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​Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me - Carol Burnett

I was on Facebook recently, as one is, and there was a post from a lady wanting to know how to lose weight.

And the answers were various - eat less, exercise more, cut out white foods, stop eating carbs, drink lemon water, stop drinking alcohol and the suggestions went on. 

And at the end of the day the lady will need to decide to take action so that sh can begin to change.

Three words - Decide - Action - Begin

My question to you is what change do you want to see in your life?

Go ahead and make a list - 

• Is it to relieve your constipation?
• Is it to reduce the sluggishness you feel daily?
• Is it that your tummy seems to be getting bigger?
• Is it that your clothes are feeling tighter?

What do you want to change?

Which on from your list will you choose to start with?

What action will you take?

If you dont know what you need to do next, how will you find out?

Say it is a feeling of sluggishness you want to change.
What can you do first?

Drink 8 large glasses of water per day?
Go to bed by 10pm every night?
Add more vegetables to your menu?
Start walking or join a group or make a group?

Choose 1 action and S T A R T.

And keep track of it.

Everyone likes to see the circles filling, the starts added, the X .

When you track it then you see daily progress.
And that is how you begin to change your life.

For some just the tracker can make a huge difference but for others who can't stick to the plan, I Can Help You. 

Because there are people just like you who need to report back to someone. I Am That Someone.

Why not book a Strategy Session with me? Together  we can work out what you want to change, how you're going to change and BEGIN.

Fatty fish have a high amount of omega 3 fatty acids. 

Omega 3s are vital to your brain and bodily functions. They also contain vitamin D which many people can be deficient in even though we live in a sunny country. 

If you're looking to maintain a healthy heart, eating fish 1 - 2 times a week can lower your risk of heart attacks and strokes. 

Omega 3 essential fatty acids are very important for growth and development, particularly of hte brain and eyes. 

As we age cognitive function can decline. But eating fish helps to maintain grey matter and reduce the decline and deterioration of grey matter. 
Grey matter is important for controlling memory and emotions. ​
​
Eating fish and using omega 3 supplements can be of benefit for depression. 
Because the fatty acids help to feed and nourish the grey matter which as already mentioned is responsible for controlling emotions. I understand however, that there is much more to depression than simply eating fish to alleviate it. 

Omega 3s and fish can help to reduce triglyceride levels and increase good cholesterol which is good for your heart health. 

On the eye front, eating fish and omega 3s helps to protect your eyes against macular degeneration. This causes blurred vision or less sight. 

Sleep problems? 
They are so commom that we think it's normal not to sleep well. Eating fatty fish can lead to improved sleep because it is a good source of vitamin D which helps your body.

And eating it just once or twice a week has a lot of health benefits.

Don't limit yourself to thinking of eating it just for supper.
You can have fish with your lunches too.
Try adding it to your salads and roasted vegetables.
​Or in the morning with scrambled eggs or avo. 

I've been so busy in the last week putting together a free program to help us get food on the table faster so that we can have more time for ourselves. Does that sound like something you need?

4 Days of Simple Suppers & Self Care is up and running but I'll definitely let you know the next time it runs. ​

Sweet potatoes are also a good source of vitamin C. 

In a 200g serving they provide 2/3 of your daily value. Vitamin C is good for boosting your immunity but it also helps to support collagen production so it keeps your hair, skin and nails strong.

Here are some ways that you can add sweet potato to your meals - 

• Sweet potato chips - instead of potato chips, cut sweet potatoes length-ways, rub with olive or coconut oil and bake on a tray for 20 - 25minutes.  It is a great alternative mash.
• Make hasbrowns by grating the sweet potato, mixing in chopped onion and binding with almond or coconut flour, you can shallow fry in coconut oil or use an air-fryer to cook them
• Sweet potato spirals - use your spiraliser and add these vegetables to sauces or as an alternative to spaghetti. 

Remember to use some olive oil or coconut oil during your preparation as beta-carotene/vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin which means that it requires oil to be absorbed by your body. ​

Here are 5 numbers to track: 

1) Waist measurement
Aiming for a waist measurement of 80cm or less as a woman is, I believe, the # 1 to track. 
A waistline over 80cm can put you on the road to a number of lifestyle diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancers. 

2) 150 minutes
This is total number of minutes of exercise you can aim for during a 7 day period. 
It's roughly about 20 minutes per day or break it down into two 10 minute sessions. 

My top tip is to choose 3 songs that you love love love to dance to and play those while you're preparing breakfast in the morning or before the madness of bathtime and supper in the evening. 
These are my top 3 songs - 

• Gold by Jeremy Loops
• Allstar by Smashmouth
• Moves like Jagger by Maroon 5

3) 10,000 steps
The American Heart Association recommends that we aim to walk 10,000 steps per day for good health. Now for those of us sitting behind a desk or spending a lot of time in the car this can seem like a mammoth number to reach. 
But it ties in nicely with #2 above. 
And if you break it down then 10,000 steps over a 12 hour period say 6am to 6pm works out at about 830 steps an hour.
This is 14 steps a minute. 
Setting your timer to get up and walk for 5 minutes every hour can certainly see you racking up more than 80 steps in 5 minutes!
You could probably do close to 600 steps. Put your mind to it and walk like you mean it in the parking lot, the corridor or the stairs. 

4) 30g of fibre
The average person probably only eats about 1/2 this amount each day.
Fibre helps to slow down digestion and balance blood sugars. It helps to lower blood pressure and gives you a feeling of fullness. Eating fibre also helps in eliminating waste from your body. 
Aim to eat fibre at every meal and snack. Include vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds or legumes to whatever you are eating. 

Article about fibre...

5) Fasting Blood Sugar
Aim to have a fasting blood sugar of less than 5.6mmol/litre.
When blood sugar is high it is an indicator that your body is not making enough insulin or is not using insulin properly. 
Having too much blood sugar in your blood can damage your blood vessels, nerves and organs. 

Make it a priority to reduce your blood sugar to a safe level by including unprocessed foods into your daily meals. This means preparing meals from scratch and choosing foods that will nourish you not soothe a craving. 

Do you want to start tracking these 5 numbers but not sure what you need to eat? Let me help you - book your FREE Strategy Session and get a plan of action to move in the direction of good health and loads of energy.