Disqus for Where Are My Knees

Race for Life - Update - Healthy Eating

Sunday 10 May 2015


When you start out on your Race for Life training weight loss and body toning are not the main focus, most people sign up to make a difference and raise money to help fund cancer research. If you train before the event but don’t normally do any regular exercise it might me a good idea to take a look at what you are eating. It is important that your efforts on the road or the treadmill are complemented by the food you eat.
Here are some tips to help you make the most of your Race for Life experience:

Keep a food diary. Make a note of everything you eat and when you eat it. The food diary will give you a really good idea of the things you need to change about your eating habits and might help you plan to have a post run out snack to hand or eat something to give you energy before you go out and train.

Start counting – not calories, because that takes the enjoyment out of eating. Add up the amount of fats, proteins and carbohydrates you eat during the day. As a guide, you should be looking to eat 2 portions of protein a day (eggs, lean meat, lentils), 5 portions of carbohydrates (pasta, bread, cereal), 3 portions of dairy food (milk, yogurt, cheese) and at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables. (If you are looking to lose weight, keep portion sizes small – a handful of rice/pasta, two medium size potatoes, one egg).

Swap food
. Red and processed meats are linked to bowel cancer so cutting down can help cut the risk. Try chicken curry instead of beef stew or switch from ham to tuna at lunch. Check out Change4Life for lots more ideas.

Plan your menu
. At the start of each week plan your main meals. Taking an overview of the whole week will enable you to see if you are getting the proportions of protein, carbohydrate and fat right. It will also help you with your weekly food shop and help you cut out buying high fat/high calorie food stuffs.

Here are some of the foods I have been eating recently, I'm trying to eat plenty of fruit, veg and protein but still feel satisfied:



Consider what you are snacking on. Crisps, cakes, biscuits and chocolates are tasty but empty calories – they have a high sugar content but they will not fill you up or give you the long-term energy you need. They give you a quick boost of energy which will soon drop leading to you becoming tired. After a work out, it is important that you re-fuel. If you do your run and then go straight to work without eating something, you will soon begin to feel hungry and this is the time you will chose to eat unwise snacks. It is really important that you drink plenty of water throughout the day. This will keep you alert, keep you healthy and can also counter hunger pangs.

For more tips on getting on track with your training download the Race for Life app, which provides advice and support in the build up to your race.

Are you taking part in Race for Life this year? How has your Race for Life training been going? I've had a few injuries and even some stitches so mine hasn't been great but I've been focusing on drinking more water and eating more fresh food and meals cooked from scratch.



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Superdrug Wellbeing Hamper

Wednesday 6 May 2015

I love Superdrug and have written about their wonderful Cardiff Beauty Studio in the past. They have a commitment to ethical trading and lobby government to reduce Value Added Tax on products they believe to be essential to customers health and they ensure that their own brand cosmetics, toiletries and household ranges carry the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection BUAV leaping bunny logo which means they have not been tested on animals by Superdrug or our manufacturers. (They also don't avoid over a billion pounds worth of tax like Boots) All of this means they are my first stop when it comes to stocking up on holiday essentials and toiletries.

I've taken a few tumbles recently resulting in some stitches so I feel like my body needs to TLC and a good pamper so I was very pleased to receive a box of products that are exclusive to Superdrug to try out.



Lighterlife Fast Shakes and Lighterlife Fast Meal Replacement Bars - I love Lighterlife Fast products and have reviewed them on here before. For me they provide an easy way to reduce some bloating and lose the holiday/Christmas weight that can pile on so quickly. 5:2 dieting is a big trend right now but on a fast day, it’s almost impossible to get all your recommended daily allowances (RDAs) of the essential vitamins and minerals your body needs if you were to prepare meals yourself. LighterLife Fastpacks are specially formulated nutritional food options that contain all the protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals required. The idea behind LighterLife Fast is to make life easier on those fast days providing you with four LighterLife Fastpacks  for those 600 calorie days. Super easy!


Scholl Luxury Pedicure Set - Scholl's Luxury Pedicure Set exclusive to Superdrug, includes the best-selling and ready to use Velvet Smooth Express Pedi Gadget and Intense Serum. I absolutely loved this, it left my feet looking and feeling good. I won't be ashamed to wear my sandals on holiday on June with this set. No more cracked heels and dry skin for me. 



Barebar Apple & Cinnamon - BareBar is a natural snack bar made only from pure, nutritious fruits and berries. The product is suitable for anyone as it is free from lactose, glucose, additives and animal-derived ingredients, BareBar is the perfect choice for those with dietary restrictions. These retail for £1.29 and are the perfect tasty snack.


Leader Detox Smoothie - I'm way too lazy to chop up loads of fruit and veg to make a smoothie and I've never got 10 different ingredients in my house to blend up so this sachet is perfect for someone like me or to take to work. All-in-one” Superfood Smoothies are made from the pure and natural ingredients and contain a balanced mix of essential dietary components like herbs, fruits and vegetables.You just add water, mix and drink. No messy blenders to clean up after either, hurrah!


Barefoot Peppermint and Plum Foot Lotion - Great smelling product that left my feet feeling super smooth and hydrated. This £4 tube will last you ages as you only need a small amount. 


Silver Line Complete Skin Beauty Tablets - This pack contains 28 days worth of Vitamin, Zinc, Argan Oil and Wheatgerm tablets meaning you take three tablets in total each day with a meal.I have to be careful when I take these because I take medication for my acne that stops working if you take them the same time as you take Zinc but I'm OK if I take it at different times of the day. Wheatgerm capsules offer numerous skin benefitting properties, ranging from softening and moisturising your skin to boosting its regenerative powers. It’s an excellent anti-ageing oil, works well to diminish fine lines and wrinkles and also generally supports a healthy, glowing complexion. The argan oil capsules promote overall skin health. It’s perfect for skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema and acne rosacea, but is also great simply for nourishing and feeding the skin. I might report back on these after taking them for a month.


Have you tried any of these products before? What are your 'must have' products to help you feel healthy?