Hello <<First Name>> 
Didn’t Team GB do brilliantly in the Olympics! Wow! They made us all so proud! Huge congratulations to everyone involved. After all the exhaustion and enjoyment of watching our wonderful athletes, life can now settle into some semblance of normality once again.
For anyone who is wanting to shed a few lbs, one of their greatest concerns is the risk of feeling hungry. The good news is that if we can select foods that will keep us feeling fuller for longer (it’s easier than you think) there is absolutely no need to go hungry.
 About 15 years ago there was a lot of talk about the Glycaemic Index, (Gi). I wrote several diet books with ‘Gi’ in the title and they were very successful. So how does the Glycaemic index work and what is it all about?
Different foods, particularly carbs, cause our blood sugar levels to rise and fall at various rates, both immediately after we have eaten them and during the few hours following consumption. For instance, eating a bar of chocolate or a piece of cake will give us a sharp rise in our glucose levels and then, shortly afterwards, there will be a dip and we feel hungry again. This is neither helpful if we are trying to watch our weight, nor good for us.
Conversely, foods with a lower Glycaemic index have the effect of our blood sugar levels rising more slowly and falling more gradually which helps us to stay feeling fuller for longer. This, of course, helps us when we are trying to lose weight or limit our calorie intake.
Avoiding sudden rises and falls in our blood glucose levels is much better for our general health. This fact has been proven in clinical trials conducted to try to help diabetics to stabilise their insulin levels but it was also discovered that there was a benefit to heart health. But we don’t have to be a diabetic or heart patient to benefit from a lower Gi diet. It is a real health-enhancer for all of us.
By just making some simple choices when selecting our food, we can steer our day-to-day eating habits toward a diet of lower glycaemic index foods. I now do it automatically and it’s not difficult. It doesn’t mean everything has to be low Gi but just by making some simple adjustments to the way we shop can introduce additional lower Gi foods into our daily diet.
Lower Gi foods include wholegrain bread, sweet potatoes, pasta, basmati rice, oats, high fibre cereals, grains, pulses, legumes and vegetables. In fact, any food that is high in fibre has a lower glycaemic index. Also, remember that fibre is extremely valuable to our gut and in boosting our immunity.
Take a look at these videos to help you make wise choices to help you and your family eat healthily and to keep you feeling fuller for longer. Fibre Rich Food Which is the healthiest Rice? Bread Pasta The 28-Day Immunity Plan.
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Recipe of the Week
MIXED BEAN SALAD
This easy-to-prepare, plant-based Mixed Bean Salad will impress your family or guests with its array of colours. It is a dish that comprises lots of low Gi foods and immunity-boosting fibre that is bursting with flavour with the added bonus that it will keep you feeling full for longer.
Serves 4
Prep time 5 minutes
per portion: 450 calories (approx.)
1 x 400g can Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 x 400g can Red Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed
½ x can Sweetcorn, drained but reserve the juice for the dressing
½ red pepper
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
6 Spring onions, chopped
4 sticks of celery, chopped
Pieces of cucumber chopped into small pieces
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh Basil leaves, torn or chopped
Dressing: The juice from the sweetcorn mixed with Balsamic vinegar
Place all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix together. Serve chilled.
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Fun, Facts & Fitness from Mary Morris MSc.
When you think of all the different individual sports that there are at the Olympics and the fact that each requires different types of training techniques, it is important to know that they all have one aspect of training in common - they all need to stretch...... A LOT! And that is our focus for this week. Why is stretching SO important for the body and why is it just as necessary for we non-Olympians to do on a regular basis as part of our fitness training?
Some people are more flexible than others and there is a genetic factor at play here but every one of us can make significant improvements to our flexibility with practise. It all depends upon our Range of Movement (ROM) around our joints. Regular stretching gradually lengthens the muscles which are attached to them, allowing each joint to move more freely. The great news is that this greater flexibility increases our potential for freedom of movement in everything we do every day. It will be easier to reach to the top shelf in the highest cupboard and get down to pick things up from the floor without pulling a muscle. Good news all round!
Flexibility training is one of the most important components in training. If you do the Advanced Strength Programme in The 28-Day Immunity Plan, you will be strengthening your muscles by challenging and shortening the muscle fibres. By following our new Stretch Programme, which has just been added to the website, you will bring them back in line and increase the blood flow to the muscles helping to prevent any muscle soreness after your workout. Strength and stretch together are really the perfect partners in your journey towards whole-body fitness. If you follow the Pilates Programme too you get the perfect mix of strength and stretch.
How and When to Stretch:
• Only stretch when you are warm. The very best time is at the end of an aerobic or strength workout.
• Static held stretches are the most beneficial for the moderate or older exerciser. As we age the soft tissue in the body is less 'elastic' and needs time to stretch safely. Hold stretches for 20-30 seconds in some important areas such as the back of the thigh (the hamstrings) and front of hip (hip flexors) particularly if you sit a lot throughout the day.
• Stretching helps posture. For example, doing a stretch for the chest muscles draws the shoulder blades together pulling the shoulders into a better place.
• Stretched muscles are less likely to get injured.
• Feel relaxed when you stretch and you will get better results. Put on some slow and relaxing music to help you.
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THIS WEEK’S FITNESS CHALLENGE
1. Start with the two tests for lower and upper body stretch (Fitness Test 4 - Seated Reach/Back Hand Reach) from the DIY Fitness Test if you have not done it before. Record your results.
2. Do the Advanced Whole Body Strength Programme (or a suitable level from The 28-Day Immunity Plan) followed by the new Full Relaxing Stretch Workout three times this week.
3. Follow the Pilates programme, selecting whichever level you feel is most appropriate for you. Do twice this week.
4. After your 30-minute daily walk do your Post-walk Stretches every time.
5. Re-test your lower and upper body stretch again at the end of the week.
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Did you know...
The terms ‘low Gi’, ‘medium Gi’ and ‘high Gi’ are given to foods that fall within different ranges, on a scale of 0 - 100, on the Glycaemic Index.
- Low Gi (less than 55)
examples include soy products, beans, fruit, milk, pasta, grainy bread, porridge (oats) and lentils.
- Medium Gi (55 to 70)
examples include orange juice, honey, basmati rice and wholemeal bread.
- High Gi (greater than 70)
examples include regular potatoes, white bread and short-grain rice.
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And Finally...
Enjoy your week and, whatever you are doing, have fun and stay safe.
With love and best wishes,
Rosemary Conley CBE DL
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LIVE LONGER | LIVE HEALTHIER | LIVE HAPPIER
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