Parmentier Root Vegetable Recipe

Parmentier root vegetable recipe, with the Froothie Optimum Healthyfry Rapid Air Fryer

You may have noticed on my social media that I have teamed up with Froothie. They're a quality kitchen appliances brand that you may not have heard of. I hadn't heard of them until recently. but I'm glad I have now!

They sent me an air fryer to try out, as part of their #jumpstart17 project. As lots of us (myself included) take on the challenge of a healthier lifestyle as part of our new years resolutions., we need ways to easily make healthy meals. This recipe was created using their Optimum Healthyfry Rapid Air Fryer.

*The next part of the post includes some personal disclosure over the reasons for my health drive in 2017 - For the recipe, scroll straight to the bottom 😉 *

Let me ask you, have you stuck to the health kick? Or totally given up now we're in February?

Is a healthy lifestyle for one month only? Usually tying in with over indulgence over the festive period, or as a panic ahead of a beach holiday?

Well that's what it has always been for me.

I've never REALLY committed to changing my lifestyle, opting instead to subconsciously prioritise my own creature comforts, and falling back into old habits. After all, we are creatures of habit and we don't like being pushed outside our comfort zone.

So the washing, or cooking tea would always come before the gym, and I would keep putting it off.

This is where I get personal...

This year is different for me.

I hesitate to type the words, as I don't usually blog anything too personal, instead focusing very much on the food! But I hope that by sharing my story, it may resonate with anyone else who's felt like me, and even inspire you to do something about it.

We got married in March 2015, and as of March 2017 (which is fastly approaching), our consultant casually told us we will be diagnosed as medically infertile (unless of course something happens in the next month).

That's it, on our medical records as not fit for purpose in the baby making department. The impending diagnosis really does affect your mental well being, it certainly did mine anyway. It feels like a giant clock ticking down, like I haven't already had a guts-full of ticking body clocks?!

The reasons are many and complex, and we still don't fully understand them.

Which is also part of the issue, as not being able to understand it, means you can't really rationalize it and come to terms with it. It also poses lots of questions about how we see our lives panning out, because it doesn't affect just one of us, it's both of us. But talking about it and coming to terms with it, with a resolution that both of you can live contented with, is difficult when there are so many uncertainties over the next steps.

What does this have to do with food?!

Well, for 2 years I have been on an absolute emotional rollercoster with no end in sight.

You go from being off your food, to wanting to eat everything in the fridge like a flick of a switch. You cut out certain foods and alcohol in an attempt to boost fertility, but keeping that up for 2 years with no pay off is pretty frustrating! So you go the other way, to rebel... 'F' you infertility... I WILL drink as much wine as I like OK?!

The next thing you know, you've put on 2 stone (although people say they can't see it on you, you can feel it, and see the numbers on the scales).

You're just over your BMI, so you panic in case the fertility clinic will reject you for treatment, and worst of all you feel totally and utterly fed up of yourself. Inside and out. Fed up of feeling sorry for yourself, and not being able to join in others happiness at getting pregnant in the blink of an eye. Fed up of hating your reflection in the mirror. Fed up of how your clothes feel on you. And fed up of your stupid uterus not playing ball.

I was at breaking point.

I have had such an absolute hatred for everything about myself, that I must have been very hard to be married to. Which is common with infertility, it puts a massive strain on your relationship, for all the reasons mentioned above.

Thankfully I have a very understanding, patient and simply lovely husband. But that makes me want to be a better person than I am, and have been.

So something HAD to change. This year's 'New Years Resolution' was more than just writing down what I'd like to do, it was about what I HAD to do. For myself, my husband and all my friends and family, because I felt I was letting them down.

Therein lies the link to healthy eating!

A few key things that have helped shift my mindset, and keep me on track for being more positive, feeling better in myself, and losing some of that weight have included.

Put exercise as a top priority

This sounds easy but it's not!

Exercise would be one of the first things I would take off my 'to-do' list if I ran out of time, or something else cropped up. This year I have mentally made an effort to say to myself... NO... your health comes first, and it will have to wait until you've gone to the gym, or gone for a walk.

Use up leftovers more
This is a money saving, and healthy eating tip. Every day, my husband or I will cook tea, and save some to portion up for the next day, to take to work. Taking packed lunches with any snacks (usually fruit), and drink you need has really helped curb impulse buying that doughnut, pasty or fizzy drink when I'm on my lunch, and stressed about work. We now do this religiously without fail.

Ask for help
I have sat down with my husband and we have gone through all the things that need to be done on a weekly basis. It's so easy to take ownership of too many things and feel swamped by it all, and you keep doing it without asking for help! We now share a few more chores like cooking and cleaning, meaning I have more time to exercise and take time for myself.

Do yoga
Being flexible and being able to move easily without pain is something we all take for granted. I have terrible hip pain every now and again, and it is so easy to just put up with it, and use it as an excuse not to exercise. But instead, this year I am doing something to rectify it, and feel awesome at the same time.

Take a break
I needed something else to focus on, I was literally driving myself insane. I am just over 30 and had in my head that I didn't want to be a geriatric mother (that's not an offense- it's an actual thing) so wanted all our children by the age of 35.

Taking 2 years to not even have one, combined with my preconceived ideas was not a good mix.

So I've tried my best to let go of that.

And take a break from trying to focus on getting healthy, feeling better and going on holiday. It's funny, when you think you may be pregnant that month, it's really hard to commit to any given exercise, as in the back of your mind you're thinking you may not be doing this in 3 months time. It's also hard looking back over the past 2 years, at all the things you haven't done, or invites you've declined just in case this month is the month.

So, leading a healthier lifestyle focussed on BALANCE between eating what I like, and exercise is the order for 2017. That's why I was really pleased to team up with Froothie. Who not only focus on high quality kitchen appliances, but also ways to be more healthy in the kitchen too.

Without any more rambling... here is the first recipe I have made on my Optimum Healthy Fry! Keep an eye out for a giveaway I have coming up to win one too!