My weight loss journey is nonexistent this week. I’m having a complete break as we are having a lovely weekend away, and why not. Life is for living so I am going to indulge myself with a few glasses of bubbles, eat what I like which will include the inevitable full English at our hotel and no doubt loads of burgers and rubbish which is all that is available at this festival, but most of all I will be enjoying lots of live music and the company of special friends.

So no weighing till next week, how have you been doing? Have you lost, gained or stayed the same? It doesn’t matter, as long as you are enjoying your life while you’re at it. I would love to hear your weight loss stories, email me at help@thetherapyshed.com

My new secret weapon, and I think should be considered a ‘superfood’, this week is lots of full fat natural Greek yoghurt, the yoghurt itself is fabulous for your good gut bacteria, it helps fight against the bad bacteria leading to a healthy immune system. It is also packed full of protein, essential for our cell health, healthy skin and to fight illness. It has copious amounts of vitamin B12 and potassium, essential for energy levels and great brain function. It is also full of iodine which in turn increases the thyroid’s activity and then your metabolism promoting weight loss, woooo! That’s not all, it’s calcium content is so high it can regulate your cortisol (if you have unregulated, high amounts of cortisol it can cause you to retain your weight). Go and get some!

I use it as a fab replacement for butter in jacket potatoes, instead of creamy toppings on chilli, curries or soups, instead of mayo, add in some garlic and herbs and lemon juice for a great salad dressing, if you want something sweet throw in some berries or any fruit, I have even been known to stir in a teaspoon of my favourite jam when the sweet cravings kick in, add it to smoothies, on desserts, it’s endless. But the absolute best thing I use it for is I add in 1 tablespoon of oats per 100grams, mix it up a bit and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days, take out 4 or 5 spoonfuls, throw in your favourite chopped fruit and you have the perfect breakfast, thickened by the oats (another superfood) so keeps you full till lunchtime, but also sweetened by the fruit that we all know is incredibly good for us, (80grams counts as one of your five a day), how better to set yourself up for the day, with a little bit of prep the most important meal of the day is taken care of. Enjoy!

If you have any recipes ideas using this wonderful ingredient please share them by email.

Love yourself, Denise x