Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2021 i Lose Weight Feel Great

Researchers at the University of Georgia have shown that pecans can dramatically improve a person’s cholesterol levels. Participants at risk for cardiovascular disease who ate pecans during an eight-week intervention showed significant improvements in total cholesterol, triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or ‘bad’ cholesterol, in a study conducted by researchers in the UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences. Researchers saw an average drop of 5% in total cholesterol and between 6% and 9% in LDL among participants who consumed pecan nuts. ‘The addition of pecans to the diet not only produced a greater and more consistent reduction in total cholesterol and LDL compared to many other lifestyle interventions, but may also be a more sustainable approach for long-term health,’ said Jamie Cooper, a professor in the FACS department of…

Coffee has always had a mixed review when it comes to headlines. For every positive study, there’s always been a negative alternative, leaving confused messages about our morning brew. However, a recent study shows that regularly drinking coffee could help you lose weight – perfect if you’re turning over a healthy new leaf (or bean)! Burning the right fat Your body contains two types of fat: white and brown. White fat is the stuff people want to shift if they need or want to lose weight, as it can be detrimental to health in excess. Adipose tissue, aka brown fat, on the other hand is actually good as it helps keep your body insulated. It takes an enormous amount of energy to burn brown fat to say warm. Interestingly, many…

As the nights draw in – particularly when the clocks turn back on 31 October – hibernation temptation can be tough. The choice of curling up with a good book might be more comforting than a chilly gym class, but cancel it for one more night, then another, and it’ll get increasingly hard to ingrain healthy habits before the cold properly sets in. Unfortunately, studies show September is in the top two months where we’re most destined to gain weight* (no prizes for guessing that December comes in first place). In fact, on average, people gain an average of 12lbs between September and December. On the plus side, between late summer and early winter, the sun rises between 6.30-8am, which happens to be the nation’s average natural waking time. So,…

Eating a balance of beneficial fats, carefully chosen carbs, various vibrant veggies and other plant-based sources make a solid foundation for slimming success, and within many of those foods, you’ll find minerals – a group of micronutrients that make a mighty difference to your health. So, let’s put the microscope on minerals. Why? Our immune systems have come under the spotlight recently, and with cold season coming up, as well as slowly increased capacities in workplaces and indoor spaces, it’s worth topping our minerals up. Plus, all minerals work hard to promote growth in every cell, and are crucial for bone strength and reformation, as well as muscle health. While most vitamins are made by your body, minerals aren’t – so because your body depends on these micronutrients for multiple…

Pear and elderflower fizz Makes six tall glasses INGREDIENTS 750ml sparkling elderflower100ml ginger cordial500ml sparkling waterPomegranate seeds from 2 fruits1 ripe pear, sliced thinly lengthways100g white grapes, halved lengthwaysThyme sprigs, to garnish METHOD 1. Combine the elderflower, ginger cordial and pomegranate seeds in a tall jug and stir. 2. Add the ice and allow to chill for 5 mins. 3. Add grapes and a pear slice or two to each glass. 4. Add sparkling water to elderflower mixture and pour over fruit. Garnish with thyme. Virgin margarita Serves two INGREDIENTS 60ml fresh lime juice60ml fresh lemon juice30ml fresh orange juice100ml lemonadeHandful of ice cubes METHOD 1. First prepare the glasses. Squeeze some fresh lime juice into a saucer large enough to hold the rim of the glass. Pour some rock…

Now that the summer months are well and truly behind us, it may have become clear that you indulged at one too many BBQs, or the ice cream during those hot summer afternoons called out to you a little too loudly. If you’ve noticed a few pounds have crept on, I want to help you change the relationship you have with those pesky food cravings so they no longer have any power over you. Please note that I chose my words carefully. This is about changing the relationship with those cravings, not about getting rid of them completely. Over the last 20 years of helping people make positive changes to their lives, I’ve noticed the more someone tries to get rid of cravings the more they tend to appear, and…

As we approach autumn, we are reminded of the holidays and comfort foods that are customary to the season. For those who want to remain focused on making healthy choices, concentrating on our outlook is key. This can be achieved by thinking positively about the occasions the season brings. We also should be mindful about how good nutrition has a positive effect on both our psychological and physical health. Thus, we need to make sure that we eat fresh foods to boost our overall wellbeing. Programmes such as Noom can help establish sustainable habits and reframe our relationships with food, so that we don’t subconsciously seek comfort from what we eat. Tip #1 Recognise your food triggers For many of us, emotions trigger specific cravings, and it’s important to be…

Researchers at the University of Michigan have found that eating a hot dog could take 36 minutes off your life. In their study, published in the journal Nature Food, researchers looked at 5,853 foods in the US diet and measured their effects in minutes of healthy life gained or lost. ‘We wanted to make a health-based evaluation of the beneficial and detrimental impacts of the food in the entire diet,’ Olivier Jolliet, professor of environmental health sciences at the university and senior author of the paper, told CNN. The team created an index that calculates the net beneficial or detrimental health burden in minutes associated with a serving of food. It’s based on a study called the Global Burden of Disease, which measures morbidity associated with a person’s food choices.…

Embarking on a weight loss journey can be a huge challenge, which comes with its ups and downs. While you can’t wave a magic wand to hit your slimming goals, implementing sustainable habits will help you to beat the bulge and make you feel good from the inside out. Read on to discover the healthy strategies that will leave you feeling lighter and brighter over the course of 24 hours… 7am: Start the day with a glass of ice cold water It’s not unusual to wake up thirsty first thing. After eight hours or so of rest, our bodies naturally lose fluids and electrolytes, which need replenishing. Filling up on water also helps to encourage portion control throughout the day. Interestingly, research indicates that drinking cold water automatically speeds up…

During the colder British months, it can often be difficult to maintain the same level of motivation you’ve had through the summer. If you have found yourself completely unmotivated now that autumn has arrived, it could be that your goals have been associated with a period in time rather than a long-term lifestyle. It is quite a common scenario for many of us to set our health and fitness goals based around seasons or events. We tell ourselves: ‘I want to be in shape for summer’, but as soon as summer has ended, so has the motivation to improve how we look and feel. This pattern of behaviour usually goes unnoticed until Christmas approaches and we tell ourselves again: ‘I want to be in shape for the Christmas parties’. This…

A healthy morning routine is a surefire way to set you up for the day ahead. Whether you kickstart your morning with an energising workout, a spot of calming meditation or spend a few minutes scribbling in a wellness journal, creating that feel-good factor first thing is a great opportunity to get you going. And when it comes to the first meal of the day, is it better to fill up your fuel tank or miss out in order to supercharge weight loss? The calorie connection Ensuring that your day gets off to a winning start can be the secret to weight loss success, and for years the advice from health experts was to ‘eat like a king’ when you wake up. The idea is that having decent fuel in…

We’re approaching the end of another year that felt strangely slow, yet curiously quick at the same time – an inconsistency that’s paralleled our changing weight and fitness levels. Perhaps pounding the pavement with your pals through lockdown and increasing strength and stamina over the summer melted those extra pounds away. Oppositely, you might have increased inches all over when sedentary office work resumed, and way overdue catch-ups excitedly turned into a few too many cream teas or cocktails. Sticking to easy ‘back to basic’ eating covered in our July/Aug edition, then September’s emphasis on innate movement and everyday exercise, plus the health hacks duscussed here can help you find your inner primal mojo by following natural instinct! By making this part of a regular routine, your odds of a…

We all know food is good for the soul, but what about just spending time in the kitchen? New research has revealed how we should actually be using our kitchens as a place to de-stress and practice mindfulness, not just to cook and eat. According to the survey, 60% of people believe that spending time in the kitchen genuinely makes them happy. Leading kitchen retailer Magnet has commissioned research into the role of the kitchen when it comes to our happiness and wellbeing. Listening to music was voted the top wellbeing activity to do in the kitchen, beating socialising, crafting and baking. The average time that it takes to release those endorphins and start feeling happy from being in the kitchen is just 6-10 minutes. That means that after a…

I spoke to Saira as she was packing for the most delicious-sounding retreat in the Portuguese sun that promised a wealth of benefits including mind-body connection. Pretty much what we’re all dreaming of and planning right now after a series of lockdowns put holidays and trips on the back burner. Saira knew how lucky she was to be able to go on the trip and I could hear the excitement in her voice. Was I jealous? You bet! Within the first few minutes of chatting, I quickly discovered what a warm, genuine person Saira is and 90 minutes later we were still going strong, here’s just a snapshot of what she had to say… ‘The very first lockdown in March 2020 was a bit of a wake-up call for me.…

When thinking about losing weight or changing your shape we rarely think about how ready our body is to achieve that goal. Typically, we remove a few naughty things we know aren’t good to eat and maybe exercise a little more. For maximum success, we need to focus on viewing the body as a clever biological machine that needs support to achieve long-lasting changes. How is stress good and bad for you? Stress is a natural physiological response in the body; it can be both good and bad. Sunlight, for example, can deliver a positive reaction in the body providing many essential nutrients for health, however, too much can burn your skin and cause damage. Not enough exercise stress doesn’t produce results, whereas too much can cause injury. When looking…

Changing your diet can sometimes feel like the hardest thing ever. Relinquishing your favourite foods, saying no to unrelenting cravings and trying desperately to keep on the straight and narrow can be a difficult (and often miserable) challenge to navigate – especially if you’re not getting the results that you long for. Taking a different approach to dieting might just help you to make forward strides towards your goals and leave you feeling mentally stronger. It doesn’t take much effort, just a few tweaks here and there. Read on for some of our favourite slimming solutions… RULE #1 Experiment with time-restricted eating We’re often advised to eat three square meals and two snacks every day to help keep blood sugar spikes at bay, but for some dieters (without a history…

Cottage pie with sweet potato INGREDIENTS 1 tbsp olive oil500g British beef mince1 onion, diced1 stalk celery, diced1 carrot, peeled and diced1 Oxo Beef stock cube1 tbsp tomato purée1½ tbsp plain flour2 tsp Worcestershire sauce3 thyme sprigs2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled1 tbsp unsalted butter METHOD 1. Heat ½ tbsp oil in a large sauté pan or casserole dish over a high heat. Add the beef and fry, breaking it up, for 4-5 minutes, until browned. Remove from the pan, add the remaining ½ tbsp oil, lower the heat to medium and fry the onion, celery and carrot with a pinch of salt for 10 minutes, until softened. Meanwhile, dissolve the beef stock cube in 500ml just-boiled water. 2. Return the beef to the pan, add the tomato purée and cook…

These near-autumn days are picture-perfect for outdoor adventuring. Leaves are starting to give landscapes an inviting golden glow, and your favourite parks and woodlands are quieter now that the children have gone back to school! Even with the somewhat unpredictable nature of the Great British weather, getting outside throughout the year can keep you healthier, happier and more motivated. Studies from the University of Innsbruck have even shown that the same activity can feel easier outside than it does indoors. ‘In the great outdoors we can feel a part of something bigger,’ says Sam Sutton, an instructor at New Forest Activities (newforestactivities.co.uk). ‘It gives you a mental break, and is well known to produce feel-good endorphins.’ You’ll also be making – and reliving – plenty of fond memories. You might…