The perfect weight is an ideal many strive for, but not everyone is able to reach. Children, as well as adults, battle weight gain more so than ever before, because they know that being overweight can cause severe medical problems such as heart disease, stroke, high cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, diabetes and more.

Everyone knows that people need a minimum amount of calories to survive. If we don’t eat enough calories we will lose weight; if we take in too many, our weight will go up.

The big question is: how many calories should we consume on a daily basis to maintain a healthy weight. We could take a guess, but that would, of course, be inaccurate. Simple online calorie calculators, on the other hand, could definitely give us a more defined answer, but still would not be completely accurate, for the simple reason that everyone’s metabolic rate is unique.

Chilli Con Carne is perfect in winter and will last for days in the fridge. This Chilli Con Carne recipe works best with a good simmer, but will be worth the wait.

What you'll need

• 1 large onion (diced)
• 1 kg (2 ¼ lbs) beef mince
• 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
• 2-3 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 birds eye chillies (chopped fine)
• 250 grams (9 oz) canned red kidney beans (rinsed)
• 250 ml (9 oz) canned tomato soup (not diluted)
• 400 grams (14 oz) canned peeled tomatoes
• 1 green capsicum (bell pepper) (diced)
• Tabasco sauce
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• ¼ tbsp dried thyme
• ¼ tbsp dried chilli powder
• Sea salt flakes
• Black pepper corn mill
• Olive oil

A change for a new lifestyle and a new you? Losing weight can be daunting at first but breaking it down into smaller manageable pieces will make it more achievable and realistic for you.

Steady Does it

Remember-weight gain did not happen over night so expect a steady weight loss of 0.5-1.0 kg a week. Losing anymore can lead to fluid loss or protein breakdown (your muscles!). It is the little habits that have crept into your life and caused your weight to rise slowly but steadily over the years. Now, look at ways you can reverse these old habits into new habits and make small but beneficial changes in your life, that are feasible so you feel good about yourself and really importantly-that you can MAINTAIN for life e.g. change butter for hummus, cut back sugar in your tea, park the car further away etc.

Everyone deserves a break from our daily routine and work to unwind and relax. Often, however, a break in routine can leave us less focused and our eating patterns and exercise routine out of wack. You can still make good choices while away and still enjoy your holiday.

This soba-noodle salad is light and refreshing, with clean Japanese flavors. It takes just minutes to prepare, using pre-marinated tofu available from supermarkets.

For as long as the world has been civilized, humans have been in pursuit of finding the secret to beauty. What is attractiveness and why is it so important to us to be popular and have an impeccable appearance?

If you have stubborn weight that won’t shift, it is worth a lot at your stress hormone levels. Stress promotes fat accumulation so become aware and bust out of the stress cycle for long-term health.