Blog
A Vegan Fat Loss Meal Plan
Or, how to get 100g of plant-based protein in one day. The number of vegans in the UK has risen by 350% in the last decade (source: The Guardian) and thanks to social media, the message is spreading quicker and deeper. Those who cannot jump in with both feet, so to...
EATING TO EASE JOINT PAIN…
Joint pain - now there’s a huge topic. In the words that follow I shall be saying the word arthritis quite a lot! The most common form is osteoarthritis (where a minor injury can spark off a healing process, which leads to fluid, more bone growth, degeneration of...
WARM, QUICK AND GOOD VALUE…
This is my sister's recipe and it's dead simple. Tomato, Red Lentil and Thyme soup. Makes 6 large bowlfuls and freezes well. 1 large onion chopped 2 or 3 garlic cloves peeled and chopped 280 grams of rinsed red lentils 1 carton of passata (500g) 2 tablespoons of...
The easiest slow cooker chicken curry….
My friend Emma found this on the Instagram page of a chef called @boredoflunch. His names' Nathan and he specialises in slow cooker / airfryer recipes so he's worth a follow. Here is the recipe: 300g chicken 6 potatoes, finely chopped, skin on 4 garlic cloves 1 can...
Tactics : managing your healthy eating with friends and family
Let’s assume we have a friend called Jane. Jane has been trying to get into shape. She’s a size 16 and desperately wants to be a 12 and for about four weeks now she’s been having a damn good go at getting her eating back in order. The trouble started with Love...
CARDIO OR STRENGTH TRAINING…which is really better for fat-loss?
Question: “Do I really have to do cardio exercise to lose fat?” Answer: No! Actually, you only have to do very little exercise to lose fat, but that would be silly, because the benefits of exercise go way beyond the boundaries of fat-loss. Making sustainable changes...
LONG WALK OR SHORT HIIT..?
The team at 'Woman' asked me to put the cards on the table. “So Annie, should we be doing a short HIIT session or a long walk…which is best?”. Well, it all depends on your goals, your current fitness, your age, the time you have available but essentially the answer...
WHICH IS WORSE…SUGAR or FAT?
"Worse for what?' I asked when the team at Woman asked me to tackle this topic. “Health?” I asked “Or fat stores?”. Both, came the reply. Right here goes and I’m going to use the word diet, which I loathe. It smacks of temporary, restrictive and painful, but let’s...
A FOOD DIARY MIGHT SEEM NERDY…
As humans, we can be quite good at kidding ourselves, can’t we? Dab hands at pretending. Masters of the vague. If you’re trying to lose fat (sorry, I never say lose weight, because it’s not our heaviness which is the point), then how much we eat and drink is...
MAKING TIME AND EFFORT FOR YOURSELF
Without sounding selfish, one thing to remember in this world is that the most important person in your life is you. Obviously, there’s our children and our family but treating yourself with respect makes you a stronger person and one who can lead and influence....
CORNWALL CYCLING TRIP – the details
I'd been to Cornwall many times before but my friend Fiona and I decided we fancied the challenge of visiting it again for our annual cycling tirp. (We may have occasionally regretted that decision, given the sharp inclines we were occasionally faced with). ITINERARY...
RED PEPPER AND WALNUT DIP
A (fairly) quick version of Muhammara, a dairy-free dip with a sweet smoky flavour. 3 red peppers 100g walnuts toasted, plus a few extra to garnish 1.5 tsp chilli flakes 1/2 tbsp pomegranate molasses 1tbsp olive oil 30g fresh breadcrumbs (or those ones you froze...
“How can I avoid putting on weight over the Summer”
Don't eat so much. "Is that it?" Yes. Stupidly simple, but yes, that's the nub of the matter. Summer means longer days, more socialising, more "just one more won't hurt", more "shall we have chips with that?' more "could we have another bottle please?" There are...
We can learn so much from ‘failing’!
Failure, says Wikipedia, is the state or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective. It smacks so much of the negative side of exams, marriages, jobs but from the point of view of personal change and betterment …(is that a word?..it is now)… then a...
Getting your NEAT up…(and how climbing the stairs really counts)
Never mind that you're totally focused on a summer fitness programme of 50 press-ups, 10 miles and 250 crunches (all before breakfast), we’re going to strip things down to basics and talk about ‘activity’. Not a planned workout, but being active. I’m going to throw...