Lifestyle

Dear Reader,

“Lifestyle” is a new feature in the Messenger where you will find inspiration for your individual and corporate wellness.There will be articles and advice on health and fitness that could be beneficial to you or your business so watch this space.

In this issue we have part of Fran Eccles-Bech’s journal, which I would have called “The Journey” but as you can see Fran chose a rather more colourful title. Secondly we have an article about weight management - “The Truth
at Last” by nutritional therapist Alex McDonnell. We are available to answer any questions you may have in relation to your fitness, weight management and corporate wellness so feel free to contact us on e-mail or phone and we will do our best to help you.

Regards

Søren Josefsen
07709 028 329 or soren@pure-fit.co.uk

The Truth at Last

By Nutritional Therapist Alex McDonnell

Weight management is a mine field,and a mine field full of experts! What’s the point in recommending this diet,
that diet or no diet, people are confused,and a look in any bookshop nowadays tells you why. There are literally thousands of solutions, so what is the reason for the obesity epidemic (which will be followed by the cancer epidemic as the science now correlates the two conditionns).

For a start people are confused, they think that one solution, be it diet/ lifestyle that worked for their friend
will work for them, and they are unhappy when it doesn’t. Also one of the factors that is not discussed is the
holistic approach, that it’s not just your diet, or your exercise regime, or your genes, or your stress level or or
or! It’s all of them! And what fits for you it’s just that; your Own Personal program to get you to where you
want to be.

Here are a few general principles to think about, the real science behind weight management.

1. Blood Sugar levels - this is the real epidemic in the Western world and leads directly to the obesity and diabetes problems we have. Balance your blood sugar by eating every 3 hours! Eat a mixture of complex
carbohydrate, from oats, rice, rye and whole-wheat, with quality protein - chicken, oily fish and essential fats from oily fish (again), nuts and seeds. If you do this regularly you will maintain balanced blood sugar, keep insulin levels low and increase levels of a hormone called Glucagon, and it helps you burn fat!

2. Insulin - your biggest enemy for fat loss and weight management. If you follow the advice above then your levels of insulin secretion and disposal will be normal. If you eat foods that are refined (pastry, white rice and bread, confectionary, good old sugar) then your blood sugar will spike, then so will your insulin. After a while your cells will require more insulin to get them open to the sugar, whilst this is happening your levels of insulin and sugar are high.When they are high, you will not burn fat it is a chemical impossibility. Have you ever regularly gone to the gym, worked hard but still not lost any fat? Insulin is the reason. Follow a blood sugar balancing diet and consume vitamin B3, Chromium and zinc at therapeutic levels to address your insulin resistance.

3. Stress - the chemical side of stress is fascinating, and is clearly linked to weight management. the practical side, when we are stressed we make poor choices for food and drink, eat more convenience foods and generally  lose discipline in our lives.This needs support to be managed properly, with simple strategies and goals to bring us back on track. But there’s lots going on with the chemical side too. Cortisol, the major stress hormone  affects us in so many different ways, enhancing insulin resistance, promoting fat deposition - especially around the middle and depressing our immune systems. Resetting adrenal hormones is a fundamental area in establishing weight management and helping you to cope, manage and feel better all round.

This was a brief introduction to the background of weight management. Next we can get down to the specific changes in eating habits, lifestyle adjustment and exercise that really work in weight management, getting you to where you want to be.