Blog
THE BENEFITS OF EXERCISING OUTDOORS (yes even in Winter)
It’s well documented that exercise brings with it a host of benefits for both physical and mental health. There is also evidence to suggest that the environment of that exercise can influence those benefits. Exercise outdoors (dubbed years ago as ‘green exercise’)...
BMI – not as accurate as you’d think
The BMI (Body Mass Index) is a measure that uses your height and weight to work out whether you’re a healthy weight. Now, let’s think about that word weight. Our weight incorporates all our organs, bones, blood, muscle and body fat. During our strength-training...
WILLPOWER….
It’s a funny old word, willpower. It always seems to be associated with weight-loss and comes under many other guises. Determination, drive, resolve, self-discipline, self-control. We have to call on willpower in so many areas of our life, like putting savings away...
LITTLE AND OFTEN OR 3 MEALS A DAY?
I was out with two friends the other day, not in a café, but just walking in the park. Jill was eating almonds (halo shining). “Did you not have breakfast?” asks Sue. “No”, replies Jill (who lives alone) “I don’t really stick to meal times, I sort of nibble all...
PROTEIN : sources other than meat !
If you’re a regular to this column, you’ll be aware of the Deadman drill when it comes to losing fat and that it’s more to do with food than exercise. There are two key factors here: A) you must be in a calorie deficit (i.e eat less than your body needs so it taps...
The 5 questions I am most asked by the public….
I’m interested in people and their goals so what I love about my job is that I get to chat to the public and offer everyday fat-loss and fitness advice. Through my experience as a fitness coach, through the Blast Plan and my columns here, there are certain questions...
COULD THE WRONG FOOD BEING PLAYING HAVOC WITH YOUR MOOD?
If you only read one of my blogs ever, make it this one. How you fuel your body will have a direct impact on your mood. And then an improvement in your health and energy levels will follow suit. There is so much to say on this topic that I got myself into a right...
Cellulite: Do we care and what can be done?
With regard to our fitness levels and body-composition, we have a certain degree of control. If we want to run a 5k, we do a progressive training programme. If we want to lose fat, we eat less but better. There are other things we have little control over and...
Putting on weight during the menopause isn’t a given…
Or at least it doesn't have to be. I get lots of messages from women in their early fifties, alarmed at how their "tummy never used to be like this" or "I used to be so fit and strong and now I'm just exhausted". This isn't just the menopause, this is also ageing. ...
How Does Sleep Really Affect Our Health?
How much we move our body influences our health. It’s one of the three main markers of health. How much and what we eat also plays a part. The third piece of that jigsaw is sleep, a topic absolutely fundamental to our wellbeing. When we sleep our body and brain...
Small life tweaks to help raise self-esteem
So much of how us women feel about ourselves as humans is connected to how we feel physically about our bodies. I mean, how twisted is that? But let’s ride with it. My friend Gill, currently on gardening leave from her job and living the dream except.. “I’m fat. The...
Broccoli – Packing a punch against Cancer
You know when there’s nothing on the telly, so you scroll through all that stuff you blindly recorded in a whim, hoping for a little gem. Well, I found a gem recently on BBC2 about Superfoods. The other channels were full of either football or Corrie so I pressed play...
Cholesterol – What is it?
Whenever people hear the word cholesterol, they automatically think heart attacks and strokes. Let’s take a closer look. What is cholesterol? It’s a fatty substance known as a lipid and is vital for the normal functioning of the body. It helps make hormones, cell...
Why do we crave carbohydrate rich foods when we are tired?
If you’ve been working late, partying hard or just had a rough night with the kids, the following day can be a challenge in terms of healthy eating. As you struggle through a day punctuated by yawns and wooziness, you find yourself craving foods which you can usually...
Home Workout Motivation
Picture this – there’s the sofa, the family all nestled on it, cuddling the dog. The lights are dimmed ready for episode 4 of something or other on Netflix but it doesn’t mask the guilty looks in your direction as the familiar rustle of chocolate wrappers can be...