Children and obesity

Such a shame that while many children (18%) in the UK aged 5-19 were categorised as overweight or  obese --a big jump since 1975 when it was just 4%.

Also people appear to accept that children are a bit bigger and heavier and accept it as the norm.

Unfortunately 22% of girls aged 11-18 and 11% of boys years are not getting enough calcium at a critical time when they are growing.

There seems a big gap between boys and girls

Calcium is needed for bone health so items like cheese, milk and yogurt are really useful in providing this important mineral

WORLD DIABETES DAY

Diet is so important in managing diabetes that I thought  people may like to know of my book

"food meds and more"

Over the last 20 years, many people have asked us for advice on living with diabetes, from lifestyle choices to what to eat on a daily basis. We have now produced a book that we hope will answer those questions, with an emphasis on lifestyle, dietary information and recipes.

The book covers: Meals – recipes and ideas for meals and snacks to include; everyday recipes – breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert; Weight loss recipes; Recipes for specials diets – coeliac disease, vegetarian, vegan; Recipes and advice for snacks, takeaways, eating out and travel; Recipes and advice for parties, with a section about alcohol Management – the different types of diabetes and information on lifestyle issues, including treatment and prevention of hypoglycaemia, advice about physical activity and exercise, and guidance around sick days.

Medication – the ways Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are treated, with information on different types of meals and how these link with insulin, medication and physical activity. We want people to know what they can eat, rather than what they can’t. We understand from experience that healthy eating means different things to different people, and we also differentiate between lifestyle essentials and lifestyle choices. This book is not only about everyday meals and snacks, but contains recipes for special diets, special occasions, exercising, travelling, and if your blood glucose levels are high or low.

All proceeds from the sale of this book will help IDDT to continue its work to help people who live with diabetes.

COTTAGE PIE

Lovely recipe from 

Cottage Pie

Serves 4
30 minutes preparation time and 30-45 minutes cooking time

 400g lean minced beef
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed or chopped
1 tablespoon Worcester sauce (optional)
1 large carrot, cut into small pieces
1-2 tablespoons tomato puree
50g frozen peas
1 beef stock cube
1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
500g potatoes
2-3 tablespoons  skimmed milk
1 tablespoon vegetable spread (such as olive or sunflower)
 pepper to season

Method

• Preheat oven to 200C or gas mark 6.

For the filling

• Warm the oil in a large sauce or frying pan.  Add the chopped onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes without colouring.
• Add the minced beef, and continue to cook until browned
• Add the stock cube, canned tomatoes, tomato puree, Worcester sauce and carrot pieces
• Bring to the boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes.  The sauce should thicken nicely.
• Add frozen peas and continue to simmer for 5 minutes, season with pepper

For the topping

• Peel the potatoes and cut into egg sized pieces. Boil for about 20 minutes or until tender
• Drain the potatoes, add the vegetable spread and milk and mash until smooth and creamy

Making the pie

• Put the meat filling into a casserole or baking dish, and top with the mashed potato
• Bake for 45 minutes (30 minutes from hot), until golden brown on top
• Serve on its own or with seasonal vegetables

Recipe tip:  Try adding canned beans to the meat mixture instead of peas, adding chopped mushrooms or for a smoother sauce puree the chopped tomatoes before adding to the pan.

Per 100g

Low fat, saturates, sugar, medium salt 

Per serving

 Energy: 325 Kcals/ 1364 Kjoules   Fat: 12.3g   Saturates:  3.3g Sugars: 13.8g   Salt: 2.2g

Porridge

Lovely porridge recipes on the Heart Heath website

BEANS

I always use lots of pulses in cooking so like the ideas from the bean institute. Some slimmers may like to see the following-

Weight Watchers popular point system has long taken the guesswork out of dieting and healthful eating. Every food is assigned a point value where the most nutrient-dense foods receive the fewest points. By choosing foods that fit within their personal points “budget,” participants are encouraged to eat more of the most nutritious foods. The plan has always included a handful of “free” foods, primarily fruits and vegetables, which have no points. Now, in their new FreeStyle program, Weight Watchers has expanded the list of Zero Point foods to include even more healthful choices like dried beans. According to Weight Watchers, beans and other Zero Point foods belong at the center of healthy eating patterns and there is no reason to measure or limit these foods. Even if you aren’t involved with Weight Watchers, you can feel good about eating beans to your heart’s content.

HOSPITAL GOVERNORS

I have just taken over as acting lead Governor at Kettering General Hospital NHS Trust 

Being a Governor is extremely rewarding and we have a number of Governors active in many areas of helping to improve matters.

I always encourage people to  become a member of l Hospital Trusts  and to stand for election as a Governor.

Council of Governors

What is a Governor?

Governors provide an important link between the hospital and the local health community, enabling us to gather views from local people and to feedback what is happening within the Trust.  They reflect your interests and are working on your behalf to improve health services for the future.  By passing on ideas and suggestions you can help them carry out their role effectively. Who are your Governors? Meet your Governors

If you would like to contact your Governor please e-mail council.members@kgh.nhs.uk

The full Council of Governors is made of two groups. The first group is elected by members from their own area. These are called constituencies. The second group will be appointed by key organisations that work closely with the Trust.

What is the Council of Governors?

The Board of Directors (the Trust Board) is accountable to the Council of Governors.  In addition to monitoring the performance of the Trust, the Council has a wider role which includes ensuring that the local community and staff have a greater say in how services are developed and delivered by the NHS Foundation Trust.

What Governors do?

Governors have two roles – statutory duties that they have to carry out and non-statutory duties that are carried out in agreement between the Trust and the Council.

The statutory duties are:

• Selecting and appointing the Chairman and Non Executive Directors
• Approving the appointment of a Chief Executive
• Approving the salary of the Chairman and Non Executive Directors
• Advising the hospital’s Board of Directors on a range of issues
• Attending meetings of the Council
• Appointing the Trust’s External Auditor
• Receiving the annual reports and accounts

The non-statutory duties which we hope to develop will be:

• Participating in Council working groups and contributing to Council activities
• Assessing the patient and visitor experience and helping in the development of improvement programmes
• Understanding the requirements of the Code of Governance of NHS Foundation Trusts published by Monitor (and available to view on the Monitor website at www.monitor-nhsft.gov.uk)
• Developing the Membership Strategy and increasing membership
• Publishing a quarterly newsletter distributed to all members
• Discussing the hospital’s future development

BEANS and PULSES

I often cook with beans and there are lots of lovely recipes from this site http://beaninstitute.com/beanbite

Also lots of information on nutrition.