Tag: tuesdaytip

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Don’t Detox

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Don’t Detox 🥗

Across social media people are peddling “detoxes” and “cleanses”. We’re told our bodies are full of toxins, and if you follow plan X / buy the pill/tea/shake you’ll get rid of them and feel/look amazing. You don’t need it, your liver and kidneys do a great job of “detoxing” you, and these products can make your health worse. But they sell them because WE want them; why?

#Post holiday detox

Over holidays we eat and drink more, so we crave simple, nutrient dense food – like salads. Physically it feels good, and psychologically it feels good to; drawing a line under all the junk. This sort of “detox” isn’t silly, it’s just a word we use to say “lets get back to eating well”

#Bloated

Over-indulging, or eating certain foods makes you bloated; rich foods, alcohol, beans, fizzy drinks, or foods high in salt, certain starches and sugars. If it’s a chronic issue see a Dr. If you’ve been eating lots of salt you will retain water, making you look and feel bloated, reduce the salt for a few days and you’ll be fine. Overdo the food and drink? You don’t need to do anything just eat normally for a few days.

#Bunged up

If you’ve been eating badly you may be constipated. Most detoxes /cleanses are laxatives, which can permanently damage your intestines. So first of all, increase water and fibre intake, then increase fruits, veg, and whole grains, but do it gradually; a sudden fibre increase can make you feel worse. If that doesn’t help, see a Dr, not a Facebook detox salesman.

#Fatloss detox

No, just no. A pill/shake won’t do that! Sometimes just buying something special is a powerful psychological message that you’re making a change and acts as a kickstart; which is why we fall for it. Sadly it won’t last, and you’re left out of pocket and likely to rebound. The more radical approach to losing weight, the more likely it is to fail. Slow and steady wins the race; make small, sustainable habit changes and you’ll reap the rewards.

It’s normal to want to reset, feel better and make changes, but you don’t need a “detox”. Just try to get some sleep, drink more water, eat veg and get moving. You’ll look and feel far better for it!

Happy Tuesday 🤗xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Alternative Resolutions

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Alternative Resolutions 🎉

New Year, New start… it’s a cliche isn’t it?Having said that it IS a good opportunity to refocus and think about what you want to achieve over the next few months. I’ve posted this before but I think it’s worth a repost for 2021. Instead of the usual eat healthy/exercise more, here are my favourite resolutions that are doable and a bit more interesting:

#1 Switch your phone off

Put your phone away a bit more – whether for meals, after dinner, when out – whatever – you and your friends and family will enjoy more real face time than FaceTime.

#2 Read

Ditch the telly and read a book – an actual book – be it on paper or kindle. It could be a classic or something newer.

#3 Grow something to eat

Seeds cost pennies and you don’t need to be green fingered – get some vegetable or fruit seeds, pop them in a pot on your windowsill and grow something yummy.

#4 Cook a new recipe every week

Just one recipe, one meal a week – it doesn’t need to be complicated or lengthy – dust down your cook books, or get online for inspiration.

#5 Walk

Walk somewhere you would usually drive or take public transport to. Get off a stop early or park further away if you can’t replace the whole journey.

#6 Plant bulbs

Buy some bulbs (they’re cheap, and some newspapers give them away free at this time of year too!), dig them in (pot or garden), wait – and enjoy some spring/early summer colour!

#7 Say hello

A simple hello, a please, thank you, or even a smile at someone, in a shop, cafe, passing on the street – wherever – will brighten your day and theirs.

#8 Try something new every week

Anything new, doesn’t need to be big – a new food, a new activity, a new route to work, anything!

#9 Focus on others

Do something nice for someone every day/week – a simple compliment, helping a friend, or something bigger and potentially life changing like donating blood, sponsoring a child in need or volunteering.

#10 Celebrate you

Who says you need to change, anyway?! Perhaps you’re perfect the way you are: even with flaws. Maybe these are to be celebrated as unique aspects of you, so focus more on the things you like about yourself!

Happy New Year everyone 🎉🌟

xxx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Twixmas

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Twixmas 🎄

In the days between Christmas and New Year it can be so easy to just slip in to a pattern of mindlessly eating too much and skipping those workouts. It’s the Christmas and boxing day extended hangover… And it’s nearly New Year where you’ll do it all again so why bother being healthy In-between right?… Wrong!

Well aside from the fact that it will make you feel better and less sluggish,it’s a whole 3 or 4 days where you can limit the amount of damage from the festive period! Plus it will make it so much easier to get back to healthy eating again in the New Year. So get back on that wagon even if only for a day or two, eat well but mindfully, do your usual workouts and regain a bit of normality if you can! Your body will thank you!

If you still have a house full of food then freeze the leftovers (they’ll be fine!), hide the chocolate and booze and stock the fridge with lots of green stuff to help the process! All that chocolate and wine will still be there for New Year and you can indulge a little then if you want! 😀

Good luck and Happy Tuesday!😁 xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Coping with Xmas Stress

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Coping with Xmas Stress 🎄

Stress levels can soar at Xmas, with the pressure of expectations, exchange and excess. Here are some tips to help!

#1 Limit spending

Gift buying and entertainment costs can spiral quickly, so make a budget and limit spending by only taking cash on shopping trips. Make 1 financial decision at a time to avoid losing willpower and overspending. Remember your relationships with friends and family are more important than material objects!

#2 Manage expectations

Wanting things to be perfect can lead to more stress. Dinner being late or a less than perfect xmas tree won’t ruin your day – it may even give you fond memories to laugh about in future! Be realistic with children: they don’t need everything on their list! Xmas is about being together, so plan lots of fun family activities to do.

#3 Take time out

Factor in some time out for yourself – a bath, watching a movie, reading or a walk. You will feel better and be less likely to take your stress out on the rest of the family too.

#4 Don’t fall totally off the wagon

Plan, eat well outside events, stay active – check out my article (here) for more. If you do find yourself overindulging just remember 1 day of indulgence won’t make you fat, just get back on track the next day and don’t make it a month!

#5 Go for a walk

Studies show physical activity reduces the brain’s response to stress, even more so with other people (by 26%). So try to fit a walk in to your day even if it means walking to work, or school pick up, or just around the block.

#6 Have fun

Laughter is a fab stress reliever. It releases endorphins, boosts circulation, helps muscles relax and reduces physical symptoms of stress. Make sure you have some fun; whether it’s your favourite movie, jokes with relatives, or a fun activity with friends or family.

At the end of the day remember, its just one day, it doesn’t define you or your life. Your friends and family are there all year round and if things don’t go as planned you can always get together in January or Feb instead 🙂

Happy Tuesday 🤗

xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Calorie Budget

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Calorie Budget 💰

As we head into the festive period it’s easy to overdo food and drink. If you want to stay in control it’s useful to think of your calories the same way you think about your Christmas spending budget.

With a budget you have a set amount you can spend so you can’t spend ore, but If you are trying to save too much you may deprive yourself of things that make you healthy and happy. Budgetting your finances is never something to be ashamed of right? It’s a good thing and shows responsibility. As it’s YOUR budget you can also choose to spend extravagantly on certain things if you’ve saved up some extra money.

For calories, you know how much you can eat per day to lose fat and if you eat more you will gain fat. If you eat too little, it won’t prevent fat loss but you will probably be miserable. Budgeting your calories isn’t something to be self-conscious or embarrassed about; it shows you’re looking after yourself. And, as with a budget, you can always choose to spend more for certain things, as long as the overall calories stay in budget over the week/month.

There are a few ways to do this:

1. Track food and drink as you go along, then stop when you reach the calorie limit. This works as you won’t overeat and it shows where you’re spending your calories. BUT you have to stop when you hit your target which can be tricky if you use up the cals early in the day. Fat loss may take longer but you’ll be learning along the way so will naturally get better at hitting your calories.

2. Pre-set Budget – plan ahead to meet your calorie budget by tracking in advance. This is the best option as you’re likely to hit your target, but you might find it too restrictive depending on your personality and lifestyle

3. Wing it! This only works if you happen to have a small appetite naturally and rarely overeat (a naturally frugal person), so only works if you already have those habits. Of course it teaches you nothing about calories.

Happy budgeting and Tuesday 🤗

xx