DAY 3 DIARY - A Souper Idea!

I know, it's an awful pun, but I have to keep myself entertained as I sit here surrounded by a weekly planner, a yearly planner, a recipe testing sheet, a load of recipes I need to type up and several suitcases that still need unpacking!!

It's Day 3 of the StealthHealth 28 day fandango and I, for one, am on a roll. So far this week I have managed, in no particular order:

• One 'Express Core' class

• One pilates reformer class

• A 30 minutes circuit session (didn't like that much tbh, I'm more of a pilates girl!)

• 3 healthy breakfasts (Breakfast is Best!)

• Two portions of oily fish (baked mackerel with wilted spinach - yum - and a Salade Nicoise)

• I've only snacked on fruit (slightly addicted to pomelo at the mo, it's like grapefruit on acid)

• And ZERO alcohol

I'm very proud of that last one but I did have to have a 'Refreshingly Light' Fevertree tonic water which I pretended had gin in it (sad!). But all in all I'd say so far so good. I know my willpower will lessen as the days wear on but I am capitalising on being in the right headspace for a health kick while it lasts (on a serious note the whole headspace thing is a really important factor when it comes to changing habits and something I will cover further down the line).

What I want to talk about today are practical ways to incorporate Eating with Awareness in to your daily life. It's all well and good saying we need to be 'aware' and we know this involves actively thinking more about our food choices but how does it shake down in reality when lunch is looming?! I'm going to take you through my day to show you how I implement Eating with Awareness, EWA in action, if you like ...

I kicked off really well with my breakfast as I was trying out a new recipe I'm testing, Mexican Breakfast Salad, I'll share that with you later as it was simple and delish (it's essentially a great combo of eggs, avocado, tomatoes and jalapenos - sounds good right?). It was a breakfast that had good fats, good carbs and protein so it ticked the nutrition boxes.

I had a meeting at school first thing so was busy and went straight on to my exercise class and after that I felt a bit peckish - I do always need to eat something after exercise - and as it happens I was meeting a friend for a coffee at one of my fave coffee shops which has a counter packed with pastry temptations (my achilles heel!). So, I had a chat with myself along the lines of:

Me: Ooooh that almond croissant looks so good

Also me: Yes it does but are you really that hungry?

Me: Well I am quite hungry actually

Also me: Hmmm yeah you have just exercised you do need a snack

Me: Probably what I need is something that will give me energy and I am quite dehydrated

Also me: Yup - look there's a pile of perfect-looking bananas over there and actually there's an apple, carrot and ginger juice on the menu that would be really refreshing

Me: Good idea! I'll have that and I'll feel much better

Also me: Yeah save the croissant for another time when you really, really want it

Good work me! By the way I didn't have this actual chat with myself (I'm not completely doo-lally) but it does kind of explain my internal reasoning.

After navigating the delights of the coffee shop I headed back home and after doing a bit of work it was time for a late-ish lunch, and this is really the point of this post, if you want to help yourself in the quest for healthier eating homemade soup is your friend! I make a really good soup most Sundays, or if I don't have time I'll just buy a good quality one from the supermarket (I keep them in the freezer). The trick is to choose a soup that's satiating, a clear bone broth is not going to cut it or be something you look forward to so leave that one to the hipsters. This week I made the most scrumptious broccoli and pecorino (or you can use Parmesan) soup that is super nutritious, filling and warming (not that I really need it in the 30 degree heat here in Singapore!) which totally hit the spot. Click here for a link to the recipe.

My point is, there are things you can do to help yourself if you want to eat well. A bit of prep and planning pays massive dividends and if you have great food choices on hand when you need them it makes Eating with Awareness a breeze.

I'd really love to know what your fave soup recipes are so please either pop them in the comments below or email me at midlifekitchen@yahoo.com and I will choose the best one to feature on this blog at some stage in the future.

Sam xx

(If you want more info on Eating with Awareness check out my Day 2 Diary post from yesterday - there's a link to a good Ted talk on there too.)