Tag Archives: health

Here’s to your good health during the winter months!

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By IsoWhey Chef Janine Royce.

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It’s about this time of the year when coughs and sneezes start around the office and comments like “my throat feels sore”, “my kid is sick again”, “how I can I boost my immunity?“, are abound.

As the weather gets cooler we spend more time indoors which means more time in closer contact with people AND potentially germs which can cause colds and flus.

With more than 200 viruses causing the common cold, these organisms thrive quite well in cold and dry conditions, meaning a better chance of them being passed around to everyone!

When our immune system is not operating at its peak we are less protected against these viruses and more susceptible to illness and infections.

SO what can we do to boost our immune system and keep these colds and flus away this winter and try not to get sick?

We can start by supporting the immune system with a healthy balance between diet and lifestyle:

Leafy greensEat your “greens” – particularly those known as cruciferous, such as broccoli, bok choy, kale, rocket & watercress. Recent Australian research has found these leafy greens play a part in activating vital immune cells and protecting the body from infection from the “bad” bacteria. Watch my green winter soup video for a quick and delicious way to get those greens in here.

Cut out the sugar - we all know the evils of sugar and at this time when your immune system is low you don’t want to be weakening it further by fuelling your body with empty calories and feeding the bacteria, yeast and fungi which puts a stress on the digestive system by unbalancing your gut flora. At this time you need to be nurturing your digestive system with nourishing, healthy foods that are easy to digest and will give you energy.

Try adding in garlic, ginger and spices to your cooking - these are nature’s healers and have properties that make them antiviral, antiseptic & energising and can help with inflammation, and sweating out those cold & flus.

YogaReduce stress - When we’re stressed, the immune system’s ability to fight off foreign bodies such as bacteria & viruses is reduced. Cortisol the stress hormone also reduces lymphocytes (immune white blood cells) which means you are more susceptible to illness and infection. Try to make time for yoga, massage & meditation to promote muscle relaxation and the natural unwinding of the stress response.

Get some sleep! - your body needs quality sleep. Lack of sleep can increase your chances  of getting sick and also lower your levels of natural killer cells. Try to make time to create a bedtime routine. Getting enough sleep allows your body to cleanse, repair, heal, replenish and rejuvenate itself.

Keep exercise up – regular exercise provides a myriad of benefits such as controlling weight, improving mood and boosting energy, and can strengthen your heart, lungs, muscles and immune system to better equip you to defend against any infections and help you recover a lot quicker.

Keep up your protein shakes during the winter months as they can provide immune support. Whey is made up of bioactive fractions such as lactoferrin and immunoglobins which can protect against toxins, bacteria and viruses. Whey also contains key amino acids for glutathione production. The glutathione antioxidant system plays an important role in the maintenance of an effective immune system.

There are some key supplements that can be useful in conjunction with your healthy diet and lifestyle measures above, to boost your immune system and keep you strong during the cold and flu season. Always consult with your healthcare practitioner for help and advice.

Vitamin D3 -  Increased levels protect against colds and flus as vitamin D3 has antimicrobial effects. In winter it is not always easy to keep levels up, due to less sunshine. Supplementing can ensure adequate levels.

Vitamin C - Regular daily use can protect against colds and flus and help shorten the time and severity of the cold.

Zinc - one of the most crucial nutrients for healthy immune function. Zinc can help shorten the effects of a cold.

Olive Leaf - It has been used traditionally to provide relief from coughs, sore throats and feverish conditions.

Probiotics - 80 percent of your immune system actually lies in your gastrointestinal tract. Probiotics can help bolster the gut wall protecting against invading bacteria and viruses and populate with the good bacteria to support healthy gut flora. This will protect against infections and are also recommended after a course of antibiotics ( which most doctors prescribe when you fall ill during winter).

Also washing your hands frequently can reduce your risk of catching a cold or flu by up to 50 per cent.

HydrateLastly make sure you are drinking plenty of water to loosen secretions and flush out toxins and keep you hydrated.

Here’s to good health during the winter months!

Stress Less…and feel the difference!

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Stress-Less Today!Have you ever had ‘one of those days‘ where you get out of bed and everything just seems to go wrong? It’s like a snowball effect where more and more things go belly up as the day progresses and it’s like there is nothing you can do to stop it?.

These days can be very stressful and if we’re not careful this stress will build up and get stored within our central nervous system and remain there, causing a number of damaging side effects that we probably do not even associate with the initial stressful situation.

While some events which are pretty stressful, are hard to avoid and which we all may have at some point or another, (like moving house, a death, divorce or a breakup) – others in our day to day life we can effect and lessen the damaging effects. A lot of it is having the strength of mind to change our thought process. This is not easy. Sometimes when we have a situation in our lives we seem to just go over and over it it our minds…it can drive you crazy! I unfortunately I have a couple of these situations occurring at the moment and yesterday I had one of those ‘snowball‘ effect days…and I could feel the stress levels increasing dramatically in my body and there was nothing I could do to stop it as I was getting more and more frustrated with the unfolding events- culminating by my running home in the rain late for a really important appointment, only to be completely drenched by a passing car speeding straight through the massive puddle on the road (I was sure on purpose!) – Well, I made it to my appointment (an appearance on a live TV show, of all things!) – so I then HAD to change my thoughts away from my ‘disastrous day’ thoughts which were on repeat in my head.

The show went really well and afterwards I realised that my day had totally changed. While I still had lots going on, the tortuous thoughts had ceased, I felt calmer and the drive home was smooth (even through peak hour!). I then had to go to the hospital to visit a very good friend of mine who is very sick at the moment, and you know what, I realised as well that no matter how bad your day may seem, there are always those who are worse off – my friend, despite her pain, remains positive and with a sense of humour in tact, and I thought if she can do it, I’m damn sure I can – and YOU can too…

Stress can have many damaging effects, but a main one is Obesity. Clients have often said to me they are eating well and doing their exercise routine but not seeing results – stress, for whatever reason will often be the culprit – the hormone cortisol is released and this will inhibit weight loss and actually make it harder to lose those extra pounds.

There are many different ways to handle your stress levels, different things work best for different people – above is a list of easy things you can try if you find yourself caught up in the repeating thoughts that just won’t dissipate. I have talked about meditation before, either by itself or through the practice of Yoga – this can train the mind to be more prepared for these situations when they occur and also deal with them better when they do. Here’s a link to my previous blog to better explain it - “Meditate for Motivation”.

But don’t give up – and don’t forget, “Think, Act…Be”

Think, Act...Be

No time for Fitness? – Workout at work!…

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Def. NO excuses!We have all heard that one of the main excuses given for people not doing exercise is that they simply do not have enough time – people will often priortise work or family commitments over their own health – despite the fact that without their health they are no good either to their work or their family!

Most people tend to think of exercise as a means to losing weight, or maintaining a certain fitness level and of course a healthy lifestyle – but it is now realised just how important exercise is for improved productivity in the workplace.

There is a common belief that doing exercise releases a rush of the ‘feel good’ endorphins, and although there is actually little hard scientific evidence of this, anybody who has done a really hard workout or done a great run will certainly vouch for this – you don’t always need scientific proof to know something works!

So how can such exercise helps with our workload??

It seems that exercise may give our body a better chance at dealing with stress (a big cause of weight gain and lack of productivity). Exercise can force the body’s physiological systems to ‘communicate’ better than without specific exercise – i.e the cardiovascular system talks to the renal system, which then talks to the muscular system and these are all controlled by our nervous systems, which must also communicate – what does this mean? – that the more sedentary we are the less efficient our bodies are in responding to stress.

Exercise gives you Wiings!

Research from the University of Bristol showed that after exercising during working hours, participants “returned to work more tolerant of themselves and forgiving of their colleagues” – plus they had better performance shown by improved time management and better mental sharpness. This shows that it is more than just the feel good response but a physiological one. So, if companies provided their staff with this exercise ability, they should get in return more efficient employees, happier in themselves, working better together plus a reduction in sick days and greater attendance and attitude, thereby reducing costs and improving productivity, even if there is a reduction in hours worked, as shown in a recent Swedish study, where workers were given 2.5 hours a week to exercise, resulting in better productivity with less hours.

Further evidence is put forward by Dr John Ratey (an author and psychiatry professor) – there is a protein called BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), and when secreted it boosts brain cell growth and strengthens cell to cell connections. This, it is thought leads to increased learning capacity – and guess what triggers this release of BDNF – that’s right – EXERCISE! This also works more efficiently when the exercise is combined with cognitive tasks, hence increased productivity after your lunch time exercise class, and a better time for decision making as well perhaps?!

Think better after Exercise..

So, exercise will help you to be more focused and think clearly, plus enhance your learning ability as well as the fact it can boost your mood and in turn reduce stress and relieve anxiety…when you put all this together imagine two people going for the same job – one exercises the other doesn’t, who do you reckon may have the better attitude/mindset and therefore chance of getting the job (all other factors being the same?)….it’s about looking after your body AND your brain, and getting along that career path quicker (and having more fun along the way!)

Here at Isowhey HO I have been teaching exercise classes for the last few months, (see pic below), I have simply turned an office area into a gym, I got some dumbells, a skipping rope and a couple of fitballs and hey presto a Circuit class is born! I also teach Yoga and Pilates on other days. So many workplaces could also implement this type of exercise system into their office space and I’m sure would see a great improvement in their staff morale. Having to go to the gym after work really eats into your own time, and by the time you get there, and get home and eat it’s time for bed!

IsoWhey Workers Workin' out!

SO, by offering this type of activity in the daytime, means no more

“I just don’t have the time” excuse!

What do you think? Does your employer offer any type of exercise allowance? and if they did would you use it?…

*IsoWhey employees completing a work ‘Cardio Challenge’

Don’t Give Up…

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Don't Give Up...“Don’t give up” – is an amazing song by Peter Gabriel and the fabulous Kate Bush, if you haven’t heard it try and download it – it may bring a tear to your eye but it is haunting and also inspirational – i love it when you can actually hear the lyrics to songs and they actually mean something and have to capacity to move you – so, don’t give up…even when it seems like nothing is going your way, your haven’t lost the weight you wanted, or got the promotion you had worked so hard for, or your partner turned out to be different from whom you thought them to be -or…whatever it may be.

Gratitude…something all of us should find time for, just think of anything positive that is happening or happened in your life and be grateful for it, when you feel down look around and see the others who are not as well off as yourself, and be grateful, – not always easy, but try not to lose sight of your goals and pat yourself on the back for what you HAVE achieved. Sometimes you need to move the goalposts, and thats ok, be aware of what you have done but stay focused on what you need to do. Think about it, write it down, and DO it! Even though I repeat what I say – it needs to be said, and I want you to ‘get it’!

You are creating yourself every day, just know who and what you want to be and keep on aiming for that – you will get there…

 

Monday’s Motivation!…

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Stick to your planI said in my last motivation quote how everything starts with a thought – and this is true, you need to actually THINK about anything before it can become a reality…

What I didn’t mention is the fact that just thinking about it isn’t enough…you need to keep thinking about it and then ACTION it, and keep putting it into action until it becomes a habit and part of your life style.

So when you think about starting a fitness plan, or any such plan for that matter, write down what you want to achieve and when you want to see results, be honest and be realistic. Focus on this plan, tell people about it, get excited about it. If you can, put together a ‘storyboard’ of what you want to achieve, cut pictures or words from magazines and put them in a motivation, or vision board – and start to believe that this is you NOW! Don’t think about it in terms of what you WANT to happen – as this is all that will happen, a wanting – put out the thought to the Universe that you are ALREADY there, this is YOU NOW, TODAY, you have already arrived.

Then start living this way, keep to your diet, to your fitness regime – plan each week, be organised, know what classes you will go to, make a commitment with someone if you can…meditate on your goals if you are able to, concentrate on Who you are and Who you want to be…

Do this and your dreams will become your reality, you will be literally living your dream – what more could you want?…

p.s.  try to pass this on, for what you give to others, you are giving to yourself..

 

Commonly asked Questions ANSWERED! – Part II…

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Whats YOUR Metabolism?Welcome to the second part in my series of answering some of the many questions I get asked by various clients – there are a lot of myths out there in FitnessLand, and often the actual answers may be specific to your own individual  circumstance… here goes!…

  • “What exactly is my metabolism and can I change it?…”

    Continue On…

SUGAR: White vs Raw vs Brown – The Answers

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After almost 2 years now of blogging all things health & fitness – this Sugar blog has been the ‘most clicked’…so I wanted to re-post it with an editors note: There is now even more scientific evidence regarding the adverse effects of sugar on the human body (from the Australian National University, relating sugar and brain shrinkage, for example). I seem to be aware of more and more people trying to cut sugar out of their diets and this can only be a good thing. But it’s not easy, everytime I go into practically any shop – all I see is Sugar – everywhere, it’s like it taking over the world! Reading the back of ingredients lists you can see how much sugar is in nearly everything – but you CAN make a difference, always check labels, make informed choices and search out low or no sugar products. Also there are Sugar free publications, like Sarah Wilson’s ‘I Quit Sugar’ cookbook – make a difference to your health and fitness – and quit today!…

Sweet, sweet sugar – we love it right? We also know it’s bad for us, right? Yet we continue to use it…right?

Lets face it folks, sugar makes things taste good, that’s why we have it in so many of the things we eat. If we omit it from say our cakes…well.. we probably would be wasting our time making them coz they wouldn’t get eaten! Most of us enjoyed having sweets as children and continue to enjoy them as adults, sometimes to our detriment.

We have huge problems nowadays with diabetes and obesity, affecting both young and old – stemming from poor diet and lack of exercise. The diet part is largely to our SUGAR addiction. So what can we do? It would be easy to say just cut out sugar from your diet but that just ain’t gonna happen (for most people, if you’re diagnosed with diabetes, chances are – I hope – you would do this!). 

Well there are alternatives, but first lets look at how sugars are produced… To stay sweet, read on & press here…