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Happy Chinese New Year 2017

I hope you will all be enjoying a great start to your new year. Last year was an unusual year that was full of shocks and surprises. I'm sure the year of the Fire Monkey will not be missed.

The year ahead may be challenging but if you were born under the sign of the Rooster then you will be up for the challenge.

Roosters tend to be active, amusing people who are popular in a crowd. They are talkative, outspoken and honest individuals. They take their responsibilities at work seriously and are trustworthy.

Roosters are usually healthy people, they don't get sick often and tend to fight illness well.

Wishing you all a happy and healthy New Year.

I'm getting fit and healthy this year - or am I?

In January many of us make a new year's resolution to try and get fit and lose those extra pounds that crept on over Christmas, and by the end of January we start struggling to keep up to those good intentions.

Although I do exercise and eat healthily most of the time, there have been times when I have found myself in this position too. So this year I decided to make it my goal to exercise on a more regular basis rather than using the "as and when I have time" approach that I find myself in. Realistically I knew this would take some planning and if I didn't look ahead and book in my exercise I knew it wouldn't happen. It all started out quite well but as life got busier, it got harder to keep it up and I knew I needed some inspiration.

I decided to take the "How are you?" Quiz which you can find on the NHS website: www.nhs.uk/oneyou. I found it really useful, it gives you tips and advice on the areas in your life that you could improve on and this was the nudge I needed pick myself up and continue with my quest. The NHS website also has some great apps to keep you motivated, I have found the One You Easy Meals app really useful and so far the meals I have done have been tasty.

Here is my approach to getting fitter and healthier

I made a promise to exercise at least 4 times a week because I thought this was achievable. I didn't want to set myself up to fail, but if I manage more then that's an added bonus.
I booked out time in my diary in advance.
I wear a Fitbit (other devices are available) and set it to do a minimum of 10,000 steps a day, this keeps me active throughout the day.I also like the level of information that you get from it and if I'm less active than I intended to be, it gives me the added motivation to do better the next day.
If I can't fit in an exercise class I go for a walk.
I meet friends once a week to go for a run.
I plan my meals in advance to avoid snacking on the wrong types of food and I always try to have the fruit bowl full.

I know these 6 steps won't work for everyone, but it works for me and really that's what it's all about, finding out what works for you. So why not give it a go.