Thursday, February 22, 2018
REVIEW ROUND UP – ROWING MACHINES UNDER £300 – LEVEL UP YOUR FITNESS AT HOME
REVIEW ROUND UP – ROWING MACHINES UNDER £300 – LEVEL UP YOUR FITNESS AT HOME posted first on http://kaleandheartykitchen.com/
Thursday, February 15, 2018
REVIEW ROUND UP – ROWING MACHINES UNDER £300 – LEVEL UP YOUR FITNESS AT HOME
Are you looking for Rowing machines under £300? My review round up is for you!
I love using rowing machines, they’re just super convenient. Not only do they give a great workout but you can quickly fold them up and slide them under the bed or store them in a cupboard when you’re done. Perfect if you live in a small apartment or in my case have no room thanks to the mountains of kids stuff filling every spare bit of storage space. For the ultimate exercise at home – the rowing machine has always been a solid go-to option as it offers a genuine full body workout.
Amazing for weight loss, boosting your stamina as well as toning and building muscles – the rowing machine is the perfect work out and makes the ideal compact substitute for a multi-gym. Rowing machines really get your heart and lungs pumping and will give you a great cardio-vascular workout that is super low impact (so they’re gentle on your joints and will not mess up your knees like jogging will).
Not only great for cardio, rowing machines will build muscle mass or to tone and you can do either simply by changing the resistance and intensity of your workout.
I thought I’d test and give my opinion on which I (and others) believe is the best affordable and compact rowing machines of 2018.
So, which are the best rowing machines for under £300?
The Body Sculpter BR1000 Rowing Machine
The ideal introduction to rowing at home – this no-frills model was surprising easy to assemble and setup. One thing that struck me was how “naturalistic” it felt – it was just how I imagine rowing a boat would be and very much unlike the rope pull rowing machines you normally find in the gym. Don’t get me wrong this is a very cheap rowing machine and it shows in the build quality, however it does work and it is very compact so should easily fold up and disappear under most beds.
The only criticism, besides flimsy build, is the monitor – it’s a bit unreliable and it jumps occasionally loosing track of the number of strokes you’ve done. For the price of well under £100 though you can’t really complain!
Check out more reviews for the BR1000 over on Amazon
ROW X – We R Sports Premium Foldable Rowing Machine
Labelled as “premium” – this is one of a sea of chinese brands making waves in the UK home exercise scene (no pun intended). A definite step up in specification from the BR1000 but at only £30 more – this rowing machine uses the rope pulley method which I actually prefer over the fixed hydraulic arms used on the cheaper model.
There was one major flaw with this rowing machine, it’s really unstable and the mid section flexes when you pull on it – to the point where it almost lifts the front of the machine off of the floor! It’s due to this that I cannot recommend this rower to anyone which is a shame as I really love the design and the LCD is great.
Check out more reviews for the ROWX here
V-fit Tornado Air Rower
This is the only rower in the budget range that uses air resistance, but it’s also the most expensive at £250!
The assembly was a painful process – there’s lots to put together, which may go some way to explain the comparatively low price point for an air resistance rower, but I got there in the end. I recommend getting a matt for this rower as based on other reviews it seems to have a tendency to slip slightly when in use. This rowing machine gave good resistance when in use and it also felt very stable (despite others saying it slips). It also folds up into a smaller foot print so requires less storage space than other pulley type rowers.
You’d have thought that with it’s higher price point, air resistance pulley system and overall better technology this rowing machine would win hands down – but it didn’t! Which leads me nicely on to my next review…
Read more independent reviews on the V-fit Tornado Air Rowing Machine here.
JLL® R200 Luxury Home rowing machine
The JLL R200 felt solid and very well-made. Assembly was pretty easy if you take your time and it’s a one person job.
The only very minor negatives are the max resistance isn’t as difficult as other rowing machines and it’s still pretty bulky when folded up, but that’s pretty standard for this kind of compact rowing machine. Just reading the positive reviews online will give you an idea of how great this rower is, especially at it’s current price point.
I actually love this rowing machine, the price has been reduced down to well under £200 on Amazon so recommend you grab a bargain. You will not find a better quality rowing machine for under £200.
I hope the above helps you on your search to find the best budget rowing machines for under £300 – if you have any suggestions please leave us a comment below.
The post REVIEW ROUND UP – ROWING MACHINES UNDER £300 – LEVEL UP YOUR FITNESS AT HOME appeared first on Kale and Hearty Kitchen.
REVIEW ROUND UP – ROWING MACHINES UNDER £300 – LEVEL UP YOUR FITNESS AT HOME posted first on http://kaleandheartykitchen.com/
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Roasted Tomato Soup – with a twist
Roast Cherry Tomato Soup
Lay your tomatoes cut side up.
Roasted tomato soup is a classic warming dish, perfect on a winters eve. This is a super quick and easy roasted tomato soup recipe – no need to peel and deseed millions of tomatoes.
“Tomatoes are a good source of calcium and iron. They also contain decent amounts of phosphorus, sulfur, and potassium. Tomatoes are rich in vitamin C and contain good amounts of vitamin B and vitamin A.” (1)
Ingredients
- 800g Ripe cherry tomatoes
- 400g tin of cherry tomatoes
- 3 small carrots
- 1 red onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 litre of vegetable or chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons of tomato puree
- 1.5 teaspoons of Balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of mixed herbs
- 1.5 tablespoons of olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Cubed pancetta and pumpkin seeds to serve (optional)
Method
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- Heat your oven to 160 degrees C/gas 3.
- Wash and slice your fresh cherry tomatoes in half and arrange in a roasting tin, cut side up. Peel your garlic cloves, squash with the palm of your hand and add to tin with the tomatoes.
- Drizzle with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast in the oven for 45 minutes – 1 hour until they are soft and sticky.
- Meanwhile peel and chop your onion and carrots. Add a dash of olive oil to a large pan and cook the chopped veg on a medium heat until soft – about 15 minutes.
- Once soft, add the tin of cherry tomatoes and the tomato puree and cook for 10 minutes more.
- Remove roasted tomatoes from the oven when cooked and add to your pan – including the garlic.
- Stir well, pour in your stock, balsamic vinegar, mixed herbs and cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and using a hand held stick blender blitz the soup until smooth.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve into bowls.
- We’ve topped our roasted tomato soup with fried pancetta cubes and pumpkin seeds.
Eat! This roasted tomato soup will keep in the fridge for a few days if you have any spare! Want some more healthy ideas for lunch? Click here.
K&H Tip
The antioxidant found in tomatoes is called Lycopene and is red in pigment. So choose the reddest tomatoes for the highest quantities of Lycopene!
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Roasted Tomato Soup – with a twist posted first on http://kaleandheartykitchen.com/
Black Forest Raw Chocolate
Black Forest Raw Chocolate
Cut into pieces and eat!
Looking for an easy-to-make healthy raw chocolate recipe?
Both dairy and refined sugar free – this delicious raw chocolate recipe is not only easy to make but it’s made with wholesome ingredients. Raw cacao is full of flavonoids which act as antioxidants which protect the body from ageing and disease caused by free radicals. The raw cacao used in this simple raw chocolate recipe contains up to four times the antioxidants of traditional cacao powder, and has the highest antioxidant value of all the natural foods in the world.
“Get Happy With Cacao : Some days you just need to find your bliss – cacao is one of the healthiest foods you can consume. Cacao contains the mood improver, anandamide – known as the bliss molecule, which creates a feeling of euphoria.”(1)
Ingredients
- 70 g raw cacao butter
- 50g cacao powder
- 1-2 table spoons of honey
- 2 table spoons of dried cherries
- 1 teaspoon of blackcurrant powder (we use Arctic Power Berries)
Method
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- Place a clean, dry bowl over a saucepan of boiling water. Make sure that the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. The cacao butter should melt on its own without the pan needing to be on the heat but pop it on if you need to.
- Once melted, add your cacao powder and whisk until fully incorporated. Then add your honey to taste and mix well.
- Line a square cake tin with clingfilm and pour your chocolate into the tin. Give the tin a tap to knock out any air bubbles.
- Scatter your dried cherries evenly over the top.
- Pop into the fridge. After about 10 minutes remove tin from fridge and sprinkle with your berry powder. Put back into the fridge for at least 40 mins. The chocolate should have firmed up.
- Remove from fridge and lift out of the tin, transfer to a plate and cut into slices.
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K&H Tip
Keep your raw chocolate in the fridge – that’s if you have any left!Share this Post
The below is from My Body and Soul Blog
Raw, powdered cacao is full of flavonoids, which act as natural antioxidants.
Antioxidants protect the body from ageing and disease caused by free radicals. Raw cacao contains up to four times the antioxidants of traditional cacao powder, and has the highest antioxidant value of all the natural foods in the world.
Scientists from Cornell University in the US recently discovered that raw cacao contains nearly twice the antioxidant content of red wine, and up to three times the antioxidant content of green tea.
The flavonoids in cacao can prevent fat-like substances in the bloodstream from oxidising and clogging the arteries, and cacao has also been found to help regulate blood pressure and reduce cholesterol while building the immune system.
The cacao bean is also rich in magnesium, an energy mineral and vital electrolyte, which is associated with calming the body’s nervous system.
The super-food is also a great source of sulfur which is associated with strong nails, shiny hair and a healthy liver and pancreas, and drinking a cup of hot cacao before meals can diminish your appetite by helping the body tune in to its natural appetite. According to Dr Gabriel Cousens, this is due to cacao’s mono-amine oxidase enzyme inhibitors (MAO inhibitors), which are associated with weight loss and maintenance.
However, can have too much of a good thing. Cacao is very powerful on the central nervous system and over-indulging can interfere with calcium retention. Don’t consume more than 40 grams (or four to six heaped teaspoons) of raw cacao a day, and like anything, enjoy in moderation. A healthy diet is a varied one.
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