Many
people choose to buy organic when possible, especially for soy products that
are most likely genetically modified if they’re not organic.
Genetically
modified (GM) foods are possibly harmless for our health, and our history of
eating this kind of food is relatively short, so it’s a gamble to eat lots of
it.
Another
issue with GM foods is that these crops are threatening the natural diversity
of original seeds. Farmers worldwide have reacted with despair at the
dependency on global seed manufacturers who restrict the varieties of plants
grown for food to a few favoured for their reliability, not quality.
Genetically
modified foods are not the standard everywhere, of course, and several
countries have placed restrictions on GM crops to protect the environment.
Supporting small scale, organic farming is a good thing.
Many
people give up on an exercise regime because they started over-enthusiastically
and suffered an injury. Instead, start at a level that slightly challenges you
and work on up.
Move
smoothly with control rather than swinging or bouncing. Push your limits gently
and take time to perfect each move. Exercises are only effective if carried out
correctly.
You are
wasting your effort as well as risking injury if you do you numerous
repetitions wrongly or force your body passed its natural limits. Knees, ankles
and lower back are especially vulnerable.
You may
ache a little the day after your first few sessions, but you shouldn’t feel any
pain. If you’re exhausted or hobbling, you’ve been working too hard. Ease off
to avoid sabotaging your programme.
A
vegetarian diet can seem extreme to some, but it’s a natural and nourishing way
to eat. Many cultures around the world have a tradition of vegetarianism dating
back thousands of years.
Science
and health authorities are pretty much in agreement that the plant-based diet
is the most vital way to eat.
Today,
more and more people are choosing a vegan lifestyle. As long as you eat with
variety and make sure you’re getting the nutrients you need, you’re eating
well.
Plant-based
food is climate-smart to, using less energy and water than it takes to produce
meat and fish.
You may
think it’ll be motivational, and allow you to keep tabs on whether your
workouts and nutrition are working for you, but if fat loss is your goal, then
weighing yourself could be counter-intuitive.
The number
on the scales may plateau, and even rise. That’s because muscle is a much
denser tissue. If you compare a pound of fat and a pound of muscle, the size of
the latter is much smaller.
To
summarise, muscle weighs more than fat. So as you build muscle, you may
actually find you weigh more when stepping on the scales.
What you
should actually be considering is body fat percentage. Women between 20 and 40
years old should be aiming for between 21 and 33 per cent.
Alternatively,
you could take holistic approach to measuring progress.
How do your clothes fit?
What has your mood been like? Do you have more
energy?
Are you sleeping better?
It is all
too easy to get hung up on the numbers, bring your focus back to how you feel.
Choosing
healthy can be confusing, with the jungle voices and advice on offer. My
definition of eating well is really simple: eat with variety and in moderation
– it’s the best health insurance you can invest in.
I’m a big
fan of light food, and it’s clear that in the industrialised world people are
generally over-saturated with calories, which is causing an alarming rise in
obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
Both
under- and over-eating saps our energy. Naturally, we need to eat more when we
are physically active and less when we are not. A healthy weight is a long-term
project – quick fixes and diets are often working against us.
Having a
health-conscious attitude about eating is good, but be wary of developing
fixations and unhealthy relationships with food – it should be enjoyed without
guilt. It’s better to be relaxed about it and have the occasional treat if you
want to, as long as you maintain a healthy balance.
It’s the
age old question, but one we’re still confused about.
A lot of
people equate sweat to how hard they’re working. However it’s not an accurate
representation of the effort you’re putting into an exercise session.
Sweat is
the body’s super-effective cooling system, and we naturally perspire a litre of
water on a rest day. And, besides, some people’s genetics mean they sweat more
easily than others.
It just
means how hot your body is. So if you’re jumping on the spot in a hot room,
you’re going to start sweating. If you’re working harder in a cold room, you
might not sweat but you’ve still put in more effort.
When it
comes to nutritional benefits, vitamins have long stood front and centre. But
what about those equally important essential mineral workhorses that labour
undercover with no recognition?
I’m
talking trace minerals, compounds needed – albeit in microscopic quantities –
to keep your body running as nature intended. Unlike vitamins, there are no
non-essential minerals, meaning you have to get them all via your diet.
Although
trace minerals are, typically, harder to be lacking in, certain current food
trends – swerving dairy, for example – could put you at risk of deficiency,
symptoms of which include chronic fatigue, cognitive decline and depression.
Here are
some of the key essential minerals to get yourself acquainted with:
1. Iodine: The Thyroid Manager
Not only is iodine crucial for neurological development, it also plays a major
role in healthy thyroid function. Without it, your active thyroid hormone,
triiodothyronine, wouldn’t exist.
Which food is it in?
White fish and dairy products.
2. Copper: The Fat Burner
Research has shown that copper is essential for metabolising fat. It’s also
proven as a brain booster; deficiency has been linked to Alzheimer’s.
Which food is it in?
Sunflower seeds, cashew nuts, green olives and shellfish.
3. Selenium: The Immune System Helper
Selenium boosts immune system function and is a key player in egg formation and
fertilisation.
Which food is it in?
Brazil nuts and eggs.
4. Molybdenum: The Liver Lover
Molybdenum supports an enzyme called sulphate oxidase, which is integral to the
conversion of toxic sulphites into more inert sulphates, which the body can
then excrete in the urine.
Which food is it in?
Foods that grow above ground are higher in molybdenum than those that grow
below. Think cauliflower, beans and oats.
5. Manganese: The Bone Booster
This one is essential for bone growth and can help to reverse bone mineral
density loss when taken as part of a calcium, copper and zinc supplement.
Manganese activates glycosyl transferases, an enzyme need for the formation of
proteoglycan molecules present in cartilage.
Which food is it in?
Tea is probably the simplest source for most people. Not a tea person? Try
porridge with cinnamon or cloves instead.
Pain in
your muscles following a workout is known as DOMS – or delayed onset muscle
soreness. It is triggered by small-scale damage to your muscles from strenuous
or unaccustomed exercise.
Using this
as a barometer isn’t sustainable. As you workout more, you’ll stop getting that
soreness. Great news!
How you
feel during training is not always a reflection of how fit you are. If you know
just how to manage it and use a variety of mental tricks you don’t just get to
feel better than you would otherwise, you will be performing better, doing more
and working out harder.
Fitness
is, mostly, inside your head. It’s first of all a mental battle to win in order
to make yourself train, make yourself train at the level you need to, and then
to continue doing it time and time again. Here are a few tricks you can use to
make the whole process easier on yourself:
Don’t think about how hard it is
The more you think about yourself not being able to cope, the harder it will
feel. Keep telling yourself that what you are doing is no big deal and you’ll
find that you are capable of achieving much more.
Take yourself elsewhere for a few seconds
If where you are is less than comfortable, imagine where you would like to be
right now and take yourself there in your head. It will help you reset your
brain and take its attention away from thinking about the tough training
session.
Lie
Tell yourself that you will never do this again or will take a long break…after
this time. The lie works because it re-programmes your brain to stop
complaining and simply focus on the time training will end.
Work out with music
Evidence shows that listening to music during your workout, due to its calming
effect, can lead to reduced muscle tension and more efficient oxygenation. We
are not just able to do more and feel less exhausted, but the exercise itself
feels less taxing.
