Cheap as chips

_{© 2010 groundselCreative Commons license} 

Some of my family never seem to get round to eating much fruit.

It's not that they don't like it - they do - but they come up with all sorts of reasons for not eating it. 

One of the reasons they give me is that fruit is too expensive.  But it's just not!

Tropical treats!

_{© 2010  troismarteaux Creative Commons license} 

I love juicy tropical and Mediterranean fruit that spills down your chin as you bite in! 

Pineapples, mangos, peaches and plums are big favourites.  They're so lusciously rich and succulent that it always seems like a big treat to eat them.

But it can seem an awful lot of fuss and bother to cut them up.  It doesn't really take very long to get the prickles off the pineapple or the stones out of the mangos.  It just sometimes seems like fuss when I am in a hurry.

Yet more flavour ...

Copyright Adam Brown 2010 Creative Commons

I love to jazz up a meal with some easily added garlic. 

But I've also discovered a whole load of other tasty ways to add a real kick to even a quick and simple meal.

Sometimes I have fresh ingredients to hand  but usually I just reach to the store cupboard - dried herbs and bottled lemon or lime juice taste just as good!

A bit fishy ...

_{© 2010 S Kirk McMurray Creative Commons Licence}

I know not everyone does, but I really like fish and seafood.  Just about all kinds I think.  

I love mussels, prawns, crab, clams and tiny shrimps - but not  jelly fish, (yuk!), which I tried once on holiday.  And I'm partial to a plate of plaice and chips or baked cod or a fabulously ketchupy fish finger sandwich.  

But it's oily fish that I eat most because it's just so handy.  On toast.  With poached eggs.  In a chunky sandwich.  On a bagel. Tossed in at the last minute to some pasta or a salad.  No hassle and it keeps me going for the rest of the day.

But I have to confess I have got into a bit of a rut with it.  It tends to be tuna and salmon over again.

So this month I am going to rediscover some of my other old favourites - mackerel, sardines, whitebait, trout and eel - and spread my wings and try something new.   Maybe some Scandinavian style herring or kippers for breakfast or pilchards like my Gran used to eat.

Are you a fish fan? What's your favourite?
How do you like to eat it?

Note to self: It's all a bit fishy!
Did you know? Oily fish can help to the reduce "bad" cholesterol that contributes to heart disease.  It can also relieve symptoms of diabetes, asthma, osteoporosis, psoriasis and depression.

Over the rainbow ...

Copyright Elena Norbiato 2007 Creative Commons

So there really is a crock of gold over the rainbow!

It turns out eating a "rainbow" of different coloured fruit and veg each week is great for us because each colour group is packed full of different good stuff.  All these different things together can protect against cancer and heart disease.  

This got me thinking about my all the fruit & veg I like in each colour group:

Red & pink: Strawberries, peppers, tomatoes, raspberries, rhubarb, radishes, beetroots, blood oranges, cherries, red grapes, red onions, chilli pepper, red apple, cranberries, guava, papaya
Yellow & orange: Bananas, melons, peaches, carrots, apricots, grapefruit, peppers, squash, corn, mango, pineapple, lemons, nectarines, pumkins, sweet potatoe
Green: Spinach, peas, spring greens, chard, courgettes, beans, broccoli, apples, pears, gooseberries, avocado, cabbage, cucumber, grapes, lettuce, limes, kiwi fruit, celery, samphire, asparagus, leeks, sugar snap peas
Purple, blue & black: Blueberries, blackberries, aubergines, sprouting broccoli, bilberries, blackcurrants, plums, damsons, figs, grapes, prunes, raisins
White: Mushrooms, onions, potatoes, parsnips, garlic, ginger, cauliflower, white peaches, shallots

Wow! I never realised how many different fruit and veg I love to eat!

What about you? What are your absolute faves in each colour group?

Note to self: Eat your way over the rainbow every week!
Did you know? The nutrients in red fruit and veg can help to protect joint tissue in those with arthritis

Enjoy more posts about fruit & veg:
Favourite fruit
Tastes like chocolate
Hidden Gems

Steady as it goes

Does your heart ever feel like it's all of a flutter? Unless it's in the early throws of love, it's not a nice feeling is it?

And it turns out, it's not great for the old ticker either which prefers to be as regular as clockwork.   The great thing I've discovered is that if you breath steadily your heart automatically finds a nice steady rhythm.

If I've had a bit of a stressful day I sit down quietly and breathe in through my nose, letting my belly expand gently and then breathe out slowly through my mouth.  

After a minute or so I'm nice and relaxed and I count how many beats I breathe in for.  Then for 5 minutes or so I try to breathe in for this many beats each time and breathe out for a few beats more.

It's as simple as that.  I'm nice and calm and the old ticker's happy.

Note to self: Take some time each day to breathe steadily.

Did you know? A steady heart rhythm can reduce your risk of a heart attack

You may also enjoy:
You know how to breathe, right?
Taking it slowly

Walking the walk

  "Duck Pond" © 2005 Zemlinki Creative Commons license

We have a lovely park close to us in London and as I'm a mum with a toddler we spend lots of time there - at the playground, feeding the ducks and right now collecting conkers. 

But when I'm working I find myself not getting there.  It's a shame because I love seeing the trees change throughout the year, listening to the escaped parakeets screeching importantly and watching everyone who is out there enjoying themselves.

It's a shame and it's daft because the nursery drop off is just as quick if we walk through the park as if we go on the bus.  And although the bus can be fun it doesn't help me relax.

And that's what's wonderful about walking - it's just so relaxing!  It doesn't matter if it's a gentle stroll or something brisker the stress drops out of my shoulders and my mind clears.

So I've decided - I don't care if it's raining - I am going to enjoy a brisk constitutional in the park every day.

What about you? Do you have a park nearby or somewhere you enjoy going for a stroll?

Note to self: Wind down with a walk

Did you know? Walking can reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes. 

You may also enjoy reading:
A little bit of sunshine

Switching off ...

I'm a bit of gadget addict.  I love my computer and my mobile phone.  And boy do I find it hard to switch them off.

"Lianne Asleep"© 2006 Richard Riley Creative Commons license   

What about you? Are you a gadget geek whose lost without your latest toy?

Now I've got a smart phone and a laptop it's even worse.  They can and do go anywhere with me including to bed!  

Every night it's the same.  I try to get myself off to bed by 11ish and then I think I'll just check my mail one last time! And then I'll just write one more tweet! And then I'll just look at Facebook....!

Fatal.  Before I know it - it's past midnight and I'm starting to wake up.  And I only finally get to sleep at 1 with the laptop shoved on the floor by the bed.  And then I sleep badly and wake up grumpy. Hmmmm.

I really love a good night's sleep.  Getting into bed before I'm exhausted and gently dropping off just feels great. So I am taking up arms against myself and my gadget addiction. 

I wrote a list of 5 reasons I love sleep and 5 reasons gadgets aren't good at bedtime.  Whenever I am tempted by one more tweet I will fight back with why it's a bad idea.  And then I will switch everything off and go to bed.

I'll let you know how I get on.

Note to self: Nothing beats waking up after a great night's sleep!

Did you know? Good sleep reduces your risk of heart disease.  Doctors aren't sure why, but they think a well rested heart reduces blood pressure and inflammation of the heart.

Enjoy more posts about a good night's sleep:
Getting going in the morning

Full of flavour ...

I really like flavour to my food and I am a big garlic fan.

How about you? Can you take as it comes or do you like to add a bit of a kick to your food?

    "Garlic #1" © 2011 K Rawlings Creative Commons license 

Garlic is great but it can seem like a bit of a faff can't it?  All that peeling and crushing.  Sometimes I just can't be bothered.

So now I cheat and buy it ready crushed.  Brilliant, I can add it easily to anything I like.  Including stuff I put salt on before, even though I preferred it garlicky.

And fabulously garlic freezes really well.  I either just put the ready crushed in the freezer or if I'm being a bit less lazy peel and crush a whole lot in one go and pop it in the freezer.

What other flavours do you like to spice up your food with?

Note to self: Garlic is just as easy as salt and much tastier!

Did you know? The thing in garlic that makes it stinky - allicin - relaxes your blood vessels which makes it easier for your heart to pump blood around your body.