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Top Tips For Keeping Your Family Fit
Here are some great tips to help you keep your whole family fit.
1.) Make it mandatory
Getting the family out and active isn’t a choice. If you give children the option to come on a hike or stay inside and play on their computer, you know what they’ll choose. Instead, make it mandatory. Consider including the family outing with other errands. For example, go for a family hike and then go to the grocery store or out to lunch.
2.) Make it a family activity
Children are much more likely to engage in fitness activities if everyone is doing it. Create regular family outings. For example, ride your bikes, go for an evening walk as a family. On the weekends, engage in larger activities. such as going on hikes, go to a climbing centre, swimming pool or a bike ride. If you have a dog, you can all go out for a dog walk.
3.) Continue to model good fitness behaviour
Children really do pay attention to what you do. When you are active they’ll be more likely to adopt an active lifestyle. Avs and I will always have a very active weekend. Avs trains in front of the kids at home, they even join in with whatever exercise she does.
When you head out to exercise, remember to keep your language positive. If your children think you view exercise as a chore, they will too.
4.) Limit screen time
If your television, computer and gaming systems are turned off, your children will likely be at a loss for what to do. They’ll be more likely to go outside or to engage in active play.
Consider giving them a screen time allowance. They’re allowed 1 hour a day, 6 hours a week, depending on their age – whatever seems realistic for your family. That way when they use their allowance up, they’re done. No more screen time!
5.) Make it fun
Remember to find activities that your children enjoy. If you love hiking and your children really dislike it, then hiking is going to become a chore. If they love playing football or running around at the playground or soft Playcentre, then make time for those activities.
When you pay attention to the likes and dislikes of everyone, they’ll have a much more positive attitude about exercise.
Getting active as a family is about changing habits. Look for ways you can get people off the sofa and moving. Walk or ride bikes to school. Go to the park. Engage in activities that everyone loves. Have fun!
Keith
A Dinner Time Favourite – Chicken and Mustard
This Chicken and Mustard dish is one of our favourite dinner time recipes. It’s taken from the Jamie Oliver 30 minutes cook book and is by far the best tasting chicken dish there is because even the kids love it! Winner!
The original recipe is served with dauphinoise potatoes and leafy greens, but we choose to forgoe the potatoes.
Ingredients
- A few sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 6 x chicken thighs
- 4tsp English mustard powder
- 3 baby leeks or 1 large leek
Chicken and Mustard – Jamie Oliver 30 minute meals
- 4 cloves of garlic
- White wine
- 75ml single cream
- 1 heaped tsp wholegrain mustard
METHOD
TO START: Put a medium saucepan and a large ovenproof frying pan on a low heat and turn the oven on to 220C. Fill and boil the kettle. Turn the heat under the frying pan up to medium. Pick and finely chop the leaves from the rosemary sprigs and sprinkle them into the pack of chicken. Sprinkle 1tsp of mustard powder over each thigh, then season and drizzle some olive oil over the chicken and in the frying pan. Massage and rub these ingredients into the chicken. Continue by putting the chicken thighs into the pan, skin side down. Wash your hands well. Press down on the chicken to help it cook. It should take around 18 minutes in total. Trim the leeks and halve lengthways. Wash them under the cold tap, then finely slice them and add to one side of the chicken pan. Crush 4 unpeeled cloves of garlic into the pan of chicken. Flip the chicken thighs skin side up, then press down on them again. Stir the leeks and add a good swig of white wine. Check the chicken is cooked through, then pour 75ml of cream into the frying pan. Turn the heat off. Transfer the chicken thighs to a board and slice into uneven pieces. Stir 1 heaped tsp of wholegrain mustard into the sauce, then taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Spoon the sauce on to a platter and put the chicken on top. Drizzle over some extra virgin olive oil and take straight to the table along with the veg you choose to have.
You can serve as it is with the chicken, leeks and potatoes, or you can choose to add a side of greens, perhaps some spinach or chard…
Enjoy
Keith
Winter Warmer Butter Bean and Chorizo Stew
As the weather gets colder the last thing I want for lunch is a salad, I just crave warm home cooked food. It’s so much easier to make the wrong food choices in the winter! So for lunch today I found a lovely recipie for a winter warmer Butter Bean and Chorizo Stew, and it only took 20 minutes. Bounus!
Ingredients
200g cooking chorizo
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
2 x 400g cans drained butter beans
1 tub fresh pesto
Firstly, slice the chorizo and tip into a large saucepan over a medium heat. Fry gently for 5 minutes or until starting to turn dark brown.
Add the tomatoes and butter beans, then bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
Swirl through the pesto and season lightly. Spoon the stew into bowls and serve.
This stew is great eaten as it is, or with quinoa.
Enjoy!
Healthy New Year’s Resolutions You Will Want to Keep
Healthy New Year’s Resolutions You Will Want to Keep
Well it’s that time of year again! The yearly tradition of making new years resolutions that majority don’t end up keeping. The one that so many people all over the world make is to take better care of themeselves, living a healthier lifestyle through diet and exercise.
So why is so hard to keep this resolution?
They are just not specific enough to follow through on. If you’re looking for a healthy New Year’s resolution you will want to keep, consider these seven resolutions.
Photo by Anna Pelzer on Unsplash
1.) I will stop drinking soft and sugary drinks –
There is so so much sugar in soft drinks! Yes even the ones that zero sugar are going to pile on the pounds! We consume so much sugar through what we drink, that it’s often not even thought about, and adds unnecessary weight as well as affecting blood sugar levels.
So put down the soft drinks and replace it with water! If you need a bit more flavour add some natural flavouring, such as mint leaves, lemon, or fruit.
2.) I will eat fruits and vegetables with every meal and as a snack –
Many of us still don’t eat very much fruit and vegetables.
It’s not as difficult as you might think. You can have fruits or veggies for your snacks. Add an apple or berries to your breakfast. A smoothie can have as many as three servings of fruit or vegetables.
Add greens to lunch and dinner and you’re well on your way to getting the nutrients your body needs each day.
3.) I will try a new fruit or vegetable each month –
This one is definietly one that we could do in our house! It so easy to get stuck in a rut with fruit and veg. Eating a variety of different furiut and vegetables is much healthier. When you add a new one to your diet each month, you’re broadening your nutritional horizons.
4.) I will switch to wholemeal bread –
Swap your white bread for wholemeal bread. This is an easy change to make and it’ll add more healthy whole grains to your diet. If you really want to make a change, try cutting out bread all together! It will make a huge difference.
5.) I will eat fewer sugary treats –
Reducing your sugary snacks is probably one of the toughest challenges as sugar is incredibly addictive. If you eat sugary treats a couple of times a day, as many do. Try reducing to one a day, then every other day until you reach one a week. Switch those sugar filled snacks with healthier alternatives.
6.) I will reduce the amount of caffine i drink-
Caffine can be another tough one for many. Cutting back on caffine can be difficult especially with early mornings and a lot of desk work, so switch your caffine for herbal teas or water.
As you’re looking forward to your New Year and contemplating resolutions, be specific. Help yourself achieve success by setting specific goals designed to help you lose weight and get healthier.
Keith