Good Health Matters

Motherhood is great, and at times not so great.  You know what I mean; we mums have all been there!  I reckon If you were to put on a scale all the highs and all the lows of motherhood they will probably weigh in the same.  However what the scales cannot measure is the deep joy, the love, the pride and the friendship a mother enjoys throughout the various stages of her role, which completely tips the scales.  Nothing in the world can replace all that.  Ever!

A mother’s role is all-important, it doesn’t just stop with bringing up her children the best they can.  Mother is, in most cases the first teacher the child learns from, and what ever the child learns throughout the early years does not just stop with him or her, it gets passed down the generations.  It’s just as important to pass on all the great values, as it is to love and nurture the child because it’s what shapes future generations.

I am so grateful to my mother who stood for what she believed in and provided me and my sister with the best private education that she could not afford, she fought for it and struggled to do so, not just financially but also in a culture that placed more importance on son’s education, she prioritised our education over my brothers, because she believed that the girls go on to become mothers and they pass on that education and values to shape the future generations.   I am grateful to her for showing me how to go after what you really believe in, against all odds.  So perhaps I am not a rebel but my mothers daughter.  I love you mother, and I hope I have instilled those values in my own two lovely daughters.

There is a well-known saying ‘we are what we eat’, I however disagree with it because I believe that ‘we are what we digest’. Just because an orange you ate had 50 milligrams of Vitamin C in it, does not mean it will all get absorbed during the digestion.

The absorption of nutrients are dependent on a whole host of factors, here are some of the ones you can begin to incorporate in your daily life.

HOW WELL THE FOOD IS CHEWED.

The importance of chewing is something that I have written about before; Click here Chewing plays an important role in digestion, and provides your body with nutrients and energy.

The process of digestion starts in your mouth with the salivary glands that contain enzymes, which begins the digestion process. In fact chewing is the only part of digestion that you have control over, the rest of digestion steps are chemical and involuntary. If the food is not broken down properly in the mouth the entire process breaks down.

Over the years due to leading mega busy lives, you get into the habit of hovering your food down quickly, it is also possible to get in the habit of eating slowly, and enjoying your food, the hardest part is remembering to do it. Ask your family to remind you to eat slowly or if it helps write it on an index card and have the card on the table where you eat as a reminder.

THE INTAKE OF LIQUIDS WITH FOOD.

It is advisable not to drink water or liquids with food, because if water or drinks are consumed with food it dilutes the stomach acids. It is better not to drink water 20 to 30 minutes before and after a meal. Small amount of wine is okay as it has a more acidic PH then water, however the key word is moderation.

TEA AND COFFEE

Drinking tea or coffee on a regular basis has an effect on every major system of your body especially your nervous system, as it’s a stimulant. It also has an adverse effect on your digestion as it reduces the amount of digestive juices and especially interferes with the absorption of vital minerals and vitamins. Most tea bags contain chemicals to help bring out the colour of the tea more quickly, similarly instant coffee is made using chemicals, and these chemicals are also used in decaffeinated tea and coffee. Tea and coffee also act as diuretics causing the loss of minerals. No wonder they are known as anti-nutrients.

ONE EASY TO DO TIP:
One way to stimulate stomach acids is to have half a lemon juice or one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar diluted in a small amount of water 10 to 20 minutes before eating. It is better to start with smaller amounts if you are not used to consuming either and slowly build it over a couple of weeks. This will help to wake your stomach acids before you eat allowing for better absorption of nutrients from your food.

Lets begin by busting the myth that you catch a cold if you go out in the cold with wet hair. Cold is a virus and you can only get it from somebody else or from germs in the environment around you.

How does a virus work? In order to take hold, a virus must get inside the cells and re-programme them to replicate more viruses, which then infect other surrounding cells.

So what happens when your body is under attack? Firstly your body will only succumb to a virus attack if it’s run down, as the body is unable to defend itself. Imagine if you send an army out to fight a war with no weapons, it will fail to defend itself and will fall to the invader.

During an infection, both the virus and our immune system, produce free radicals to destroy each other. This puts the body under a lot of stress. However, taking extra anti-oxidants can rectify this damage.

People with strong immune systems can catch a cold virus as well, but they are more likely to fight it off faster. What they might get is more like a ‘pre-cold’ and it’s over in 24 hours or so, instead of suffering for a week. So it is a good idea to keep your immune system healthy all year round by eating well, and filling in any gaps in your nutrition by taking good quality pharmaceutical grade nutritional supplements and Probiotics.

In the unfortunate event that you do succumb to the virus, the best form of defence is attack, the quicker you give your body what it needs before the infection sets in, the better your chances of a speedy recovery.

Here are some tips that may help, if you catch a cold this year:

1/ Take in plenty of Anti-oxidants. The best antioxidants to fight a cold are Vitamin C and Grape Seed Extract, as they are Antioxidants, Immune Boosters and Anti-viral. When under attack we need high doses of Vitamin C. At least (3-5 grams) which is a 1000 milligram’s 3 to 5 times a day in order to achieve tissue saturation. Fortunately Vitamin C is not toxic and cannot be stored in the body. Its best to eat small light meals and take extra protein to build immune cells. Avoid dairy products, as they are mucus forming.

2/ The immune system works best in a warm environment, which is why the body temperature rises, so keep yourself warm and get plenty of rest. One day of rest can make all the difference especially if you are combining it with step no. 1.

3/ Drink plenty of clean water or herbal teas. As the body is fighting it produces lots for waste products, which are eliminated from the body by drinking lots of water and it also helps the body to detoxify.

4/ If it’s a head cold then steam can help tremendously and gargle with warm salt water a few times a day to relieve a painful throat.

I hope you all have a healthy COLD FREE winter, remember start working on building a strong immune system now so that you can avoid them altogether.

This is a recent testimonial that made me happy.

“At age 36, I finally cracked the code and won my battle over obesity. At 5ft 10 inches I weighed in at 243 lbs, and a staggering 33% body fat. I was unhealthy to say the least. All crash diets and half attempts to the gym would shed the upper layer of 15 to 20 lbs, but that was the easy part.

As always after a while the diet becomes unsustainable, weakness falls, a week or two out of the gym and you end up giving in to the cravings, and back to square one, the weight soon returns with a deeper urge for sugary and fatty foods.

Like a never ending cycle of hopelessness and not knowing if I would ever lose this excess baggage I gave up and became very complacent.   Until a year ago when I finally decided enough is enough.  Then later I was introduced to a weight loss program, which was so different to the diets I had tried before.

I managed to lose 80 pounds just by following the program and the advice given to me by Uzma, it was not like rules to follow, instead in the form of education that helped me understand what was going on within my body and how I could best support my health goals. The information and support I received has raised my awareness to such a level that I am now empowered to improve not only my relationship with food but also my lifestyle.  The best thing about the program was that I never had to starve.

Cravings were the biggest hurdle that I overcame in this whole process. I no longer crave processed or sugar foods as a result. So much information in such an interesting manner has got me on the path to completely lose my access body fat.

I weigh in at 163 lbs now and body fat less than 15 %. (Lost 80 lbs in weight :)). I now enjoy going to the gym and my energy levels are great. It’s all next level game for me and I owe it to Uzma for the finer details. Chiseled body is on the way”.
Thank you Uzma!!

U A Z (London. UK)

December 2011

MISTAKE No. 4:  Avoiding Exercise.

Remember playing as a child, for most of us it was our favorite past time.  It involved skipping, jumping, hopscotch, climbing trees or chasing our friends and cousins just because it was fun?  We called it play then; now we call it exercise, something that needs to be done, which takes the fun element out of it.

We all know that exercise is important to our health. We spent too much time sitting at our desks, computers, driving, watching TV etc, that our bodies don’t get enough movement.  Exercise helps us manage stress, keeps us feeling and looking younger, increases our energy, improves our circulation and our ability to recover from illness, it even releases “happy hormones” that can keep us from relying on food to feel good. Remember if exercise feels like a chore then it quite possibly means you haven’t found the right exercise for you, the one that you can fall in love with, and cant wait for the next time when you can do it.

Weight or resistance training of some sort should also be incorporated in your exercise regime, especially for women. It helps to maintain bone density as you get older and also helps to increase metabolism.  Weights wont bulk you up (unless of course you’re on steroids).

How to avoid mistake no. 4:  

Find something active you love to do, and do it often!   If you hate running, for goodness sake don’t run! Find something you love doing. It could be dancing; yoga, walking, Nordic walking, swimming, and even weight classes there are so many dance classes now with fun music.  Mix it up as much as you can!

Questions to ask yourself:

• Can I schedule my exercise in my day planner each week and make it non- negotiable?

• Can I have a workout buddy to help keep me accountable?

• Am I doing at least a 20 to 30 minute exercise of any form on a daily basis. (minimum)

• Do I have a coach that can help devise a plan to incorporate all of the above?

• Am I having fun when I am doing my chosen form of exercise

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Nothing Tastes As Good As Being Healthy Feels.

Please go ahead and leave a comment, it will be greatly appreciated.

 MISTAKE No. 2: Skipping Meals.

When you forget to eat breakfast or you skip a meal because you’re too busy or on a mission to lose weight, your body goes into starvation mode. Your metabolism slows down, your blood sugar drops way below the normal level, and this sets off a series of hormone responses in your body that causes you to store fat.

Eventually, you’ll feel so hungry that you will either faint or you’ll have to eat ANYTHING, and it probably would be hi glycemic, and not very nutritious.

Eating 5-6 small meals per day actually helps you lose weight. One of the most important keys to sustainable weight loss, health and energy is keeping your blood sugar stable. When you eat every 3 to 4 hours, your blood sugar never gets too high or drops too low. This not only keeps your metabolism happy, it also diminishes those unhealthy cravings for hi glycemic and nutritionally deprived sweets cakes and crisps.

You see when it comes to blood sugar and a healthy weight, what you eat is just as important as how often you eat. If you skip the “high glycemic” foods that cause your blood sugar to spike, like white bread, sugar, fruit juices, and processed carbohydrates etc. and instead, chose lots of lean proteins, healthy fats, and “low glycemic” veg, fruits, and whole grains, not only will you feel good, you will also lose weight and your blood sugar will love you for it, as will your body. Did you know that studies have shown that those who eat a “high-glycemic” breakfast consume up to 80% more calories during the day than those who start the morning with a “low glycemic” meal?

How to avoid mistake no.2

Make it a priority to keep your blood sugar even throughout the day. Eat 5-6 small meals per day, beginning with a healthy, low-glycemic breakfast.

Questions to Ask Yourself

• Do I eat every 3 to 4 hours during the day?
• Do I eat breakfast every morning? If so, do I know if it’s low glycemic or high glycemic?
• Do I know which are the healthy choices to include in every meal and snack
• Do I keep nutrition bars and other healthy snacks in my car, gym bag and work?

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Nothing Tastes As Good As Being Healthy Feels.

I would love to hear your views please go ahead and leave a comment.

 www.GoodHealthMattters.Net

 MISTAKE No. 1 – Dieting And Depriving Yourself.

 The diet industry is one of the largest industries in the world. There are all sorts of books written about how to lose weight, there are more diets out there than hot meals you can eat in a whole year.  Crazy diets like Celery Diets, Cabbage Diets, Think about it if the diets worked we would all be skinny and happy and the diet industry would not exist!

Diets, by their very nature, are doomed to fail. That’s because when we “go on” a diet, we know that at some stage we are going to “come off” that diet.  Once we reach our ideal weight, we go back to how we were eating before – which is what made us put on the weight in the first place!  This is when you look for another diet and then another.  Diets are nothing more than a quick fix solution to a long-term challenge. So the key is to look at eating, health and wellness as a lifestyle, not a short term solution.

If your body is deprived of any macronutrients, it will crave for it, this is when no matter how strong your will power you will cave in, this then causes more frustration and negative self talk, believe me it has nothing to do with your lack of will power.  Your body needs to have all that it needs, in order to function properly, and if it does not get it, it tries to compensate and finally shouts out for it.

How to avoid mistake no.1

Promise yourself that you won’t “diet” again, EVER!!Look for programmes that are focused on health as a lifestyle and educate you on how to easily incorporate wellness into your daily life.

 Questions To Ask Yourself:

•  Am I eating in a way that promotes my health and gives me energy?
• Can I easily incorporate this way of eating into my routine for my entire lifetime?
• How many diets have I tried, and how many of them worked long term?
• Am I conscious of enjoying my food, and not depriving myself?
• Do I have more than 10lbs to lose and want to do it in a way that is healthy and sustainable?

http://5WeekResetBootcamp.Wordpress.Com

Nothing Tastes As Good As Being Healthy Feels.

Also click on and read 5 Major Health Mistakes People Make. Part 2 – Part 5.  And remember to leave a comment. Thanks.

It is important to eat each and every meal in such a way that you are left feeling satisfied, not hungry and not too full.  One way of doing this is by eating your food slower and chewing your food longer.
Do you eat your meals sitting in front of the computer or television? its worth taking time out to enjoy a meal and to eat consciously, as you can only utilise the nutrients you digest if the body is relaxed.  Most of us consume our food way too fast.
Following points show the advantages of when you take your time to eat and enjoy your meal:-

1/ Eating will be more pleasurable as you will enjoy and appreciate the different flavours.
2/ It will help prevent overeating. Since it takes our brain longer than our stomach to realize that we are satisfied.
3/ By chewing more, you will also assist the digestion of the food (which begins in the mouth).  This sends messages to the digestive tract to release different digestive enzymes according to what is in your mouth.
4/ It also ensures the proper break down of food, which is then easily absorbed in the Gastric Intestinal Tract. Undigested large food molecules cause indigestion and the likelihood of developing food allergies.
5/ This therefore ensures you get the most nutrition from your food.
6/ You will have more energy rather than feeling bloated and tired.  A significant amount of your blood supply gets diverted to the Gastric Intestinal Tract following a heavy meal and this can make you feel fatigued and tired. If you have eaten the proper amount and the right kind of food, you should feel more energized following a meal.

There is an old Italian proverb that says “a tavola non s’invecchia”, which means one does not grow old at the table. It simply means that when you take the time to enjoy the pleasures of good food, wine and company, the passage of time is suspended.

Having spent many holidays in Italy and eaten many simple and lavish meals there, I can tell you there is no place for gluttony in the true Italian lifestyle, or indeed the Mediterranean lifestyle.