One fairly effortless way to increase your veg quota is to eat soup. By making your own you avoid the large quantities of salt that are often found in shop – bought varieties. This tasty soup is has earthy notes of coriander and cumin with the zing of ginger.

2 medium sized sweet potatoes

3 carrots

2 medium sized onions diced

1tsp ground cumin

2tsp ground coriander

2 bay leaves

2inch knob of fresh ginger

1tbsp olive oil

vegetable stock (I used 2 tsp Marigold Bouillon)

fresh coriander leaves and spring onions to garnish

1. Dice the onions and soften them in the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan.
2. Add the ground cumin and ground coriander (best practice would be to grind the whole spices yourself but I’m well-overdue a visit to Drummond Street and had to use ground).
3. Chop the sweet potato and carrots into similar sized chunks and add to the onions. Cover with around 750ml water and cook until tender
4. Add the veg stock and blitz with a handheld blender or in a food processor until smooth
5. Serve garnished with finely chopped spring onion and coriander

At the start of the year I mentioned that increasing fruit and veg in the diet can have quite far-reaching effects on your overall health. Easier said than done as life often gets in the way and by the time you know it the day is almost through and you're nowhere near your 5-a-day. Over the next few weeks I'll be thinking up some easy ways to sneak as many tasty fruit and veggies into your diet as possible.

For now, think about adding fruit to cereal: bananas go well with porridge, granola, muesli as do antioxidant-rich berries.

Banana and peanut butter on wholegrain toast is a treat too - and can be bought from any ol' sandwich shop if you're short of time.

The lurgey's at large and people are dropping like flies. It's pretty hard to avoid, particularly when some people are so dead set on spreading their germs. I've got a real thing about people not covering mouths after some cretin sneezed in my face on the Paris metro. Yes, you read correctly. In. My. Face. Every time I recall the incident I'm overcome by the urge to run screaming to the nearest sink.

Anyway, I digress. My throat started to feel a bit woolly yesterday so this morning I reached for some ginger root. I grated a thumbsized knob of ginger, added it to my teapot, poured hot water on it and squeezed in a lemon. I sweetened the gingery concoction with a little honey. Ginger can provide some much needed immune support in these germy times. Add to stir fries, soups or make tea to get your quota.

This granola is sweetened with apple juice. I made it this morning and almost immediately after I'd placed it in the oven the flat was filled with the warming scent of cinnamon. Perfect on such a rainy, miserable day.  The cinnamon is optional but is thought to balance blood sugar and reduce cravings. This granola never lasts long in our house as we tend to snack on it as well as having it for breakfast.

Dry ingredients
4 cups oats (I used gluten-free oats)
1 cup of whole almonds
1 cup of pumpkin seeds
1 cup dessicated coconut
1 cup walnut pieces
1 tsp cinnamon

Wet ingredients
1 cup apple juice
4 tbsp sunflower oil

Heat oven to 160ºC/ 325 F.

1. Add dry ingredients to a large bowl and mix thoroughly.
2. Whisk apple juice and the sunflower oil together add to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
3. Pour evenly onto baking trays.
4. Bake for 45 mins - 1hr. Give the granola the occasional stir so that it cooks evenly and if you have a slightly stroppy oven (like mine) swap the trays from one shelf to the other for even colouring. Keep half an eye on progress as it can burn really quickly towards the end of its cooking time.
   
5. For a crunchier and more well baked granola turn the oven off and leave the baking trays in.
6. Add your favourite combo of dried fruit such as sultanas, raisins, dried blueberries, cranberries, dried tropical fruits. Enjoy with live yoghurt and a chopped banana.

You'd have to be extremely obtuse or live in a cave to have missed the fact that it was the start of a New Year. The parks and gyms are full of earnest resolution - keepers running off the festive bloat. The odds, however, are stacked against them, as only around 20% of New Years runners and gym goers actually maintain their resolve. Depressed by my doom mongering statistics? Don't be. One way to move towards becoming the shinier, happier, healthier version of yourself is to set bite-sized, realistic and achievable goals. Rather than declaring that in 2011 you will drop to a size zero, run the marathon and swim the English channel why not get to the heart of what it is you want to make happen.

A common issue is weight management. Your weight may have gradually crept up over the last year or so eventually leaving you to alternate between waves of anguish, disgust and desperation (let's face it most of us have been there at some point). Firstly, accept that if it took a while for your weight to creep up it will take a while for it to creep back down (if it is to be maintained). Goals like reducing sugar in your diet and increasing fruit and veg may seem overly simplistic but they can, individually and cumulatively, have a wide reaching effect in almost all areas of your health including your waist- line. 

Today, I'm focusing on sugar. I'm not an advocate of going cold-turkey so it is best to make your changes gently.

1. Start with breakfast - make sure you eat breakfast as skipping it leaves you open to blood sugar imbalance that will have you reaching for your sweetie drawer before you can say "sugar rush." Check the sugar content of your cereal, if sugar is one of first few ingredients put it back. Opt for a sugar- free muesli, low sugar granola or porridge sweetened with a little honey, fresh or dried fruit.
2. Make sure you have adequate protein with your breakfast as it makes you feel fuller for longer. Add a handful of nuts or seeds to your cereal or porridge or opt for wholemeal toast with nut butter and a banana.
3. Hydrate yourself fully by sipping at least 1.5l water throughout the day so that thirst is not mistaken for hunger (or low blood-sugar).
4. Lay off the refined carbohydrates at lunch. That's white bread, white pasta etc. Instead opt for wholemeal/ brown breads and pastas with good quality protein (i.e. free range and/ or organic chicken, eggs, hummus, tofu, cheese, fish) and plenty of salad/ veg. Unrefined carbs release glucose more slowly into the bloodstream and should stave off sugar cravings.
5. Reduce caffeine. Caffeine destabilises blood sugar so look for caffeine-free or lower caffeine alternatives to enjoy. Try green tea, chamomile, red bush (which you can add milk to), peppermint.
6. Look for alternative treats such as a couple of squares of good quality 70% dark chocolate. The flavour is so intense even the most avid chocolate lover would struggle to finish a bar.
7. Sweet tropical fruits (mango, pineapple, papaya) can be bought in tubs from most lunch spots. If you need a sweet fix at the end of a meal they offer a healthier option.
8. Try stuffing medjool dates with cashews or almonds. Medjool dates have a fudgey, caramelly sweetness about them that might just hit the spot if you're in a bind.