7 tips for a healthy day and 2016

By Laura Shelly

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season with loved ones. I know the holidays can be a challenging time for sticking with a healthy nutrition and workout routine, so I hope you enjoyed the extra indulgences without any guilt. I know I did!

To me, living a healthy lifestyle means balance and moderation. Enjoy those Christmas meals without a second thought, and do your best to get back on track once the season is over. Below I’ve included 7 daily tips to follow to get you back on track for 2016. If living a healthy lifestyle is new to you, make small changes as you’re ready, and I know you’ll feel improvements both physically and mentally with consistency. Healthy eating Stock image
Eat plenty of vegetables and fruit and other tips for a healthy day and a healthy 2016.

• Sleep! I can’t express this enough. I try to be consistent with my sleeping habits by going to bed and waking up at the same time everyday, and being sure to get seven to nine hours per night. Sleep is the time for your body to regenerate, and is also responsible for balancing your hormones. Adequate sleep will allow your muscles to recover from a workout, will stabilize your appetite and will give you energy to function optimally throughout the day.

• Start your day with lemon water. Lemon water reduces inflammation by helping to alkalize your body, aids in digestion, clears skin and prevents the afternoon crash. I could go on and on about the benefits of lemon water. I personally add half a squeezed lemon to a cup of warm water every morning before breakfast.

• Plan ahead! By planning your day, you can be sure to incorporate healthy meals you can prepare the day before. When I’m in a good routine, I’ll cook enough food to last for a few days, and package each meal in a glass container. When you’re prepared, you can only succeed.

• Eat all food groups. Healthy nutrition is key, and I don’t believe in drastic diets. Actually, I don’t like the word diet at all. Eating a balance of protein, healthy fats, complex carbs and plenty of veggies and fruits is key to a healthy body. It’s better to establish healthy nutrition habits on the long term, rather than follow a shirt term diet that isn’t realistic for everyday life.

• Exercise! Set aside time to exercise, and treat this time like an appointment for your heart. Whether it’s getting outdoors for a walk, going to a fitness class, or hitting the weights at the gym, choose something you enjoy. As children, we didn’t view playing as work, so as adults we should attempt to do the same. By choosing an activity you enjoy, you’ll be more likely to stick to it.

• Surround yourself with positive and like-minded people. I always look at the new year as a fresh start. If any relationships are bogging you down, then perhaps it’s time to re-think them. I know I’ve moved on from these types of situations in my past, and have only ever felt better after doing so. I can truly say I love all my friends, and I always feel uplifted around them. I wish you all the same.

• Shutdown electronic devices. This is something I need to work on myself. Shutting off electronic devices at least a hour before bed allows you to fully relax and prepare for sleep. Whether it’s having a hot bath, doing some reading (using a book) or being with a loved one, try to make this a habit. Our society is far too busy, and at times too connected in my personal opinion. Taking time for oneself after a busy day and keeping electronic devices away from the bedroom will result in better sleeping habits. As a business owner, “unplugging” is something I want to work on this year.

Much love,
Laura Shelly

*Exercise of the month: Take the stairs  – after the holiday feasting, I challenge you all to take the stairs this month. Every little bit of extra activity counts!
*Healthy food of the month:  – beetroot is known to reduce blood pressure, boost energy and fight inflammation. You can add it to salads or drink it as a juice, and you can also eat the greens.

---
Laura Shelly has been a certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Instructor for 3 years, and also specializes in pre- and post-natal fitness. She has her own local business called ‘Laura’s Bombshells’ where she focuses on both in-home and gym training, as well as online training programs. Contact her via ‘Laura Shelly’ on Facebook, on Twitter @LShell86, Instagram @laurashellyfit or by email at ms.laurashelly@gmail.com for help or inquiries.

http://www.insidetoronto.com/blogs/post/6229082-7-tips-for-a-healthy-day-and-2016/

Scientists recommend 20-minute daily walk to avoid premature death

Research into obesity establishes benefits of engaging in moderate levels of daily exercise

Adults should aim to do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week, the British Heart Foundation recommends. Photograph: Tony Watson /Alamy

Lack of exercise is twice as likely to lead to an early grave as obesity, research has shown.

A brisk 20-minute walk each day could be all it takes to avoid dying prematurely, the findings suggest.

Scientists looked at the effects of obesity and exercise on 334,161 European men and women whose progress was followed for 12 years. They found that people who engaged in moderate levels of daily exercise – equivalent to taking an energetic 20-minute walk – were 16% to 30% less likely to die than those classified as inactive.

Although the impact of exercise was greatest among people of a normal weight, even those with a high body mass index (BMI) levels saw a benefit.

Overall, avoiding inactivity theoretically reduced the risk of death from any cause by 7.35%, said the scientists. Having a BMI lower than obesity levels, defined as a score of 30 or more, was estimated to lower mortality by 3.66%. Keeping waists trim, irrespective of BMI, had a similar impact on death rates as exercise.

BMI is calculated by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by their height in metres squared and is a standard tool used to assess whether someone is overweight or obese.

Lack of exercise was thought to have caused almost 700,000 deaths across Europe in 2008.

Study leader Prof Ulf Ekelund, from the Medical Research Council (MRC) epidemiology unit at Cambridge University, said: “This is a simple message: just a small amount of physical activity each day could have substantial health benefits for people who are physically inactive.

“Although we found that just 20 minutes would make a difference, we should really be looking to do more than this – physical activity has many proven health benefits and should be an important part of our daily life.”

Participants in the research, who had an average age of about 50, were recruited to the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (Epic) study conducted across 10 European countries, including the UK. All had their height, weight and waist sizes measured and provided self-assessments of physical activity levels.

Just under a quarter (22.7%) were categorised as inactive, working in sedentary jobs without engaging in any recreational exercise.

The findings, which are published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, say the greatest reductions in the risk of premature death were seen when comparing moderately active groups with those who were completely inactive.

Using the most recent available public data, the researchers calculated that 337,000 of the 9.2m deaths that occurred in Europe in 2008 could be attributed to obesity, but physical inactivity was thought to be responsible for almost double this number – 676,000 deaths.

Co-author Prof Nick Wareham, director of the MRC epidemiology unit, said: “Helping people to lose weight can be a real challenge and, whilst we should continue to aim at reducing population levels of obesity, public health interventions that encourage people to make small but achievable changes in physical activity can have significant health benefits and may be easier to achieve and maintain.”

June Davison, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: “The results of this study are a clear reminder that being regularly physically active can reduce the risk of dying from coronary heart disease.

“The research suggests that just a modest increase in physical activity can have health benefits. Adults should aim to do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week, carrying it out in sessions of 10 minutes or more.

“Whether it’s going for a walk, taking a bike ride or using the stairs instead of the lift, keeping active every day will help reduce the risk of developing coronary heart disease.”

Press Association, The Guardian, Wednesday 14 January 2015 23.28 

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/14/scientists-recommend-20-minute-daily-walk-premature-death