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)

MrsC I find myself spending a lot of time thinking about how I can safely give ds some of the freedom that I had myself as a child. It isn't always easy. With regards to that, and also Swallows and Amazons, I have a friend who loves them and told me the greatest quote from the books. Correct me if I am wrong TooT but the children want to go on this sailing trip and the mother wires the father to ask his opinion. The message comes back

"Better drowned than duffers. If not duffers, won't drown."

I am planning to make this the mainstay of my parenting philosophy this year

Oh what a great idea Avi, I will try to reread that as well. I didn't actually agree with a lot of it when I first read it, despite seeing what she was getting it, just because ds was still under a year old and I was the most inordinately hands on mother ever. I think my philosophy is don't put them down for a year or two, then chuck them out in the garden and leave them

I checked just to make sure I wasn't mangling the 'duffers' quote, but it was fresh in my mind because she only told me a few weeks ago and I thought it was so marvellous.

So when did you live in Sydney? We need the aviatrix potted life history pls

That is a splendid quote.

I have memorised it already. Although I think I agree with the sentiment rather literal meaning! Oh well, he drowned, what a duffer!

That book sounds interesting too. Ds1 is 10 this year and I've never really read any parenting books. Now I'm grabbing them all, how to raise happy children, mothers and daughters, baby's first year and so on. Mine definitely need more freedom.

Does jam count?

LOL MrsCarrot is that you feeling fruity?

Has anyone read this one?

oh, my friend has that one Lionhart, she thinks it's great, I haven't read it though. Is it a bit like Toxic Childhood?

And there must be TONS of strawberries in a pot of jam, and you did say no restrictions other than the fruit and veg, Franny, so I guess chutney would count too would it

I haven't read it but thought it looked interesting ... I was hoping someone would come and save me the effort.
It is probably a close twin of Toxic Childhood, which I haven't read either.

I like the look of that one, lionheart, might see if local library can get it for me

mind you, toxic childhood has too much to say about me sitting on the laptop to make it entirely comfortable reading!

will skip that one then

ds knows the difference between a moor hen and a coot

Avi mine is too too dull, really

I thought it was a very subtle change that no-one would notice for ages

Good lord. I presume you live near an air base?

sorry MrsC

hoooooold on

you really ARE an aviatrix?

any room for a new member?

Lullabyloo by all means please join us! We normally just post what we have eaten, if we have done any exercise (quite rare for some of us ) and then ramble on about other stuff in between. But we can be also be quite helpful if you want specific advice on how to improve your diet or become more active, or just how to cram in your 10 portions a day.

Thanks
am on a fitness mission
3x 15 min sessions on my new love....my elliptical trainer which is burning off between 350 & 400 calories a time.

breakfast = fruit salad or veg juice or smoothie
lunch = salad with some kind of protein
dinner = veg soup or bean dish or brown rice & veg etc

drinking gallons of water,nettle & dandelion tea..feeling loads better.

Have never liked going to the gym...but having a machine at home is fab.

Oh GOOD we need some exercise bunnies

most of us are lazy wastrels who sit around eating rhubarb all day and reading books

so today have had a grapefruit for breakfast,
rocket,watercress,spring onion,cucumber,beetroot,alfaalfa,tomato,pepper,& tofu salad
dinner will be quinoa & roasted veg with rocket.