With the start of the school summer break and family holidays looming, it’s about this time of year when many of us start to think about having to bare all on the beach. Tracking your daily exercise and food intake is a recognised way of keeping off those extra pounds and staying healthy, which is why our new Healthy Life Jotter, is the perfect aid if you’re trying to get fit for summer.

It’s widely acknowledge by dieticians that writing down food intake can help with losing weight. In fact, one study from the US conducted by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, found that dieters who keep a log of the food they ate nearly doubled their weight loss compared to those who didn’t. Writing down what we eat can aid weight loss in a number of ways. Firstly, it can act as a discouragement to over-eat and secondly, it can help to identify the triggers that make us over-eat, such as boredom, habit or as pick-me-up.

So whether you’ve decided to follow an organised diet or are simple trying to eat more healthily before you pack up your sombrero and head off to the sun, the Healthy Life Jotter is a great way to keep track of your daily diet and exercise. As well as space for exercise and meals, there is room to list snacks and check boxes for your five a day, water and alcohol units. Plus, there’s space to record diet criteria e.g. fat grams, points, calories, so it can be adapted to an organised diet if required. The magnetic strip allows you to stick in on the fridge to keep it to hand in the kitchen, or hang it using the hanging hole.

The Health Lifestyle Jotter is a 30-page pad, with two days to a page and is available from www.organised-mum.co.uk for £6.99

Read on for more healthy eating tips:

• Don’t shop when you are hungry - even those with the strongest will power would find it hard to resist the yummy smells from the bakery counter.
• Buy only what you need. If your kitchen isn’t stocked with tempting treats, you won’t be able to eat them. Use your Life Book or Shopping List pad to make your shopping list to make sure you buy only what’s needed.
• If you are trying to lose weight, set yourself a realistic goal. Dieticians usually recommend no more than 2lbs a week.
• Learn to recognise when you are really hungry and when you are eating for comfort or through boredom.
• Eat more slowly. It can take 20 mins for your brain to register that your stomach is full. Eating more slowly gives your body time to acknowledge that your stomach is full and prevent that ’stuffed’ feeling.
• Make sure you drink enough fluids, you’re body can’t work properly if it is dehydrated.
• If joining a gym doesn’t float your boat, try incorporating exercise into your daily routine - take the stairs instead of the lift or walk or bike to school instead of using the car.
• If you’re out and about make sure you’ve got something healthy to snack on, such as an apple, to keep hunger pangs at bay.  There may not be healthy or low fat alternatives available if you need to buy something from a shop or cafe.