Gardening

Many gardeners are keen to expand their veg growing this year and by far the easiest way is to grow on a bed system that is no-dig: far less work, easy on the back and good for the environment too, as the soil structure is undisturbed, and carbon remains locked in the soil. The principle of no-dig is that beds are a maximum of 1.2m (4ft) wide and worked from a path either side rather than being trodden on and compacted, plus the organic matter (garden compost or well-rotted manure, ideally) is spread in a layer on top to be taken down by worms and soil organisms. Beds can be made at ground level, but if you want to ease wear and tear on backs and knees, or want to convert grass into veg beds, the simplest and most labour-saving way is to go up. Use a wooden frame – from 15cm high upwards depending on your budget – and cover the grass with fl attened brown cardboard boxes (lots of them around with all the internet shopping going on). The grass underneath is killed by the cardboard which then rots down and adds more structure to the soil. Then simply fi ll with soil mixed with organic matter, then get sowing and planting. Garden centres and nurseries remain open at the time of writing so there should be plenty of seeds and ready-grown plants to choose from. n

GARDEN DESIGNER & HORTICULTURAL SPECIALIST Inspirational ideas to transform your garden

Sue continues to be available for garden advisory visits and design work, operating according to Covid-19 social distancing guidelines. Gift vouchers available for garden advisory visits. Contact Sue for more details. Sue Fisher 01822 841895 | suefi sher@talktalk.net | www.suefi shergardens.co.uk

Fulfilled living in later life

Bethany Christian Home o ers wonderful care for older people, inspiring and encouraging fulfilled living in later life. For Christian care in Plymouth call 0300 303 8440 or visit pilgrimsfriend.org.uk/Bethany

Obesity - a growing concern

Dr Rachel Tyler points the spotlight on excess weight

Pardon the pun but obesity is a weighty problem. It is estimated that over half of hospital admissions are related to excess weight and the problem is set to continue, with nearly a third of children reported as being overweight by the time they leave primary school. As a GP, I certainly know how much it contributes to poor health: Joint pain, cancer, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, infertility and diabetes to name just a few conditions. Obesity has also been identifi ed as a risk factor for poorer outcomes with Covid 19 infection. So what is obesity? Most people are familiar with term Body Mass Index (BMI), which is calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms by the square of your height. A normal BMI is in the range 20-25, a reading of 25-30 indicates you are overweight and a BMI of more than 30 is offi cially obese. It is not a perfect measurement, but it certainly gives us an approximate measurement of risk. Many studies have shown however, that waist to height ratio is a better indicator of cardiovascular health, as carrying fat around our middles is an indicator of visceral fat stores. This is the fat that collects around our liver, kidneys and other internal organs. High levels of visceral fact are strongly associated with cardiovascular disease. Ideally, our waist circumference divided by our height should be less than 0.5. Our modern lives are time poor and calorie rich. Portions are bigger, food more readily available at any time of the day or night and unlike smoking or alcohol, food is not something we can give up altogether. The fact the population is getting bigger and bigger also means we have adjusted to a new ‘normal’. As the extra weight creeps on stealthily over time, we reassure ourselves things aren’t too bad as we see people around us who are bigger – but don’t be fooled. If your BMI or waist/height ratio is more than it should be, take action sooner rather than later. Here are my top fi ve tips for shedding those pounds: 1) Diets don’t work - or rather they do, but they stop working once you stop doing them. Instead of thinking of yourself as ‘on a diet’, change to a healthier way of eating permanently and accept that this is just how you eat now. 2) Exercise is very important for fi tness, strength and mental health, but it only contributes a small amount to weight loss. Most studies show exercise alone does not lead to signifi cant weight loss. So while it’s important to exercise for all kinds of reasons, the biggest eff ect on weight will be through changing what you eat. 3) Keep a food diary – people who eat more consciously are more successful at losing weight. Writing up everything you have eaten or drunk in a small diary (or online app) every day can be very revealing and help you spot where there’s room for improvement. 4) Ditch the empty calories – Aim to eat food that satisfi es your hunger and gives you nutrition as well. There are lots of foods like crisps and sweets that are calorie dense but have little nutritional value and leave you feeling hungry. Also look out for drinks like lattes, fruit juices and fi zzy drinks, which can be surprisingly high in calories. 5) Find support – making any big change to your life is hard on your own. Whether it’s through friends, family, slimming groups or online apps and forums, try and get some support to help you when you are wavering. n

For more help with weight loss and other health advice, check out The One You Plymouth website - www.oneyouplymouth.co.uk/eat-well

Dr Rachel Tyler is a doctor at

Stirling Road Surgery, St Budeax

Motivate for Success!

Some words of advice from adventurer and educator James Dyer

James Dyer

Have you ever dreamed of running a marathon? How about climbing Kilimanjaro or doing the Three Peaks Challenge? Have you set ambitious plans to get fi tter, lose a few pounds, then after a few weeks in the gym you felt unrewarded, or unsure if you are making the fi tness gains that you wanted? Goals are great, having something to aim for in life and in fi tness can be the motivation that we need to make the changes that we want to see in ourselves. When it comes to fi tness, every year people set themselves goals and challenges with the aim of keeping themselves motivated, but unless these are really strong and meaningful, and their training is purposeful and intentional, and they are focused and dedicated in their training it is highly unlikely they will achieve them. How do we create meaningful goals? And then how do we go about crafting a training programme for them, which limits the risk of dropping out? Try this... Ask yourself some questions (and be honest) What do you want? Do you want to look better? Not breathe so hard walking up a hill? Complete a triathlon? Climb a mountain? Or keep just up with the kids? Think about your dreams as a child, what sort of person did you want to be? Answering some of these questions starts to make your goals meaningful. Achieving any goal is about maintaining motivation, so making your goals strong and committing personally to them and what it means to you to achieve them, will ensure that when things get tough, or you feel that you’re not getting close to your goal you will have the resilience to get through that and keep pushing forwards. Once you have a meaningful goal (pick 1! Don’t go mad and have multiple goals going on at the same time, you will never achieve all of them, like juggling balls you can only hold so many before you can’t hold any!) you will need to then break this goal down into training aims. Training aims outline the next stage of designing a training programme that is based on the real components of your goal. For example, there is no point doing lots of heavy weight training if your goal involves running a long distance - you will need to do some, but you need to be...running! This is what we mean by purposeful and intentional training, training that is right and incremental, that builds you gradually to your training goals. The last component of success is down to you! Your levels of commitment and dedication to the training, your resilience to keep going (even if your brain is trying to tell you to quit!) and your real desire to achieve your goals. So set yourself strong and meaningful goals Design and undertake training that is purposeful and intentional, and be dedicated and focused to keep with it! n

James Dyer

Why consider a Pre-Paid Funeral Plan?

You wouldn’t buy a holiday from a man in the street. And you certainly wouldn’t buy a car from someone who knocks on your door. So why buy a funeral plan from anyone other than the experts in their industry, local independent Funeral Directors? Funeral Plans allow holders to pay for a funeral at today’s prices that may not take place for decades, without ever having to pay more for a funeral director’s services. A funeral plan is also not considered as a financial asset when seeking financial assistance for care costs from the local authority. If an individual were to invest the cost of a funeral plan, eg £3,500, in a savings account, the interest returned would be far less and would certainly be unable to keep up with the rising costs of funerals, which have soared by more than 90% since 2004. However, by taking out a funeral plan with a trusted funeral plan provider, regulated by the Funeral Planning Authority, this £3,500 is pooled together with millions of pounds from other plan holders to provide the opportunity to gain a much greater return on investment. What this essentially means is that a funeral, which may cost £3,500 today but £7,000 in five years, is covered no matter how much the national average cost of a funeral rises. When comparing local independent funeral directors with larger, national corporations, it can be much better value to look local for a funeral plan too. National direct sellers have enormous overheads and marketing budgets to pay, whereas local funeral directors can afford to sell local funeral plans at local prices.n The Walter C. Parson Group has offices at Crownhill, St. Judes, Plympton, Ivybridge, Tavistock, Callington, Saltash, Torpoint, Newton Abbot, Torquay and Exeter. To discuss the benefits of purchasing a pre-paid funeral plan, with no obligation on your part, or to request a brochure, please telephone ✆ 01752 767676 or visit www.wcpltd.com for further details.