Monmouth M.P. David Davies juggling dextrously. I knew he was a boxer but maybe it's just as well he didn't show us that skill!
Healthy eating was on the menu at our Let’s Get Physical! event in Monmouthshire last week. Visitors had the opportunity to sample a range of healthy food at the event, which took place at Waitrose Abergavenny; meanwhile the mobile health centre offered health checks to visitors and there was a physical fitness expert on hand to provide advice on becoming more active.
Cheryl Pope, a Carer in Monmouthshire, said: "Talking about healthy food is important and will help me and my family to consider what we eat on a daily basis.
"Healthy food doesn’t need to be expensive or bland. I have been having great fun looking in recipe books to find new ways of using good value for money ingredients in different ways. Next on my agenda is to be more physical. Thank you Hafal for highlighting these issues."
Junaid Iqbal, a member of the Service User and Carer Panel leading the campaign, said: "It’s not about living on salads. It’s about eating a range of foods to make sure our bodies are receiving all the energy and nutrients they need. There’s a lot of finger-wagging when it comes to dieting and healthy eating and we are avoiding that. The important message it that the occasional cream cake or bacon roll is fine as long as it’s balanced with plenty of fruit and veg as part of a sensible diet."
Peter Martin, Hafal’s Head of Public Affairs, said: "Healthy eating – like exercise – can be important for people with a serious mental illness because of the side-effects of medication. Some antipsychotic medications, for example, may contribute to obesity or leave the patient feeling sedated. The campaign will provide key tips on how to counter this."
