The easter survival guide

4 Easy tips on how to enjoy Easter and not break your diet. Change your attitude Think of feeling healthier, and of the time when you will look in the mirror and see want you want to see. Work on getting 'R.I.C.H' - Rewarded, Inspired, Confident and Happy.

Divert your attention
Easter activities do not need to involve food. Use the public holidays to go for walks in the lighter mornings or tackle those tasks you've been putting off. Incidental activity will earn you kilojoules too!

Beware of supermarket shelves
If you can see the Easter aisle and it's calling your name... simply avoid it. As soon as you stroll along - you'll be offered temptation at eye level in the forms of easter chocolates and treats - best to get out of that isle fast!

Treat yourself
Your eating plan does not have to mean you have to completely miss out. Treat yourself to one Easter egg. If allowing yourself one egg stops you jumping off the wagon, then have one.

Zumba

Ditch the workout, join the Zumba party!

What is it?

Zumba is a Latin-inspired dance-fitness program that blends contagious steps and red-hot Latin music to form a cardiovascular exercise (which is more like a fitness party) that is lots of fun and easy to learn.

Is Zumba good for weight loss?

Zumba mixes cardio with good intervals of resistance training making an optimal fitness choice.  Zumba the mixes fun and easy-to-follow dance steps with interval and resistance training which will maximizes fat burning, caloric output and tone the entire body. As Zumba is a fun form of exercise, people seem to forget about working out during a Zumba session, allowing them to exercise longer.

 Whats a zumba class like?

A typical Zumba session lasts about an hour. It incorporates the following dance styles; including cumbia, merengue, salsa, reggaeton, mambo, rumba, flamenco and calypso. To allow for a great cardio workout and body sculpting it has both fast and slow rhythms of Latin music.

Is Zumba for me?

If you enjoy motivating, high energy music, and like to try unique moves and combinations, Zumba may be your ticket to fitness. Zumba is the fastest growing fitness sensation so locating a Zumba class should be easy. A single Zumba session costs around $10 to $15. If you'd rather stay home and exercise, there is a wide range of Zumba DVD's available.

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The health benefits of tea

How is tea good for the body?

• Tea contains high levels of anitoxidants, which help your body fight against dangerous diseases like heart disease or cancer.
• Tea also contains fluoride, which helps control the formation of plaque and control bad breath by its bacteria killing properties.

Which teas are better for the body?

• White tea has more antioxidants than any other tea.
• Green tea has more antioxidants than black tea since black tea goes through more processing.
• Freshly brewed teas have more antioxidants than instant or bottled teas.
• Higher quality teas may have more antioxidants than lower quality teas.
• Freshly brewed teas have more antioxidants than instant or bottled teas.
• Brewed (cold or hot) or caffeinated tea has more antioxidants than instant teas.

Health benefits of tea

• Enhancing the body’s immune system
• Lowering LDL cholesterol levels
• Increasing HDL cholesterol levels
• Reducing blood pressure
• Lowering the risk of stroke
• Thinning the blood, reducing the risk of a heart attack
• Preventing dental cavities and gingivitis
• Reducing the risk of cancer
• Boosting longevity
• Aiding digestion

 So what are you wating for? 

Put the kettle on and make yourself a cuppa!

Glycemic index – What is it? And why is it important?

The Glycemic Index

What is the Glycemic index?

The glycemic index (GI)is a scientific ranking of how our blood sugar levels are affected 2 to 3 hours after eating food. The GI ranges from 0 to 100 and is measured against pure glucose, which has a value of 100 on the index.  

Low GI = 0 – 55   

During digestion, low GI foods are broken down and release blood sugar into the blood stream at a gradual rate which keeps the blood sugar levels steady. 

Moderate GI = 56 – 69 

During digestion, low GI foods are broken down and release blood sugar into the blood stream at a moderate rate.

High GI = 70 – 100  

Digestion breaks down high GI foods and releases blood sugar into the blood stream at a rapid rate causing marked fluctuations in blood sugar levels.

Glycemic Index Food List

Low GI food (0-55)

• Most non starchy vegetables - 15
• Tomatoes - 15
• Peas - 22
• Cherries - 22
• Low-fat yogurt with sugar - 33
• Pear - 36
• Apple - 36
• Whole wheat spaghetti - 37
• Tomato soup - 38
• Grapes – 43

Medium GI foods (56-70)

• Kiwifruit – 52
• Orange Juice – 52
• Banana – 53
• Sweet potato - 54
• Brown rice – 54
• White rice – 56
• Sultanas – 64
• Instant porridge – 65
• Pineapple – 66
• Whole wheat bread – 68

High GI foods (71-100)

• Bagel – 72
• Watermelon – 72
• Honey - 73
• Mashed potato – 73
• Doughnuts – 75
• White bread – 77
• Jelly beans – 80
• Rice cakes - 82
• Cornflakes – 84
• Baked potato - 85

Benefits of low GI meals

Low GI meals will provide you with sustained energy levels ease food cravings and leave you feeling fuller longer. A low GI lifestyle is the perfect option if you’re looking to either lose weight, or maintain your existing weight.

 

Low GI diets have the following long term health benefits;

• Lower your risk of type 2 diabetes.
• Improve your body’s sensitivity to insulin.
• Control and stabilize your blood sugar levels.
• Raise your HDL (“good”) cholesterol.
• Lower your LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels.
• Assist you with weight loss.
• Lower your risk of heart disease.

10 simple rules of support to help any dieter go the distance

What To Do And What Not To Do

To Help A Dieter Succeed 

WHAT TO DO TO SUPPORT A LOVED ONE LOSE WEIGHT

1. Encouragement - encourage the dieter on the things they are doing right and applaud them for reaching their goal or even trying to reach their goals.

2. Adapt their healthy behaviors - Eating some of their meals with them or by joining them in their daily exercise program. This will not only show how much you support them in making positive changes to their lifestyle, but it will also be beneficial to you.

3. Develop healthy rewards - If the dieter has met their weekly or monthly goal, plan celebratory rewards for them that don’t focus on food. For example, plan a weekend getaway at a beach, a massage or a hair appointment.

4. Care about the person, not the diet - it is of utmost importance that your loved one who is trying to lose weight knows that you care about them and that they can count on your support in their life - no matter what their size.

5. Listen, don't judge - Enquire the dieter about their progress and make sure you are there to listen if they are having a bad day. This will help the dieter to deal with stress by talking to someone who cares and will listen, instead of turning to food for comfort.

6. Be supportive - Dieting is emotionally demanding and it really important that the dieter knows that you are there for them and wanting to help. If the dieter is a person who you don’t see every day make sure you call, message or email frequently to let them know you are thinking about them – not their weight.

7. Celebrate the small goals - To keep the dieter motivated, it is important to be creative in finding ways to celebrate the dieter's successes which doesn’t focus on eating. For example, bring them flowers, or treat them to a movie or a sporting event.  
  
8. Encourage a healthy lifestyle - Don't just tell someone they need to go to the gym more, go to the gym with them. This will not only encourage the person to go to the gym but it will also show them that you support them in achieving a healthy lifestyle. 

9. Learn about their weight loss program - Make an effort to learn about their diet plan (such as the kinds of foods they're eating, how it works, and what the plan involves). This will give you a better understanding of what the dieter is going through and it will help you to be more supportive.

10. Be positive - Being positive is the most important tip for anyone who is supporting a loved one to lose weight. If the dieter has a bad day and wants to throw in the towel, remind them of their accomplishments and encourage them to move forward and let them know you believe in their abilities to achieve their goals. 

WHAT NOT TO DO WHEN SOMEONE YOU LOVE IS ON A DIET

1. Don't tempt them - Respect the dieter's food choices, and don't tempt them with a "bite" of this or a "nibble” of that. Bites and nibbles add up and can sabotage a weight loss plan.  

2. Don't become the "food police” - Such as locking away food you think the dieter shouldn’t have or reprimanding them for having the “wrong” thing.

3. Don't put the dieter down - An easy way to ensure you don’t do this is by ‘not saying anything to the dieter that you wouldn’t want said to yourself’ and remember that words can be hurtful. 

4. Don't be judgmental - Avoid phrases such as ‘why did you eat that?’ or ‘did you stick to your diet today?’ You are not the umpire of the dieter’s life, so it is not your role to judge or criticize.

5. Don't overdo your support - Don’t bombard the dieter with subscriptions to fitness magazines, weight loss books, or low calorie cook books (unless the dieter says that’s what they want). Although, this is a helpful gesture if you overdo it, it can come across as rude.  

 

6 steps to help you break bad eating habits

How To Overcome 

Unhealthy Eating Habits

1. Take baby steps - Making small changes in your diet and lifestyle can improve your health as well as trim your waistline.  Examples of these include;

• Eat a nutritious breakfast every day.
• Eat your meals at a table without distractions.
• Fatigue can lead to over eating so ensure you get at least 8hrs of sleep.
• Chew more.
• Drink more water and less sugary drinks.
• Switch to low fat dairy products
• Eat more fiber in your diet
• Reduce your portion sizes by 20%
• Eat a healthy snack every few hours
• Don’t skip meals
• Eat when your hungry and stop when your full
• Use non-stick fry pans to minimize oil use
• Try different cooking methods such as baking, grilling and roasting
• East smaller portions of calorie rich foods and larger portions of water-rich foods (eg soups, vegetables and salads)
• Limit alcohol to 1-2 drinks per day

2. Keep a food diary – Paying attention to what you’re eating and drinking is one of the first steps toward conquering bad eating. By reading food labels and become familiar with food ingredients you will become aware of everything you put into your mouth and start to realize how your diet needs to improve.

3.  Make a specific plan – By making a plan that will fit into your lifestyle is more helpful than saying ‘I’m going to eat better’. Write down your specific goals and how you are going to adapt your lifestyle to achieve these goals. For example if you goal is to have more fruit in your diet and you plan to achieve this by taking a piece of fruit to work every day.

4. Set mini goals – Mini goals will eventually add up to major change. For example, if your goal is have more vegetables in your diet, look for easy ways to add one more serving of vegetables to your diet each week until you reach your goal.  

5.  Be realistic - Don't expect too much from yourself too soon. Slow and steady wins the race - It takes about at least a month for any new action to become habit. 

6.  Manage stress  – Deal with stress through exercise, medication relaxation, or whatever works for you. This will help prevent you from falling into the bad habit of using food to help you cope with stressful situations.