March 2010

Leisure Time Choices Can Keep You Slimmer

Think about the ways you spend your leisure time. Do you relax and recharge best by being sedentary or best by being physically active?  Do you sit in front of the TV or computer, play with the kids, doing something physical for yourself? Leisure activities that physically engage you are a great way to reduce stress and enjoy life. Think about which are the non-physical choices and the physical choices which help you to lose weight.

 "Since starting at Healthy Inspirations in March 2009,  I have felt like a different person. I have always exercised but have not had a healthy eating plan to go with it.  Now that I have both together, and with the help from the excellent staff and encouragement from the other members, I have reached my goal.  It is great to get comments from family and friends saying I look heaps younger. That’s got to be a plus!"

"I had been overweight all my life – was about to turn 50 and a few health issues had started to arise. I had always done some form of exercise – but had never been anywhere that had nutritional advice as well.  Healthy Inspirations was new in the area and the time was right for action.   I went along and met the girls and had a look at what they were offering.  And the whole program spoke for itself; fresh food, easy to understand, and not having to be held to appointments made it all very 'live-able' for a busy person. Once I got started I found that I was really enjoying the circuit. The group environment is a huge part of it. We have a great morning group that really encourage and motivate each other. And have a lot of laughs as well.

The staff is always there to encourage and keep us moving in the right direction.  And another great spin off from this is that after 10 years, I have started to jog again.

 I think what stands out the most for me in maintenance – is that I have actually achieved a complete lifestyle change with my weight loss. And this enables me to maintain my loss easily.

I don’t actually want the foods I ate before, or the portion sizes. There is no hardship at all; it’s my choices that make this so easy.

I can now enjoy a glass of wine on the weekends, keep up my exercise, eat as healthy as I always do, and the weight barely budges by 300g either side of my goal.  This was also true through Christmas, a trip away to the Sevens Tournaments, and another holiday. EASY!!

So if you know someone that needs help, do them a favour. Take them along and help them change their lives for the better.

This is the best thing I have ever done. Thank you Healthy Inspirations."

~Christine has lost a total of 24.4 kilos and 69.5cm

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Why being overweight is bad for your health

Being overweight or obese raises your risk of serious illness including heart attack, stroke, diabetes and cancer, but it can also affect your health in other ways.

Increases Male Hormones
Overweight women have higher levels of male hormones, which increases their risk of heart disease.  Those hormones may also cause male pattern balding, excess facial hair, and acne and can also be a cause of impaired infertility.

Disrupts Sleep
Overweight people often 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.

Musculoskeletal Problems
Musculoskeletal problems such as lower back pain and arthritis are common in those who are overweight and especially in those who are obese.  These condidtions occur because the weight of the upper body falls on the base of the spine, which causes the spine to degenerate.  In addition, other joints, including hips and knees, are stressed in the severely overweight.

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 cartilage, causing them to wear away.  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 Control
Urinary stress incontinence occurs in the obese when an overly large abdomen and relaxed pelvic muscles cause weakening of the urinary bladder, resulting in leakage when coughing, sneezing, or laughing.

Problems During Pregnancy
Obesity 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.  Obesity-related health problems occurring after child birth include higher risk of wound and endometrial infection, endometritis and urinary tract infection.

  You Snooze You Lose!

This suggests that the less you sleep the slower your metabolism becomes, burning fewer calories around the clock.

RealAge suggests doing the following:

• Keep a journal so you can write down what's on your mind.  Writing thoughts down will help you to sleep better.
• Sleep alone if you are having trouble getting to sleep.  By having your own space, you will get a deeper sleep.
• Step away from the computer, turn off the TV and sleep only by the light of the moon.

CLICK HERE to read the article by RealAge titled "Burn more calories with this lazy habit", and why not take their quiz to find out about your own sleep patterns.

Recipe of the Month - Barbequed Pumpkin Salad
Serves 12

1. Preheat a barbecue on medium. Brush the pumpkin slices with a little of the oil and season. Cook on barbecue for 1 minute each side or until tender. Transfer to a plate.
2. Add onion to the barbecue and cook for one minute, turn, and cook for a further minute or until it softens. Remove from heat.
3. Combine the mustard, vinegar and remaining oil in a screw-top jar and shake until well combined.
4. Place the spinach, feta, pumpkin and onion in a large serving bowl.  Drizzle over the salad and serve immediately.

Are you wanting something more of a challenge to help you get fit?  Then consider taking up a sport.  Apart from your regular workouts at Healthy Inspirations, there is an array of sporting activities to suit every woman's age and fitness level. Not only are there many women's social netball, basketball, tennis, lawn bowls and badminton teams available for all ages, but we have found an unlikely sport that doesn't make you break a sweat but can still burn up to 1,000 calories in a single game....GOLF!

Golf may look like a stroll in the park, but take away the ride-on cart and you could be walking between 6 to 12 kilometres.   A single swing of a club will use a range of muscles in your arms, shoulders, back and legs and because golf isn't a strenuous sport (unless you are Karrie Webb), playing will release stress which is an important component when trying to lose weight. Remember: golf isn't just for the boys, so get the girls together for a round or two and discover the benefits for yourself. Want to know more about Golf?  CLICK HERE for more information.

International Women's Day
Monday 8th of March

March 8, marks International Women's Day all around the world.  Events across Australia and New Zealand have already commenced so click onto the logo to see what's happening in your state.