Confessions of a gadget queen

By Liz Atkins

I'm sure I could squeeze another machine in there...

‘Ha! We were just debating what new gadget Liz would be showing off,’ smirked my teenage niece the minute she set foot in my kitchen. She was eyeing the Virgin Pure T7 WaterBar with slight disapproval. OK, I am partial to a shiny innovation and I do like to browse those you-need-one-of-these! brochures that come free with the Radio Times.

Traffic light labelling gets the green light

By Sioned Quirke, spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association

Traditionally, companies have used different nutrition labelling systems on the front of their packaging, making it difficult for consumers to check and compare products – until now.

From today (19 June), a standardised system will roll out which, although voluntary, is a major step towards helping us make informed choices about the foods we buy.

Fight the Fads

Join HFG in our bid to help the nation get fit and healthy without going to extremes... At Healthy Food Guide we champion good health and gradual weight loss through healthy eating.

Our new mission: fight the fads – make every meal healthier says no to fasting or denial, and a resounding yes to eating tasty, satisfying meals and doing some moderate exercise every week. We don’t ban foods, expect you to go teetotal or ask you to exist on under 1,400 a day. Instead, we have a long-term solution.

Dancing in the street

By Rebecca Almond

Those who know me will agree when I tell you I’m not at all “street”. So when I was invited to sample the new urban dance exercise class at Fitness First, I was conscious my moves would be more hip-pop than hip-hop.  

Now I’m not one to shuffle around my handbag when I hit the dance floor – 16 years’ of ballet training instilled a modicum of rhythm in my body – but this genre of dance is way beyond my comfort zone. Still, the allure of burning up to 400 calories in a one-hour ‘fun-filled workout’ led me to pack my gym kit and prepare to take centre stage…

How do you measure up?

By Tracy Kelly

It worries me that only a third of people in the UK know that having a large waist increases their chances of getting type 2 diabetes. But just how many of us actually know what a ‘large waist’ even means?

Get ahead for breakfast

By Melanie Leyshon

You’re either a morning person or you’re not. I’m a late riser. For me, 7.30am is early – if I’m up before 6am it’s because I’m off to the airport.

This leaves me no time for breakfast prep in the morning, which is why I’m so enthusiastic about my simple oats discovery: Bircher muesli. It’s not new, of course – Swiss physician Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner invented it as a nutritional pick-me-up for his sanatorium patients in the 1900s. You can buy a ready-made pot of Bircher muesli from Pret A Manger or Eat, but a quick calculation of cost + time + effort shows making your own batch at home is a no-brainer. 

Give kids 5-a-day… in a chocolate drink?

By Andrew Wilson

You want your child to get all the nutrition they need, but they simply refuse to eat any fruit or veg. Encouraging children to eat a wide variety of foods can be a battleground and one faced by many parents at mealtimes.

So could the launch of new chocolate-flavoured drink Kidz 5 A Day help tackle the issue? The drink promises to give children all the vitamins and minerals they need for healthy growth – and kids love it!