Bring on the holidays!  Catching up with family and friends, enjoying the beautiful sunshine, swimming at the beach…what’s not to love, right? The endless supply of food, alcoholic drinks and yummy sweets that may undo some of the hard work you achieved in 2012…. Does this sound like something you’ve done in the past?  Do you make promises to yourself that you know that you can’t keep or even promises you intend to follow but something ALWAYS gets in the way? Do you ever tell yourself ‘It’s Christmas…..it only comes around once a year!’?

Well you’re not alone!!

What would you say to a helping hand this time around?  We understand that the holiday season is one of the most difficult times of year for anyone who is watching their weight or trying to stay fit and healthy………it’s no wonder the average Australian puts on 2kg over the holiday season.

We’ve come up with 5 simple tips on how to prepare yourself for this holiday season that will allow you to still enjoy all the social occasions but without the worry of gaining extra kilos and making sure all your hard work you’ve done this year won’t be lost!

1. Start your day off well hydrated.  Drinking enough water throughout the day and night is essential in keeping your body hydrated.  Being dehydrated can lead to over indulging as people can easily mistake thirst for hunger and can also lead to drinking more alcohol.  Handy tip:  aim to drink a minimum of 1.5-2 litres a day.  If you’ve exercised that day or you had a few drinks the night before add an extra 0.5-1 litre.
2.  Eat breakfast every day.  Breakfast is an essential part of your day, it kicks starts your metabolism and gives you energy to get going in the morning. It’s one of the most important meals of the day, but it’s also frequently one of the most neglected.  Handy tip: eating a breakfast that contains protein, like eggs or yoghurt, will help you to stay on track with your portions and food choices throughout the rest of the day.
3.  Be smart about your drink choices. If you choose to drink make sure you choose the right kind of drinks. If you drink spirits, try combining with mixers such as soda water and fresh lime, still water with ice or sugar-free soft drinks.  Beer and Wine still contain a lot of calories. Try changing to light beer, only filling your glass to half-way and also making sure you pour your own drinks rather than letting others topping it up for you.  Handy tip:  It’s important to be mindful of the amount you’re drinking; it’s recommended that men have no more than 3 standard drinks in a day and women no more than 2.  Aim to drink 1 glass of water or mineral water between every alcoholic drink.
4.  Better choices and portion control.  When faced with food this holiday season always try to choose the food that isn’t covered in creamy sauces or cheese, deep fried or encased in pastry.  Fresh seafood, ham off the bone and chicken/turkey breast are the ideal choices.  If you can’t resist temptation, watch your portion sizes – aim to have ½ a normal portion and make your plate up with salad or vegetables.  If you have dessert see if anyone wants to go halves or thirds and enjoy the dessert without the accompaniments such as cream, ice cream or full fat custard. Handy tip:  Say NO to treats that you really don’t love so you can say YES and enjoy the treats you do!
5.  Continue to exercise.  Now’s not the time to slacken off, if you are currently training keep it up!  Most gyms are still open over the holiday season or go out and enjoy the beautiful weather with your family and friends.  Handy tip: Focus on ways to spend quality time with family and friends that don’t include food.  We are lucky in Queensland that we have ample opportunities to go out and enjoy the outdoors.  Why not play a game of backyard cricket, go for a ride along the river or catch up with friends for a walk

What tips and strategies do you use to stay on track during this time of year? 

Written by Rebecca Evans, our newest Eat Smart team member – thanks Bec!

Now this is not the time to give up and say you’ll think about it next year…

In one month you can:

• lose 2-4kg
• take up 1 new health promoting habit such as drinking 2 litres of water per day
• improve your fitness by at least 10%
• increase your strength by 10%
• ensure you eat 2 pieces of fruit per day, not such a hard task in stone fruit season
• eat more salads, also not hard when its too hot to cook anyway
• get up early to exercise 3 mornings per week – since the sun is up before 6 you can too
• reduce your cholesterol by a few points

In the silly season, it may be unrealistic to avoid all champagne, plum puddings and savoury nibbles, but you can aim to keep your current good habits.  For those who like to achieve, you may even be able to pick up a new, healthy habit in the next month.  Giving up is one option, but taking steps to a healthier you in 2013 can start in 2012!

Here’s to early morning runs, followed by some stone fruit, a bottle of water and a salad for lunch! What’s your 1 month challenge?

The jacaranda’s are in bloom and that means its exam time!  While the trees may display their beautiful blossom, for students it means time to stay indoors and hit the books!  This can also be a time when healthy eating habits take a backseat and exercise becomes an infrequent event.

Did you know that the brain exclusively uses carbohydrate to think?  If you don’t feed your body a constant supply of energy good, the brains ability to concentrate, retain information and general comprehension declines.  Not the ideal circumstance for acing exams and finishing that assignment.

Good energy foods to give you long lasting energy include:

• Fresh, canned or dried fruit
• Grainy crackers such as Ryvita, Vitawheat, Soy & Linseed topped with tomato/vegemite/cream cheese/cheese/peanut butter/tuna
• Oat or nut based cereal or muesli bar
• Tub of plain or flavoured yoghurt
• Glass of plain or flavoured milk
• Air popped popcorn
• A slice of grainy or nut & nut bread

Keep a healthy eating routine by aiming to eat at least every 6 hours if not every 3-4 hours.  You are usually more productive to work in 1 hour segments of time and then have a 10 minute break.  Just make sure you don’t eat at every break!  This 10 minute break is a great time to do some exercises to get your blood pumping to your brain such as star jumps, running on the spot, running up stairs, push-ups or a few yoga poses.  Remember to grab a drink of water too!

Try to include at least 30 minutes of exercise per day, whether that be 3 x 10 minute exercise blocks or taking 30-60 mins off the books to clear your mind with a walk, run or gym session.

Eat Smart wishes you the best of luck with your exams!

Another piece in the obesity and metabolic disease puzzle may be related to inflammation. Recent research has linked low grade systemic inflammation in our bodies to diabetes, heart disease and weight issues. Inflammation seems to influence glucose and fat metabolism – and not in a good way! The culprits seem to be high glycaemic index carbohydrates, saturated and trans fats and perhaps processed foods. To combat this, foods such as vegetables, fruits, fish, nuts, unsaturated oils and herbs and spices seem to be anti-inflammatory – as well as tea and small amounts of alcohol such as wine.  Beware though, as overdoing the tipple may increase inflammation. Regular physical activity is also protective – although high intensity/long duration exercise actually increases the inflammatory response. Losing weight is also a positive step. In a nut shell, the correct energy balance with moderate regular exercise and a leaning towards the Mediterranean style diet is still the way to go.

We all know we should exercise regularly – whether it be for weight loss or maintenance, for general fitness for work and play, for your heart, to help you sleep better or for your chosen sport or activity. The amount and type of exercise that is best to help reach your goals may vary enormously. The American College of Sports Medicine has posted its latest exercise recommendations for health, general fitness and longevity. Here’s a summary.

Include CARDIO type exercise at least 150 minutes or 2 1/2 hours each week. For example, 30-60 minutes of moderate -intensity exercise 5/week. You could do this as one continuous session in a day or multiple shorter sessions (of at least 10 minutes).

Then add some RESISTANCE exercise 2-3 days per week using a variety of exercises and equipment e.g. at a gym, at home, even using your own body weight with no equipment.Lighter intensity exercises are best for older individuals.

Also perform some FLEXIBILITY exercises at least 2 or 3 days/week to improve range of motion.

Finally you need some more functional exercise that we call NEUROMOTOR exercise. This is recommended for 2 or 3 days/week for 20-30 minutesand should involve motor skills (balance, agility, coordination etc). Examples include Tai Chi, pilates and yoga. This is very important to improve your physical function and also to prevent falls in older individuals.

Although this adds up to 5-6 hours total for the week some sessions can be kept quite short and done at various times of day – as well as possibly combining sessions such as stretching with another more strenuous workout.

Remember that Sedentary behaviour, such as sitting for long periods of time, has been shown to be a health risk in itself. Meeting the guidelines for physical activity does not make up for a sedentary lifestyle!

Suddenly the weather is warmer, the sun is up earlier, Winter white legs are back on show and the Summer wardrobe is back in use.

Is your body ready to be back on show?  Or are the hearty winter stews, puddings and toasted sandwiches starting to show?

Spring is a great time to not only clean your house or de-clutter your office but also a great time to Spring Clean your body…

Let’s start at breakfast – porridge is no longer holds so much appeal, so why not try our Spring Bircher muesli or Spring Smoothie recipes? (see our recipe file)  There are many good quality breakfast cereals on the market, why not try a new one?  Goodness Superfoods have a range of cereals using the CSIRO created super-grain BarleyMax.  It is high in fibre, low in fat and high in protein – a fantastic way to start your morning!

Spring brings in a new wave of delicious fruits, why not snack on a new season mango, pineapple or passionfruit, strawberries remain abundant and blood oranges are starting their season.

Lunches are no longer about soups, leftover stew or a noodle dish.  Spring is the time for gourmet salads filled with new season pumpkin or asparagus.  Add a little pizzazz with crumbled fetta, olives or semi-dried tomatoes.  Fill your wrap or sandwich with plenty of fresh salad to fill your tummy and give yourself a nutrient hit at the same time.

Think colour on the dinner plate tonight – how many different coloured vegetables can I include?  Different coloured vegetables, whether cooked or fresh, contain different micronutrients and antioxidants so the greater variety you include, the greater the nutritional benefit.  Eating a vast array of vegetables is like having a mini-detox every day – your skin, immune system, heart, bowel and brain will all thank you!

No Spring Clean is complete without a little water and elbow grease to remove any lasting blemishes.  Make the most of the gorgeous weather we are having by having hitting the pavement, park or pool for some rejuvenating exercise.  And don’t forget to drink plenty of water to flush your body.  Spring cleaning complete – time to enjoy these longer, sun-filled days!