I live in Australia. It's Spring here, and Nature has just begun giving hints to us that Summer is on the way.
Yesterday was one of the suddenly warmer days that can trick the unwary. I had an event I was involved in for the morning and early afternoon that I was any partly prepared for.
I had water to drink, but I hadn't brought a hat along to keep the sunshine off my face, nor sunscreen. Luckily the day was cloudy and cooled down a little after lunch, but even so, the hotter weather after many days of cooler weather was a wake up call to be prepared. The event was held at an Opportunity shop and I was able to buy a pre-loved hat for the day.
Being prepared means lots of things - I will remember a hat from now on, and sunscreen. It also means getting lots of healthy and yummy salad ingredients to keep in the fridge. Spring means no more long and slow-cooked comfort foods to keep the body warm.
Spring means vibrant and colourful salads to add a spring to your step and zest to your life! I was happy to receive an email yesterday from The George Mateljan Foundation with this lovely sounding recipe for Mediterranean Tabouli Salad.
I love tabouli salad, and I'm going to make this one very soon!
This is me in 2009
Happy, healthy, size ten jeans!
Friday, October 22, 2010
Monday, July 5, 2010
Don't Let Winter Weigh You Down!
It is so easy in winter to let the healthy food plan slide into comfort food. But there are lots of healthy food choices that will give you extra vim and vigor to make it through the dark winter days.
I subscribe to several email lists, including this one The World's Healthiest Foods . it is a website from the other side of the world from me I think, but healthy food is healthy food.
Some of the ideas I've read on this site are a little way out for me, but the page I've posted the link to has some good information and it's well worth a read.
As winter winds down in Australia, I will be moving more toward salads, but for now, there are lots of healthy and yummy options for keeping fed and satisfied!
If you pay attention to what you are eating, think about whether you are actually hungry before you eat, you can keep off that winter weight. I know you can do it!
If you have good ideas for winter meals that yo and your family love, and that are good and healthy, I'd love to hear about them - just leave a comment and maybe a recipe. Me, and my family as well as other readers here will thank you!
I subscribe to several email lists, including this one The World's Healthiest Foods . it is a website from the other side of the world from me I think, but healthy food is healthy food.
Some of the ideas I've read on this site are a little way out for me, but the page I've posted the link to has some good information and it's well worth a read.
As winter winds down in Australia, I will be moving more toward salads, but for now, there are lots of healthy and yummy options for keeping fed and satisfied!
If you pay attention to what you are eating, think about whether you are actually hungry before you eat, you can keep off that winter weight. I know you can do it!
If you have good ideas for winter meals that yo and your family love, and that are good and healthy, I'd love to hear about them - just leave a comment and maybe a recipe. Me, and my family as well as other readers here will thank you!
Friday, June 11, 2010
Losing Weight is So, So Simple!
It's easy , right? Simple maths - use up more energy than you take in, then you'll lose weight.
But it doesn't quite work like that, for many reasons. Some people don't know enough about what a good diet actually is. Some people just can't resist that chocolate. Some people rarely move further than bed, to bathroom, to fridge, to sofa and then to bed again.
That is not enough work in one day to use up much food at all, and I bet if that person is you, the things you get from the fridge aren't healthy things.
You don't have to run marathons to lose weight, and you don't have to starve yourself either. You have to learn to be more aware of yourself and pay attention to what you are doing. Mindlessly chowing down on food, and barely realising you're doing it, is the way many of us became overweight in the first place.
Once you begin to pay attention to yourself though, you may begin to question whether you really need to eat those biscuits. You may begin to explore books about weight loss, and nutrition and so learn things that can help you on your new journey to a slimmer you.
You may begin to think about things you can do outside, walk a bit, go exploring in your nearest town or go down to the beach.
As I said, running wasn't how I lost the weight I wanted to lose, but I stopped being lazy and began doing more things during my day. I began asking my body what it wanted, and not letting my head do the deciding. Your tummy knows more about whether it's hungry than your head does.
I realised too, that being a little bit hungry wouldn't kill me, and also that being a tiny bit hungry still after a meal is much more comfortable than being stuffed full!
So give it a try, eat less, or at least eat better, and do a little bit more. Your body will thank you for it.
But it doesn't quite work like that, for many reasons. Some people don't know enough about what a good diet actually is. Some people just can't resist that chocolate. Some people rarely move further than bed, to bathroom, to fridge, to sofa and then to bed again.
That is not enough work in one day to use up much food at all, and I bet if that person is you, the things you get from the fridge aren't healthy things.
You don't have to run marathons to lose weight, and you don't have to starve yourself either. You have to learn to be more aware of yourself and pay attention to what you are doing. Mindlessly chowing down on food, and barely realising you're doing it, is the way many of us became overweight in the first place.
Once you begin to pay attention to yourself though, you may begin to question whether you really need to eat those biscuits. You may begin to explore books about weight loss, and nutrition and so learn things that can help you on your new journey to a slimmer you.
You may begin to think about things you can do outside, walk a bit, go exploring in your nearest town or go down to the beach.
As I said, running wasn't how I lost the weight I wanted to lose, but I stopped being lazy and began doing more things during my day. I began asking my body what it wanted, and not letting my head do the deciding. Your tummy knows more about whether it's hungry than your head does.
I realised too, that being a little bit hungry wouldn't kill me, and also that being a tiny bit hungry still after a meal is much more comfortable than being stuffed full!
So give it a try, eat less, or at least eat better, and do a little bit more. Your body will thank you for it.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Maintaining Weight Loss
I live in Australia, where we are heading into winter. This has been a danger time for me in the past.
With winter comes staying inside, the need for comfort food and weight gain. Not anymore though.
I will remain in touch with me body, eat only when I am hungry and try to fit exercise into my daily life. There are many good and healthy things to eat that can be comforting without the calories.
I love making mini muffins for putting in the freezer so there is a snack for me whenever I feel the need for one. And the muffins I make are always low in fat and high in taste.
Fruit in muffins is great, muesli in place of some of the flour adds the the textural interest as well as taste.
Whenever I have bananas that are getting too brown, I pop them in the freezer for my next batch of muffins - Super Yummy, Super Tasty, Super Easy!
These sorts of recipes can help you to say no to the fatty things that tempt you to make bad food choices. Because muffins are so nice, your whole family will learn to pop a muffin in the microwave when they want something to munch.
If you know you have lots of muffins in the freezer for snacking on, it's easy to not buy snacks at the supermarket. Those chip packets may satisfy you snacking urge, but they offer no good things nutritionally.
Your muffins, on the other hand, are yummy and healthy too.
With winter comes staying inside, the need for comfort food and weight gain. Not anymore though.
I will remain in touch with me body, eat only when I am hungry and try to fit exercise into my daily life. There are many good and healthy things to eat that can be comforting without the calories.
I love making mini muffins for putting in the freezer so there is a snack for me whenever I feel the need for one. And the muffins I make are always low in fat and high in taste.
Fruit in muffins is great, muesli in place of some of the flour adds the the textural interest as well as taste.
Whenever I have bananas that are getting too brown, I pop them in the freezer for my next batch of muffins - Super Yummy, Super Tasty, Super Easy!
These sorts of recipes can help you to say no to the fatty things that tempt you to make bad food choices. Because muffins are so nice, your whole family will learn to pop a muffin in the microwave when they want something to munch.
If you know you have lots of muffins in the freezer for snacking on, it's easy to not buy snacks at the supermarket. Those chip packets may satisfy you snacking urge, but they offer no good things nutritionally.
Your muffins, on the other hand, are yummy and healthy too.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Shocking News about Australian Obesity
I've just read a new article that truly shocked me. I know there are lots of people who are bigger than they'd like to be or should be. This article though, from ABC News is shocking!
I'm sure I'm not the only Australian who has comforted themselves by saying, at least we're not as bad as the Americans. Now, it seems, we are at least as bad as the good folk in the USA or even worse!
Are you shocked? Are you worried? What can you do about not being one of the Aussie fatties?
Well, it's not difficult, but it will take you time. If you're overweight or obese, it probably took you years to get there. You have to realise it may take you years to get down to the healthy weight you want to attain.
It doesn't require lots of money, it doesn't require hard work, it doesn't require starvation. Your lifestyle is probably the main reason why you've become overweight, and simple changes to your lifestyle can help you lose weight. Weight loss at its most simple, if you're overweight, comes from eating less food and doing more work than you currently do.
Our western culture is squarely aimed at turning us into couch potatoes. Sitting in front of the TV and mindlessly scoffing fatty food that is advertised on the screen in front of you can numb you to the damage you're doing.
If you want to get to the shape your body needs to be you have to become more mindful about what you do and what you eat. Learn about nutrition, learn about exercise and you will learn what you need to know. It certainly won't happen overnight, but the rubbish ads you see on TV won't actually make you healthy. They quite often lead people to greater weight, not less.
The health benefits that go with a lower weight will make it all worthwhile. And turning the TV off and doing things with your family can lead to an even better relationship for you all.
I'm sure I'm not the only Australian who has comforted themselves by saying, at least we're not as bad as the Americans. Now, it seems, we are at least as bad as the good folk in the USA or even worse!
Are you shocked? Are you worried? What can you do about not being one of the Aussie fatties?
Well, it's not difficult, but it will take you time. If you're overweight or obese, it probably took you years to get there. You have to realise it may take you years to get down to the healthy weight you want to attain.
It doesn't require lots of money, it doesn't require hard work, it doesn't require starvation. Your lifestyle is probably the main reason why you've become overweight, and simple changes to your lifestyle can help you lose weight. Weight loss at its most simple, if you're overweight, comes from eating less food and doing more work than you currently do.
Our western culture is squarely aimed at turning us into couch potatoes. Sitting in front of the TV and mindlessly scoffing fatty food that is advertised on the screen in front of you can numb you to the damage you're doing.
If you want to get to the shape your body needs to be you have to become more mindful about what you do and what you eat. Learn about nutrition, learn about exercise and you will learn what you need to know. It certainly won't happen overnight, but the rubbish ads you see on TV won't actually make you healthy. They quite often lead people to greater weight, not less.
The health benefits that go with a lower weight will make it all worthwhile. And turning the TV off and doing things with your family can lead to an even better relationship for you all.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Fast Food? Fast Fat!
Do your kids hound you all the time, asking for fast food? McDonalds, Hungry Jacks and so on can play a healthy part in your child's diet, but take care.
The fast food chains don't really care about your kids, that's your job. The chains want your money, and they want it now!
If you read this article you'll have a few tools in your good parent kit.
Our children sometimes ask for things without understanding what they are asking for. And a lot of the time, just getting their parent's attention can be enough. If your kids are a little much of a handful when you give them a cuddle, it may be time to start parenting in a better way.
Cuddly can be a killer, it's time we all realised it and stop feeding our kids to death. Harsh words? Sure, but obesity shouldn't happen to children, they should be eating good healthy food and racing around the place, like we probably did when we were kids.
Do your kids a favour, make them realise fast food is a special occasion thing, not an every day thing. And follow the same rule yourself - it may not seem like it sometimes, but our kids do pay attention to the things their parents do, so do the right thing!
The fast food chains don't really care about your kids, that's your job. The chains want your money, and they want it now!
If you read this article you'll have a few tools in your good parent kit.
Our children sometimes ask for things without understanding what they are asking for. And a lot of the time, just getting their parent's attention can be enough. If your kids are a little much of a handful when you give them a cuddle, it may be time to start parenting in a better way.
Cuddly can be a killer, it's time we all realised it and stop feeding our kids to death. Harsh words? Sure, but obesity shouldn't happen to children, they should be eating good healthy food and racing around the place, like we probably did when we were kids.
Do your kids a favour, make them realise fast food is a special occasion thing, not an every day thing. And follow the same rule yourself - it may not seem like it sometimes, but our kids do pay attention to the things their parents do, so do the right thing!
Friday, April 2, 2010
Your Body, Your Responsibility
We should all take responsibility for our own body. If you want to lose weight, don't relay on special potions and powders, rely on yourself. I did it that way, and you can too.
I found this article on the internet and it rang so true to me. There are so many stories, but most of them are about ordinary people stepping up and taking control of their own lives.
Read it and see if you think any of these methods might work for you. It's so simple consume less calories than you expend. If you overfill something, the excess has to go somewhere - you don't want it on your butt or tummy, do you?
Eat less, do more.
I found this article on the internet and it rang so true to me. There are so many stories, but most of them are about ordinary people stepping up and taking control of their own lives.
Read it and see if you think any of these methods might work for you. It's so simple consume less calories than you expend. If you overfill something, the excess has to go somewhere - you don't want it on your butt or tummy, do you?
Eat less, do more.
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