The benefits of exercise are truly amazing. Just like a car, if you leave it in the garage and never use it, it will deteriorate — the battery will go flat. Our bodies were built to move and if we want a healthy body, we must keep it active, strong and healthy.
Not many people truly like the idea of exercise but once you have exercised you always feel better. I visit a sports club on my way home after work. I will arrive home feeling relaxed and calm, and I will sleep well. It is the perfect ending to my day.
What are the benefits of exercise?
• Releases those happy endorphins that make you feel good
• Keeps your body strong and flexible
• Helps you stay fit and toned
• Tones you up and helps burn calories when losing weight
• Boosts circulation to the brain and helps you to think more clearly
• Makes your skin glow and keeps you look young
Getting started
If you have not exercised for some time it is often difficult to get started again, especially if you feel very unfit or are overweight. You need to start gently and build your confidence. You can send for my Mini-Morning Workout by emailing to [email protected], or to [email protected] for exercises that can be done sitting down. It does not matter how gently you begin, the important thing is to start. Many women do not feel relaxed exercising in mixed company, so check to see if your chosen gym has women only times.
If you are still saying to yourself that you are too tired to exercise, just remember that most of us are just mentally tired, not physically. Exercise always makes you feel better, so give it a go!
Recipe of the Week
Swordfish Ceviche
Serves 4
Ingredients
570 g skinned swordfish, cut into 1 cm cubes
225 g tomatoes, preferably yellow
175 g red onions (about 1 medium onion), peeled and very thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
10 chopped fresh coriander leaves, plus 1-tbsp. Coriander leaves to garnish
1 tbsp. chopped fresh mint leaves juice 6 limes
1 tsp. black peppercorns, crushed
1 tsp. sea salt
You will also need a shallow serving dish with a base measurement of 6_ x 8 inches (16 x 20 cm).
Method
Begin by skinning the tomatoes. Place them in a heatproof bowl and pour boiling water on to them. After exactly a minute (or 15-30 seconds if the tomatoes are small), remove them from the water and slip off their skins (protecting your hands with a cloth if they are hot). Then cut them in half, squeeze out the seeds and cut them in half again to make quarters.
Next, layer the swordfish, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and chopped coriander and mint leaves in the serving dish, sprinkling with the salt and freshly crushed black pepper. Now simply pour over the limejuice and press down with your hands so that everything is well covered with juice. Then cover the dish with Clingfilm and refrigerate for 12 hours, turning the fish over once during that time.
Serve with salad leaves and garnished with the remaining coriander.
Ask Alva
My problem is that I’m overweight.... 4-5 months back I had gone on a diet and managed to reduce my weight to 65 kilos by exercising and low-calorie diet.... But after my marriage (which took place recently) I gained all that I lost.... I’ve tried again but nothing is working out. Ann
One of the frequent problems about dieting is that we almost always put the weight back on. Which is why I am very much against dieting; I guess that as you are recently married you are looking after your husband and cooking him wonderful meals — and maybe that means that you are eating a bit more than you are used to.
The fact that you did lose weight indicates that you have good self-control, and if you email to [email protected] I will send you a copy of my Healthy Eating Guide as this will help you to prepare meals that are not fattening! Your ideal weight would be 60 kilos or less, but in aiming for this target, set yourself achievable goals. Aim to lose just 5 kilos to begin with and then go on from there.