Dole Live Right bars are the perfect, healthy snack

photo: http://www.hungrydarling.com

Right, I am a snacker by nature so I thought I'd tell you about my latest snacking obsession. No not Popchips (though they still come a close second), I have discovered the joys of Dole Live Right bars which are made solely from nuts, seeds and fruits. So they have loads of protein, fibre and magnesium and release energy slowly so really help when I find myself flagging (which is as I type this if honest).

This stops me wanting to eat chocolate or biscuits and they are really, really tasty. They come in a wide range of flavours and three snacking options so there's no need to get bored.

The Dole Live Right Blueberry Almond Mini Crunch has fruit and nut clusters which contain almonds, seeds and blueberries (£2.99 for a pack of five bars).

 The Dole Live Right Trio Bars have three types of nuts, seed and fruit and come in three flavours - cranberry, strawberry and blueberry (£2.19 for a pack of three bars).

The Dole Live Right Cranberry Almond Crunch has cashews, almonds and cranberries and a little natural syrup (£1.59 each).

Dole Live Right has been endorsed by HEART UK as being heart healthy and helping to lower cholesterol for more informaiton visit Dole.

   

Speedy Chicken Marinade for barbecued chicken breast

This was my ultra-healthy barbecue lunch today - hurrah the sun shone and I realised how I need to losing about half a stone by my holiday later in the year. So it starts today with healthy food and my FitBit! I marinaded the chicken breast in chinese stir fry oil, lemon juice and cracked black pepper for 3 hours before it was put on the barbecue - and it was so delicious the family actually asked what I'd done to it. Lemon juice makes sure that chicken remains succulent and doesn't dry out and because the oil is quite subtle there is a hint of chinese flavouring (ginger etc) rather than it tasting like a stir fry. Give it a go!

Fitbit Ultra - losing that Christmas weight

Fitbit Ultra activity and sleep tracker

Like most of the UK I have over-indulged. Thankfully we didn't cook the main Christmas lunch event so didn't have all those left-overs, but we still have a fridge full of nibbles. Cheeses are the most difficult to resist, especially when teamed with slices of Christmas cake. So I know I will have put on weight and will have to do something about it.

Luckily a very good friend bought me a Fitbit Ultra to get me on my way and having downloaded it all I am a bit obsessed.

You wear it clipped to your belt or bra and it shows you all the activities you have done that day, how many calories you've burnt, how many you've eaten (and of course this is a huge disconnect for me) and sets you goals in terms of diet and activity.

It also tells you how good your sleep has been and how many calories you've burnt while doing it - which is quite encouraging.

You do have to be a bit obsessive to work it properly but once you have loaded in all your regular foods it's easy to log - and I've downloaded their app onto my phone too so can update on the go!

I will let you know how I get on. A stone by Easter? Well with this you never know as it does make you aware if you just haven't done enough that day...

I aim to walk instead of drive to the tube and use the loo at the top of the house - well it's definitely a start!
Will let you know how I get on.

Healthy Eating that's good for your teeth too

Image: Babble.com

Healthy Eating - two words I would always like to put together but often fail dismally to do... Blueberries anyone? Well I love them especially when mixed in with full-fat creme fraiche or vanilla ice-cream. Salmon? Well I love it smoked and served with cream cheese and a large bagel. I think you get the picture.

I do try. I often have salads and pieces of fruit, but also just as often succumb to a chocolate biscuit especially when it's offered (well I was brought up to be polite and accept everything offered me).

And now I have another thing to worry about. When I do get to eat a healthy diet like a juicy, dripping, sweet orange that completely rids me of sugar cravings I may be doing harm. Yes, harm. Because often healthy foods like fruit can cause enamel erosion to my teeth.

Sensodyne Pronamel toothpaste has been invented to help with this erosion, but they do also say that a bit more careful about what you eat can really help too. So if you visit their website you will find a whole range of healthy eating recipes that are not bad for your teeth. They are promoting their healthy eating campaign with celebrity chef, Sophie Mitchell who has taken some of her know-how from her time at The Greenhouse, The Lanesborough and The Embassy kitchens to inspire and inform us...

Here is Sophie Mitchell in action with a delicious salmon recipe that is very tooth friendly...

Now the sun is finally shining it does make it easier to get into some good habits - I shall be delving into the list of delicious recipes to be found on the Pronamel healthy eating pages because they look too good not to. Further information can also be found in the Question and Answer section too.

Honestly Healthy lunches from Selfridges

We're never short of a delivery of food every now and again in the office and with all that sitting around on our bottoms at computers all day and snacking on the goodies that arrive by courier ain't great for the beach figure. So a delivery of delicious meals to promote a new and incredibly healthy range to hit the shelves in Selfridges was a really welcome delivery indeed.

Honestly Healthy provides fresh and balanced take-away foods that have been put together by organic chef Natasha Corbett and nutritional therapist Vicki Edgson. 

Honestly Healthy’s delicious, nourishing meals come fresh from the kitchen every day and are brimming in alkalizing ingredients that balance the energy-sapping components of the typically acidic Western diet. So our bodies can easily digest the food with ingredients that speed up the metabolism, clear out the system and generally make us feel much more healthy.

Chilled Salads.

As you can see from the pictures, each salad contains a mix of some of the healthiest ingredients on the planet and main ingredients to be found are bok choy, broccoli, chick peas, red peppers, fennel, tofu and pearl barley are all staples. And the prices are not bad at £3.50 - perfect for an affordable lunch.

But they don't just stop there - Honestly Healthy have also produced a range of tasty at-home meal mixes to aid your diet - all you have to do is add water and simmer. The range includes a muesli, a quinoa and lentil mix which is delicious with salad or on its own, a bean and fig tagine for a taste of Morocco, a spiced pearl barley risotto and a simple yet spicy dhal. Although I didn't try these if they are as good as the takeaway salads then I may need to stock up from Selfridges Food Hall in Oxford Street.

For further information visit their website Honestly Healthy.