Had a busy morning? Feeling bored, tired, stressed?
What better than a nice hot drink and a few biscuits to dunk in it? It can make you feel comforted and so much better. It tastes sweet and releases chemicals that provide you with an instant energy boost. The problem is that it can lead you to become dependent on this sugary fix to get you through the day. If you are over-indulging in sugary foods such as biscuits, cakes, and sweets, you may be sending your sugar levels up so that your body must produce a surge of insulin to help turn the sugar into energy. Constantly eating sugary foods can lead to high levels of blood sugar and insulin. If you have a sweet tooth and you want to lose weight, it is a good idea to cut down on sugary snacks. This is best done gradually, as cutting down too suddenly you can set up a craving that is difficult to resist. Try to cut out one of your sugary snacks and replace it with a natural high such as a juicy mango, a sweet apple, or a few grapes.
Feel like cake in the afternoon? Try today’s recipe. This fruitcake is fat free, very moist and full of fruit. You can eat it without feeling guilty!
Get Fit & Healthy
Eat a Nice Bowl of Salad Every Day
Why? Salad is an easy way to eat plenty of healthy fresh vegetables. Vegetables have fibre and many disease-fighting vitamins and minerals.
How? Shop for vegetables that you like rather than what you think you should have. Make salads look attractive with plenty of colours. Use only a teaspoon of olive oil for dressing and flavour with fresh herbs.
Recipe of the Week
Aunty Jan’s Bara Brith
Ingredients
340g Dried Mixed Fruit
285ml Strong Hot Tea
200g Soft Brown Sugar
2 tsp. Mixed Spice (optional)
340g Self-raising Flour
1 Large Egg
Handful Crushed Walnuts
Honey
Method
Mix the mixed fruit, hot tea, brown sugar and mixed spice in a large bowl, cover and leave for 24 hours. Then add the self-raising flour, one large beaten egg and a handful of crushed walnuts. Put ingredients in a 900g loaf tin in the centre of the oven at 150º or gas Mark 4 for 90 minutes. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling tray. Coat the top of the cake with honey while it is still hot.
Exercise Tip: Be Adventurous at the Gym
Are you bored at the gym? We go to the gym at the same time every day and we tend to use the same machines. So spice up our exercise routine! Next time you go to the gym, ask the fitness instructor to show you how to use some equipment you’ve never used before. Varying your exercise programme will allow you to work different muscles in different ways, and will help prevent boredom.
Ask Alva
How soon after pregnancy can one start exercise and the process of losing weight i.e. dieting etc? Any particular tips on losing flab off the tummy and hips? Mona
Once you have the all-clear from your doctor, you can gradually start to exercise, but it is difficult because your energy levels can be low due to breast-feeding and broken nights. My Mini-Morning Workout is great for getting your body back into shape and you can email for a free copy to [email protected]. Slowly work up to doing double the number of recommended stomach exercises. If you are breastfeeding, that means that you must eat a healthy diet and drink plenty of milk, fresh juice and water. One of the reasons new mothers find it difficult to lose weight is because they have very little time for exercise and are also very tired. Try to fit in exercises when the baby is sleeping. Make sure you are getting enough carbohydrates such as rice, potatoes, pasta and bread, as you need them to give you plenty of energy. If you don’t eat enough carbohydrates, you will feel tired and hungry and want to snack on unhealthy food that is not good for you and adds weight. Try to cut down on fat in food and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Alva