BlueSkies Newsletter - December 2009
Welcome to the December edition of the BlueSkies newsletter. We hope that you find the articles informative and useful.
In this edition, we look at:
Also this month, you can find out why Brussels sprouts really are good for you and how you can have a lower-fat Christmas.
If you have any comments or there is a particular topic that you would like us to cover in the future, please contact us by e-mail.
Have You Checked Your Pulse?
You may have seen the British Heart Foundation's recent publicity campaign which is encouraging us all to check our pulses. Here, we are looking at why it is important to do this and how to take your pulse correctly.
Taking your pulse is an easy, quick thing to do which could save your life. An irregular pulse could be a sign of a condition called Atrial Fibrillation (AF) which is a major cause of stroke. However, if you have AF and you know about it, you can get effective treatment so it's worth taking the time to find out.
What is AF?
Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is an abnormal heart rhythm which causes an irregular and sometimes fast pulse. It is one of the most common abnormal heart rhythms affecting about 1% of people in the UK. However, it is thought that more people have this condition as it goes undetected in many cases. In people over 65, it is estimated that 7% of people have AF.
The symptoms of AF may be mild or even non-existent but some people with AF may experience:
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Palpitations
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Tiredness
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Shortness of breath
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Dizziness
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Faintness
In many AF patients, there is no obvious underlying cause but the condition may be caused high blood pressure, heart valve disease, an overactive thyroid gland or excessive alcohol consumption. The danger of AF is that it can increase the risk of blood clots forming which can lead to a stroke. In fact, people with AF are 4-5 times more likely to suffer a stroke.
How to take your pulse?
To take your pulse, you can follow these simple steps:
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Hold your hands out in front of you with your left palm facing you. -
Place the pads of your right index finger (the one next to the thumb) and middle finger on the inside of your left wrist next to the base of your thumb. The correct position is shown in the picture to the right.
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Press down lightly with your fingers until you can feel your pulse. If you cannot feel your pulse, press a little harder or move your fingers slightly until you do.
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Feel your pulse for 20 to 30 seconds checking the rhythm to see whether it's regular or irregular.
When feeling your pulse, you are checking for irregularities that are present over a period of time rather than just the odd 'missed beat' which is common.
What to do if you think something's wrong?
Firstly, don't panic! Occassional irregularities in the pulse are very common at all ages and are usually nothing to worry about.
However, do make an appointment to see you GP as soon as possible so that your suspicions can be confirmed or your mind can be put at rest. Remember, it is important to seek medical advice as, with appropriate treatment, the risk of a stroke can be greatly reduced.
The most effective treatment for people with AF is a drug called warfarin which is an 'anticoagulant' or 'blood thinner'.
Food Of The Month - Brussels Sprouts
The much maligned brussels sprouts are a Christmas staple and you either love them or hate them! Voted the most hated vegetable in 2002, they look like mini-cabbages and have a very 'distinct' flavour but they are also packed with goodness. In fact, the humble brussels sprout is an excellent source of Vitamins K & C and a very good source of folate, vitamin A, fibre, potassium & vitamin B6.
There is also a growing body of evidence which points to Brussels sprouts having 'anti-cancer' properties as they have a high concentration of phytonutrients which boost the body's immune system. A Dutch study collected data on over 100,000 people over 6 years and it found that those who were eating the most vegetables had a 25% lower risk of colorectal cancers. However, those who were eating the most cruciferous vegetable ( Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy etc) had a 49% lower risk of these cancers. So, if you normally shun the Brussels sprouts at Christmas, maybe now's the time to reconsider!
Achieving Adequate Vegetarian Protein Intake
Many vegetarians worry about their protein intake, especially those undertaking resistance training or other forms of exercise. In fact, a lot of vegetarians who want to 'bulk up' start consuming meat again because they believe the hype that says 'the only decent protein is meat'! However, this isn't the case. Although protein is important for building and maintaining muscle mass, plenty of foods contain protein making it easy for vegetarians to get enough.
The reason that meat is still touted as being the best source of protein is because it is a 'complete' protein food. Protein is made up from 'building blocks' called amino acids which can be classified as 'essential' or 'non-essential'. Essential amino acids cannot be made by the body so they must be consumed in the diet whereas non-essential ones can be synthesised by the body.
Meat and animal products contains all of the 8 essential amino acids so they are termed complete. Plant sources of protein are lacking in one or more of the essential amino acids and are, therefore, known as 'incomplete' protein foods. It is for this reason that plant sources of protein are seen as lower quality than animal proteins.
However, vegetarians can consume complete proteins in the diet by eating:
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Eggs - particularly egg whites which are the best natural source of protein - even better than meat! However, try to limit your egg intake to 6 per week and try using 2 whites to 1 yolk in omelettes and scrambled eggs as this will limit your cholesterol intake.
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Dairy products - these contain natural whey protein which is the type of protein used in most protein supplements. Try to eat low fat dairy products to limit your saturated fat intake e.g. skimmed milk, low-fat yoghurts and lower-fat cheeses such as edam and ricotta. Milkshakes are often good, cheap alternatives to the expensive post-training 'recovery' shakes that you can buy.
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Soy products - these are one of the exceptions to the plants-are-incomplete-proteins rule and are a great way for vegetarians to boost their protein intake. However, read the labels as some soy products are high in calories for the amount of protein that they provide.
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Quorn - this contains egg whites and is therefore a complete protein food. What's more it is very low in fat and is extremely versatile to cook with. You can use Quorn to make spag bol, curries, stews and casseroles as well as buying sausages, fillets and deli slices for sandwiches.
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Quinoa - pronounced Keen-wah, this is a tiny seed that can be used in place of grains like rice or cous-cous in meals.
Historically, vegetarians were told that they had to combine protein containing foods at each meal to ensure that they consumed all of the essential amino acids. However, this is now a dated opinion and, as long as vegetarians consume a variety of protein foods throughout the day to provide all of the essential amino acids, there is no need to worry about combining.
Incomplete proteins are still extremely valuable to the vegetarian diet - here are some examples of these:
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Nuts - a good source of protein which can be used as a snack food. However, beware as they are very energy dense due to their high (healthy) fat content so limit yoru intake to around one serving (25g) per day.
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Seeds - as with nuts, a great source of protein but high in calories. These can be mixed with nuts and dried fruits to make snacks lightly more interesting or added to meals to increase the protein content.
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Peas - we're talking chickpeas or balck eyed peas rather than the green variety and they're a great protein source to base your meals around. You'll find some great Moroccan recipes that use chickpeas and black eyed peas are a staple in Caribbean cooking.
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Beans - these come in many varieties and can be used to make loads of meals from the quick and easy baked beans on (seeded or granary) toast to a veggie chilli with kidney beans to the more unusual adzuki beans which make a salad more substantial.
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Lentils - there is a wide variety of lentils and Indian cooking offers lots of exciting ways to use them,
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Starchy carbs - bread, rice and cereals all provide a moderate amount of protein. The wholegrain varieties are best as they are higher in protein.
So, whatever your tastes, the vegetarian diet offers lots of wasy to achieve an adequate protein intake. What's more, it will be a lot lower in saturated fat than a meat-eaters diet making vegetarians less likely to develop coronary heart disease or elevated cholesterol levels.
Have A Lower-Calorie Christmas
Christmas is a time for indulgence!
This is why the average person puts on around 7lb during the Christmas break.
To avoid this, or to limit the damage, here are our top tips for a lower-calorie Christmas:
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Just because mince pies are 3 for the price of 2 and chocolates are buy 1 get 1 free, do you actually need to buy them? Remember, the more you buy, the more you'll eat!
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Avoid storing Christmas goodies in the cupboards you use regularly as this will leave you open to temptation! Reasearch shows that we're less likely to eat things which we can't see, even if we know they're there.
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Be aware of the calories contained in alcohol and avoid mulled wine which can contain around 300 calories & creamy drinks such as Baileys or Egg Nog which can pack in about 350 calories per glass.
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Don't skip meals as you will eat more high-calorie, high-fat foods later on. So, have a small healthy snack before your Christmas party and eat a healthy breakfast on Christmas day.
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Try making your own sauces and custards using skimmed milk to lower their calories and fat content.
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For starters, opt for melon or try somethng different such as crudites with low-fat dips like salsa.
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Try making your own soups and leave the cream out - butternut squash and carrots blended with ginger make a great festive soup.
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Remove the skin from the turkey to lower the fat content.
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Avoid using goose fat to cook your roasters in, try olive oil instead as this will lower your saturated fat intake.
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Buy lower-fat, lower-sugar Christmas puds and eat them with lower-fat custard or homemade brandy sauce made with skimmed milk.
Stay Active Over Christmas
Keeping up your exercise habit isn't easy at the best of times, what with work, family and a social life to fit in too but it gets even more difficult to keep it up over Christmas. For a start, it's normally cold and/or wet making us less likely to leave the house in the first place and then there's just so much else to occupy our time.......shopping, parties, decorations, kids.....how do you keep your activity levels up over Christmas? Here are some of the best ways.
Exercise Early! If you normally work out at lunchtime or after work, this may not be possible over Christmas. Try to get your workout out of the way as early as possible - this way you can still fit everything else into your day. Exercising in the morning will energise you and you'll be amazed how much better you feel throughout the day, even if early mornings aren't your thing!
Be Time Efficient! When time is limited, you need to make the most of the time that you can devote to exercise. If you normally do 30 minutes of cycling, can you go a little faster for 20 minutes? Can you make your resistance training more efficient - instead of resting between sets of shoulder presses, could you do your lunges?
Organise Your Diary! You will have so many other commitments over Christmas and the gym will be closed for a certain amount of time too. Therefore, decide when you will go to the gym a week in advance, put the 'appointments' in your diary and stick to them.
Alternative Activities! Even those of us with the best of intentions may not be able to workout as many times as we would like to over Christmas. However, remember that you don't have to go to the gym to exercise. There are loads of things you can do without a gym including:
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walking, jogging and cycling outside
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skipping and performing a home workout
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playing football in th park with the kids
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skating at an outdoor rink
Multi-Task!With time being on the short side, there are ways to ensure that you get everything done! If you normally drive to the gym to do your workout, why not walk, jog or cycle to the gym, do your resistance workout and then walk, jog or cycle home?
Thanks for reading!
We hope you enjoyed our newsletter!
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