10 February 2011
The most senior nurse at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust is encouraging local people to get involved with the Great Swapathon - a national campaign that can help you and your family swap snacks and sugary drinks for healthier alternatives.
By simply logging on to www.swapathon.co.uk and filling in a brief questionnaire, you can receive your very own, personally tailored Swapathon plan, which includes a host of simple tips to follow and healthy recipe ideas to try. And so far, more than 24,000 people have logged on and started swapping.
Once the questionnaire is complete, the Great Swapathon team will put together the best six swaps for you to try. Each swap lasts for one week and the Great Swapathon team will keep in touch via email and text messages with tips and encouragement.
Director of Nursing Pippa Hart said: "Everyone has their favourite snacks, and we all know how easy it is to fall into the habit of enjoying them perhaps too often. But, by making a few simple changes to the way we snack on foods, we can make a huge difference to our lifestyles. The Great Swapathon is a brilliant way of getting started and can really help to create a healthier future for you and your family."
Some of the top swaps include:
-
Swap fizzy drinks, and drinks with added sugar, for unsweetened juice or milk;
-
Swap milkshakes (with added sugars) for homemade fruit smoothies;
-
Swap sugary desserts for fresh fruit or baked fruit;
-
Swap fry-ups for grill-ups;
-
Swap red meat for white meat or fish;
-
Swap eating snacks straight from the packet for putting them in a small bowl.
Visit www.swapathon.co.uk for more information or to download your personalised Swapathon plan.
