YourLIFE: EAT RIGHT WITH GILLIAN ; Every Week No-Nonsense Food Expert Gillian McKeith Shares Her Insider Tips for Healthy Eating

By Gillian McKeith

5 WAYS TO BURN 100 CALORIES

Most of us don’t move nearly enough, so get off your backsides and shake your booties with these easy calorie-burners

1 GET ON YOUR BIKE (10 minutes) Cycling is great exercise and easy on the joints. If you have kids, get everyone out into the fresh air together.

2 WALK TO WORK (15 minutes) Walking is the easiest and most natural exercise ever. At least one day a week, walk to work or park the car a little further away or get off the bus earlier than usual.

3 SKIP FOR JOY (15 minutes) Skipping ropes are cheap and can be used pretty much anywhere. Make sure you have a good pair of cross trainers and stretch your legs, especially your calves, before and after. Not only does skipping work the heart and lungs, your legs and upper body get a workout, too. Start with bursts of two to three- minute and work up.

4 DANCE ROUND THE HOUSE (20 minutes) Nothing improves leg muscle tone, cardiovascular fitness and your mood more. You don’t need to go to a club. Just dance around your living room.

5 POWER-CLEAN (20 minutes) No, that doesn’t mean investing in a Dyson. Housework is a great way to raise your heart rate and tone your muscles as long as you keep proper postural alignment and move quickly from chore to chore.

CHOLESTEROL BUSTER

PLACE a handful of almonds in a cup of water overnight and take them to work as a snack. Almonds help lower cholesterol because they are high in monounsaturated fats – the same fats found in olive oil – which have been proven to reduce risk of heart disease.

Does baking affect benefits of seeds?

COULD you please tell me if baking seeds depletes them of their goodness. I often bake a mixture of pumpkin, sunflower, linseed, millet and hemp because it makes them crunchier. Also, could you please tell me, what are sprouting seeds?

Sarah Kenward

GILLIAN SAYS: Just take care not to burn them – browning may indicate that the fats have been burnt, affecting their nutritional benefits.

Sprouting seeds are simply those that have been soaked and left to sprout for a day or two (just rinse morning and evening). Sunflower, sesame and pumpkin can all be sprouted as can mung beans, alfalfa seeds, whole lentils, chickpeas, aduki beans. Sprouted seeds are a fab source of food enzymes, which can help energy levels and digestion.