MY FAVOURITE SOUP......

As I sit and type this blog there is hail hitting my window. We've had such lovely weather this year, but I feel it's now time to keep the fridge stocked with warming healthy soups. Perfect for a quick lunch or a mug sized snack mid morning.

I know you can choose from a huge selection of flavours in the shops..... but are they additive free? Are they as healthy as you want them to be? Next time you're shopping take a few seconds to read the ingredients.

There's no doubting that if you make your own you'll know exactly what's in it. So I thought I'd share my recipe for carrot & lentil soup......

Put 12oz red lentils in a big pan. Add 8 large carrots, peeled & chopped. (You could use sweet potato or butternut squash if you prefer). Then add 2 & 1/2 pints boiling water & a vegetable stock cube. Bring back to the boil on the hob, then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes or until the lentils are soft. Liquidise with parsley leaves and white pepper to taste.

It really is delicious & so simple to make.

Happy healthy eating!

Bev 

Sustainable weightloss Manchester

Sustainable weightloss Wilmslow

Hello there!

I thought you might be interested in a "FREE" ZEST4LIFE PRESENTATION........

Have you lost your zest for life over the summer?

Are you fed up with constant dieting year in year out?

Is it time for a change?

Would you like to finally understand how to eat for health and weight loss without relying on willpower? On the evening I will be explaining all about low GL eating and how it reduces those annoying cravings that are most diet breakers. It will be a fun & light hearted evening. I do hope you can make it!

WHEN: TUESDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER AT 7.00PM.

WHERE: THE DE VERE VENUE, CHEADLE HOUSE, CHEADLE ROYAL, CHEADLE, CHESHIRE, SK8 3FS.

PLACES ARE LIMITED SO PLEASE CONTACT ME TO RESERVE YOUR SEAT

Happy healthy eating!

Bev :)

WHAT'S YOUR GOAL?

Sometimes you need an immovable goal to help you stay focused & determined to lose weight & get fit. I'm really lucky that I've been involved with Racing The Planet for a few years now, doing volunteer work on some of their 250k self supported foot races. The photo is from the Iceland race last year.
My next stop with them is Madagascar in August & I'm really looking forward to it. So my serious training begins again - to get fitter & stronger to lug hundreds of bottles of water around, put checkpoint tents up & down & generally help look after more than 300 competitors - all on about 5-6 hours sleep a night, every night, for 7 days - if you're not sleeping you're working!
So that's my next goal.....what's your goal?
Why not sign up to something & then tell people all about it  - so you can't back out!
Maybe you want to complete a charity bike ride, a midnight walk, do a 5 or 10k run, enter for a marathon, climb the 3 Peaks.... or just set a date to do something with friends that you will have to train for?
Whatever it is, you'll need to be fit & healthy. That also means eating well.
Healthy eating is probably more important than training - ever heard the phrase "YOU CAN'T OUT TRAIN A BAD DIET!" It's true - what you eat will have an impact on how well you train.
Life is for living - have a think - what are you going to do that will excite & test you?
Whatever it is, have fun!

Happy healthy eating,
Bev :-)

Weight Loss Wilmslow
Weight Loss Manchester

DON'T FOCUS ON WEIGHT!

I recently had a fabulous time talking about zest4life, nutrition & weight loss with John Lewis Partners at their Cheadle branch. I took the Tanita Body Analyser scales & anyone who wished to know, could find out their biological age! There was much fun throughout the store as some incredibly fit & healthy members of staff went back to their departments knowing their bodies were up to 15 years younger than their real age!Some were not so lucky, but have decided to do something about it!
This got me thinking about WEIGHT. Why do we focus on the number on the scales so much?
We appear to be conditioned to believe it's the only number that counts. It's almost an obsession for many people, who jump on & off the scales every day, praying for a miracle.... I mean, can you really lose (or gain) half a stone in a day?!
So I thought you might like to know the results & comments from recent participants on a zest4life programme....
Cate, real age 58, has lowered her biological age from 69 to 50. She says she has more 'self-worth' now &  is now busy de-cluttering & enjoying buying herself a new wardrobe. Colin, age 71 has lost almost 20% of his total body fat. He says he barely notices his knee pain anymore, enjoys having a laugh in the classes & regularly adds extra vegetables to his wife's cooking!
Kate, age 28 has lowered her biological age from 35 to 27 & has dropped 10% of her total body fat. She is now full of life, enjoys exercising & has an exciting social life. She says she now makes conscious decisions about what she is going to eat & is more mindful of how the food will make her feel.
So FORGET WEIGHT!! It is a real de-motivator....... instead, concentrate on other health improvements.... & then the number on the scales takes care of itself,
Happy healthy low GL eating!

Bev
Sustainable weight loss Manchester
Sustainable weight loss Wilmslow

CHANGE YOUR IDEAS ABOUT DIETING

Hello again & apologies - my website has been playing up a little - hopefully all is good now.
January has started with a bang - my zest4life classes are up & running in Wilmslow. I have a mix of people on the HEALTH & WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAMMES. Some do have quite a lot of weight to shift, whilst for others it's more about dropping a few pounds & developing more healthy eating & lifestyle habits.Whatever their reasons - they are beginning to get results!
You can't have missed hearing about SUGAR in the news over the last couple of weeks. I want to stress to you that if you eat a lot of low fat / light / lite / reduced fat / fat free products, the chances are they are pumped full of sugar - well, what do you think they replace the fat with? Too much sugar in your daily diet means your blood sugar levels will be up & down, causing cravings & requiring will power.
The answer is to eat proper food - not ready meals & prepackaged goods. You get all the SUGAR you need from fruit, vegetables & starchy carbohydrate foods in a well balanced diet.
Good fats like avocado, nuts, seeds, coconut oil & oily fish are needed by the body as they contain ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS - the clue is there - essential for a healthy brain & body.
ZEST4LIFE classes teach & motivate you to achieve your goals.

Happy healthy low GL eating ( less SUGAR!)
Bev

Sustainable healthy eating Wilmslow
Sustainable healthy eating Manchester

IMAGINE YOUR OWN PERSONAL MAKEOVER COACH.....

I was bowled over by the lovely thank you card with it's kind messages inside that my diet trial participants gave me. They all lost weight, but more importantly most of that weight was fat, not muscle or water.... I used to think I'd done well losing half a stone in a week when I was a yo-yo dieter, but now I know better!
It takes time to shift actual fat.
The zest4life nutrition & weight loss process is a makeover from the inside out. On top of looking great, you regain your energy levels & know what it really feels like to be optimally healthy & in the best shape you can be, with renewed 'zest4life'. What's more, you will experience added benefits such as clearer skin, better concentration, improved moods & greater confidence in your appearance.

The zest4life classes are launching on 7th & 8th January in Wilmslow are designed to help you change your approach to losing weight. You can join at any time, but it would be good to start from the first class!
They are a mix of nutritional education & motivational coaching & are designed to help you set small weekly realistic achievable goals that will enable you to reach your long term goal.
Please email me if you'd like a free chat to find out more.

Happy healthy eating!

Bev

Sustainable weight loss Wilmslow
Sustainable weight loss Manchester

I COULDN'T EAT ANOTHER THING.....!

Except maybe a mince pie, a slice of chocolate log, some Christmas cake, or a few foil wrapped chocolates?
Does that sound like you? Can you survive Christmas?
My advice to you... DO NOT TRY TO DIET! Set out to maintain your current weight & give yourself a chance by having some healthier foods around you.Plan well.
And if you can add in some exercise - be it at a gym, at home, on a bike, or just walking out in the fresh air, you will burn up excess calories.
Be kind to yourself & think of how you want to feel after eating... full & bloated, or pleasantly satisfied? In my experience nibbling is many peoples downfall. Make sure you buy olives, seeded bread sticks, nuts in shells (& the nut crackers!), chestnuts (low in calories) & plenty of crudites (raw carrot, celery, pepper, cucumber radish etc) to dunk in tomato salsa, guacamole or hummus.
If you have a sweet tooth melt some high cocoa content dark chocolate & dip in some strawberries, pineapple chunks or kiwi fruit - delicious when others are diving into the pick n mix selection! Brazil nuts are lovely coated in dark chocolate too. Don't deprive yourself as it can often lead to over eating!

I also want to let you all know that DUE TO AN AMAZING RESPONSE I AM ADDING A 3RD ZEST4LIFE CLASS IN JANUARY! So if you are truly fed up with years of yo-yoing do get in touch & I'll explain why the low GL diet really works.

Finally I want to thank everyone for taking the time to read my blogs & wish you all a very happy Christmas & a peaceful New Year.

Bev
zest4life coach
SUSTAINABLE WEIGHT LOSS WILMSLOW