We were very proud to be on Bristols community radio station BCFM as part of the NHS’s Wellbeing show.
We talked about the Weight Loss Challenges & Angel talked about her amazing success story in losing 4 stone!
Health Tips - Education
Weight Loss Challenge on NHS’s wellbeing show.
Energy levels!!..and how different foods affect them
Different foods affect your energy levels in different ways. High sugary & simple carbohydrate foods generally give you a quick release of sugar into your blood stream, hence a quick release of energy. After the insulin in your pancreas combats the sugar you are left with a dip in your glucose & energy levels. This can happen quickly after eating & can therefore make you feel tired, lethargic & hungry. It is important to ensure every meal is well balanced. This is especially important for people with diabetes to decrease the risk of having a hypoglycaemic attack.
Click here to view how an excess of sugar can affect your weight and your energy levels
Why not send a picture & description of your meal plan to kara@bristolweightlosschallenge.com and we will give you some feedback on how healthy your meals are.
Help yourself to a healthier heart
Healthy Hearts classes are cardiac rehabilitation exercise classes for anyone who’s suffered with heart problems
They are fun and sociable classes that will improve your cardiovascular system. With exercise and a healthy diet you will help yourself to a healthier heart and prevent further heart problems. Take a look at this healthy hearts video to see the classes in action, contact Kara on 07531009371 for more information on how to access your nearest class.
Obesity and Healthy Heart
With Arriba! Wellness Clubs there is only one type of weight loss: a healthy, safe and permanent weight loss. Why? Because being overweight contributes to a wide range of diseases: it is a major contributor to developing the metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension. Several studies found increased risk of heart disease with increasing levels of obesity for both men and women.
Do you want to enjoy a long, active life full of energy and vitality? You’ll have to put your heart into it. Maintaining a strong, healthy cardiovascular system is essential to your overall health and quality of life. So why wait? Start making life choices today that will give you the heart of a champion – and the life of a winner. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
1. STEP UP YOUR GAME
Get your body moving. Studies show that moderate physical activity can strengthen the heart. Regular exercise – jogging, weight lifting, playing sports – is key to a healthy heart and a rich and fulfilling life. Not interested in playing sports or joining a gym? Try walking. Taking 6,000 to 10,000 steps every day is terrific for your heart. A pedometer, available at most sports shops, can help you keep track of your steps throughout the day. Try different types of exercise, find the ones you really enjoy, and make them a regular part of your life.
2. EAT LIKE A WINNER
Forget the fast food. Junk the junk food. Create a heart-healthy diet. That means healthy protein, healthy fatty acids like Omega-3s, lots of water and plenty of fruits and vegetables. The way you eat is important, too. So don’t skip meals. Schedule regular times for meals and snacks. And try not to eat anything within a few hours of going to bed.
3. REST, RECHARGE AND REJUVINATE
And speaking of going to bed… it’s time to get some shut-eye. Sleep deprivation has been linked to an increased risk of heart problems. We’re busy people, and it can be tempting to shave off an hour or two of sleep to “be more productive.” Resist that temptation. Think of it this way: For eight hours of every day of your life, the most productive activity you can engage in for your health is sleeping. So, have a good night – and you’ll have a great life.
What to do next?
Join your nearest Arriba! Wellness Club and participate to our weekly nutrition classes with rest of your community: you will learn how to implement the important changes that are necessary to a healthy lifestyle.
Contact us for more information or to book a space in our next class.
We are all on diet because we eat
Let’s be clear about what the term “diet” really means
People often associate dieting with the act of restricting their food intake. You often hear the term “I am on diet” , and more and more drinks are labelled with the term “diet” to indicate that they are suitable for people who are watching their weight. Actually, when it comes to nutrition, Diet is a sum of foods consumed by a person. Dietary habits can vary between individuals and cultures. So technically we are all on diet because we eat, right? So let’s stop associating this term to some negative concept that suggests “dieting is for fat people”.
This is the first thing that I am trying to convey when I run my Arriba! Weight Loss classes. By default the human diet should be healthy, e.g. provides to the body the right amount and combination of nutrients so it can maintain, repair, and recover itself. And when I mention nutrients I am suggesting good proteins, good fats, good carbohydrates and the right amount of vitamins and minerals.
Obesity in Great Britain tripled over the last 20 years, still rising.
The reason why the level of obesity is rising in Britain is because we lost the concept and knowledge of dieting. We are now on a high sugar, high fat (the bad ones!) diet, and this is now the only diet we know. But our body didn’t have a chance to evolve quick enough to adapt to this new diet, so it stores the food it has in excess and it expands! Unfortunately, obesity is not an aesthetic problem associated with shape and figures; obesity is directly linked to health issues such as heart diseases, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure,osteoarthritis..the list is long. So we should all take our diet very seriously, regardless if we are trying to lose weight or not!
It seems that we are giving up on ourselves because the concept of “Healthy Diet” sounds daunting, complex and expensive. Healthy calories can be more expensive and less accessible than unhealthy calories but the first step into a healthy diet is: Knowledge and Education, this is as simple as that. You heard me well: we all need to go to a “Healthy Diet School” that teaches us the basic of good nutrition. And this is not about counting calories, or maintaining diet sheets, or even relying on food combination. This is about educating your body so it gets used to healthy nutrition and this is also about educating yourself so you understand why your body does what it does.
An Healthy Diet School for all
The ideal “Healthy Diet School” may not exist yet because of the economy pressure to eat refined food, but we have access to a wide range of information on the internet and we also have organisations such as the Arriba! Weight Loss clubs. In a way overweight people who attend our classes are lucky because they give to themselves the opportunity to lose weight but they are also empowered so they can become healthy and teach others how to do the same. And this is why I am so proud to be part of it.
So please, respect yourself, respect your body. Don’t think that health issues will never happen to you: prevention is better than cure! Being a victim is not your fault, but staying one is! So if you know that you are living an unhealthy life, do the right thing today, ignorance is no excuse!