I don’t have a food issue. I mean, it’s not like I hate food. Mind you, I’m not sure I really like it.

I don’t have a food issue. I mean, it’s not like I starve myself. Mind you, I do forget to eat.

I don’t have a food issue. I mean, it’s not like I’m seriously over or under-weight. Mind you, my parents were called into school to discuss whether I was anorexic.

I don’t have a food issue. I mean, it’s not as if I don’t put a meal on the table every night. Mind you a trip to the local supermarket kills me and if anyone offers to do it for me, I’ll bite their hand off.

So at the ripe old age of 40+, I’m just beginning to recognise that perhaps I might just have a little bit of an issue with food. There was no light bulb moment, but, having connected with Jayne on Twitter, her blogs began a slow awakening as they spurred me to examine my eating habits.

From the year dot, eating had never been high on my agenda – I just wasn’t interested. Coming from a food-loving family, whether this was due to some long-forgotten incident or to a rogue gene, remains a mystery, but nevertheless, a glaring reality.

I say food was never on my agenda, but as I sit back and think about it, perhaps this is too simplistic a view. It has become clear to me that with every major event in my life, has come a change in my eating habits.

The first event that sticks clearly in my mind was the heart-wrenching death of my guinea-pig, Grang. Yes, I know we’ve all experienced the death of a dearly-loved pet, but how many of us have consequently turned vegetarian? I was 13 years old and Grang had been left in my charge by my best friend as she set sail for a new life in Australia. So you can imagine the myriad of emotions I went through as, one morning, I discovered Grang had been gobbled up by a greedy fox. From that day forward, I didn’t touch a morsel of meat – well for five years anyway. Mum, having battled through every meal with me in a vain attempt to achieve a clean plate, was now faced with a hormonal and vegetarian teenager, who didn’t like vegetables!

I’m not sure that there was a major event that turned me back to meat at the age of 18. Perhaps it was the perceived ‘benefits’ of a Big Mac or that I could no longer resist the tantalising aroma of mum’s Sunday roast.

Meat may have been back on the menu, but food remained a very low priority. Who needs it, when there’s all the new delights of uni to discover and who has time for it as a young 20-something leading the London fast life?

Cue husband-to-be and a rediscovery of delicious home-cooked food. Yes, my husband is a foodie. He loves the stuff. Not just eating it, but cooking it, experimenting with it and even shopping for it. Well, they do say opposites attract. Finally, I can eat and it’s no effort at all. But the old habits are ingrained and, as soon as David is away, back they come. Thankfully, he is rarely gone for long and so, for the most part, my dietary requirements are met.

Then along comes baby Sam, and suddenly food becomes paramount. Not for me, of course, I’ve proved quite conclusively that I can do without it, but, oh no, not my baby boy. So armed with my Gina Ford bible, I surround myself with ice-cube trays, sweet potatoes, broccoli and all other vegetables – organic of course – and so the weaning process begins. Unlike his mother, thankfully Sam quite enjoys his food; that is until he discovers its amazing powers to control mum. He doesn’t need to speak to tell me, “If you don’t put the telly on, I won’t eat.”

Two years on, I find myself sat in front of the offending square box, baby Sophie and bottle in one arm and a spoonful of food in the other as I pander to Sam’s ‘need’ to be spoon-fed in front of CBeebies. I would give any contortionist a run for his money to make sure my kids get their daily intake of nutrients.

Sam is 9 now and Sophie 7 and I’m glad to say that we all sit down at the table for a meal nowadays. But Sophie continues to confound and infuriate me with her lack of interest in food. Perhaps it is that rogue gene after all; Sophie’s not fussy, she’s just not interested. Perhaps it’s time to apologise to mum for all the heartache I must have caused her!

This journey back in time has made me realise how much food has been part of my life, despite my efforts to ignore it. My experience with Sam and Sophie has made me realise that for as long as I may have denied it, I obviously do see food as a very important part of life. Not just the obvious need to fuel the body, but also the hinging role it plays in bringing us all together at the end of the day.

My bad habits may have been around for a long time, but that doesn’t mean I can’t change them if I make a conscious decision to do so. I am proud to say that I am now in my sixth week of eating breakfast every day; something I haven’t done since mum quite literally had to force it down my neck. OK, so the first week was a real struggle and I can’t deny that each mouthful felt like dry pebbles grating down my throat. But, today, I actually enjoy taking the time to sit down and eat with the kids each morning. The difference is that this was my decision and not due to the influence of another force. Breakfast is mine to own.

Lilias

Lilias can be found on Twitter and here on her website. She’s made a fabulous change AND this change will benefit her children too! Little eyes often think that grown ups don’t eat breakfast, imagine the difference this makes to their future.

Success is all yours Lilias so enjoy it and say hello to your I CAN Attitude!

Jayne x

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Often gardens tell stories and for many, like me, they connect to our souls in some way.  So it was with sheer delight that award winning garden designer Chris Beardshaw is telling his story of living with Arthritis, through his garden designed for Arthritis Research UK

Click here to view the embedded video.

It’s a story he’s not spoken of openly before. He realised sharing his story and saying I CAN will in turn help another. This is a story of hope and proof positive of what’s possible for all of us. This is a very personal and I imagine emotional journey for him and I  hope this story *wins best in show this year. *Update he won a gold!

Are you ready to say I CAN Share?

Jayne x

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So I am going to let Lisa tell you a bit more about herself and why she loves her years and her big birthday plans to celebrate!

Over to my friend Lisa and her WOW Woman story…

Why is this birthday so special to you?

Firstly, thank you so much Jayne, I really appreciate your kind words and constant support, you have become a great friend, and I hope that will remain the case.  I am most honoured to be included in your WOW Woman section. 

I think it’s a fantastic milestone and  see it as the beginning of a new era. To be honest I have been around the block with the whole age thing. I was desperate to be 18, longed to be 21 but by 22 I was referring to myself as old, and by the time I hit 26 I was regularly lying about my age.  The approach to 30 was terrifying but thankfully by 40 I realised how ridiculous I’d been, so I calmed down and just got on with it and have been having a ball ever since.  I am feeling super excited to be 50.  I am healthy, happy and loving my years.

 What gifts has age given you?

That is one of the wonderful things about age, the many gifts it brings with it. Each new experience comes with a lesson, that’s why I love looking for new opportunities, and new friends.  There is still so much to learn and to share.  My major break through was learning to be more tolerant and accepting.  Changing your philosophy really can change your life.

 You have a very important event due to take place later in the year and it involves walking. Do tell us more and about the great cause and why.

  In September David and I will be heading for Settle in Yorkshire (all rather apt don’t you think) in order to climb the Yorkshire 3 peaks.  Pen-Y-Ghent, Ingleborough and Whernside.  It’s not an extreme event such as a marathon or a bungee jump from a great height but for me it is a major challenge. We will be climbing all three peaks in 12 hours. Gulp!  The trip is to raise money and awareness of JDRF.( Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund) . The charity continually research to improve lives for those with type 1 as well as a cure  My son was diagnosed  nearly 12 years ago.  It was a shock to us all. I didn’t know much about Diabetes then, I knew one type was managed by diet and the other was dependent upon insulin injections. Of course I was hoping Josh had the former rather than the latter but alas that wasn’t to be the case. It took us some time to get used all the injections, balancing Josh’s glucose levels and avoiding hypos and hypers along the way.  Josh now injects 4 times a day and I am proud to say that he manages very well.  It is my dream however for him and many others to be injection free.

 I know how precious family are to you, how do you juggle your business and family and find balance?

Yes my family is my most precious possession.  I am so fortunate to have a loving family around me, family and close friends really are my life support system.

Keeping a balance can be a challenge at times but it must always stay at the top of the agenda in order to keep everyone happy. Focusing on the family as a whole is key. David and I are very involved in the boys lives and we work well as a team.  We often run through the week in advance, assessing who is doing what and pin pointing who needs extra support on that day. Organisation is my middle name, where would I be without a list!  Running our own business can be very demanding but as we both enjoy our jobs the stress is kept to a minimum. When things get tough, my default mode is to sit back and look at the bigger picture, it always puts things into perspective.

 You seem very visible Lisa, can you share with us why age is just numbers for you?

When my dad was in his early 60′s I recall him saying to me that he still felt as if he was in his 30′s. At the time I just smiled but now I know exactly what he meant. The outer vessel is ageing but inside we aren’t any different.  I have reached a point where I am comfortable and grateful for the container I’m in, age is irrelevant, I plan to keep moving, and live a meaningful life, and stay young at heart.

 What are your hopes and dreams for the next 10 years?

I’ve got a feeling that the next 10 years are going to be very fulfilling.  I have a passion for helping young people into the workplace and my volunteering in this area has already stepped up a notch. I do a lot of work with a local organisation that brings together education and businesses. I love giving back in this way so I foresee more involvement here. 

I am also a bit of a customer service geek. Great service has always been at the heart of our business and I’m constantly looking at ways to improve it.  I love hearing from customers saying how well they’ve been treated by our team. We have won awards for customer satisfaction so I know we are doing a good job but there’s no finish line, so a lot of my time will be spent working in this area, I think it’s one of the reasons I’m here.

Of course I hope that family life will continue to be as wonderful as it is now. There is talk about a book project with my mum, I’m hoping that will get off the ground, she has a great story to tell. My boys are becoming more independent by the day and David and I find ourselves doing more as a couple.  I’m definitely ready for this chapter and look forward to spending time with him exploring our hobbies.  Maybe just maybe this next decade might include grandchildren! Ssh who said that!

Lisa you’re WOW indeed and thank you for all that you do for others and for our friendship. I’ll never forget our meeting on Twitter and how you became an integral part of #thebreakfastclub on Monday and Friday mornings 6.45-745am.

With love and happy 50th!

Jayne x

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So what can we do to beat the blues?

• Well first of all we can watch our thinking, nip the negativity in the bud because we can talk ourselves into sadness.
•  Switch on those SAD lamps and make the day brighter, they are not just for      Winter and Autumn they are a year round tool!
• Do something.  Yes be active and make plans to move in wet weather. I love the outdoors so perhaps find somewhere beautiful to walk and include a friend.
• Make time for that cuppa and a chat. Make a call to a friend and remember isolation makes low mood far worse.
• Do things that make you happy OR visualise what you enjoy. Our minds are blessed with the ability to recreate what we love and give us the very same feelings as if it were actually happening NOW.
• Use this time wisely, catch up on some chores that will leave you feeling successful!
• Talk about it, sharing our mood is always a good idea. 

 I like to use wet days to plan fun events, holidays and to take my focus from the not so good weather to what I love and enjoy. Remember behind every cloud the sun is shining and will return…

Look  after your heads and they’ll look after you. How do you keep your head happy on a grey and wet day?

Happy heads to you…

 Jayne x

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So this weeks blog is an opportunity to share with you what I’ve uncovered on my sugar journey. A journey to uncover ways in which we can make informed choices about how much sugar we consume and where we will find it hidden. My next blog on sugar will highlight terms like ‘Natural’ and ‘No Added Sugar’ does not mean low in sugar at all.

So would you start the day with a can of Coca Cola I wonder? If you would that’s great you’ve made a pretty informed choice I imagine, you know what to expect. Carbonated water and sugar being the first 2 ingredients. That’s 37g of Sugar per 330ml can. It’s pop, it’s soda, it’s a fizzy drink and we generally understand that. So we’re looking at about 9 tsp’s of sugar in that can.

So now imagine you’re shopping and you feel in need of a healthy boost of energy and you make a refueling stop at Starbucks’s and oh the choices…IS it a tall skimmed milk cafe latte at 14.1gms of sugar OR how about this… ‘A nourishing blend of natural orange mango juice, a whole banana, milk, whey protein and fiber powder, and ice’ … sounds good? The orange mango smoothie choice has 37g of sugar per 16fl oz serving. Yes that’s about 9 tsp’s too. 

Perhaps you pop into the boost juice bars that are popping up and popular in the UK. I can’t find details of their serving sizes on their website but their five a day juice, no added sugar,  has 6.4g per 100ml so if the serving is 300ml that’s 19.2g of sugar, that’s heading towards 5 tsp’s 

Grabbing a juice boost on the go is also pretty popular and I’ve looked at innocent drinks, as it’s a popular brand. Their 250ml Strawberry and Banana smoothie has 30.3g of carb content and 26.3 is sugar, natural but still sugar. Now for the little ones a healthy choice? A peach and passionfruit smoothie comes in at 21.8g per 180ml serving and that’s over 5 tsp’ss of sugar for a small child in 1 drink.

Finally…According to Dr Robert Lustig in his book Fat Chance – The bitter truth about sugar- any processing of fruit or vegetables destroys the insoluble fibre. If we consume soluble AND insoluble fibre together (yes they come ready packed for us by nature as whole fruit) it mitigates the negative effect of the fructose or sugar on the body. 

Did you know a 200ml serving of  Tropicana Orange Juice ( NHS choices  suggest 150ml is a serving for 1 of our 5 a day) has 20g of sugar.

So I’m not juicing my fruit and vegetables, they are whole and instead of my glass of orange juice to begin my day I sometimes choose a piece of fruit or water perhaps a glass of raw milk ( more on that soon). So there you have it. I hope this helps you understand how sugar can all add up over the day. Do have a look at your labels if you want to make the smallest of changes.  I also believe the juicing and processing of fruit has made it very easy to over consume and feed our sweet toothed brain.

I’ll be sharing more on this and other topics very soon. If you’re interested please also do your own research and please leave a comment if you have an opinion. 

Jayne x

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Sometimes we reach a point in our lives when we decide or choose to take courage in both hands. We realise that to be true to ourselves and to our values it is time to take action.

Now the truth is that I don’t hold all the answers and someone’s time to act and what they choose to act upon are of course personal to them. I do believe that when we act on what we believe to be true and it sits with our values and our integrity, it can be pretty uncomfortable not to act. So I’d listen to my mind and my body and let this help to guide me. 

I also think we worry too much about taking action in our lives, the what if’s and the buts come a calling. I am not sure there is ever a perfect time either, or any guarantee of success. Let’s face it we cannot see into the future and know the outcome. What we can understand is that taking no action means nothing changes and nothing is learnt.  

Our reticence can be driven by what other’s think of us, yes that can feel uncomfortable to over come. But this is a wonderful opportunity to say I CAN and acknowledge that not everyone will agree with what we’ve chosen to do and that is OK.

So your time to act is yours. You can trust your gut instinct and let your ideas take shape or give deeply held beliefs a voice. Take that courage in both hands and swim against the tide and move in a different direction to the flock, oh and you’ll not be alone might I add.

Imagine what it would be like to stand out from the crowd and act without reticence. Is it time to say I CAN Act? 

Warm wishes

Jayne x

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Now let me clarify that I am not an expert in dietetics, these are my views based upon my research, 14 years in private practice and the beliefs I now hold. I will add that I did have 7 years of NHS dietetic supervision through the Maudsley Hospital in London and in many ways that left me scratching my head as to how we solve the obesity epidemic with current guidelines and how can we preach moderation to people addicted to specific foods.

Just too busy…

I took domestic science as a child and I could cook, I’d cook with my Dad and watch my Mum, who was a  great cook.  Like many families I think change began when the shiny microwave arrived in our kitchen in the late 1970’s. Suddenly speed and convenience were the buzz words and yes it was a novelty. When labour saving devices arrive, guess what we don’t make more time for ourselves and take a break we just get more and more busy. This was boom time for processed convenience food, the message was simple…you’re all too busy, let us do it for you… and latterly it’s been you can’t portion control or make the right choices so now we’ll do that for you.

In some ways we’ve lost touch with food so now perhaps we’re ready to make new informed choices for ourselves, based upon what we want to do not what we’re told to do.

So over the years I’ve been doing all that I can to ask questions and seek some answers and in the last year with my own diet having to change for my health I dug even deeper.  My intention isn’t to preach at anyone, more to share what I find and encourage you to ask your own questions about the food on your plate and your health, if this interests you.

Topics I’ll be exploring over the coming weeks include:

When did we stop being able to feed ourselves?

The case for raw milk

Sugar is still sugar and hidden

Do we need to fear Cholesterol?

Too much choice?

Work, stress and food

As a reminder I understand and explore food from the perspective of my recovery from anorexia, bulimia and food/exercise addiction 23 years ago. Like many who have a life altering experience I came out the other side with a different view on life. The nature of my eating disorder experience meant I was left to find a way to recover for myself. Through recovery I learnt to question you can’t and find ways to say not only I can but to follow through and physically do it. Now this is part of the work I do with clients and yes over the years to get results for my clients I have become less uncomfortable swimming against the tide.

Sometimes when we speak up, swim against the tide and stand out from the crowd it may feel uncomfortable but we may help someone, this is the purpose of my work and this blog.

So I will pass this on to those who are interested…

Warm wishes

 Jayne x

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Take a day off School…

On Friday I had plans, these plans did not include feeling unwell and getting back into bed for an hour but that’s how it turned out. With legs like lead and my get up and go…got up and gone, I gave myself permission to take a day off school.

So as full as my day looked when I got up at 6am I made a call to cancel my plans, switched off the technology and settled on the sofa with 2 warm dogs for company and a cup of tea. As I flicked through the countless channels on the TV, a first for years might I add, I stumbled across 2 childhood favourites and decided that yes a day off school would include the Waltons and Little House on the Prairie, anyone else remember these as comfort food?

Click here to view the embedded video.

My day off school also included lovely food, hot tea and a bath. The Mac didn’t get switched on and the abundance room door remained locked. 

What I discovered was taking a day off school was far better than a day off work. Today is a day off work and I’m in the office writing this blog and emailing BUT I am about to take another half day off school, to feel well. It’s easy to push ourselves to do more when we’re off work, to make ourselves still available, to not say I CAN take this time for me. 

So next time you feel unwell say I CAN take a day off school, let your mind and body take a break and allow yourself the time to invest in your wellness.

Jayne x

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A bit more about Tim…

I have always loved music since I was little, its always been a part of my life. My parents listened avidly and I don’t think a day has passed that I don’t listen to some thing. I have tasked myself to learn more about and listen to more music and hopefully pass on some knowledge and some of my passion to others. I am loving learning and do what I can to fit it into a very busy work and family life. 

Music that has been defined by and is inspired by Spring. This is a list of my choosing so the definition and inspiration maybe individual to me rather than any established fashion.

Tim’s number 1

Click here to view the embedded video.

Vivaldi composed in 1723 –I am sorry for picking the most obvious piece but the spring concerto from his Four season really does match the mood of this wonderful. The first movements crisp and lively opening like a frost-crunching walk. The second hits me like a warm fire on cold evening and with the finale you can see the daffodils and tulips emerging from the ground.  (Recommendation: Nigel Kennedy) 

Tim’s number 2

Mozart: Serenade in B Flat K361: Gran Partita 3^rd movement Adagio.  Written in 1781 /2. I see the sunrise when I hear this, like the first time the sun breaks through the layers of cloud which has covered the country while Winter engulfed us. This work includes the most beautiful single note in the whole of music a single Oboe that soars above the horizon. Its amazing.

Tim’s number 3

Beethoven – The 3^rd Symphony Eroica , a mighty work, Beethoven from 1803 and dedicated this to the memory of a great man. I see this work as a struggle from the darkness of winter into the brightness and excitement of spring. Life reborn and bursting at the seams.  (Recommendation: Barenboim West Eastern Divan )

Tim’s number 4

JS Bach – Brandenburg Concerto no 4 – a work in 3 movements and all the movements must be included in the collection. A work from 1721. This evokes very similar feelings for me to the Vivaldi. New growth, new horizons and new life.

Tim’s number 5

Elgar – Serenade for Strings Op 20 – The only modern piece written in 1892, ok its not that modern. Elgar had a knack of writing incredibly pastoral music, which reflected his love of cycling in the countryside around his home. This was a very early attempt and I can hear the wind in the trees, and the raindrops falling. (Recommendation: – John Barbirolli – Sinfonia of London from 1963)

Brilliant choices Tim and thanks for such an informative blog. Tim will be back with a Summer selection so until then…what are your favourites?

Warm wishes

Jayne x

You may also like Melanie Spanswick on my blog...The healing power of music

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To achieve a successful natural way of eating or a Natural Diet I believe those who have an emotionally driven relationship with food can successfully find lifelong change if they seek a complete treatment. So rather than looking for another new diet to lose weight with long term hope and short term results, they achieve success and lifelong change. A diet is simply what we eat regularly, forget the fads and think of it’s true definition.

Diet - The usual food and drink of a person or animal

So first of all ask yourself some questions…

1. Does my eating ever feel out of my control
2. Does my eating sometimes feel driven by emotions, both good or bad?
3. Do I secretly eat?
4. Do I feel cravings or even stronger feelings like addiction to foods?
5. Do I binge eat?

If you’ve answered yes to these questions you are using food to deal with life and you are not currently able to achieve what’s termed moderation, as popular it is to suggest that you can. It’s also not your fault, so lets remove that guilt label and look at how to begin to make a lifelong change. If you could moderate you would have by now. 

If you are using food and crave foods these foods are most likely to be part of your personal trigger system. Not only do we respond to life events and situations with food we also subconsciously generate reactions to events and situations to seek our craved comfort or reward food. These are highly likely to be in the form of a carbohydrate and a quick sugary rewarding fix, sweets, cakes and biscuits, sugary drinks and perhaps bread, crisps or snacks. These are often loaded with sugar and lead to cravings and feelings of addiction and loss of control and next time you go to pick up your ‘healthy’ snack check the sugar content on the label. 

I looked at Nakd bars and found that the first one I looked at, Apple and described as healthy and nutritious with no added sugar, has a whopping 13.7g of natural sugar per bar. Sugar is still sugar and that’s not far off 4 teaspoons in a light snack. 

So the answer to making change is two fold in my opinion.  Discover and learn what foods work for and with you, reduce cravings and truly enjoy food again. Along side this it’s vital to treat the compulsive and emotionally driven relationship with food.

  “If we don’t treat this problem weight loss and management will never be successful”

So my idea of a diet is the one for all of our life. It’s a diet that is natural and nurturing to each of us, a diet that makes us feel good when we eat, feeling strong and energetic. It’s flavoursome and it’s not faddy, not low in fat just naturally lower in sugar and lower because we’re not turning to the food we used to crave and we have greater knowledge of where we’ll find the hidden sugar.  It’s far less processed and finds us at the farmers market a little more often buying our meat from the farmer that grew it.

So my diet is one that I just do every day…

DIET  = Do It Every Time - your diet that you do consistently and you enjoy with no more on and off… Simple. Do join me and follow my hashtag on Twitter #YourNaturalDiet

Are you ready to take back the control over life  and your food? 

Warm wishes

Jayne x

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