Choosing a Mediterranean diet offers numerous health benefits and promotes overall well-being. This diet, inspired by the traditional eating habits of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, emphasises whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and olive oil. It includes moderate consumption of fish and poultry, while red meat and sweets are eaten sparingly.
One significant advantage of the Mediterranean diet is its potential to improve heart health. The high intake of healthy fats, particularly from olive oil and nuts, along with omega-3 fatty acids from fish, helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, the diet’s rich array of antioxidants from fruits and vegetables can combat inflammation and oxidative stress.
The Mediterranean diet also supports weight management and may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes due to its emphasis on fiber-rich foods that promote satiety and stabilize blood sugar levels. Overall, this balanced and flavourful diet contributes to a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle.
Personal trainers play a crucial role in motivating clients to achieve their fitness goals. One key method is through personalised encouragement. By understanding each client’s unique motivations, trainers can tailor their approach, providing positive reinforcement that resonates on an individual level. This could involve celebrating small milestones, which boosts confidence and fosters a sense of accomplishment.
Setting realistic and attainable goals is another effective strategy. Personal trainers can break down larger objectives into manageable steps, making progress feel more achievable and less overwhelming. This approach helps clients stay focused and motivated as they can see tangible results over time.
Personal trainers can also vary workouts to keep the experience engaging and fun. Routine changes prevent monotony and can reignite a client’s enthusiasm for their fitness journey. This variety not only keeps clients interested but also challenges different muscle groups, leading to more comprehensive fitness improvements.
Creating a supportive and positive environment is essential. Trainers who build a rapport and establish trust with their clients can provide emotional support, making the fitness journey less daunting. This connection encourages clients to push through difficult times, knowing they have a dedicated partner in their corner.
Lastly, personal trainers can educate clients on the benefits of their workouts, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of the process. Knowledge empowers clients, making them more likely to stay committed to their fitness routines.
Protein is fantastic for blood sugar control – make sure you have it with every meal. Don’t forget your protein at breakfast; eat something like an egg, yogurt or lean meat (or plant-based protein such as nut butter and chia seed overnight oats).
The same goes for your lunches or your dinners which are your main meals; have some good protein and some vegetables.
The mid-afternoon snack is really important too – avoid over-processed, sugary snacks. Adding foods containing B vitamins for energy will also help. Some of the best sources for this can be found in grains, rye bread and nuts.
Thought strawberries were just for Wimbledon season? Think again. New findings have revealed that these little red gems could be a soother for menopause symptoms, making them a handy addition all year round.
Packed full of vitamin C and high in phytoestrogens, the small yet mighty fruit has been shown to reduce unpleasant hot flushes and control blood pressure when consumed regularly.
Got 10 minutes to spare? Try making this strawberry quinoa salad, you’ll need:
For the salad: a handful of spinach 90g quinoa 4 large strawberries, sliced 2 tbsp almonds ¼ red onion, thinly sliced ½ avocado, sliced
For the dressing: 6 large strawberries I tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp white balsamic or apple cider vinegar
Cook the quinoa according to the packet instructions. Blend the dressing ingredients in a blender until smooth and season with salt and pepper to taste. Once the quinoa is cooked, drain it and add to a bowl with the other ingredients. Drizzle with the dressing and enjoy!
Even if you have had a good quality and refreshing sleep, you can still feel tired in the day because of imbalanced blood sugar levels.
This is normally due to not eating regularly enough, or not having a great composition of meals, for example not combining carbohydrates and protein in every single meal.
Introducing a few protein snacks throughout the day is a great idea, including lean meats, a small yogurt, a piece of cheese or a hard-boiled egg (or plant-based equivalents like nuts and seeds).
These protein-heavy snacks will keep our energy levels nice and balanced throughout the day.
We assume that keeping our glucose levels steady is an issue solely for diabetics, but it is vital for all of us to make sure we are educated on the importance of glucose tracking for optimal health.
Glucose spikes can lead to issues such as prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, weight gain and lack of energy, among other issues.
Recommendations to keep blood sugar levels steady include eating your meal in a certain order – veggies, then protein, then carbs – drinking apple cider vinegar before eating (which may reduce a glucose spike by up to 30%) and combining food well by making sure you’re eating carbs and proteins together. For example, instead of eating an apple on its own, slice it and use the slices to scoop up some protein-rich peanut butter.
Bloating happens to the best of us, and it’s usually nothing to worry about. But it can make you feel super uncomfortable, and chances are you want to get rid of that feeling ASAP. While you can reach for an over-the-counter aid for relief, you’ll likely want to try foods that help with bloating first.
Pinpointing the types of food you should and shouldn’t eat can help you better predict the possibility you’ll be dealing with gas bloat after a big meal. Dairy, beans, cruciferous veggies like broccoli or cauliflower, or greasy foods can increase those odds for many people.
Another type of bloat, water bloat, often flares up due to hormonal changes during your menstrual cycle, dehydration, or excess sodium intake. Many people over-consume salt but under-consume potassium, which is a mineral found in fruits and veggies that helps counterbalance sodium.
Eating a lot of packaged sauces and meals, salty snacks, take-away meals or fast food typically leads to consuming too much sodium. Make sure you’re staying hydrated and consuming these key minerals (electrolytes) that also serve to counterbalance the effects of sodium in your body.
Water is pretty important for de-bloating, especially when your diet is full of high-fibre foods. When you eat fiber, you need to drink enough water to digest and move it efficiently through your GI tract.
Just note that in the short term, water can make you feel more bloated. Also, it’s smart to steer clear of fizzy water or seltzer, which can introduce extra gas into your digestive tract (not ideal).
Bloating typically goes away on its own, but you can speed up the process by snacking on these 10 foods that reduce bloat, according to nutritionists and backed by research.
1. Yogurt Yogurt is packed with probiotics – good bacteria that populate your GI tract to support a healthy digestive process and calm inflammation.
2. Ginger One of the oldest herbal medicines around, ginger’s anti-inflammatory properties work wonders on bloat and gas.
3. Fennel Fennel is a natural diuretic that can also help banish intestinal gas (a.k.a. it works on both types of bloating).
4. Bananas Potassium is the main reason this low-maintenance food helps with bloat.
5. Lemons Lemon juice is very similar in acidity to the stomach’s digestive juices, so it can help relieve bloating and other symptoms of indigestion.
6. Avocados Avocados are an excellent source of bloat-reducing potassium and antioxidants. Research also suggests that avocados can improve your gut health and combat bloat by breaking down fibre and reducing bile acids (digestive fluids produced by the liver).
7. Cucumber Cucumber contains lots of water to help keep you hydrated, which is great for helping to clear out excess water from your cells and gas from your GI tract.
8. Asparagus The amino acid asparagine in asparagus is another known diuretic that helps reduce water retention.
9. Kiwi These powerful little fruits contain another enzyme, actinidin, that helps speed up digestion. Studies show they can induce normal bowel movements to minimise bloating and stomach pain caused by constipation.
10. White beans While other beans can lead to mega-bloat, white beans (a.k.a. navy beans) are high in potassium, which helps balance out sodium levels in our body. Research shows white beans contain lots of fibre, which improves digestion and promotes regular bowel movements to limit bloat due to constipation.
Extending your overnight fast is known as time-restricted eating (TRE) and is based on research showing the multiple health benefits from having a slightly later breakfast and an earlier evening meal (and of course, no late night snack!).
TRE is a very popular form of intermittent fasting and sometimes also known as 16:8 or 14:10.
16:8 is the more challenging version, involving fasting for 16 hours and only eating within an eight-hour window. But don’t worry if you can’t last for this amount of time. Anyone who manages an overnight fast of more than 12 hours is doing really well.
There have been numerous studies showing that extending your overnight fast and eating within a shortened daytime window can lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, help you lose weight, improve your sleep, cut your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, and may even slow the rate at which the brain declines as we age.
It is often said that an apple a day keep the doctor away – but now in-depth research looking at more than 150 studies has shown this might well be true.
It concluded that flavan-3-ols, a compound found in high quantities in apples, can improve blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
For maximum benefits, aim for 500mg of flavan-3-ol a day, which is the equivalent of an apple, some berries and two cups of tea.
If you’re planning to hit the gym this New Year, try adding raw ginger to your post workout smoothie.
It contains gingerol and shogaols, with anti-inflammatory properties. A 2010 study on pain found that 2g of raw ginger reduced exercise-induced muscle pain by up to 25% for 24 hours compared with a placebo.
