A couple of weeks ago I was asked to pop down to my local M&S store to meet with an independent dietitian to measure key markers of health. These include cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugars, weight and waist measure. This may not seem too exciting, but after meeting with her and talking about how I can improve on certain areas, I came out feeling incredibly good about myself with a bunch of new foods from the M&S Eat Well range to try out.
If you're like me and hates weighing myself and doesn't keep an eye on whats going into your body, meeting with a dietitian is such a good idea. I eat a tonne of bad foods - McDonalds at least once a week and a sugary snack daily - so I wasn't expecting a good result in any areas. But because I don't eat meat, my cholesterol was surprisingly at a good level. My glucose, waist circumference and blood pressure were also at really good levels, but that doesn't mean I can't pay more attention to what's going into my body. I know it sounds cliche but eating as many fruit and vegetables as possible while including exercise in your routine really does help. It's something that is now constantly on my mind when picking up that bag of chocolate! I learnt that you can improve your blood pressure by keeping salt to a minimum, eating healthy and keeping active. This applies to all of the areas, but to keep cholesterol at a healthy level try and include more eat more fish and oats.
There's no need to completely change the way you live straight away, but start by changing a couple of things around such as having meat free weekends or changing your breakfast to a healthier alternative. I've shopped at M&S for a while now, and tend to run down there on my lunch breaks, and it's brilliant to find a range of food that's focused on eating well. I love cooking up interesting foods and M&S never fails to deliver. The front of the Eat Well range also states how many of your 5 a day it is (So many are 2 of your 5 a day! Amazing!) and so much of the range is Vegan too, which I absolutely love. Just by changing a couple of meals a week to one of the Eat Well range and you've put yourself on the right path.
I absolutely loved the Pea & Ricotta Ravioli. I've already told myself that I need to pick it up again one lunch break! It counts as one of your five a day which is also really great. Partner it up with a apple as a snack and you've had a really good lunch. I also tried the Balsamic Glazed Beetroot & Goat's Cheese which is another favourite and counts as TWO of your five a day! A firm favourite of mine, and always will be, is the veggie lasagne. You just can't go wrong. To accompany a healthy diet it's great to sneak in something active, too. When it comes to being active, find a sport you really love (Mines swimming, I hate the gym) and try and make a habit of it. Little baby steps and you'll be on your way. Overall, I'm super happy I dropped into M&S to see where I was at with my diet. It's inspired me to try new things and swap a few unhealthy snacks with a better alternative. The Eat Well range has a pretty sunflower on front so it's easy to spot. The calories, vegan/veggie stamp and the five a day logo on the front makes it really easy to eat healthy. Pop down to your local M&S now to see what the Eat Well range has to offer - you wont be disappointed.
Thanks for reading and have the loveliest day!
