To think a 'healthy lifestyle' is quite challenging in a hectic life with work and family commitments?

[mids2019]

So I have been diagnosed with high blood pressure and the GP has advocates 150 minutes exercise a week, balanced diet, low stress etc

Am I the only one thinking with family, work and household commitments this can be a bit of a challenge?

I can do 2.5 hours at the gym but it means in reality eating into family time. The dies maybe be possible but I think I would end up preparing my own meals and time is a factor.

I completely understand where the GP is coming from and the advice is welcome but seems a real challenge to follow.

Am I the only one to feel like this?

Have you read Ultra Processed People? It might make you see things differently. Most jar sauces are ultra processed and very Much part of the problem. Along with the other factors you mention.

We have a miscommunication here. You think that I'm talking about every single foodstuff that is no longer in its natural state.

I'm not talking about every single foodstuff on earth that isn't in its natural state such as butter. I'm talking about food which is made from low quality ingredients and has a lot of added sugar, salt and preservatives.

I thought that was clear from the way I've repeatedly said that I'm talking about jarred food that has a lot of sugar, salt and preservatives added to it.

I'm not the problem here. I understand that jarred food is not as good for you as food made from scratch. I assumed this was well known but obviously not.

there is a massive difference between processed food and ultra processed food @soupyspoon. Processed food like cheese and butter and flour Are fine. It’s the UPFs that are the ones to watch.

Out of interest I have just been checking the ingredients in pasta sauce jars. Most include modified corn starch. If you read up on what that is and what They do to it, you wouldn’t eat it again.

Then you shouldnt leap up and start talking abut processed foods as a blanket then should you

The terms, 'bad for you' , 'not as good for you' have absolutely no meaning unless you're talking about high level poison (and I would include some, but not all UPFs in that) but thats not what you referred to, you referred to 'processed foods'. Preservatives, salt and sugar are not 'bad', its about proportion and weekly/monthly intake.

I have to scratch cook everything due to my dietary needs so Ive got no skin in the game for jar manufactuers, but blanket statements like yours do no one any good, its extreme and unhelpful for people who are trying to make tweaks to their health and lifestyle.

I know, I dont eat UPFs, I know what Im talking about!

Poster referred to processed foods not UPFs. A jar of sauce that I posted, even with modified corn starch (I use corn starch in my cooking sometimes) is not a UPF

This obsession and extreme thinking is really not going to get our country to a healthy state.

This obsession and extreme thinking is really not going to get our country to a healthy state.

This thread was unusually sensible for MNs healthy tips, of course it wouldn't last.

@mids2019 I have the Yuka app & find that pretty good if you do need to pick up something quickly. Some foods were a lot healthier than I imagined & vice versa.

You don’t have to do anything drastic. Just be mindful about portion sizes and getting enough different foods in. But don’t obsess over it or make food that’s entirely different from the rest of the family. Surely they should be eating a balanced diet too?

exercise can seem like a huge deal but it’s really not. Try walking a bit more. Or try C25K. It’s literally 30 mins out of your day a few times a week. Once it becomes your routine you’ll find things naturally fit around it.

stress is harder, life can be stressful and there’s not much you can do about that. But I’ve found that regular exercise helps me to combat stress. So maybe it’ll help you too 🤷‍♀️.

It's hard but possible. My routine:
2x a week I:
Leave for work at 6.30 am
In summer run the 2.5km to the station then the 2.6 km at the other end
There ar showers at work and I keep clothes there.
Back at home at 7 after doing same route on reverse = 10km
The other 2 days I commute I do one run when I get to work at about 7.30, one day off.
In Fridays I run at lunchtime for about 5k if work allows, it mostly doesn't.
At weekends I do either 2x5k or 1x8k run, or I do something active with the kids.

In winter I have a rowing machine in the house and I do about 5k on it while dinner is in the oven, or while the kids are watching TV. It's actually much easier to fit in, at the moment I'm averaging about 30k a week on it.

Work trips are great because the hotel has a gym and I get up at 5 to get a workout in before work.

When low on energy, I take a few days off cardio and do about 150 squats with some weights in front of the TV.

Obviously that's not a realistic starting point for you but post babies I was slowly working up to this mainly walking buggies and stuff. I work long hours full time, I'm 47 and my kids are 6.9 and 11. I have prioritised fitness but I'm not off for hours at weekends.

If it has modified corn starch in it, it is a UPF. Modified corn starch is not the corn starch you use in your kitchen. It is an industrially produced product. Not a good you’d want to eat. Sorry but I think you’re wrong.

Far too much drama over ingredients 🙈

Eat a mostly healthy diet and do a bit of exercise and you’ll be fine.

I know its not the same as whats in my kitchen, but there are UPFs lijke a krispey kereme donut thing and there are processed foods, there isnt a hard line where one thing is this or that. There are shades of grey in meeting your nutritional needs, a jar of sauce, like the one I linked to, not a problem, serve it to OPs hearts delight with some veg on some pasta, yes shop bought dried pasta out of a bag, or mix with some meat or fish or whatever she wants to do with it, that is a good meal, easy for her to do (if she likes that sort of thing)

People are throwing the bathwater out with the baby by banging on about a jar of sauce that is predominately tomatoes, garlic, herbs and oil and frothing about UPFs when our weight problems are in this county are from factors as I listed above.

@Switcher wowsers, 3 dc & you fit that all in! I finish work at 3pm but then it's play dates, homework, dc's activities etc by 7pm I'm exhausted 😆.

I am going to try & fit in a 30 min youtube thing though.

@mids2019 After a stressful time at work a while ago I wasn't sleeping, grinding teeth etc my GP said to allow myself time to stop & prioritise spending time with friends & family. I had found myself not doing as much with friends because I needed to do X or Y. It made a real difference to my anxiety & stress levels.

I do and have bought jarred stuff (I'm not superwoman and need to take short cuts). I just read the ingredients carefully and they are more expensive. However, when you taste the difference between what you make yourself and stuff that's been stored in the jar, it's obvious what the freshest way is.

And now that I'm growing a lot of my own as well, that's another step up and I find I have better energy levels.

I do realise that it’s not worth arguing over a jar of sauce. But there is a line between processed and ultra Processed.

Anyway, I came to help the op how to fit exercise into her busy life, not how to make her tea. The only question I asked about food is why she has to cook two meals.

Batch cook. I work 48-72h a week as a Dr so have to batch cook else I'd eat awfully unhealthy. I force myself to do 3-4x 45mins gym classes a week for exercise and mh. Thankfully can now cycle to work as no longer doing a 3h commute to London! One of my bosses put this up in a teaching session and it's kinda stuck with me

The only way I do it is to remind myself that if my health gives up, everything falls apart. So it's absolutely top priority to do that excercise. More important than 20 minutes extra family time, relaxation time, socialising, everything. On a par with personal hygiene and regular meals. It has to be done.

@mids2019
What does your daily routine look like? What do you normally do at weekends?

Thank you all!!!!