NAMASTE! WOW! That about sums up my adventures in Nepal. I was working as a volunteer for Racing The Planet on their 150 mile foot race through the Annapurna foothills of the Himalayas. 240 people entered the race & there were 22 volunteers & 12 medics ensuring their safety - manning checkpoints, getting deployed each day to a new position & generally cheering them on! It was extremely hard work - especially through the freezing cold nights, but a very pleasant 30 degrees in the day.
Highlights were seeing the Himalayas (photos on my FB page), the stunning scenery, monkeys swinging in the trees & the very welcoming Nepalese people.
I'm happy to forget the night there was a snake in the loo pit - venomous apparantly - and also the rats, mice & spiders!
Driving was quite an experience - it would appear you drive on the left - unless it looks better on the right! There were no rules apart from do not hit the cows or the water buffalo.
We had some fantastic food in Pokhara after the race (freeze dried food loses it's appeal after a week!) Curries, daals & cooked meats being so cheap. I'm now really craving fresh fruit & vegs, so the fridge is once again stocked up with healthy stuff!
I suppose I'll have to start thinking about Christmas soon.....stay healthy this winter by eating well.... info to come.
Bev
Friday, 2 December 2011
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
NEXT STOP NEPAL - WELL ALMOST!
Hello again, I can't believe how the time has flown by. Luckily I've been extremely busy in the last few weeks, and even had 3 new enquiries, from lovely ladies who want to eat more healthily and lose weight during December!
Anyway, the cases are nearly packed - half the room is taken up with the delicately spiced freeze dried meals (eat your heart out Masterchef!)and healthy snacks that we'll need for a week.
This is where I noticed a flaw in the plan.... We're having a stopover in Abu Dhabi first - so the cases will still be full to capacity when we fly on to Kathmandu - so where do I pack the shoes & bags I so obviously need from the souk markets?! Any suggestions?
I'm looking forward to Arabian & Nepalese food too & will try to upload some photos when I can. I read an article recently that says Nepal is yet to open a MacDonalds - good for them I say!
So the itinerary is Abu Dhabi 3 nights, Kathmandu 1 night, Pokhara 4 nights. Next 7 days & nights somewhere in the foothills of the Himalayas with the occasional tent to sleep in! Then a few days r & r before homeward bound!
Next blog in December!
Happy Christams Shopping!
Bev
Anyway, the cases are nearly packed - half the room is taken up with the delicately spiced freeze dried meals (eat your heart out Masterchef!)and healthy snacks that we'll need for a week.
This is where I noticed a flaw in the plan.... We're having a stopover in Abu Dhabi first - so the cases will still be full to capacity when we fly on to Kathmandu - so where do I pack the shoes & bags I so obviously need from the souk markets?! Any suggestions?
I'm looking forward to Arabian & Nepalese food too & will try to upload some photos when I can. I read an article recently that says Nepal is yet to open a MacDonalds - good for them I say!
So the itinerary is Abu Dhabi 3 nights, Kathmandu 1 night, Pokhara 4 nights. Next 7 days & nights somewhere in the foothills of the Himalayas with the occasional tent to sleep in! Then a few days r & r before homeward bound!
Next blog in December!
Happy Christams Shopping!
Bev
Wednesday, 12 October 2011
ADVENTURES AGAIN IN 29 DAYS!
After the fantastic time Tony & I had working in the Atacama Desert in Chile last year we wanted another adventure to look forward to. So we're off to work for Racing The Planet again - this time as volunteers on a 150 mile self supported foot race in the Anapurna region of the Himalayas in Nepal.
We set off on Nov 10th and I'm already making a list of things to do before we go & things we need to take with us - especially the really yummy freeze dried food that we'll be eating for a week! (In the Atacama the volunteers got cold pizza as a treat one night - wow - real food - it was fab!)
PLANNING is so important in many aspects of your life. If you are one of those people who wants to be healthier, have more energy, lose some weight & generally feel amazing, then PLAN your meals & snacks in advance. Then you can shop for healthy, fresh food and cook delicious meals instead of rushing into the supermarket for a pre-packaged dinner. PLAN, shop & prepare healthy packed lunches for yourself or your family if they need them, to avoid making unhealthy choices if out in the day. Yes I know it takes time & effort, but doesn't everything that's really worth doing?
So I'm now off to buy some things on the list..... freeze dried meals, energy bars, sachets hot chocolate, alcohol gel, blister kit, batteries for headlamp.... & the list goes on!
Happy Planning!
Bev
We set off on Nov 10th and I'm already making a list of things to do before we go & things we need to take with us - especially the really yummy freeze dried food that we'll be eating for a week! (In the Atacama the volunteers got cold pizza as a treat one night - wow - real food - it was fab!)
PLANNING is so important in many aspects of your life. If you are one of those people who wants to be healthier, have more energy, lose some weight & generally feel amazing, then PLAN your meals & snacks in advance. Then you can shop for healthy, fresh food and cook delicious meals instead of rushing into the supermarket for a pre-packaged dinner. PLAN, shop & prepare healthy packed lunches for yourself or your family if they need them, to avoid making unhealthy choices if out in the day. Yes I know it takes time & effort, but doesn't everything that's really worth doing?
So I'm now off to buy some things on the list..... freeze dried meals, energy bars, sachets hot chocolate, alcohol gel, blister kit, batteries for headlamp.... & the list goes on!
Happy Planning!
Bev
Thursday, 29 September 2011
LOSE WEIGHT BY EATING MORE!
When you're "on a diet" it can be so depressing to see the tiny amount of cheese you are allowed, or to force yourself to stop at 1 biscuit!
By changing many of the foods that you regularly eat to ones that are LOW ENERGY DENSE you can eat bigger portions, feel less hungry and not have to rely on willpower to lose weight.
Energy density is a way of measuring how many calories food has in relation to its volume. High energy dense foods are ones such as chocolate and pastries - just a sniff and you feel the pounds piling on!
Low energy dense foods are mainly fruit and vegetables. They contain a relatively high amount of WATER, FIBRE and AIR. Take cucumber and celery - they have a very high WATER content and it's thought that you use up more calories digesting the food than they actually contain! FIBRE is not digested, it passes through the body so it's 'calorie free'! Vegetables, beans and pulses are high in FIBRE.
AIR is also calorie free, so how about popcorn as a great healthy snack - no salt, sugar or butter though!
Other great low energy density swaps are baked white fish for steak, porridge oats for cornflakes, rice cakes for bread and cottage cheese for hard cheese.
You can eat more of the healthy swap so it looks like you have plenty of food on your plate!
Happy eating!
Bev
By changing many of the foods that you regularly eat to ones that are LOW ENERGY DENSE you can eat bigger portions, feel less hungry and not have to rely on willpower to lose weight.
Energy density is a way of measuring how many calories food has in relation to its volume. High energy dense foods are ones such as chocolate and pastries - just a sniff and you feel the pounds piling on!
Low energy dense foods are mainly fruit and vegetables. They contain a relatively high amount of WATER, FIBRE and AIR. Take cucumber and celery - they have a very high WATER content and it's thought that you use up more calories digesting the food than they actually contain! FIBRE is not digested, it passes through the body so it's 'calorie free'! Vegetables, beans and pulses are high in FIBRE.
AIR is also calorie free, so how about popcorn as a great healthy snack - no salt, sugar or butter though!
Other great low energy density swaps are baked white fish for steak, porridge oats for cornflakes, rice cakes for bread and cottage cheese for hard cheese.
You can eat more of the healthy swap so it looks like you have plenty of food on your plate!
Happy eating!
Bev
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
5 WAYS TO A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE
Most people I speak to are now on some sort of diet to lose holiday weight & be slimmer for the Christmas parties - roughly 10 weeks away - OMG!
My advice, as usual, would be don't diet, because when you stop dieting you'll regain the weight again. Instead, decide to make healthy eating a way of life. The pounds will drop off - and stay off!
Make some healthy changes today....
1. Eat breakfast, or you'll be famished by mid morning & reaching for a quick sugar fix. Best choices are oat based cereals or fresh fruit.
2. Get cooking. Give up processed foods which are usually packed with salt, sugar, saturated fats, fillers, preservatives & other additives - none of these are good for you!
3. Swap brown for white when eating bread, rice & pasta. When these foods are processed to make them 'white' foods they lose a vast amount of their nutritional value, so opt for brown.
4. Eat good fats, that means unsaturated which are found in olive oil, oily fish, avocados, nuts & seeds. They help lower cholesterol & reduce the risk of heart disease.
5. Have a vegetarian day. To ensure you eat plenty of fresh vegetables plan to cook a meat free dish at least once a week.
Go on, make a healthy change today!
Happy eating,
Bev
My advice, as usual, would be don't diet, because when you stop dieting you'll regain the weight again. Instead, decide to make healthy eating a way of life. The pounds will drop off - and stay off!
Make some healthy changes today....
1. Eat breakfast, or you'll be famished by mid morning & reaching for a quick sugar fix. Best choices are oat based cereals or fresh fruit.
2. Get cooking. Give up processed foods which are usually packed with salt, sugar, saturated fats, fillers, preservatives & other additives - none of these are good for you!
3. Swap brown for white when eating bread, rice & pasta. When these foods are processed to make them 'white' foods they lose a vast amount of their nutritional value, so opt for brown.
4. Eat good fats, that means unsaturated which are found in olive oil, oily fish, avocados, nuts & seeds. They help lower cholesterol & reduce the risk of heart disease.
5. Have a vegetarian day. To ensure you eat plenty of fresh vegetables plan to cook a meat free dish at least once a week.
Go on, make a healthy change today!
Happy eating,
Bev
Tuesday, 30 August 2011
DON'T GO ON ANOTHER DIET!
How many times have you gone on a diet? With all the will in the world it's virtually impossible to stay on a diet forever. If you want to LOSE WEIGHT successfully, and KEEP IT OFF, then you need to CHANGE your eating habits, because, let's face it - it's your eating habits that made you gain the weight in the first place!
The average woman goes on 3 diets a year and lasts 19 days on each one! (I haven't got a figure for men but I believe they do a little better).
The UK diet industry is worth an estimated £1 billion each year. A huge proportion of that is repeat business - because DIETS DON'T WORK (long term). It's no good eating less food for a few weeks, or months & then hoping the weight will stay off. It won't. Once you revert back to your old eating habits the pounds will slowly creep on again, and possibly more.
The answer is to cut out the junk, processed and packaged foods, go back to basics by cooking good, fresh healthy food, eat nutrient dense foods instead of 'empty calories' - and move!
That said I'm off for a swim now.
Are you fed up with yo-yo dieting? Are you ready to CHANGE?
Happy eating!
Bev
The average woman goes on 3 diets a year and lasts 19 days on each one! (I haven't got a figure for men but I believe they do a little better).
The UK diet industry is worth an estimated £1 billion each year. A huge proportion of that is repeat business - because DIETS DON'T WORK (long term). It's no good eating less food for a few weeks, or months & then hoping the weight will stay off. It won't. Once you revert back to your old eating habits the pounds will slowly creep on again, and possibly more.
The answer is to cut out the junk, processed and packaged foods, go back to basics by cooking good, fresh healthy food, eat nutrient dense foods instead of 'empty calories' - and move!
That said I'm off for a swim now.
Are you fed up with yo-yo dieting? Are you ready to CHANGE?
Happy eating!
Bev
Thursday, 11 August 2011
FOOD TO LIFT YOUR MOOD
Hello again, well what a week we've had so far with all the rioting and trouble. I sincerely hope that it's over now, all those who have lost homes, businesses or possessions get compensation, and every criminal gets their just desserts.
So, if you're feeling a little low think about what you are eating - food can have a positive or negative effect on your mood. Sadly, when we're down we may not be bothered to eat well, which in turns means your body will not work at its best, due to a lack of good nutrients.
It's important to eat protein rich foods to ensure you are getting an amino acid called tryptophan. This is converted in the brain to the mood enhancing hormone, serotonin.
Also have a great variety of fruit and vegetables, as Vitamin C can also help produce serotonin.
Brazil nuts are a great source of this hormone too - 3 a day is all you need.
Omega 3 fish oils will help too - choose oily fish 2 or 3 times a week.
Finally remember to drink up to 2 litres of water a day to stay hydrated.
On a lighter note I'm off to the Peak District to spend a long weekend walking, and, true to form the weather looks bleak. So not to be deterred, waterproof trousers and jacket, hat, scarf, gloves and thermals all packed.......tell me, is it really still August?
Happy eating!
Bev
So, if you're feeling a little low think about what you are eating - food can have a positive or negative effect on your mood. Sadly, when we're down we may not be bothered to eat well, which in turns means your body will not work at its best, due to a lack of good nutrients.
It's important to eat protein rich foods to ensure you are getting an amino acid called tryptophan. This is converted in the brain to the mood enhancing hormone, serotonin.
Also have a great variety of fruit and vegetables, as Vitamin C can also help produce serotonin.
Brazil nuts are a great source of this hormone too - 3 a day is all you need.
Omega 3 fish oils will help too - choose oily fish 2 or 3 times a week.
Finally remember to drink up to 2 litres of water a day to stay hydrated.
On a lighter note I'm off to the Peak District to spend a long weekend walking, and, true to form the weather looks bleak. So not to be deterred, waterproof trousers and jacket, hat, scarf, gloves and thermals all packed.......tell me, is it really still August?
Happy eating!
Bev
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