Blog

VEGAN MAC N CHEESE (with leeks!)

I stole this recipe from Woman&Home magazine (November 2021) because it's so lush. Perfect for meat-free Mondays. Serves 6. 400g prepared butternut squash (actually you can get this in the freezer cabinet too) 3 garlic cloves skin on 2 tbsp olive oil 2 large...

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KEEPING UP YOUR MOTIVATION

You might be by the pool in a quarantine-free country, lapping up the cheap beers and endless sunshine so motivation for anything other than reading the next chapter of your book or choosing which bistro to visit is way down the list.  But September is here and that...

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WALKING WEEKENDS & HOLIDAYS : the whole kit and caboodle

Many of you followed me on Instagram during my recent  4 day trip walking The St Cuthbert's Way (100km in Border country up north) and it seems my enthusiasm for plodding along in the outdoors has is contagious.  You want to know more.  So here are my tips for a very...

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COLD WATER SWIMMING…a fad or a must?

I feel I’m in the perfect zone to write this, given not long ago, I returned from a very wet cycling trip.  Cold feet.  Cold hands.  Just cold.  I can barely dip a naked toe in the Mediterranean in mid-August, let alone submerge my whole body, yet my Facebook feed is...

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CYCLING IN YORKSHIRE

The Yorkshire Dales Cycleway is an official circular cycle ride of 250km (extended version) or 210km if you want something shorter. In July 2021 me and my cycling buddy Fiona did the extended version, starting at Skipton and taking 4 days.  We arrived on Wednesday 21...

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PROTEIN : Why do I need to eat more of it?

I’m going to shout this bit.  Protein is VITAL for our bodies, even more so as we get older and it’s not just about keeping fat levels down…(but yes, I’ll talk about that too). First we’re going to look at how it makes our bodies beautiful. Brace yourselves for some...

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GIVING OUR LIBIDO A LEG-UP, THE NATURAL WAY…..

Pick it up.  Dust it off.  Give it mouth-to-mouth. (The libido, that is). I told some of my clients I was tackling this topic…  “Save us and our stuttering sex drive” they begged.  Busy family lives, work issues and fluctuations in how we feel about our partners can...

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Using weights in your workouts can help your Menopause.

Never mind beach ready.  Let's get menopause ready !  Let’s look at some numbers. Between 2007 and 2017 the population of age 65+ increased almost 3% to 12 million people.  6 million of those are women. Life expectancy in the UK is 82.9 years for women (79.2 years for...

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PERFECT SUMMER FOOD : Lamb Koftas with homemade tzatziki

Delicious cinnamon spiced lamb with the coolness of yogurt, this is a perfect summer dish.  Perfect to serve at a barbecue, but almost easier to cook in the oven. For the Koftas: (makes 12) 800g lamb mince 2 tsp ground cumin 3 tsp ground coriander 1 onion, very finely...

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Looking after ourselves : 10 myths smashed to smithereens

As the days get longer, people will soon be pressing the button on their “2021-let’s -get-fitter” projects.  A more apt name might be ‘let’s-make-the-best-version-of-ourselves-because -oh-my-God-we-don’t-want-another-year-like-2020”, but that doesn’t really roll off...

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THE BMI MEASUREMENT – a bit old hat?

It's made its way into the papers recently and I've never been a fan of this measurement. Here’s why.  The BMI (body mass index) is a simple equation used in the medical profession to determine if someone’s weight is healthy.  What they’re really trying to do is use...

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How we can do our bit to help reduce carbon emissions.

Look, I know it's easy to stop thinking about whether you've turned a light off and instead blame the global corporations but it seems that all of us can take a few small steps at home, shout about them on social media, lure your friends into doing them and then make...

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Parsnip Tabbouleh with Walnut Hummus

Tabbouleh is normally made with couscous or bulghur wheat, but this recipe uses creamy mineral-rich parsnips, which add a real nuttiness to the tabbouleh.  Including walnuts to your hummus adds more fibre and extra omega-3 essential fats, plus great flavour! Serves 4...

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STRAWBERRY CHIA JAM (sooo quick!)

A delicious low sugar jam made with chia seeds, which provide important Omega 3 fats .  A recipe brought to us by Joy Skipper. Serves 4-6 25g soft dried dates, pitted and chopped 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 250g ripe strawberries, hulled and chopped 1 tbsp chia seeds High...

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