Alcohol- The Facts & How To Cut Back

We know for our student readers there is a lot of pressure to take part in the stereotyped view of student binge drinking culture but for everyone alcohol seems to be everyone from magazines, posters, television and films. It is a well know fact that binge drinking is an issue within the UK, many use alcohol as a coping mechanism for the stressed of everyday life. We are going to be look at the facts and realities of alcohol and tips for those wishing to cut back.

Stages Of The Affects Of Alcohol On The Body

• Euphoria-Inhibitions start to become lowered, individual tends to get more talkative, may have difficulty with concentrating and color in the face may be brightened
• Excitement- Senses start to become more dulled and fine motor skills are affected via poor coordination, slow reactions timing and drowsiness. At this stage individual may experience impaired judgement and erratic behaviour
• Confusion- Fine motor skills are now dramatically affected as speech is slurred, difficulty walking and impaired vision. Pain may also be dulled and emotions may be exaggerated
• Stupor- At this stage the individual will be unable to walk or stand by themselves or unconsciousness is a possibility as well as vomiting
• Coma- This is a very serious stage in which the individual will be unconscious with shallow breathing, low pulse and body temperature. At this stage it can even become fatal
• Death- the final stage will result in death to to respiratory arrest

How To Cut Back On Alcohol

• Drink alcohol free beers or wines instead or try a non alcoholic cocktail better known as "mocktail" when out for dinner
• Cut back together- get a group of friends or family to cut down with you- January is a great time for this and is known as Sober January for many
• Set a goal- maybe use the money you save from cutting down on alcohol to buy something you have wished for as a reward or cut down a set amount each week, month etc
• Go for alcohol free nights out- don't let alcohol determine your social life- go on a night out to the town alcohol free and dance the night away with no hangover fear the next day

THE FACTS

• Alcohol is a causal factor in over 60 medical diseases including liver, breast, mouth, throat and stomach cancer

• It is recommended that men should not regularly drink more than 3-4 units of alcohol a day and women should not drink more than 2-3 units a day

• ABV is a measurement of the amount of pure alcohol in the form of a percentage of the total volume of the drink, you can find these of bottles, cans of alcohol written as "vol"

• It is estimated in the UK over 7.5 million people are unaware of the damage alcohol could be causing them

• In 2012-2013 there were over 1 million hospital admission related to alcohol consumption, alcohol now costs the NHS 3.5 billion per year

• Heavy alcohol consumption can significantly increase the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes

We hope this more serious blog topic this week has highlighted and given helpful advice on how and why you should cut back on alcohol. Alcohol can be a great tool to help celebrate special occasions, relax after a busy day etc but when it is when it begins to affect your daily life it becomes a problem.

Fats: The Truth & Myths

The word fat especially when discussing fats in food is usually met with worried looks and remarks. However this does not need to be the case. Over the years the facts about fats has been blurred, the truth and the myths have blended into one and many of us don't know the real facts behind the fats in our foods. However today we are going to resolve the confusion and give you a rundown of fats- the truth and the popular myths.

Myth- "All Fats Are Bad!"

Truth- Wrong-There Are Both Good And Bad Fats-

Fats are essential for our bodies to function however there is a difference between the fats we need and the ones we could do without. The good fats also know as unsaturated fats are very important as they promote a healthy hear, improve blood, cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease! You can find good fats in-

Fish
Vegetable Oils
Avocados
Nuts & Seeds

Bad fats are known as saturated fats, these are the ones we should be cutting down on as they can worse our cholesterol and actually increase our risk of heart disease. Foods to be cautious of high in these fats are-

Processed Meat & Poultry- Sausages, Pies etc
Dairy- Butter, Whole Milk & Cream
Cheese
Cakes, Pastry & Biscuits

Myth- "I Can't Eat Any Of My Favourite Foods"

Truth- Wrong- You Can Cut Down The Fats In Your Favourite Foods Very Easily

There are many ways you can simply reduce saturated fats in your foods such as-

Choose Lower Fat Diary Products Such As Skimmed Milk Over Whole Milk
Grill, Poach Or Steam Food As Opposed To Frying
Choose Leaner Cuts Of Meat and Trim Visible Fat & Skin From Meat Before Cooking
Measure Your Oil Carefully
Reduce Your Meat Intake And Use Vegetables Or Beans In Your Dishes Instead

Myth- "You Can't Eat Any Kind Of Fats"

Truth- Wrong- You Can Eat Fats In Moderation

It is impossible to avoid fats in foods and for good reasons as they are an important part of our diet. However as we say everything in moderation- it is recommended that no more than 35% of our daily calories should come from fat. The maximum amount of fat we should ave a day for men is 30g and women is 20g.

We hope this has helped educate and ease  your worries on the fats in your foods, so spread the word to help break these myths! Till next time, have a great wee everyone!

How To Lose Weight- The Healthy & Right Way!

With all the parties,Christmas food and cold weather keeping us indoors it can feel near impossible to not put on weight this time of year!

However now that it's January it's a new year filled with new goals and possibilities and if loosing weight is one of these for you let us help break down how to loose weight the healthy, safe and permanent way.

Eat Little But Often- Eating small amounts often such as six small meals a day as opposed to 3 larger meals will keep you fuller for longer, able to eat a variety of foods in the day with nutrients and minerals and also helps to curb cravings and snacking.

Stay Away From The Fad Diets- The media is filled with quick fix solutions and diets, particularly this time of year. However many of these diets or supplements can be very dangerous and bad for your health. Loosing weight slowly and in a healthy way has proven to be more effective. Often on these diets when a person goes back to eating normally they gain back the weight they lost.

Exercise AND Eat Well- Many believe the key to weight loss is diet, whilst this may be a major part of it exercise is also important too. Combining both will mean not only are you fit but more likely to keep the weight off. Plus if you have a cheat day you can work it off at the gym! There are so many ways to exercise to suit everyone's schedules whether than be at the gym, at home or in a class/sporting club.

Cut Back On Alcohol- They call it beer belly for a reason! Alcoholic drinks can be deceiving, your favorite drinks could be filled with sugar and calories. Cutting back on the booze especially if you do drink often can be a tremendous help with weight loss. If you still want to have the occasional drink swap your mixers such as coke and lemonade for diet/sugar free.

Don't Become Obsessed By The Scales- When loosing weight it can become so easy to be obsessed with the numbers on the scale, to the point where many of us base our self worth on this. Remember that although being healthy is important, weight is just a number. Everyone in the world comes in different shapes and sizes that is what makes us unique! Many things will determine your weight such as your BMI and age etc. What may be a good weight for you might not be for somebody else. Being happy and healthy is the most important thing to come from a healthy lifestyle, not how much weight you can loose.

Make Loosing Weight Fun!- Weight loss might not seem like the most exciting thing to do however there is many ways you can make it more enjoyable. Perhaps get your friends involved and go to the gym together and keep each other motivated. Or join a weight loss club in your local area to meet like minded people to help support and encourage each other. Also reward yourself, learn to reward yourself with things other than food maybe a new piece of clothing for dropping down a dress size or a new hairstyle for the new improve you. The point is you should celebrate all of your achievements however small they may seem.

We hope your exams have all gone well and that your all staying on track with your new years resolutions. Make 2016 your best year yet!

How To Stay Motivated With Healthy New Years Resolutions

Welcome back!

We hope you all enjoyed your Christmas and New Year festivities. We are now back from our holidays with our weekly blog posts again and this weeks topic is focusing on how to stay motivated with new years resolutions.

Many of us overindulge during the festive seasons/winter months in general so new years resolutions are a great way to give yourself a goal to be healthier and maybe shift those extra pounds from Christmas. This could also be general health resolutions such as quitting smoking or drinking, whatever your resolution may be good for you wanting to better your health and life!

However we all know staying motivated particularity with the January blues can be very hard, after a few weeks it can become easy to fall of the bandwagon. So we have some quick tips to help keep you motivated and on track!

 

It's A Lifestyle Choice, Not Just A Quick Fix- Improving your diet should be a lifestyle change for the better and a permanent goal you wish to keep. Having the mentality to only eat healthy to loose a certain amount of weight or for a set period of time will make you impatient- this is where many people fall and quit after a few weeks. Remember eating healthy and exercising isn't shouldn't be done just to make you look good or drop a dress size (but it is an added bonus!) its primarily for your health helping give you a long happy life! This should be your goal to help you stay on track for the long run.

Don't Go Cold Turkey!- With new years resolutions many of us can go overboard and completely cut out all junk food and restrict our intake to an unachievable amount. Going cold turkey can lead to constant cravings making it very hard and often leads to a binge of bad food after depriving yourself completely. We recommend to start of slowly such as cutting out crisps, then moving onto another food such as chocolate etc. However DO NOT stop eating treats all together- good health is about balance, we can all have a little treat once in a while it's simply about moderation. Having a balanced diet will not only  keep you on the track to a healthy lifestyle for the long term but will keep you satisfied too!

If You Make A Mistake Don't Give Up!- We all make mistakes we are only human. If you slip up on your diet or exercise regime don't be too  hard on yourself, we put some much pressure on new years resolutions that we often feel terrible if we break them. The best thing you can do is shake it off and start fresh, don't simply give up, just take it day by day and remember to reward yourself for doing well.

Don't Over Exercise!- If building on your fitness is your new years resolution for 2016 please remember to be safe and to not over do it! Exercise is a great tool to build your self esteem, mental health and above all key in working toward a long healthy lifespan. That being said if you are not a gym bunny as of yet as with diet take it slowly start of once a week and build it up. Over exercising can become addictive and could result in bad consequence for your health. Fitness does not come overnight it takes time and determination which means when you improve it will be even more satisfying!

So remember stay motivated and don't give up we believe in you! Next week we will be continuing our health kick for January and discussing how to lose weight the healthy and safe way.