Tag: tuesdaytip

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Emotional Wellbeing

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Emotional Wellbeing 💜

With the final bank holiday coming up many people are having a final “break” away. Holidays are a time to relax, switch off and enjoy time with family and friends. Whilst they’re often a physical rest, they should also be an emotional rest. Even if you’re not getting away and just having a holiday at home, this is still an opportunity to make your holiday time count emotionally as well as physically.

#1 Give yourself permission to rest

Rather than planning loads of activities actually allow yourself time to rest, even if that’s hard with children or family. You might have to be pretty strict and plan “down” times.

#2 Figure out what you need

If you are feeling drained or exhausted, it’s a signal to take time for recovery. The common misconception is that recovery has to be passive e.g. lying on a sofa. Physical rest is important but so are things such as hiking, being outside in nature, gardening, socialising etc. Your usual day job will affect this; if you read a lot in your job, you might find that sitting and reading is not what you want to do, but exercise and getting outdoors could work better for you.

# 3 Be present

Simple things you can do include putting away your phone, turning off your computer and making sure you have out-of-office replies to work emails to help stay present. If you find your thoughts drifting to things that cause you stress then try to shift the focus back to what or who you want to focus on.

# 4 Set aside social time

Connection and social relationships are critical to promoting wellbeing. Spending meaningful time with friends and family is a great way to improve your emotional health. Create opportunities for quality time together such as cooking and eating together and playing games.

#5 Make memories

Lasting memories are created when we engage our senses. This is often easier on holiday as all our senses are triggered when we experience something new. Trying something new or getting creative, with friends and family is a fun way to strengthen connections and gain a sense of accomplishment. It can also make you feel more motivated to get back to work after it.

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Collagen – worth the hype?

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Collagen – worth the hype? 💊

Collagen supplements are a common topic, in relation to skin, joint health and fitness but does it actually work and do you really need the supplements?

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body. It provides structure and elasticity in muscles, tendons, ligaments, skin, blood vessels, and connective tissues. As we age, collagen levels drop, resulting in wrinkles, saggy skin, joint pain, stiffer tendons and ligaments, and weaker muscles. A diet high in sugar, excessive sun exposure, and smoking also diminish collagen levels. As a protein source, collagen is an excellent one, with more protein per calorie than other sources and less sodium and sugar.

Social media is full of endorsements from celebrities for collagen products. They’re certainly no miracle product but there is a growing body of evidence suggesting it can improve skin, joint health, promote wound healing, and fend off muscle wasting. Studies show improvements in skin elasticity, blood circulation to the skin and less dryness. Interestingly a small study of men with age related muscle loss showed that collagen combined with weight lifting led to more muscle gain than just lifting weights alone. While research is mixed, a few studies have also shown that collagen can help with arthritis pain and sports-related joint pain.

Although research is limited it is promising and it’s certainly worth considering including more collagen in your diet but you really don’t need to spend money on supplements or fancy drinks etc. As with anything it’s always best to get your nutrients from a healthy, balanced diet.

If you’re a meat eater the easiest option is bone broth, chicken, pork or salmon skin. Egg yolk is also a great source as are any foods with gelatin in (haribo included lol!). For vegans or vegetarians it’s more challenging but foods like soybeans and other legumes, spirulina and agar, both derived from algae can help. In addition eat plenty of leafy green vegetables, citrus, eggs, berries, tomatoes, cabbage, pumpkin seeds, avocados, and garlic, which can provide your body with nutrients to support it’s own collagen growth.

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Don’t rely on the scales

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Don’t rely on the scales 🤗

I tell clients not to weigh themselves too often, or worry about short-term weight fluctuations, but why? Your body is 60% water and it’s one of the first things you lose (or gain). Fat mass can’t change overnight so being 1-2kg heavier in a day won’t be fat. Average water loss/gain over 24hrs ranges from 0.5 – 2.5 kg. To lose a 1/2 kg fat in a day you’d need to burn approx 4,500 cals; a massive extra calorie burn for one day! Water however is lost (and gained) due to:

#1 Low-carb diets – when you cut carbs you lose water as the body uses glycogen for energy. It’s stored with water so using it releases water which you pee out.

#2 Increased protein – Protein breakdown creates urea and nitrogenous waste which need water to be removed from the body – the water flushes them out, so more water is lost.

#3 Salt – If your diet is high salt your body retains water to dilute the excess sodium e.g. a particularly carb heavy, high salt meal will lead to greater water retention. In addition high salt results in high blood pressure which can cause cardiovascular damage long term.

#4 Caffeine – is a mild diuretic i.e causes water loss and increased urination. This is more pronounced if new to caffeine. If you regularly drink it the effect will be small, but a very heavy coffee day could impact your water weight.

#5 Alcohol – this prevents the release of vasopressin, a pituitary hormone that regulates water loss. Water loss (dehydration) is a side effect of alcohol (hence the hangover) so this will reduce your water weight too.

#6 Exercise – if you exercise intensely, or in hot weather, you will sweat more and lose water. Try it – weigh yourself pre and post a really intense session and see how much water you’ve lost.

So it’s normal for weight to fluctuate which is why weighing daily or multiple times a day is pointless (unless you are using them for weekly averages). Long term weight changes result from changes in fat and lean muscle so if you’re seeing big losses in only a day or so then you know it’s water loss, and if you wake up a few kg’s heavier than the day before you know that’s not fat either!

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Back to the Gym

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Back to the Gym 🏋🏼‍♂️

After months of lockdown walks, home workouts, online classes etc the gyms are finally open again and many people are keen to return. Here are some tips for returning

# Familiarise yourself

New measures such as one way systems, time limits, reduced capacity, lack of changing rooms etc will be in place. Read the gym’s info and check their rules – that will help reduce anxiety about returning. Remember this is new for all the staff too so be understanding of that too.

# Plan your workout

With limited time in the gym it’s important to plan your workout. Your body’s ability to handle a high volume of training will have decreased, so aim for whole body workouts rather than targeting specific muscles etc. Let your body acclimatise with lower weights and reps etc. Be sure to warm up and include recovery time. Having just got back to the gym you don’t want to get injured and be out of action again!

# Book

You will need to book for many activities so plan in advance. With capacities reduced that also means you need to cancel if you can’t make it and if you’re on a waitlist then it’s your responsibility to check that waitlist and either be prepared to come and hope you get in, or cancel off the list so others have the chance.

# Do what you enjoy

After months away, you may find that your motivation is flagging so pick something you enjoy!

# Expect some soreness

You may be sore after your return. That’s normal; delayed onset muscle soreness is a natural response to using your muscles in diff ways. It usually occurs 1-3 days after the workout. The best advice is to keep active; walk, swim, do a diff style class, but keep the muscles moving.

# Hydrate

When you go back to the gym your body will need more hydration than usual. Many gyms will require you to bring your own water bottle as fountains will be out of use.

# Look after yourself

How you take care of yourself during downtime can have a significant impact on your exercise regime. Stay hydrated, eat well, don’t rely on coffee and sugar to get you though, and try to prioritise sleep.

Can’t wait to see you back!

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Pre-workout coffee?

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Pre-workout coffee? ☕️

Coffee as a pre-workout is something that’s often recommended social media and fitness blogs but does it really help?

A recent study found that consuming even a small amount of caffeine before and during exercise can help people exercise almost a third longer. A study tested found that those who consumed caffeine whilst cycling were able to keep going for longer than those who drank water, delaying fatigue by up to 60%. The only drawback is that caffeine is also a diuretic, so it can cause dehydration. Other studies have however shown the dehydrating effect to be minimal and the consensus is that moderate consumption of caffeine is ok.

Other studies have shown that caffeine can trigger muscles to start using fat as an energy source, but this is only occurs when other energy sources are depleted. In endurance athletes for example, caffeine is used to get extra energy out of the body’s reserves during an event So in isolation it won’t magically burn body fat for you sadly.

Researchers have also found that caffeine can help reduce muscle pain. The study in The Journal of Pain found that caffeine (compared to a placebo) reduced thigh-muscle pain during exercise (which can mean being able to continue for longer) .

So overall caffeine does indeed enhance performance and makes it ‘easier’ to put in more effort during exercise. These effects are more noticeable during endurance exercise (over 90 mins). Caffeine also plays a role in helping contribute to clearer thinking and greater concentration. The effects are greater in those that rarely have caffeinated drinks as tolerance is built up, and the effect varies wildly from person to person.

So do you need to start necking an espresso before you workout? Probably not, but it could help on days when you need a little extra boost to get through your workout. However, caffeine can also have unwanted effects and its use can result in caffeine jitters, headaches, upset stomach or insomnia, and excessive consumption can have serious health risks, so best to use it only if you’re already a caffeine drinker.

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Xx