Food : Kellogg's All Bran Challenge

Kellogg's have launched their All Bran 5 Day Challenge this week in order to encourage us all to think about (and increase) our daily fibre intake....since most of us just aren't getting enough.

* just 10g of wheat bran fibre every day helps reduce digestive transit time

* a single serving of All-Bran contains 3.6g wheat bran fibre

Sign up for the 5 Day Challenge, get tips & facts tailored to your lifestyle by email each day, track your progress and see what a difference increasing your fibre intake by a small but significant amount can make to your diet & how you feel each.

I met up with the lovely people from Kellogg's last week to hear more about the challenge, as always it was fascinating to hear what their nutritionists had to say and I came away with, pardon the pun, plenty of food for thought....namely, I eat nowhere near enough fibre in my diet.

Interesting fact.....the total length of your small intestine is 30 feet long, that's a very long distance for any food to travel, I think it needs all the assistance you can give it!   

There are lots of great flavours, not just the original All Bran....
All Bran Golden Crunch is delicious as is All Bran Red Berries.

Why not sign up online & give it a try? I'm going to!

Olbas : A Hug in A Bath!

Recently I attended an event for mothers-who-blog which focused on children & sleep, particularly during this time of year when coughs & cold are prevalent.

We met lovely, knowledgeable & eminently sensible sleep expert & paediatric nurse Kathleen McGrath who talked at length about the importance of a good night's sleep for everyone.

She specifically explained how to deal with children who are congested or unwell, suffering from coughs or colds.

Her tips for congestion before bedtime :

* make sure your child drinks plenty of cold fluids before going to sleep

* don't let them get overheated, cotton nightclothes are best

* make sure the room is well ventilated

* put a natural decongestant on the child's pillow or baby's bedsheet

*if possible, raise the head slightly higher than the rest of the body in order to make it easier to breathe whilst sleeping

The better they sleep and more rest they get, the quicker the child tends to recover.

I have been familiar with Olbas for years, my mother swears by it & I had already used it when my children were young.

So I was very happy when we left the event with a bag full of Olbas products.

My children have always been pretty good sleepers & are exceptionally healthy - 

when my son was suffering from tonsilitis recently & we had to visit our doctor, the doctor informed us that the last time he saw my son was 4 years ago!!

But, the last 5 weeks has been non-stop coughs/colds/sore throats....

and yes, sleepless nights.

As most mothers know, if your children are sick, you get less sleep....

and often, you eventually succumb to coughs & colds yourself.

I thought I had managed to avoid the bugs & germs this winter but this past 10 days my son & I seem to be swapping germs, sniffling our way through the days & nights.

Olbas contains a combination of essential pure plant oils, such as eucalyptus, mint, clove, juniper berry and cajuput.

I have always used the Inhalant Decongestant Oil for myself and Olbas have now introduced a Children's Decongestant Oil which can be used from age 3 months upwards.

My absolute favourite product though is the Olbas Bath....

a gorgeously green warming bath product which you pour into a hot bath.

It is perfect for children, clearing their heads and noses and leaving a gentle scent on their skin which eases their breathing at night-time.

I have to confess to loving the Olbas Bath so much that I have been known to use it even when I've been 100% healthy, there's something so warm & comforting about it.

And the last few weeks, when we have all been under the weather, I have honestly been beyond thankful for all the products and can't recommend them enough.

Unless absolutely necessary, I try to avoid taking medicines & Olbas with its gentle essential oils is perfect. 

Below is a "sleep tips" video from Kathleen McGrath from the day.

  

I was given Olbas products at this event, but all views are completely my own and I have tried all the products myself....several times ;)

    

Kellogg's Special K : "Model For A Day"

This week-end I was invited, along with 9 other bloggers, to attend a Kellogg's VIP event at the fabulous Westfield shopping centre.

Aware that this is the week of the year when most diets begin, Kellogg's are today launching a new campaign. Kellogg's Special K is focusing not just on losing weight but on what you will "gain" when you do lose.....be it direction, confidence, oomph, sparkle etc.

Positivity is everything....and the new campaign focusing on the positive side of losing weight & eating heathily.

We spent the morning in hair & make-up, being pampered & generally having a lovely time.

Our photos (taken by fabulous celebrity photographer Joel Anderson)  - plus an inspirational word of our choice - were then featured on giant billboards and screens around the shopping centre....

quite an experience!

To find out more about the Special K "What Will You Gain?" campaign, read here....

Thank you to the Special K team, especially the lovely Jess :)