MY PURPOSE IS NOT TO TELL YOU TO CHANGE BUT TO BE HERE TO HELP YOU CHANGE
Helllooooooooo
And apologies again for the delay in blogging. Big news has hit Smith Towers but I can't reveal what it is yet! (but it does not include babies before anyone asks!)
So the weather hasn't been quite so fab of late, in fact this morning our roof shed had white stuff on it - that's okay in the Autumn but not August surely? Brrrrrr!
This week I spent 6 hours in one session in the gym with Pete a personal trainer. I was shadowing him as I intend to train other people as soon as possible. IT WAS GREAT, he was kind with his time, I learned lots about form and met some lovely people - a big shout out especially to Maria!
The media have been busy lately with stories about our body weight and its link to disease and illness. There has been much about cancers and diabetes. I'm really pleased to see this is finally making news as it s about time we all had the facts so we can make informed choices about our diet and health. The choices I guess are ultimately straightforward - we choose to live well and have a fab time or risk premature death. Yep, that sounds scary but it is the truth. As a result of all the media attention I thought i would concentrate on diet/weight/health this week and precis what is being said.I hope it will give you enough ammo to support your friends and family to greater well-being.
So... this week;
* Hello!
* K is for.....
* Weekly Recipe
* Media Focus
* Move More, Chill a Bit Less
Let's get at it!
Kale (my fave)
Kiwi
Kohlrabi
Kumquat (mmm Kumquat liquor in Corfu!)
Kuka
Kale... what is it good for?
Absolutely everything!
Say it again..........
KALE IS GOOD FOR ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING!!!!
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| she'd never tried kale crisps! |
Most illnesses and chronic disease are caused by cell inflammation. We need to eat far more anti inflammatory foods - kale is superb for reducing cell inflammation. To boot, it is rich in anti oxidants which fight off those free radicals from your body, (and free radicals cause incredible damage that can lead to cancers among other diseases,) they are low calorie and low in carbs. What is not to love about this wonder food?
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| A bit of science to show how anti oxidants mop up free radicals in your body. |
Crispy Kale Crisps ( or if you are reading in USA Kale Chips)
What do I need?
* 1/2 tsp of olive or coconut oil per tray of kale
* 3/4 - 1 tsp garlic powder
* 1/2 tsp chilli powder (adjust to your heat tolerance but don't go to hot, keep it subtle)
* 1/2 tsp onion powder
* 1/4 tsp sea salt (give it a little going over in your salt grinder to make it fine)
* 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
* 1 and 1/2 tsp nutritional yeast (but only if you like it as many people don't!)
How do I make these scrummy morsels?
* Turn oven on low (about 300 F)
* Remove stems from the leaves and tear into largish pieces
* Spray or mix with your oil making sure you massage the oil in well and every bot of the leaf is coated
* Lay out in a single layer on your baking sheet
* After 10 minutes mess them up a bit but keep in a single layer
* Cook for approx 15 minutes further - don't let them them burn!
* Remove form the oven and leave them in the tray to cool. This is when they crisp up (You know how cookies do?)
* Whilst they are cooling make the dry dressing:
* Combine all the spices etc together thoroughly and once your crisps are cool coat with dressing evenly.
Media Focus - what can we learn from recent media?! (apart from the fact that KP had a daughter and David Beckham went to the gym!!!!)
In 1975 a size 10 waist was classed as 24 inches, today it is 28 inches - our clothes have become roomier than ever! This is often referred to as "vanity sizing" so that we believe that the extra pounds we are carrying are normal. It is a really scary concept as it is estimated that by 2050 over 50% of the population in the UK will be obese as a minimum. (National Obesity Forum). Presently over 30% of children in the UK are obese and it seems that parents are not seeing it - which means they are unwittingly leading their most precious children to a life of serious disease as they become adults. No one does this on purpose but if we don't address it and wake up to the stark reality of what is happening then we are in serious trouble. With an NHS already overburdened with patients suffering from obesity related illnesses, will there be an NHS left to support us and our children?
In England 64% of the population is overweight or obese! In Scotland the figure is 61.9%! That is absurd! When are we going to wake up and stop harming ourselves? When will we stop being offended if the GP tells us that if we lost weight we would feel much better? How can that be offensive? Isn't it the golden ticket to a great life?
According to the Social Progress Index 2014 out of 132 countries surveyed re their health the UK is 37, that's the lowest ranking for comparable western nations. Do you know why we have that ranking? It's because of our weight problems.
But hang about! It's not our fault is it?
Well actually we are responsible for what goes into our shopping trolleys, cupboards and guts BUT..........it is also very possible that our ideas of what a "normal healthy weight" is has been skewed as we frequently see photos and pictures of overweight people and because we see so many we believe that to be okay. Of course being overweight may seem to be the norm but it isn't a normal healthy weight. Doctors have also reported that they often find it very difficult to overcome the difficulties of talking to patients about weight. We know that there is a social stigma about the "F" word and Doctors understandably don't want to offend anyone. Unfortunately this means they often fail to give us the best wake up call they could give us.
Life has become more sedentary too. We pop clothes in the washing machine instead of working up a sweat washing heavy things by hand. This means we burn a lot less calories than our predecessors who were rarely overweight.
Social changes have also helped to increase our waist lines. People now eat in the street on the go and snacking when not hungry is seen as perfectly acceptable. I'ts as though we have forgotten the purpose of eating. Our plates are 20% bigger than they were in the 1980s, so are mugs, cups, serving spoons etc. It's very easy for portion distortion to happen. When this is combined with the fact that so many people eat calorie dense, salt and sugar laden foods it's no wonder we have an out of control weight problem in the UK.
The good news of course is that you have just read this and can see whats going on around us! That means you know the pitfalls and can move forward to avoid them. We have to change our perceptions of body weight. We must accept that fat isn't okay, not from an aesthetic point of view but from your personal health well being point of view. This country is seeing increased rates of all forms of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancers. Furthermore this is costing the NHS an extra £5,000,000,000 (£5 billion) per annum. by getting healthy we could probably save the NHS single handedly!
To read more about how weight affects your risk of developing certain cancers click here and go to the bbc website
To read more about how weight affects your risk of developing certain cancers click here and go to the bbc website
So what we can do to help ourselves? LETS TAKE BACK CONTROL OF OUR HEALTH!
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| so true - and we can do it |
* Admit this country has a problem with food and weight
* Support our friends and families kindly and with dignity to adopt a happier healthier way of living so that we can share a wonderful life with them
* Reduce our portion sizes - try using a smaller plate, cup.spoon...
* Only snack if you are truly hungry - a few almonds can really fill you up and do untold goodness to your body
* Adopt a plant based lifestyle. It is the only way forward and doesn't mean you cant drink or eat cake!
* Move more - your body wants to move so give it a treat and you will be rewarded!
* The more we do in the kitchen for ourselves the healthier our diets and the more weight will drop off us
* Try out the weekly recipes on this blog.
What have you done to achieve a healthier fabulous life? Id love to know! click here to mail me or add a comment at the bottom of the blog.
Move More!
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| Age or size is not a barrier |
I am totally in Love with HIT training. HIT = High Intensity Training. It's brilliant because you don't need to exercise for long at all - yep its true you don't need 2 hours in the gym to get incredibly fit and toned. In 8 minutes - you can do a full work out! Be prepared to dig deep and use mind over matter to complete your HIT training because it's well worth it. At the moment I have a fave routine which you will find the video link below for. It takes 8 minutes, involves 40 seconds of HIT and 20 seconds rest over 8 cycles. No equipment needed (except a sturdy bra!), the calorie burn during exercise is high and you will be burning calories at a rate of knots for hours after as well a shaving fun and creating a gorj bod! I'm not pretending it's easy but then easy doesn't reap rewards does it?
Remember: Most of us give in too easily! Dig deep like your life depends on it, you will be so proud of yourself for doing your true best instead of what your mind keeps telling!!! BTW - always check with your GP that it's okay before you embark on a physical exercise programme.
So here is the link HIT Training Free video
Enjoy and let me know what you think?!
For the next couple of months I will be blogging on a weekly basis rather than twice a week. Don't worry though I am still here to take your emails etc and support your path to a healthier lifestyle.
Have a great Bank Holiday and see you next week if not before!
Lots of love and peace
Janie xxxxx
