Warning! Moving More can cause the healthy and happy!

2nd March 2016

Before Alice got to Wonderland, she had to fall pretty hard down a deep hole.

Morning, how you doing the morning?  I'm still trying to decide, apart from being woke up with peri-menopausal night sweats I'm good, the joys of being a female.  I've googled Healthy eating during the menopause and surprise, surprise it is basically the same as the Smart Plan, so I'm doing what I can there.  Although the box of cereal that attacked me before I came to bed last night wasn't suggested.  I've just looked at the box, 26g per 100g is sugar, over 25% of it - ouch.  Mind ya, who was I kidding, buying a box of cereal called, 'cereal cookie' was asking for trouble really.  I never eat cereal, it was for mom to pick at but for the last few days, I've craved chocolate, again not like me, so who knows what's going on there.

So now I've got to be super good to try and pull back the damage in time for Friday mornings weigh-in.  Luckily my meals have been good, yesterday was 2 slices toast 5sp at meeting, lunch was Chicken breast with cheese and bacon, onion mash, broccoli and mushrooms 10sp.  The tea was 9sp ham hock, mash and veggies.  I wonder if missing protein at breakfast didn't help, or is it just because I'm tired?  I'm tired because I've worked more than usual and I'm not sleeping as well as I usually do. Mmm food for thought.

Hey ho, nothing a mug of tea would cure, I'm thinking eggs for breakfast, maybe I was missing my protein yesterday first thing, yeah that's brekkie sorted, then I have two meals (can't think what they are) in the fridge ready for today to save me time.

I need to move more, that's the one thing I'm not doing and according to all the gumph, getting active helps everything really doesn't it!

"There's evidence that women who are more active tend to suffer less from the symptoms of the menopause. Exercise is important not only for the relief of short-term symptoms, but also to protect your body from heart disease and osteoporosis.  Exercise will help keep your bones and the muscles that support them strong. It will also increase your flexibility and mobility, which will in turn improve your balance."

So there is it, that's the one thing I'm not doing that I should, I keep making excuses, I know I'll be more active when the weather warms up but I need to be now, so that's what I'm going to think about today, I'm not going to lie and pretend I'm going to do it straight away, but I am going to have a think about it and how I can get active.  I'm getting my 'Move' book out of my Smart Plan pack and I'm sorting it out.

I love that I've just opened the book up and the first thing I've read is;

"Start when you're ready. 

We totally understand that this might not be today or even this week.  Just reading this is a step in the right direction.  And since we're talking about steps, you might as well walk for a couple of minutes"

Good point well made, I shall read this book today and make moving a priority, even more so that my eating! 

On that note, I'm off to put the kettle on, here's to a fab day, let's make it that way. Xx

Your vegetarian Smart Point recipe for today;

Spaghetti with purple sprouting broccoli and tomato and olive sauce

Serves 4, 11sp per person, 10 mins to prepare and 15 mins to cook

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (5sp)

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tsp crushed red chilli flakes

3 x 400g tins whole plum tomatoes

10 black olives, pitted and halved

2 tsp capers in brine, drained

500g (1lb) spaghetti or wholewheat spaghetti (45sp)

300g (10oz) purple sprouting broccoli, trimmed and cut into 3cm (1in) pieces

grated vegetarian hard cheese or Parmesan, to serve (2tbsp = 4sp)

Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for 1-2 minutes, until golden.

Stir in the tomatoes, breaking them down into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Season well, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add the olives and capers for the final 2 minutes of cooking.

Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the spaghetti following the pack instructions. Add the broccoli to the pan for the final 3 minutes of cooking.

Drain the spaghetti and broccoli well and add to the pan with the tomato sauce. Toss to coat, then divide between 4 pasta bowls and scatter with the cheese.