An Innocent Predicament

I'm always on the search for healthy options for lunch but I find some of the premade options available in the shop around the corner, whilst delicious, far from good for me! It those handy little traffic light displays on the labling that put me off the prepacked sandwiches full of staurated fat, sugar and salt - and quite rightly so. I think this is a great step forward in informing people about what is really inside their food.

So when I discovered Innocent VegPots for lunch I was over the moon - 3 of my 5 a day in one handy healthy pot. Hurrah! But wait a minute.... Where's the Nutritional information? I know I get 3 portions of veg in the pot - it says so on the card sleeve but what about the rest, the hidden stuff that those unhealthy sandwiches now warn me about in bright red wedges?

 I went on a bit of a GDA hunt before I brought my lunch today. It wasn't on the top of the pack, or the sides. Perhaps....

Yup, BINGO! Right on the bottom.

And look at that! Not only do these pots of veggie goodness taste fab but they are pretty good for you too. I've seen prepacked salads on offer with more sugar, salt and fat than these bad boys.

So Mr Innocent, please can you put some GDA traffic lights in a more prominent place on your packaging? It really helps us pick our lunches.

The pain of being unproductive

Chronic pain conditions cost our economy a lot in unproductive work hours but there is also a personal cost to individuals coping with chronic pain conditions. It is not surprising that many people with a chronic pain condition also suffer from depression and for many one source of this depression is down to the struggle of not being able to be productive. A feeling of letting people down as they are unable to commit to events, regularly cancelling meetings or having to take sick leave.

Many sufferers of chronic pain are visibly healthy looking on the outside and their struggles are not immediately visible. Take migraineurs. You can't see a headache and many people are very adept at managing their day with just a headache. But migraines are not just headaches. Migraines are made up of many painful symptoms including photo, audio and touch sensitivity as the nervous system becomes hypersensitive, nausea, vertigo and so forth. For a migraineur having to manage this painful onslaught, the additional pain of feeling like half a person for some sufferers can be very difficult indeed.

I'm a very driven person. I like process and routine and I love to be active and achieve in life. But when a migraine attack comes I can lose days. And I hate it. Curled up in bed in the dark with no tv or radio and wearing sunglasses with the lights off is as painful to deal with as the screaming pain wracking my body. I want to be at work contributing like everyone else, I want to go run my Brownie unit but what I don't want is to have to lie as still as possible in silence all day. For me it is the most frustrating thing in the world. I let people down as a result. Perhaps this is why on my good days I overcompensate on being productive!

I'm lucky that my family, friends, colleagues and current work understand but not everyone with a chronic pain condition is as lucky. I'd love to hear your experiences as its good to share. Good and bad we can all help and learn from each other to recognise that whilst we often have unproductive days we have good days too where we achieve so much. From as simple as making our kids smile or laugh to gaining an award or qualification or just a well done and thank you for a great piece of work.

Barbie's midlife crisis?

Barbie is a very successful woman. She's been an astronaut, vet, paediatrician, movie star (Toy Story 2 and 3), brunette, blonde and she's even had her portrait painted by pop art legend Andy Warhol.

Barbie has tried her hand at nearly every job imaginable and in every one championed women's rights and freedom. She made geek chic as a computer engineer, she holds a pilots license and has a menagerie of over 40 pets (including a panda, zebra and lion cub). She's fun, hip, educated, works hard, is conscientious and makes time for her family and friends.

In 2009 Barbie turned 50. She's 53 this year and still looks stunning. She's battled controversy over her body shape and even put on a little weight over the years to promote a healthy figure to her young fans.

If you want a role model as a little girl growing up then Barbie is a pretty safe bet. Or was.

Amidst all the anti size zero modelling campaigns and previous scandal over Barbie's body proportions I was shocked to find what I can only describe as 'Model Freak Barbie' on the shelves of a popular toys store.

Now, take a look at awesome vet Barbie:

and now Fashion Model Barbie:

There is something slightly disturbing about the extreme body proportions of Size Zero Barbie. I'm tempted to buy the two just to get them out the packaging and take some measurements. Skeletal comes to mind.

Young girls have grown up with Barbie as a role model. Paul's Boutique even has a range of accessories and clothing suited for the grown up Barbie fan. Our love of Barbie can stick with us for a life time. So why has Barbie picked now to have a midlife crisis and go size zero?

It's a dangerous game Mattel are playing with this iconic woman's brand.