The Not So Sweet Facts On Sugar & Diabetes Awareness

It's hard to avoid sugar when it seems to be hidden away in so many of our everyday foods! Take a look at some of our sweet facts below they may surprise you!

• On average the UK population eats 50kg of sugar per person per year...that's a lot of sweet tooth's!
• Many people eat too much refined sugars made up of white, brown, raw, honey, glucose. sucrose, molasses and syrup
• 70% of this sugar is found in soft drinks, confectionery, breakfast cereals, biscuits, beer, wine and supposed healthy bars
• A high intake in sugar causes our blood sugar levels to shoot up giving what i know as a sugar high. These momentary feel good feelings are followed by a sugar crash which can leave us tired, irritable and craving more sweet foods
• Low fat and diet foods often contain extra sugars to help improve their taste, even savory foods such as pasta sauces, ready made soups etc may contain added sugar
• The Guideline Daily Amount of sugar for the average adult is 90g and 50g max of that should be made up from added sugars. That is the equivalent of 13 teaspoons of sugar a day or two cans of fizzy drinks
• Look at the "carbs as sugars" on the nutrition info of your food packaging- this includes both natural and added sugars. Under 5g per 100g is low more than 15g per 100g is high
• However sugar is not all bad! We need some sugar in our diets to supply energy to fuel our muscles and keep our brain active

Now we know that facts on sugar it's important to be aware of Diabetes. This is a long term condition that affects the bodies ability to process sugar or glucose which can have very serious health consequences, however with careful management people with Diabetes can continue to live a healthy life. There are two types of Diabetes-

Type 1- The body can't produce any insulin, this type of Diabetes usually occurs before the age of 40 and accounts for only around 10% of all cases. This is the most common form of childhood Diabetes.

Type 2- The body doesn't make enough insulin or becomes resistant to insulin so that it won't work properly. This is the most common form of Diabetes account for 90% of cases and is frequently linked with being overweight,

Symptoms of Diabetes include-

• Increased Thirst
• Drinking a lot of fluids
• Passing a lot of urine
• Weight loss
• Being tired for no reason
• Genital itching or repeated bouts of thrush
• Slow healing of wounds
• Blurred Vision

We hope this will help you be aware of diabetic symptoms to look out for and to be cautious of added sugars in your diet! Here on campus we always strive to use as little sugar as possible, if you have any questions on this simply ask us!

Tips For Transitioning To Veganism & How To Eat Vegan At RGU

This weeks topic we will be looking at veganism! We here at Made have noticed as im sure most of our readers will have also that veganism is becoming more and more popular and mainstream in the UK. So for those of you who may be considering going vegan whether it be for health or ethical reasons check out our tips below on how to transition to veganism and how you can eat vegan at RGU.

Do Your Research!- It's important before making a drastic change to your diet to do your research and decide why you want to become vegan. Research how to eat vegan on the go, cooking from home and how to know if something is or isn't vegan. Knowing the facts will make it much easier for you. You would be surprised how many everyday foods are actually vegan including even oreos!
 just look for the vegan logo above on food packaging.


Slowly Transition- Weather you are transitioning from omnivore or vegetarian to vegan it is important to make the change slowly and not go cold turkey overnight! This will make it much easier for you to break old habit and more likely to make this a permanent change. As you start to decrease your dairy and meat intake slowly introduce vegan substitutes and more plant based foods into your diet.

Find Inspiration Online- Find recipes, tips or communities of others who are also vegan online (such as our blog!) to help support you and give you inspiration along the way. Blogs and Pinterest are a great online source for recipes!

Take Vitamin Supplements- If you feel your struggling to get all of your nutrients consider taking vitamin supplements such as vitamin D and B-12. Though a vegan diet shouldn't be restricting you too much of proteins and vitamins as some of the media may portray!

Learn The Benefits- If you ever start to loose motivation remembering the reasons you decided to go vegan and all of the many benefits  this plant based diet can have for your health and the planet will help keep you going!

So now that we have covered some tips on how you can transition to veganism lets look at how you can eat vegan at RGU! On campus you will find our eat well leafs which will indicate healthy information about our dishes. Look out for the vegan leafs on our menus to indicate what vegan dishes we have on offer that day! If you are ever unsure simply ask a member of staff who would be more than happy to help! We are currently looking at expanding our range of vegan and vegetarian dishes on campus so stay tuned! There is also a Vegan and Vegetarian society at RGU, get the chance to meet with fellow students who believe in the vegan movement
and make new friends!.

Healthy Heart Tips & Recipes

Today we are going to discuss how to keep the most important part of your body at it's best- your heart! Your heart is working very hard every minute of every day of your life keeping your blood pumping in your body so it's important to keep it as healthy as you can. Below we have some great tips on how to keep your heart in tip top shape!

Quit Smoking- Smoker are nearly twice as likely to suffer from a heart attack. If your a smoker quitting will be the biggest help you can give to reduce your risk of heart disease 

Eat Well- eating a balanced well portioned healthy diet with five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, healthy proteins, fats and only small amounts of treats high in salt and sugar will keep your heart healthy and happy.

Eat Fibre- eating at least 30gm of fibre a day can help lower your risk of heart disease good sources include fruit and vegetables, oats, lentils & beans and wholegrain breads and cereal

Reduce Your Fat Intake- eating too much saturated fats can lead to an increase in cholesterol, Cholesterol is very bad for your heart and can increase your risk in heart disease. Eating lower fat versions of your favorite meals as well as boiling, grilling, steaming or poaching as opposed to frying will also decrease the saturated fats in your foods dramatically

Reduce Alcohol- keep to recommended limits when drinking alcohol, regularly drinking could lead to risk of weight gain, higher blood pressure and heat disease

Get Moving- exercising regularly and getting your heart pumping will do wonders for your heart health as well as help reduce blood pressure, cholesterol and make it easier to maintain a healthy weight.

Need some inspiration for dinner this weekend? Below you will see one of our quick and delicious recipes that is great for your heart!

How To Quit Smoking For Good

Hello to all of our readers! This week we are continuing our theme from our previous post regarding the facts and how to cut back on alcohol but in regards to smoking. We will be discussing the affects of smoking on your health and provide you with some key tips to help you quit long term.

How Is Smoking Affecting Your Health? 

Smoking can cause very serious and permanent damage to your body and even in some cases this damage may be fatal.

• When you smoke toxins enter your blood stream reducing the amount of oxygen rich blood entering your lungs and increasing your blood pressure and heart rate
• Both the carbon monoxide and nictone from smoking puts a strain on your heart making it work faster than normal doubling your risk of suffering from a hear attack
• Smoking can visibly affect your mouth causing staining to the teeth, bad breath and puts you at risk of gum disease
• If you regularly smoke 10 cigarettes a day you are 1 and a half times more likely to develop kidney cancer this is increased to twice if you smoke over 20
• Smoking particularly for women can cause brittle and weak bones
• Smoking can increase your risk of suffering from a  stroke by at least 50%
• Smoking causes 84% of deaths from lung cancer. You are more likely to develop frequent chest infections, asthma or COPD known as "smokers cough"

As you can see smoking can be very life threatening however not all is lost if you are a smoker. The longer you have gone without smoking the more health benefits you will reap, but first lets look below to our own tips on how you can quit smoking.

Our Top Tips To Quit Smoking

• Get moving! It is proven that exercise can help your brain produce non craving chemicals
• Make non smoking friends. Smoking is often seen as a social interaction when out in public, make friends who won't tempt you to go outside with them for a cigarette
• Keep your hands busy to avoid cravings by using things such a e-cigraates
• Use NRT also known as Nictonie Replacement Therapy if you are struggling, This has shown to double your chances of quitting for good and there are many options out there such as patches, nasal spray, lozenges and gum to name but a few
• Remind yourself why you are quitting smoking,wirte a list of reasons why you want to quit to keep yourself motivated
• Use the money you save from quitting smoking to reward yourself in other more healthy ways such as new clothing, a meal out etc. Whatever it may be celebrate milestones such as quitting for a week, month , year etc

What Kind Of Health Benefits Will You Get After You Quit?

• \Within 2-12 weeks your blood circulation improves, this makes things such as running, going to the gym and even walking much easier
• Within 3-9 months coughs, wheezing and breathing issues will improve as lung function will improve by 10%
• After 1 year your risk of heart disease is cut down by half compared to a person who still smokes
• After 10 years the risk of lung cancer drops by half of that of a smoker
• After 15 years the risk of hear attack falls to that as the same of someone who has never smoked

We are excited to announce that the NHS Grampian Smoking Advice Service is coming to RGU! Group sessions will run once a week from 2nd of March till the 6th of April. Sessions will last one hour and are free and confidential. However if you would prefer the advice service can also offer individual one to one sessions. For more information or to schedule a one to one appointment contact-rebekah.dressel@nhs.net

Remember to pick up our quit smoking guides which can be found at all of our outlets on campus next to our Healthy For Life Information Points as shown above. We hope this has helped encourage and motivate any of our readers looking to quit smoking. If you require any more advice or support visit your local GP or Pharmacy. 

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!