BlueSkies Newsletter - December 2007
Welcome to the December edition of the BlueSkies newsletter. We hope that you find the articles informative and useful.
In this edition, our feature articles look at:
Also, look out for our tips on Trimming Down Your Christmas Day and our reader offers.
If you have any comments or there is a particular topic you would like us to cover in the future, please contact us by e-mail.
Drop the pressure!
Do you know what your blood pressure is?
Unless you’ve recently had it tested, it's unlikely that you do!
You're not alone though, the majority of people don't know their blood pressure (BP) reading. However, this means that there are a lot of people with undiagnosed high BP. Read on to find out more!
Why do I need a test? There are not normally any symptoms of high BP which is otherwise known as 'hypertension'. But, almost a third of people in the UK experience chronic, high BP. The problem is that only about two thirds of these people will know about their condition and just one half of these will be treated for it! For those people with undiagnosed hypertension, it could be fatal. Hypertension places excess strain on the cardiovascular system and increases the risk of heart attacks, kidney disease, blindness and strokes amongst other things. We should all know our BP!
What is blood pressure? BP is the force exerted on the inside of the blood vessels by circulating blood and it is recorded as two values.
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The first number is the ‘Systolic’ pressure that is recorded when your heart contracts. Normal systolic BP in adults varies between 110 and 140mmHg.
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The second number is the ‘Diastolic’ pressure and this is recorded when your heart relaxes. Normal diastolic BP in adults varies between 60 and 90mmHg.
BP is recorded as Systolic/Diastolic i.e. 140/90mmHg. Optimal BP for healthy adults is 120/80mmHg or lower.
BP is continually changing and your reading may depend upon activity, hydration, temperature, emotional state, posture, health and medication. A single high BP reading does not necessarily mean that you have hypertension. However, it does indicate that you should keep an eye on things, monitor your BP over a longer period of time and identify any factors that may be elevating it.
What if it’s high? If your BP is just above normal levels, you will be defined as being ‘pre-hypertensive’. This means that you are not yet hypertensive but you should take action before that happens! At this point, you are unlikely to be prescribed medication but would be instructed to look at your lifestyle and diet. You will need to ask yourself questions such as – do I exercise regularly, am I overweight, am I eating too much salt?
By making small lifestyle changes, it is possibly to reduce your BP back to normal levels without medication. If your BP is extremely high, your GP may prescribe medication but it is preferable to take lifestyle actions to lower it. Some important factors to remember if you have elevated BP are:
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A 2mmHg (<2%) lowering of systolic BP can reduce deaths from strokes by 6% and deaths from heart disease by 4%
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Regular aerobic activity can lower BP by 4-9mmHg – research shows that 4 x 10 minutes of brisk walking is just as effective as 40 minutes of continuous walking per day
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If you're overweight, weight loss can help to reduce BP – losing ~22 pounds is "worth" a 5-20mmHg decrease in systolic pressure
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Limiting your sodium intake to 2.4 grams a day can lead to a 2-8mmHg reduction - remember 1g sodium = 2.5g salt
Just remember, prevention is better than cure so keep yourself active, eat well and maintain a normal weight – that way you may never have to worry about trying to reduce your BP!
You can get your BP measured by your GP but more and more places are now offering this service such as pharmacies and even supermarkets! BlueSkies offer on-site BP measurement either as a stand-alone service or as part of our Health MOTs. And, for any on-site health screening services booked in December 2007, we are offering a 'buy 1 day, get 1 day half price' deal! Click here to find out more about our on-site health screening services or e-mail us for more details on this offer.
NB The information in this article is not meant to replace professional medical advice. Anyone who is worried about their health should visit their GP.
Activity Of The Month - Dancing
Disco or ballroom, ballet or jazz, dancing is a great activity - great news for anyone heading off to their Christmas party! Research shows that dancing can help reduce stress, enhance fitness, improve muscle tone, lower blood pressure and decrease heart disease risk! What's more, an hour of 'strutting your stuff' can burn as many calories as an hour at the gym. So, what are you waiting for - get yourself on that dancefloor this Christmas!
Keep active this Christmas
It seems even more difficult than normal to keep the exercise habit up over Christmas, doesn't it?!
It’s cold and/or wet making us less likely to leave the house and then there’s just so much else to occupy our time……shopping, parties, decorations, kids, families! Is it possible to maintain our activity levels over Christmas? We think so, and here's how...
Exercise Of The Month - stability ball leg curl
Your hamstrings are very important muscles, especially when it comes to preventing knee injuries. This hamstring exercise will tone up the back of your legs and buttocks at the same time as improving your core stability.
If you need any equipment to help you with your workouts, why not visit our shop? We have a wide range of quality stability balls, resistance bands and medicine balls!
For the leg curl exercise:
- Lie on your back with your legs raised and heels resting on a stability ball
- Place your arms out to your sides
- Squeeze your glutes (bum) and raise your hips and lower back off the floor until your ankles, knees and hips are in line
- Slowly bring your heels towards your bum by bending your knees whilst keeping your hips elevated
- Pause and reverse the movement before lowering your bum back to the floor
- To advance this exercise, cross your arms across your chest
Avoid piling on the pounds on Christmas day!
When it comes to Christmas day, you don't have to end up sitting in front of the TV at 7pm feeling so full that you can't move. These tips should help you out!
- A good breakfast will set you up for the day and help you stop picking your way through to lunch!
- Why not try something a little different such as low-fat festive dips and crudites for starters?
- If it has to be soup for starters, try making your own - butternut squash and carrots blended with a hint of ginger make great festive soups.
- Traditional turkey is a great source of low-fat protein - to make it healthier, remove the skin.
- Make your own sauces from skimmed milk and don't add the turkey fat to the gravy to help reduce your saturated fat intake.
- Go easy on the salt when eating and cooking.
- Eat loads of veg but avoid cooking them in animal fat, try steaming them instead of boiling them and don't cover them in butter!
- Buy low fat, low sugar Christmas puddings and make your own sauces using skimmed milk.
- Why not have an alternative pudding such as stewed berries, plums, apples and cinnamon served up with creme fraiche or low fat custard?
Food Of The Month - Chocolate
Let's face it, most of us will indulge in chocolate over Christmas! The good news is that it's not actually all that bad for us - in moderation! In fact, good quality, high cocoa content chocolate may lower blood pressure and protect against cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and diabetes. It is also a good source of fibre, vitamins & minerals and it provides caffeine to stimulate your mind and body. And, just when you thought it couldn't get any better, eating chocolate causes the release of ‘happy hormones’ or endorphins making you feel great!
Cramming in the Christmas calories!
- Yes, the shops close for a day or two over Christmas but remember, you don't need to stock up for the Apocalypse!
- Just because mince pies are '3 for 2' and chocolates are 'BOGOF'. do you really need them? Remember the more you buy, the more you'll eat!
- Store your Christmas 'goodies' in cupboards that you don't regularly go in - out of sight, out of mind!
- Check the 'Use By' date on products that you are buying early for Christmas. Only buy products in advance that will last until you need them, otherwise you end up buying, and eating, double!
- Try equating the foods you eat to the amount of exercise you'll need to do to work off the calories. Remember, a large glass of wine contains about 250 calories, as does that mince pie!
- Try to be active over Christmas - take a look at our article above!
- Eat before you leave the house - never go to a party on an empty stomach. If you do, you will be more likely to overeat! The better alternative is to have a small, healthy snack before you head off to the party. A bowl of wholegrain cereal or a yoghurt and some fruit are good choices.
- Be alcohol aware - alcohol provides an easy way to consume lots of calories and these are termed 'empty calories' as they contain very few other nutrients. If you are drinking - be savvy - avoid high calorie choices such as mulled wine and creamy drinks like Baileys, choose low calorie mixers and try to drink a few non-alcoholic drinks during the night too.
- Don't skip meals - as said above, if you go to a party hungry, you'll overeat. By skipping meals before the event, you will be starving when you arrive and will be more likely to go for the high fat, high calorie foods. Skipping meals and trying to 'save calories' doesn't work! Eating a small, healthy meal a couple of hours before the party is a better option.
Reader Offer - £5 Off Every Order Over £20 at Prezzybox!
BlueSkies have teamed up with the on-line shopping giants Prezzybox to offer you £5 discount when you spend £20 or more. All you have to do is enter the voucher code BLUESKIES at the checkout to qualify for your discount.
This is a great offer, especially with Christmas coming up! Prezzybox have a wide range of gifts and gadgets available for men, women and children, so why not take a look? Click on the banner below to be re-directed to the Prezzybox site.
Product Of The Month - Togu MyBall Soft stability balls
Core training is beneficial for a wide range of people and can help to prevent back pain whilst promoting good posture. The Togu MyBall Soft stability balls offer great value for money. They have a foam surface making them more comfortable than traditional exercise balls and come with a poster demonstrating popular exercises.
Starting at just £10 (RRP £14.49), they're selling fast so click here to get yours! They make great Christmas presents!
Working through Christmas!
Most of us won't get away with taking the whole festive period off work - unfortunately! Instead, we battle through the endless parties and socials, still trying to arrive at the office ready to put in a full day of work from Monday to Friday. However, research shows that the Christmas period costs UK business about £8 billion through reduced worker productivity - so maybe we're not as productive as we think we are the day after the night before!
It has been found that from 18th December, a whole week before the big day, around 50% of employees are more worried about Christmas than work. What's more, over two out of three workers admit that they are less productive in December and 30% say that they do 20-30% less work throughout the month!
The reasons for this downturn in productivity are numerous and can include exhaustion, poor diet, over-indulgence, lack of motivation, lack of exercise and hangovers! But, what can you do to boost your employees productivity over the festive season? Here's a few ideas:
- Make sure that water is available as dehydration affects mental ability. Encourage your employees to have water bottles on their desks and to keep them topped up.
- Instead of the traditional Christmas chocolate tin, try to suggest healthier office nibbles such as dried fruit and nuts.
- Keep fresh fruit available in the office as a healthy snack alternative that will boost your employees' immune systems.
- Instead of getting taxis back from office lunches, encourage employees to walk.
- Why not try to organise an activity such as ice skating or bowling instead of the normal Christmas lunch?
You could also consider offering your employees workplace benefits during December to keep their spirits up. Having a masseur in for a day will help your employees to relax and de-stress and it will also help to boost productivity. Offering seminars on healthy Christmas eating and activity could also be another way of boosting productivity.
Alternatively, why not arrange health screening in January to see how badly everyone fared over Christmas? BlueSkies corporate Christmas offer means that you could do all of these things and save yourself money too! We are offering a 'buy 1 get 1 half price' deal on corporate services that are booked during December 2007. For more information, e-mail us.
Thanks for reading!
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