If you are a parent, whether your children are still toddlers or are now old enough to become parents themselves, it would have been practically impossible to ignore the subject of some of the recent headlines. They announced that parents no longer have to take the blame if their children are picky eaters because it is all down to their genetics. At least that’s how the majority of news outlets reported the findings from the UK study that analysed the data from 2,400 sets of twins. Naturally, any parent hearing this news would have felt a moment of relief, because it is almost a rite of passage to at some point experience the frustration of trying to get your child to eat.
Sport is somewhat like politics these days in that competitions that capture all of our attention and are the only topic of conversation are suddenly just…not. Perhaps we have a short attention span, because it wasn’t so long ago when the UK was inundated by coverage of the Men’s Euro 2024. But by the time the leagues of England supporters sobered up to face that football was not ‘coming home’, the public had already moved on. And what better place to focus our attention on than the Paris Olympics. After all, the Olympics never disappoint in showcasing a mix of incredible talent, record-breaking feats, and a touch of high drama and controversy that guarantees to entertain the masses…for at least the next two weeks. All eyes are now focused on Team GB, as they battle it out against the rest of the world’s greatest athletes and try to make it to an exclusive podium. Brutally, all of the attention is on the medal winners, and the athletes who don’t quite make it there are almost overlooked.
It may be harsh but in the Olympics (and the Euros) you’re either winning or losing, and no one is as interested in hearing about a fourth place’s journey. The winners not only inspire the rest of us to get fit, take up sport and achieve, they also make it very easy to believe that winning is everything. But maybe it’s a human instinct to zone in entirely on the prize, especially when you see others try to do something almost superhuman. However, as mere mortals, life and reality often get in the way of any overly ambitious goals to make a podium. And by only ever focusing on getting a result, you are guaranteed to be sometimes disappointed. It makes much more sense to put winning into perspective by shifting the focus onto how to get there.
Although we are in the midst of the UK general election campaign, not everyone is tuning in to watch the TV debates. In fact, many sports fans are more focused on the fierce battles being played out on the football pitches across Germany. Because so far, the Euros 2024 have not failed to disappoint. There have been matches full of high drama with contentious decisions and almost as many own-goals scored as the current government’s tally in recent days. However, one thing that has set apart the different contests is the culinary row being fuelled by opposing football supporters.
After too many days of running on wet, soggy trails and being whipped by the wind, it is nice to finally feel the warmth of the sun. With the weather forecast predicting more sunny days ahead of us, many people will be planning to get outside and enjoy a workout or two. But although we are still in the last days of the Spring and the temperatures are mostly mild, now is the perfect time to start thinking about hydration. Ensuring that you are sufficiently hydrated while running will not only keep you cool and comfortable. It can make the difference between finishing a workout, crossing a finish line or crashing out in a big heap and a DNF.
As a Registered Nutritionist I work with parents to help ensure their children can eat a healthy balanced diet that is full of variety. Needless to say, this can be extremely challenging and stressful if their child is going through a bit of a picky eating stage. But one thing that can work wonders and even motivate very fussy children to eat is to introduce an element of reward for trying new foods. However, the golden rule that should always be followed is that the reward for eating should never be food-related. In other words, using a more carrot than stick approach but not literally. The simple reason why is because awarding a liked food as a prize for doing something difficult doesn’t work effectively nor does it foster a healthy attitude towards eating. But oddly enough, as soon as you become an adult this rule is positively flouted. Especially amongst runners because favourite foods are regularly used as incentives and rewards for doing something challenging.
