BlueSkies Newsletter - December 2008
Welcome to the December edition of the BlueSkies newsletter and MERRY CHRISTMAS!.
We hope that you find the articles in this month's newsletter informative and useful.
Stuck for Christmas presents this year? Why not buy a BlueSkies voucher? Our vouchers can be used for Fitness Training, Dietary Analyses, Weight Management Plans or products from our shop. For more information, click here.
In this month's newsletter, you can read our articles on Alcohol - Good, Bad or Ugly? and Xmas Excess - how to 'burn it off'.
Also, find out why pomegranates are so good for you and why snowboarding is our favourite activity this December.
Is Your Christmas Tipple Good For You?
Is alcohol good or bad for us? How much is too much? What's a unit? This article will clear it up, so that you know the full story in time for the festive season!
Why worry about alcohol intake?
Alcohol, on its own or in conjunction with other factors, is responsible for over 33,000 deaths per year in the UK. But this is only half the story, excess alcohol intake can increase the risk of:
- Anxiety, depression & other mental disorders
- Sexual difficulties & impotency
- Impaired judgement that can lead to accidents & injury
- Alcohol poisoning
- Liver disease, heart disease & high blood pressure
- Damage to unborn children
- Osteoporosis
- Cancer - particularly breast cancer
Is it all bad news?
Well, no, it's widely accepted that alcohol in moderation has varying health benefits. However, they key word here is MODERATION! Research has shown that a moderate alcohol intake may reduce the risk of:
- Heart disease, angina & heart attacks
- Strokes, particularly ischemic strokes
- Gallstones & kidney stones
- Diabetes
- Cognitive decline, Parkinson's disease & Alzheimer's disease
- High blood pressure
- Pancreatic cancer
- Liver disease
- Stress & depression
- Ulcers & digestive problems
Notice anything odd? The two lists (the risks and benefits of alcohol) are very similar - how can alcohol both cause and protect against the same condition? Well, this isn't clear-cut, as everyone responds to alcohol intake differently but one of the key factors is the AMOUNT of alcohol consumed.
The latin proverb "Docis facit venemon" meaning "It is the dose that makes the poison" is relevant in this case.
Drinking a small amount of alcohol seems to protect us against a multitude of conditions and diseases. In excess, however, alcohol can contribute towards them.
But, how much is too much?
The exact answer to this question will depend upon factors such as your gender, height and weight. In addition to this, the amount of sleep that you've had recently and what you've eaten prior to drinking can influence the way that alcohol affects you.
It is best to stick to the Government's recommended alcohol intake guidelines when it comes to working out how much is too much. The Government recommends that:
- Men should not drink more than 3-4 units of alcohol per day or 21 units per week
- Women should not drink more than 2-3 units of alcohol per day or 14 units per week
- We should not binge on alcohol by 'saving up' our units and consume them all once a week or fortnight
- We should have at least one 'alcohol-free' night per week
What's a unit?
It's quite confusing to know exactly what a unit is as it all depends on the alcohol content of the drink - the stronger the drink, the less you need to consume one unit. By definition, one unit is 10ml or 8g of pure alcohol. Here are the unit contents of some common drinks:
- 1 pint Stella Artois = 3 units
- 1 pint Carling =2.3 units
- 1 pint Heineken = 2.8 units
- 1 pint Strongbow = 2.6 units
- 1 pint Scrumpy Jack = 3.4 units
- 1 125ml glass 12% wine = 1.5 units
- 1 175ml glass 12% wine = 2.1 units
- 1 250ml glass 12% wine = 3 units
- 1 bottle 12% wine = 9 units
- 1 glass Champagne = 1.5 units
- 1 glass (50ml) Sherry = 0.9 units
- 1 glass (50ml) Port = 1 unit
- 1 glass (25ml) Bell's = 1 unit
- 1 glass (25ml) Jack Daniel's = 1 unit
- 1 glass (25ml) Smirnoff Red = 1 unit
- 1 glass (25ml) Gordon's Gin = 1 unit
- 1 glass (50ml) Bailey's = 0.9 units
- 1 glass (50ml) Southern Comfort = 1.9 units
- 1 bottle (275ml) Smirnoff Ice = 1.5 units
- 1 bottle (275ml) Bacardi Breezer = 1.4 units
Other considerations
Alcohol does have it's benefits - as long as you stick to the guideline amounts. However, there are other factors to consider when it comes to alcohol.
If you're trying to lose weight, you may want to consider reducing your alcohol intake. Remember, a 250ml glass wine contains roughly 170 calories, a pint of Carling contains 195 calories, a pint of Stella contains 250 calories and a pint of Strongbow contains 245 calories. On the other hand, 25ml vodka or gin contains roughly 50 calories - consumed with a slimline tonic, this can save you lots of calories on a night out.
On your 'big night out', do you end up having a late night curry or kebab? If so, remember that these foods are often very high in calories and saturated fat. If possible, try to choose healthier options of these foods or, even better, wait til you get home and have a couple of slices of toast if you're still hungry! For more information on low fat options, click here.
How are you going to get home? Are you aware of the drink-drive limits? Do you want to risk it? The easiest way to drive home safely is to not drink at all or to get a taxi or a lift with a sober friend. Remember, the UK legal limit for drivers is 80mg alcohol per 100ml blood. Very often, this is said to be the equivalent of two pints of normal strength lager which may be true for an average weight man BUT it cannot be used as a rule for everyone. Afterall, what's an average man? The best way to stay on the good side of the law is to not drink at all if you're going to drive.
Activity Of The Month - Snowboarding
It's no secret that, here at BlueSkies, snowboarding has a special place in our hearts. We admit that if you've never boarded, it can take a few lessons (and bruises) to get the hang of it but once you get started, you won't want to stop. Not only does it give you a sense of freedom and exhilaration and let you enjoy the mountain air, it's also pretty good for your fitness. Snowboarding requires good core fitness and well-developed leg strength, power and endurance - if you've not got these already then it'll certainly help you develop them! If you need to get in shape for a snowboarding or ski holiday, then why not e-mail us for a programme?
BlueSkies Christmas Gift Vouchers
Believe it or not, it's time to start thinking of what to get your nearest and dearest for Christmas.
Stuck for ideas again? Well, you're not alone and, luckily, all is not lost!
BlueSkies Christmas Gift Vouchers are a versatile present which can be used for full or part payment towards:
- Fitness training services
- Nutrition & diet services
- First aid courses
- Items from the BlueSkies shop
Our gift vouchers are available in £5 denominations and here are a few ideas of what the recipients could buy with them:
- £5 buys a Seated Workout
- £10 buys a set of resistance bands
- £20 buys a stability ball and a set of resistance bands
- £50 buys an 8 week personalised fitness training programme
- £60 buys a personalised dietary analysis
- £75 buys a place on one of our First Aid courses
If you have an idea of a present that you would like to buy for someone but you can't find it anywhere, remember that BlueSkies can offer bespoke packages for any budget. Want to give your husband a personalised dietary analysis, weight management plan and fitness training programme - just get in touch and we'll discuss your requirements with you.
If you would like to buy a gift voucher or want to discuss your ideas with BlueSkies, click here to e-mail us.
Xmas Excess?
Of course, the most effective way to avoid gaining weight over the festive season is to avoid over-indulgining in the first place. But what do you do if your halo's not still shining and you've given into temptation once too often over Christmas?
In last December's newsletter, we gave you tips on how to curb your calorie intake. So, this year we're concentrating on how to 'burn off' the excess if you didn't manage to avoid temptation completely. Most of us don't so don't feel bad - studies show that the average person consumes around 5,500 calories on Christmas day alone, twice the recommended amount for men and double that recommended for women!
Enjoy outdoor life
If you like the great outdoors, why not spend boxing day walking in the countryside with family and/or friends? Walking at a brisk pace (5mph), up and down hills, a 70kg (11 stone) person can use almost 400 calories per hour. A 5 hour walk could get rid of those extra 2,000 calories from Christmas day all in one go!
Does 5 hours in one go sound a bit ambitious? If so, why not tackle it a bit at a time? If you're off work for the week, try to get up at 'normal time' and go for an hour-long walk to get some fresh air, clear your head and plan your day. You could use this as time for yourself or invite people to join you and use it as time to catch up - time flies more quickly when you have company!
If all of this sounds a bit pedestrian to you and you're pretty fit already, try one of these higher intensity options:
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Cycling at 15mph for an hour on a flat road uses over 600 calories for the average 70kg (11 stone) person. So, 3 hours of this will use close to the extra 2,000 calories consumed on Christmas Day. Mountain biking may be slower on the uphill sections but will use a similar amount of energy.
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Book a skiing holiday and get practicing at your local dry slope or indoor snowdome. Skiing can burn over 400 calories an hour, even at a moderate pace. Therefore, just 5 practice sessions before your holiday could see you shedding those excess Christmas Day calories.
Outdoors not your thing?
How about dusting off the dumbbells or setting up a gym in your garage? Even an hour of moderate resistance training burns over 300 calories and it has additional longer term benefits. Three home-based resistance training sessions over Christmas will get rid of half of those 2,000 calories and help you develop a healthy habit for 2009.
You don't even need to buy dumbbells if you don't have any - you can work out very effectively using resistance bands. Also, if you're not sure what you should be doing, why not take a look at our seated workout programme?
If dancing or aerobics is more your thing, put that workout DVD on. A moderate intensity, aerobic workout burns around 500 calories per hour. Workout DVD's are common stocking fillers but using them every morning for a week will work off those excess calories.
Of course, there are plenty of other ways to get active over Christmas especially if you have children! Whatever you do, stay safe and enjoy it - it's Christmas afterall!
Food Of The Month - Pomegranate
Pomegranates have become a popular fruit since their health benefits hit the headlines and it is a very healthy fruit indeed! This fruit is high in potassium and it contains a high level of antioxidants which help to protect our bodies against elements called free radicals than can cause cancer and other degenerative conditions. It has also been claimed that pomegranate juice can help to prevent prostate cancer and the seeds appear to enhance immune function. You can buy pomegranate seeds ready to eat or pomegranate juice from most supermarkets.
Thanks For Reading
We hope that you enjoyed our newsletter!
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