1 Grapefruit
2 small oranges
Sparkling mineral water

Grapefruits are 80 percent water, making them the ideal fruit to juice as part of a calorie controled diet. The pith contains huge amounts of vitamins and minerals and the fruit itself has an abundance of Vitamin C

Rich in "cancer fighting" beta-carotene and full of pectin, this wonderf fruit is also great for our cholestorol levels and digestive system

1 bunch of Parsely
2 sticks of Ceery
3 carrots
Half a Lemon

The often under-rated Parsely is packed full of vitamin C and can help reduce the severity of hay fever attacks

Celery is a well documented diuretic, helping with hay fever puffines and the carrots are enriched with folic acid, magnesium and vitamin A which will help restore depleted energy levels

10 Grapes
2 Pears
1 apple
1 Slice Pineapple

Pears, grapes and apples contain an incredible amount of natural sugars. These fibrous fruits tastes wonderful combined in theis energy boosting juice. If you're feeling tired, run down and sluggish let the sweetness of the fruit restore your energy levels and digestion

And with it came a lovely little recipe book!

So I shall stick the recipes in here for your perusal. Some of them sound really nice.

There are several reasons why our eating habits can change when it’s cold and dark. Now, most people live in centrally heated houses but for our ancestors, the onset of the cold weather was a signal to start laying down an extra layer of fat. In this day and age it's no longer applicable to take on extra calories to combat the cold. However, it is possible that we are still programmed in some way to do so.

Perhaps more important when it comes to over-eating in wintertime is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). This is a type of depression that occurs in northern climates where day light hours are short in winter. It's thought to be caused by lack of exposure to sunlight and affects around ½ million people in the UK each year. The symptoms include depression, lethargy, changes in sleeping and eating patterns, an increase in appetite and weight gain.

Recently good evidence has been found to link exposure to bright light with the increased production of a substance called serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, that is, it carries signals in the brain that promotes feelings of relaxation and happiness. Lack of serotonin is known to be a cause of depression and increased appetite. A lack of serotonin is particularly linked to cravings for sweet and starchy carbohydrate foods which are symptoms often seen in individuals who suffer from SAD.

The treatment for SAD is light therapy. From a nutritional point of view, symptoms can be also alleviated by getting plenty of exercise (particularly outdoors and in the daylight), avoiding foods that are high in sugar and fat, eating complex carbohydrates such as wholegrain cereals, oats, wholemeal bread, rice, pasta, pulse vegetables and jacket potatoes.

One natural way of increasing serotonin in the brain is to take the amino acid tryptophan, from which serotonin is formed in the body. It's found in high amounts in protein-rich foods such as fish, meat, dairy products, eggs, nuts and wheat germ. Foods that contain pre-formed serotonin and help the uptake of tryptophan are bananas, walnuts and pineapples.

The fact that our bodies seem to crave different types of food in the winter is not necessarily a bad thing. It’s still possible to eat the kinds of stodgy comfort foods that we want without gaining weight. Many of them are naturally high in complex carbohydrates like porridge, jacket potatoes and soups and casseroles made from beans or lentils.

You can also make winter foods healthier by choosing lean cuts of meat or using poultry, adding more vegetables and using less fat, for example, in mashed potato. Stewed fruit can make a comforting hot dessert and make sure you use skimmed or semi-skimmed milk when making the custard. Try to keep your portions fairly small and eat often to keep your blood glucose steady. Make sure your snacks are also rich in carbohydrates like wholegrain toast, bagels, scones and cereal.

Making these small changes and substitutions will make all the difference and allow you to enjoy comfort food all winter without gaining that extra layer!

Mainly because I was in Wales last week... but I wasn't resting on my laurels...

Saturday morning I went out for a run... and it damned near killed me... ROFL. Where I run here, the only real "hill" I have to run is up the fly-over, so there's only really two little hills... Wales is not known for it's flatness... I was out for a half hour, but I definitely walked a lot more than I usually do, mainly up hill! *giggle*

Then on Monday, Kath and I went hill walking with Gareth... well... actually... we were golfing, but like I said above, Wales is not known for it's flatness, so we were definitely hill-walking!!!! It was beautiful, though, and we were out for about four hours.

Thursday, I used Kath's excercise machine... It's one of those ski-type things and I skied along merrily for a whole hour while watching American Chopper...

And although we did imbibe in wine, the only other indulgence was some ice-cream on Saturday night. So we were both really good.

I was going to go running yesterday,, but was bad and didn't. I didn't go running today because I should have had belly-dance tonight, but Remony texted to remind me that it wasn't on tonight. So I went out running. Only for about 20 mins because it was really wet, and I have a two hour belly-dance practice with Remony tomorrow. Still, I was surprised at how far I could actually run without having to walk. I pushed myself because I was getting soaked LOL! The real test will be on Friday when I go back to my usual route. Then I'll really know how far I can run.

My (very late, with much apologies, bless them) birthday present arrived from Margaret and Helen. Part of it was one of the Kellogg's Fitness watches!!!!! I had wanted one of those, but they were only available with Special K, which I can't eat. I am so pleased!!!!!! I shall sit down and read the instructions later!!

Also, the last part of the Excercise Studies course was waiting for me when I got back. I've only had a quick look at it, but it's quite involved because this is the "excercise diary" part of it. So wish both me and poombar luck!!!! We'll need it!!!! LOL

And also a big "WOOOOHOOOOO" for trishabooms, who is doing excellently in the weight-dropping-off stakes!!!!! I have it on good authority that the jacket she wore to come visit me is not WAY to big for her and falling off her shoulders!!!!! Yay her!!!!