Thursday evening, 03-10-24, fingers crossed for me and about apples.

Good evening, everyone!  

Weigh day tomorrow - it always surprises me how quickly they come around.  And weigh day means Eat-Your-Syns-Friday too.  It's rather nice thinking and planning what I really want to have.

Cross your fingers for me.  I am going to see whether those migraine/neuralgia type one sided headaches I started getting earlier in the year were down to undeniable tooth issues which have now been resolved or whether it really is an intolerance that has nothing to do with any dental problems.  I said then that when the tooth was sorted, I would try again and I think the time has come.

I'm sticking to the Mediterranean vibe though and getting one of those mini bottles of a red, probably Merlot which I really like.  And I have plenty of pain killers, just in case.

What I ate today

A very nice breakfast of yogurt and seeds with an apple to dunk in.  

One and a half syns for seeds.

Lunch and dinner were both exactly the same because - leftovers.

I also have two portions of quiche in the freezer.  Not huge portions but perfect for lunch.

One healthy extra A (I used three As and it made six portions  -Val had seconds), one syn for oil to make the quiche, one syn for oil for the roasties, two syns for seeds and four syns for dressing.

(for both meals not each meal)

Summary:

one healthy extra A

no healthy extra Bs

nine and a half syns

Not great with the healthy extras today but OK with the evoo.

My meal plans for tomorrow:

B:  fruit, yogurt and seeds

L: hummus, various dippy things, salad; fruit

D:  I've really dithered about this because it is Eat-Your-Syns-Friday and what do I really want?  I've gone for some kind of sausage casserole.  I have some nice sausages in the freezer and I think I will have more of the puy lentil and quinoa mix with it because it was so, so tasty!

Exercise:  rest day so just what I get round to doing at home.

The Extra Bit

About apples.

I eat a whole load of apples, one way and another.  It's usually my snack of choice and always what I have if I feel I need to up my energy before a fitness class.

I thought I would find out a bit about apples as I do eat loads of them, one way and another.

Apples are so very good for us.  They contain key nutrients, including fiber and antioxidants and they may offer health benefits, including lowering blood sugar levels and benefitting heart health.

(note - it says 'may' like so much of this sort of info).

Although they have high sugar/carb content, their glycemic index is pretty low so they don't impact significantly/negatively on blood sugar levels.

They are rich in fibre, both soluble and insoluble.  

Apples are not particularly rich in vitamins and minerals. However, they contain decent amounts of both vitamin C and potassium.  They are a good source of several antioxidants, including quercetin, catechin, and chlorogenic acid (don't ask me, it's what it says!!) and these plant compounds are responsible for many of apples’ benefits.

Some evidence suggests that apples can help lower blood sugar levels and protect against diabetes, reduce total cholesterol levels and improve overall blood flow but they don't really have much impact on blood pressure levels.

(All these benefits need to be understood in the context of a generally healthy lifestyle - apples are no kind of magical solution.)

It is best not to peel apples as most of the goodness is just below the skin, like a number of other fruit and veg.

They are tasty, not terribly expensive, there's a good variety of different types and they really do support a healthy lifestyle.

I'm so glad I really love apples.