Nutrition, mindset and maintaining a healthy weight in menopause

This week on the podcast, Dr Louise is joined by Manisha Morgan, whose own experience of menopause led her to train as a nutritionist.

Manisha offers support to women who are fed up with yo-yo dieting to build a positive relationship with food, lose weight, and lead a healthy lifestyle. She helps women learn mindset techniques to help improve self-confidence and implement habits that can lead to long-term success.

Manisha talks about the importance of acknowledging cultural attitudes and approaches to food, and how genetic doesn’t necessarily dictate your future health.

Finally, Manisha shares three achievable goals:

1. Manage your expectations, start small and then gradually build up. So for example, if you don’t go for a walk, start going for a 20-minute walk and then maybe gradually increase that over a period of time.
2. Start to include protein in every single meal that you’re having, breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you’re having three different meals, there are lots of different things that you can have.
3. If you have a ‘bad’ day, don’t let that throw you off. Just pick yourself up the next day and continue with whatever new habits you’re establishing.

You can follow Manisha on Instagram @manisha_your_nutritionist

Click here to find out more about Newson Health.

Transcript

Dr Louise: [00:00:11] Hello, I’m Doctor Louise Newson, I’m a GP and menopause specialist, and I’m also the founder of the Newson Health Menopause and Wellbeing Centre here in Stratford-upon-Avon. I’m also the founder of the free balance app. Each week on my podcast, join me and my special guests where we discuss all things perimenopause and menopause. We talk about the latest research, bust myths on menopause symptoms and treatments, and often share moving and always inspirational personal stories. This podcast is brought to you by the Newson Health Group, which has clinics across the UK dedicated to providing individualised perimenopause and menopause care for all women. Today on the podcast, we’re going to talk about something that we all have to do. We can’t avoid it, but we have to talk about eating. It’s something that, there’s lots of things we can avoid doing or we can choose not to do, even if they’re healthy. But we all need to eat, clearly. But what we eat can make a huge difference to how we feel, how we look, how we sleep, how we interact with others. So I’ve got with me today Manisha, who has a lot of experience in nutrition and a lot of experience in educating others in very simplistic ways to really help improve their I’m not going to say diet because everyone thinks about losing weight, but just what they eat. So welcome to the podcast today. [00:01:41][90.6]

Manisha: [00:01:42] Hi Louise, it’s a pleasure to be here. Thank you so much for inviting me. [00:01:46][3.7]

Dr Louise: [00:01:46] Oh, no thank you. So tell me a bit, if you don’t mind, about you and the work that you do. [00:01:51][4.5]

Manisha: [00:01:52] So I’m a nutritionist, but I haven’t always been one. So I started going through the menopause when I was around about 46, and I was the first one in my group of friends, and I very quickly had to learn a lot. I wasn’t on social media at the time, but gradually over, previous experiences as well, such as having to have IVF, I started to understand the power of nutrition and I think for me, what was the most important thing was I am an older mum, so I’m nearly 53 and my children are 12. For me it was all about, well, I have to eat, we all have to eat, so I have to learn how to eat the foods that I enjoy, not what other people are telling me to eat and how I can make that work for me in terms of everything, feeling good, looking good, long health, longevity. Because for me it was all about not my health, particularly right now, but my future health. So I just thought it was important for me to just learn a little bit more about it. But I think it’s particularly about how I can make my foods, my cultural foods, work for me, because a lot of the things that I was reading didn’t take that into account. And I think that’s the biggest gamechanger is, like you’ve just said, you know, we have to eat, it affects all our different parts of our lives, and we have to enjoy what we’re eating, because that way it can be something that’s going to be sustainable. And we all eat for different reasons, right? Social, pleasure, health. So let’s make it work for us. [00:03:17][85.3]

Dr Louise: [00:03:18] It’s so important, isn’t it? And I think when I, well I know, when I was a medical student, food was just fuel. It was just something that I had to do. And I never really enjoyed cooking. The kitchen in some of the houses I rented was so vile because I live with some boys and it was just disgusting. So I never really got near the oven. And I think I just had Ready Brek for my supper sometimes, I was just awful. Like what I ate then was just terrible. But actually, as I’ve got older, it’s so different and what I eat is so important. But also, like you said, I have responsibility for my children. I’ve still got a 12 year old at home. And so I’m consciously thinking about what she eats and you know, she eats meat, I don’t eat meat so I’m constantly cooking two things as well. But I’m also really busy. So when I get in, I want to eat, I don’t want to cook. So I’m constantly thinking ahead as to what am I going to have for my next meal so I can just have it and I’m not grabbing something that I haven’t made, or I don’t know what’s in it. But you have to be very organised and it takes quite a long time, I think, to realise the power of good food, because if you have an avocado once, you’re not going to really notice the difference. But if you eat more avocados instead of eating Mars bars over a few weeks, you will notice a difference. But it’s hard sometimes to keep that motivation up. And often we’ve always associated food with rewards and comfort and, you know, reward yourself by having some chocolate. And it’s really bad messaging for our brains actually sometimes, isn’t it? So what tips do you have? Or where did you start with really thinking about food? And also you saying about how it’s sort of individualised to you, but also to your culture as well? [00:05:00][102.0]

Manisha: [00:05:01] I think you’ve kind of hit the nail on the head, Louise, because I am not a cook. I enjoy cooking if I have time, but let’s face it, most of us don’t. And then there’s also the added pressure of, well, this person’s vegetarian, this person’s not, so just like yourself, I’m a vegetarian, the rest of my family aren’t so there’s a lot of things to have to take into consideration when you have to bear in mind that we all have to live as well, and we have lots of other decisions to make. So it’s all about trying to keep it simple and quick. I’m no chef. I tell my clients that, you know, we have to find foods that are quick, easy, that are going to help us to achieve our goals, help us feel good, you know, help us think clearly. But also, let’s not forget that exactly what you just said there about the avocados, what we eat we might not see the impact of that externally, but internally it’s making a huge difference. I kind of say to clients, you know, that imagine like if every month you could go through like a 3D scanner that shows the amount of visceral fat that you have around your lungs or, you know, your cholesterol levels dropping. If you could see all that you’d be so motivated to continue, but we just generally tend to judge ourselves on the way that we look on the outside, rather than thinking about what is actually going on in the inside. Not just with food, but all aspects of health and wellbeing. So yeah, it’s just about keeping it simple. And I think my biggest tip is, find what you like. So let’s start there. So let’s just say you like pasta. And I’m deliberately choosing pasta because pasta is quite demonized because it’s a carbohydrate. But there are different types of carbohydrates as you mentioned, like chocolate is one of them. So let’s start with pasta. And then what can you add to that to make it more filling, to make it more nutritious, to make sure that you’re adding in all your macronutrients of protein, vegetables, fibre. And of course, the pasta will be the carbohydrate. So you can just add some vegetables, add a little bit of sauce, which is quick and easy, and then your protein source could be the chicken. Or for vegetarians it can be cheese, tuna. There are so many different options. And that’s something that you can do in 10, 15 minutes. And I think that’s a really good point to start, is find what you enjoy. And then let’s see how we can make it quick and easy and tasty. [00:07:08][127.2]

Dr Louise: [00:07:09] Hmm, really important, isn’t it? And I think we’ve sort of underestimated often the power of herbs and spices. I think some people feel overwhelmed with, you know, even just having a bit of salt and pepper and then what do I go and. You know, even just garlic, you know, really easy, really nutritious, actually, lots of benefits. But also we don’t all have to grow herbs on our windowsill in this idyllic lifestyle that we see in magazines. Even dried herbs can make quite a difference to flavours, but also they’re nutritious as well, aren’t they? [00:07:41][32.3]

Manisha: [00:07:42] Herbs and spices, garlic and ginger are gamechanges, not just only for taste, but they are great for your gut health. And the more variety that you add, the better it is. So for example, if you’re having dried herbs, which again are very inexpensive, why not mix mixed herbs and oregano or basil or something else to it? Because the more variety that you have in your diet, the better it is for our gut. And we all know the importance of gut health for mood, our immune system and the way that we feel and skin. [00:08:13][31.0]

Dr Louise: [00:08:15] And it is so important because you know, we are what we eat and I think we’re all thinking about how we look, our waist size our you know, whether we put on weight, but actually it’s from within. And it’s interesting you say skin because skin can make a huge difference when we eat well, especially when we eat good quality oils as well. But our skin, we have to remember, is an organ. It’s not this cosmetic thing that we all put on, you know, creams and make-up. Actually, it is a living organ. So if our skin looks well and healthy and well hydrated and well perfused, then actually our internal organs are going to look the same. And I think that’s the other thing we have to think about our skin. It’s a window to our health. So if people’s skin texture isn’t great then the liver, their heart, their lungs, it’s going to be less healthy as well. And we know this increased risk of inflammation that can occur as we age, as we don’t have hormones but also there are lots of foods that can worsen inflammation. But there are foods that reduce inflammation as well aren’t there? [00:09:18][62.9]

Manisha: [00:09:19] Yeah, absolutely. And you know, with skin in particular, it’s always good, I always advocate starting with the basics. And the basics is the foods that we just regularly eat. And most of the time we don’t eat enough of the basics, could be for lots of different reasons. Sometimes people think it might be expensive. Other times you might not know what to eat. But eating sufficient protein is one really quick and easy way of improving your skin. And the reason being is because first of all, we need more protein as we get older, especially during perimenopause and menopause. And if you’re exercising, you would need that little bit more. So I find that most people, particularly vegetarians and vegans, don’t get enough in their diet, so just simply eating a little bit more protein will have a huge impact on your immune system, on your bones, on your muscles, and then things like your hair, skin and nails. Because what happens is every single cell in your body, cell, tissue, organ requires protein. So if you don’t eat enough, what will happen is the amount that you are eating will go directly to your vital organs, because your body’s prime objective is to keep you alive. So then that means that other parts of your body, such as your hair, skin and nails aren’t a priority. So they become deficient and then they won’t grow, they won’t be healthy. So just increasing protein is a really quick and easy way. Omega-3 is another ingredient that we could add more to our diet. We’ve got flax seeds, chia seeds, all different types of nuts and seeds as well, but particularly omega-3, DHA and EPA, which comes from oily fish. Or you might need to take a supplement if you’re a vegetarian like me. And then of course, fruit and vegetables are your vitamins and minerals. So just even if you increase or start with one of those, you’ll see a huge impact within quite a relatively short period of time. [00:11:07][108.2]

Dr Louise: [00:11:09] There’s always a lot of discussion isn’t there, about protein. And you’re absolutely right. We all need protein and especially as we get older as well. But if we’re vegetarians or like you say or vegan what’s the best way? What’s the easiest and cheapest way of getting more protein then? [00:11:23][14.5]

Manisha: [00:11:24] So one of the challenges that we have as a vegetarian is that most of our protein sources contain probably more carbohydrates than they do protein. So if we take something like lentils, beans, they are great food, lots of fibre, but quite low in protein. So we need to have foods that are what I call lean protein. So they are high in protein, but relatively low in fat and carbs. And things that that could be egg white if you eat eggs, low fat yoghurt because you can still get fat from other parts of your diet too so we don’t need to worry about that, because fat is important in diet, and some plant-based meats is actually really good. Protein powder is another good one. And again, protein powder can be one of these that people don’t agree with because women in particular might think that, it’s only if you’re necessarily exercising or it might make you bulky, but actually protein powder is it’s an addition. If you can’t get enough protein into your diet, it’s quick, easy, it’s relatively cheap, and it’s so versatile. You know, you can drink it as a drink, you can add it to your oats, add it to yoghurt, make smoothies out of it like I do. So it is a little bit more challenging, I’m not going to lie, but it’s about identifying the foods that are going to be give you the most amount of protein for the fewest calories, if you like, because then you can kind of use those on on other foods. But also the good thing is, is that we have incomplete protein and complete protein. And most of the plant-based proteins are incomplete. So just by mixing, say for example, bread and beans or rice and dal, you make that a complete protein. So that means that you’re getting all the amino acids that is required to do the job that protein has to do. [00:13:08][103.6]

Dr Louise: [00:13:10] Really important. And, you know, we did a survey around the time that my book came out and found that a large proportion of women actually are reporting that they put on weight around the time of the perimenopause and menopause. And it’s no surprise, actually, because the menopause is a cardiometabolic problem. When we have low hormone levels, it increases our risk of all sorts of diseases, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. And without oestrogen, our metabolism changes. But also our body needs oestrogen. It’s a biological hormone that has more than a thousand processes in our body which are important. So without it, our body’s going, oh, how do I get more? How do I get more? And our fat cells produce a very weak type of oestrogen. And it’s not actually a great type of oestrogen because it’s quite pro-inflammatory. And also our fat cells produce all sorts of other cytokines, chemicals that can add to this inflammation. But a lot of women do say, and they used to tell me in general practice all the time, and I would almost not believe them, it was terrible because I didn’t know anything about the menopause, and I didn’t know these metabolic changes that occurred. So they’d come and see me and say, Dr Newson, I’m putting on weight. I’m not changing my exercise, I’m not changing my diet. And I would just think, really? And then actually it does happen. It really does because I’ve seen it enough. And I’ve also seen that when people have their hormones rebalanced, they often do change their body shape. They might not change their weight because they might be able to build muscle easier, but their body shape change and they have less visceral fat, this internal fat, which is, like you said at the beginning, that’s the fat that none of us want because it’s associated with increased risk of disease. So there’s a lot stacked against menopausal women and perimenopausal women. So it’s often not, it’s not just happens in the menopause. It’s before when hormones change. And do you see that much in the people that you speak and liaise with? [00:15:05][115.0]

Manisha: [00:15:06] Yes absolutely. All the time. And there’s a couple of reasons for that. Look, number one, during the time of the menopause or perimenopause, the symptoms that we experience can stop us from doing what we want to do and leading a healthy lifestyle. So, you know, if you don’t sleep well, which was one of my symptoms, if you don’t sleep well, you wake up in the morning, you’re a bit agitated. Maybe your mood has changed. You might not want to go out for a walk, or you might not want to do any exercise. You might not want to cook healthy food. You might not want to eat healthy food. So sleep is a big component and it contributes to that. Also, you know, around this time of your life, you also might start to experience more joint pain, hip pain, bone pain. You might get injured a lot easier. So that can stop you from moving. I know it’s happened to a lot of my friends. So those kind of symptoms which are related to perimenopause and menopause can stop you from moving more and eating well. And then there’s also the fat redistribution that we have called body fat mobilisation, which is when fat from other parts of the body accumulate around the midriff. So we might not actually have gained weight, it’s just that the fat distribution has changed. And I’ve definitely experienced this. And then it just becomes a little bit harder. And I think the final thing, Louise, is that, you know, if I’m going to be honest, myself included, when you get to your 40s, 50 plus, you have the same expectations as you did when you were 20, 30. But our lifestyles have changed. Our stress levels have changed. You know, some of us are in higher powered careers. Some of us are looking after elderly parents. So our whole lifestyle has changed but yet we still expect the same results as we did when we were in our 20s and 30s, because we all know, I mean my diet, I was an air hostess, Louise, for ten years, and you were just talking there about your diet. My diet used to consist of Wotsits and Madeira cake after a night flight. I mean, it’s terrible, you know but yet I still managed to stay pretty slim during that whole time. So it’s just about managing our expectations as well and understanding that our body is going through major change. And we do have to change the way that we eat, the way that we move, exercise, all of that. Noting drastic, we can just start with small things, right? [00:17:14][128.4]

Dr Louise: [00:17:15] Yeah. And I think that is very crucial. And I think lots of women are sort of set to fail with the menopause. We were talking earlier before we started recording about this commercialisation of the menopause. And there’s all this debate about HRT, yes or no, let’s do the alternative route. Actually, I don’t really care whether women take HRT or not. I feel very strongly they need to know about the benefits because there are many benefits of taking, having your own hormones back, but putting hormones away, let’s just think about nutrition and our diet. We shouldn’t be changing whether we take HRT or not. People are sort of saying, oh well, HRT is just the magic bullet that will do everything. Well, of course it won’t. We have to do things ourself as well. And if we don’t take hormones, we have to know the reasons why we’re not taking them and make sure we’re happy and comfortable, that we’re aware of the risks of not taking hormones. But even that aside, we have to be responsible for what we eat. We totally are. I mean, I have hands and it’s me that puts my food in my mouth. No-one’s feeding me or force feeding me. And yesterday I was doing an event and I’d been working ridiculously long day back to back, but I knew I was going to be late, so I had some food in a yoghurt pot, there’s some salad that I’d made in advance. So I was eating it in the car before the event because I knew that I needed to eat. Otherwise I get a migraine. And then at the end of the event, someone had this big box of Maltesers. Louise, do you want a chocolate? I said, no, I don’t eat chocolate. What do you mean you don’t eat chocolate? I said no because if I have Maltesers I would get a migraine, so I can’t, like it’s just end of. But actually I’m quite lucky that I have migraines. That sounds really weird, but it means that I really can’t. But last night I was so tired. I was hungry because I didn’t really have enough food in my car. I wished I had brought some nuts and I forgot, but actually, I’ve got this mechanism when I can’t because I can’t have a migraine because then it floors me for a couple of days. So I feel quite lucky. But most people don’t have that, so it’s very easy, isn’t it like you say, when you were an air stewardess, how difficult is it to get good food? Of course it’s hard. So it’s easy just to get a packet of crisps. And my husband was operating all day, went to go and watch my daughter’s school play, and he said I stopped at the garage because I was starving. I hadn’t had lunch. I was doing long operations. The only thing I could buy was some nuts. There’s nothing Louise, he said, there’s water and there’s nuts and there’s nothing else that I could eat. And I didn’t want to give in and just have because I know I’d feel worse. So he gets home at half ten at night and is having some food. It’s so easy to eat badly, that’s the problem, isn’t it? [00:19:46][151.3]

Manisha: [00:19:47] It is. And the thing is, like, you know, Louise, when we were kids, when we were younger, what we had available then is very different to what we have available now. You know, I worry about my children growing up and I don’t want to be too restrictive, but equally, you know, just being mindful that every time we go out, we live in a 24-hour food culture. That’s what it is. You know, you walk past your kitchen and you pick up something. You walk past and pick up something else. And it’s really hard not to do that. And like you say, we’re all busy, like, you know, so it’s how do you manage all of that? And planning is absolutely key. You know, if when you’ve got those busy days and I know, you know, there’s going to be times when you’re not able to plan ahead. But I think just by having some quick, easy, convenient foods would make a really big difference. But again, when you’re stressed and tired, you might not feel like eating an apple, you know, even though it’s nutritious. So I think just planning ahead is really difficult. But I think we have to understand that what we, like you say, you are what you eat and we all want to look good, feel good and have the energy to be able to perform operations or just manage the school run or whatever it is you need to do. But just to go back to what you were saying earlier, Louise as well about gaining weight. One of the things that I share a lot about my own personal journey. Sometimes it comes with a little bit of criticism, but I need women to know that they don’t have to be stuck in that rut of where they are. Because I changed my whole lifestyle at age 48 and then changed the way that I exercise, I changed everything. And sometimes, you know, I’m not going to lie, it is a little bit of a chore and I have to get up in the mornings when it’s cold, but I know that I need to do it. So I want to give every woman out there hope that if you just start with the basics, just a few things, I promise you it will make such a difference to how you look, how you feel, your energy levels. You will sleep better because there’s not enough people out there that show the real side of going through what menopause is like. [00:21:47][120.3]

Dr Louise: [00:21:48] Absolutely. And how do you find different cultures, different groups of women respond to what you’re doing on social media, for example. Is there a difference? Are you sort of managing to reach different people? Because I spend a lot of my time worrying about how I’m not reaching so many people. Like, it’s great I’ve got a good following and lots of people, you know, recognise me and know what’s happening. But there’s a huge amount that have no idea at all. And it must be the same in nutrition. You know, we think we’re all eating all these wonderful foods, but there’s lots of people that are in this ignorant as in a true sense of the word, they have no idea. So how are you managing to reach people that maybe you wouldn’t have done 20 years ago? [00:22:29][40.9]

Manisha: [00:22:30] I think social media, it’s a vicious kind of like thing, isn’t it? Because I always moan about it. But actually, social media is a great way to reach people from all over the world, from all different backgrounds, from all cultural backgrounds. And, you know, whether you’re Indian, whether you’re Mexican, you can always make the food. I say Mexican because I’ve just recently come back from Mexico. But, you know, we can all eat the way that we eat culturally by just making a few tweaks in our diet. Now, most of the people who follow me are South Asian background. And what really saddens me is, you know, a lot of our parents, grandparents have metabolic conditions like type two diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure. So a large proportion of people just automatically assume, well, it’s going to happen to me anyway. Well, yes, genetics do play a role as we know. Actually lifestyle factors play an even bigger role. So the first thing is to get that message across that you don’t have to accept what your parents did or your ancestors did, because we now know different. But what upsets me the most is when doctors or other celebrities, influencers, professionals out there tell people that they can’t eat chapati, they can’t eat rice because that’s a big part of our diet. Actually, what we need to do is to balance our meals appropriately, because whether you’re Asian or whether you’re English, we all know that we all love carbs, right? If you think about your plate, generally speaking, you have more carbs on your plate than you do protein. And if you have vegetables, you have a small amount. So we just need to shift that balance slightly and just add a little bit more protein, a little less carbs, and a lot more vegetables. [00:24:13][103.1]

Dr Louise: [00:24:15] I think that’s really good advice, because I think there’s nothing worse in restricting diets. And certainly, like you say, people do have different traditions as well. You know, to sort of say to certain people, you absolutely can’t have something that first you really enjoy, and food, as you said at the beginning, should be enjoyment. And it brings people and especially brings families together. There’s nothing worse, I think, than thinking about people eating their food on their own, in front of a computer, or watching a telly and with a meal on their lap. Because for me, it’s one of the times I’ve really treasured as a mother of three children is our family food time. We have no phones. We talk, we might argue, but it doesn’t matter. It’s a really good time to get everything out. And then you associate food with good conversation and you’re not having to rush it because you’re enjoying conversation. And, you know, and I think, you know, you’re right, adding food is really important. I mean, I use my grater all the time because certainly, like you say, when you’re doing a pasta sauce, if I gave loads of vegetables on the side, my daughter would probably urgh, but if I grate them into the sauce that I’ve made, well, she won’t really, well she does know they’ve got courgette and whatever else in, but it’s just easier and it cooks quicker as well. So when you come in from school and your quick and you haven’t got anything in the freezer, so there are hacks that it can do as well aren’t there, I think, it’s really important. But the other thing is also not buying the food that you might be tempted to have when you’re really hungry, because I’ve had patients before who say, well, no, I have to buy the snacks for my children, then I end up eating them myself. And it’s like, well, maybe your children don’t have to have the snacks because if they’re hungry, they’ll probably eat their food more. But it’s so easy to buy things off the shelf as snacks. And that’s where I think, you know, having our regular meals, like you say, not snacking all the time, even if you eat the same food but starting just with thinking about what are you eating? And are you really hungry or do you just need a glass of water? Or maybe just like you say, have an apple or nuts are really expensive, I know that, but when they’re bought in bulk you only need to have a small amount. So the price per mouthful are actually quite small, so it is probably worth investing in some nuts, don’t you think? [00:26:28][133.4]

Manisha: [00:26:29] Yeah, I think there’s nothing wrong with snacking. But first of all it’s about addressing, well, why is it that you are constantly hungry or needing that snack. What I also find is that a lot of people don’t eat big enough portions because they might be worried about gaining weight, but actually it’s counterproductive because if you just had a bigger portion which is more filling, you might not need that snack later on. But the other thing that you could do is if you did want to snack, is just add something that’s a little bit nutritious alongside it, because then that way you won’t feel guilty for eating it and plus you’re getting some of your other macronutrients like, say for example, if you’re having a chocolate or a biscuit, then have some yoghurt with it or a piece of fruit, because then that piece of fruit or your yoghurt is contributing to your daily nutrients for the day as well. But I think, yeah, like you say, it’s really important. The first question I always ask is, well, why do you snack, why do you eat late at night? Is it because you’re tired? You’re bored, you’re hungry? What is it? And then let’s address that first. And I absolutely agree with you. I am one of those people. Despite being a nutritionist, I’m a human being, and I had to change my eating habits a lot over the last few years. And one thing that works for me is, I appreciate that you might have kids or other people in the house, I just don’t buy things that I like Louise because no matter how desperate I am, I will not have certain types of biscuits or crisps. So I appreciate that you might want to have them, you know, for the kids or whatever. But like you say, I think with kids it’s a different conversation. But I try to get my kids involved as much as I can in cooking and making snacks, because even with healthy snacks, because if they cook it, they are more likely to eat it. And I’m quite lucky with mine because even before I knew about all of this I started my kids baking at quite a young age so they’re used to having brownies made from quinoa. Whereas if you gave that to another 12 year old now, they’d be like, oh, that’s awful. So I think if you’re listening and you’ve got kids who are younger, please get them involved because it’s such a great skill for them to learn. It keeps them off their phone, it makes them want to eat better and it saves you time. I got one of my 12 year olds makes dinner most days and it’s a godsend, Louise, I tell you, it’s brilliant, I love it. [00:28:33][124.5]

Dr Louise: [00:28:34] That’s great. I’m doing lots wrong because my 12 year old does not cook me supper, so I need to change. [00:28:39][5.0]

Manisha: [00:28:40] Oh but I started young. So I think there’s always a few things that we could do to help the situation. [00:28:47][7.3]

Dr Louise: [00:28:48] Absolutely. Really great advice, and I’m very grateful for your time. Before we end, though, three tips for people who are probably feeling a bit overwhelmed thinking, yeah, yeah, I’m going to do that. And then a few days later maybe slip into old routines. So what are the three things that you think people could do that are achievable and sustainable? [00:29:06][18.3]

Manisha: [00:29:08] Too much too quickly means, yeah, you might feel great after a month, but are you still going to be doing that same thing in December or summer? So the first tip is to manage your expectations, start small and then gradually build up. So for example, if you don’t go for a walk, start going for a 20-minute walk and then maybe gradually increase that over a period of time. Start to include protein in every single meal that you’re having, breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you’re having three different meals, there are lots of different things that you can have. And I would say, finally, if you have a bad day, inverted commas, move on. Yeah, there are 365 days in the year. So what you do a one day, one week, even a weekend, when you look at the whole grand scheme of things, it’s only a very small percentage. So don’t let that throw you off. Just pick yourself up the next day and just continue with whatever habits. You know, all of this is about habits and behaviours because we all know what we should be doing. It’s just a matter of applying it. So keep it realistic, keep it simple and don’t let any down days throw you off track. Are my simple tips. [00:30:15][67.0]

Dr Louise: [00:30:16] Really great advice I think. Set yourself up to win, not fail. [00:30:19][2.8]

Manisha: [00:30:19] Absolutely. [00:30:19][0.0]

Dr Louise: [00:30:20] There’s so much stacked against us at times. So thank you so much for your time and good luck with all your work. And thanks ever so much today. [00:30:28][7.3]

Manisha: [00:30:28] Thank you Louise. You too. [00:30:29][0.8]

Dr Louise: [00:30:34] You can find out more about Newson Health Group by visiting www.newsonhealth.co.uk, and you can download the free balance app on the App Store or Google Play. [00:30:34][0.0]

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