This is a very exciting time for us. It is the run up to January which is the busiest time of our working year as everyone wants to lose weight after Christmas. Next January is also a new decade and that makes it special. On top of that my 30th video/DVD will be published, my brand new diet book (which works unbelievable well) will be published and we officially launch our online TV channel which has been 18 months in development. Now that I’m back from my summer break it is time to get the promotional wheels turning ready for a very busy and productive January.
We are fortunate to have a fantastic team who work so well together. We have a common goal – to help people to lose weight and to enjoy themselves while they do. We want to do everything in our power to support our wonderful franchisees who run Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Club classes and to that end in three weeks’ time we hold our Annual Convention. It is then that we will unfold all our hopes and plans for the new year and it is always fantastic fun. Over the next three weeks we will be working our socks off to ensure that we convey the information and enthusiasm that we have over to our franchisees so that they are all ready for January too. We also honour our top franchisees at our annual awards ceremony.
Yes, it’s exciting times and today will be busy.
Wednesday 30 September 2009
Tuesday 29 September 2009
I can't believe it's almost October!
We have had an amazingly dry summer here in the UK with lots of sunshine. We have enjoyed it but now it is well and truly autumn and the leaves are turning golden and the conkers are ready for gathering. The harvest is in and the fields have been ploughed ready for a new crop next year.
As we get older we realise how fast the months pass by and as I was sitting with my mum-in-law yesterday in the outpatients department as she awaited her blood test, it struck me so strongly how immobile some folk are just because they are carrying a load of excess weight. My mum-in-law is not one of them. She is very slim – always has been – but she has eaten carefully and healthily and has remained active all her life. As I watched men and women walk in to the hospital with their sticks and frames, manoeuvring to sit down, obviously with aching hips and painful knees, I realised the immense benefit of losing our excess weight, exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet.
We cannot buy health but we can invest in an account of common sense and responsibility. We have choices and we need to make wise ones if we want to live beyond our three score years and ten. Being a healthy weight, being fit and independent is priceless and yet we just assume it is how life will be for us. If you are very overweight, smoke, drink to excess and do no exercise and also don’t bother about what you eat, you could be in for a shock that will profoundly affect your life in years to come. Make a choice today to take a few small steps towards a healthier and happier future. You can find some help from our website: www.rosemaryconley.com. I hope we can help you on your journey to a long and healthier life.
As we get older we realise how fast the months pass by and as I was sitting with my mum-in-law yesterday in the outpatients department as she awaited her blood test, it struck me so strongly how immobile some folk are just because they are carrying a load of excess weight. My mum-in-law is not one of them. She is very slim – always has been – but she has eaten carefully and healthily and has remained active all her life. As I watched men and women walk in to the hospital with their sticks and frames, manoeuvring to sit down, obviously with aching hips and painful knees, I realised the immense benefit of losing our excess weight, exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet.
We cannot buy health but we can invest in an account of common sense and responsibility. We have choices and we need to make wise ones if we want to live beyond our three score years and ten. Being a healthy weight, being fit and independent is priceless and yet we just assume it is how life will be for us. If you are very overweight, smoke, drink to excess and do no exercise and also don’t bother about what you eat, you could be in for a shock that will profoundly affect your life in years to come. Make a choice today to take a few small steps towards a healthier and happier future. You can find some help from our website: www.rosemaryconley.com. I hope we can help you on your journey to a long and healthier life.
Monday 28 September 2009
Back to work!
Last year I decided to take a sabbatical for nine weeks in the late summer to have a complete rest and enjoy some quality time with Mike, away from the pressures of work. It was great and four weeks of the nine were spent in Portugal and the remainder were spent doing some much needed work at home and having a completely chilled time. I loved it. But I wouldn’t want to do it all the time – so no, retirement does not appeal to me.
This year I decided to have a break again – five weeks this time – and I was looking forward to it. But this year’s break turned out to be very different – but rewarding, just the same.
On the first day of my break my lovely mum-in-law became poorly and she came to stay with us. She’s 87 and she has been a total inspiration to me over the 26 years I have known her. Six days after coming to us she was admitted to hospital with a variety of problems and over the next ten days in the hospital she appeared to be deteriorating, looking very frail and we were seriously worried about her health. I was so pleased I was on holiday at home that we could visit her every day and try and boost her up. Mike and I soon discovered that hospital visiting is completely exhausting, as we were trying so hard to jolly up his mum when she felt so despondent. But her deterioration was more to do with her fear of not recovering rather than her health and suddenly she was released from hospital and allowed home to us again.
It was wonderful to be able to be available, cook her tasty food, chat and encourage her. Mike and I sit and chat with her about her life, how she met her husband and lots of things often not discussed with parents because we just don’t. And she has rewarded us with her positive attitude, not moaning once and being appreciative of everything Mike and I could do for her.
Yes, our holiday in Portugal had to be cancelled but that didn’t matter. The reward of seeing this wonderful woman, who had given her life to supporting her husband, (who died nine years ago) and her three sons, was worth it. We were so proud of her when we sat alongside of her when she was being asked questions relating to her life at home when she was being admitted into hospital. ‘Do you have any walking aids?’ ‘No’, ‘False teeth? ‘No’, ‘Hearing aid?’, ‘No’, ‘Help in the house?’ ‘No’, and when she was given the Alzheimer’s test, she answered the questions better than I could have done.
Today I go back to work. My five weeks have been very different from any five weeks I’ve ever had in my life but it has been so rewarding. My mum-in-law is now in relatively good health, still living with us and we have no time scale on that, nor does there need to be, and we are very happy to be able to care for her. She is now well enough to be able to busy herself through each day, eat well and sleep well.
And the icing on the cake? Our dog Waise (pronounced ‘Visor’) and our cat Tom have completely fallen in love with our new house guest. Waise is allowed to sit on the settee (previously forbidden) and she sleeps alongside her new ‘auntie’. She loves it and mum-in-law thinks it’s wonderful too.
Yes, I’m looking forward to going back to the office. I have had a real break and I’m all fired up for the next 12 months. The last five weeks have been fantastic for a very different reason than I anticipated.
This year I decided to have a break again – five weeks this time – and I was looking forward to it. But this year’s break turned out to be very different – but rewarding, just the same.
On the first day of my break my lovely mum-in-law became poorly and she came to stay with us. She’s 87 and she has been a total inspiration to me over the 26 years I have known her. Six days after coming to us she was admitted to hospital with a variety of problems and over the next ten days in the hospital she appeared to be deteriorating, looking very frail and we were seriously worried about her health. I was so pleased I was on holiday at home that we could visit her every day and try and boost her up. Mike and I soon discovered that hospital visiting is completely exhausting, as we were trying so hard to jolly up his mum when she felt so despondent. But her deterioration was more to do with her fear of not recovering rather than her health and suddenly she was released from hospital and allowed home to us again.
It was wonderful to be able to be available, cook her tasty food, chat and encourage her. Mike and I sit and chat with her about her life, how she met her husband and lots of things often not discussed with parents because we just don’t. And she has rewarded us with her positive attitude, not moaning once and being appreciative of everything Mike and I could do for her.
Yes, our holiday in Portugal had to be cancelled but that didn’t matter. The reward of seeing this wonderful woman, who had given her life to supporting her husband, (who died nine years ago) and her three sons, was worth it. We were so proud of her when we sat alongside of her when she was being asked questions relating to her life at home when she was being admitted into hospital. ‘Do you have any walking aids?’ ‘No’, ‘False teeth? ‘No’, ‘Hearing aid?’, ‘No’, ‘Help in the house?’ ‘No’, and when she was given the Alzheimer’s test, she answered the questions better than I could have done.
Today I go back to work. My five weeks have been very different from any five weeks I’ve ever had in my life but it has been so rewarding. My mum-in-law is now in relatively good health, still living with us and we have no time scale on that, nor does there need to be, and we are very happy to be able to care for her. She is now well enough to be able to busy herself through each day, eat well and sleep well.
And the icing on the cake? Our dog Waise (pronounced ‘Visor’) and our cat Tom have completely fallen in love with our new house guest. Waise is allowed to sit on the settee (previously forbidden) and she sleeps alongside her new ‘auntie’. She loves it and mum-in-law thinks it’s wonderful too.
Yes, I’m looking forward to going back to the office. I have had a real break and I’m all fired up for the next 12 months. The last five weeks have been fantastic for a very different reason than I anticipated.
Monday 21 September 2009
Are you starting your diet today?
Most people start their diet on a Monday because it is the beginning of a new week and, psychologically, a new week. Often the shopping is done over the weekend and you will have no doubt decided towards the end of last week that today you would make a real effort to lose weight in time for Christmas.
Before you start the day, step on to your scales in your birthday suit and note what you weigh. If you are planning on joining a slimming class this week, check out our website www.rosemaryconley.com to see if we have a class near you because we include an exercise session with our weigh-in and a weight-loss talk so it’s basically better value than just joining a basic slimming class, plus all our instructors are professionally qualified.
We need motivation to lose weight and research has shown that losing weight with others is significantly more successful than going it alone. We are motivated by different things and we need to use every trick in the book to inspire us into action. Here are my quick ten top tips to get you off to a good start:
Clear out any food that will tempt you off the straight and narrow
Make a plan of what you plan to eat this week, particularly your main meal
Make a pledge not to eat between meals except one small piece of fruit
Cut your alcohol consumption
Drink plenty of water
Get active. Decide to do something reasonably energetic every day
Avoid adding fat to any food that you prepare or eat
Avoid eating as much fat as possible. It will make you fat!
Find a reason for wanting to lose weight and write down you goals
Each Monday, measure yourself as well as weighing yourself and write down your measurements
Do these ten things and you will lose weight remarkably quickly and if you join a class and try and lose weight with others you will find you lose even more! Happy slimming!
Before you start the day, step on to your scales in your birthday suit and note what you weigh. If you are planning on joining a slimming class this week, check out our website www.rosemaryconley.com to see if we have a class near you because we include an exercise session with our weigh-in and a weight-loss talk so it’s basically better value than just joining a basic slimming class, plus all our instructors are professionally qualified.
We need motivation to lose weight and research has shown that losing weight with others is significantly more successful than going it alone. We are motivated by different things and we need to use every trick in the book to inspire us into action. Here are my quick ten top tips to get you off to a good start:
Clear out any food that will tempt you off the straight and narrow
Make a plan of what you plan to eat this week, particularly your main meal
Make a pledge not to eat between meals except one small piece of fruit
Cut your alcohol consumption
Drink plenty of water
Get active. Decide to do something reasonably energetic every day
Avoid adding fat to any food that you prepare or eat
Avoid eating as much fat as possible. It will make you fat!
Find a reason for wanting to lose weight and write down you goals
Each Monday, measure yourself as well as weighing yourself and write down your measurements
Do these ten things and you will lose weight remarkably quickly and if you join a class and try and lose weight with others you will find you lose even more! Happy slimming!
Wednesday 16 September 2009
MY TRIBUTE TO JULIE PIDGELEY
Today I attended the funeral of one of our franchisees – Julie Pidgeley. It is the first time one of our franchisees has died and Julie will be greatly missed by us all – particularly the members of her classes who so loved and respected her. They loved her zest for life, her encouragement, her energy and her unfailing support. Julie totally loved her job of teaching aerobics and helping her members lose weight.
Julie was only 44 years old and it was so sad to see her two lovely daughters, Jennifer, who is 26 and Jemma, who is 24, say good-bye to their mum who they obviously loved so much. It was also heart-breaking for her father and Paul, who had been her husband. Her illness had been very sudden with such devastating consequences. Her sudden death is a shock to everyone who knew and loved her.
The crematorium was overflowing with folk wanting to pay their last respects. We knew Julie loved yellow roses so all her members, fellow franchisees and Quorn House staff who were present, wore a yellow rose in her honour. All the seats were quickly taken and it was a very special sight to see so many kind and caring people standing in every corner and crevice of the room. From the number of yellow roses being worn, it was clear to see that there were many of her RCDFC fans present.
Julie qualified as an aerobics instructor in 2000 and she worked as an employee for our local franchisee in part of Surrey. When the existing franchisee decided to sell her franchise, Julie stepped in and took the big step of becoming a franchisee herself. It was at this stage that I met Julie for the first time and I warmed to her immediately. She attended our Franchise Presentation Day and, after the brief interview that I have with every potential applicant, I filled in the initial form with my comments. I just wrote ‘Will be great!’ I was so confident that Julie would make a success of her franchise and soon she came on the training course at Quorn House.
The extra training rather daunted her as she didn’t feel confident about taking exams so when she received a Distinction for her Nutrition Theory Paper we were all thrilled – particularly Julie!
As soon as Julie took over the franchise her confidence grew and grew and the support she gave to her members was rewarded today. To see so many lovely ladies proudly wearing their yellow roses would have made Julie smile. As one of them commented to me, ‘If Julie had seen this she’d have said: ‘ surely this isn’t for me!’. Well, it was Julie!
But Julie will never be forgotten. We are planting a beautiful tree in her memory at Quorn House. One of Julie’s members said it all when she wrote to us and said: ‘Julie was a wonderful lady and very highly thought of, her classes were so much fun and I will miss her dearly.'
God bless you, Julie.
Julie was only 44 years old and it was so sad to see her two lovely daughters, Jennifer, who is 26 and Jemma, who is 24, say good-bye to their mum who they obviously loved so much. It was also heart-breaking for her father and Paul, who had been her husband. Her illness had been very sudden with such devastating consequences. Her sudden death is a shock to everyone who knew and loved her.
The crematorium was overflowing with folk wanting to pay their last respects. We knew Julie loved yellow roses so all her members, fellow franchisees and Quorn House staff who were present, wore a yellow rose in her honour. All the seats were quickly taken and it was a very special sight to see so many kind and caring people standing in every corner and crevice of the room. From the number of yellow roses being worn, it was clear to see that there were many of her RCDFC fans present.
Julie qualified as an aerobics instructor in 2000 and she worked as an employee for our local franchisee in part of Surrey. When the existing franchisee decided to sell her franchise, Julie stepped in and took the big step of becoming a franchisee herself. It was at this stage that I met Julie for the first time and I warmed to her immediately. She attended our Franchise Presentation Day and, after the brief interview that I have with every potential applicant, I filled in the initial form with my comments. I just wrote ‘Will be great!’ I was so confident that Julie would make a success of her franchise and soon she came on the training course at Quorn House.
The extra training rather daunted her as she didn’t feel confident about taking exams so when she received a Distinction for her Nutrition Theory Paper we were all thrilled – particularly Julie!
As soon as Julie took over the franchise her confidence grew and grew and the support she gave to her members was rewarded today. To see so many lovely ladies proudly wearing their yellow roses would have made Julie smile. As one of them commented to me, ‘If Julie had seen this she’d have said: ‘ surely this isn’t for me!’. Well, it was Julie!
But Julie will never be forgotten. We are planting a beautiful tree in her memory at Quorn House. One of Julie’s members said it all when she wrote to us and said: ‘Julie was a wonderful lady and very highly thought of, her classes were so much fun and I will miss her dearly.'
God bless you, Julie.
Monday 14 September 2009
Enjoy today!
Over the weekend I was reading some philosophical thoughts of a 90 year old. I thought I would write my own – some have been said to me, some are my own creation. You could add your own to the list:
The greatest thing is to love and be loved in return
Live for today but remember tomorrow
I want to be slim more than I want that Mars bar
How will you feel about today’s crisis in 6 months’ time?
Remember, a ‘no’ now doesn’t mean ‘no’ forever. Circumstances change.
Be persistent. Failure cannot live with persistence
Dream your dream and find a dream-catcher to help you
Treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself
Write down your goals
When things get tough, talk!
Always remember there are two sides to every story
Act in haste and repent at leisure
There’s no such thing as a quick fix – not for money, weight loss or in relationships
If a thing’s worth having, it’s worth waiting for
Develop the habit of complimenting people
Make an effort to remember people’s names
Always remember to say ‘thank you’
Write letters when you want to say something nice to someone. They can read it again and again and keep it
Send ‘well done’ cards when others achieve something special, win an award or do something good
Nothing tastes as good as being slim feels
The greatest thing is to love and be loved in return
Live for today but remember tomorrow
I want to be slim more than I want that Mars bar
How will you feel about today’s crisis in 6 months’ time?
Remember, a ‘no’ now doesn’t mean ‘no’ forever. Circumstances change.
Be persistent. Failure cannot live with persistence
Dream your dream and find a dream-catcher to help you
Treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself
Write down your goals
When things get tough, talk!
Always remember there are two sides to every story
Act in haste and repent at leisure
There’s no such thing as a quick fix – not for money, weight loss or in relationships
If a thing’s worth having, it’s worth waiting for
Develop the habit of complimenting people
Make an effort to remember people’s names
Always remember to say ‘thank you’
Write letters when you want to say something nice to someone. They can read it again and again and keep it
Send ‘well done’ cards when others achieve something special, win an award or do something good
Nothing tastes as good as being slim feels
Friday 11 September 2009
Making the most of your loved ones
Thirteen years ago our wonderful and much loved German shepherd, Nikki, was diagnosed with heart failure and breast cancer having nearly collapsed and had been left at the vets for tests. By late afternoon, the vet broke the news to us that she was too ill to treat and there was really only one course of action to consider. I rang Mike immediately to break the news. This was a pet who was more than just a dog. She was part of the family and fundamentally responsible for Mike and I getting together in the first place thirteen years previously.
Thankfully, Mike said we should go and see her to say our farewells. We were prepared for the worst. But when we arrived at the vets and were shown through to the boarding area there was Nikki Noo, (it sounds daft now but that's what we called her). She was so excited at seeing us and I swear that if dogs could talk she was screaming ‘I’m OK! Please take me home! Please don’t put me to sleep!’. We challenged the vet and we pleaded with him for us to be able to take Nikki home. The vet, Mike Hayes, was a kind man and an extremely compassionate veterinary surgeon. He really loved animals and treated them wonderfully. He told us that medically, Nikki was extremely poorly. Mentally, she was doing well so, yes, we could take her home and see how things progressed.
Over the next month Nikki received so many cuddles and treats. Every day we made her feel special. We loved her and appreciated her and spent many a happy evening remembering the many antics she had got up to during her life. It was four weeks until her health finally gave in and we had to say good bye, but we were so grateful for the fact that we had been given that opportunity - those precious last days to make her feel really special.
Two weeks ago today, my mother-in-law was really poorly and was admitted to hospital. Our doctor warned us that it could be touch and go, particularly as she is 87 years old. As we visited her every day we could see her deteriorating and we were seriously worried about her. Thankfully, medically she was recovering and on Tuesday she came home to us and each day she has improved dramatically. We are so grateful for the excellent care she received in hospital to get her well enough to come home. We are hopeful of a significant recovery.
Over the next weeks, months, and hopefully years, I want to make sure that this very, very special and lovely lady knows how much we love her, appreciate her and respect her. She is a remarkable woman who is extremely capable, motivated, and always looks elegant – to the point that folk stop her in the street and tell her so! She never moans, never criticises, and she is a wonderful friend and mother. She is a true inspiration to us all. I am so pleased that we have the opportunity to say those nice things we think about her to her face and to make her feel really special during the last chapter of her life.
Thankfully, Mike said we should go and see her to say our farewells. We were prepared for the worst. But when we arrived at the vets and were shown through to the boarding area there was Nikki Noo, (it sounds daft now but that's what we called her). She was so excited at seeing us and I swear that if dogs could talk she was screaming ‘I’m OK! Please take me home! Please don’t put me to sleep!’. We challenged the vet and we pleaded with him for us to be able to take Nikki home. The vet, Mike Hayes, was a kind man and an extremely compassionate veterinary surgeon. He really loved animals and treated them wonderfully. He told us that medically, Nikki was extremely poorly. Mentally, she was doing well so, yes, we could take her home and see how things progressed.
Over the next month Nikki received so many cuddles and treats. Every day we made her feel special. We loved her and appreciated her and spent many a happy evening remembering the many antics she had got up to during her life. It was four weeks until her health finally gave in and we had to say good bye, but we were so grateful for the fact that we had been given that opportunity - those precious last days to make her feel really special.
Two weeks ago today, my mother-in-law was really poorly and was admitted to hospital. Our doctor warned us that it could be touch and go, particularly as she is 87 years old. As we visited her every day we could see her deteriorating and we were seriously worried about her. Thankfully, medically she was recovering and on Tuesday she came home to us and each day she has improved dramatically. We are so grateful for the excellent care she received in hospital to get her well enough to come home. We are hopeful of a significant recovery.
Over the next weeks, months, and hopefully years, I want to make sure that this very, very special and lovely lady knows how much we love her, appreciate her and respect her. She is a remarkable woman who is extremely capable, motivated, and always looks elegant – to the point that folk stop her in the street and tell her so! She never moans, never criticises, and she is a wonderful friend and mother. She is a true inspiration to us all. I am so pleased that we have the opportunity to say those nice things we think about her to her face and to make her feel really special during the last chapter of her life.
Tuesday 8 September 2009
September - an important point of the year
In the diet and fitness business there are three main points in the year when folk join slimming clubs and gyms to lose a few pounds and get themselves in shape. The main one is January – after the Christmas blow-out and it’s time for new year resolutions. The second peak is after Easter as folk realise it is time to slim down for their holiday and for wearing lighter, sleeveless clothes for the warm summer months. The third peak is September.
People came back to classes in September after their summer holidays and when life takes on some routine and normality again after children return to school. We also want to look our best for the Christmas party season and going to class is something beneficial to do as the nights start drawing in.
Now is a good time to make the most of the warm sunshine and go for walks and enjoy the tail-end of the summer. Making some September resolutions and writing them down is good for us and helps us to focus on achieving more with our diet and fitness. Our classes will be offering free membership at this time of the year, (some may attach some conditions) and everyone will feel a sense of a new start. If you need help and fancy coming along, just check out our website www.rosemaryconley.com and if classes aren’t for you, we offer an online slimming club.
We all work better if we are with others aiming for the same goals so make September a special month for you to get back on track and make the most of yourself and your health.
People came back to classes in September after their summer holidays and when life takes on some routine and normality again after children return to school. We also want to look our best for the Christmas party season and going to class is something beneficial to do as the nights start drawing in.
Now is a good time to make the most of the warm sunshine and go for walks and enjoy the tail-end of the summer. Making some September resolutions and writing them down is good for us and helps us to focus on achieving more with our diet and fitness. Our classes will be offering free membership at this time of the year, (some may attach some conditions) and everyone will feel a sense of a new start. If you need help and fancy coming along, just check out our website www.rosemaryconley.com and if classes aren’t for you, we offer an online slimming club.
We all work better if we are with others aiming for the same goals so make September a special month for you to get back on track and make the most of yourself and your health.
Monday 7 September 2009
Why are we so keen to criticise?
Last week it was reported in the media that inmates in prisons were served a healthier diet than patients in NHS hospitals. As my mother-in-law, aged 87, is currently residing in our local hospital, I considered very carefully the reports being made across the nation.
When Mike, my husband, and I visited his mum we enquired what she thought of the food. “Very good” she responded without hesitation. “I have a menu brought to me each morning so that I can select the lunch I want each day”. “Is it hot enough?” we asked. “Yes. Very hot. It’s a bit bland but there is always salt and pepper if you want to add to it”.
The next day she left me the menu to examine. It is obvious that the lunchtime menu is the main meal of the day and the following was on offer. Patients only had to tick what they wanted: Carrot and Leek soup, fruit juice, Turkey and seasoning sandwich on white bread, cheese and tomato sandwich on brown bread, sweet and sour chicken, corned beef hash, cauliflower and broccoli bake, gravy, creamed potatoes, boiled rice, swede, sweetcorn, choc chip sponge and custard, rice pudding, yogurt, ice cream, fresh fruit. Optional snacks also offered listed chocolate mousse, cheese and biscuits, blueberry muffin, or apple/orange/banana snack bar.
I do not believe anyone in hospital expects food to be haute cuisine but I think that is a pretty impressive menu by anyone’s reckoning and we should be grateful – as my mum-in-law is.
In prisons, inmates queue for their meals and within seconds of making their selection and having it placed on their plate, they are sitting at a table eating it. In hospitals, it is very different. The caterers have to pre-plan each serving according to the patient’s individual requirements, deliver it several floors up in many cases, place it on the bed table of each patient (who are pretty poorly otherwise they wouldn’t be in hospital), and make sure the right one is delivered to the correct patient, plus it has to be hot when it arrives!
As in all businesses and establishments, some are better than others, so I can only speak from personal experience. But in the hospital where my mum-in-law is being cared for, they deserve top marks. The nurses are friendly and efficient, the doctors attentive and I believe she is receiving the very best of care – and food. So, let’s stop having a go at the NHS. Nobody said it was perfect but with all of my personal experiences and now, this current one, I have nothing but admiration for everyone concerned.
As a nation I wish we could be more complimentary rather than critical. Let us be very grateful for what we have and be proud of it.
When Mike, my husband, and I visited his mum we enquired what she thought of the food. “Very good” she responded without hesitation. “I have a menu brought to me each morning so that I can select the lunch I want each day”. “Is it hot enough?” we asked. “Yes. Very hot. It’s a bit bland but there is always salt and pepper if you want to add to it”.
The next day she left me the menu to examine. It is obvious that the lunchtime menu is the main meal of the day and the following was on offer. Patients only had to tick what they wanted: Carrot and Leek soup, fruit juice, Turkey and seasoning sandwich on white bread, cheese and tomato sandwich on brown bread, sweet and sour chicken, corned beef hash, cauliflower and broccoli bake, gravy, creamed potatoes, boiled rice, swede, sweetcorn, choc chip sponge and custard, rice pudding, yogurt, ice cream, fresh fruit. Optional snacks also offered listed chocolate mousse, cheese and biscuits, blueberry muffin, or apple/orange/banana snack bar.
I do not believe anyone in hospital expects food to be haute cuisine but I think that is a pretty impressive menu by anyone’s reckoning and we should be grateful – as my mum-in-law is.
In prisons, inmates queue for their meals and within seconds of making their selection and having it placed on their plate, they are sitting at a table eating it. In hospitals, it is very different. The caterers have to pre-plan each serving according to the patient’s individual requirements, deliver it several floors up in many cases, place it on the bed table of each patient (who are pretty poorly otherwise they wouldn’t be in hospital), and make sure the right one is delivered to the correct patient, plus it has to be hot when it arrives!
As in all businesses and establishments, some are better than others, so I can only speak from personal experience. But in the hospital where my mum-in-law is being cared for, they deserve top marks. The nurses are friendly and efficient, the doctors attentive and I believe she is receiving the very best of care – and food. So, let’s stop having a go at the NHS. Nobody said it was perfect but with all of my personal experiences and now, this current one, I have nothing but admiration for everyone concerned.
As a nation I wish we could be more complimentary rather than critical. Let us be very grateful for what we have and be proud of it.
Thursday 3 September 2009
Who won our Fab Low Fat Food Awards for 2009?
Yesterday we held our champagne Awards Ceremony at the Marriott County Hall Hotel in London to applaud the winners of our 2009 Rosemary Conley Fab Low Fat Food Awards. It was great to be able to meet the representatives of the various companies and to personally congratulate the winners of the 14 categories to whom we gave awards.
Voted for by readers of my magazine, Rosemary Conley Diet & Fitness, the winners of the various categories are as follows:
Best Cereal : Kellogg’s Special K
Best Meat Product : Mattesons Turkey Rashers
Best Ready Made Sandwich Range : Marks & Spencer Count on Us
Best Cheese : Philadelphia Extra Light
Best Dressing: Hellmann’s Extra Light Mayonnaise
Best Ready Meal : Marks & Spencer Ricotta & Spinach Cannelloni
Best Cooking Sauce : Dolmio Light Bolognese
Best Vegetarian food range: Quorn
Best Sweet Snack : Snack a Jacks Caramel
Best Savoury Snack : Ryvita Minis
Best Dessert : Mullerlight Yogurt
Best Low fat Supermarket Range: Marks & Spencer Count on Us
Best ‘I can’t believe it’s low fat’ : Hellmann’s Extra Light Mayonnaise
and lastly, ‘The low-fat food I can’t live without’ : Hellmann’s Extra Light Mayonnaise.
As Marks and Spencer also received a Special Commendation for their Vegetarian Food Range, they triumphed as the overall winner.
These awards are given to the companies because their products have been genuinely voted for by our readers. I have no doubt that the recipients were delighted to have received their accolades because they underline that the efforts they have put in to making their products what they are, have been rewarded by the general public. We all want recognition when we feel we have done a job well but there is nothing quite as satisfying as realising that the normal, regular, man or woman in the street has taken the trouble to vote for YOUR product. That YOUR product is making a difference to their health and their body. The manufacturers have every right to be proud of their achievements.
If we are to encourage the nation to eat more healthily and become slimmer and fitter we have to produce foods that they enjoy eating. Yesterday we acknowledged the very best of those foods and hopefully when folk go shopping they will select those foods that satisfy their taste buds without piling on the pounds.
Congratulations to all our award winners! For the full details of all the winners, Special Commendations and Highly Commended awards, check out our latest Rosemary Conley Diet & Fitness magazine published today. Our Chef, Dean Simpole-Clarke has even created some extra special recipes utilising the winning products.
Voted for by readers of my magazine, Rosemary Conley Diet & Fitness, the winners of the various categories are as follows:
Best Cereal : Kellogg’s Special K
Best Meat Product : Mattesons Turkey Rashers
Best Ready Made Sandwich Range : Marks & Spencer Count on Us
Best Cheese : Philadelphia Extra Light
Best Dressing: Hellmann’s Extra Light Mayonnaise
Best Ready Meal : Marks & Spencer Ricotta & Spinach Cannelloni
Best Cooking Sauce : Dolmio Light Bolognese
Best Vegetarian food range: Quorn
Best Sweet Snack : Snack a Jacks Caramel
Best Savoury Snack : Ryvita Minis
Best Dessert : Mullerlight Yogurt
Best Low fat Supermarket Range: Marks & Spencer Count on Us
Best ‘I can’t believe it’s low fat’ : Hellmann’s Extra Light Mayonnaise
and lastly, ‘The low-fat food I can’t live without’ : Hellmann’s Extra Light Mayonnaise.
As Marks and Spencer also received a Special Commendation for their Vegetarian Food Range, they triumphed as the overall winner.
These awards are given to the companies because their products have been genuinely voted for by our readers. I have no doubt that the recipients were delighted to have received their accolades because they underline that the efforts they have put in to making their products what they are, have been rewarded by the general public. We all want recognition when we feel we have done a job well but there is nothing quite as satisfying as realising that the normal, regular, man or woman in the street has taken the trouble to vote for YOUR product. That YOUR product is making a difference to their health and their body. The manufacturers have every right to be proud of their achievements.
If we are to encourage the nation to eat more healthily and become slimmer and fitter we have to produce foods that they enjoy eating. Yesterday we acknowledged the very best of those foods and hopefully when folk go shopping they will select those foods that satisfy their taste buds without piling on the pounds.
Congratulations to all our award winners! For the full details of all the winners, Special Commendations and Highly Commended awards, check out our latest Rosemary Conley Diet & Fitness magazine published today. Our Chef, Dean Simpole-Clarke has even created some extra special recipes utilising the winning products.
Wednesday 2 September 2009
Fab Low Fat Food Awards
Today we celebrate the very best of low fat foods that are available in our supermarkets today.
In 2008 we launched the Rosemary Conley Fab Low Fat Food Awards because we wanted to find out which foods the readers of our magazine thought were the best. So, this is the second year of these awards and again they have been voted for by the readers of our magazine, visitors to our website and members of our online slimming club – rosemaryconleyonline.com.
When I wrote my Hip and Thigh Diet in 1988 the number of low fat foods available could be counted in their hundreds. Today, tens of thousands are available and selecting the best can be difficult because the labelling on the packaging can be confusing. But our Fab Low Fat Food Awards are designed to help the discerning dieter to be able to select which foods are the low-fat-cream of the crop!
Kellogg’s Special K, Marks and Spencer Count on Us and Hellman’s Extra Light mayonnaise will walk away with top recognition from our Awards Ceremony at the Marriott County Hall Hotel, London, this morning. For all the Awards check out the latest edition of Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Magazine which is published today.
We want to applaud the fantastic foods that are produced today to help us lose, or maintain, weight without losing out on flavour or the satisfaction of eating something delicious. Well done to our Winners! Keep up the good work and help us all to eat well and become healthier – and, as a nation, we certainly need you. Thank you!
In 2008 we launched the Rosemary Conley Fab Low Fat Food Awards because we wanted to find out which foods the readers of our magazine thought were the best. So, this is the second year of these awards and again they have been voted for by the readers of our magazine, visitors to our website and members of our online slimming club – rosemaryconleyonline.com.
When I wrote my Hip and Thigh Diet in 1988 the number of low fat foods available could be counted in their hundreds. Today, tens of thousands are available and selecting the best can be difficult because the labelling on the packaging can be confusing. But our Fab Low Fat Food Awards are designed to help the discerning dieter to be able to select which foods are the low-fat-cream of the crop!
Kellogg’s Special K, Marks and Spencer Count on Us and Hellman’s Extra Light mayonnaise will walk away with top recognition from our Awards Ceremony at the Marriott County Hall Hotel, London, this morning. For all the Awards check out the latest edition of Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Magazine which is published today.
We want to applaud the fantastic foods that are produced today to help us lose, or maintain, weight without losing out on flavour or the satisfaction of eating something delicious. Well done to our Winners! Keep up the good work and help us all to eat well and become healthier – and, as a nation, we certainly need you. Thank you!
Tuesday 1 September 2009
Music in the Meadow - a fantastic success
What a fantastic success Music in the Meadow proved to be on Saturday evening with five bands offering a variety of music from R & B to Beatles to folk music - there was something to suit everyone’s taste, and the sun shone! For the first time in four years we had not one drop of rain which made all the difference to the enjoyment of the event and at one point hundreds of guests were dancing in front of the stage having a ball.
We had acquired hundreds of prizes for the tombola and people were rewarded with armfuls of prizes, much to their great delight. Companies like M& S, Co-op, John Lewis, Goldsmiths, Christopher Ward (the luxury watch maker) plus loads more had donated prizes.
Everyone enjoyed drinking Pimms in the sunshine and having their individual parties and picnics with the friends they had brought along. It was an amazing atmosphere.
One of the highlights of the evening was the drawing of the Mega Raffle. Of the fifteen prizes to be won, seven of them were won by people at the event but the winners spanned the country from Rochdale, down to the south coast. It has been great fun calling the remaining winners to tell them of their good fortune!
When I rang the winner of the top prize on Sunday morning and told her that she had won a week’s holiday for two people including flights and accommodation in a 4-star hotel, she cried with joy.
We still have a few of the winners to contact as I think they must be holiday and I can’t wait to tell them their good news.
Of course we mustn’t forget why we held the event. Steps education centre in Shepshed, Leics. will receive 70% of the proceeds and Matt Hampson, the young rugby player who suffered a severe neck injury whilst training for the England Under 21s will receive 20%. Matt was there on the evening to enjoy the music with us. 10% of the proceeds will go to support the Ashby Folville church and village hall and is a way of saying thank you to all the Marshalls who helped at the event and who are from the village. Of course the greatest news is that every single pound taken at the event goes to the charities as all of the expenses are met by the very generous supporting companies.
Despite the fact that the number attending the event was down a little on last year, which we put down to the economic climate, we still managed a phenomenal £22,500 - a fantastic achievement all round!
We had acquired hundreds of prizes for the tombola and people were rewarded with armfuls of prizes, much to their great delight. Companies like M& S, Co-op, John Lewis, Goldsmiths, Christopher Ward (the luxury watch maker) plus loads more had donated prizes.
Everyone enjoyed drinking Pimms in the sunshine and having their individual parties and picnics with the friends they had brought along. It was an amazing atmosphere.
One of the highlights of the evening was the drawing of the Mega Raffle. Of the fifteen prizes to be won, seven of them were won by people at the event but the winners spanned the country from Rochdale, down to the south coast. It has been great fun calling the remaining winners to tell them of their good fortune!
When I rang the winner of the top prize on Sunday morning and told her that she had won a week’s holiday for two people including flights and accommodation in a 4-star hotel, she cried with joy.
We still have a few of the winners to contact as I think they must be holiday and I can’t wait to tell them their good news.
Of course we mustn’t forget why we held the event. Steps education centre in Shepshed, Leics. will receive 70% of the proceeds and Matt Hampson, the young rugby player who suffered a severe neck injury whilst training for the England Under 21s will receive 20%. Matt was there on the evening to enjoy the music with us. 10% of the proceeds will go to support the Ashby Folville church and village hall and is a way of saying thank you to all the Marshalls who helped at the event and who are from the village. Of course the greatest news is that every single pound taken at the event goes to the charities as all of the expenses are met by the very generous supporting companies.
Despite the fact that the number attending the event was down a little on last year, which we put down to the economic climate, we still managed a phenomenal £22,500 - a fantastic achievement all round!
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