It's a Wonderful Life
Misty moments. Every day is a new opportunity. Veg-out this January. An offer in disguise. Nuush explained. Don't be duped by gloop. From the dog basket.
I was walking along in the freezing mizzly mist this afternoon. Everything was grey and damp and I had taken the remains of the turkey meat up to the fields to leave out for the foxes and badgers. I was soaked and muddy, my hair was all stuck to my head, the dogs were filthy, and it was the day before the country goes back to work and back to normal.
Did I feel depressed about it? No way. I just thought how lucky I am to be alive to see and feel all that, and to actually have a tomorrow in which to be alive and to go back to work on (although I’ve been back every day, so it’s not too much of a blow). The misty mizzle set the bare dark trees as evocative silhouettes, there was a Red Kite perched high on one, just surveying the landscape, everything was still and quiet – symbolising how we should be in deepest winter, and I was feeling the elements rather than sitting indoors with the heating on. I was/am alive for the start of another year – how brilliant and lucky is that?
I thought about the film It’s a wonderful Life where he gets his life back and the simplest things seem so joyous and fortunate. I imagined I had come back to life in those moments today, and how happy I was to feel my wet hair stuck to my face and the cold burning my cheeks.
Another year of life for us all. With all its ups and downs and the beauty of nature and its seasons. We should embrace it with warmth, happiness and hope and be thankful that we just had a peaceful winter break, in which to unwind and reset.
Life can be beautiful when we appreciate the gift of simply being here.
Every Day is a new day
I feel obliged to talk about New Year ‘things’ like diet and exercise, about creating new habits and leaving bad ones behind. But being expected to do something? That’s not really me. The truth is, any day of the year is a great day to start thinking about these things. The most important part is feeling ready and wanting to make a change – when it feels right for you, not because the calendar says it’s January.
That said, there’s no denying that a new year can create a strong sense of possibility. It’s a natural time to reflect and decide to let go of the things that aren’t working for us – whether that’s unhelpful habits, or even the contents of your wardrobe or snack cupboard! If new year has sparked something in you, if you’re feeling ready to get going on your health and well-being, I’m all here for it – with you every step of the way.
Just remember, lasting change doesn’t happen overnight, nor does it need perfection. Small shifts in how you eat, move and look after yourself add up to something bigger over time. It’s not about quick fixes or extremes. It’s about finding balance, making choices that feel nice and fit into your life, and creating a way of living that you genuinely enjoy and feel better for.
If that sounds like something you want to do, there’s no rush. Take it one step at a time, and don’t forget to celebrate your progress – however small it might seem – consistency is the way to go. Whether you’re starting today, next month or on a random Tuesday in May, what matters most is that you start when you’re ready, and you keep going.
Life on the veg
I’m on the fence about Veganuary. A vegan diet needs careful management to avoid nutrient deficiencies (if you’re considering it, get in touch – I can help guide you). That said, a vegetarian January is a fantastic idea! A whole food, plant-based diet can work wonders for your immunity, gut health, energy, and vitality – especially after a meat-heavy December.
I’m personally loving being back on veggie meals. It feels like I’m giving my body everything it thrives on, leaving me feeling vibrant and well. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed my share of ham, egg, and chips over Christmas (and maybe the odd pork pie!), but eating like that all the time leaves me feeling a bit dull and sluggish.
Our weekly Mediterranean diet meal plans are packed with delicious, easy vegetarian options, alongside meat, poultry and fish dishes. It’s so simple to choose veg meals every day while still being superbly nourished – because I make sure they provide everything you need. Our clients love the vegetarian options, and many of them end up choosing plant-based meals for most of their week all year round.
Another bonus? It saves money! Have you seen the price of quality meat and fish lately? YIKES.
Or why not try one really nice meat dish each week during January and stick to veg meals the rest of the time? Our plans give you loads of variety and options to keep things exciting.
Better than an offer
We haven’t increased our prices since before Covid, and that’s why there isn’t a January offer this year – because the value for money with Nuush is already immense. While our costs have risen year after year, we’ve made the decision to keep prices steady. Why? Because we want our community to continue eating well, learning how to better support their health, and thriving, especially during these challenging economic times.
So, if you’ve been waiting for a January offer, here it is: our prices are staying exactly the same as they’ve been since 2020! Despite that, we continue to deliver exceptional service, high standards of professionalism, and qualified support. Plus, you’ll have access to me and our brilliant community group every single day of the year.
Come and join us to experience all the benefits – and to feel as good as you were designed to feel!
Love this telly programme
I happened upon this, this morning, as I was taking the Christmas tree down. It’s brilliant – Adam Henson, the farmer from Countryfile fame, and Nigel Slater, the cook, got-together to make a Nigel and Adam’s Farm Kitchen all about ‘farm-to-fork’. It shows how UK food is grown on the farm and what we can do with it to make delicious meals.
I bet you’ll love it too!
How does Nuush actually work?
People often expect a big explanation here – something involving points counting, calorie calculations, cutting out food groups, fasting on certain days, or logging every morsel into an app.
Nuush is nothing like that. I create a fresh nutrition plan every week that gives you three delicious, simple meals a day, with plenty of choices at each meal – like a menu. This element of choice is so important psychologically; it gives you a sense of control over what you eat, which makes the plan far more sustainable. I carefully design each week to ensure it provides everything a healthy person needs, and it follows the seasons, so you can just sit back, relax, and enjoy your meals.
Our most popular plan is ‘Nutrition for Everyone’
There’s no calorie or points counting here. Instead, we provide a portions guide tailored to your sex and current weight. It’s good old-fashioned, three-meals-a-day living – no snacks needed. The meals are inspired by the Mediterranean diet framework. That doesn’t mean endless pasta and pizza (though they make an appearance!); it means plenty of vegetables, beans, pulses, olive oil, nuts, seeds, fruit, yoghurt, fish, and a little meat or poultry. The meals are easy to make, family-friendly, and built around food that lots of people genuinely enjoy. No need to cook separately for yourself while the rest of the household eats something else – everyone loves it! Similarly, it works for couples or people who live alone!
For something a little different, we also offer the popular Nourish & Fast plan. It’s not radical; it simply means having a filling brunch mid-morning, a healthy snack in the afternoon, and a satisfying, nutritious dinner around 6 pm – then nothing until the next day. This approach works brilliantly for some people, helping to quieten the urge to snack while still providing three balanced meals a day. It also comes with some great physiological benefits.
For those with more specific needs, we offer fully customised plans. These are tailored to fit your lifestyle, work, preferences and health concerns. And for anyone managing health symptoms or conditions – or who wants a deeper dive into their health – we have our nutritional therapy packages. We do the same for sports people, with Personalised Sports Nutrition.
All Nuush clients are welcome to join our online support group – literally the friendliest corner of the internet. It’s a space where lifelong connections are formed, and I’m there every day answering questions and sharing knowledge. If your goal is to lose excess body fat, you’ll find plenty of support here. Every Wednesday is Progress Day, where clients share their wins or, if they’ve been struggling, talk about their challenges. The group is always ready to rally around and offer encouragement.
I’m quite proud of what we’ve built. Nuush may not sell in the millions like Slimming World, but it’s far more personal, supportive and, dare I say, special. And I can sleep at night knowing that it’s safe, effective, and truly wonderful. 😊
Honest to goodness!
Have you seen that M&S now have a ‘Brain Food’ line? It might sound enticing at first glance, but honestly, you’re better off – both financially and nutritionally – making your own meals. Take their Blueberry Yoghurt Pot (200g), for instance. It costs £3 and contains over four teaspoons of sugar. Instead, you could enjoy a small bowl of Greek yoghurt with some frozen berries, seeds, and nuts for at least half the price and far less sugar.
They also sell a so-called ‘Brain Ball’, which is essentially a bit of nut butter mixed with freeze-dried fruit powder and synthetic vitamins, rolled into a ball and packaged – for £1.50! My advice? Have a banana and a handful of nuts instead.
It’s worth remembering that food companies are constantly trying to get us to buy all the food, all the time, often by making their products seem wholesome and essential.
Interestingly, they’re also scrambling to respond to the rise of weight-loss injections, which could significantly reduce their profits as users lose their cravings for ultra-processed foods. In a bid to stay relevant, they’re now marketing UPFs (ultra-processed foods) targeted at GLP-1 users, claiming these products are rich in fibre, protein, or other nutrients that might be perceived to be missing in their diets. This podcast, shared with me by a client in America, covers the topic in detail and is well worth a listen.
It’s no wonder people get drawn in by this – food companies spend billions on product development and marketing to make their offerings irresistible and convincing. But trust me, you’re almost always better off making your own food. It’s cheaper, healthier, and you know exactly what’s in it.
From the dog basket
Lottie and Evie have had a lovely chilled Christmas, I had time to take them to some new places. But like most of the rest of us, their trousers are now too tight… They are both on new year diets, essentially because of Lottie’s arthritis and because Evie partially slipped a disc (all fine now), and both of those situations don’t need a great big tum to cart around and make them worse!
It’s weird how it’s perfectly fine to talk about putting your pets on a diet, but not so with humans. I live in fear of my life if mentioning the word “diet”, relating to human beings. Lottie and Evie’s diet boils down to eating less food and staying physically active – something I would never dare suggest in the real world as I would be lynched, but it works and no one is arguing with it for dogs. Of course it’s much easier with pets, because they can’t open the fridge and get a snack out whenever they like, and they’re not faced with fast food or crisps aisles wherever they go, but it still takes the gumption of the owner, me in this case, not to give them delicious morsels from the dinner plate or while I’m cooking. I just keep remembering that I want them to be healthy and fit, and it’s all up to me.
There is a spanner in the works though – before they were both spayed, back in March, they were lean, mean fighting machines. The removal of their puppy-machinery has changed their metabolism and hunger levels, and it’s a hell of a job keeping them slim. But keep them slim I will, because I love them and want them to live active and long lives. It’s pretty similar to humans, I need to make sure they don’t feel deprived or starving, and that they don’t miss out on nutrients. They’re having more veg and more lean meat, and fewer carbs, but enough carbs to keep them active. And it’s working.
There has been drama behind the Aga, since the cats brought a tiny mouse in and it took refuge behind the cooker. It hasn’t dared come out, because at least one of the cats keeps a constant vigil – think they’ve organised a rota. I worry about the little creature and if it’s getting enough to eat; I almost think I should throw some cheese down the back of the cooker but instead I bought a humane trap which I’m setting up later with lots of tasty nibbles in it. I cant move the cooker as it weighs as much as the Taj Mahal. Then I think the poor little mite will be cold if I put it outside in the snow. Crikey, no one told me having a mouse in the house would be so worrying!
I mentioned about taking the leftover turkey up to the fields for the foxes and badgers (off the bone), well I left it right next to where Scout and Moss are, so they could at least smell it, bless their big happy hearts. I’ve missed them both so much this Christmas, and still do, every single day.
Hug your pets, and love them up, they’re the best.
Love, light and happiness from all of us, ‘til next time.
Xxx
P.S. By the end of January it’ll still be twilight at 5:30pm! More time for dog walks ♥️
Happy New Year Sal - great read and full of wisdom. I would not worry about mousie if he’s brave enough to come into your house with all the cars - I am sure he will survive !
Happy new year Sally 💙 There’s a great podcast with Nigel Slater on Kirsty Youngs Young Again Podcast you might like. Hadn’t heard of that programme you mentioned so will have a look 😊