We are what we Eat? (an Introduction)

I thought I would dedicate my next few blogs to vitamins, minerals and the importance of a balanced diet.  Personally, if I eat well I feel great, if I start to slack, my body slacks with me.

image taken from www.healthytimesblog.com

Have you ever noticed how when we get ill people around us seem to have a magic cure? If you are suffering from a cold, you may hear your nearest and dearest say:

• "are you taking enough vitamin C",
• "echinacea,that's what you need",
• "zinc, that's the way forward"

Is the common cold a by product of poor vitamin and mineral intake?  By eating a healthy diet can we prevent ourselves getting ill? Personal experience and observation leads me to believe that if people eat well and maintain a healthy life style, they are less likely to suffer colds.  A bold statement you may say; a good topic for debate I say!


What is the truth when it comes to vitamins and minerals?


Vitamins are "organic elements" that are essential for regulating metabolic functions of the body, how the body breaks down food to be used for energy. We obtain most our vitamin intake from our diet, so healthy eating is crucial to ensure that the body is not starved of essential vitamins.


Minerals are essential to our vital processes, e.g. organ function, but as they do not occur naturally,  we must incorporate a good balance of minerals in our daily food intake.


Most of us would not need to take supplements if we maintained a good whole-food diet. However, women during pregnancy or people on restricted weight loss diets, may require additional supplements, so as not to deny themselves valuable nutrients that are needed for bodily functions.


Guidelines to ensuring food is as rich as possible:
(as written in my BSY training module)

• Always buy the freshest food that you can
• Colour should be vibrant
• Buy organic if possible (it may be more expensive, but the vitamin and mineral content is better
• Never over cook vegetables or pulses
• Retain and use any water from food preparation
• Avoid over cutting with knives or grading food on metal graters, as this reduces vitamin content
• Store food out of sunlight
• The cooler the better for storage
• Buy enough fresh food for a couple of days' needs, vitamin loss is rapid

Over the next few blogs I will summarise the A-Z of vitamins and minerals, the food groups you can find them in and the benefits of them to your overall well being. 

Intimidated by a Gym? Tap into the App Revolution!

Since buying in to the I-phone phenomenon, I must confess, that I find myself checking Apps as soon as an idea comes into my head.  This addiction seems to have replaced the "let's Google it" syndrome!

We all enjoy different activities and have our own way of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.  Some of us feel comfortable joining the gym, Zumba class or local diet club; but what about those of us who feel too intimidated to do so.  

To help you begin your journey there are an abundance of e-tools to help you on your way.  Here are a few that I recommend and use regularly.

Weight once lost has a nasty way of creeping back if not controlled.  To help me maintain my weight loss I use My Fitness Pal. It's a great way to monitor your calorie intake, exercise activity and even your water levels; helping you track your carb, fat & protein intake.  Its a free app for the I-phone, android, blackberry and windows phone and easily accessed via the web.

Endomondo is another free GPS utility that you can use to record activity.  Track your run or cycles through your phone or enter your activity manually on line.

Take your training to a park or into your garden using the Nike Training App.  Get lean, toned, strong or focused as the app takes you through a routine.   Set your own music, work out with your family and feel the benefits of an aerobic workout anywhere you choose.  

By using these apps you will begin to lose weight and as your fitness improves, you will feel more inclined to join that Zumba class - see you there!

Remembering how good we feel at the end!

Three and a half years ago and six stone heavier I would never have contemplated walking anywhere, let alone cycling or running. At the beginning of my journey, persistence, determination and motivation existed in abundance; leaving me feeling healthier with every pound lost and fitter with every extra minute I kept running.

This short introduction is an attempt to contextualise the rest of this blog.

Some people I know have adopted a "continuous healthy lifestyle". However, it seems that the majority of us will feel the need to loose weight and get fit; and for a while we do exactly that. Then an event, holiday or an illness interrupts our routine and although we have good intentions to return to exercise, I wonder how many people struggle to do so?

Suddenly, excuses emerge - my excuses tend to be around not having enough time and too much to do. Realistically though this is not the case, the long and thin of it is I just can't be bothered! All of a sudden clothes start to feel a little tight, pounds creep back on and there comes a day when there is a shift in mental attitude. I decide enough is enough and I feel motivated enough to reign it back in.

Google tells me that motivation is "the general desire or willingness of someone to do something?" So, what keeps me motivated, is it as simple as wanting to do something? The one thing I do not want is to go back to wearing tents and getting out of breath going up the stairs. So, for that not to happen, I have to adopt a "continuous healthy lifestyle". By no means do I deny myself, but if I indulge in a chocolate bar, I will exercise that little bit more to compensate for it.

There are times before a class or a run that I wonder if I can be bothered. At these moments I force myself to visualise how good I feel after activity and focus on what I do not want!

Flittering with intent!

According to oxforddictionaries.com, flitter is defined in the following way:
Verb - move quickly in an apparently random or purposeless manner
Noun - a fluttering movement


After showing my daughter my blogs, I was accused of flittering!  Flittering from one project to another and never quite completing anything.  I suppose this could be interpreted as "moving quickly in an apparently random or purposeless manner".  I however do not see it this way.  I like keeping busy, enjoy learning new things; and quite frankly if I want to give something a try, I generally do!


The snippets of knowledge I have, make the odd trivial pursuit game rather interesting; especially when the specks of information floating in the grey cells get a little jumbled.  


It must be a little confusing, when my husband and daughter come home, not sure who they will find - mum, wife, picture framer, personal fitness trainer, writer, nutritionist, master baker or whatever else takes my fancy.


Just for the record, there are many things I have completed, but with probably ten times as much categorised as work in progress!

A New Wave of Redundancy

My daughter has recently passed her driving test. Sunday just gone I heard, "see you later mum, I'm off to work". All of a sudden I felt rather redundant. Where was the little girl that needed a personal chauffeur? I've been known to grumble "can't wait for you to start driving", but did I really mean it?

We always consider the milestones our children go through, but I think we should spare a thought for the parents. Redundancy creeps up on us slowly.

We wait for the first smile, tooth, word and steps. Before you realise, it's their first day at school; and on it goes, until they pick up those keys and shout "see you later mum!"

"Basically, what it is......."

Colleagues in higher education will be reading this title, understanding the context without any further explanation. For those who need further explanation, please read on. Students entering into dialogue with staff frequently begin with "basically, what it is...."

When I was at school, (during the 80s), it was customary to stand when a teacher walked into the classroom. In unison, all the children would greet the teacher with a "Good Morning/Afternoon Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms Whatever your name was". A bit too much for a university environment, but to offer a simple "hello" and "can you help me?" is a much more effective way of starting a conversation.

The biggest problem I now face is that I frequently find myself starting a sentence with BASICALLY!!