A week into my project, moving toward a plant based diet and I have successfully scaled the first hurdled I set for myself last week, which was to eat fruit or veg with every meal or snack. It wasn’t too difficult to stick to at meal times but it really made me think hard when it came to snacks, having to eat a piece of fruit or veg at snack time encouraged me toward healthy choices rather than biscuits or chocolate. Result!

Now to this weeks challenge. Yesterday I watched the Irish documentary Ironmind which addresses the issue of mental health and looking at the role exercise can play in improving mental health. I thoroughly enjoyed the series but one line stood out and I wrote it down in my journal, the participants were training for a ½ Ironman Triathlon and their sports psychologist explained that in any situation when the going gets tough you focus on the next 100m, (the next day, the next decision). You ask yourself; how do I win? And the answer is you do – What’s Important Now. This question gave me the answer to the question – What do I need to do next to move me toward a healthier me?

I’ve always appreciated the benefits of exercise, but I appear to be a seasonal exerciser, I go through long periods of activity or inactivity respectively, I often say “I’m either flat out or flat out”, going 100 miles per minute or nothing at all. This week I am adding the challenge of a 15 minutes of exercise or physical activity each day.

Thanks for your comments on this page and through social media, your support means so much to me. Have a great week and see you next week.

Bressie’s Ironmind (a 2 part documentary) was rerun on RTE 2 during the week and is currently available on the RTE Player via the following link: https://www.rte.ie/player/ie/show/bressies-ironmind-30003684/10669761/