11th October 2010 todays email

Always do right. This will gratify some people, and astonish the rest. Mark Twain
Where did that weekend go? I spent most of it lying on the floor with back spasms – you gotta laugh, but when I do it hurts at the moment ;-)

Anywho, what shall we talk about today? Mmm. I was going to talk about self-pity because that would be really easy to do this morning with my back at the moment but I’m not going to give it the attention it’s seeking, it’s not broken so it can just get better because I’m not stopping.

Instead let’s have a lesson from Pooh, anyone who knows me knows I only found the world of Winnie the Pooh a few years ago and he’s now one of my gurus, I see his books as self help books, as good as any of the others on my shelf ;-) So here goes;

Oh Bother! That’s what comes of a help-yourself with Rabbit.

And a Help-yourself with Rabbi
Though it may become a habit,
Is a pleasant sort of habit
For a Pooh.

(The House At Pooh Corner)

Pooh is a habitual snacker. At about 11am every day he has a little something, whether he’s hungry or not (but, of course, he always is). And we would not want him to change, but we might want to change our own behaviour by observing the effect that habitual over-eating has on his belly. Pooh starts the day with breakfast, followed by elevenses, then lunch, then very nearly tea and then tea – only Hobbits and Hilary’s eat more!

Small changes do make a difference. By eating one less biscuit a day, or one less teaspoonful of honey, or walking a mile a day, we can ‘save’ a point or two a day. It make not sound much but over time it adds up to enough to prevent the average two pounds weight gain that most adults put on each year of their adult life.

Sticking to 3 meals a day, and limited snacks, will help prevent weight gain and health problems. Snacking in front of the TV, for example, adds the equivalent of an extra meal a day to many people’s food intake. That adds up to a lot of extra calories in a short time.

Aim to eat your five a day; it really does help with feeling full and satisfied. Include wholegrain foods and protein at every meal. Maybe up your activity levels, take the lead from Pooh, who often has a brisk stomp through the forest before lunch or as a prelude to taking tea with Owl or Rabbit. And if you eat more, move more!

Remember life starts now?

Are you living yet?

You’re not alive unless you’re living!