Monday Madness 09/06/2014 - Another week dawns!

Monday Madness 09/06/2014

In this Mondays blog:

* free legal high (I mean endorphins!)

* Wimbledon strawberries

* parents arrested over obese child

* B is for.......

* your weekly recipe

* rumour busting

* move more chill a bit less

* dear diary, the countdown begins

Wow! Where has the week gone?. Is it really a week ago I was bouncing off the walls with excitement at the official first blog entry being published? At this rate it will be Christmas again soon!!(aghhhhh!)

Okay, so how has your week been?

Did you make time to move more?

Did you try out the MM recipe?

BTW if you want some inspiration for getting moving ladies you must check out Jessie Pavelka. I'm pretty certain he could get most of you interested in fitness! Just go and check him out (jus sayin')

My free legal high!

So this week I have been crazy in the gym. It might sound sad but the feeling of happiness when I've had a damned good sweaty workout at the gym is incredible. Of course its also scientifically proven as we release endorphins which give us a free and legal high! I'm really chuffed that my “standing up” cycling on the spinning cycle, (no not the washing machine!), is getting longer and longer. Its going to help my legs, bum and waist! Yay! Its lovely to come out of the gym and feel happier and more energetic than when I went in. You have to give exercise a go, you’ve got nothing to lose. Note: if you are new to exercise etc. do consult your GP first.

Wimbledon Strawberries

As some of you may know I live in Wimbledon. We aren’t far form the tennis and the town is def gearing up for Wimbledon fortnight which begins on the last week of June. Strawberries will be everywhere oh, and Cliff Richard look alikes singing down at Wimbledon train station! 

Pic courtesy of velojoy

I love strawberries but you know the Lawn Tennis Association thinks they can only be eaten with cream. For the Wimbledon fortnight blog I would love to publish your recipes and ideas of how you use strawberries. Feel free to send pics and ant anecdotes too to mrsjesmith@outlook.com.

In the news this week I spotted a report about a mother and father who are being investigated by the police for child cruelty. Their son who is eleven years old, 5'1” and weighs 15 stone has a BMI of 48. I’m not really sure what to make of this. I would love to know what you think and am really interested to hear your viewpoint. Please comment below at the end of this blog. Thank you.

To read more on this story go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-27730696     

Is for

berries ( a gazillion varieties!)beetroot

butternut Squash

brussels

bamboo

banana

broccoli

burdock

beans galore

balsam apples

balsam pears

broad beans (in season! right now)

As broad beans are in season and because they are yummy and under rated this weeks' recipe features them. This a recipe I have made oodles of times because quite simply its delicious! The original comes from Angela Hartnet but I've modified it a little. It is a warm salad but is delicious cold too.

I love this courgette photo. It is here courtesy of jandlseeds.com

Broad Bean and Courgette Salad. (serves 4)

Ingredients

4 large courgettes

200 g broad beans out of the pods. (tbh you can use frozen!)

1 tbsp olive oil

10 walnut halves, chopped

The dressing ingredients

half tbsp white wine vinegar

25 ml olive oil

salt/pepper

Method

*Whisk the dressing ingredients together and set aside.

*Slice the courgette in to half cm slices

*Heat oil in saute pan and add courgettes to cook for around five minutes (no more, you want them with some bite and not soggy)

*Put your broad beans in boiling water and cook for three minutes. Drain and peel if you are using fresh. Add to the pan with the courgettes.

*Add walnuts and stir dressing through whilst the salad is still warm.

Eat and marvel at how delish this is!

Myth Buster!

This weeks myth is one I heard sooooo many times when I was a weight loss leader so I thought it would be a good one to address!

The Rumour: My body is in starvation mode so I can't lose weight.

The facts: if I had a pound for every time I was told this at the scales I'd be super rich by now.

The fact is it's a myth. If you are not losing weight or are gaining weight its not because you haven’t eaten enough, it's because you've eaten more calories than you've burned. It is so rare that there is any other cause I'm afraid. Simple. This is usually caused by miscalculating your energy intake so you need to be careful and honest with yourself when adding up your energy in and energy out.

So you've heard that low calorie diets slow down your metabolism so that must be why you aren't losing weight. Okay, it may slow down a little but not enough to prevent you losing weight.

I'm not trying to be funny but you only have to look at the devastating effect of people unfortunate to live in countries where they really are starving. Have any of them kept their original body weight on? No!

So, sorry everyone but this one is a myth! Just be really careful to make your sums balance if you are trying to reduce body weight.

Move More Chill a bit less!

How are you feeling after a week of marching? Revitalised and raring to try something new I hope?

So this week how about getting yourself outside and take a walk around the park or even around the block? Try doing it every day and you will soon be walking further and who knows you may start running in the future. Maybe you could walk to collect the children/grandchildren from school? You could stop at the park on your way home and play with the kids. Walking is great for our lady bones. It helps to keep them strong which is of course essential for us girls. It will also help to tone your body. A toned body had more muscle and more muscle means that your body burns calories more effectively.

So, healthy bones, heart, toned body, the ability to burn energy more effectively – how can that not be motivation enough to get moving more and chilling a bit less? YOU can do it, I believe in you!

Illustration : www.letswalkmore.com

Dear Diary - The Countdown Begins!

Dear Diary will begin in on the 25^th of June and feature every fortnight. I've got a great diarist lined up for you whose them is going to be about how to have a healthy family on a budget and boy does she know exactly what she's talking about. I know you’re going to enjoy it and naturally there will be plenty of humour involved!

I have loved working on this Mondays blog and I really hope that you have enjoyed reading it too. My dream is that you have been inspired to go and make some small changes towards getting a healthier life that you want! cant wait for next week!

Janie xxxx