Tag Archives: lifestyle

Are you eating 10-a-day?

An interesting article last year suggested that for a longer life you should eat more fruit and veg.

10 portions each day!

Researchers looked at more than 350 studies from around the world that examined the impact of fruit and veg consumption on a range of health outcomes, such as cancer and stroke, as well as premature death.

They found eating more fruit and veg was linked to a lower risk of getting these diseases and dying early when eating up to 800g a day (around 10 portions).

Although I enjoy fruit and veg, my heart sank. TEN seemed a bit too much of a good thing.

I’ve been aiming to eat my 5-a-day for several years now but I thought doubling the amount to 10 was a tad unrealistic. And then I started thinking about the portion sizes and wondered what exactly constituted a PORTION.

Consulting the oracle, the NHS choices website, turned up some useful info.

Some of the portion sizes I’ve had for 5-a-day are more like TWO portions. I’m already eating seven or eight portions of fruit and vegetables every day so it wouldn’t be too difficult to increase to ten.

However, the chief nutritionist for Public Health England explained to the BBC that setting a realistic target such as 5-a-day which people could actually achieve was more important. Dr Tedstone said, “Whilst consuming more than five portions of fruit and vegetables a day may be desirable … adding pressure to consume more fruit and vegetables creates an unrealistic expectation.”

According to a British Heart Foundation survey a couple of years ago,

only a third of adults in Britain achieve the 5-a-day target. The additional expense of fresh fruit and veg. was cited as the main reason for the low take up of the healthy eating target. I doubt that economic circumstances have altered sufficiently to lead to an increase of 5-a-day consumers.

Whether you’re aiming for 10-a-day or happy to settle for 5-a-day, you really should read this: 12 things that really shouldn’t count as your 5-a-day.

And, as you’d expect, the BHF has included red wine on the list.

Thanks for stopping by today. Hope your day is going well. 🙂

Book promo: Julia’s Room, a novella by Michael Murray, is now only £0.99 / $0.99

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tattoos

 

Well, here we are again!

A few months ago I published my final post on this blog and signed off.

I’d been diagnosed with cancer and didn’t think there was any way I could sustain a daily blog.

My cancer treatment is palliative and I didn’t think I would be around for too much longer to be writing blog posts or anything else for that matter.

I decided to try and keep my Cabbage and Semolina Blog going for as long as I was able and I’ve been writing a long blogpost each month since my diagnosis.

However, I’m now in a chemotherapy regime which requires me to rest regularly and I find myself with an active mind, a weary body and time on my hands. So, I’ve come back to 3sixtyfiveblog and am going to continue with the challenge I set myself on March 20th 2017 and try to write a daily blog for a year.

I’m learning to live with cancer and I suspect many of my future posts will be about these changes in my  life. But I haven’t lost interest in all the other aspects of life in my third age bubble so there’ll be more of that too. So, I do hope you’ll keep coming back to see if I can keep up with my daily blog challenge.

Thanks for reading today and hope you have a great weekend.

You might also like Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining on Cabbage and Semolina Blog.

Blueberries: a great porridge topper and good for you too!

Porridge is a great way to start the day

especially with a healthy topper.

Sometimes I include a drizzle of honey and occasionally a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Today I added a few blueberries to my porridge and they were delicious.

I know that a handful of blueberries make a great contribution to your 5-a-day. The NHS website spells out the benefits by asking are blueberries a superfood?

According to the NHS, some nutritionists believe that if you make only one change to your diet it should be to add blueberries.

Blueberries are valued for their high levels of antioxidants.

Antioxidants are a type of molecule that can neutralise free radicals, which are a type of unstable and highly reactive species of molecule. I’m no scientist so if you want to understand more you’ll have to read this NHS page.

Alison Hornby is a dietitian and spokesperson for the British Diabetic Association. She told the NHS researcher that the health claims for blueberries were inconclusive but that blueberries make a fantastic choice as one of your five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

And I agree with that!

Thanks for visiting my blog today.

You might also like Who’s been eating my porridge?

Today’s book promo:

Julia’s Room

Meet Alan: he was tone deaf, sang like a dog but he had a feeling he could write.

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Cinnamon: a delicious porridge topper

I’ve found that cinnamon is a delicious topper for my daily breakfast porridge.

And not only does cinnamon taste good but it does you good as well.

According to our well-thumbed copy of Food is Better Medicine than Drugs,

cinnamon is very good for reducing blood sugar levels and can also help to reduce ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol levels.

Cinnamon appears to complement the health benefits of eating porridge oats  as well as tasting so great.

The website ‘Authority Nutrition’ offers 10 Evidenced-Based Health Benefits of Cinnamon which makes for very interesting reading.

But like so many things that sound too good to be true not everyone agrees.

The website Cinnamon Vogue points out some side-effects that may occur with adding cinnamon to your food that also need to be considered.

It appears there are two main  types of cinnamon: Ceylon and Cassia.

And there’s a substance called Coumarin which is toxic and found in all forms of cinnamon.

But there’s less Coumarin in Ceylon cinnamon than there is in other types.

Overall, it seems that a small, occasional addition of cinnamon to your daily porridge oats won’t do you any harm and may well do some good. And if you buy the more expensive but purer Ceylon cinnamon that will be better still.

And cinnamon does taste really good on porridge oats especially oats from our favourite brand, Yockenthwaite so I’m going to continue with an occasional sprinkle!

Thanks for checking out my blog today.

Hope you’re enjoying a great Easter weekend.

Today’s book promo:

Magnificent Britain http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007A4F71G

Follow that blog!

 

If you’ve read my About page you’ll know why  I’m writing this blog.

I’m talking to my friend in the coffee shop and …….. you!

I’ve passed two milestones: 5 Likes and 10 posts!

And acquired two followers.

Today I’m going to tell you about their blogs because they’re both really interesting.

The first is Flash 365

Obviously, I’m interested in anyone who is trying to write a daily post and these look good. Each blogpost is an example of flash fiction headed with a striking illustration. I read Waiting for a Kill and emailed the link to my husband and sister. My husband emailed the link to his friend as well. I’m looking forward to reading some more on this blog.

The second blog is Darly – Lifestyle Blog

which is way outside my age-range but I enjoyed reading it anyway especially The Walk in Madrid . I’ve never been to Madrid so it was interesting to see some of the places visited by the blogger.

I told you I enjoy writing my blogs but I love reading blogs written by others too. Problem: I also like reading books and on-line News. There is not enough time in each day to read everything I want to read and  write everything I want to write.

Must dash – got a lawn needing cutting!

Thanks for stopping by today. You might also like Stately Homes in Fiction and Films posted today on one of my other blogs.