Little and large

When I was a young women I didn't mind being petite, as I was petite in every direction.  However now that I'm older I am becoming petite and podgy, which is not a great look.  I blame my hormones: my Mum told me I was petite and podgy in my early teens when my hormones first started playing up.  I have been battling with middle age spread for several years, starting with the menopause, and I think I'm definitely on the losing side. 


Part of the reason why I would like to be slim again is that when you are just over 5' tall every extra pound around your middle shows.  My next post will look at ways of disguising this. 


The main reason though is that abdominal fat isn't good for your health, especially as you become older, so I am going to try out a new diet.  I know!  I have already blogged about not following fad diets, but this one sounds healthy to me.   


Here is a summary of foods to eat:


2 servings of cruciferous vegetables a day, which includes broccoli, asparagus, spinach, beetroot and radishes.


1 piece of citrus fruit plus at least one other piece of fruit a day.

2 servings of insoluble fibre a day, which includes wholemeal bread, barley, couscous, brown rice, whole-grain cereal and wheat bran, seeds, carrots, cucumbers, courgettes, celery and tomatoes.   That's ok for me, apart from the tomatoes!

Add a portion of protein to every meal, plus keep up your intake of calcium-rich foods such as cheese, yoghurt, almonds and skimmed milk.

Use olive oil or rapeseed oil for cooking and salad dressings.

Add 2-3 tablespoons a day of ground flaxseed or sesame seeds to smoothies, yoghurt or salads, or stir into cottage cheese or sprinkle over steamed vegetables.

Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day.

These are the foods to avoid: 

Foods high in saturated fats.

Refined or processed foods.

Caffeine - I already drink decaffeinated coffee, which tastes quite good here in Spain .

Soya products.  Spanish supermarkets aren't exactly overflowing with vegetarian food so this one is easy.

Alcohol.  Oh dear!  I live in Jumilla, which is the "city of wine".  The information I was reading did talk about the effect on the liver after two drinks a day, so maybe I will allow myself one glass of wine a day.  After all, there is a school of thought that says wine in moderation is good for your health!

I won't be eating less food over the next few weeks, but I will be following these guidelines.  I will measure my waist and stand on the scales today (the result will be a secret between me and my scales!) and check them in a few weeks' time.  The verdict will be published on this blog with one of the following titles:

My middle-age spread has miraculously disappeared; OR

Still little and still large!