After my last post I got to thinking about diets. I suppose I'm lucky enough not to be seriously overweight but I can gain extra pounds as easily as the next person and I've done my fair share of diets in the past... the F-Plan... anyone else remember how disgusting that was with shredded cardboard for breakfast and all those prunes... but on the whole I don't think diets really work. All that denial of tasty stuff, will power and constantly feeling hungry cannot be good for you.
I'd much rather have a little of what I fancy (i.e. chocolate, cheese, cake and wine) occasionally and for the rest of the time try to eat healthily and get as much exercise as possible. But of course, at some times of the year that seems to get reversed and the healthy stuff seems to be occasional and there's rather too much of what I fancy... which is where I'm at now! So this week I've ignored the left over cookies and cake and I'm trying to stick to a healthy eating regime (NOT a diet!)
But I still need a treat now and then to keep me motivated... and preferably not an edible treat. So on my way home from the swimming pool on Tuesday (Thirty laps...I'm all or nothing me), I stopped at the supermarket and found these pretty little bowls on sale. So I treated myself to a couple and they have made me rather ridiculously happy! Perfect for my healthy breakfast of porridge and fruit...
or for my lunch of homemade parsnip and apple soup.
Which is good news because I got my first ever Abel and Cole organic veg box today (they've only just started to deliver in our area), full of stuff to make lots of lovely homemade soup. And that made me happy too!
I also received a free copy of their cookbook but it is one I already have (and use a lot) so I thought this could be a good chance for me to share my happiness... and I could give it away.
If you would like to win this copy of the Abel and Cole cookbook just leave me a comment and sometime over the weekend I'll pick a winner from one of my new bowls! It's full of tasty, healthy and seasonal recipes!
Well I think that's a very sensible way to keeping healthy. I don't think complete denial can be good for anyone and so boring too!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the lovely giveaway, please put my name in your pretty bowl. :)
Vivienne x
Hi Gina
ReplyDeleteI love your new bowls!
Thank you for your kindness in giving away your new cookbook! Count me in please!
No need to add me to your list, I rarely cook nowadays. Abel and Cole are a terrific company as are Riverford Organics. I recently missed out on Blood Oranges from the latter, I was so cross!
ReplyDeleteoh sounds like my sort of healthy eating.
ReplyDeleteLove the bowls and I have just starting swimming to get a bit fitter-it's the only 'exercise' I enjoy!
xxx
PS Im having a give away too-pop over and join in!
Pretty bowls, they'd make me ridiculously happy too!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your first Abel and Cole delivery - I love them and get my meat from them too now. I already have the cookery book so please don't put me in the draw.
x
Your new bowls are lovely. Please don't put me in the giveaway it would be wasted on me.
ReplyDeleteOh, how lovely and inspirational!
ReplyDeleteWe try to eat more organically but don't always or maybe even often succeed, I would love the little book, but we live in the US and it may be too far to send.
Anyway thanks for the lovely post.
I've only just started to come around to eating porridge, but yours looks lovely, is it a special recipe? or do you buy it like that and add the banana?
ReplyDeleteThat book sounds just what I need! I have spent half my life dieting and it doesn't work. I am overweight but not dreadfully so, but I know I would be fitter and healthier if I could lose some. There is always a good reason for not going for a walk at this time of year, though we've been out today, well wrapped up, and it was glorious.
ReplyDeleteI love your new bowls and hope they do the trick for you.
I love the bowls, pitty you're not offering to send one of those out. But the cookbook would be lovely anyway. Sure you don't have one more bowl that you need? You can only eat from one bowl at a time...
ReplyDelete:Diane
I get my veg box from a local charity who run it to make money so no fancy cookbooks included! Hint, hint.
ReplyDeleteI gave up with any ideas of dieting years ago too. And try to eat healthily instead. Good for you!
ReplyDeletethe porridge looks really tasty Gina - not nearly as anaemic as mine. actually I quite like the cardboard (I assume you meant all bran lol)
ReplyDeleteIt has raisins against the anaemic look, but currants and apricots are good for iron. Dried they go into my muesli. Haven't eaten porridge since my English mother made it for me on winter school mornings.
ReplyDelete(No recipe book for me, too far away)
It looks a really good book - I eat lots of fruit and vegetables all year round, but at this time of year, especially when it is cold, I crave cake! So I now face up to the fact that in the first couple of months of the year I will put on a few pounds, but I know that come the summer I will not feel nearly so hungry and be on my feet and exercising more, so the excess will disappear (I hope!).
ReplyDeletePomona x
Oooh, a book with vegetable recipes that isn't on my shelf! But what would you say if I told you that one of the F Plan authors is the one and only Mamgu??! Thank heck she didn't try it out on us at home...
ReplyDeleteI like porridge too but really into homemade granola at the moment! The bowls are cute.
ReplyDeleteLove the bowls - I can understand how they made your heart go skippity hop.
ReplyDeleteBet they're from the supermarket that shall not be named though!
Love the bowls. I must use the wrong supermarket!!
ReplyDeleteWould love to join in the draw.
Love your new bowls, yummy looking porridge as well. I gave up on diets years ago.
ReplyDeletePretty bowls! I think we must get the same brand of porridge -- I recognise those raisins! I'd love to be picked from the bowl. x
ReplyDeleteDesperate to lose some weight, love the bowls, would love another cook book!
ReplyDeleteI borrowed this book from the library and it's since gone on my 'wish list'. It would be lovely if I could win your duplicate copy.
ReplyDeleteYour new bowls are so pretty Gina, I can see why they make you happy :) You have such a lovely positive outlook on life and you always make me smile!
ReplyDeleteLovely bowls! I'm all for healthy eating, just lots of unhealthy eating, too! I did walk up a hill/road today ( you need 1st gear in a car) & altho it nearly killed me almost as much as the one Zumba class I tried, I got a better view! (nothing wrong with Zumba, just too intense for me) Any book that helps would be appreciated, thanks.
ReplyDeleteGreat you signed up with Abel&Co, Gina. I should have told you to mention my name when you did as we would have got a little present for recommending. Never mind. We don't have their cookbook though, so I won't mind my name in the hat.
ReplyDeleteLove for Valentine looking bowls.
Very pretty bowls. Very brave to go swimming at this time of the year - and yes I know the pool is indoors and heated, but ...
ReplyDeleteI think you will enjoy your boxes from Abel and Cole. I have had deliveries for a couple of years and I never check whats in the veg box beforehand. I like the surprise of whats in season and then planning meals around it.
ReplyDeleteLovely bowls!
ReplyDeleteHealthy eating is ace, and I feel ill if I have too much jink food/fat these days.
Liking the look of your bowl and the soup, especially.Lovely as the giveaway is, please don't count me in as we are swimming in cookery books here..........
ReplyDelete