Christmas Tips

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It's upon us again. I don't know how it happens, but it doesn't seem like twelve full months since the last one! Anyway, there were reports last week that the average person consumes c. 6,000 calories on Christmas Day alone (recommended allowance is 2,000 for women and 2,500 for men). I'm not usually one for calorie counting to be honest, as I don't feel that all calories were born equally, but that is a shocking figure. If we are consuming three times as many calories, we are likely also taking in two or three times too many carbs, fats, saturated fats, etc. so I thought about how we might reduce this. I am a self-confessed glutton and find, once I have a routine, I can be very disciplined, but when surrounded by mincies, chocolates and Pringles it's a different story! Below are some tips on eating well over the Christmas period, especially Christmas Day, that I have gathered from various sources - Andy Kenny Fitness, Why Weight Ireland and a couple of others. And from my own head too. Here goes:

Christmas Day:

(iStockphoto.com)

• Eat a proper breakfast. I know it sounds boring, but it sets you up for the day (like any other), and means you're less likely to jump at the chocolates, etc. Now having said that, I have never found a way to marry my Weetabix with my favourite selection box item - the Curly Wurly. Suggestions on a postcard please!
• Dinner: Make a healthy vegetable-based soup for starter and have a big bowl. It will help to fill you. If you don't have time\ don't want to\ don't like soup try smoked salmon, prawns or a nice Caesar Salad instead. For your main course, focus on the meat and vegetables on your plate. They are full of protein and fibre and will fill you up for longer than other options. Try to limit (if you can't completely avoid) the spuds and stuffing. I can live without potatoes as I have never been a huge fan, but stuffing - not a chance! Remember as well, sweet potatoes are much better for us than the humble spud, so choose them for cooking\ eating.
• Limit yourself to one desert. Hopefully, if you've filled up on a healthy starter and a main this will be easier. Personally, I don't like all Christmas deserts, but I'm a sucker for my mum's trifle and the mince pies. The latter are a favourite, and I can tell you that I am devastated to learn that the average pie has 250 calories. I am proud to say that I haven't had any yet... *weeping but triumphant*
• If there is a tin of sweets knocking about, try not to over-indulge. Apparently each sweet has roughly 60 calories. Take a few and put the tin away; that way you will hopefully just forget about it as opposed to mindlessly munching. A few years ago I lived abroad and Christmas wasn't the celebration it is here. On my first Christmas home, I remember sitting on the living room floor scoffing the Roses. My dad told me I was being a glutton; I told him I was making up for lost Christmases!! Not a great excuse, but you'll always find one.
• If you're having alcohol, wine is better (less calories) than beer or cider. A spritzer is even better, but with diluted calories, comes diluted taste in my opinion. I would rather one nice glass of wine than two spritzers, but everyone is different!
• Don't make sandwiches with leftover turkey and ham in the evening; those extra carbs will send you over the edge and are completely unnecessary after little or no proper movement all day. I don't think anyone could possibly be hungry enough to eat sandwiches, but it seems to be a real Irish thing - use the leftovers and eat something 'healthy'!
• I have never been hardcore enough to exercise on Christmas Day (or Christmas Eve or St. Stephen's Day!). I would imagine that the last time I did anything vaguely active was when Santa brought a bike about twenty years ago ;) I don't think it would go down too well at home if I wasn't there to help with the many preparations involved with Christmas dinner. I think a brisk walk in the evening is a nice idea. It will get the metabolism going, get some air in the lungs, which will help you sleep, and remove you from all that temptation for a while. After the day itself, I think it's acceptable to leave the nest to go for a quick run or cycle - weather permitting. Maybe one day though I'll swim the 40 Foot! Ha - who am I am kidding!

Yummmm... Enjoy!

The Festive Period:
The couple of weeks leading up to Christmas can just be debaucherous if they get out of hand. Last year, I found myself out every night for about three weeks and went back to work for a break! This year, I am living my learned lesson! It can feel like an endless stream of parties, nights out and get-togethers of various types. Routines are broken and lots of food and drink are available that wouldn't usually be. So, what to do?

• When it comes to alcohol there are lots of tips and tricks. One of the best ones I heard is after a couple of beers, switch to a light version. You won't notice if you've had a few and calorie-wise, it will make a difference. There are the other obvious ones such as having soda water and lime or tonic in your spirits instead of sugary 'juices' or fizzy drinks. I am just learning to drive, so can't take advantage of this, but if you're going out, don't want to drink but know that there are pushy people where you're headed, just drive. Nobody will force a drink on you then. (If anyone does, that's a completely different issue...)
• There is always finger food at Christmas events. It often looks and smells amazing. Usually doesn't taste as good. But we eat it unconsciously. I don't have any real tips here except just don't eat it. If you can, eat something healthy and filling before you go and that should ease the temptation. Stay strong!! 
• If there are nibbles, or if you're hosting a party with nibbles, choose raw nuts instead of roasted or crisps. Don't use the dips as they are full of additives and saturated fats.
• At this time of year, there are often tins of sweets in the workplace. See above. Take a couple and put them out of sight. Get back to work and don't think about them. At lunch, go for a walk around the block if possible, especially if you have over-indulged. Keep moving to keep the metabolism ticking over. It gets a real kicking at this time of year!

If you have any other tips, please share them below. We all need all the help we can get. 

Enjoy it all. Have a safe and happy Christmas, and a healthy and prosperous new year!

Soup Recipes

Wow!! Is it just because I've had a couple of weeks off at home, or has it genuinely gotten coooold these past few days? I woke up this morning and it was so cold my immediate thought was 'The first thing I'm going to do when I get home this evening is to make soup!" Anyone who knows me or who has read this blog before will know I am a big soup fan. If I recall, Dublin had such bad weather in the 'summer' that I posted a soup recipe in June!

I've recently started a Twitter account and started following BBC Good Food Blog. Though they don't seem to tweet too much, I was delighted when I saw a recipe for tomato and courgette soup. Yum! I have made it lots of times and have changed it quite a bit. The original recipe is here, but below is my personal take on it - make at your peril!!

Courgette and Tomato Soup

Ingredients

• 1 large onion
• 2 or 3 courgettes (depending on size)
• 5 or 6 tomatoes (again depending on size)
• a decent knob of butter
• 1 tablespoon of plain flour
• 2 to 4 garlic cloves (to personal taste)
• 2 red chillies (chili powder also works)
• a pinch of turmeric
• 1 litre of chicken or vegetable stock (homemade or shop-bought)

Method

1. Melt the butter slowly in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add the onion and courgettes. Cook for about four minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add tomatoes, garlic, chillies and flour. Stir continuously so that flour doesn't go lumpy. 
3. Add the turmeric and stock and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Blend to desired thickness.

Take or leave various ingredients to your personal or family's liking. I know a friend of mine put lardons in it and she said it was really lovely. Even if you're not used to cooking or making soups, it's really easy to make and also easy to play around with. As long as you keep the fundamentals, I don't think you could mess it up too much. (Let me know if you do - I will eat my words and make some fresh stuff for you! ;) )

The next soup I'm going to give the recipe for probably breaches copyright or something, but here goes! I recently had a couple of weeks off between jobs and took the Avoca cook book out. I have only made one or two things from the book since I got it as a present because I find a lot of the recipes take too long and I don't have the time after work, etc. Anyway, being a lady of leisure (of sorts) I thought I would make a stab at a few things. I found this soup amazing! And I mean seriously amazing! It makes a lot and one serving is filling enough by itself. Again, I have made a couple of changes because I'm a fussier eater than I care to admit, but my way or 'their' way, I guarantee delicious lunches - for a week!

Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup with Coconut and Chili

Ingredients

• 3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 large onions, peeled and chopped
• 50g butter
• 2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 3 large carrots, peeled and chopped (I didn't peel them as most nutritious stuff is in the skin)
• 1 red chili 
• 1 x 420g coconut milk
• 600ml vegetable stock (I just used shop-bought stuff)
• a handful of coriander leaves (optional)
• lemongrass stalk (optional)
• salt
• ground black pepper

Method

1. On a low heat in a heavy saucepan  gently cook the onions in the butter for about eight minutes. Keep the lid on them, checking occasionally and stirring. 
2. Add remaining vegetables, stock and chili. Season well, cover and simmer until all vegetables are soft. It should take 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and add the coconut milk and fresh coriander. Liquidise until smooth. If you use the lemongrass, make sure to remove it before this.
4. Taste and add seasoning if required.

This is potentially the nicest soup I have ever had. Well, definitely the nicest I have ever made. I have also gotten mega brownie points for it, despite the fact that it doesn't take long to prepare or to make! (I'm not complaining!) I make it without the potatoes as it is very thick with them. Also, I don't really like potatoes. I guess you could substitute one sweet potato for a regular one or some combination along those lines if you really wanted potatoes. I didn't use the coriander because, need I say again!, I hate it. The first time I made it I used regular coconut milk. It was quite heavy. I have since used light coconut milk, which doesn't have as strong a taste, but still adds a lovely taste to the soup. If you don't like coconut, just make it without. I gave my mother the recipe without it in as I knew she wouldn't like it and might be put off if I included it.

A pot of this has about eight to ten bowls in it. It could be the cheapest lunch you'll have this year! Full of yumminess, not to mention nutrition, especially from the sweet potatoes.

If you make either of these, please let me know what you think. Let me know what ingredients you add or leave out and what the result is like. Would love to hear your tips and advise, or other soup recipes. I don't think this cold weather is going anywhere for a while, so lets get sharing I say.

Enjoy! :-D

Operation Transformation 2013

It's that time of year again - RTÉ is looking for new leaders for Operation Transformation 2013. If you're interested, you can apply here.

I think at the beginning of this blog I admitted to really liking shows such as OT. For me, Operation Transformation has the right idea for a weight-loss show - it is not a competition, but a mutually beneficial experience. So, what exactly is it and how does it work?

The Idea

Operation Transformation is ultimately a health and fitness show, but one with a twist - it endeavours to get the whole country involved. It is broadcast weekly on RTÉ 1 with regular updates on the John Murray Show on Radio 1. There is also an easy-to-follow website as well as a mobile phone app.

How it Works

People who are overweight and\ or have continuous trouble losing weight are asked to apply to become "leaders" on the show. A leader represents a particular section of society, i.e. last year's show featured a woman in her thirties who wanted to give up smoking, but not gain weight as often happens. An initial list is drawn up, then short-listed and, finally, five men or women are chosen to lead the country to its annual transformation live on the radio. 

Once chosen, the leaders are guided by three experts:

• Karl Henry - a personal trainer
• Dr. Eddie Murphy - a clinical psychologist
• Dr. Eva Orsmond - a medical doctor and weight loss expert

The experts guide the leaders through a change to their diets, exercise regimes and lifestyles in general.Often the changes are unremarkable, but effective and often they are very difficult. Leaders often have life-long habits that are, obviously, hard to break. For instance, a contestant the year before last was a busy mother and business owner who skipped breakfast and munched on pastries and cakes at her bakery throughout the day.

The show usually lasts eight weeks and an episode often focuses on a leader who is having a specific difficulty or problem, and how that person is guided on. Each week the leaders take part in an army challenge. This is by far my favourite element of the show. I would love to partake in one of the challenges; they look tough, but I imagine you would feel great afterwards! The challenges not only test physical fitness, they also test mental strength and how the five leaders work together as a team to get through.

Anything Else?

The show has a great website on which you can choose the leader you most relate to, i.e. the smoker mentioned earlier, the young woman who overeats out of boredom, the middle-aged man who has "no time" to eat healthily, etc. and then follow that person. You can monitor his/ her progress, and what exercise regime and diet are followed. You can also log all of your own details and follow your own success as well as get lots of nice recipes and other ideas to live a healthier lifestyle. The mobile phone app offers similar services.

The show also organises walks around the country in conjunction with the John Murray Show and the public are encouraged to participate. The overall message is to just get moving! Change some of your habits and you can make a big difference to your overall health and well-being. The show has, in the past couple of years, culminated in a 5km run. It is amazing to see these five previously extremely overweight contestants actually RUN for 5km straight. I have done the run before and it was a great day out - very well organised and a fantastic way to feel part of the whole experience having watched the show and had your 'favourite' leader, or your favourite episode.

I would recommend to anyone who can give the time to the show to do so. It seems to have a very high success rate with many leaders going on to participate in triathlons, run marathons and all sorts of other activities they would never have dreamt of beforehand. If you can't see yourself on television, but know you have to do something about your weight, you can follow it now. You don't have to wait until the show begins in January; the website is there all the time and all the information is there for you. Don't wait until the new year - do it now!

Who would you like to see on it this year? What type of overweight person hasn't been represented? My inkling is that it will feature someone with Type 2 diabetes. We'll have to wait and see I guess! :)

Has anybody watched the show and taken advise from it? Or has anyone followed the routine and lost weight? I would love to hear from you if you have - thanks!

Blueberry Muffins :)

I will admit that this is not my finest blogging moment. I am up to my eyes in college work and not at my most organised! I had intended to put this recipe on here after making the goods and putting nice pictures up, but baking is the furthest thing from my activities at the minute - I haven't cleaned the kitchen for..! (As I said, not my finest moment here!)

Anyway, this is a gorgeous recipe and is a great sweet but pretty healthy snack. I usually make them on a weekend and bring one to work with me for morning tea or coffee through the week. I got the recipe from a great little book called Perfect Cupcakes, Cookies & Muffins and have never looked back! If you make them, I hope you enjoy them.

Ingredients

155g processed wheat bran

250ml skimmed milk

125g unsalted butter (room temperature)

220g light brown sugar

1 egg (room temperature)

315g wholewheat (wholemeal) flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

125g fresh (or frozen) blueberries

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C (400 degrees F). Either grease 15-18 muffin cups or set out paper cases on a baking tray.
2. Put the bran and milk in a bowl and leave at room temperature until all of the liquid is absorbed (usually about 30 minutes).
3. In a mixing bowl, using a hand-held electric mixer on high speed, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then beat in the egg.
4. Add the bran mixture. Sift together the flour and baking powder, then fold them into the wet mixture. 
5. Stir in the blueberries until evenly distributed.
6. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cases. Fill roughly two-thirds full. Bake them until muffins are golden brown and a skewer comes out clean from the centre. (Usually about 15 - 20 minutes)
7. serve warm or transfer to a wire rack to cool.

I have relayed the instructions directly from the book, but I find it easier to mix the milk and bran together, and leave them for a while whilst I do other things. The muffin mixture itself is so quick to make that it doesn't make sense to put the oven on and waste all the electricity.

The recipe also says that the mixture makes twelve muffins, but I have found it makes closer to twenty.

Also, if you don't have an electric mixer, don't worry - you don't need one. If the butter is at room temperature the mixture is very easy to combine. Just make sure it is evenly mixed and distributed.

The muffins are nicer made with fresh blueberries, but obviously that isn't always feasible. Sometimes they won't be available, or may be very over-priced because they've come half way round the world. Raspberries are also yummy by the way!

These make a great snack in the mornings as they are full of bran and wholegrain so will fill you up until lunch, but you still feel you've had a real treat!

Photo from the book! Not my best work!!

Hope you enjoy! :) And if you have any recipes for some healthy (or just yummy!) snacks, please point us in the right direction in the comments box below. Thanks!

Healthy Eating!

I have a confession to make. I am a biscuit-aholic. No really, I am. I have been, mainly, dry for some time now though I do have the odd lapse. Luckily these don’t result in mad hangovers or worse, but you do feel a BIT guilty. Ooops! And you don’t ‘work off’ a packet of biscuits in a cycle to work or a work-out, not that I even have time for such a luxury at the minute anyway. Also, they’re just really bad for me and I simply shouldn’t be eating them. There were mitigating factors however…

I had a sick boyfriend. I had to go shopping and buy healing items. He is a big dark chocolate-aholic, so he got that to aid in his recovery and I got, well…a packet of Belgian chocolate Boasters. There are only eight in the packet I reasoned; surely that it isn’t THAT bad? Boyfriend believes otherwise. Maybe we aren’t a good match after all! (I won’t even mention the fact that he asked for one. I already explained there were only in the pack, didn’t I? Okay, so you understand…)

Anyway, it got me thinking. Usually I eat quite well and am lucky to live with a fantastic cook (credit where credit is due!) who cooks great, tasty and healthy food. We like salads, fish, etc. I know we are lucky that we have enough money to buy decent ingredients, and enough time to cook nice food and of course to enjoy it. Much time has been given to discussing the impact of the recession on our diet. Supermarkets litter our brains with details of special offers and deals but the majority of these are on high-carb, low-protein and vitamin and high-sugar. These are not the kind of special offers any of us needs, especially not the less well off or educated amongst us.

So, is eating healthily an expensive habit? I’m not so sure. Granted, it depends where you shop and what that store has to offer you, but on the whole I think I could buy a shopping basket full of healthy food for roughly the same price as the same basket full of unhealthy foods - for an equal amount of people. There may not be as many ‘bargains’ in the fruit and veg section, but you’re not breaking the bank buying some broccoli, etc. Maybe we don’t know what healthy eating is, do we?

I don’t want to patronise, but I think people think certain foods are healthy or when cooked a certain way are healthy, when in fact they’re just bad habits that you have to get out of. When I was about eight or nine years old, my dad got his cholesterol checked. Even though he was fit, active and healthy, it was high. The contents of our fridge altered overnight. Gone were the Superquinn sausages, the ‘real’ butter, the rashers, the full-fat milk (except for baby brother), etc. At the time it was strange, but no major hassle for a child my age. Looking back, I am very grateful for this. I have friends who cannot get out of the fry-up every weekend habit. Even in a George Foreman, this is NOT healthy. (Neither are eight Boasters, I know!!)

Anyway, ironically this was meant to be a few tips on how to eat healthily without any major changes to your supermarket or eating habits as opposed to my dad’s overhaul of our kitchen twenty something years ago!! I apologise for my wild tangent! Here are a few things I find helpful when trying to eat well:

• Don’t go shopping hungry. An old one but a good one. You will undoubtedly buy food you didn't intend to.
• Also, make a list and do NOT buy any food not on it, unless it’s a GENUINE omission, i.e. ‘Sugar, I nearly forgot the Weetabix!
• Don’t be fooled by three-for-the-price-of-two or other 'special' offers unless you know you’ll use them. Otherwise it is a complete false economy. Also, most of these are generally on dirty foods, so try to stay away in general.

This is the look we're going for leaving the supermarket!

• Plan ahead! I find this vital for me. I am in college three nights a week until 10.30 or so. I do not want to arrive home hungry and eat at that hour. I also don’t want to get to college after work and have no food with me, because I will end up buying a crappy sandwich and\ or chocolate bar. I don’t even want fruit at that hour as it is too full of sugar to have in the evening. Having healthy and easily portable protein-based foods in the house all week means that doesn’t happen.
• Don’t eat white carbs, or if you’re very overweight or inactive, don’t eat carbs at all. If you can’t survive without complex carbohydrates, try to eat them before lunch to give your body its best chance of burning them off over the course of the day. (White carbs are potatoes, pasta, white bread, white rice, etc.)
• Try to eat leans meats like chicken (or turkey – I find it a bit bland though) breasts or good, red meat and fish. Fish are the all-time super food in my opinion. If you don’t live near a good fishmonger or can’t afford to buy fresh fish I would even recommend tinned fish – in brine though. Mackerel is really good for you and is really cheap, so give that a try maybe.
• Eat vegetables until they’re coming out of your ears. Many experts say the more colours on your plate, the better so go with a variety. It will mean you won’t get bored as well I suppose.

This salad only took about fifteen minutes to put together.

• Drink lots of water. If you feel thirsty chances are you are dehydrated already. Keep a glass or bottle next to you all day and tip away at it. Also, apparently 50% of what we think are hunger pangs are just thirst.
• Eat often. I have gotten into this habit and it’s brilliant (ha ha!!). I tend to eat fruit (or sometimes a brown scone or homemade muffin) every hour or two from breakfast until lunch. After lunch I try only to eat protein-based snacks like yoghurt, cheese (Babybel is a favourite of mine) and nuts, though I’m not a huge nut fan I have to admit. As the day goes on I eat less and am almost never hungry in the evenings, which is the worst time for snacking as food sits in our bellies and turns to fat.
• This shouldn’t be toward the end of the list, but do NOT, under ANY circumstances, skip breakfast!! Break the fast! I can’t understand how people who can leave the house with no food in them. The time excuse is bull – two Weetabix take about 90 seconds to eat. I know, I eat them every morning and I am all about the maximum amount of time in bed! Skipping breakfast means your body is catching up all day and instead of a piece of fruit at elevensies you will more likely choose something high-sugar. Tut tut, breakfast-skippers!!
• Not to sound stupid or patronising, but don’t eat something because someone else told you to. Eat what you like. I was never forced to eat anything when I was growing up and I still eat well. I do not eat cauliflower. No way, no how! Find healthy foods and combinations you like and stick with them. Find lots of them though, otherwise you’ll get bored and eat a pizza or order a Chinese!

Anybody else have any tips for eating healthily? Or eating to lose weight, keep weight off, etc.? I'd love to hear them if you do. Thanks!

Why do people get fat? Part III: HFCS

Last month the US Food and Drug Administration denied a petition by the Corn Refiners' Association to have the name of corn syrup changed to 'corn sugar'. This was heralded by most as a huge victory for health, for labelling and for the fight against obesity. Why? What is this product and what effects can it have on the human body?

Well, since the mid-1960s we have, on average, gained three stone per person (UK statistics), which is seen in changing clothes sizes, bigger car seats, wider slides in playgrounds, etc. Despite popular belief, according to a twelve-year study we are NOT lazier or greedier than we were fifty years ago. So, why are we fatter? What is different? The increase of sugar in our foods has!

History

In 1971 Richard Nixon was facing re-election. He was unpopular due to the Vietnam War and because of the increased price of food. Because of the latter, he employed Earl Butz, an academic with an agricultural background, to look into reducing the price of foods. Butz pushed farmers into a new, industrial scale of farming and the magic crop was - corn. Production increased dramatically, which lead to an increase in portion sizes. American corn farmers went from small-time businesses to mutli-millionaires. By the mid-1970s there was already a surplus of corn, so Butz travelled to Japan to look into the production of refining corn. This lead to a product that would change forever the way food was made and how we eat - it was High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), known as glucose-fructose in the UK and Ireland. This is a sweet, gloopy syrup that ended up going into everything you can imagine - meat, coleslaw, baked goods, etc. It made products look more appetising, sweeter and gave them a much longer shelf-life. Corn syrup was only two-thirds the price of sugar and so was seen to have no flaws.

Heart Disease

In the 1970s obesity wasn't on the radar, but heart disease was. A huge debate on its causes took place. An American nutritionist called Ancel Keys blamed fat while a British researcher, Prof. John Yudkin, blamed sugar. The American's theory won out, though Prof. Yudkin later disclosed that he felt his findings had been subverted. He may have been right as there were huge amounts of money to be made from pointing the finger at fat - low-fat foods. These would prove very popular with the public who believed they were making healthier choices without any major alterations to life or lifestyle. BUT, if you take the fat out of food, what happens to the taste? It disappears! What do you add to increase the taste? Sugar!

1980s

By the Eighties it became apparent that people who were exercising and eating low-fat foods were still gaining weight. Prof. Philip James, one of the first to identify obesity as an issue noticed this. There were quite startling facts, especially considering people weren't eating more food, just different foods. 

In the UK Body Mass Index (BMI) had increased substantially. In 1966, 1.2% of men and 1.8% of women had a BMI of over 30 (obese) but by 1989 that had increased to 10.6% and 14% respectively. Still nobody made the connection between fat and HFCS or the fact that the more sugar we ate the more we wanted. We had been given an insatiable appetite for sugar and things only got worse.

Science

In fact it is only recently that these connections are being researched and beginning to be understood by scientists. One such scientist, Prof. Jean-Marc Schwarz of San Fransisco Hospital, is studying the way our major organs metabolise sugar. It is now known that it groups and sticks around the liver as fat and leads to diseases such as Type-2 Diabetes. Some studies have shown that it may coat semen making obese men less fertile

"One researcher told me that, ultimately, perhaps nothing had to be done about obesity, as obese people will wipe themselves out.", Jacques Peretti in a piece on this topic in the Guardian.

The organ of most interest to researchers, however, is the intestine, which is often referred to as the body's "second brain" and can become conditioned to wanting more sugar and sending messages to the brain for sugar that are very hard to fight. Whilst the American Sugar Association claims sugar consumption alone doesn't cause damage, increasing scientific research tells us that fructose can lead to processes of liver toxicity and many other chronic diseases. Some believe it is having the same impact on people as cigarettes and alcohol can. It has also been said that the consumption of FCS increases body fat, especially around the abdomen, which we know is the worst type, when compared with regular table sugar consumption.

Local use

HFCS is widely used in the US, but as corn production isn't a common European activity, it was never as widely-used in this part of the world. Whilst it isn't used in everything, I did some research and have found that it is used in, at least, the following products in Ireland:

• Most McVities biscuits (Jaffa Cakes, Chocolate Digestives, Classic Rich Tea, HobNobs, etc.);
• Carte d'Or ice-cream;
• Lucozade Energy - apple and orange flavours;
• Yop yoghurts;
• Most sweet and savoury McDonalds products (and I would imagine most fast-food, especially from multi-nationals);
• Some Kellogg's Special-K bars; and
• Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Soft and Fruity.

Whilst it is easy to dismiss obesity as a problem with people simply eating too much, this research may shine a different light on it. I have to admit that I always would have blamed the 'calories-in, calories-out' theory and laziness of people for their being overweight, but maybe it is a real addiction; one created by food companies to increase our consumption of their products. 

To learn more about this subject tune into BBC 2 Thursday at 9pm or read this piece from the Telegraph or this one about the corn refiners. There is also interesting reading on the Obesity Epidemic website.

Something tells me that this is only the beginning of this issue on this side of the water. I have already started ever-so-frantically checking ingredients on random products in the shop. (I admit to being very pleased that it isn't used in Ben and Jerry's ice-cream!!) Do you know of any other products it is in here? Or have you heard anything else about this product to add to the information here? Do you believe people are addicted to sugar and can no longer feel full? Let me know in comments box below! 

Why do people get fat? Part II

A small amount of people eat properly, stay fit and still don't lose weight or often put on weight (not in the form of muscle). Why? There can be a number of factors involved here:

• Stress;
• Medication;
• Lack of sleep\ rest;
• Hypothyroidism (thyroid hormone deficiency);
• How your body responds to hormones like insulin and leptin, which inhibit the development of obesity when fat and calories intakes increase.

Stress is our body's natural response to external threats - be those life-threatening (physical) or worrying about paying bills or a mortgage (psychological). The human body releases a stress chemical called cortisol to help a person recover from these situations. It tells the body to release sugar into the blood and triggers the body to release storehouses of fat and muscle so the body can use it for energy. The other side of that coin is, though, that it encourages the body to slow down to allow it to restore energy supplies. Continued levels of stress (a thing perceived differently by different people) mean consistently high levels of cortisol in the blood, which can lead to, among other things, weight gain. Or, if you're trying to lose weight - it can inhibit it.

(Courtesy freedigitalphotos.net)

Certain medication for certain ailments effect the body in different ways. Medication to treat mental illness, i.e. bi-polar disorder, depression or even epilepsy, are often linked with weight gain. This is usually because the drugs effect the part of the brain that controls processes such as mood regulation, hunger and satiety. Drugs for other problems and diseases like diabetes, hypertension, cancer or inflammatory disorders can also have negative impacts on our weight. These drugs are said to usually only affect weight for the first few months. Some varieties of the contraceptive pill have also been cited to lead to weight gain. It is important to remember that some medicines will lead to a reduction or loss of appetite while others will lead to specific cravings. It is also vital to remember that different medication will impact each body in different ways.

(Courtesy freedigitalphotos.net

You may have heard of the sleep diet, but there is a more straight-forward explanation to the sleep-diet connection. There is the basic situation when we feel tired, so eat badly because we don't have the energy to make healthy food as well as not having the motivation to work-out. Over time this will obviously lead to added inches. There is more going on though - hormones of course! Sleep deprivation can lead to increased levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin and decreased levels of the hormone leptin that tells us we are full. If lack of sleep continues the levels will become increasingly imbalanced and the body will gain weight, or if trying to lose weight, at best weight will plateau. Another problem I find personally is that when overtired it seems more difficult to get to sleep. Try not to watch the television directly before or in bed and have some relaxing herbal tea. Also - make sure your bed, mattress, pillows, etc. are comfortable to optimise your sleep when it finally does come.

Hypothyroidism, put simply is an underactive thyroid. This means that your thyroid does not produce enough of the hormone thyroxine. When the body doesn't have sufficient levels of thyroxine it slows everything down - the amount of energy you use, your metabolic rate, etc. It is usually caused by your immune system attacking your thyroid or damage to it. Underactive thyroid can be a very annoying factor for people trying to lose weight and often goes undetected. However, it only occurs in a small percentage (roughly 3%) of people and alone cannot be blamed for extreme weight gain, though it may be a contributing factor if PROPERLY DIAGNOSED.

Almost all of the above, we can see, are related to hormones. Hormones effect every process in the human body and we need the correct amounts of them all to work, rest and play - to steal an old chocolate bar adage! Hormones and their levels are specific to each person but things can be done to regulate their production and how we use them.

I do feel also, though, that a lot of people like to blame one or a combination of the factors above and claim to 'eat well' and 'do loads of exercise' when in fact the food they are eating isn't healthy and\ or low in calories\ saturated and they are doing no exercise at all, exercising without raising the pulse or 'treating' themselves after the gym.

Eating healthily? Really? This isn't healthy!



Working out? Looks like it!

We all know someone who has chosen that cream cake with the premise of 'working it off next week at the gym'. This just falls into another excuse previously discussed and drives me crazy. The scenarios listed here only apply to a minimum amount of people - the rest of just don't make the effort!

Does anybody know of any other medical or other reasons why we may not lose weight despite 'doing everything right'? We all know someone who SAYS the above apply, but do they really? Let me know!

Why do people get fat?

This is something I find fascinating, so really wanted to do a post on it. I had some information already, but went to trusted Google for some back-up. What started as an idea after reading an article has now turned into what I think could turn out to be a three-post essay! I had planned to cover two topics in one go, but I have now uncovered a labyrinth of extensive information and scientific discovery with a trip to the book shop planned for the weekend. I'm not one for conspiracy theories, but I do believe that there is a lot going on that we don't know about. Thanks to the internet (and the small matter of scientific research!) - that is all changing.

So, back to the matters at hand - fat and why people get fat. This is one of those things that everyone has an opinion on, from the dog in the street to the experts in obesity clinics worldwide. I'm not talking about putting on a few pounds over Christmas here, I am talking about people becomming obese and morbidly obese. Obviously there is just the calories-in exceeds calories-out theory - simple enough. But I think there is very often a lot more to it than that. In this post I'm going to look at how people get fat and why they eat too much.

An article by Andy from Andy Kenny Fitness really got me thinking about this. And, I have to admit, television shows like MTV's 'I Used to Be Fat' and Channel 4's 'Supersize Vs Superskinny' as well. The amounts of food some people can put away simply astounds me. How don't they feel sick? Feel very full? Feel bloated? Feel disgusting? Baffling! Andy outlines five types of eating habits\ fat people:

1. Overeaters;
2. Emotional eaters;
3. Binge eaters;
4. Unknowingly overweight; and
5. Don't care overweight.

Overeaters in general just cannot get full from food. Often overeaters don't even enjoy food and are just thinking about their next meal. Overeaters, unlike those with bullimia, don't purge their food though they often eat when alone and when they aren't hungry. This condition is more common than anorexia or bulimia and unlike those disorders, it is very common in men. Emotional eaters, on the other hand, use food as a personal reward system and are the kind of people who will eat a high-fat snack after a work-out or that clichéd tub of ice-cream after breaking up with someone. They often don't know how they feel and can't successfully identify feelings, or feel they deserve to have those feelings. Their hunger is an emotional one (starts in head or mouth) as opposed to a physical one (starts in stomach). According to BodyWhys, binge eaters overeat, eat quickly and very often, from guilt, try to diet. They also periodically consume huge amounts of food and feel out of control. Theirs is a psychological addiction to food, coupled with frequent dieting to ease the anxiety they will usually feel.  

People who are unknowingly overweight (or who greatly underestimate their weight and size) don't realise the scale of the problem they're facing. Something like an ugly photo or a break-up can trigger a realisation, but more often than not they don't know much about nutrition or good versus bad foods. Don't care overweight is exactly what is says it is - people who are fat and are happy to be so. Or at least say they're happy to be so. Andy says he doesn't understand it and I have to say, I don't either. How could you be happy if you couldn't go up and down the stairs at home without being massively out of breath? Or with knowing that you're more likely to die prematurely, get diabetes and other debilitating diseases and illnesses, find difficulty buying the clothes you want, not be able to run around after your kids, etc? Maybe I'm being too judgemental, am I? I will admit that I would love to be able to not care. I would love to eat whatever I want, and more importantly - whenever I like - and have no interest in the consequences, but I just can't.

But there is another side to all of this. What if you do everything right and still don't lose weight, or sometimes gain weight? Read my next post...

 

Soup

Ugh... This weather is awful. Whilst Ireland isn't known for its great summers, this rain is beyond a joke.


This is not enjoyable weather to cycle in, especially in June!



   

So, I have to admit, I wimped out and sheltered for a little while with my bike at a bus stop :(



 This has all moved me to making soup; not ideal of a June day, but needs must. I got the recipe below from Safe Food. It was part of a week of low-salt recipes or soups, I can't quite remember as it was in winter surprisingly enough! Anyway, it is gorgeous, healthy, quick and cheap to make.

Ingredients

• 1 tin chickpeas
• 1 Spanish onion, chopped roughly
• 2 red peppers, de-seeded and chopped roughly
• 1 red chilli
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1.5 pints vegetable stock
• 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan.
2. Add roughly chopped onion to the oil and fry it gently for 5 minutes. The pan should be hot enough to let the onion soften but not so hot that the onion starts to go brown.
3. Add the chopped red pepper and fry for 3 minutes.
4. Then add the chopped/crushed clove of garlic and as much red chilli as you like. Leave out the seeds unless you like things very hot! Fry for 2 minutes.
5. Add the coriander, turmeric and the cumin and fry for 1 minute. 
6. Drain the tin of chickpeas and add them and the vegetable stock to the pot.
7. Bring it all to the boil and then turn down the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the vegetables are tender, but not cooked to mush.
8. Liquidise the soup (you can use a hand-held blender or a normal liquidiser). 
9. Squeeze in lime juice - to personal taste.

I kind of cheated and bought vegetable stock instead of making it. I got one in the health shop that was suitable for vegans, vegetarians and coeliacs because I was originally making the soup for a sick coeliac. I find the stock VERY bland and now that I've used the last of it, I probably won't buy it again. I find a lot of the mainstream, shop-bought stocks very salty so if I get some, I will probably only use one tablet for the whole 1.5 pints. You can always add salt and\ or pepper to the soup towards the end if you feel you need it, though the spices in this dish negate them really.

I left out the coriander because I can't stand it. I didn't substitute anything for it and it was fine. I used more garlic and chilli than the recipe suggests though, because I love garlic and chilli. Chilli is great for warming you up and as it happens, it speeds the metabolism!

A good splash of lime really sets this soup off. It is also nice with a small spoonful of sour cream, a drizzle of regular cream, or if you're feeling mega-healthy - some skimmed milk of natural yogurt.

One last thing - don't blend it too much as it's nice thick and hearty! :-D

The end result! Yummy!!

Your 'Five a Day'

I read an intersting article on the BBC website a couple of weeks ago about Britons and their five-a-day. The article claimed that only one in every five Britons eats five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. I can't find any similar statistics for Ireland, but an educated guess says they would read in a similar way. This is NOT good news!

This got me thinking about my own eating habits and whether or not I eat my own five-a-day everyday. This in turn leads to other questions such as, 'what is one portion?' and in my case, 'do mushrooms count as one of them?'!

So, let's get this out of the way: one portion is roughly equivalent to a fist-full, so the needs of a child are obviously very different to those of an adolescent or an adult.

I have to admit that until a couple of years I was not very good for eating fruit. I had always snacked on bananas and remember eating apples as a child as well as my mother freshly squeezing citrus fruits and making me drink it before school, but as I got older the smell of fruit (especially lots together) really repulsed me and except for my trusted bananas with lunch and before exercising, I was a disaster area. I suppose I was cocky about the whole thing; the theory goes that you need these nutrients to be healthy, but I reasoned that I was never sick so why should I eat them. Roll out the biscuit tin instead, I thought - the wisdom!

Reading more about fruit recently, I realised that so many of them are superfoods - in the same league as the much talked-about seeds, and cancer-fighting crusader and all-round legend, garlic! BUT we have to be careful because a lot of them are sugary, so the message is not to rely on them for all five portions in a day.

But sure, why would you when you have vegetables at your disposal? Unlike fruit, vegetables I am on board with. The stir-fry might be done to death, but it IS quick, healthy and cheap so is always something you can fall back on. It's also good if you don't like cooking, but don't want to eat food from a microwave or your local chipper. Here's a link to a really quick and basic Bord Bia stir-fry recipe.



Simple beef stir-fry

I am a big fan of roasting veg in the oven. I either do a pile of tomatoes, garlic and mushrooms in one dish and a load of peppers, courgettes, onions, garlic, baby sweetcorn, mange-tout or sugar snaps, etc. in another. I find these go well with baked fish or grilled chicken.





Oven-baked trout



Roasted vegetables



OR, roasted root vegetables (butternut squash, parsnip and carrots. If I'm treating myself, I will add sweet potatoes, but I try not to!) on a bed of mixed salad leaves with red wine vinegar, olive oil and garlic dressing. This is lovely with fried fish - though prepare for the kitchen to stink!

These meals are guaranteed to pack you full of your five-a-day without difficulty.

Let me know of any good recipes you have that incorporate lots of fruit and\ or veg into your day. If you want more details on the meals I have mentioned above, please leave a comment and I will get back to you.

And does anyone know if mushrooms count?! ;)

Flora Women's Mini-Marathon

Ladies!

Are you doing the Women's Mini-Marathon this weekend? If not, it's too late to enter but read on for some tips, especially if it's your first event as a runner!

I have never taken part in this particular event, but I have heard it is very busy and there is something of a dash at the start line. This means some of the tips below may be of varying degrees of helpfulness, but sure - onwards and upwards we go. I have heard it is great fun, so I hope you all enjoy it and, of course, raise lots of money! (If you see a man - most likely on a bike - handing out Haribo jellies, it's just my dad 'helping out'!)

Tips (in no particular order):

• Don't do anything any differently to when you usually go running.
• Wear clothes you feel comfortable and confident in.
• Don't wear clothes or shoes for the first time. The shoes will probably blister and the clothes may not be as comfortable as they look.
• If you feel you're getting tired or losing motivation, pick a person whose pace you're comfortable with and try to stick with her.
• Towards the end, pick a person ahead of you and try to catch up with her then pass her out. This will add to your sense of achievement and probably give you a better time.
• Eat whatever you normally eat before a run, and the same amount of time in advance. Now is not the time to try out that new health food product you picked up or the 'superfood' your friend recommended.
• Unless it's a very hot day, which it isn't expected to be, there is no need to bring water with you. Don't drink too much water just before the event, but make sure to be well hydrated in the days leading up to it.
• Cut your toenails! Trust me!
• Start slowly (not an option to start quickly with the numbers anyway). This will help you finish stronger - assuming you want to of course!
• Doubleknot your shoelaces.
• If you have any blisters on your feet buy Compeed NOW! Go! NOW! They are one of the best investments you will ever make.
• Endeavour to eat and drink in the first hour after the run. Bananas are a favourite of mine. Remember, running 10km doesn't make you an Olympian, so you do NOT actually deserve the Mars Bar or pain au chocolat you might think you do.

This isn't the look we're going for when we're killing ourselves running!

• It is expected to be partially cloudy Monday, but as we all know, Ireland isn't a very reliable country weather-wise (or otherwise, but this isn't the time or place for that!), so bring sunscreen. Make sure it's in date and use it even if it's not looking very sunny before the run; who knows what will happen in the next hour!
• Familiarise yourself with the route, so that you know where there are water stations, first aid and toilets in case you need any of them. It is also good to know where the half-way point is, or whatever your personal goal stages are, i.e. 2km intervals. This is particularly handy if you plan to walk, run, walk, run.
• Finally - have fun! I have heard this event is great craic, so make the most of it! :-D

What are your running habits? Do you have any tips for first-time event runners? Comments below please.

Last year's start.

I am hoping to go along and cheer everyone on. My mum and sister are doing it for Crumlin Children's Hospital, so I'll be there to hand over the sponsorship money and give some cheers. See you there :)

Welcome to my new blog about health and fitness - the fun way, but still without carbs!

I will share any getting fit tips, stories and information as well as some healthy recipes and hopefully be able to amuse you as the chubby girl fighting with the remote control and a slow metabolism.

To get us started, the link below is an important lesson we all need to learn before we go getting fit toether!

Don't try this at home!

Evening all!

Sitting home alone this evening, which seems strange as usually I'm at boxing. I started boxing last November after talking to a woman at I know about it. Exercise-wise, it is one of the best decisions I have ever made. I love it. I have never stuck to exercise classes (sign up to a full cycle and pay in advance, etc.) much before, but I cannot get enough of these sessions. Its benefits are innumerable and obviously some people feel some more than others, but they include:

• Improved endurance;
• Fitness;
• Stress Relief;
• Weight loss;
• Toning;
• Improved cardio-vascular health; and
• Better upper body and arm strength.

Most of these benefits probably seem pretty obvious. I find if you couple boxing with running, your endurance will improve even more. We incorporate some weight-training into usually one class a week. These are a killer to be honest. My recovery time has improved drastically, but I still find them tough and the short cycle home is usually slower than normal! This adds to weight-loss and strength benefits.

Some of the things I like best about boxing are:

• You feel bloody great afterwards!;
• You feel more relaxed;
• You temporarily feel like you can do anything; and
• You sleep like a child afterwards!

It isn't for everyone, and definitely not for the faint-hearted, but I couldn't recommend it enough. If you're thinking of looking into it, I train here with great teacher and classmates. Do it!! Anyone think they actually will sign up to a class like this?

I'm not one for sitting around, so I'm off out for a short run before I start this homework, which unfortunately doesn't do itself! Feel free to comment while I'm gone though :-D