Recipe of the Week

Fun, Facts & Fitness from Mary Morris MSc.

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Easter is one of those times when many of us have some time off the roller-coaster of life. You can pretty much guarantee that most family members will have time to get together and relax a little. For me I am now at an age when hubby and I will be invited to one of the kid’s houses and, after years and years of me doing it, they now have the catering responsibilities!  Relief!

However, I have not completely got 'off the hook' as, since the arrival of grandchildren, I have been the main creator of the Easter Egg Hunt. After all, being an ex-PE teacher seems to be all the qualifications you need to be an Easter Egg Hunt designer! But that will also give you a clue that I want the hunt to be as physical as possible to get those kids moving... a lot!

I have also tried to create it in such a way that limits the amount of chocolate as a reward – and I think I’ve sussed it! The idea is to fill empty shells with maybe just a clue inside to direct them to the next clue, until they reach the 'treasure' of just one special egg at the end! To me, this is the sensible way to go. I have attended egg hunts where the children collect so many eggs that they fill a whole basket of chocolate and scoff the lot!  A certain recipe for hyper kids!

When creating an egg hunt firstly you have to consider whether it will be indoors or outdoors, or even a combination of both. My children do have decent-sized gardens so I have always felt I could get them to be more physical outside, weather permitting of course, and every clue they find asks them to complete an exercise challenge before moving on to find the next clue. And they love it!

I have always had to make up my own clues but these days there are literally hundreds of ideas online if you search 'Easter Egg Scavenge'. With so many great ideas out there I am confident there will be enough variety for you to find plenty that really work for your environment, whether outside or indoors. This makes the planning so much easier.

If the weather is really nice and warm, which it can be at this time of year, then running a mini-sports day can work well. Running relay races like Egg and Spoon comes to mind, with all runners wearing bunny ears!  Basically, you know your own crowd and what might work well.  Just have lots of fun!
 

Just Grown Ups?

It may be that your get-together does not include any little monsters and therefore you can relax with family and friends and hopefully still aim to be as active as possible. Our normal routine of daily exercise and activity does get seriously disrupted at holiday times but it is still a good idea to create opportunities for being active.

Taking long walks for example at this time of year is so energising and beautiful with the blossom in all its glory. I have always loved this season for the new growth going on all around us, making us feel like it is a fresh start, not only for the plants, but for us too. 

A bit of time away from our usual routine gives us time to think about what we want to achieve in the months ahead, now that the days are longer, creating much more opportunity for us to be active. If we want to achieve some weight loss then eating lighter meals with what I call 'salad days', combined with more daylight hours for getting in more walking and gardening, will all help us to reach our weight loss goal.  

Try to make time for planning active days out over the Easter break. Even visits to National Trust properties for example can be very physical, particularly if there are extensive grounds for a lovely walk.  The last one I visited offered a variety of different lengths of walk to suit all fitness levels, and I love nosey-ing around a stately home!

But whatever we choose to do the most important thing is to enjoy it. When others are involved then often compromise is needed to keep everybody happy, and I am aware that not everyone wants to be physical!  But if we can lead the way and encourage the couch potatoes to get moving then in my experience, they are so happy to have done the walk they didn't want to do... and even thank you for persuading them. 

Good luck and Happy Easter!

1. Ring the changes over the Easter break by doing something different. Plan a longer walk to somewhere you have never been before. Remember though, to try to still do your 30+ minute walk every day, if you possibly can.
    
2. This is the perfect time for those 'exercise snacks'.  A minute to spare?  You can fit in 10 Press-ups and 10 Squats! And don't forget 10 Sit to Stands and balancing on one leg while the kettle boils!
    
3.  Check the Post-walk Stretches on the website. Doing them after long walks is particularly important to reduce problems with your well-exercised muscles and joints.
    
4.  If you want a different type of strength workout, why not try Pilates or Ballet.

Did you know... 

What Does the Easter Bunny Have to Do with Jesus?

The Easter Bunny is not mentioned in the bible and is not related to the resurrection story of Jesus that Christians celebrate on Easter Sunday.

Rabbits, along with eggs, are general symbols of fertility, spring and renewal, and have become integrated into the festival's celebration through the centuries. The earliest recorded mention of an Easter "bunny"  was actually from a German folk-lore tale dating back to 1572 which referred to "Oschter Haws," or Easter Hare, who laid a nest of colourful eggs for well-behaved children. Skip forward to 1682, and we find the German physician and botanist Georg Franck von Franckenau recounting the children’s story of Oschter Haws, who laid eggs in the garden, which children would hunt for - just like our Easter egg hunts today.

In Germany, as in America and elsewhere, traditions surrounding the Easter Bunny grew more elaborate with time, featuring chocolate bunnies and chocolate eggs, as well as toys.

Meanwhile, back in the religious world, traditionally, eggs were not eaten during the Christian observance of Lent (remember using them all up on Pancake Day?). Instead, they were preserved or hardboiled to save for Easter. The result being an abundance of eggs suitable for decorating, egg hunts, and other Easter traditions. Christians also consider the symbolism of new life coming from the broken empty shell of an egg as representing the resurrection of Jesus from the empty tomb.