If you are still thinking about improving your fitness but not got started, latest evidence shows that rather than struggle to fit 10,000 steps into your day, 3 ten minute brisk walks that put your heart rate up are better for fitness and weight loss.
Start with one 10 min brisk walk as day - Get off the bus and walk the last 10 mins to work, or go round the block at lunchtime. Work up to 3 times a day, only half an hour in total which can be fitted in to a busy day in 10 min chunks. No pain big gain and takes you away from the temptation of the biscuit tin....... The Active 10 app is free.


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In these strange and stressful times everyone's anxiety levels are hugely increased. if you have any existing mental health issues then it will be even more difficult.

Don't focus on what you can't control but the things you can. Try to maintain some kind of routine, go to sleep and get up at reasonable times.

Use the internet to continue the things you enjoy - plays, films, talks, music, comedy, games etc are all easily accessible. Friends and family can be seen as well as heard and allow for some fun and relaxation. If you have children at home then still aim for a bit of me time if you can.

If you can go out in the garden or for a walk, being outside in the daylight can boost your mood.

And of course eat well. This is a good opportunity to find novel ways of using things from the back of your larder or fridge . As food shopping is not very enjoyable at the moment make meal plans for the week and make a list, it will help you to get what you need and home ASAP.

Stay safe and keep positive.

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In all the excitement of turkey, trimmings and mince pies, don't forget to eat plenty fruit and veg. Here is a fruit Christmas tree that makes a pretty edible decoration / dessert. The final result is well worth the effort
Cut a flat base to an apple and place the flat side on a plate. Dig a hollow inside the top of the apple large enough to fit a long carrot.
Stick lots of little wooden sticks in the apple and carrot.
Decorate with all sorts of fruit
Dress the plate with some nuts and greenery
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Do you ever see someone eating a few biscuits for lunch, looking smugly at your superfood salad and saying - "well my lunch is only 200 calories and yours is at least 450"?

If someone wants to lose weight I would never suggest counting calories. It's not just about calories in - calories out. Your body doesn’t treat all calories the same way.

Nutrient dense calories come from vegetables, wholegrains, nuts, good quality lean meat, olive oil and eggs. These foods are full of protein, good fats and fibre, keeping you full for longer and triggering the release of hormones that tell the body to burn fat.

Eating refined carbs / sugar makes you crave even more, as it messes with your blood sugar levels, encourages fat storage and doesn't satisfy you for long, so you’re more likely to overeat.
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Replace refined carbs with more nutrient dense foods. Feeling full for longer means you tend to eat fewer calories overall - and you get the additional benefit of all those additional nutrients.

Nutritional therapy is not about depriving yourself, it's about optimising your health and enjoying good food. When a client comes back for a follow up visit saying they feel so much better, more energy, sleeping better, brain fog gone, it's very satisfying. Small changes can make a big difference.
Make a difference to yourself in 2018


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I see an increasing number of clients who are vegetarian for one reason or another. However being a vegetarian does
not automatically mean you are eating healthily – hence knocking on my door. Often these clients have low energy, thinning hair, trouble losing weight and low mood.

One thing vegetarians can sometimes forget about is the importance of protein. Eating lots of salads and fruit may seem a healthy option but can lead if you're not careful to nutritional deficiencies. Some just live on side dishes as they eat everything others have except the meat or fish. Others eat lots of vegetables and fruit alongside their bread and pasta but lack knowledge on sources of vegetarian proteins beyond cheese.

A healthy vegetarian diet needs adequate protein to make enzymes to maintain just about every part of our bodies from our skin and hair to our digestive enzymes, hormones, muscle mass, vital organs, red blood cells and immune antibodies. These enzymes are constantly being broken down and must be replaced.
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Eating too little protein slows down your metabolism, reduces energy levels and affects concentration, mood and digestion. The immune system is impaired leading to all sorts of health problems.

There are plenty vegetarian proteins beyond the dairy and eggs. For example oats, nuts and seeds of all descriptions, lentils, beans, chickpeas, nut butters, tofu, quinoa, buckwheat, brown rice and good quality protein powders. Even some vegetables contain reasonable amounts, for example sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower and spinach.
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Many sources of vegetarian protein are incomplete, but mix and match and eat a variety over the day, a little with each meal and snack and you will get plenty as well as feeling fuller, so less likely to snack on unhealthy options. If in doubt get some advice or do some research online and become a bit more adventurous with your ingredients. You can be a very healthy vegetarian.

Worrying can stop you sleeping and not sleeping can make you worry more, leading to a cycle of poor sleep and higher anxiety.
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Studies have suggested that stress can alter gut bacteria in a way that interferes with the sleep-wake cycle. To support the good gut bacteria you need to ensure they get plenty prebiotics - food to promote the growth of good bacteria.

A recent study has shown that prebiotic fibre -found for example in  leeks, onions, garlic, celery, artichokes, bananas, apples and pears not only feeds the growth of good gut bacteria but also helps lower the stress hormone cortisol and helps with getting a good night's sleep.

​After the Christmas holidays many people will decide to lose weight in the New Year. If you are serious about your long term health, then weight loss needs to be slow and steady. Quick weight loss can rarely be sustained as it tends to make the body put on weight quicker in the future as fat is more easily stored.

Throw away the scales or at most stand on them once a month. Increase your activity levels, get some advice on improving what you eat, how you eat and when you eat. Your health will improve and the weight will come off steadily. It takes effort but so does anything that is worth while.

picture from www.express.co..uk

An article in the Guardian on  1/10/2016 suggested that some young people are suffering from an eating disorder called Orthorexia - an obsession with restricting what they eat to a limited number of foods they consider healthy assuming all other foods are harmful.  This can lead to malnutrition, nutritional deficiencies and even anorexia.

Orhorexia is often linked with "clean eating" -  which as a concept is a good idea - eating less processed food, less refined carbohydrates and added sugar and eating more wholefoods, vegetables, good proteins and healthy fats. However, this can sometimes get out of hand from a mis-guided belief from the media or unqualified sources that all carbohydrates are bad, gluten is bad, dairy is bad, fat is bad, meat is bad and anything with sugar in is harmful. If you avoid whole food groups with no substitutions to ensure you get all the nutrients you need, then your health will suffer.

Still confused? Some nutritionists and chefs suggest healthy recipes that might seem a bit alien to a normal human being. Great if you know how to balance your diet to get all the nutrients you need or for an occasional meal. For most people this may seem a bit complicated. The best way to start eating healthily is to replace  processed ready meals with home-made, use lean meat, have more fish and some meat free days, increase vegetable intake to half the plate, reduce white sugar and flour and eat more whole-grains.

My cooking and Facebook posts give ideas to hopefully inspire people to experiment with more nutritious ingredients in ordinary meals and snacks you can enjoy  just as much if not more. 

The main reason to eat healthy food is to feel well and stay healthy. Enjoying food is important too. The occasional take away or chocolate eclair is not going to matter in the big scheme of things, it's about understanding how your body feels when you eat and what makes it work best. If you live on lettuce leaves or junk food neither is going to give you all the nutrients you require or make you feel well and healthy - its all a matter of balance.

picture from locustherapy.com

  It's easy to get stuck in a rut. The same thing every day for breakfast. Have to eat curry on Friday and pizza on Wednesday. Too busy to change things around.

If you stick to the same foods all the time the chances are that you  aren't getting enough of the wide range of nutrients you need. Particularly if you don't eat many fruit and vegetables.

Always have museli for breakfast? add a different topping every day for example crushed nuts or seeds, chopped dried figs or dates, a handful of berries or chopped banana. 

That plain chicken sandwich  you have for lunch - add loads of salad, try different tpes of bread or ditch the bread and have a big salad with the chicken. 

To cassaroles or curries add a tin of  beans or  chickpeas, a big handful or spinach or mushrooms

Think of a rainbow and try and make sure that you eat fruit and vegetables from each colour group every day.