Weight Loss News in February 2012

By now, some people may have forgotten their New Year's resolutions, particularly those who wanted to lose weight.  Everyone, of course, has good intentions at the beginning but without a plan and the support necessary to succeed, you never really get started.

At Healthy Inspirations we not only believe, but have also proven through our studies, that havinga PLAN and the SUPPORT are necessary keys to success, especially with weight loss.  Our Health Coaches are ready to help you succeed. So, if you are starting your weight loss journey or have gone off track with your plan over the holiday season, our support will help you along your way to a happier, healthier, slimmer you.

The Healthy Me 8 week challenge has just started at most centres.   It's not too late to register, just ask your Health Coach how you can join. CLICK HERE for more details.

"I joined Blackwood Healthy Inspirations in November 2010 with the hope that if I could improve my physical health, my mental health might follow. I often feel stressed in leading a very busy life and had been suffering from migraines on a regular basis. It had begun to affect my work. I am a teacher and with the sudden onset of a migraine it meant that I often could not get relief staff to take my place. This was unfair to my work colleagues and was adding to my stress.  It was time for me to do something!!! A close friend was looking amazing after joining HI and the HI philosophy and concept of a focus on diet, fitness and coaching sounded great. The regular support and guidance kept me on the track and the diet was relatively easy to adapt to my family’s eating habits. My goal was more for my mind than my body but I have lost 12 kilos and 46 cms. I am getting lots of comments on my weight loss and I feel and look so much better in my clothes.

I HAVE NOT HAD A MIGRAINE SINCE JOINING HEALTHY INSPIRATIONS.                           Thank you to everyone at Blackwood HI." ~Anne

Why being overweight is bad for your health...and your wealth

Increases 'Male' Hormones

Excess body fat on females can cause higher levels of male hormones, which increases the risk of heart disease.  Those hormones may cause male pattern balding, excess facial hair, and acne and can also be a cause of impaired infertility.

Disrupts Sleep
Sound sleep can be impaired in those with excess body fat, causing them to suffer from sleep disorders.  The most dangerous is sleep apnoea, where breathing stops many times during the night.  This makes oxygen levels drop, which affects the heart and blood vessels, and increases stroke and diabetes risks. Ironically, lack of sleep disrupts hormones and can make weight loss harder.

Musculoskeletal Problems
Musculoskeletal problems such as lower back pain and arthritis are common in those carrying extra weight, and the more excess the worse the problem can become. These conditions occur because the weight of the upper body falls on the base of the spine, which causes the spine to degenerate.  In addition, other weight-bearing joints, including hips and knees, are stressed. Carrying extra weight creates a dissincentive to exercise, which is important for weight maintenance.

Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a common joint disorder.  With osteoarthritis, the joint bone and cartilage (tissue that protects joints) wear away.  Osteoarthritis most often affects the joints of the knees, hips, and lower back.  Extra weight may place extra pressure on joints and cartilege, causing them to erode.  In addition, people with more body fat may have higher blood levels of substances that cause inflammation, and inflammation in the joints may raise the risk for osteoarthritis.

Loss of Bladder Control
Urinary stress incontinence occurs in many women, but a large abdomen and relaxed pelvic muscles cause further weakening of the urinary bladder, resulting in leakage when coughing, sneezing, or laughing.

Problems During Pregnancy
Excess weight has a strong detrimental effect on the health of both mother and baby, both during and after pregnancy.  It is associated with a higher risk of death in both the baby and the mother. The risk of high blood pressure in the mother is increased tenfold.  It is also associated with an increased risk of birth defects, such as spina bifida.  Health problems occurring after child birth include higher risk of wound and endometrial infection, endometriosis and urinary tract infection.

Another Study Suggests Overweight Women Earn Less
This week another study came out suggesting that women who are carrying extra weight are silently discriminated against and on average earn less than women who are at a healthy weight. This does not apply to overweight males. Of course this is unjust... but it appears to be a reality.

Good Health Habits

Optimum health is easy to achieve: all you have to do is follow the tips below and you'll be feeling fantastic in no time.

Increase Iron:  Add iron-rich foods to your diet to increase your energy levels.  This includes lean protein and leafy green vegetables.

Join the breakfast club:  Breakfast kick-starts your metabolism and gives you more energy throughout the day.  It also helps control the number of calories you eat over the rest of the day.

Forget the fad:  Don't be fooled by the "48 hour", "can't fail"  weight loss schemes. The only promise they're likely to keep is that by the end you'll be so hungry, tired and miserable that you'll ditch your good intentions forever.

All about you:  Whether it's relaxing with a book or having a massage, it's important to de-stress and take some time out for 'you'.

Adopt Good Sleep Hygiene: Go to be early! Avoid electronic stimulus like computers, TV and radio in the bedroom. Make sure your room is dark and that there are no glowing lights or clocks. If your mind is spinning, keep a pen and paper and write down your thoughts for tomorrow.

Recipe of the Month - Crunchy Asian Salad
Serves 8
  1 vegetable | 1 fat

Method
1.    Cut cucumber into quarters lengthways, remove the seeds and slice finely.
2.    Toss with remaining salad ingredients in a large salad bowl.
3.    To make dressing, combine coconut vinegar, water and Splenda in a saucepan.
4.    Bring to the boil and boil for one minute. Add fish sauce, pour into a jug and cool.
5.    Serve salad and dressing separately.

This recipe is from “Salad Sensations” cookbook, available from Healthy Inspirations.

National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

This initiative of Ovarian Cancer Australia aims to increase awareness of the disease and ensure every woman recognises the symptoms. Click onto the logo above to find out about the number of events and activities held around Australia throughout the month, including Teal Ribbon Day on Wednesday 29th February.

How Many Minutes?

Popular fast foods, snacks and drinks may be very tempting but give some thought to the number of minutes of exercise you will need to set aside, on top of your normal exercise, to burn off the extra energy they provide. Even a very small 'treat' can have a negative impact on your weight loss success. 

Question:  How many extra minutes does it take to burn off one Tim Tam?

Answer:
Strenuous Aerobics:  10 minutes
Social Golf:                25 minutes
Energetic Dancing:    10 minutes
Jogging 8 kpm:           17 minutes
Swimming:                  17 minutes
Walking 5 kpm:          25 minutes