Plenty of carrots and no sticks - 10 / 10 thread - all welcome

[FrannyandZooey]

For anyone who wants a boost to their general health. The suggested goals are:

EAT 10 PORTIONS OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES EVERY DAY - if you don't usually eat much fruit and veg I would build up gradually or you could upset your digestion.

DO (AT LEAST) 10 MINUTES OF EXERCISE EVERY DAY - can be yoga, stretching or something more energetic. The plan is that the idea of doing 10 minutes is not too daunting, and having started you may well find you want to do more.

There are no restrictions on what you eat so long as you get your 10 fruit and veg as well. The focus is not on weight loss but on improving our energy levels and hopefully our general mood and well-being. Sign up below and post here to tell us how you're getting on and how you are feeling.

Basic guidance on what constitutes a portion of fruit and veg here and you can download more detailed information here (follow the link at the very bottom of the page)

hello people, been off MN for a couple of days. I loved soapnuts when i tried them but not in winter when you can't hang things out to dry and get a lovely smell....

I am shocked at myself, I realised this morning that without the boys being here, I have bought no fruit . to be fair, I haven't done a shop this week, just been picking at whatever's in thefridge. And we are having salad for dinner.

Tooticky- no choc for two weeks? Wow, that is impressive. I went off it while pregnant but am making up for it now. Thanks for the tip about homeopathy, lo was actually given something before for his 'mucousness' and it seemed to help. Will be going back monday to get some more!

Vegetable soup for lunch, apples all afternoon and lots of herbs on potatoes with dinner, sugar snap peas, mange tout, red pepper. Hmm, it's not even nearly ten is it? Must try harder

ENTP - I wasn't sure until I saw the results. It is impressive.

I've been wondering that.
Bet they've run off to a newer, fresher thread.

Sorry chaps, I have been lying on the sofa ill all week and at dp's mercy for what I eat etc

the results have been unimpressive frankly

do you want a new thread for tomorrow? I promise to try not to cough all over it

Hiya Franny, I know you've not been well. I think without your shining example and whip the others slink away to eat cake and chips in the bushes.

LOL

I think we are usually a bit slack at the weekends

I have great intentions to get back to the gym once I am over this - I am convinced I would not have suffered with it for so long had I been fitter

poor Franny. Have some wholesome leek soup....

It's nearly my birthday and I have been out and done dancing to Led Zep cover versions and everything, and am off to Dublin on Tuesday so there'll be feck all chance of much F&V for a coupla days I'm imagining.

Uh oh re book

Huzzah re mooncup

poor dp - he can cook but finds it something easier to dispense with while in charge of looking after ds as well. The freezer is full of stuff I have cooked, as well - he just reverts to batchelor ways as a default I think

FMF you must have some SPECIAL BIRTHDAY FRUIT

I've dropped hints to DH about my birthday tradionally being the first day of the year day I have cherries (them being £4million pounds each this early )

Filthymindedvixen- you could always have a birthday cake covered in cream and fresh fruit like cherries and peaches. Yum!

Franny- do you still have a cold? Tut tut. I'm going to whisper this very quietly again...

GARGLE WITH SOME BLOODY SALT SAGE AND CIDER VINEGAR AND YOUR COLD WILL GO AS IT KILLS IT IN THE BACK OF THE THROAT!

ENTP- I really don't know about homeopathy either, very hard to believe about tiny drops of this or that, like it's not even there, but, sometimes it works. Can't understand how, maybe it's psychological, in which case it sort of works anyway iyswim. Saw you on that other milk thread, can't believe some of those suggestions. Putting nesquick or ovaltine in milk to get them to drink it. WTF? think the dairy speech might be a lost cause there though. I might ask if he has allergies.

Tootocky- Have just dug out a copy of Swallows and Amazons upstairs and intend to read it to ds1! Also have just booked a tipi for our summer hols so can maybe recreate some magic, or just chill out anyway.

Only one bowl of fruit salad today. This thread is great though as I think of it when cooking and chop up extra portions of veg, having three or four kinds with a meal rather than one or two. It really helps to write it down. Can't say the same for exercise though, but it's the rain. Honestly

bloody salt? Do they sell that in Holland and Barrat then?

For Franny

don't shout I am poorly

I have had a small chat (well, snivel) with dp, and we have had salad for lunch and he is cooking some of the 4 kilos of rhubarb, plus making a fruit salad

he also says if I am complaining about my situation I must be On The Mend

There there, don't cry, just do as you're told

MrsC I have read it and if we had any in the house I would bathe in it

no I am not making it even though there is a recipe there

Oops didn't scroll down to the recipe, you don't make it for god's sake, ignore that bit, you buy it from your green grocers or indeed Sainsburys. Aspalls organic cyder vinegar. Very tasty on salads or fish and chips too.

here

I think Overrun disappeared during her move and hasn't been heard of since. Hope she comes back to us soon...

Dp cooked rhubarb which was eaten with cream, and made a big fruit salad for us all with grapes, pineapple, apple, pear and orange in. Halle-lordy-lujah. I do feel better actually.

MrsC, a tipi?
Hope he enjoys the book. How old is he?

Have only eaten spinach and a handful of cherry tomatoes today.

Yes, ENTP, everyone seems to think they're practically a case for social services if their children don't have 'a pinta milka day'. Ds1 has just pointed out Margaret Thatcher on the tv (it started with swap shop) and said 'is she the one you said was the milk snatcher?' What a coincidence, perhaps she knew the perils of excess mucous . Yes, sadly, I think the promotion will continue while there are dairy farmers to go out of business, such a shame they can't subsidise them to start up lovely organic farms. Where are you off too, somewhere nice? Very confusing all this name changing btw!!

Tooticky- He's 9, and actually, after lots of threads recently like Franny's happy memories one and the how old do you let your children out one, I am worrying that he doesn't have enoough freedom to be creating the memories that I want him to have, does that make sense? Our house goes straight out onto a road that cars race down, and I just don't trust him to check properly. Am probably too overprotective, I was out on my own long before now. I'm hoping Swallows and A will inspire me!

Yes, I'm extremely excited about the tipi, only booked it this morning after seeing it in an eco holiday supplement. It's more like a cottage price than camping but I can't face the work involved this year. I have been a fairly hardened camper before, we used to stay in a field behind some sand dunes for 4 or 5 weeks of the holidays but that place has become a bit rough now, not so suitable for families, and with LO this year, I'm up for driving there, dumping the car and having everything set up already. Bliss!

God I'm rabbiting on , sorry, have ardly mentioned veg. Loads, actually but have run out of time to write them down.