It’s now been proven that soya isoflavones help reduce the rate of hot flushes in menopausal women by up to 41%. This was found out by a recent Italian study which showed it reduced the discomfort experienced during menopause. It was also effective after just 6 weeks of use.

About 70% of women in the Western world experience hot flushes during menopause, in comparison to just 5-18% in Asian women. This is thought to be due to the greater intake of soya in the Asian diet.

You just need 80mg a day of the soya isoflavones to take effect. The source of this information, in case you are interested, is; Ferrari. A, “Soy extract phytoestrogens with high dose of isoflavones for menopausal symptoms.” Journal of Gynaecol Res. 35.6 (2009): pp1083-90.

So try to add soya and soya products into your daioly diet byt using a combination of the following;

Soya milk (unsweetened and fortified with calcium)

Soya bean in casseroles and soups etc.

Soya spreads

Soya yogurt

So go ahead and give it try!

Until soon with more musings…

Loretta

When it comes to eating more fruit and vegetables, people often struggle to eat enough on a daily basis. In the UK, we are advised to have at least 5 portions a day, in France it’s about 7 portions a day and last I heard, in Australia they aim for at least 9 portions a day.

Firstly, do you know what a portion is?

Well, it’s simple- a portion is anything that fits in the palm of your hand.  So, for example, one medium apple, a small orange, 3-4 chunks of melon, 6-10 grapes (depending on the size), is a portion. When it comes to vegetables, it’s approximately 3 heaped tablespoons.

Now, most poeple can’t seem to get more than about 3-4 portions of a mixture of fruit and vegetables a day.  Some people also don’t even include any fruit – not even one! Lots of excuses include; the fruit doesn’t look nice, it goes off quickly so I don’t buy them etc.

The good news is that nowadays there really aren’t any excuses left because we now have tinned, dried and frozen fruit and vegetables to choose from and use. And yes they are just as good as fresh versions. Just imagine this – fresh fruit and vegetables first have to be picked/harvested at the site they grow on, then they get boxed up and put onto trucks to then travel long distances to get to the supermarkets. Once there, they gat ofloaded and then stacked up, to then be placed onto the shelves of the shop on display by the time the shops open.  Then customers come along and pick what they want to purchase later in the day – usually lunchtime onwards. This is hours later. What you have to bear in mind is that nutrients start to deteriorate as soon as the fruit/vegetable is picked.

Now when it comes to tinned, dried and frozen foods, they get picked at their optimum nutritional state and usually immediately frozen, or go through a quick heating/drying process. The latter two processes will cause slight vitamin deterioration, but also increases other nutrients such as ?- carotene and iron levels. With the tinned fruit, however, you must buy those in natural fruit juices, and with dried fruits you have to be careful not to overeat on these (which is very easily done!).

So take a look at your intake, and find ways to increase it – no excuses now!

Until soon with more musings…

Loretta

Hi All

Hope you’re well.

It’s been a really long time since my last blog.

Well, what can I say! Life took over me. I just got really busy with family, work and trying different projects.

But I’m back on track and should be writing more regularly.

So I can only apologise to those of you that have been following me.

So I’ll now go onto writing my new blog.

Until soon with more musings…

Loretta

I believe that life is all about enjoying it, and this also means when you are getting healthy.

It’s good to make sure that you have a balance of everything in your diet and so make sure you give yourself treat days.

Now when I say treat days, this literally means the occassional “treat” like chocolate cake, ice cream, take-aways or anything that you normally would consider unhealthy. But it’s important not to go overboard and then binge for 2-3 days. You must have self-control.

My suggestion is to choose 1-2 particular days of the week as your day to have that one treat.

Also, if you know that you’ll be going to a friends house, or a party at the weekend, then use that time to have your treat.

As soon as you’re finished, make sure you do go back to your usual healthy routine. Don’t just keep treating yourself everyday and all day long.

But even if you do end up binging, just take a step back, reassess your situation and then get back to your usual healthy routine. Don’t just give up because of 2 or 3 days of binging. It’s not going to be the end of the world! Trust me.

So go ahead and have a small bite of cake if you want to. Don’t deprive yourself.

Until soon with more musings…

Loretta

…That is to your weight lifting dumbbells, of course!

Yes, it’s true ladies.

If you are after a quicker and more effective fat loss, and muscle definition, you need to start lifting much heavier weights.

By doing so, you will be working your body and your muscles much more. You’ll be gaining more muscle mass, which in turn will lower your fat mass. So don’t be shy of using the heavier weights at the gym or at home. Don’t just use the baby dumbbells. Go for over 5kg, and do lower repetitions. With time, you’ll notice the difference.

So ditch the baby bells or at least use them for a warm up) and go for the big ones!!!

Until soon with more musings…

Loretta

Valentines day is creeking up on us again, as is Mother’s Day.

Have you thought of your gift yet for that special person? Want a great  and unique idea for a gift?

Well……here it is……….Silver Fingerprint Charms! (see photos underneath)

They are perfect! Basically, you can have your fingerprint (or anyone’s print including babies from 6 months old) captured in solid fine (99.9%) silver. You can also have a 24 carat gold plated version if you wish. They look so beautiful and will last forever. You can have them in different shapes.

It’s the perfect gift for anyone at anytime of the year. I’ve got a 3….baby, husband & Mum.

I have a friend who is an expert at making these. If you’re interested you can either email her for a quote at: bkafsaf@yahoo.co.uk or check her out on eBay. The best thing is that she can also provide you with the beautiful jewellery to go with the charm (i.e. necklaces, bracelets, key-rings, mobile phone charms etc.) She also gives 10% of all her sales to Great Ormond Street Hospital charity. So by buying through her you can help raise money too.

Hope that this gives you some inspiration for a gift.

Until soon with more musings…

Loretta