The September edition of Living Well

Dear Reader,

Welcome to mid September!

Summer travel still fresh in my mind, I can heartily recommend Istanbul as a long weekend destination. Where East meets West, this energetic city of 20 million people sprawls across the Bosphorus and condenses millenia of conquests, trade, religion and military ambition. A more atmospheric, lively, exotic and vibrant city you are unlikely to find.

My top travel tips - stay somewhere central near the main sights, to conserve your energy; orienteer yourself painlessly by taking the 2 hour boat cruise that explores the European and Asian side of the city from the water; look for side street eateries that might appear quiet but are probably more authentic; and ladies, always carry a shawl or loose dress for entering places of worship. Finally, I flew there economy return with BA for £1 plus 29,000 Avios – for more info on the BA reward flights read my past article here.

With fresh baclava already a sweet distant memory, it’s back to work / school and meal prep. It’s also a great moment for a September health reset in the run up to Christmas, which in my book (literally) is 80% about eating whole foods and being food accountable, and 20% about movement and exercise.

One of my absolute favourites is the generous, warming, protein dense but low cal venison chilli. Venison is one of the most lean sources of meat protein, lower calorie than say beef, and very flavoursome. The recipe also contains black beans, high in fibre and protein. It’s one of 47 recipes in my book, all of which are either free of added sugar, high in protein and / or low calorie - and all delicious…

An event you might well want to join is the Eat Nourish Love Fair in Tedworth Park, Wiltshire on September 23/24 – a combination of shopping and talks by guest panellists (I shall be in conversation with Grace Fodor on the 23rd), it’s a wonderful way to do pre-Christmas shopping and pick up some lifestyle tips along the way.

More info and ticket details here. See you there!

Always up for a good chat, I particularly loved my recent podcast talk with the wonderful Kaye Adams of Loose Women and the ‘How To Be 60’ podcast! We covered a LOT of ground – take a listen here.

I also adored my visit to the Highgate Flower School in Rotherfield in East Sussex – where you can pick your own flower bouquet – watch the video here.

Post holiday skin can be a problem, particularly as the weather gets colder, but I have been trialling the new L’Oreal skincare range for over 55s. I’m particularly liking the rose serum and the honey night moisturiser, both of which seem to be giving my skin a slightly better texture and softness. I shall continue the experiment and report back (I’m not sponsored by L’Oreal).

On the subject of my upcoming sugar free snack range, thank you for all your flavour suggestions re balls … we are testing, trying and will hopefully have more news soon… It’s a tough job…

And finally, dare I mention it… Christmas… my book could just be that stocking filler you are looking for. So why not sort it out now and take advantage of the 20% discount by entering FABULOUS20 into the voucher box at checkout. Buy Now.

Very best of luck for the rest of September!

Alison.