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.

Healthy Winter Comfort Foods & Our Eat Well Guide On Campus

During this time of year when it's oh so cold outside we all crave comfort foods, however your classic winter comforts are often not the healthiest so today we are going to give you some ideas of healthier comfort foods for those days at home tucked up away from the cold!

Baked Macaroni & Cheese- This classic can be made much healthier by opting for low fat cottage cheese, wholewheat pasta and adding some vegetables into the mix

Soup- Soup is a winter staple which can be super healthy- there are so many options our there- carrot & ginger, vegetable broth, potato and leek etc! Just make sure not to add cream to your soup to keep it healthy!

Porridge- A healthy, filling and warm breakfast perfect for cold mornings. Keep this extra healthy by choosing honey over golden syrup and adding fruits for extra sweetness if that is what you crave, you could also add chia seeds for texture

Fruit Crumble- Deserts can be healthy too! Use porridge oats for the crumble rather than flour and instead of custard why not try some fat free greek yoghurt? You can still have your cake (in this case crumble) and eat it!

Shepherds Pie- This classic comfort food can be made vegetarian or even vegan! Just replace the meat for vegetables, beans and pulses, use sweet potato for a healthier and flavor packed kick!

Remember you can still eat all of those winter foods you crave its all about balancing our food and making simple alternative choices- replace beef for turkey, cut back on sugar with honey and sweeteners, use sweet potato rather than regular, wholegrain or wholewheat when having carbs, whenever possible put in vegetables, cottage cheese and low fat yoghurts over cream.

Now when your at uni you may be thinking how can I know what is and isn't healthy? Sometimes it can be hard to know from just looking at a dish. Well no need to worry as here at RGU all of our outlet will have eat well stickers on our menus to indicate if a dish is healthy it may say "eat well", "vegetarian"", "vegan" etc or how the dish has been cooked e.g baked as opposed to fried.

We hope these dishes gave you some inspiration and that your all now aware of how to look out for our healthier options on campus!

How To Survive Exam & Coursework Stress

It's officially December!

It's finally the month of Christmas however for many students this is not only the season of festive cheer but also many sleepless and stressful nights due to coursework deadlines and upcoming exams. During this time some may be too stressed to eat at all, others will seek comfort in junk food and snacking. It is so important to eat well during revision time in order for your brain to function at it's best so we are given you some quick simple tips on how to eat well duering this stressful time.

Snack Often- Snacking healthy, nutritious snacks to give you regular energy when your studying will keep you focused and fuller for longer as opposed to sugary or salty snacks. Foods such as nuts, fruit, rice cakes etc are great snack alternatives and if your looking for brain power why not have some dark chocolate or fish for your omega 3 boost!

Get Plenty Of Sleep- Sleep is vital in order to have a productive day the recommended is 8 hours a night, cramming all your revision or deadlines and staying up all night will do you far more worse than good. Lack of sleep means you will be irritable and unlikely to focus and wont remember any of your revision.

Take Breaks Often- Everyone has a different system but focusing on a screen or notes for too long can lead to frustration, taking short breaks often means you will be able to recharge and go back at it with a fresh mind and get more work done in the long run

Get Lots Of Exercise- Exercise is not only great for our health but it also a proven stress beater, taking time out of the day to go for a run, a sports class or go to the gym will help take relieve those nerves and frustrations, During exam and coursework season our social lives often get put on the back burner, use going to the gym as a way to catch up with your friends aswell!

Plan A Schedule- Planning your day means you are less likely to fall off track and procrastinate, making a schedule of when to study, how many pages of work to write including breaks and mealtimes means you can make the most of your study session.

Stay Away From The Caffeine & Sugar- We've all been there trying to finish a last minute deadline or the night before the exam with your fifth coffee in hand and a pack of pro plus this will inevitability lead to the caffeine crash. Instead try a herbal or green tea if you are craving a hot drink.

We hope you enjoyed today's post and wish you all luck in your upcoming exams and coursework deadlines!

Healthy Snack Alternatives For On The Go!

Whether it be in between lectures or meetings busy schedules means when hunger strikes before lunchtime it can be hard to not grab a quick chocolate bar or bag of crisps for convenience.

Today we are going to share some of our healthy alternatives to sugary and fatty snacks that are not only much better for you but will keep you satisfied and fuller for longer!

Healthy Alternatives To Sweet Snacks-

Get your five a day and choose fruit- there's so much variety you can change it up each day

Get your sweet fix and dairy into your diet with low fat yoghurts

Popcorn is a great alternative snack which can be both sweet and savoury! There are so many different flavors to cater to any taste

Cereal bars are a great snack for those morning munchies- choose one with fruit for an extra health kick and to boost your five a day

Smoothies are often full of various vitamins and nutrients especially if you choose one with veggies in too and can be very filling

Dark chocolate I know what your thinking how can chocolate be healthy? Well in moderation dark chocolate can be very beneficial, it is packed with antioxidants

Healthy Alternatives To Savory Snacks

Baked as opposed to fried crisps will dramatically cut down both the fat and calories 

Craving something salty? Nuts are a great source of good fats and the perfect salty snack just remember to eat in moderation

Rice cakes are another versatile snack like popcorn which can be both sweet and savory and a great alternative to crisps

Choose wholegrain whenever possible such as oatcakes, or cracker snack packs to reap the full health benefits as opposed to refined grains

Dried vegetables or better know as vegetable crisps are a great way to get a variety of vegetables into one simple on the go snack, perfect if your craving something both savory and crunchy

You can find many of these healthy alternatives around our outlets across campus till next time, have a happy and healthy week!