How often should you exercise?
The American College of Sports Medicine guidelines suggest you should complete 20 minutes of vigorous exercise 3 times per week whereas the Health Education authority recommend 30 minutes of sustained activity 5 times per week. Greater health benefits can be achieved by increasing the duration, frequency or intensity of the physical activity that you complete.
Where can you exercise?
The great thing about exercise is that it doesn't have to be expensive. All you need to do is move your body. You can exercise outside by walking or cycling. You can even exercise at home with the help of a fitness DVD or even completing the following simple exercises to help get your body toned and defined. I would recommend that you consult a doctor before commencing any exercise programme or visit a qualified lifestyle consultant to ensure that it is safe for you to undertake exercise and make sure you exercise properly with a safe technique every time. With summer around the corner there is no better time to get that body moving!
Things you can do to increase the activity in your day:
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1) Park as far away from the shops as you feel comfortable walking. This will add valuable steps to your daily activity levels. |
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2) Get off the bus one stop early and walk a little extra distance. |
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3) Do a little housework or gardening every day. This is a great way to keep fit and should last for at least fifteen minutes. |
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4) If the shops are close to your home, walk instead of driving. |
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5) Take the stairs instead of the lift or escalator. |
NUTRITION
A healthy diet should include a variety of foods to provide the body with the vitamins and minerals it needs. The food we eat can be separated into five simple groups, the first four listed below should be consumed on a daily basis;
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1) Bread, Cereals, Potatoes, Rice, Pasta, etc |
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2) Fruit and Vegetables |
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3) Milk and dairy products |
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4) Meat and Fish |
The fifth category however is the one we need to cut down and unfortunately for many of us, it's the one that contains many of our favourite foods, namely:-
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5) Foods high in Fat, Sugar and Salt |
CARBOHYDRATE
Carbohydrate is the brain's only real source of energy. It is the preferred source of fuel for the human body. Carbohydrate is stored in the body as glycogen in both the liver and the muscles. A large percentage of this store is used up during the time that we sleep. This is why we always recommend that you take on board some carbohydrate before you train in the morning.
Carbohydrate is found in grains, potatoes, fruit and vegetables to name but a few. It is generally better to try to take in more of the so-called low GI foods. These are absorbed more slowly by the body and help to maintain balanced blood sugar levels.
There are two forms of carbohydrates complex and simple. Complex carbohydrates are broken down by the digestive system before they can be converted into energy and result in a slow steady release of energy. Simple carbohydrates are energy sources with a quick energy release "lift" which lasts up to 20 mins, such as sugars and fructose (fruit sugars).
The carbohydrate to avoid is the refined carbohydrates which are in processed foods: refined grains have their fibre content stripped of trace minerals in molasses and the fibre removed for the sugar cane. White flour, white rice, soft drinks and most packaged cakes, biscuits, sweets, pastries and snack foods tend to be high in refined carbohydrates. These foods do not provide the nutrients and fibre the body needs and also tend to be high in saturated fats and sugars. These are BAD for you.
PROTEIN
Protein is the building material of the body. It is mainly used for replacement and repair of the many body tissues. In long distance endurance events, protein can come into play as a source of energy, but it is not the body's preferred choice as a general rule.
A diet too heavy in protein can cause kidney difficulties and build up of ammonia in the blood which is toxic to cells (especially brain cells). Most western diets are slightly protein heavy. Approx. 17% of our bodies are made up of proteins - including hair, nails, skin, muscles and bone. Protein is found in meats (meat in animal muscle tissues), in eggs (the white is almost pure protein), in milk and therefore cheese, yogurt etc, as well as pulses (peas, beans and nuts) and in smaller quantities vegetables.
FAT
Fat is much maligned and often avoided. However it is an essential part of our diet and should make up around 25-30% of our calorie intake. Fat is necessary for transport of fat soluble vitamins, insulation and efficient communication of the nervous system amongst many other uses. A diet too low in fat is no better for you than a diet too high in fat. What is important is to try and eat the right types of fat. Try to avoid too much animal fat and also keep to a minimum your consumption of trans or hydrogenated fats which have been heated for a long time to change their chemical structure.
The main two types of fats are saturated and un-saturated. Saturated fat is solid at room temperature and mainly of animal origin. These are the bad types of FAT and intake should be limited. Unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature and are mainly from vegetable, fish and nuts. Saturated fats are processed in the liver into cholesterol a leading cause along side sugar in heart disease.
Unsaturated fats are believed to help reduce cholesterol. We store our energy reserves in our bodies as fat encase of drought or famine. Eating to much FAT can also increase your risk of coronary heart disease, lead to obesity and can increase the risk of certain types of cancer.
VITAMINS & MINERALS
Vitamins & Minerals should be taken where possible from a balanced diet rather than a bottle. Some of these "micronutrients" can interfere with each others' absorption when taken as part of a multi-vitamin. On the other hand, nutrients found in vegetables actually aid in the absorption of iron from meat.
FIBRE
Fibre has loads of benefits. It takes longer to chew therefore giving your stomach time to tell your brain when it's full. It fills you up quicker and helps prevent against some types of cancers.
Fibre is found in GRAINS, PULSES, FRUIT and VEGETABLES and whole meal products such as pasta and bread. Fibre is found in complex carbohydrates in two forms - soluble and in- soluble fibre. Soluble fibre gives a feeling of being full while slowing sugar absorption, to keep energy levels stable.
Insoluble fibre is found mainly in wheat grain cereal, adds bulk and pushes food through the digestive system, preventing constipation and preventing some types of cancers including bowel cancer.
SUGAR
Eating to much of sugary foods and drinks will usually cause you to put on weight. Sugary foods tend to have high calorie content and are usually found in foods that also have a high fat or saturated fat content. Excess sugar consumption has been linked to depression, impaired immune function, diabetes, tooth decay, heart disease and of course, weight gain (obesity), as the body can almost effortlessly convert sugar to fat. Check labels as its interesting what levels of sugars foods contain.
We get the majority of our carbohydrates from the sugars in this modern age. The average British person eats 2lbs (nearly 1kg) of sugar per week. Simple carbohydrates or Sugars if over eaten are quickly converted to fat.
WATER
The human body is approx 66% water an essential nutrient involved in every body function. 8 glasses a day are recommended and essential for digestion, circulation, absorption, elimination and temperature maintenance through sweating. Drinking plenty of water can even help you to lose weight by burning of calories to utilise it. Some fruit and vegetables are up to 90% water.
Feeling hungry is often an indication of dehydration (lack of water) and not the need for food, as the bodies' responses are very similar to both. So try a glass of water before reaching for the food.
SALT
Salt (Also known as SODIUM) The micro nutrient sodium is our most popular seasoning. One teaspoon (5-7 grams), is a little over what we should eat daily, although most of us eat double this amount (over 2 teaspoons). Most ready made products are high in salt to assist the preserving process so check the back of the packet to see how much the product contains.
Some manufactures call salt, sodium on their products. These are the same but sometimes fool us into thinking there is actually less in the product. |
