The Fast Diet by Dr Michael Mosley and Mimi Spencer

I recently happened to watch dietitian Matt O’Neill comment on the new Fast Diet (aka the 5:2 Diet) on morning TV. It caught my attention not only for Matt’s usual easy-to-grasp explanation but also for the book’s simplicity and lack of a set ‘diet formula’. So when I received a copy in the post, I thought it was time for a review. 

A. Energy density means the ratio of kilojoules/calories you get from a given weight or volume of a food. It's really how many kilojoules/calories you can fit into a mouthful!

This is the text to my slide show which shows you how everyday foods have gradually been upsized over the past ten years and why this is such a problem. I firmly believe that big portion sizes are a real contributor to passive weight gain and the obesity crisis. Here you can read the text and make up your own mind (I think you'll agree).

We all know that fresh fruit is the healthiest way to end a meal but sometimes it just doesn’t cut it. Your body sends out signals for something small, decadent and sweet to finish off your dinner. Just enough to satisfy without blowing the whole day’s intake. Just enough to rein in a craving. When a sweet craving strikes, try ONE of these 20 treats that range from healthy to semi-healthy and then indulgent – depending on your mood and what’s on offer.

When I think of 'probiotics' and 'friendly bacteria', I immediately think of yoghurt. Maybe dairy or those acidophilus capsules in health food stores. But not juice. So it was with great interest that I tasted and researched my first Golden Circle Healthy Life juice™ with probiotic cultures. Here's how we rated it.

For all of you who were asking, these are the things I really enjoyed - the best fun and my fondest memories - from my trip to wonderful New York City. It all took place in July and August 2012 when I journeyed there for a blogger's conference. Well life is never all work. Gotta have some play!  Enjoy!

Do you live on your own or cook solo? It can often seem like a lot of unnecessary effort. All that shopping, chopping and cooking … and then there’s the washing up! And then there are those times when you suddenly get asked out for dinner and the things you bought go off before you have a chance to cook them. Not to mention when you end up throwing some out because you only used half the pack. So here are four great ideas that I’ve found work for one-ers.

Craving some chocolate? It's sweet, smooth and divinely decadent. We know there are emotional triggers to cravings such as boredom, anger and depression as well as environmental cues such as walking past a chocolate display counter. But what can you do to prevent devouring a whole block that would destroy your day's diet?