Pellau Magazine

Get your body beach-ready with these toning and firming foods. Body sculpting is all about building lean muscle and burning excess fat sustainably. The best way to achieve it is by combining these healthy ingredients with a regular cardio and resistance training exercise programme. Remember, women need to eat 2200 calories a day to sustain weight, and 1750 to lose weight. If you're not sure how much you should be eating, consult your GP or a dietician for advice. Oh, yes, we WILL have thighs like Rihanna…

Lean Chicken Breast

If you’re looking to tone and sculpt your body into fine, statuesque form, then you need to feed your muscles. The stronger and more powerful your muscles are, the more calories you will burn – and faster. Aim to eat around 15-20g of protein with each meal. A grilled chicken breast is ideal, because it’s low in fat and high in protein.

Dark Turkey Meat

Why dark you say? Lean in fat and high in protein, dark turkey meat also contains twice as much beauty-boosting zinc and riboflavin – both as essential for energy as they are for maintaining a healthy immune system.

Mackerel

Oily fish like mackerel, too, are particularly nutritious forms of low calorie protein. Packed full of omega 3 and 6, calcium, selenium, magnesium, potassium, folate, niacin, vitamins A, B12, C and K (phew!), eating a portion of mackerel three times a week is your one-way ticket to glowing skin, shiny hair and a toned bod.

Salmon

Not keen on mackerel? Grill up a salmon steak instead. Equally high in protein, it’s a great, oily, slightly less fishy alternative.

Tuna

Hell, why not throw some protein rich tuna into the mix while we’re at it. High in protein, low in calories, low in fat… Grilled fresh steaks or plain old tinned, it’s all good news for our body sculpting diet.

Prawns

And don’t forget seafood, like prawns, either. They’re even lower in calories than fish, and equally protein rich, as well as being high in skin-clearing minerals like selenium.

Oysters

As are oysters, which are particularly high in body sculpting protein, calcium, zinc, selenium, iron (essential for collagen production) and vitamin A. Plus, they’re less than 20 calories a shell –and worth every tiny count.

Eggs

There are many ways to cook an egg, and we advise you to try all of them if you’re striving for a super-slender, muscular physique. Eggs are a great low-cal source of protein – just remember that the yolks are quite high in saturated fat (as well as other nutrients, like selenium and zinc, of course). The egg whites are much lower in fat, so save the yolks for a rainy baking day, and tuck into an egg white omelette instead.

Lean Beef

Don’t rule out a good, old-fashioned steak, either. We’re not talking about the kind fried in cholesterol-dripping butter, but a lean, grilled piece of meat will provide just the boost of protein and iron you need to feed those hungry muscles. Remember, your intake of red meats should be limited as they are higher in saturated fats and calories than fish, but once or twice a week could do your bod the world of firming.

Cottage Cheese

Dairy products, like cheese, are good sources of protein and calcium, but beware – most varieties are high in saturated fats, and should be limited in your body-sculpting diet. Not so cottage cheese – a low fat, high protein alternative. Spread on rice crackers, enjoy in a jacket spud or add a little to an egg white omelette.

Broccoli …

And broccoli. Our advice? Eat it as often as possible, in as many ways as you can think of. There are fewer vegetables more nutritious.