|
|
A very happy New Year from Rosemary and the team
|
|
I hope you had a fabulous Christmas and that it was special and memorable for lots of good reasons.
I love the break over the festive period and as the new year approaches, I wonder what the next year will bring. But for now, it is the time to clear away all the left-over temptations from the festivities! We really don’t need anything around that could lead us further astray. Instead, let’s decide on possible good habits to be considered for 2023.
As we all know, our health is our most important priority and we are in control to a great degree as to how healthy we might be. Whilst there may be diseases over which we have little control, there is no doubt whatsoever that (1) being a healthy weight, (2) eating healthy food and (3) staying active, are the fundamental key to our likelihood of living a longer, healthier and happier life. The big question is: Should we be focussing on any of these important areas this year?
I am a massive fan of writing down my goals. Many an academic study has been undertaken to prove beyond doubt that if we write down our goals we are significantly more likely to achieve them.
If it is weight you need to lose, set yourself realistic goals. Whilst that might be quite specific, also think about adding some sub-goals such as ‘eating more fresh vegetables’, ‘cutting back on alcohol by having three or four dry days every week’ or ‘walking for 30 minutes every day’.
If you buy ready-meals, perhaps your goal this year might be to start learning how to cook recipes yourself from scratch. Getting into the habit of batch-cooking our favourites is both cost-effective and time and energy efficient. It is great to always have a healthy meal ready in the freezer whenever you want one.
If it is activity that needs more attention, then look no further than Mary’s section in this Newsletter each week. Exercise is a discipline and once we get into the habit of doing certain activities on certain days or at a certain time, it just becomes a way of life.
So, this week, I suggest you find yourself a little notebook and start writing some personal goals for 2023. Just jot them down – like a brainstorm – then prioritise the most important aims and ambitions and put them into an official ‘goal list’. It’s good to do them with your other-half. When two people are aiming for the same goal it creates a formidable force. We can always change our goals but there is nothing more satisfying than putting a tick next to a goal that has been achieved. It gives us enormous confidence. Let’s just do it!
Each and every week Mary and I try to bring you some education, motivation and inspiration via this Newsletter. Please tell us if there is a particular subject you would like us to focus on. We love your feedback and it so encourages us when we hear that something we have done or suggested has helped you to live a healthier and happier life.
|
|
Serves 2
Per serving 414 calories, 4.8% fat
Prep time 15 mins
Cook time 15 mins
2 salmon steaks
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
2 tsp garlic sauce
1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
310g pack beansprouts
100g watercress
150ml pineapple juice
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Preheat the oven to 200°C, 400°F, Gas Mark 6.
- Place the salmon on a non-stick baking tray and season on both sides with black pepper.
- In a small bowl, mix together the lemon zest, garlic sauce and chilli sauce and then drizzle it over the steaks.
- Bake the steaks in the oven for 8 - 10 minutes until just cooked.
- Meanwhile, heat a non-stick wok or frying pan and, just before the salmon is cooked, stir-fry the beansprouts and watercress until just wilted, adding the pineapple juice.
- Transfer the wilted vegetables to serving plates and top with the salmon steaks. Serve hot or cold with a green salad.
|
|
|
Fun, Facts & Fitness with Mary Morris MSc.
To my mind this week between Christmas and New Year is a bit like a double-edged sword. On the one hand we may still be chilling and enjoying the last of the many treats on offer but on the other hand we are thinking 'this really needs to stop now, as I have overeaten and hardly moved for almost a week!'
Whichever it is, it doesn’t really matter in the long term. To use a well-known phrase that I have heard on many occasions, 'It's not what you do between Christmas and New Year that matters but what you do between New Year and Christmas!’ What really matters is that we begin to focus our minds right now on the whole new year ahead and set ourselves some goals that are totally realistic.
I am not a great believer in New Year's resolutions. They tend to be made in a fit of guilt, combined with considerable conviction and determination, without thinking them through and acknowledging what actually needs to happen for them to work - and too often they end in failure. It is doubly hard if you announced it on New Year’s Eve and everyone keeps asking how you are getting on!
To ‘lose weight and exercise more’ is possibly the most popular resolution made at the beginning of every year. Often the first week or so does produce a good result, as we are so over-fed after Christmas but by February 1st almost all of that initial enthusiasm has gone and we are more likely to fall back into our comfortable old habits. Unfortunately, those bad habits caused the weight gain (combined with lack of fitness) in the first place!
So, let's do it differently this year...
- To form new and long-lasting habits they have to be repeated... a lot!
- Our new regime has to involve what we enjoy doing. Many of you reading this are possibly middle-aged or older and therefore (hopefully) know yourself quite well. Our first big lesson to learn is: We must not commit to something we know you cannot sustain! Let’s be realistic and think about changing our usual habits that are unhelpful to our overall health for ones that we know are good for us and that we enjoy. This might involve inviting a friend to buddy-up for walks or other fitness activities.
- See this week as a week of clearing away all evidence of the festivities and start preparing for a fresh start and a new you in 2023. Seriously consider your goals for 2023... and let’s make them happen.
Next week Rosemary will be sharing her ideas to help you shed those unwanted lbs and I will be launching a fitness challenge to get you feeling fitter and trimmer in no time.
So, my strong message this week is about you preparing to push the 'start' button on 2023 - to start planning ahead and 'seeing' yourself fitter and healthier as the year progresses. We are with you all the way!
|
|
|
This Week's Fitness Challenge
- This is not an easy week to keep up your normal activity particularly if you are away from home. Keep up the daily 30+ minute walk without fail and take others with you whenever you can.
- If you do have more time than usual, look through our strength workouts on the website and find ones you may not have done before. Commit to 3 sessions this week.
- DVDs are a great way to give you the ‘total body workout’ and we have some in our online shop or find a YouTube workout you have not tried before that is suitable for your age and fitness level. Do one 2 - 3 times this week.
Happy New Year!
|
|
|
Did You Know...
New Year's Eve in Spain is known as Noche Vieja (Old Night) and it is a custom that, whether you are at home or out partying, as the clocks strike twelve everyone eats doce uvas (twelve grapes).
Each of the twelve grapes is said to represent one month of the year. With every strike of the clock you eat one grape to bring one month of good luck, prosperity and happiness in el Año Nuevo (the New Year).
It is a race to swallow all twelve before the clock stops chiming. Spanish friends assure me that this tradition has become a lot easier to honour since the newer varieties of small, sweet seedless grapes have become widely available!
|
|
|
And finally...
The dawning of a New Year is always exciting. Let’s hope we can all live a healthy, happy and rewarding life this year - making some memories and enjoying some incredible moments of happiness and fulfilment.
From us all on the rosemaryconley.com team – Peter who maintains the website and writes the Did you Know? section in the Newsletter; Susannah who produces, films and edits the videos we place on the website, and of course Mary and myself – Happy New Year!
Let’s hope 2023 will be amazing!
With love and best wishes,
Rosemary Conley CBE DL
|
|
LIVE LONGER | LIVE HEALTHIER | LIVE HAPPIER
|
|
|
|
