How to stay fit this Christmas

 

Is the festive season  the right time to lose weight? 🤔 Well it’s the time for relaxing (a bit!) & enjoying time with  family and friends.

However, this shouldn’t be the time for piling on the pounds, increasing your blood sugar, cholesterol, uric acid and other levels. 

Do you really want to start your New Year ten steps behind, feeling bloated and sluggish?  Or do you want to start the New Year having had a fabulous Christmas time with a positive mindset ready for 2022? 

Here are some of our GHA top tips to navigate this festive season and start the New Year ready to ace your health and fitness goals 

☆Firstly we need to be mindful of the potential “forget it” attitude that grips many of us from this time of the year until mid January. With so many party, lunch and dinner invites it’s so easy to fall into a rut of very little exercise and loads of over indulgence in terms of food and drink.

☆Eat healthily most of the time but don't forget to enjoy your Christmas dinner, the plum pudding & mulled wine😜 

☆Stay active and exercise daily. 

☆If you have a dinner party to attend ensure your other meals that day are healthy & nutritious.

☆Drink plenty of water. It is very essential to be well hydrated especially if you are going to drink alcohol.

 

Ditch the need for New Year resolutions & start eating healthy NOW!

Stay blessed with good health...always!!!

COFFEE

You are probably not thinking about the health risks or health benefits when you reach out for that invigorating cup of coffee served by a friendly barista or office staff or brought to you in bed by a loved one or brewed by you at the start of your day. 

Those cups of coffee might keep you alert and get you through a busy day but copious amounts of coffee can impair your health in the long run. 

You feel super-charged after drinking coffee because of the release of  cortisol, adrenalin and dopamine. While these hormones are important, when they are released in excess they can promote anxiety & depression, increase weight, cause headaches, decrease sleep and impair concentration. 

Caffeine can cause depletion of important nutrients like vitamin B6 and decrease absorption of minerals including calcium, iron, magnesium and B vitamins. This further exacerbates your stress response. 

Too much caffeine can also cause anxiety in people with panic or anxiety disorders. 

A moderate coffee consumption can be incorporated into a healthy diet. This moderate intake is linked to a lower likelihood of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, liver and endometrial cancers, Parkinson’s disease, and depression. It’s even possible that people who drink coffee can reduce their risk of early death. 

Here are some tips on how to drink smart : 

▪︎ Minimise coffee intake to one cup per day. However, if you have anxious tendencies, try to cut it out completely. 

▪︎Eat before you drink your coffee to prevent hyperacidity.

▪︎Opt for decaffeinated coffee if you experience the unpleasant side effects of caffeine

▪︎If you brew your own coffee then try brewing it with a paper filter. Unfiltered coffee is associated with higher rates of early death, and can contain compounds that raise levels of LDL cholesterol. 

▪︎Try not going overboard with added cream or sugar.

▪︎Be aware of the nutrients caffeine depletes & ensure you’re eating foods high in these nutrients throughout the day. 

▪︎Tune into how you feel when you drink coffee & why you’re in need of an Energizer.

▪︎Don’t consume coffee later than 2pm for it can affect your sleep pattern. If you feel zapped of energy in the afternoon, reach for a protein snack like a fistful of nuts and seeds (SaCha's TheraSpice Airfryer Spiced Nuts n Seeds is a good option😜)

▪︎Ensure you drink plenty of water to stay well hydrated 

Drink smart and stay blessed with good health...always!!!

Are you hungry or just plain thirsty?

Do you reach out for a snack each time you hear your stomach growl, or experience a bit of wooziness or feel the onset of a pounding headache? In actuality, what can feel like a major hunger pang is nothing but thirst. A fine line separates the two, and being able to tell the difference can help you stay on track with your weight loss and fitness goals. 

What do you do when you feel hungry? Like most people do you go searching  for ready-to-eat or packaged foods or do you reach out for a glass of water? The next time you get a stomach pang, first think whether you are really hungry or just thirsty. 

Here are some common hunger symptoms : 

☆Your stomach feels totally empty 

☆It begins to gurgle or rumble

☆You feel dizzy, woozy, lightheaded and faint

☆You head starts to ache

☆You get snappy and irritable 

☆You find it difficult to concentrate

☆You might also experience nausea and hyperacidity 

Clinical studies have shown that 37% of people mistake hunger for thirst because thirst signals can be weak. If you are a kidney disease patient, on a fluid restrictive diet, this can be a bigger problem . Always follow these restrictions, but also make sure your body is getting enough fluid. 

Common thirst symptoms include : 

☆Your skin feels extremely dry

☆Your eyes feel dry and itchy

☆You feel tired and sluggish  

☆You lack energy, zest and drive

☆You experience headaches, dizziness and nausea 

☆Your heart rate increases and you get palpitations 

Since many symptoms overlap you can easily get confused between hunger and thirst. It is always best to assess these feelings when you have them and think about what you’ve eaten or how much water you have consumed during the day. 

These helpful reminders will help you to keep your food cravings in check: 

☆Do not wait until you’re parched to  drink water. Stay well hydrated throughout the day in order to curb food cravings. Try to reach your daily water allowance by 7pm. Any water you drink after 7pm will be a bonus

☆Listen to your best guide - your body. Don’t be tempted to reach for any snack at the first sign of “hunger.” To figure out if that feeling is hunger or thirst, drink a glass of water and wait 15 minutes. If you are truly hungry, you might still feel a stomach pang, whereas if you were just thirsty, you’ll feel satisfied.

☆Choose kidney-friendly foods when truely hungry. Fiber-rich snacks, which are low in fat and high in antioxidants, are a great option to help chronic kidney patients stay within protein, phosphorus, sodium and potassium guidelines. Eg include apples, berries, cherries, cranberries, red and purple grapes, red bell peppers and carrots.

☆Remember that dehydration kills faster than starvation. The "Survival Rule of 3" is generally valid here - 3 weeks without food BUT 3 days without water 

Stay hydrated...stay blessed with good health...always!!!