ready meals

With long, dark evenings and cold, wet weather ahead, the winter months can leave many of us feeling down in the dumps. But from eating a balanced diet to doing some gentle exercise, there are simple measures you can take that will help see you through to spring with a smile. Around 1 in 5 people in the UK suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) during winter – more commonly known as the ‘winter blues’. Doctors think that a lack of sunlight can cause some people’s bodies to produce more of the sleep hormone, melatonin, making you feel tired and irritable throughout the day. Cold weather and short days can also make some people depressed, and cause them to want to shut themselves away indoors, and sometimes overeat.

  With recent newspaper stories citing processed meat as a cause of cancer, anyone might have thought twice about taking another bite of their bacon butty. But look behind the scary headlines, and you’ll see you can still enjoy eating meat as part of a balanced diet. October’s biggest health story was the news that a World Health Organisation study had labelled processed meat such as bacon, salami and sausages a Group 1 carcinogen – placing it alongside smoking as a definite cause of cancer. This has made lots of people worried, but it’s important to understand that enjoying sausage and mash or a full English breakfast every now and then is nowhere near as bad for you as smoking – and as well as providing protein and other essential nutrients, will actually do you little harm at all.

Diabetes is one of the most common health problems in the UK, affecting over 2.5 million people. And, as we age, the more likely we are to get it. But the good news is, by making some simple diet and lifestyle changes you can reduce your risk – without missing out on your favourite meals. Diabetes is caused when your body stops being able to produce insulin – a natural chemical that helps glucose move from your blood into your body cells, which then convert it into energy. There are two different types, with Type 2 being the most common, particularly among older people. Fortunately, unlike Type 1 diabetes, which cannot be prevented (and usually affects children or young adults), Type 2 diabetes is tied to conditions such as high blood pressure and obesity, which may be avoided by following a healthy lifestyle.

Suffering from depression and anxiety becomes even more common as we get older. It’s an illness often triggered by age-related risk factors such as having a debilitating medical condition, disability, loved ones dying, retirement and loneliness. And when things go wrong with your mental health, every aspect of your life is affected – with the usual symptoms being a lack of energy, low motivation, disrupted sleep and a poor appetite. Physical complaints such as arthritis pain or worsening headaches are also linked to depression.

Tikka Masala or Jalfrezi? Korma or Balti? In the UK today, we’re eating more curry than ever before. But when did our love of these spiced, aromatic dishes begin? With National Curry Week in full swing, there’s no better time to find out. Many of us might think that curry only really became popular in the UK thanks to the growing number of people from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh who settled in cities up and down the country from the 1950s to the 1970s. But curry actually first came to Britain centuries earlier. And since then, there has been a fusion of British and Asian ingredients and recipes that have lead to the creation of some of our best-loved dishes.

It's World Heart Day this week and the ideal time to double check that we’re looking after our hearts. Keeping active is one of the most fun parts of it. But the good news is, your diet can also really benefit your heart – even if you already have a heart condition. Thankfully it’s not too complicated. All you have to do is aim for a balanced diet, naturally packed full of nutrient-rich ingredients. So when choosing your ready meals make sure they often include:  - plenty of fruit and vegetables - plenty of starchy foods - low fat milk and dairy - some meat and fish, or eggs, beans and other non-dairy protein sources - lower fat, salt and sugar values

If you reckon a meal’s not a proper meal without some kind of meat in it, you’re not alone. But with vegetables playing such a crucial role in a nutritious, balanced diet, it’s often a good idea to make a few days a week meat-free – and seeing how that makes you feel. As we get older, our energy levels and appetite tend to change. So if you’re not eating as much as before, what you do eat needs to be rich in vitamins, minerals, fibre and ‘good’ fats. A diet based mainly on starchy foods such as potatoes, whole-grain bread, rice and pasta, along with plenty of fruit, vegetables and nuts, ticks all the healthy boxes and provides your essential ‘five-a-day’. And whether they’re raw, cooked, sliced, diced, stewed, mashed or puréed – enjoying vegetarian food is easier than you think.

If you like to stay active, keeping your joints healthy can be important. Although they won’t prevent more serious conditions such as arthritis, the following tips can help keep your joints in good condition – so you can carry on doing the things you love. From getting out of bed to holding a pen, our joints are essential for everything we do. But when we age, our joints can become stiff and painful – whether from wear and tear of bones and cartilage, or different types of arthritis. The good thing is, there are some simple things you can do to keep your joints strong and flexible in later life.

Good digestive health is vital for our overall wellbeing and strengthening our immunity to illness and infections. So understanding what foods and drinks help or hinder our digestion can make you feel better in lots of ways. Fibre A diet rich in fibre or ‘roughage’ helps prevent constipation and lowers the risk of chronic diseases. For a healthy bowel, aim to eat 30g of fibre a day from a variety of foods such as: wholemeal bread, cereal, brown rice, fruit, vegetables, beans and oats. Take a look at our Tuscan Bean Casserole or Chilli Con Carne & Rice – for satisfying suppers, packed with fibre.

Whether because of natural changes in our health or side effects of medication, many of us find it more difficult to get to sleep as we age. But there are some simple things you can do to drift off more easily – including enjoying a relaxing meal. To get to sleep, our bodies rely on a hormone called melatonin, which controls our sleeping and waking cycles. For example, during daylight hours, our body clock cuts down how much melatonin we produce to help us feel awake. Production of melatonin increases into the evening as we prepare to rest, and reaches its highest levels at night to keep us asleep until morning.