressed this point only for the sake of my lay readers, because, it is our daily experience that when patients hear the word hormone they immediately jump to the conclusion that this must have something to do with the sex- sphere.

 

What are the positive effects of hCG:

Besides the accelerated weight loss and body re-shaping, many patients report:

  • Better rest
  • Improvements in blood chemistry including lowered cholesterols, blood pressure and HBa1C, which typically remains low following the diet
  • Higher energy levels without a nervous or edgy feeling with increased clarity of mind
  • Helps prevent Thrombosis
  • Helps alleviate Migraines
  • Helps to relive arthritic pain
  • Helps increase your sex drive

 

What is Sublingual hCG?

Sublingual hCG comes in a liquid and is taken sublingually (under your tongue).

The Bettabods HCG sublingual drops are an affordable but effective alternative to the lypolytic injections of HCG, of which we supply both.

 

hCG and Testosterone:  Benefits of hCG for Men?

HCG And Testosterone: Benefits of hCG for Men:

The benefits of using hCG for men include boosting healthy levels of testosterone that are needed for all biological processes to ensure optimal health – even in women. Just a few of these processes include maintainance of weight, muscle mass, bone density, heart health, and sexual development

Although men need significantly higher levels to not only produce masculine features and deep voices, but also to support the ‘goings-on’ of things we can’t see happening that occur deep down inside. Correcting low testosterone levels with the use of hCG for men can bring on an incredible amount of positive benefits effects as follows:

Increase red blood cells
Support the cardiovascular system
Increases flow of blood and oxygen
Healthy body hair growth
Weight loss, reduction of fat mass
Increased energy levels, endurance, and performance
Increase in lean muscle mass and muscle strength
Reduced risks of obesity
Improved oxidation in the groin area
Increase in libido
Improved penile growth due to oxidation
Proper stimulation to continue boosted sexual desire
Proper stimulation to improve endurance and sexual performance
Reduced risks of erectile or other sexual dysfunctions
Increase in bone density
Reduced risks of arthritis-related conditions

Using Bettabods hCG for testosterone therapy will enable you to reap the rewards that allow you to feel like a man again. If it is increased energy you need to pound away at the gym, or more muscle to burn the fat off, improved overall health, or even better bedroom performance, the use of Bettabods hCG injections will more than do this job for you.

Easy to wok veggies with seared Asian prawn skewers

Easy to wok veggies with seared Asian prawn skewers

If you’re a lover of Asian or Thai foods that have a bit of a zing and zest, then this is one great recipe that has just what you’re looking for.

It is certainly one of my firm favourites, so enjoy.  <!–more–>

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 T coconut oil
  • 500 g prawns, thawed
  • ½ cup teriyaki sauce
  • 500 g Wok Crisp and Crunchy stir-fry
  • Cauliflower rice, cooked, for serving
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • Sesame seeds, to garnish

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Heat 1 T coconut oil in a pan over a high heat and pan-fry the prawns for 3 minutes on each side.

Pour in half the teriyaki sauce to coat the prawns and cook for 1 minute until sticky. Remove from the heat, place in a bowl and set aside.

Increase the heat and add the remaining oil to the pan. Stir-fry the vegetables until the spinach starts to wilt. Add the remaining teriyaki sauce and toss to coat.

Thread the prawns onto skewers and serve with the cauliflower rice and vegetables.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and season to taste. Spoon over any remaining sauce.