Positive Image Fitness - Health, Fitness and Well Being

Positive Image Fitness | BRINGING YOU BETTER HEALTH

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HealthHints 2007

January 2007 - Now is not the time to make promises about nutrition or exercise - they will be broken too easily. Use this month to plan the changes you would like to make in your life during the year as you sit by a fire or when you go for a walk on a clear, cold bright day.

February 2007 – The most effective way to lose weight is to plan you meals rather than shop without a list! In the long run it saves you time, money and improves your waist line! Click here to download your meal planner.

March 2007 – Now is the time to make your 2007 New Year’s Resolution to be fitter, healthier and leaner. The stronger sunshine, lighter mornings and evenings will give you more energy, help you stay motivated and make it easier to achieve the results you are aiming for.

April 2007 – If you are lacking in motivation to exercise it could help to know that for every kilo of body weight you lose your blood pressure reduces by 1 mmHg and the chance of taking long term medication is reduced. Still got excuses?

May 2007 – Make sure every meal is an explosion of colour on your plate. A variety of colour means you will be getting a more balanced meal and heaps of nutrients and minerals.

June 2007 – Being active daily can have dramatic results on your health and fitness levels. For instance getting off the bus a stop early twice a day could count for half your recommended daily exercise of 30 minutes, taking the stairs burns as many calories as jogging for the same amount of time and regular cycling can give you a fitness level of a person ten years younger! Where can you burn your extra calories?

July 2007 - Lose the belly fat! This fat pushes on your kidneys telling them to increase your blood pressure. Lose the fat through exercise, diet and less salt and the pressure is off - or at least reduced. Looks better as well.

August 2007 – Forget expensive face creams. Your skin – the largest organ in your body – reaps benefits from your exercising. Increased circulation brings oxygen and nutrients to the skin and removes internal toxins from it. The result is a natural glow that is associated with healthy looking skin. Go on get exercising - you know you’re worth it!

September 2007 – With an abundance of food in our society its surprising you can eat and yet be malnourished! Empty calories from easily available processed, sugary foods and drinks may satisfy your appetite temporarily but contain few of the necessary and essential nutrients for an active, healthy lifestyle. Get colour on your plate with a well balanced diet including fruit and vegetables, check food and drink labels for hidden sugars - often listed by one of these other names: sucrose, glucose, fructose dextrose, maltose, honey, raw syrup, hydrolysed starch, invert sugar and molasses - and the amount of salt or sodium. The salt we sprinkle on our food from salt cellars accounts for only 10%-15% of our intake with processed foods thought to account for around 75% of the average person's salt intake! Time to get reading.

October 2007 - Something to ponder as you sit at your PC. Latest research shows sitting motionless at a computer for hours can lead to deep vein thrombosis or ‘e-thrombosis’. To prevent this take a screen break every hour to get a drink and avoid crossing your legs or awkward leg postures as you are working.

November 2007 – If you tend to lack motivation to exercise try this. Walk 30 minutes each day and then call a friend. The phone call is crucial and a real commitment. Find a person that’s supportive and won’t nag you but will call you if you haven’t called. Women tend to be better at being your buddy in this case.

December 2007 – Keeping the weight off over Christmas means having a snack before you arrive at a Christmas party, walking away from the buffet rather than standing beside it and drinking water to avoid over indulging.