Buyer's Guide to Being a Savvy Shopper

Start your Healthier Lifestyle by 

Being a Savvy Shopper

woman with healthy food from freedigitalphotos.net

Believe it or not your healthy eating plan starts in the supermarket. Some would argue it starts before that by making a list before you go shopping. Certainly you are less likely to 'graze' the shelves if you have a list of what you need with you.

More than anything I think it just takes a little forward planning. Too often we drop into the supermarket at the end of the day, or just when we can reluctantly fit in some grocery shopping. It may seem you are saving time but you really are not. You actually spend less time and less energy if you know more or less exactly what you need and don't allow yourself to be distracted. Take a few minutes one evening to jot down rough menus for the week. Once you get into the habit it is much easier than worrying what you are going to cook on the day. When you have a rough idea of what you need make a list - and remember to take it with you!

Once you are in the supermarket don't allow yourself to be distracted.  Start your shopping in the fruit and vegetable section. The stores don't make it easy - they tend to tuck these up at the top of the shop or at the opposite side from the front door so you have to pass all the goodies before you get there. But you can beat them by - yes - not allowing yourself to be distracted.

Pick enough fruit and vegetables to serve you and your family at least five portions per day - no more than three of fruit but as many veggies as possible. 

• Include some soft fruit like blueberries or raspberries you can use on cereals or with yoghurt. They are high in nutrients, low in fats and high in antioxidants.  
• Apples and bananas make healthy snacks to keep in the house or to pack for lunch and tea breaks. 
• In this section you will also find packets of nuts and seeds, also high in polyunsaturated fats (good fats) that are necessary for optimum health. They make tasty snacks and are great sprinkled over salads and vegetables and will add a lovely crunch to any meal. Just use them in moderation because some of them can be high in calorie content - check the labels. 
• Green leafy vegetables like spinach and broccoli are extremely high in nutrients and anti- oxidants and worth their weight in gold in any healthy diet. I know some people have a bad experience of spinach but it can be added to all sorts of dishes - for example, add some to any salad, it is delicious raw or add some to macaroni and cheese to give it a quirky green colour. 
• Add some vegetables like mini-sweetcorn or sugar-fat peas that can be eaten raw. They are great to nibble on instead of crisps and sweets.  Same goes for cherry tomatoes and actually, the hard stems of broccoli sliced thinly are tasty too. Try them.

happy cartoon vegetables from freedigitalphotos.net

Avoid the aisles with unhealthy food altogether - those with sweets and crisps (chips) biscuits and cakes. 

If you cannot control how much of these you can eat, don't be tempted into buying the big bargain bags with multiple bags in - instead allow yourself a few, maybe one chocolate bar, one bag of crisps, one packet of biscuits and stick to the plainer ones rather than the chocolate covered ones.

food cans from freedigitalphotos.net

Read the labels!

Processed or pre-prepared foods are manufactured to 

• a) look appealing and 
• b) to taste appealing and 
• c) to have a long shelf life

To achieve that they are full of extra salt, saturated fats and chemicals your body is just not equipped to deal with. If in doubt, if you do not understand the language it is probably chemical in nature and best avoided. Anything with an E number is suspect, no matter what the food industry tries to tell you. They have addressed the problem by just changing the terminology - they haven't improved the food. 

Avoid canned goods as much as possible. I recently saw a programme showing what went into processed canned peas - in the first stages when they are cooked they turn a lighter green, more like a grey colour, so the process plant adds green colourant to bring the colour back up.  

Buy frozen vegetables in preference to canned ones. They don't go through anything like the same chemical processes. 

Read the labels!

Just because the packaging says it is healthy doesn't mean it actually is! Just take a look at breakfast cereal packs that promise you they are low-fat - you will see they are actually stuffed full of sugar.  I have been known to stamp my feet and wail in frustration in the cereal aisle trying to find something that isn't full of fat, salt and or sugar. 

As a guide, the further up the list of ingredients a thing is, the more of it is in the product. So if sugar is high on the list is probably not something you want to include on a daily basis. 

You also need to be aware that anything flaunted as low-calorie probably contains some form of artificial sweetener. I've written about the dangers of some of these, at some length. Here just let me say there are 92 recorded side effects from some artificial sweeteners that the companies don't tell you about. Even if they say it comes from a natural plant source, be wary - plants can be toxic too. 

Bread and Rolls

Limit the amount of bread and rolls you buy. Don't be tempted in by those 2-for-1 deals that have you buying multipacks you are never going to get through. Instead vary the types you buy. Try wraps and pitta bread, rice cakes and flat breads that are lower in calories and saturated fats. 

Meat Eaters

I'm a great advocate of vegetarian living but if you feel you cannot live without meat avoid red meat that is full of saturated fat (bad fats) and buy chicken or fish instead. 

I hope you have found something useful in this buyer's guide to healthy eating and join me next time when I will be talking about small changes you can make to become fitter and healthier. 

How to Get a Flat Belly with Easy 10 Minute Exercises

Gut Busters! 

Easy Flat belly Exercises 

reducing belly fat from freedigitalphotos.net

If there are any exercises guaranteed to work toward that flat belly, it is these two easy ones that are perfect for us of a certain age. 

They do use the back muscles so be sure to build up over time, to move slowly and to follow the instructions on how to protect your back. 

You can do these exercises in the morning before you get out of bed provided you have a firm mattress or move to the floor. I think twice a day works fine but three times a day is even better. Again, work up to that, allow your back and muscles time to adjust. 

Gut Buster One

1. Lie flat on your back, arms by your sides, feet together and just breathe quietly for a minute or two. 
2. Breathing in - bring your knees up to your chest pushing your back into the mattress or floor to get it flat.
3. Breathing out - with bent knees, put your feet on the floor in line with your hips and shoulders to give you balance.
4. Taking a deep breath in - raise your hips, abdomen and chest so you form a straight line from your knees to your shoulders. 



flat belly exercise from freedigitalphotos.net

5. Breathe out completely, flattening your stomach as you do so. 
6. Start off by holding for 2 complete breaths in and out and over weeks increase this to 5 complete breaths.
7. Breathe in.
8. Breathing out - lower your back to the floor and rest for 2-5 breaths depending on how long you have been in the holding position for. Equal the rest time with the hold time. 
9. When you start out, repeat 3 times and increase to 10 over several weeks. Allow your back muscles to adjust slowly over time.
10. Breathe in - and as you breathe out slide your feet and legs out flat. Flop for a couple of minutes.

Gut Buster Two: The Pelvic Rock

This time, keep your upper back flat on the floor and raise only your buttocks and hips. 

1. Lie flat on your back, arms by your sides, feet together and just breathe quietly for a minute or two. 
2. Breathing in - bring your knees up to your chest pushing your back into the mattress or floor to get it flat.
3. Breathing out - with bent knees put your feet on the floor in line with your hips and shoulders to give you balance.
4. Breathing in - raise your buttocks and hips so your abdomen is flat.
5. Breathing out - flatten your abdomen even more. 
6. Hold for 5 complete breaths.
7. Breathe in, and as you breathe out lower your back to the bed and rest for 5 complete breaths.
8. Breathing in, raise your buttocks and hips so your abdomen is flat.
9. Breathing out, flatten your abdomen even more.
10. The Pelvic Rock: Breathing steadily - rock your pelvis down to the floor then back up always returning to the hold position where your abdomen is flat and forms a straight line from your waist to your knees. 
11. At first only repeat a few times and work up to about 30.
12. Breathe in, and as you breathe out, lower you back to the bed.
13. Breathe in and as you breathe out slide your legs flat.
14. Flop for at least three minutes. 

Same exercises - different pace

As with all my exercises I tend to have three different paces so I vary them for best result. I can testify, they really do work - I am living proof. I have gone down 2 dress sizes in 2 months and I'm feeling great and ready to lose 2 more.

Move and Hold - just what it says, make the move then hold the position. By holding in a position for say 5- 10 breath cycles you will feel the muscles stretching and may feel a slight burn.

Breathe it In - Moving slowly with the rhythm of your breath keeps the exercises smooth and effective.

Rapid Repetitions - Make the same moves in quicker repetitions. They used to call these calisthenics, repeating the same small movements over and over again. The Pelvic Rock is particularly suited to this. Work up from about 10 when you start to 30-100. If you don't have the patience for 100 at one time, space them out over the day.

These two exercises are designed to slim and tone the abdomen. Try it for a week before your re-measure your waist and hips and see how you are doing.  Get back to me and report your success story. Of course it will only work if you are having a normal healthy diet and not binge eating or eating inappropriate food. 

    

Muscles used
Gut Buster 1	Abdomen	Buttocks and hips	Back, neck and shoulders	Thighs
Gut Buster 2	Abdomen and waist	Buttocks and hips	Back and neck	Thighs

Stretch and Slim in the Morning Part 2

Slim and Tone with Modified Planking

Planing seems to be all the rage right now but maybe not suitable for us over 60 or those who are unfit and overweight. I have adapted it to my own version that I include in my morning routine.

relaxing feet from freedigitalphotos.net

It is taking me longer to write these than it even does to do the exercises so I hope you bear with me. Today I want to explain the second part of my morning stretching routine.

If you have done the first part of the stretches, let yourself rest for a few minutes. Just flop, lying on your back, completely relaxed. You will probably find you are becoming used to holding your stomach in more than usual - again -- DON'T clench tightly, just hold in.

You may be beginning to realize that holding a position increases its effectiveness. Build that up over several weeks as your muscles strengthen.

Move slowly and smoothly and STOP immediately if you feel any pain whatsoever. You are aiming for a gentle ache in your muscles to let you know they are working but never pain.

Head and Neck Plank

I discovered the effectiveness of this when I was having physiotherapy for neck problems. I happened to have my hands resting on my tummy while the physio was telling me what to do and I noticed how it tightened my abdomen. The important thing about this exercise is not to lift your head too high - it is a VERY subtle movement, you shouldn't even leave any space between your head and the pillow. 

1. Lie flat on the bed without a pillow or with only one. Bring your feet together and rest your arms on your upper abdomen.
2. Take a deep breath in, press your back into the mattress and hold in your stomach muscles.
3. Breathe out completely flattening your abdomen even more.
4. Taking a deep breath in, raise your head very slightly. Breathe out completely.
5. Hold that position for 3 shallow breaths - in and out counting as one.
6. Relax and take 3 breaths.
7. Repeat. Start with 3 and build up over several weeks.
8. Over several weeks build up how long you hold the position for - 4 breaths, 5 breaths - up to 10 but do make sure that is over several weeks to allow your muscles in your back and neck to strengthen. For as many breaths you hold, rest for that same number of breaths between each repeat. 
9. Flop for a few minutes. 

Muscles used in this toning exercise
Upper part of abdominal muscles	lower back	chest	shoulders	neck	waist

 Heel Plank

1. Lie flat, feet together and your hands resting on your lower abdomen.
2. Take a deep breath, press your back into the mattress and pull in your abdomen.
3. Empty your lungs completely, flattening your abdomen even more.
4. Pull your toes up toward you.
5. Taking a deep breath in, raise your heels off the bed and breath out completely.
6. Hold that position for 3 shallow breaths.
7. Relax for 3 breaths. 
8. Over several weeks build up how long you hold the position for - 4 breaths, 5 breaths - up to 10 but do make sure that is over several weeks to allow your muscles in your back and neck to strengthen. For as many breaths you hold, rest for that same number of breaths between each repeat. 
9. Flop for a few minutes. 

Muscles used in this toning exercise
abdominal muscles	lower back	thighs	calves	ankles	waist

 Head and Heel Plank

Yes you guessed it - all together now.

1. Lie flat, feet together, arms by your sides.
2. Take a deep breath in, pressing your back into the mattress, pull in your stomach.
3. Breathe out flattening your stomach even more.
4. Pull your toes up toward you.
5. Breathing in, raise your heels off the bed and breathe out.
6. Breathing in, raise your head VERY slightly and breathe out.
7. Hold in that position for 3 breaths.
8. Relax and rest for 3 breaths.
9. Repeat.
10. Be sure to rest for the same number of breaths as you hold as you build up.
11. Flop for several minutes when you finish. 

Bed from Amazon.co.uk

I have a bed with a metal frame like this one so I can reach through the bars to touch the wall, you may have to use your headboard so make sure it is secure.  Slip down the bed until you can raise your arms above your head to touch the wall and still be flat on your back.

Full Stretch

1. Lie flat and bring your feet together.
2. Take a deep breath in, pressing your back into the mattress and pulling in your stomach muscles.
3. Breathe out, flattening your stomach even more.
4. Breathing in, raise your arms straight above your head, your hands in fists pressed against the wall.
5. Breathe out.
6. Breathing in press both fists against the wall and hold for 3 shallow breaths.
7. Relax for 3 breaths.
8. Repeat.
9. Flop. Let the muscles relax, you might even feel them twitching a bit on rest. 

Alternatively you can do repetitions by

1. breath in as you press your fists onto the wall
2. breath out as you relax
3. repeat immediately.
4. build up over the weeks until you are doing around 30.

Add in the oblique abdo muscles

1. alternate pressing one hand then the other. Breath in, and breath out in rhythm with your movements.
2. relax completely for several minutes when you finish. 

Illustration of the oblique muscles - wiki public domain

Fingers to Toes Stretch

I can stretch out completely on my bed with my fists on the wall above me and toes curled on the top rail of the bottom of my bed.  See if you can too.

1. Lie flat, take a deep breath in, pressing your back into the mattress and pulling in your stomach muscles
2. Breathe out completely flattening your stomach even more. 
3. Breathing in, raise your arms above your head, hands in fists to touch the wall behind you.
4. Breathe out.
5. Breathing in, raise your feet so you can curl your toes around the top of your footboard.
6. Breathe out.
7. Take a deep breath in - press with your fists on the wall above you and down with your feet.
8. Breathe out.
9. Hold in that position for 3 shallow breaths.
10. Relax for 3 breaths.
11. Over several weeks increase the number of breaths you hold and relax for. 

Add in the obliques

1. Follow steps 1 to 8 as above. Holding some tension in your arms.
2. Breathing in rhythm with your movement, alternately press down one foot while relaxing the other in a stepping movement.
3. Repeat 5 steps on each side increasing the number over the weeks until about 30. 
4. Flop on you back, hands by your sides for several minutes. 

Muscles used in this toning sequence
abdominal muscles including oblique muscles	lower back upper back	thighs calves ankles	waist	chest	arms and shoulders

Your muscles should know you have been working them, but you should NOT be in pain with any of these. I can't emphasise that enough - ALWAYS protect yourself against injury.

Tomorrow I move onto the final part of my morning routine. I hope you join me.  

Stretch and Slim In the Morning

Ease Into Toned Muscles : Wakey Wakey 

 Let me introduce you to stretch and slim in the morning. Here are the first of my toning exercises, the breathing stretch, how to flatten out your back to prevent injury, some abs toning with 'paddling' and 'stepping.' More suggestions follow in future posts, there are too many to include on one page. Enjoy and let me know how you get on.

from freedigitalphotos.net young man relaxing in bed

My toning exercises start when I wake in the morning, unfortunately not with the eye-candy here, but by stretching in bed. I'll explain why he is there in just a minute. 

I am assuming you were like me a few weeks ago, and you have not been doing any form of exercise for a while. So I advocate you start slowly - only do a couple of repeats at a time. If you like, start with one exercise and work up to including more as you progress. 

This is not something that will give you a sylphlike figure fast, it is a start. It will only work if you are taking measures to get rid of the fat underlying the muscles by changing to a healthier diet. You really do need to take in less calories than you burn - there is no getting away from it but it doesn't have to mean starving yourself either. 

That said these exercises are less about burning calories as about toning muscles. That you burn up a few calories is an added bonus.

Like the changes in you diet, starting slow with toning exercises, you are more likely to keep going than if you start with knee jerks and a 30 minute workout that you are not even tempted to repeat more than once.

NOTE: As always - protect your back!

1. These won't work well on a soft mattress - you need to have one that supports your back. Mine is a memory foam one and works fine. 
2. Pay attention to the instructions that tell you to press your lower back into the mattress.

These stretches should give your muscles a bit of an ache but NO pain.

For best effect follow the breathing instructions. If you do the toning in time to your breathing it will be slow and steady - if it isn't, your are hyperventilating!

The resting periods when I ask you to flop are important too - they give your muscles time to recover, you may even find them twitching a little bit when you stop. Rest as long as you like but take at least a minute between each set of stretches.

Do these in no particular order - read them all through several time until you have the idea imprinted in your brain. You will eventually find the order that makes you most comfortable.

Start off doing only a few as described and build up over several weeks until you are doing around 30. As you strengthen the muscles, especially those in your back, you can run all these exercised together to form one unit. Then rest.

See the guy up there - he is lying back relaxing, but note how his stomach muscles are pulled in - he has done that by taking a deep breath in as he pulls in the abdominal muscles, breathing out and letting the abdo muscles flatten, then holding with shallow breaths. Let's try it - it is as good a place to start as any.

Breathing Stretch

1. Stretch out in bed, your whole body in line from top to toe, legs and feet together.
2. Taking a deep breath in - raise your arms and put your hands behind your head pulling in the muscles of your stomach. Smoothly and steadily pull them in, you are not clenching them, just holding them tighter than normal. 
3. Breathe out completely letting your stomach flatten even more.
4. Hold that position for four shallow breaths.
5. Flop - let all your muscles relax completely. If you are going to repeat the stretch, keep your hands behind your head, if not bring your arms down by your side. Let your legs and feet fall apart. Rest for 1 minute before repeating. 
6. Start with one or two of these and build up over the weeks.  

Muscles used
Abdominal – especially the upper portion of the rectus abdominis. This is the big muscle that runs from the ribs to the pubic bone - you might think it is in two pieces, upper and lower but it is only one.	upper back	shoulders	chest	arms

young man stretching from freedigitalphotos.net

Variation: - Follow our young man's example and stretch out. 

1. Keep your back flat on the bed - breathe in and pull in your stomach muscles. Raise your arms above your head.
2. Breath out completely flattening your stomach more.
3. Tighten your hands into fists.
4. Hold the position for three shallow breaths.
5. Flop - let the muscles relax but keep your arms raised.
6. Breathing in, tense arms muscles again, hold for 3 shallow breaths and relax.
7. Repeat 3 times building up over the weeks.
8. All the time you are doing this, keep you stomach muscles tense.

Muscles used
Abdominal muscle	upper back	shoulders	chest	arms

Flatten the Back

By the nature of your spine, your back has a bend that leaves you with a little hollow space between your back and the mattress. To protect your lower back you need to flatten out that hollow and press your back into the bed. Here's how you do that. I recommend you do this before you start any of the stretch and tone exercises.

1. Lie flat in bed.
2. Taking a deep breath in, pull your knees up to your chest.
3. Letting your breath go, put your feet on the bed then slid your legs flat. 
4. This should push your lower back into the mattress. 

muscles from freedigitalphotos.net

Abs Tone

1. Lie flat in bed, legs and feet together, head flat or on one pillow. 
2. Press your lower back into the mattress. 
3. Place your hands on your abdomen so you can feel the muscles moving while you do this. At first it may seem very little is happening but it is. Remember there are deeper layers of muscle you will not feel.
4. Take a deep breath in, pulling your stomach muscles in, breathe out flattening them even more.
5. With your feet together and your heels on the bed, take a slow deep breath in, pull your toes up toward you pulling in your stomach muscles. Again, not clenched to the point of pain, just tightened.
6. Breathing out point your toes downward.
7. Use slow breaths, breathe in and pull your toes up toward you.
8. Breathing out, point your toes downwards. 
9. During your first week, repeat three times and over the weeks build it up to any number you are comfortable with. I usually do 10 because I do other exercises as well.
10. Paddle is a natural progression which brings the oblique abdominal muscles into play. 
11. Continuing with the steady breathing in time to each movement, point the toes of one foot while pulling up the toes of the other. 
12. At first repeat 3 times then build it up over the weeks. 
13. Breathing in, pull both sets of toes up toward you and hold that position for 3 shallow breaths. 
14. Flop - let the muscles go and relax and rest for at least one minute but as long as you need to let the muscles recover. 

Muscles used in this toning exercise
Abs including oblique muscles	lower back	thighs	calves	ankles

Abs Tone Extra - Stepping

Tag this onto the end of the exercise above. At first when you start these, take time to rest in between the different elements.

1. As above - steps 1 to 5.
2. Heels flat on the bed. Breathing in pull your toes toward you, breath out and hold that position for a couple of shallow breaths.
3. Use the rhythm of your breathing alternately lengthen each leg in a sort of lying-down stepping motion. 
4. Repeat 3 times on each side. Build up the repetition over several weeks.
5. Bring both sets of toes up and hold for several shallow breaths.
6. Flop and rest.

This exercise really does use the oblique muscles and more importantly perhaps, the muscles of your lower back. If you are not fit take it easy.

Muscles used in this toning exercise
Oblique abdominal muscles	lower back	thighs	waist	calves	ankles

 

woman with measuring tape from freedigitalphotos.net

So you are on your way! These simple exercises are designed to get you used to toning muscles without hardship. Plenty more to come so be sure to join me on my wellness journey. 

You might like to take measurements of your chest, wrist and hips on your first day - the measure you again one week on. Don't be tempted to measure every day - you only set yourself up for disappointment. 

Introducing Stretch and Slim

Introducing the concept of Stretch and Slim

Middle age woman stretching from freedigitalphotos.net

Everyone likes a good stretch but have you thought about incorporating it into your toning regime?

Fighting fat and fighting flab should go hand in hand.  Over-eating and lack of exercise lays down fat deposits around the organs, round your middle, hips, legs, chest and arms - everywhere really. Muscles become slack and flabby as you probably only well aware.

Changing your eating habits should take care of the fat and that is essential and is discussed elsewhere. There is little point in even trying to tone slack muscles if you continue with the underlying fat. But it can be done gradually and indeed is probably best done slowly. Rapid weight loss isn't that healthy for you and it will leave bags of slack skin behind if you don't do some toning. Aim to lose 1-3 libs per week.

Stretch and Slim

Rather than think you have to start doing jumping jacks to get trim, think about stretching out muscles instead. All you really have to think about is getting muscles moving and you can do that by contracting and relaxing them. Start slow and with only the minimum movement. It will gradually increase as you get fitter. At first it might not feel as if anything is moving at all but you will be surprised.

Every single movement you make uses muscle.  You just need to have more movement in your life and use it to slim, trim and tone. Many of the toning suggestions I make are simply tightening and relaxing muscles. You will see I use the breath as part any exercise I do with the exception of those everyday, everywhere toning opportunities. I really recommend you use my suggestions on breathing for the most effect.

You can try it now to see what I mean.

1. sitting at your desk, feet flat on the ground
2. imagine you have a string pulling at the top of you head to pull you upright
3. hands on your thighs
4. shoulders back
5. take a deep breath in - note how it pulls in your stomach
6. hold that position for several shallow breaths.  

Without that deep breathe in you probably don't pull in your stomach - tighten your abdomen muscles.

Get used to that feeling of holding your stomach in, don't clench it so tightly it is sore and hard to hold, just be aware of tightening your abdomen more than you have been used to. You are retraining your muscles and it gets easier. In time you will find you do it automatically, you sit straighter, stand straighter and taller.

Take every opportunity to stretch or to tighten and relax muscles and I'll give you examples as we go on.  I'll try to give as clear instructions as I can and where possible I will let you know which muscles you are toning.

So... let's get started...


I started yoga years ago with Lyn Marshall's Wake up to Yoga which I still recommend and I trained with Jason Chan in Tai Chi many years ago. It is still one of my favourite forms in Tai Chi.

Wake up to Yoga