BlueSkies Newsletter - January 2008
Welcome to the first 2008 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 Healthy Snacking 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.
New Year Detox!
With Christmas and New Year out of the way, many people will be starting to think of ways to re-gain the feelings of health and vitality that seem to be eluding them at the moment!
One of the most common ways of going about this is to 'Detox'. The way a Detox is carried out can vary remarkably, for example, some people choose to live on fruit and vegetable juices for a week whilst others will give up smoking and drinking and others will join a gym. The success of Detox plans also varies as it is often impossible to maintain them for more than a few days or weeks.
BlueSkies believe that the best way to get yourself back on track is by making a series of small lifestyle changes that will combine to improve your health and well-being forever. Yes, we all enjoy letting our hair down at certain times of the year, but healthy habits are the answer to vitality and well-being, not Detox!
Why not try these simple, healthy changes instead of the Detox this year? We bet that you'll stick to them for longer and feel better as a result!
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Instead of the full English that you may have gotten used to over the festive period, start your day in a healthier way by having wholegrain cereal with skimmed milk, scrambled eggs on wholegrain toast, low fat yoghurt with banana or a fruit smoothie
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Replace the customary glass of wine with lunch and dinner with fresh fruit juice or a glass of mineral water
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Boost your vegetable intake by having a healthy bowl of soup packed full of vitmains and minerals for lunch.
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Stop eating stodgy puddings just because it's traditional and festive - replace the Christmas cake, mince pies and Christmas pudding with fruit salad and low-fat fromage frais, stewed fruit and low-fat custard or fresh raspberries mixed with crushed meringue and low-fat ice cream
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Replace the tin of chocolates left over from Christmas with a fresh fruit bowl and dip into this every time you feel peckish
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Place any unopened boxes of chocolates, biscuits or other festive nibbles in an opaque box inside a cupboard which you rarely go in - out of sight, out of mind! Additionally, don't feel guilty about throwing out half eaten boxes of goodies - you don't have to eat them just because they are open!
Activity Of The Month - Walking
Walking is probably the most cost-effective way for most people to boost their health and fitness - all you need is decent footwear. Walking for 30 minutes, 5 times a week at a pace that makes you slightly out of breath will improve your health & fitness at the same time as toning your bottom and leg muscles. Walking is a great activity for people of all ages and it will help to raise your metabolism at the same time as using calories making it a fantastic weight management activity. In addition, walking offers a great way to explore cities and countryside alike - so what are you waiting for?
Stick To Your Resolutions!
Whether it's losing weight or actually using the gym membership, having more family time or learning a new language, most of us will have made at least one New Year's resolution. But how many of us will have given up on them by the end of January? Read on for our top tips on how to stick to your pledges this year!
Be SMARTER!
When you make your resolutions, you need a plan to help you achive them. Treating your resolutions as goals and using the SMARTER goal-setting method will enhance your chances of success. SMARTER is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Accountable, Realistic, Timed, Exciting and Recorded.
- Specific goals answer the question 'How?' by addressing who, what, where and when i.e. I will run 3 times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday
- Measurable goals allow you to judge progress and success i.e. I will decrease my waist measurement by 5cm
- Accountable goals are ones that you feel personally responsible for. By 'owning' a goal and feeling accountable for it, you will increase your motivation to achieve it.
- Realistic doesn't mean easy! It means attainable and not unrealistic! Goals should be achievable but challenging. Unrealistic goals result in failutre and will demotivate you.
- Timed goals have a clear end point - this sets a target to work towards. However, remember that timeframes should be realistic and measurable.
- Exciting goals will drive you towards success. Weight loss is a common goal but it's pretty dull - aiming to fit into your favourite dress for a romantic dinner may be more motivating.
- Recorded goals take on more importance than those floating around in your head. Write your goals down and make them visible i.e. put them on the fridge door.
Take Small Steps!
Any resolutions that you make need to be broken down into smaller, more manageable chunks. For example, if your goal is to lose 1 stone in 6 months, you would be best breaking this into monthly targets. By setting short-term goals on the way to your ultimate aim, you give yourself a higher chance of success. Not only does the long-term goal become more achievable but you will also experience success more regularly - each time you achieve a short-term goal - and this will boost your motivation.
Boost Your Chances!
Although setting SMARTER goals and breaking them down into smaller, short-term aims will help you achieve your resolutions, there are also other factors that you can consider including:
- Reward yourself each time you achieve a short-term goal and make a record of what your reward will be when you reach your ultimate goal.
- Tell your friends and family about your resolutions and what you are doing in order to achieve them - they may be able to help keep you on track.
- Make a pros and cons list referring to your resolution and look at this when you feel your motivation starting to wane.
- Record your progress so that you can refer to this when you start to wonder whether it's all worthwhile - keep this record handy and visible i.e. in your diary.
- Don't beat yourself up if you have the occasional slip-up - you're only human! Instead, get back on track as soon as possible and put it out of your mind.
Exercise Of The Month - Resistance Band Row
This exercise will improve your posture and shoulder-blade stability which is very important for those of us spending a lot of time at computers or driving. You will be working your lower & mid trapezius and rhomboid muscles in the upper back.
If you need any equipment to help you with your workouts, why not visit our shop? We have a wide range of high-quality, low-cost resistance bands, stability balls and medicine balls for sale!
For the resistance band row exercise:
- Attach the middle of your resistance band to something solid such as a door handle or bannister.
- Sit or stand facing the middle of the band, holding one end in each hand - ensure that the band is taut when your arms are straight in front of you.
- Maintain an upright posture throughout the movement with your arms at shoulder height straight out in front of you and your elbows pointing to the sides.
- Squeeze your shoulder-blades together bringing elbows back at shoulder height. The end position should result in your elbows being bent to 90 degrees as shown in the picture.
- Slowly return to the starting position and repeat the movement smoothly.
Healthy Snacking
Grazing, or eating little and often, is a good way to keep your energy levels constant throughout the day. However, all snacks aren't created equal! Here are our top tips for super snacks!
- Select snacks that will satisfy your hunger, supply you with energy and provide vital nutrients all in one go such as yoghurt with wholegrain cereal
- Choose a variety of foods to ensure that you get all of the nutrients that you need and to make your snacks more interesting
- Eat wholegrain snacks which are higher in fibre and will keep you feeling fuller for longer
- Try fresh fruit and veg which will satisfy your hunger with minimal fat and calories but maximal vitamins and minerals
- Nuts and seeds are great snacks - they provide protein and healthy fats - but they are also high in calories so don't eat too many if you're watching your weight
- Low-fat yoghurt makes a great snack as it is a good source of protein which prolongs the feelings of fullness - it is also a great source of calcium
Food Of The Month - Blackcurrants
Are blackcurrants THE 'superfruit'? Well, their high levels of antioxidants, flavonoids and vitamin C seem to suggest so! With higher levels of antioxidants than blueberries and more than 3x the amount of vitamin C than oranges, it seems that blackcurrants are pretty good for us! In fact, they have a definite beneficial effect on heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's, and diabetes risks. For more information on blackcurrants and their health benefits, click here.
5-A-Day, The Easy Way!
Most of us are aware that we should be eating at least 5 portions of fruit and veg a day, but what we don't know is what constitutes a portion or how easy it is to get 5-a-day!
Why 5-a-day?
Fruit and veg are excellent sources of vitamins and minerals and these are essential for health. In addition, these foods are generally low in fat and calories making them ideal choices for those of us trying to watch our weight. There is also an increasing amount of research that shows that people who eat lots of fruit and veg are less likely to develop chronic illnesses such as heart disease and certain cancers. However, most of us STILL don't get our 5-a-day!
How much?
Eating 5 portions of fruit and veg a day is achievable for most people but do you know what a portion is? It's very hard to gauge whether you are eating enough if you don't know what a portion is! As a general guideline, 1 portion is 80g of fruit or veg - the following table puts this into real-terms for some common fruits and veg.
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Fruit/Veg |
1 portion |
| Apple, banana, pear, orange or similar size fruit | 1 average |
| Plums, kiwis or similar size fruit | 2 average |
| Grapefruit or avocado | 1/2 average |
| Melon, pineapple or other large fruit | 1 slice |
| Vegetables - raw, cooked, frozen or tinned | 3 heaped tbsp |
| Beans or pulses | 3 heaped tbsp |
| Stewed fruit or fruit salad in fruit juice | 3 heaped tbsp |
| Dried fruit | 1 heaped tbsp |
| Grapes, cherries, berries or similar size fruit | 1 handful |
| Salad | 1 dessert bowl |
| Fruit juice - fresh or pure | 150ml glass |
NB - However many portions of beans and pulses you eat, they will only count as a maximum of 1 portion per day. The same applies to fruit juice, no matter how much you drink, it will only ever count as 1 portion per day. Remember that potatoes do not count towards your fruit and veg intake.
Increasing Your Intake!
If you could do with increasing your intake of fruit and veg, here are some of our top tips to help you achieve this:
- Remember that all types of fruit and veg count - fresh, frozen, chilled, canned, juiced and dried
- Try to eat a combination of colours every day - red, orange/yellow, green, blue/purple and white - this will ensure that you get all of the nutrients you need.
- Add a tablespoon of fresh or dried fruit to your breakfast cereal and accompany it with a glass of fresh juice.
- Have a banana sandwich for lunch
- Have fruit salad for dessert wherever possible
- Have a side salad with your meals - a low calorie, easy way to increase your intake of fruit and veg
- Try replacing some of the meat in casseroles, stir-fres, soups or curries with veg, beans or lentils
- Take fruit or fresh crudites with you on long journeys - much cheaper and healthier than motorway service station food
Cooking For Health!
The way that fruit and veg is prepared and cooked can result in some of the vitamins and minerals being lost. Try to follow these guidelines to get the most out of your food:
- The longer your store fresh fruit and veg, the less 'healthful' it is - eat it as soon as possible or use frozen fruit and veg which will maintain its vitamin and mineral content.
- Don't over cook your fruit or veg - make sure that the water is boiling and cover the pan with a lid to speed up the cooking. Alternatively, use a steamer to help retain some of the goodness.
- Don't throw the water away that you use to boil veg in - use it as a base for a soup to recapture the lost vitamins and minerals.
- Once you have chopped your veg or fruit, cover and chill them if you are not using them immediately. Exposure to light, air and heat can result in a reduced vitamin and mineral content.
- Eat cooked food as soon as possible - keeping it hot will cause a reduction in the vitamin and mineral content.
For more information on fruit and veg, you can visit www.eatwell.gov.uk.
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To help ease you into 2008, BeCheeky are offering you 20% off when you spend over £25 - great news if you're planning on getting your Valentines shopping done early! All you need to do in order to benefit from this offer is to click on the banner below to be redirected to the BeCheeky site and enter the voucher code BCX7 at the checkout! Happy shopping!
Product Of The Month - Resistance Bands
Resistance bands are one of the most versatile training aids. They are small, lightweight and easy to transport so they make great training partners for people who do a lot of travelling. Alternatively, for those of us who fancy a home work out, resistance bands can be used by novices and experienced trainers alike to carry out an effective resistance training session without a trip to the gym.
BlueSkies on-line shop stocks a range of resistance bands and training packs, click here to have a look.
Is Your Workplace Healthy?
It’s January, you’re back to work after the Christmas and New Year break and there’s nothing to look forward to until the summer holiday, so if you’re feeling a little blue, who can blame you?
If you’ve not yet made the resolution for 2008 to be the year you get fitter and healthier than ever before then here’s a few more reasons to do so:
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Exercise makes you feel better by releasing 'happy hormones' that improve mood and reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression or SAD
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The combination of healthy eating and regular activity boosts blood flow, oxygen and sugar delivery to your brain and keeps you one step ahead of the game so you can start 2008 the way you mean to go on
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More people are becoming obese (BMI>30) and overweight each year, 30% of UK adults are anticipated to meet this criteria in 2010 - obesity increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, breast cancer and many other conditions – start managing your weight now and bring in 2009 in good health
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If you’re planning a winter sports holiday this season, a couple of months preparation will make the whole experience much more enjoyable - giving you more energy to tackle the slopes and still dance ‘til the early hours to cheesey europop!
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If you change your eating habits and start doing some regular exercise now, you can comfortably be a whole stone lighter by summer and not have to panic when beach season appears out of nowhere
Chances are you’ll not be the only person in your office thinking about losing weight, getting fitter or simply being a bit healthier this year. So it’s an ideal time to find a walking partner or group, challenge your team to a month off the booze, or ban biscuits and chocolate from the office.
This is a time of year when people are thinking about their health, fitness and well-being so it’s a great time to show them how much they’re valued by providing some workplace health benefits.
If you want some guidance on ways to motivate your colleagues BlueSkies can help. With a range of services from cholesterol and blood pressure testing or full health MOTs, to interactive seminars and even team workout sessions, our consultancy can help you develop the best solution and deliver the best result for your workforce. For more information on these, or any of our other services, please e-mail us.
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