HAPPY CHRISTMAS!...Now Eat your sprouts and drop a dress size!

A drum roll just wont cut it this time - full on fireworks are required for this announcement!!
Some weeks ago, you may remember, I set myself the target of dropping another dress size before Christmas..... And today was the day..... I am now the proud owner of a size 10 pair of trousers!    Truly, I am lost for words....,, even better ....that is a US size  6!

I  am living proof that undertaking the Intermittent Fasting lifestyle really can achieve significant changes in weight and size but, alongside that, I can also now report that my feeling towards food has fundamentally changed.   Yesterday was my birthday...... And I chose to spend it on a light day.... Or 500 calories.  

To be honest, this time of year is pretty tough with Xmas lunches, office parties, drinks with friends etc and I've had my fair share in recent days...... However the limited over-indulgence I have experienced so far this season in fact made me feel quite ropey.   I seem to have developed a low level intolerance particularly to refined foods which are in abundance at this time of year.   So after a few days of eating and drinking all sorts of Christmas fare, it was blissful to have a day of eating little and light.  Believe it or not, it felt like a treat.

So what now?..... What is the next target?...size 8?   To be honest I'm not looking for another drop in dress size or another stone to lose..... I'd simply like now to maintain a healthy weight and size and continue to improve my health through  nutritional choice and exercise.   I'll continue intermittent fasting to help me do this and will continue to post my progress.  

However, I also want to broaden this blog to pursue other issues such as sustainability, and general health and well being particularly on the changes people can make to avoid long term health problems (particularly age related).

 
I called this blog 'Walk Lighter' as it encompasses the obvious - weight loss -  but more importantly it refers to the ways in which people can reduce their impact on the earth through the choices they make - particularly around consumption and lifestyle. 

Nutrition tip
This being Christmas 'n' all - I thought I would keep with the festive theme and talk about the most controversial of yuletide vegetables - the humble brussel sprout..... which I have to say I absolutely adore!!

Low in calories but packed with anti-oxidants, these fine mini cabbages are a nutritional powerhouse and excellently offset all the other lets say 'less nutritionally rich' foods we eat at Christmas! 

In half a cup of sprouts you get 2grams of protein and only 28 calories. You'll get 2 grams of essential soluble fibre which lowers cholesterol and aids the digestive system, preventing constipation - crucial at Christmas!

Most of all, though, sprouts are packed with no less than 20 essential vitamins and minerals, most notably vitamin C which can help boost the immune system, vitamin A which is essential to health eyesight and vitamin K.  Vitamin K is vital to the blood's ability to clot and it also helps to strengthen bones. 

There are 47 micrograms of folate in half a cup of sprouts - which supports healthy red blood cells and helps to prevent neural tube defects in pregnant women.

In addition sprouts are a very rich source of potassium which helps to regulate blood pressure as well as vitamin E, B vitamins, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, copper, zinc, selenium and manganese.

Wait....there's more....... Brussel sprouts are a member of the family of cruciferous vegetables, which have cancer prevention properties.  They contain compounds which elimniate carcinogens from the body.  These compounds can also reduce the risk of heart attacks.

So for those of you who complain about eating your Christmas day sprouts - you might want to think again.......!  And they don't need to be boiled to hell - you can do all sorts of wonderful things with them such as sauteing them with pancetta, serving them with shallots and roasted chestnuts etc etc,..... for more ideas, go here to the BBC Good Food website: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/recipes/christmas/christmas-sprout/