Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Boost your Immune System 🦠

No amount of lifestyle intervention can completely protect you but here are some practical tips to strengthen your immune system.

# 1 Follow the advice

First off; follow the official advice; advice from the govt, NHS and scientists – not the news, social media, or your mate down the pub. Follow the science-backed advice. If in doubt about self isolation call 111.

# 2 Eat well

Eat a balanced diet and ensure you’re loading up on lots of fruit and veg to ensure you get the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients you need to fight infection. It also ensures plenty of fibre to keep your gut microbiome healthy too.

# 3 Vit C and Zinc

Vitamin C won’t prevent infection but has been shown to reduce symptom intensity and duration. Load up on citrus fruits, leafy green veg or get a high dose Vit C supplement. Zinc also helps boost the immune system and is found in meat, poultry, seafood, beans, nuts, whole grains and dairy products.

# 4 Sleep

Adequate sleep is the foundation of your whole immune system. While you sleep the hormone melatonin stimulates the creation of new immune cells so sleep is critical. Try to get 6-8 hrs a night.

# 5 Exercise

You need to get those muscles working to produce chemicals that stimulate the thymus gland (involved in production and functioning of immune cells). Cardiovascular fitness is also essential for strong, healthy lungs. The lymphatic system relies on muscle movement to circulate immune cells around the body too. Exercise also produces endorphins which will make you feel better and reduce stress.

# 6 Drink

Hydration is vital as it keeps the mucus membranes in your respiratory tract moist which means they can trap the germs and prevent them entering your cells. so drink up!

# 7 Reduce stress

Stress increases cortisol production, which weakens our immune system. A lot of the covid-19 coverage is creating mass-hysteria so if you’re feeling anxious steer clear of the news/social media – take a walk, read a book, call a friend, play with your kids, whatever you do to relax.

Finally, it wouldn’t be fair to leave this one off – wash your hands.

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Fitness and Exercise

Gym closed? Here are some of my tips for home workout options

March 21, 2020 Dr Nancy P

With yesterday’s announcement about gym closures I know lots of people are worrying about how to stay fit if you can’t (or don’t want) to leave your home.

Now obviously there is always the option of doing outdoor activities like walking, running and cycling – and in fact you should definitely be doing some of these regardless. The fresh air and daylight will do you the world of good!

It’s currently unclear where we stand with outdoor exercise classes – the guidance does suggest that non-essential social gatherings are also a no no , so it’s a bit of a grey area but you have to make your own choice about that.

So in the meantime home workouts are definitely an option. Switching to home workouts isn’t easy – especially if you’re a class-based exerciser like me. You only need a little bit of space (anywhere will do) but you do need a fair bit of motivation. But it’s worth it, as establishing a workout routine could, most importantly, reduce the anxiety that this whole situation is causing, as well as keep you fit and well.

You don’t need any equipment but if you did decide you wanted to get some then a set of resistance bands (https://amzn.to/2J5MKXy) and some handweights (https://amzn.to/2xVeN9P) or adjustable dumbbells (https://amzn.to/2Uovxhf) and a skipping rope (https://amzn.to/33z73Gt) are probably the best options . Right now though everyone and their dog is buying them so you may find it hard to get hold of them. In the meantime there is loads you can do with body weight (like my post I shared last week – https://everystepfitness.com/2020/03/18/if-you-cant-get-to-thegym-here-are-two-easy-equipment-free-home-workouts-for-you-and-your-family/) or get creative and use household items for handweights (bottles of bleach/cans/ a rucksack filled with books etc).

I thought it would be a good idea to share a few options for home workouts. So here are my favourites for all types of exerciser.

If you are looking for workouts you can watch and follow then there are TONNES of free workouts out there.

⁃ Do a YouTube search for whatever type of workout you fancy and it will bring up 1000’s of options – all free! HIIT, yoga, Pilates, dance, strength training etc – everything is there!

⁃ If that’s all a bit bewildering then two great resources are fitness blender (https://www.fitnessblender.com) and the bodycoach (The Body Coach TV – YouTube ) . Both of these offer hundreds of completely free workouts. Fitness blender has a range of cardio, strength and stretch based workouts. The Body Coach is mostly hiit based stuff but he’s also doing some kids based sessions too at the moment.

⁃ If you want something a bit more polished and app based then it’s worth checking out Peloton (https://www.onepeloton.co.uk). They are doing a 90 day free trial at the moment! The app (which doesn’t require you to buy their bike etc) has loads of easy-to-follow and high-quality videos, including yoga, strength, meditation, cardio and bootcamp classes. There are also audio-only classes for outdoor runs, if that’s still an option for you.

⁃ If you’re already missing your Les Mills classes then definitely check out Les Mills On Demand (https://www.lesmills.com/uk/ondemand/). There are a variety of all your favourite classes – attack, bodystep, pump etc and you can do them all on the comfort of your home! You don’t need to buy specific les mills equipment – any generic weights will do for example. They have some free workouts and they’re also doing a 14 day free trial.

If you’re considering other options then you could think about some personal training. Most of us are still seeing our PT clients (taking extra care with cleaning and maintaining social distancing) and many of us offer online Pt options too.

If that’s all a bit much and you just want some simple workouts to do without the need for an app or a laptop screen in front of you then just drop me a line. I’m happy to put together some home workouts for people, just like I do for my Pt clients. Just ask – anytime and I’d be glad to help out (free).

Hopefully you can find something you will enjoy doing while we wait for those gyms to reopen and we get to see each other again!

Happy working out – wherever you do it!

Xxx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

‘I’m pretty good at estimating my calories….. ‘

March 18, 2020 Dr Nancy P

‘I’m pretty good at estimating my calories….. ‘ 🥑

I’m always telling my clients to try to be as accurate as possible when they’re tracking their food and calories. This means actually weighing things – particularly anything that is calorie dense.

Very often people tell me that they’re “pretty good” at estimating the amounts they’re having, that they have the same thing each day so they know what it looks like now, that they can estimate pretty well etc. I’m sure some can, but I know I can’t. I can at first but then often amounts creep up without you even realising it.

In this example on the left is an amount that was estimated at around 40g avocado by a number of people I asked, (calories excluding the toast), on the right is the actual amount – 120g! Now I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t have thought it was that much but look at what a difference it makes in calories. 40g can look very similar to 120g when layered on toast and you may not even realise how much you’re having. The same goes for nut butters, spreads, cheese etc – anything high calorie. With less calorie dense foods it won’t matter as much but with these calorie dense foods when you get it wrong you’re adding a large number of calories. This is also why measure like “a small avocado” are no good – what’s small? my small may not be your small… etc

So if you are trying to lose fat/watching your calories maybe it’s time to go back and get those scales out and double check those estimates and see if you really are as good as you think you are.

🤗

Fitness and Exercise

If you can’t get to the gym…. two easy home workouts for you and your family

March 17, 2020May 4, 2020 Dr Nancy P

As the coronavirus continues to cause concern worldwide you may find yourself unwilling or unable to get to the gym. Now whilst a few weeks of no gym isn’t the end of the world, it is important to stay active and healthy. Exercise actively helps to keep the immune system functioning so you should be trying to exercise in some way. Walking outside is one brilliant, easy option (or cycling if you have a bike), and activities like gardening are also a great workout.

But if you want something a little more structured or for when the weather isn’t great then it’s good to have some options to do at home.

There are loads of free workouts online – YouTube is awash with them, but sometimes it can all be a bit overwhelming so I thought I’d share with you a a couple of really simple, easy to do anywhere workouts – outside or inside.

Before you start warm up with a light jog on the spot, and limber up those muscles!

The first workout is a circuit- based bodyweight one – the moves are all simple and can be modified as you need. I’ve included skipping but if you don’t have a skipping rope then you can always do a ‘virtual’ pretend skip! You do each move for 45 secs, with 15 secs rest. Once you complete the circuit go back to the beginning and do it again! Do as many circuits as you have time for / can manage! Remember – something is better than nothing – so if you only have ten mins then just do some of it! You don’t have to do a full workout every single time!

There’s a video below if you want to do it along with me! And you can download the pdf here Bodyweight Circuit 1

The second is a great way to get your kids (or housemates/ family) involved and staying active too and is something I give my clients for be summer holidays etc when they can’t get to their usual gym/classes. It’s an easy spelling workout! You can play it however you like – give each other words, or take turns to select words, use your names etc – just have fun with it! You can also change the moves too of course!

You can modify these workouts however you need and if you do need help just drop me a message and I can help you!

Most importantly try to enjoy it! 🏃🏼‍♀️🏃🏼‍♂️xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip : Beat The Afternoon Slump

March 17, 2020 Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip : Beat The Afternoon Slump 😴

The mid afternoon energy slump – usually 3-4pm is common to all of us! It can have you reaching for the sugar or caffeine to stay alert but instead try these tips to help beat that slump!

#1 Start right

Not starting the day right can have big impacts later. If you don’t have breakfast you’re far more likely to feel sleepy later in the day. Try a brekkie that combines protein and carbs – eggs on toast, porridge with nuts/fruit. If you’re in a rush take it with you – peanut butter bagel, yogurt pot etc.

# 2 Watch the carbs and fat

Now I’m definitely not saying to cut carbs totally for lunch – you need them for energy. Too few and you’ll find you’re running low by 3pm. But on the flip side too many carbs and you’ll feel sluggish all afternoon. Go for a fist sized portion of carbs with lunch. Also reduce the fat – high fat meals are harder to digest so leave you feeling sluggish. So have a sandwich by all means, or a pasta salad, but load up on the veggies and go easy on the bread/pasta and cheese etc.

# 3 Have a break

Studies have found that taking regular 5-15 min breaks leads to increased productivity at work, and can help combat the afternoon slump. Try to get up and walk around at least once every hour throughout the day. Then, during your break, do a few stretches and take a few deep breaths to invigorate and refresh your mind and your body.

# 4 Drink more

The afternoon slump can also be a result of dehydration. So grab a cold glass of water when you start to feel sleepy. You could add a little lime/cucumber/lemon to your water to add to the flavour. Or try soaking some bits of pineapple in your water for a delicious pineapple-infused burst of energy!

#5 Use your head

It sounds counter intuitive as it’s the last thing you feel like doing but using your brain helps to combat that slump. Try a fun, quick task like crosswords/puzzles etc to give those brain cells a blast. Engaging your brain this way will rouse your concentration levels and refocus you.

Happy Tuesday 🤗