If you are enjoying watching Strictly Come Dancing you will undoubtedly be inspired by the extraordinary fitness and talent of the professional dancers and the sheer determination and dedication of the celebrities who are aiming to be the best they can be.
It is difficult not to admire the figures, fitness and talent of the professionals. They present perfect bodies that are undoubtedly different from the rest of us. A honed and toned body such as theirs is only developed after hours and hours of dedicated dancing practise, during which they have challenged every muscle and extended every sinew in their body, day after day, year after year, most likely since they were a child. And that is a very important point.
Let’s all be inspired by the ‘Strictly’ professional dancers and encourage our children and grandchildren to try different sports and activities whilst they are young. It is really, really important that we do. In fact, it is vital to their physical and mental development because it not only teaches them motor skills, but it is very important in building their confidence. Only by trying different activities will they discover where their physical talent lies and almost certainly, when they find it, they will love doing it because it is the activity at which they excel. Whether it’s football or swimming, gymnastics or ballet, let’s inspire them.
Mary and I recorded a video where we discuss the importance of encouraging healthy eating and activity in children and, by so doing, we can help them to maintain a fitter body and healthy weight. You can find it here: Children, Activity and Weight.
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Recipe of the Week
Smoked Haddock and Potato Pie
This is a delicious fish pie and is a great family dish. For the best flavour try to buy naturally smoked fish.
Serves 6
Per serving: 388 Kcal, 2g fat.
Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 50 mins
2 baby leeks, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsps finely chopped fresh thyme
450ml semi-skimmed milk
2 tablespoons plain flour
150ml white wine
2-3 tsps mild course-grain mustard
1½ tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
700g potatoes, peeled
1 vegetable stock cube
2 tablespoons virtually fat-free Greek yogurt
700g naturally smoked haddock
freshly ground black pepper
zest of 1 lemon to garnish
- Preheat the oven to 200°C, 400°F, Gas Mark 6.
- Preheat a non-stick saucepan. Add the leeks, garlic and thyme, stirring well. Reduce the heat and add 3 tablespoons of milk. Sprinkle the flour over, then stir it in quickly to form a roux. Cook for 1 minute to allow the flour to ‘cook out’, then gradually mix in the remaining milk.
- Add the wine, mustard and parsley (reserve a little parsley for the garnish), bringing the sauce to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in a saucepan of water with a vegetable stock cube until well cooked. Drain and mash until smooth, adding the yogurt and seasoning well with plenty of black pepper.
- Skin the fish by pulling the skin from the thickest part in the direction towards the tail – it should come away quite easily.
- Cut the fish into chunks, checking it for bones, and place in the bottom of an ovenproof dish. Cover with the sauce.
- Using a fork, smooth the mashed potatoes on top. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes until golden.
- Just before serving, garnish with the lemon zest and a little chopped parsley.
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Haddock is Interchangeable with cod but it has a slightly sweeter taste which makes it the best white fish for smoking. Naturally smoked Haddock is pale yellow in colour rather than the bright yellow fish often sold pre-packed which has been dipped into a coloured chemical flavoured dye to give it a smoked flavour!
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Fun, Facts & Fitness from Mary Morris MSc.
The health and fitness of our young people has to be a priority for all of us and being an ex-PE teacher it is a subject close to my heart. Rosemary and I both feel passionately about the next generation doing better than our current experience of weight and ill-health issues. So this week I want to focus on teenagers, teenage girls in particular, as they are the least active of all the age groups and if you have any connection with a teenage girl, either as a grandparent or friend of the family, it is worth noting the risks they take in not being regularly 'on the move'.
A recent study looked at how many 14-year-old girls were meeting three recommendations of:
- One hour a day of moderate to vigorous activity to include a variety of enjoyable sports and activities that strengthen muscles and bones.
- No more than 2 hours a day in front of a screen.
- 8 hours sleep a night
The alarming results were that only 9.7% met all three!
Teenagers go through considerable hormonal changes and the need for a healthy and balanced approach to those changes is vital if they are going to develop a healthy attitude to how their body 'feels' rather than how it 'looks'.
The natural consequence of a regular exercise programme is that we 'look' better but the massive bonus is that it makes us feel better about ourselves, it reduces our stress levels and improves our self-esteem - and that applies just the same to teenagers as much as to any other age group.
Teenage mental health issues are currently a regular talking point in the media, particularly since Covid, so let's all work together to make the next generation fitter, happier and healthier!
How can we help teenagers to be more active?
- Be a positive role model. Active parents and active grandparents naturally engender the habit of exercise to their young people.
- Find activities that you can do together. Going on walks together is the obvious one but think about adding cycle rides or messing around in the swimming pool. You might like to even consider joining a gym together, as many gyms offer suitable programmes for teens.
- Avoid screens in bedrooms. Whilst this might sound a bit drastic, studies have shown that without the distraction of a screen, teenagers naturally become significantly more active!
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This Week's Fitness Challenge
- Commit to 3 early morning walks this week before breakfast. It can set you up for the day and is a greater fat-burner than a walk at any other time of the day!
- Do one of the Pilates programmes three times this week to give you strength, flexibility and postural benefits that walking alone cannot give.
- If you can, do the Seated Aerobics twice this week to work your heart and lungs.
- Arrange to meet a friend for a walking 'chat' rather than sitting in a coffee bar - and always aim to do a 30-minute walk every day.
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Did you know…
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And Finally...
Enjoy your walks this week. When the sun shines on the autumn leaves, they seem to come to life and sparkle. Here is a little picture of the trees on my daily walk with our dogs BB and Sky and it provides the perfect start to my day, every day!
Have a great week,
With love and best wishes,
Rosemary Conley CBE DL
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LIVE LONGER | LIVE HEALTHIER | LIVE HAPPIER
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