Recipe of the Week

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Mixed Vegetable Soup (v)

This highly nutritious soup is a great way to eat a multitude of vitamin-rich, high-fibre vegetables to boost our immunity at the same time as keeping us feeling fuller for longer.  It is also a great soup to make when we have surplus vegetables that need using up, for instance after Christmas dinner.

This soup is suitable for freezing



Serves 4 - 6
Per serving: Calories & fat content vary according to vegetables used.
Prep time: 10 - 15 mins
Cooking time: 25 mins

3 medium onions, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Use one each of any root vegetables to hand – sweet potato, carrot, parsnip, swede, peeled and diced
Add any available cabbage, Brussel sprouts, celery, leeks, trimmed and chopped
500ml vegetable stock (use one vegetable stock pot)
2 tbsp freshly chopped coriander (optional)
freshly ground black pepper

Fun, Facts & Fitness from Mary Morris MSc.

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Whilst out on a walk with one of my groups recently I slipped on wet mud and inelegantly fell, prostrate in a very muddy puddle!  The embarrassment was acute as you can imagine, but it has occurred to me since - what if I actually could not have got myself back up again?  So, this week I am going to focus on everything we can possibly do to prevent a fall both inside your home and also when out and about, and if you do fall, then to be able to get back on your feet again as elegantly as possible!

As you can imagine, falling is linked to two major factors – Strength and Balance.   Both of these vital requirements are covered extensively on our website and we have recently added a new video Getting up after a fall which is designed to teach you the easiest and most efficient way to get up if you have fallen.  It is possible that you personally don't need to learn that technique but there may be someone you know, perhaps an elderly relative, who is highly vulnerable to falling and would benefit greatly from being taught how to do it. 

Some useful tips to prevent falls:

• Exercise with weights.  Exercising with weights encourages our muscles to work harder making them stronger. We need both upper body and lower body strength to enable us to push ourselves up off the floor.  Strengthening the 'pushing' muscles of the arms and chest guarantees our ability to push ourselves up and back on our feet. Having strong legs will reduce the chance of our falling in the first place!  Try the Standing Weights Workout which effectively strengthens all areas.
• Improve your Balance.  The best thing about balance is that it can be trained.  The more we practise it, the better our sense of balance will be. Following our video Balance Exercises is a great way to train yourself to balance better.
• Keep your home ‘fall-safe’!  Try to keep floor space clutter-free and immediately mop up spillages.  Always hold handrails on the way downstairs, too.  Most falls are associated with stairs, steps and roadside kerbs.

Finally, you may be one of those exercisers that is uneasy about exercising on the floor. Most of us can get down alright but some people are nervous about getting back up again. Our new video Getting Safely On and Off the Floor will transform your ability to do so and boost your confidence enormously. Floor exercises are really important for good core strength and our new Floor Weights Workout will do that job perfectly.

If you work slowly and methodically on the techniques for getting safely on and off the floor you will gain the confidence to regularly follow our floor programmes and gain super strength in those important areas.  And remember, the added bonus of a firmer tummy and a trimmer waist may be all the motivation and encouragement you need!