Hi Matrika and Chameleonbeetle,

Thanks for your suggestions – they make sense to me. I’m just so thankful that this is all proving so easy!
The only real extra effort is on the part of my wife who is having to cook some different recipes for the evening meal, but to be
honest, she’s a great cook and is enjoying it.

We’re both certainly enjoying the food and would carry on with a lot of the recipes whether the were healty or not – they taste so good.

Just one more week to go. I’ve already achieved the weight loss I was hoping for so am really chuffed. How are you both getting on?

Hi chameleonbeetle when my son was young he would. ONLY have home made lentil soup or beans for breakfast so you are not alone 🙂

Really sorry, I’m no nutritionist, but…
If you do cut carbs,and eat a rich whole food Mediterranean diet with good fats, plenty of veg and some carbs from whole grains as a side dish not the main event and avoid processed food and the evils of sugar in all its forms. I think any good Dr would give you a pat on the back.

Happy birthday Michael 🙂
Thanks so much for your book, it has had an amazing impact on my weight and energy levels,
Judith

Books ordered, both in stock but I bought the last one of each.

Hi jet, my father does it by spinning the water and dropping the egg in. I gave up on that method years ago – too many messed up eggs. I bought an egg poacher. Perfect. I can do 4 perfect poached eggs at once. Aldi’s had some in a couple of weeks ago for £4.99. There might be some left 🙂

To poach an egg.
Bring a pan of water to boil then turn it down so its simmering.

Crack a fresh egg (newer the better) into the water.

Wait

Lift out with a slotted spoon when done to your liking. After 3 or so minutes you may be able to lift the egg up and give it a gentle finger poke to see how firm the white is to give you an idea to doneness.

My ex father in-law swore by getting the water spinning before cracking an egg into the center to help it stay together.

I sometimes find they stick to the bottom of the pan as they sink and this sometimes leads to leaky yolk 😔 but generally they are pretty bomb proof.

Best of luck poaching.
PS those little silicon cups for floating in water just equal more washing up, don’t bother!

Thank you so much Orchid. We have a fairly new shop here called Bio Coop. I need to investigate as our normal supermarkets do not sell the seeds. I am deep in rural Normandy amongst dairy farmers. I have no doubt these things can be bought in bigger more affluent areas. Amazon supply some things but delivery can be more than the item you buy. Holland and Barrat deliver here too so will have a look at their online shop. I need to get more creative.

Thanks Anita, sounds like you are pretty organised. I know what you mean about the fat thing – its changing a deeply ingrained habit isn’t it. Thanks for the suggestions too, will have to consider the cream in the coffee – I have this weird stomach pain thing around cream so I haven’t ventured as far as cream yet. I’m even a bit tentative about full fat milk. But I’m thinking I still have a steady weight loss without too much deprivation. A girl’s gotta have a vice!

Well, all the best for this next week. Keep in touch, with the good and the bad stuff (if there is any!), I’m loving all these conversations with like minded people. I’ve got a week off this week and am sofa shopping at Ikea Leeds for my new holiday let apartment so I’ve got a few exciting weeks ahead of me playing house!

😃

Just did the poached egg & salmon stack, well tried in the end the eggs got scrambled as had too many failed attempts even after checking out ways on the Internet! The end result was very tasty but too much with 2 portobello mushrooms so saved one for a hungry moment later! Must say my husband adored the Steak with creme fraiche & peppercorn sauce last night, even abstained from the red wine in the sauce it was still amazing! I did the foil steamed fish as don’t eat steak and it was equally good. Good luck to everyone out there! Any hints on poached eggs greatly appreciated…

Hi loosejeans
Well done, I to am at the halfway point I have lost 17lb now still have a long way to go but I know I will get there on the BSD. Good luck for next week and like you said bring it on!!

Julia it is interesting to hear the experience of you and your girls, especially your girls views on it being so necessary for a lot of pupils. We have derailed this thread (unintentionally ) but unless people can cook how can they eat healthily? Looks like that’s a few of us highlighting the problem.
What lynne said about food bags with fresh food being declined one is left with the troubling question has modern affluence been our society’s downfall?
So glad to hear of you, lynne and cherrieanne teaching young ones to cook 🙂

Hi Trishart,
I would suggest lots more water to flush the system out. Perhaps take some probiotics from health food shop, I’m no doctor but will increase the healthy bacteria which would help his gut. Good luck hope he keeps going. Best wishes

Hi Shrinkydnkyman!
Oh I wish!! No alcohol for us for a few weeks having seriously over indulged for several weeks recently but I shall keep that in mind for the future thank you!

Hi SunnyB,
Thank you some good ideas there, I appreciate you taking the time to respond, good luck with the diet hope it’s going well for you!

Hi Janet1973, thank you some good ideas there which I shall try! Hope your progressing well with the diet.

I am only on day 2 and had nausea and lightheadedness last night, swimmy head and mild nausea today… have been sneezing too so I think it may be a cold rather than withdrawal but also felt extremely tired. I just realised I haven’t had coffee since Friday morning, so probably a bit of coffee withdrawal as well!

An interesting thing happened today… I felt really twitchy and in need of food at about 11.30, so had some celery and carrot sticks with a tablespoon of light mayo (I will get full fat when this runs out). Then I made a huge salad, for lunch… and I can’t eat it! I’m actually full.

For someone who reached 22 stone last year and can eat 10,000 calories in a day… well slap me with a haddock. I would never have believed this.

Jandz. Sorry don’t know where the James came from

Wow… so impressed with those numbers and have also taken on board some food tips from the above. The no weight loss week 5 or 6 seems to be a common thing for many. But as you and others show it does get going again if you stick with it.

Hi James
Well done and good luck for this week keep up the good work.

Hi Lynne, just googled it – you can get games of Jacks from Amazon!! 🙂

Lynne, I thought of running something similar for parents but as you say food hygiene rules are so strict and there are tests to be passed. Now I am too tired/old/lacking in health/energy.
Why was a slow cooker ‘blackmail’ when the authorities have no difficulty handing out ‘certificates’ for courses? Isn’t that blackmail as well? 🙁 ?

I wish I could remember where I bought my jacks, it was only a few years ago. I’m wondering about it could possibly have been a garden centre or somewhere like Boyes? It wasn’t ToysRus because I haven’t been there in over 20 years.

We had cookery lessons at school – limited to girls only – but it was at senior school not primary. These days schools cannot exclude pupils on gender grounds so that is double the number of kids needing lessons using the same facilities and the pressure of all the other subjects. My son had 6 weeks of cookery lessons once a year at his school but that was not a problem as he had already learned to cook and bake at home.

Your mother sounds like my dad – he didn’t like food being ‘messed about’. He would eat a bowlful of tomatoes fresh from the greenhouse but he would not have tolerated them in a cooked dish!

Marbles is another favourite old fashioned pastime – I let my class devise their own rules indoors as they needed to make some kind of barrier come target – marbles all over the classroom floor would definitely be a health and safety issue!

Oh, Lynne, another one is knitting bobbins. Remember the ones we used to make from old cotton bobbins and four of dad’s nails? Well the bobbins are made of plastic now but I bought some knitting bobbins from Hobbycraft, they do require fine wool though or the long thread gets stuck inside.

Have you got a Junior Scrabble? My class loved that during wet dinner times.

Oh well, we can’t fix the world but you have two little ones who are going to love being with you and will be learning about healthy eating. I have never forgotten the time I stayed with my aunt and uncle (now in Australia) and they let my sister and I make ice-cream. In those days!! It was magical. When I reminded my uncle saying it was one of my best childhood memories he said he had been disappointed because it didn’t work. I only remember the fun of making it with him! Just goes to show! 🙂

Bill – hope the party was a great one!

Really interested to hear views on cookery at school. My first practical one was how to make a hot milk drink and toast – and no I’m not joking. My mum had me doing that at 5! My girls have just finished the compulsory home economic classes and loathed the lessons as the ingredients were substandard (they used stork in a totally tasteless crumble) but they agreed there were folk sorely in need of the knowledge.

This thread sems to have been somewhat derailed!

Wow that’s fantastic results you must be so pleased. That will be such a good encouragement to so many on here. I was feeling a bit down until I read your post it has spurred me on to keep going. I start week 5 today but haven’t loss anything this week, I was so disappointed and so nearly gave in to temptation. I had lost 16lb in the first 3 weeks. Your post has reinforced to me this way of eating does work so shall keep at it. Well done again.

Morning folks

Well week 2 is done and dusted, weighed myself this morning and another 3 lbs off 👍 Not bothering with the measurements this week, will leave that until next week.

Struggled a bit with lunches for work as went off the soup I’d made, think it’s due to having soup 3 weeks in a row, I normally alternate with sandwiches. So ended up with random bits like hard boiled eggs, cheese, nuts etc stayed within calorie count though so not too bad. I’m making a frittata later with kale, bacon & cheese so will portion up and take to work.

Trying to use up food I already have in rather than buy lots of new stuff, otherwise I’ll become discouraged. Last nights tea was sticky pork ribs cooked in slow cooker with cauliflower rice….lovely 😃

Tonight’s delicacy is liver & bacon in onion gravy with veg…so looking forward to it x

Hi Cherrianne.

It was the looming threat of Metformin (again) that kicked me on to the BSD. I politely told them that I did not want their tablets!

Fabulous idea to prescribe the book. 😃 After all, the medics here can prescribe classes at slimming clubs, or gym sessions, so why not this book?

Thankyou Lolo and chameleonbeetle for your helpful input you’re right things have improved it’s been 3 weeks and he is feeling better.

Awesome results
Even trying to picture 42 lbs as packets of lard is hard.
Your experience is going to promote massive motivation to all who read it.
Looking forward to joining you and the others in the 8 weeks and over thread when I cross the line next week.
I’ll follow how the maintainance plan is working for you with interest

Thanks Judith,
I really think I have. The threat of being put on meds is not one I ever want to hear again.
I think all type 2’s should have the BSD book prescribed instead! 🙂

Judith, this is something I’ve been looking at for the last few years. Before I moved here there was a good sized kitchen at work and I was looking at starting up some kind of healthy cooking/eating club. But the food hygiene regulations are now so strict, and it’s hard to find helpers because of the need for DBSs. Potential volunteers are getting older, with associated health issues too, and those who do volunteer are getting too tired to carry on because there is nobody to share the load.

Unfortunately my work kitchen here needs a refurb so is limited to the hot drinks and biscuits kind of thing 😱

I remember when I was at school, we had cookery lessons. One week we made a mixed grill, another it was Apple streudel. My mother was not impressed! She cooked everything from scratch and money was tight. Nothing ‘messed about’ as she would say.

A local project in County Durham runs an interesting 6-week project, free of charge. Called the Victory Programme. Dig for victory – growing veg, save for victory – budgeting & saving, and cook for victory – learn how to prepare and cook a meal, then take it home. Those who complete the 6 weeks are given a free slow cooker.

In a meeting I mentioned this, the local authority thought it great but one woman from the DWP said ‘the ministers won’t like it’. When I asked why her response was ‘it sounds like blackmail’. Aaaarrrrgggghhhh! Head hits wall.

But I continue trying to find a solution in my small part of the world.

Brilliant idea about decorating the yogurt 😃

Keep forgetting jacks. Must see if I can find some (think shop at Beamish had them , but it’s a long way) and gen up on the rules 😳

Cherrianne, love the sound of your childhood. I grew up in a city with no garden so everything was shop bought. My father worked regular nights so everything I did had to be quiet. You’d not believe that of me now, would you LOL

Hi Aly,
Like you I am vegetarian and a savoury breakfast once a week is fine, but every day was making my stomach turn! I did have eggs either scrambled, poached or boiled every day for a few weeks, but I had to find an alternative.
I have modified the muesli recipe that I loved from the recipe book that supported the 5:2 book (Mimi Spencer and Sarah Schenker: ‘The Fast Diet Recipe Book’). The recipe is called ‘Fast Day Muesli with cherry yoghurt’. I removed the oats, oat bran, coconut and ground almonds and changed the yoghurt from fat free to Greek yoghurt, reducing the quantity to keep to a calorie count under 200.
I use 60 grams Greek yoghurt, 30 grams blueberries, 3 grams flax seeds, 3 grams pumpkin seeds, 3 grams sunflower seeds, plus 3 almonds shopped and a pinch of cinnamon. That comes in at 166 cals: 6 grams protein, 12 grams fats, and 10 grams carbs.
This was also the first time in many years that I have not used a low fat option for yoghurt (or milk) and yes, it keeps me full for 4 -5 hours comfortably.
I have just got rolled oats from the health food shop and will experiment with them for this muesli recipe once I start the 5:2; 8 days to go till the end of my 8 weeks.
I have also started planning for the ‘5’ part of the 5:2 diet and was looking for ‘Mediterranean – Style’ cooking. I remembered a French Cookbook I bought in the 90’s that had the most wonderful vegetarian stock recipes I have ever tasted. The only issue was they used 3 tablespoons of butter in them and as I never touched butter – too high fat – I never really used it again.
Given you live in France and, the French rarely us the terms vegetarian and French together…. I thought I would pass on the book details. You have access to the variety of fresh vegetables much easier than we do in the UK – eg Tian of Celery Root, Turnip, Fennel and Rutabaga; Fresh Fava Beans Baked with Whole Baby Garlic. There are a lot of lovely recipes, cooked seasonally and many look easy to make full quantities and freeze 3-4 portions for later consumption. Yes, she uses bread and potatoes in some places, but they are easy to substitute.
The author is a Californian who spend 50% of her time in France each year and did run a smallholding in France. The book is ‘France, the Vegetarian Table’ by Georgeanne Brennan, published 1996. She has a website if you search on her name. This book is out of publication, but still available for very little on ABE Books – one is £0.69p and £3.50 postage to France or Amazon. I also purchased ‘Potager – French Garden Cooking in the French Style’ by the same author, again out of print, but available through ABE books. A recipe I am going to try in this is Cream of Ratatouille Soup (minus the croutons).
Does anyone know the copyright situation for out of print books on closed forums? I have been reluctant to post any of these recipes I try as the author is still alive and publishing. I would happily give attribution when I post?

Loosejeans, 10% of body fat gone in just under a calendar month! Fantastic! 🙂

Cheers all. Don’t give up. I had a couple of slips myself. Just put them behind you and crack on, we all have to live in the real world after all, and there are so many calorie-demons out there !

Hi Janet1973
Great new on weight loss! Well done !!!!
I have fasted 16 hrs every day this week but like all weeks have monitored how g of carb, protein, fat and sugar I have had each day to derive a weekly average. The week when I gained 2 lbs my protein was low 5g, fat 24g and carb 49g average cal 860 (this was the week I ate what I liked at a company event). This week I have not yet averaged the nutrition.
All other weeks my carbs averaged to under 50g but I have not yet tried 20g as per DD strict carbs.
I think your approach is good but just watch the protein intake as well fat.
I still struggle to add fats to my diet.. I have had decades of cutting out fat, (butter, fat/skin on meat or fish, low fat everything) but started to fry onions in butter and will also try butter with veg too.
Could you replace your latte with coffe and full cream.. According to mfp mug of black filter coffee and 50ml of full fat cream is 3G of carb whereas espresso cup of latte is 9g carbs.
Anita xx

Lynne there is no way your family will fail to notice the new you! Your grand daughters will enjoy your new way of eating and helping you to prepare the recipes! They could have heaps of fun with decorating a bowl of yoghurt from a selection of berries, nuts and seeds. A blueberry smile, pumpkin seed hair and any myriad of ideas!!! Their imagination can fun riot!
When i took jacks and other fun activities into my class for wet dinnertimes the fights over whose turn it was to use the ipads stopped. They were left deserted. Its much more fun to do something for real instead of playing a game watching other people having fun.
:). :). 🙂

Well we are definitely singing from the same hymn sheet ladies!!
I started off doing paediatric nursing after I qualified and the sheer number of children who had no bedtime routine, no idea of how to wash themselves or clean their teeth was astonishing. These were children who were well and truly old enough to be reasonably independent in these. They would still be on the go, unless post op or very sick, until really late at night. Some didn’t own pyjamas, apparently their parents waited until they fell asleep where they were, and then put them to bed clothed.
A lot of them couldn’t recognise different fruit and vegetables and had obviously never tried them.
Nowadays even the children’s hospitals have a McDonalds in the foyer so what hope is there if the government allows that?
CaptainLynne you are building so many great memories for your grandchildren! They will never forget the special times they’ve had with you. Who knows what influence you will have on their futures. Both my grandmothers made a big impact on the way I live, from the Italian one came the love of big family gatherings, shared meals and general silliness and fun. My English one could make a meal from anything, fresh from the garden usually, and everything you could pickle, jam or otherwise preserve she could accomplish. A real countrywoman who taught me to knit and sew.
You are right Judith about the rewards of working with children, I help the ones with learning difficulties and autism and I just love it. So glad you have some sun at last, I know you’ve been longing for it. Now those tomatoes will seem a bit more achievable. Still around 20-21C here but getting very cold at night. Thoughts have turned to firewood supplies, and my husband has already had the chains for his chainsaw sharpened and had it in bits to service it. He’ll be buzzing away up in the scrub one day soon, and we will be stacking wood and hoping not to find any spiders or snakes up there lol.

Great results Col

At end of week thirteen I’ve lost another 5 pounds, total loss 36 pounds. That’s somewhere between 15% and 20% of my starting weight.

Morning lynne, so good that your little grand daughters get to play so much with you. I really do not know what the answer is to all the junk food people eat. There was a case a year or so ago of a 26 year old single mother who complained ‘the tax payer should give me more money so I could eat healthy foods’, that she needed moremoney because she couldn’t buy any fruit or veg. Then she allowed a newspaper to photograph her in her kitchen with the food cupboards open. I used mysupermarket to tot up the cost of the several tins of heroes, pack upon pack of chocolate biscuits. She admitted to several takeaways a week and weekly trips to McDonalds. 3 times the amount I spent for healthy food for two adults.
So, education is the answer,but who and when and how? Who pays for it? Schools in deprived areas are not supposed to ask parents to pay for school trips etc so who would pay the cost of the ingredients for 30 plus children in every class every week? As it is teachers dip into their own purses quite a lot, especially in deprived areas.
Speaking from experience I know that in primary schools there is not access to a kitchen equipped for a full class of children and that the curriculum is so broad there are simply not enough hours in a school week to cover weekly cookery classes. We tend to cover it by lunchtime or afterschool activities or, in my case, science or history lessons. In large primaries where there are 3, 4 or 5 streams to each year group it would not he possible to fit in every child every week into a kitchen classroom – even if one existed.
Also, when children have enjoyed cooking something in class they return next day to say their parents have said they can’t afford it at home. Lynne, I have had children work out the costs of a meal (maths skills) but the answer for most children is still a resounding no.
The problem is huge and I can’t think of a single viable solution to it.
If budgeting and cookery lessons were advised before pregnancy, in an ideal world that could be an answer but the couples who need it most would be the most unlikely to attend. So another idea down in flames.
TBH those kind of classes I would be interested in teaching if my health was more reliable.
Oh and that is my second long rant this morning. It is clearly something that you, cherrieanne and I have passionate feelings about

On a different note i had a chuckle about your skirt slipping off – the same happened to me with some jeans not so long ago. After the initial shock it is a joyous moment! 🙂

End of week four, 18lbs (8.16kg) off. That’s 10% of my initial starting weight.

Morning, I am a newbie looking for some advice. My hba1c reading was 36 so 1 away from prediabetic. I am slim so drs not concerned, but I am as my mum and nan both have late onset type 2, so I want to be proactive with my diet.
My bmi is only 19.3 and the machine at gym says body fat =30%, in range for my age. Book said don’t do diet if bmi less than 21. I am assuming that meant don’t fast but will it be OK to cut carbs significantly and follow Mediterranean diet if low bmi? But not cut them out totally?
. I hope that makes sense and I’d be really grateful for any advice. Thank you.

Thanks Sharon and Janet by the way! Janet that little devil is so naughty. I am thinking of him as my carb addiction trying to get fed.

I read Alan Carr’s easy way to stop smoking in my late twenties, and stopped smoking at thirty. One of the most convincing aspects of his book was that the addiction is a raging monster that gets smaller and quieter as you go on. Thinking of it this way really helped me and I never faltered, I went cold turkey and that was that.

I don’t think I will be an extreme low-carber, but I want to reduce as much as I can while I do the 8 weeks to give my liver and pancreas a chance to de-fat.

I made it! I felt a little nauseous later last evening but it soon passed after a cup of black tea. This morning I’m feeling weak and feeble, with a slightly swimmy head, but have just started sneezing and I think this all might be a coincidental cold!

FBG was 7.3 this morning – and I’m already down 3lbs in weight! I know it’s water, but hey… I’ll take it.

The little devil on my shoulder wants carbs this morning, of course. I’m making spelt and rye bread to take over for my mum who is borderline diabetic (at 82, so she’s done a lot better than me!) and although the aroma is making me drool a bit I’m staying steadfast. I’m going to have the mushroom omelette for breakfast again today, actually my whole menu is the same as yesterday. I don’t mind having the same thing several times in a row, fortunately.

I’m not over-hungry even though I’d normally have eaten a very large breakfast by now.

Tomorrow will be easy as I’m at work. I’m going to have Fage full fat yoghurt for breakfast with a couple of strawberries, chicken salad for lunch and fish and vegetables for dinner. I’ll also quarter an apple and have two quarters with breakfast and two at breaktime.

So at the end of week four, at the halfway point I’ve had a whoosh and as of today I’m 18lbs down! That’s 10% of my initial body weight. Bring it on!

Brilliant result- you’ve done SO well. Congratulations on your achievements.

It’s good for me to read this today as end of week 2 and I have slipped -two days in a row. Made my kids a meal last two nights that is a particular favourite thinking I wouldn’t have any and each time have broken. Have to just keep my head clear and recover from this and keep going.

Hi captain Lynn,

Love the swoon equals the calories in the mouse! ( this was just banter, I am not going out looking for a mouse and taking it to bears camp. No mice were harmed making this blog.)

The reason I mention what I am experiencing as I walk, is to show others just driving in cars, they are missing so much. It gives you something to do as you walk. I hope others get out and enjoy just being there.

I have had a wander through the website. Saw a few things…

Should I call it the bathroom department. I too stopped for a couple of days, used a tablet, got up to date, then stopped again. I found that on day three, my body just went naturally. I think it may be something to do with the volume. Or lack of it. I too have loads of water so it wasn’t that. I think it was just the change over. If I hadn’t taken the tablet I may have gone the next day.
Others say flaxseed, help the process of going.

Weight loss stopped. This happened to me, or actually it was a weight gain. I think of my weight as a personality. I stuffed it for years, then I took that away without saying anything. No wonder there was a pause. My weight didn’t know what was happening, so just held onto everything to be I the safe side. After a few days, it realised, oh she’s changed what she is giving me, ok fine, off we go again, and the weight came off.

Set backs. Mine was massive over 1/4 of a pound ( yes , that old chestnut.) be kind to your scales, I spoilt mine by putting a new battery in 😄😄😄 ( plus a few threats). Maybe sometimes it is not you, it is the other thing. Like it needed a new battery.

Keep exploring the website.
Love Lucia
Xxx

I have been on the 5:2 for 9 weeks now. I have been strict with it and in the past 3-4 weeks i’ve hit a plateau. I started going to the gym doing several high intensity interval training classes per week, it seems to be making me gain “weight” but i look smaller. I’ve started drinking a lot more water but i don’t know why my weight is jumping up and down so much (fluctuates about 4-8kg). I don’t count calories on my non-fast days but i never binge and rarely snack.

Day 28 weight 10st 7lbs blood sugar 11.4

Today Day 29. Weight 10st 7lbs, Blood Sugar 11.2

Athletes foot started a couple of days ago, which is a sign that my blood sugar is out of control. 😕
I keep looking at what I am eating and drinking, I’m wondering whether I was too optimistic in stopping the gliclazide. I’ll have a think and change a couple of things but if my blood sugar levels are still in double figures next week, I’ll contact the diabetic clinic and tell them why is happening and see if they want me to go back on it.

Hi cherrieanne I know what you mean, you would not believe how many children have nothing but chocolate and fizzy drinks in their packed lunches. The majority qualified for free school meals where they could have chosen from a selection of hot meals or the salad bar but wouldn’t eat ‘that kind of food’. School dinners might not be perfect but a hell of a lot better than the packed lunches which were taken in. Only one in about 50 were acceptable as lunches.
Cold McDonalds? Yup, seen that too! I took my class, 10 at a time, for a day walking in a forest with lots of fun activities, one mother was very concerned about her son who had a hole in his heart. When he opened his packed lunch I saw why he was obese – two, yes two, double mac cheeseburgers,an entire chocolate swiss roll, yes, really, a family pack of crisps, 3 chocolate bars and lots of other junk. Even the other children were shocked. I’m talking about 10 year olds. Can you imagine? One child asked him why he had a swiss roll because he didn’t have a plate or knife for it. Clearly puzzled as was I. He sat and peeled of the wrapper and ate it like a banana. I don’t think I have ever been so shocked.

What a shame junk food has reached Australia, I have fond memories of the lovely fresh food I ate there.

Schools here have fruit time too, but now just for KS1, the younger children also get milk. We regularly give out leaflets on healthy packed lunch ideas and 5 a day leaflets – but apparently to no avail. TBH I wish packed lunches were banned to give children a chance to try food other than cake, chocolate and fizzy drinks. I must add that I taught in a school in a deprived area and believe packed lunches in most schools would look quite different but I would still ban them, if I could, to give kids in deprived areas the opportunity of trying a range of healthier foods. Oh I have had quite a long rant but it is heart breaking to see what some kids eat every day and you are right cherrieanne,it does impact upon their concentration. Which leads me onto another rant- young children arriving in class so bleary eyed they have trouble staying awake. All but a handful of my class where still up long after I was in bed!!!!! And I’m talking about classes of 7 and 8 year olds as well as 10 and 11 year olds. How can young children be up til after 1am every night? Well I had better stop this rant or I could go on for ever!

I bet you really enjoy your time volunteering in school – it is so rewarding working with children and being there when they have a light bulb moment!

Well, I think I did too much on thursday and friday because I slept a whole 16 hours last night! I have woken to the sun pouring in like honey this morning! Out to the. Greenhouse now to see what seeds have awakened too

X 🙂