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I have some very sad news to share with you this week but I hope you will stick with it so that you can read the positive part at the end.
Ever since we started writing this Newsletter in 2021 you will have come to know BB, our black Labrador and there was even the little video of BB falling off the sofa in the middle of a recording one day.
On Thursday, 8th February 2024 I look BB out for her ablutions at around 5.30am and, as always, she ran in because it was breakfast time! She had mixed dry food plus some leftover fish pie from the previous night which she devoured with great relish. Then she went upstairs to see Mike who was still sleeping – her usual routine – and received her usual welcome stroke from him.
At 7.30 it was time for our walk so BB followed me downstairs and we walked out into the most awful rain mixed with sleet. BB, understandably, wasn’t very impressed and just stood there, so we decided to not bother as I was going to have a physical day anyway.
As usual on a Thursday, Mike went off to the gym at 8.15 for his 8.45 personal training session and I followed at 9.15 for my session at 10am. But when I arrived home Mike greeted me with the words ‘There’s something wrong with BB’.
BB was lying almost lifeless on her bed. There was no wagging tail – not even a flicker – and she didn’t even raise her head to say hello - normally she’s waiting for me at the door. She was awake but was obviously very poorly.
Thankfully, the vet was able to see us immediately and gave BB a scan which revealed that she had abdominal bleeding and that sadly there was nothing that could be done. We were devastated. It seemed inconceivable that our beautiful, energetic, age-defying friend had come to the end of the road - despite the fact that she was almost 14 years old.
As soon as we knew what was going to happen, I asked the vet if she would give her a sedative before putting her to sleep. [Something I would recommend to anyone who was about to say goodbye to their beloved pet as it is so much kinder, in my experience.]
We managed to get BB back into the car where the very kind vet sat with her and gave her the sedative injection. BB went into a very gentle sleep and was unaware of the large and scary syringe that then delivered the appropriate overdose of anaesthetic that would bring her life to an end. Strangely, I had sensed that BB was ready to go to sleep forever.
I must apologise for telling such a sad story but it is, in fact, a story of celebration and of a real lesson in life that applies to all of us. Please read on…
As I have grown older, I made the decision that I would work harder at my fitness. I know that I need my heart and lungs to be strong so I include some uphill bits in my daily walks. And I know that our muscles become weaker with age so I am determined to do everything I can to slow down that rate of deterioration by regularly doing strength exercises that challenge my muscles and keep them as strong as possible.
Part of this ‘getting fitter’ campaign, which took on a whole new energy once my partial knee replacement had been done and dusted, involved going on my walks which now go much further and also faster – and BB used to love every step when she was with me. When we returned home, I dried her with a towel and then she would run three circuits around the kitchen like a two-year-old! She loved it and it was obvious that she felt happier as she became fitter.
Even though I no longer have my trusted companion to accompany me, I still go for my walk, as usual. I miss BB so much but I have made a promise to myself that I will still walk every morning, at the same time as when she was with me. I understand the vital importance to my health and fitness of that 30+ minute walk and I will continue until the day my legs no longer carry me which I hope is a long way off!
We all know that we feel happier when we are fitter. Sometimes BB took a bit of persuading to get off her warm mat in our bedroom to go out into the cold for our daily walk, but once she was out there, there was no stopping her. And we’re a bit like that too. How often have we not felt like going to an exercise class or for a walk, but once we’re out there, we love it? Being fit is fundamental to our health – our mobility, our heart health, our muscle fitness, the strength in our bones and joints and perhaps most importantly, our joie de vivre! Fitness is our vital ingredient to living life to the full.
A while back, Mary talked about the subject of having a ‘quick’ or a ‘slow’ end of life and that she definitely wanted a ‘quick’ one. Mary wants to be fit and active to the very end and I am with her all the way. Who wants a long, drawn-out end? I certainly don’t.
Of course, it was heartbreaking to lose BB so suddenly but she was only poorly for a few hours. She didn’t suffer and her end was peaceful and we were with her, stroking and loving her. She now lies in a grave next to our lurcher Waise who died in 2019. May they rest in peace and inspire us to keep fit forever.
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BB steals the show!
One of those moments in the middle of filming a serious piece-to-camera… and yet again the dog upstages the presenter!
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Serves 2
Per serving: 130 calories, 3.9g fat
Prep time 10 mins
Cook time 40 mins
1 medium courgette
1 small aubergine
½ red and ½ yellow pepper, seeded
1 baby leek
½ small bulb of fennel
1 small red onion, peeled
Rapeseed oil spray
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp lemongrass, finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh marjoram
1 tbsp sesame seeds
freshly ground black pepper
parsley to garnish
- Preheat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, Gas Mark 4. Prepare the vegetables by slicing into wedges 5mm (¼”) thick.
- Combine the lemon juice, soy sauce and herbs in a small bowl.
- Place the vegetables into a roasting tin, season well with salt and black pepper and spoon the marinade over the vegetables.
- After 15 minutes, turn the vegetables to ensure even flavouring. Leave for 15 minutes, turn again, spray with rapeseed oil and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.
- Place in the oven and roast for 35 – 40 minutes until tender and slightly charred around the edges.
- Sprinkle with parsley and serve hot or allow to cool or serve cold as a salad.
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Fun, Facts & Fitness from Mary Morris MSc.
One of the most satisfying aspects of being a teacher is when you are told by someone that something has improved in their life due to your efforts in imparting knowledge. Both Rosemary and I have been given positive feedback on numerous occasions since writing The 28-Day Immunity Plan and let's not forget that it was written when we were in the midst of the worst pandemic we have ever experienced in our lifetime, and our immunity was top of the agenda.
Now, we are constantly finding out more and more about how our immune system works and the importance of what is called our microbiome. It reinforces the need to eat a largely plant-based diet of 30 different plants a week (ideally) and to get plenty of exercise, which are the key messages within the book. For those who have followed the Plan with a good level of enthusiasm, we have heard of so many health benefits, such as sleeping better, having more energy and generally feeling well mentally and physically. But the one we have heard of time and time again is how it has helped their Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
If you go back a few decades nobody had heard of IBS, and when it was first mooted as a condition, it was not considered to be a 'proper' illness. Doctors struggled to diagnose with certainty what the problem was and so gave it a rather 'all-encompassing' label for ‘having problems with your bowels’.
It is, in fact, a gastrointestinal disorder and can be labelled as one of those 'new' illnesses of the 21st century among many others - such as the sneezing and itching of allergies, or the metabolic misery of obesity or the rise in mental health disorders. All such conditions sadly are on the rise at an alarming rate.
The symptoms of IBS are considerable and varied:
- Abdominal discomfort
- Cramping or bloating
- Excess gas in the abdomen
- Indigestion
- Changes in bowel habits
- Diarrhoea alternating with constipation
- Mucus in the stool
What triggers IBS?
The kind of things that trigger IBS will be no surprise to you. They include alcohol, caffeine, spicy and fatty foods as well as stress and anxiety. Once sufferers start to limit each of these things in their lives they will almost certainly see an improvement in their symptoms, as we have discovered with The 28-Day Immunity Plan. By cutting back on all of these triggers, the entire digestive system will be healthier, functioning more correctly and smoothly, just as nature intended.
Fibre, Fibre and more Fibre!
It is estimated that our ancestors ate around 100 grams of fibre a day and yet these days we struggle to reach 20 grams! This is a shocking statistic and the effect on our gut, and hence the bowel, is immense. Eating mostly highly-processed foods, mass-produced in giant factories, is seriously reducing the amount of fibre we eat. It is recommended that we have 30 grams a day but how do we add that up? In my opinion it is much simpler to just eat loads of vegetables and fruits, and cook meals from scratch with fresh ingredients. If we do that, we won't go far wrong.
We have mentioned in previous newsletters that how often we have a bowel movement is indicative of plenty of fibre in our diet. It can be anything from 3 times a week to 3 times a day! However, personally, I used to be more a 3-times-a-week person, so over the last few months I have worked at increasing my fibre intake and find that a bowel movement is now a daily occurrence and I feel all the better for it! These aspects of how the digestive system is functioning need to be talked about more and with the right approach, we may stem the flow of chronic gut conditions that are now so common.
You will see below the Bristol Stool Chart which is such a great guide as to what our poo should look like. Let's face it, it is one of the most fundamental things that we do!
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Types 1 & 2 suggest severe to mild constipation, Types 3 & 4 are deemed 'normal' and are best achieved by taking in enough fibre in our diet. Type 5 suggests we are lacking fibre and Types 6 & 7 indicate mild to severe diarrhoea.
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Keeping our Bowels 'on the move'
Apart from having a high fibre content in our diet we also need to ensure our poo is the right consistency with the following two things that also play a big role:
- Drink Plenty of Water
Drinking plenty of water encourages the passage of food through the body. Also, be aware that when we up our fibre intake it acts like a sponge and soaks up water allowing the fibre to do its job – so a really good reason to up our intake of both at the same time. If we try to have a glass at every meal we won't go far wrong.
- Get out of Breath!
Exercise plays a really big role in helping to keep our bowel movements regular. The increase in heart rate and the muscles working hard all allow the digestive tract to be fully functional. Let’s make those daily walks as brisk as we can!
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This Week's Fitness Challenge
- You have plenty of reasons this week to walk more briskly on your 30+ minute daily walks. Do a ‘time trial’ this week on your usual route and try to do it quicker as the week progresses.
- I switched the strength section in my class this week to Resistance Bands Workouts instead of hand weights and have had comments on 'feeling' it more. It is simply because it is a change. Whichever you have used recently, try switching. There are plenty of Exercise workouts to choose from on our website.
- Never neglect your balance. If you have time, do the full Balance workout on the website, or at the very least stand on each leg every day for 30 seconds.
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Did you know... 
The webpage about Rosemary's dogs has been viewed hundreds of times, and over the years they all enjoyed a place on the sofa on recording days, but BB, Sky and Waise could never claim to be all that famous. Unlike some other dogs...
Possibly the most famous dog on social media at the moment is Jiffpom. Jiff, the Pomeranian, has gathered a total of 31 million followers across TikTok and Instagram! A study by premium dog harness Company, Barkridges, looking at the highest-earning dog-fluencers of 2023, revealed that Jiffpom earned an estimated £930,000 in sponsorship and advertising revenue last year.
Perhaps BB never reached her full earning potential, but we loved her anyway!
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And finally...
Well, I am sure this week's Newsletter has caused more emotions than usual! Obviously the sadness of the story of losing BB hit us all but the mood was lightened when we proof-read the poo chart and then learned about Jiffpom in Peter's Did You Know? section.
Next week we say goodbye to February and welcome in the 1st of March. I love Springtime!
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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