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BlueSkies Newsletter - June 2010

Welcome to the June edition of the BlueSkies newsletter.

We hope that you find the articles informative and useful.

In this edition, our feature articles are:

Is it possible to eat more and lose weight?

Men's Health Week 2010 - aiming to get men more active!

Top Tips For Preventing Prostate Cancer

Also this month, find out about the health benefits of olives.

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.

Can you eat more and lose weight?

Very often, when trying to lose weight, people cut back on the amount of food they eat in an attempt to reduce their calorie intake. But what if it was possible to eat MORE food and still reduce your calorie intake thus resulting in a reduction in your weight without you feeling hungry? Seems too good to be true?

Well, it's not! It is possible and the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) have published a leaflet outlining how. This article summarises the information available from the BNF and provides you with practical advice on how to use this to the best advantage.

Energy Density

In order to understand how you can reduce your calorie intake whilst eating more food, you need to be aware of the term 'energy density'. Energy density refers to the number of calories contained in one gram of a food. Foods with a higher energy density have a larger number of calories per gram as compared to those with a lower energy density.

High density foods include fried food, fatty meat, nuts, dried fruit, sweets, biscuits, full-fat dairy products, pastry products, mayonnaise and soft drinks whereas those with low energy density include fresh fruit and vegetables, low-fat dairy products, beans/peas, soups, lean meat/poultry/fish and stews. Those foods with a lower energy density tend to have a higher water and lower fat content than those with a higher energy density.

The energy density of your diet is determined by the mixture of high and low energy density foods consumed and so, once again, a healthy diet is all about balance. It is possible to eat foods with a high energy density as long as you balance these against foods with a medium energy density and plenty of lower energy density foods.

Also, research has shown that by eating foods with a low energy density first, you'll feel fuller and less tempted by the higher energy density foods. For example, by eating a big salad without mayonnaise or oily dressing or a vegetable based soup for your starter or main course, you are less likely to eat that high fat dessert!

Putting It Into Practice

Now that you're aware of energy density and how it can help you to eat fewer calories whilst eating more food, here an example from the British Nutrition Foundation showing how it works in practice.

HIGH ENERGY DENSITY MENU

LOW ENERGY DENSITY MENU

Breakfast

Weight

Calories

Breakfast

Weight

Calories

Danish Pastry

Tea with Whole Milk

90g

215g

420

Muesli with Skimmed Milk

Tea with Semi-Skimmed Milk

Half a Grapefruit

175g

215g

80g

240

Lunch

Weight

Calories

Lunch

Weight

Calories

Cheeseburger in a Bun With Chips

Tomato Ketchup

Glass of Coke

437g

20g

200g

1,037

Chicken & Lean Bacon Sandwich

Bowl of Vegetable Soup

Mixed Berries with Low-Fat Yoghurt

Glass of Diet Coke

305g

503g

215g

200g

394

100

Dinner

Weight

Calories

Dinner

Weight

Calories

Macaroni Cheese

Small Glass of Red Wine

400g

125g

621

Wholemeal, Low-Fat Macaroni Cheese with Veggies & Salad

Chocolate Mousse

Small Glass of Red Wine

440g

63g

125g

439

TOTAL

1,487g

2,289

TOTAL

2,321g

1,495

Top Tips

If you want to lower the energy density of your diet, here are some tips:

When eating soups and pasta sauces, opt for vegetable-based instead of cream-based
Choose baked potatoes or new potatoes instead of chips
Remove any visible fat from meat and the skin from poultry
Add extra veggies &/or salads to your meals
Replace some of the meat in dishes with lentils/beans
Opt for low-fat dairy products such as yoghurt and cheese
Use low-fat mayonnaise and salad cream
Snack on veggie crudites and salsa instead of 'chips & dips'

For more information on the energy density of foods, click here to visit the BNF 'Feed Yourself Fuller Chart'.

Food Of The Month - Olives

A staple of the Mediterranean diet, olives are becoming more and more popular in the UK due to their purported health benefits. Olives contain high levels of mono-unsaturated fat, iron, vitamin E, copper and fibre. Mono-unsaturated fat is a 'good fat' as it has been shown to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease by reducing the risk of arteriosclerosis and increasing the levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. Vitamin E is an anti-oxidant which acts to reduce the risk of cellular damage and so lower the risk of chronic diseases. In addition to these factors, olives are high in polyphenols and flavonoids - compounds found in plants which have anti-inflammatory properties.

The combination of these three factors - mono-unsaturated fat, vitamin E and polyphenols & flavonoids - means that olives are, indeed, a pretty healthful food. It is suggested that they can protect against heart disease and colon cancer, reduce the severity of asthma, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis as well as helping to alleviate the symptoms of the menopause. So, why not do your health a favour and add a few olives to your salads this summer?

Men's Health Week 2010 - Aiming To Get Men More Active!

60% to 70% of the adult population are classed as 'inactive' meaning that they do not perform sufficient levels of physical activity to benefit their health. However, the potential benefits of physical activity to our health are huge! Being active can cut the risk of premature death by 20% to 30% and lower the risk of major chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke, osteoporosis, dementia and some cancers by up to 50% - so why aren't we active?!

Well, we all know that time is precious. We only have to think about the time we spend commuting, at work and with our families & friends and it becomes clear that we don't always have too much 'spare time'. But the good news is that we don't need to devote hours every day to physical activity to benefit. By incorporating activity into our everyday lives and by trying to achieve just 30 minutes a day, our health can be improved. What's more, being physically active doesn't have to be expensive either.

What's more, evidence shows that far too many men die too young - 22% of men in England and Wales die before they reach 64 compared to 13% of women and 42% of men are dead by the age of 75 as compared to just 26% of women. That's why National Men's Health Week this year is the first ever national campaign which is aiming to encourage men and boys to be more physically active. It is being organised by the Men's Health Forum and runs from 14th to 20th June 2010. So, if you're male and you think that you could do with getting a little more active, what better time than during Men's Health Week?

Research shows that male participation in physical activity starts to fall sharply in early middle-age whilst the risks of becoming obese and developing diabetes & heart disease rise correspondingly. So, the organisers of Men's Health Week are hoping that the fact that it coincides with the kick-off of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and crosses over with National Bike Week, will help to increase the number of men that take part in sport and activity.

To help tackle the couch potato culture, Men's Health Week will be encouraging men to get walking, jogging, gardening, swimming, playing sport.....in short, to get moving and being more active in general. In promotion of Men's Health Week, Dr Ian Banks (President of the Men's Health Forum) has said, "Just doing a small amount of physical activity can greatly improve a man's quality of life. Whether it's walking more regularly, cycling to work or even just using the stairs not the lift, there are things we can all do as part of our daily routine."

Men's Health Week is a National event and there will be events organised all over the country by health organisations, businesses, community groups and clubs so why not find out what's going on in your area and get involved? To visit the Men's Health Week 2010 website, click here. Just so that you get a taste of what's going on, here are a few examples of local events:

Football Replay, 45 centres across the UK - June 13th - aiming to get the over 35's back into football in a fun, relaxed and friendly way. For a full list of venues, check out www.footballreplay.net
Party in the Park, Naul's Mill Park, Coventry - June 13th, 11am to 2pm - includes martial arts demo and the opportunity to join a 10 week martial arts programme
African Caribbean Dominoes, West Indian Centre, Spon End, Coventry - June 16th, from 7.30pm - includes health checks and information specific to African Caribbean men
Chair based exercise session for the over 60's, Irish Luncheon Club, Brittania Hotel, Coventry - June 24th, 11.30am to 1.30pm - includes opportunity to sign up for regular sessions

However, if there's nothing going on in your area, that's not an excuse! Why not try to organise something at your own workplace such as lunchtime walk or post-work 5-a-side games? Or why not agree to meet a few of your work colleagues at a car park which is a 15 minute walk from your office and then walk the rest of the way to work and back?

Alternatively, if you think you would like something a bit more personal, why not contact BlueSkies? With our expertise, we can write you a workout that you can do at home in around 30 minutes that requires little or no equipment. Click here to email us for more information. Or, why not take a look at our Seated Workout plan?

Whatever you do, why not use National Men's Health Week 2010 to invest in your future?!

Top Tips - Preventing Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common male cancer in the UK with approximately 35,000 cases diagnosed every year. In most cases, it is a slow-growing cancer that may never cause any symptoms. However, in some cases, it is a fast-growing cancer that needs treatment to prevent or delay it spreading outside of the prostate gland.

Prostate cancer can affect men of any age but it is most common in older men, men with a family history of the disease and in black men. Whilst there is nothing you can do about your age, family history or ethnicity, there are some factors you can control that may help to protect you against prostate cancer. Although there is no sure-fire way to prevent it, you can make diet & lifestyle choices that may help.

Here are our top tips:

Reduce your saturated fat intake - prostate cancer rates are highest in countries where people tend to have high fat diets.
Increase your folate intake - a 10-year study showed that prostate cancer risk was lower in men who had enough folate in their diets. Folate is found in whole-grain breads & cereals, liver, green veggies, orange juice, lentils, beans, yeast and yeast products.
Get your 5-a-day - diets high in fruit and veg are linked to a lower risk of various cancers.
Eat plenty of cruciferous vegetables e.g. broccoli, kale and cabbage - these are high in di-indolylmethane which is thought to protect against prostate cancer.
Drink in moderation - regular heavy alcohol intake increases the risk of aggressive prostate cancer.
Eat soy products and legumes - these contain phyto-oestrogens which may help to prevent prostate cancer, this may explain the lower rates of prostate cancer in Asian men who tend to eat more soy protein.
Drink green tea - some research shows that it can help to prevent certain cancers.
Maintain a healthy weight - although no direct link has been established between obesity and prostate cancer, it may influence the level of hormones related to prostate cancer risk and it may also increase the risk of dying from this disease.
Get yourself checked - if you think you may be at risk of prostate cancer, visit your GP for a check-up. Also, if you are invited to attend your GP for a check-up, make sure you attend!

For more information, you can visit The Prostate Cancer Charity at www.prostate-cancer.org.uk

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