August 10th - Facebook email

When the student is ready, the teacher appears. Buddha

Good morning, well apart from the voice a cough I’d say I’m recovered and raring to go. I watched the Biggest Loser on Sky1 last night and have to admit to enjoying it! What did it home was what the chap said who got sent home, he wasn’t talking about image or looks, he was talking about being fit enough to live a healthy long life and be around for his family. How true is that, how many of us are so focused on the “FAT” that we’re forgetting the benefits of getting healthy, eating the right foods and enjoying the feeling they give us!

So I’m going to make a conscious effort this week to eat my five a day because I know I’m guilty of not doing all the time. I see some dreadful trackers (I’m guilty of a few myself) and although these members might be losing weight they’re health really isn’t benefiting from it. A tracker that only has, cups of tea and sandwiches on isn’t brill. A good tracker should look something like this;

Suggested days menu - Total - 18 points

Breakfast – 2pts

Medium Bowl of cereal, not sugar coated 1½pts
¼ pt (142ml) skimmed milk ½pt
Orange ½pt



Lunch – 4½pts

Pitta Bread 2½pts
60g wafer thin chicken 1pt
tbsp of low fat mayonnaise ½pt
5 cashew nuts chopped ½pt
shredded lettuce
Side salad



Lamb chops & Mash – 8pts

2 medium lamb loin chops – grilled 5½pts
2 scoops of potato, mashed 2pts
carrots and broccoli
Gravy made with a teaspoon of granules ½pt


Snacks
Sugar free jelly
WW Yogurt ½pt
Apple ½pt
200g strawberries 1½pt
¼ pt (142ml) skimmed milk for drinks ½pt

See how much you can fit into one day when you try! So what is a portion of fruit or veg that you can use towards making your five a day. All fruit and vegetables, including fresh, frozen, canned, dried and pure juices, count. The only exception is potatoes, which are a starchy food and so aren’t included in the recommended 5 A DAY. Meanwhile, no matter how much you drink, a glass of pure juice only counts as one portion because it’s not a good source of fibre and the juicing process squeezes out all the natural sugars that are normally found between the cells of the fruit or vegetables, with the result they’re less healthy for teeth. Pulses such as kidney beans, lentils and chickpeas also only count as one portion, regardless of how much you eat. This is because they don’t contain the same vitamins and minerals as other fruit and veg.

It’s important to eat five different fruit and veg each day to get a wide range of vitamins and minerals. For example, you could add dried apricots or sultanas to cereal, have an apple with lunch, serve dinner with two veg such as carrots and broccoli, and snack on a nectarine. It’s as easy as that!

On average, a portion of fruit or veg is equivalent to 80g. Below are some examples of what counts as one portion:


· 1 apple, banana, pear, orange or other similar sized fruit
· 2 plums, satsumas, kiwi fruit or other similar sized fruit
· 1⁄2 a grapefruit or avocado· 1 large slice of melon or fresh pineapple
· 3 heaped tablespoons of vegetables, beans or pulses
· 3 heaped tablespoons of fruit salad or stewed fruit
· 1 heaped tablespoon of raisins or sultanas
· 3 dried apricots
· 1 cupful of grapes, cherries or berries
· 1 dessert bowl of salad
· 1 small glass (150ml) of pure fruit juice

Go on get fruity today ;-)

Remember life starts NOW.

Are you living yet?!