there's all sorts of them and they cover so many things, but briefly they prevent certain types of anaemia, they help your body use the energy provided by your food, some are related to nerves and brain development. Folic acid comes under B complex and also affects the brain and also foetal development. Basically if you aren't getting enough it can affect all kinds of things. They aren't quite as easy to find in food as some nutrients. I think there are some in meat, fish, certain veg and yeast extract (Marmite to the rest of us). Deficiency of some of them can be quite serious - I have a B12 shot every 3mths (or should do - I'm well overdue) because my body no longer stores it properly thanks to the Crohn's. I think, and I haven't checked this, NONE of the B complex vitamins can be made by the body, meaning they can only come in through you diet. I think that's right, unless it's just a few of them. Certainly B12 is one of them. Well done on doing so well with your physical overall though Jo - even fit people aren't always healthy!

So that's my excuse upfront for not having the energy to do what I need to do - no B12!!!

I found myself being very virtuous in the supermarket today. I did read labels, but I wasn't really buying much overprocessed food anyway - fresh produce, frozen basic items (chopped swede because it always goes off before I get round to chopping it fresh!), dairy products and orange juice. I noticed the lady in front of me at the checkout had the most basic OJ (from concentrate) but paid for fresh chilled soup - struck me as odd somehow. Probably how come I forgot to pick up my cash afterwards and had to go back!

tonight's dinner is a dish of German origin which is a chicken broth base (I've made some from last night's roast but it might not be enough) with chicken, veg (leeks, carrots, swede, celery, potato, etc) and rice, all in together. If my chicken had been organic free range it would have been even more virtuous but it wasn't!

I've definitely become more aware since I've been in the UK because there's more options. Organic was a LONG way away in Singapore and excruciatingly expensive, just as an example. Here I 'shell out' (pardon the pun!) for free range eggs, but haven't quite edged myself up to organic yet. If a product is only a little more expensive I'm buying the organic version, and if I think it will affect the flavour I'm trying the organic too. So I might try organic chickens some day this year... baby steps!

Zillah, the routines don't get established overnight (too many puns today!) so remember just to keep on keeping on. If it's a big change you'll have to gve it more time, and I think you're not on your own in the house, am I right?? You're sharing with DH's mother?? So that makes it harder. Try just correcting the bedtime and the morning will probably sort itself out. Or if earlier mornings are more important to you do it the other way round. The rest will follow because your body will eventually have had all the sleep it needs, though it might take some catching up to start with!

this post could go on forever at this rate. Remember, nobody should be eating better than normal just to show up better on this. Eat whatever you normally eat - make the changes later when you have a really good reason for doing so. My breakfast cereal and the one the kids have are both pretty reasonable, but I already knew neither were too heavy on sugar, no nasty colours and reasonably whole grains. No horrible surprises.

Kerri.