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Health

Do you want to boost your energy and lose weight?

The summer holidays are here! But what can you do to ensure you look and feel your best? A great way to improve energy levels and lose weight is to balance your blood sugar levels throughout the day.

Sugary snacks release glucose into the bloodstream very quickly and will give you an instant but short-lived surge of energy. If glucose levels are too high, the body brings your blood sugar levels down very rapidly by releasing a large quantity of insulin. This may cause your blood sugar to become too low and you may feel a dip in energy or suddenly feel hungry. It is then when you may experience a sugar craving and are more likely to choose the wrong foods and eat more than you need. This can lead to a vicious cycle of fluctuating blood sugar levels, irritability, poor concentration and weight gain.

Top tips for balancing your blood sugar

 Eat good-quality protein with meals and snacks, as this slows down the release of glucose into the blood. Good sources include fish, eggs, lean white meat, beans, lentils, hummus, nuts and seeds.
 Choose low GI (glycaemic index) foods such as whole grains, vegetables and pulses; avoid refined carbohydrates such as white bread, white pasta, biscuits and cakes.
 Try not to go too long between meals.
 Ensure you are getting adequate fibre in your diet.
 Keep your intake of alcohol and caffeine to a minimum.
 Take steps to manage your stress levels and take regular exercise.
 Include cinnamon in your diet as this is a great way to help to stabilise blood sugar levels.

Recipe

Power Shake

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 tbsp   porridge oats
½    lime, juice only
250g   low-fat natural or soya yoghurt
250–300ml  low-fat coconut milk
300g   blueberries and blackberries (can be frozen)
75g   ground almonds
2 tbsp   honey
Pinch   cinnamon
To garnish  fresh fruit

Method

1. Soak the oats overnight in the lime juice plus 1 tbsp water if possible.

2. Put everything in a liquidiser and blend until smooth.

3. The mixture should be quite thick, but add extra coconut milk if too thick. Extra honey can be added if necessary.

Other fruits you may wish to use include mango, pineapple or passion fruit.

Reproduced with kind permission from Precious Health Ltd.

Nutritional thearapist - Celia Butt

celia Celia Butt, Nutritional Therapist, BSc Nutritional Medicine, MBANT, gives us advice on nutrition.

Hay fever
As we head for summer, it’s a great time to eat fresh food and feel healthy. Some people, however, dread the onset of seasonal allergies such as hay fever. The good news is there are some foods that can help!

Increase your intake of Vitamin C by eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, such as peppers, watercress and strawberries. This will support your immune system and help to calm down allergic reactions.

Include foods rich in Omega 3, such as salmon, mackerel, sardines; for vegetarians these are flax seeds, sunflower seeds and walnuts. Omega 3 helps reduce inflammation. Some people may find it preferable to supplement fish oils.

Eating foods such as red onions, apples and berries will provide high levels of the bioflavonoid, Quercetin. This antioxidant promotes a healthy inflammatory response and acts as a natural antihistamine.

Watercress
Watercress is a great source of vitamin C, folic acid, iron, magnesium and calcium. It also has beta-carotene, which is needed for healthy skin and eyes.

It can be added to soups, sauces, pasta, stir-fry, or baked with fish. It brings a new dimension to pesto and is delicious in mashed potato.

Reducing cholesterol
Cholesterol tends to get a bad press, but this naturally occurring fat produced by the body is essential for good health if kept at the correct level. Having too high a level can increase the risk of heart disease and strokes. Many people prefer to reduce their cholesterol naturally where possible, rather than take tablets.

What is the best diet to follow?

A Mediterranean diet with plenty of vegetables, fruits, pulses, whole grains and healthy fats from olive oil and fish. This will also provide plenty of fibre, which will help to lower cholesterol.

• Reduce your intake of saturated fats from cakes, butter, meat and hard cheese.

• Many studies show Omega 3 reduces cholesterol, decreases levels of harmful fats in the blood, and reduces the inflammation that’s linked to heart disease.

• Eating dark green vegetables, nuts and seeds, especially pumpkin seeds, will boost your levels of magnesium. This will help you relax and improve your heart muscle function and blood pressure.

• Keeping to an ideal weight is important, so increasing your physical activity as well as eating a healthy diet would be beneficial.

If you are concerned about your cholesterol levels, it is advisable to seek your GP’s advice.

Mark Plummer

my_health_may

US-born law graduate Mark Plummer gives an American perspective on the British diet.

What do you think of the food in the UK?
Quite different. I like the fact you eat a lot of curry here because in the US we eat a lot of Chinese food so it was something really different to what I was used to. The concept of the takeaway is different here as well – it’s accessible, I’m always busy studying so I can just grab something late at night. I really love the cider here as well, as there are so many varieties.

How do you keep fit?
I get most of my exercise by walking around the city, I don’t have to drive as much in Manchester as I did in Rhode Island. The public transportation here is very good and links everything. I like to use the grass tennis courts in Fletcher Moss when it’s good out.

Any tips for a healthy lifestyle?
I eat what I like really, but I’m half-Italian so I use a lot of recipes passed down in my family. I tend to make my own pasta and I make my own pizzas from scratch. I eat a lot of Pecorino Romano cheese. It’s richer food but has good ingredients, so I think it’s all good.

How has your diet changed since you’ve been in the UK?
I eat more Nutella! I eat less because I find you don’t get as bigger quantities for your money over here. I have lost a lot of weight since I started living in the UK. I think it’s because of all the walking – I can fit into my jeans!

Lauren Eastwood

lauren

MY HEALTH:

Name: Lauren Eastwood

Age: 25

Occupation: Management Accountant

What have you eaten so far today?
I had two pieces of brown toast with margarine at 9.30, a banana at 11.30 and a glass of orange juice – if that counts.

Any guilty pleasures?
Not today so far, but yes, there are many! Chocolate biscuits are definitely my worst, but a chocolate bar or piece of cheesecake can go down just as well.

Have you ever dieted?
No, I just try to eat healthier, but it never works!

What’s your typical exercise routine?
It depends. When I’m in the ‘zone’ I will go about three mornings a week. One day I’ll swim for an hour; the other I’ll do an exercise class, and the other hour I’ll run followed by a few sit-ups. Sometimes I go to Pilates on a Saturday morning and sometimes I’ll do nothing at all – and this will go on for a few months. It depends on how fat I feel!

Do you take any supplements?
I have multivitamins and take them if I remember, so not really.

How many hours’ sleep do you normally get?
I’d say between seven and nine on average.

Any tips for a healthy lifestyle?
I can’t really give any as I don’t do any of these, but apparently you should eat breakfast like a king, dinner like a prince, and tea like a pauper! You should also drink lots of freezing cold water as it burns more calories. Oh, and definitely exercise – just not too much!

Do you ever have any natural/holistic therapies? Sorry, no.

Nathalie Long

natalie1

My Health

Name: Nathalie Long

Age: 25

Occupation: Project Officer

What have you eaten so far today?
Breakfast: cereal and water
Lunch: chicken sandwich, crisps (low-fat ones, so not as bad for me!), orange juice

Any guilty pleasures?
Biscuits – not easy to avoid when working in an office full of them!

Have you ever dieted?
I go through periods when I try to eat better or eat less, but I have never stuck stringently to a diet plan/method.

What’s your typical exercise routine?
A try to go to the gym a couple of times a week and I have recently started a Pilates class as well. I also play cricket, so in the summer months I train and play matches a couple of times a week.

Do you take any supplements?
No.

How many hours’ sleep do you normally get?
Six or seven hours during the week and seven or eight hours at the weekend.

Any tips for a healthy lifestyle?
In terms of food/drink – everything in moderation. For exercise I think it’s important to find exercise activities you enjoy so that it doesn’t feel like a chore. I find that team sports are great because they allow you to exercise and socialise at the same time.

Do you ever have any natural/holistic therapies?
No.

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