Are we addicted to junk food?

There is a lot of blaming of food companies at the moment for adding sugar, salt, fat etc and the result being our spreading waistlines. Generally speaking, I don’t think there’s an addiction as such. Our mouths get used to a flavour and then it has to be more intense. Take spicy food for instance. ...

Great products for portion control

Great products for portion control
It can be tough to serve the right portion sizes when it comes to mealtimes and when you are new to managing your portion sizes, you can often end up overestimating how much to put on your plate. Some people recommend using smaller plates and while this can work, you often do end up piling more ...

Why tai chi is a great, practical mindfulness tool

Why tai chi is a great, practical mindfulness tool
Mindfulness is becoming very popular now, the art of being in the moment. One of the problems with mindfulness is that many people find it difficult to just sit still with their eyes closed and concentrate on themselves. One way of getting round this and still applying mindfulness techniques is by learning tai chi. The simple ...

How stress affects your body

How stress affects your body
Here is a great video on the physical way stress affects your body and how it makes you ill. Tips on reducing stress Try to avoid situations which create unnecessary stress eg avoid interacting with “friends” who stress you out. For on-going stress eg work, try to take time out through the day. Manage stress ...

Why anyone can learn tai chi

Why anyone can learn tai chi
From a recent Lumosity newsletter: How the brain learns: 2 key research insights Can brain research help us become better learners? Here are 2 key research insights to keep in mind next time you learn something new. 1. Learning means new connections in the brain Your brain works like an electrical circuit. Every time you learn ...

Should I cut out carbs to lose weight?

No.

Why everyone should do tai chi – and it’s not just for the reasons you think!

Why everyone should do tai chi - and it's not just for the reasons you think!
Intrigued? Well, let’s just cover the reasons that you think you should do tai chi: helps you to relax and de-stress improves your health improves your balance keeps you moving, particularly if you’re in your senior years improves your sense of wellbeing There are loads of other reasons why people do tai chi but these are ...

Obesity to OMG: one woman’s journey

Obesity to OMG: one woman's journey
Thanks to the wonders of the internet, I’ve had the pleasure of speaking to many inspiring and successful people. One such person is fitness coach, Roberta Saum, who has honoured me by allowing me to interview her. Thank you, Roberta! Darren: Tell me a little about your background. Roberta: I currently work as an online ...

Top 5 reasons an exercise bicycle is the best fitness machine

Top 5 reasons an exercise bicycle is the best fitness machine
Exercise bicycles are great for keeping up your fitness levels when the weather is less than favourable or you just don’t have time to get to the gym (or even if you just don’t want to pay monthly gym fees). Here are my top 5 reasons why I prefer an exercise bicycle over any other ...

Great music for tai chi and yoga

Great music for tai chi and yoga
As a tai chi teacher, I always play music when I am running a class because: it helps to set the right mood it can hide any background noises such as things going on outside the room. For these reasons, I would also recommend that if you practice tai chi, yoga or meditation, then you, ...