Hello Everybody,

I have to offer my apologies again for the late posting of this week’s meal plan.  Whilst I love school holidays, they really mess up my work schedule!

The other problem I have in the school holidays is maintaining an exercise routine.

I struggle constantly with back ache and arthritis pain in various joints of my body.  When my arthritis is flaring up, it’s very hard to motivate myself to exercise.

What I’ve learnt over the last month or so though, after not doing any regular exercise, is that my aches and pains actually feel 10x worse.  So whilst they say you can’t “out run a bad diet”, exercise is still really important for your general wellbeing.  This is because exercise helps to strengthen muscles and bones.  It also activates your lymphatic system, hormones and digestive tract.  All of these components need to be working correctly to ensure optimal health.  There is also scientific evidence that proves exercise is important for your mental wellbeing too.

The most important thing is to find an exercise/movement type you love.  This can be anything from working out in a gym to dancing around the garden.  It doesn’t matter what type of exercise you do, as long as you can do it regularly and enjoy it as part of your daily lifestyle.  So I’m off now to try and reclaim my exercise routine and do a few yoga stretches – but I may need to get the kids involved too!

Need some inspiration for a type of exercise that might suit you? – check out my post The power of walking.

Here’s this week’s meal plan:-

• Chicken stroganoff and rice
• Homemade quiche and salad (or homemade pizzas for the kids)
• Creamy tarragon chicken, roast potatoes and vegies
• Homemade enchiladas with salad
• Honey prawns and pineapple salad
• BBQ steak with Portobello mushrooms, grilled haloumi cheese and salad

 

Wishing you all a wonderful week.  Let me know in the comments below or on the Facebook page what your favourite exercise is  – the more eccentric the better!.