Take 1min to reduce your waist line!

Hi folks,

If you’re a regular reader of my blogs then you will recall a blog written late last year about staying active in an office environment. Well, I’m feeling rather smug to say that the European Heart Journal seems to back up my advice with some interesting results.

The journal states that 4757 people took part in a US ‘Health & Nutrition Examination Survey’ from 2003 to 2006. Those who took more regular short breaks had slimmer waists by up to 1.6 inches over those who just took occasional breaks.

By minimizing the period of time we sit stationary for, we can not only reduce the circumference of our waists but maintain our levels of ‘good' HDL cholesterol too (which deplete in long periods of sedentary).

So, taking as little as 1 minute regular breaks to stand up & stretch, re-hydrate, chat to a colleague face to face, or get some fresh air, looks to be a win: win situation for your waist line, your posture, your lower back & your overall productivity......sounds like a no-brainer to me!!

Why not start off this good habit right now?

Thanks

James

Zinc - What's all the fuss?

Hi folks,

You might be aware that Zinc has been hitting the headlines this week as an exciting remedy for the common cold. Well I thought I'd be topical and investigate this for you a little further, plus it follows on nicely from my recent blogs. For quick reading, here is the verdict in bullet point form:

•         Zinc works by coating the virus that helps stop it entering the body & therefore protects us against becoming ill.

•         Taken within 24hrs this same affect stops the virus from replicating meaning that we can recover quicker if we do become infected.

•         Zinc is available in syrup form, tablets & lozenges. However the specific doses are still being determined so at the moment these are more likely to leave a nasty taste, stomach upsets, nausea or diarrhoea due to their toxicity.

•         So for the time-being I advise just involving foods naturally high in zinc such as cocoa / dark chocolate, pumpkin seeds, oysters, roast beef, lamb & liver.

As the scientific community has still not completely finished with Zinc, try staying healthy using the magic properties of garlic (lookout for more about garlic in future blogs).

Thanks for reading

James

 

Top 10 healthy food rules

Hi folks,

Here's a quick one for those of you dashing to the supermarket this weekend, and for you guys who are fed up of munching on celery as part of your healthy eating resolutions...my top 10 foodie rules:

1.      Prepare meals & snacks from scratch (you control whats in them)

2.      Start the day with a good breakfast, based around complex carbs & protein (slow release energy & alertness).

3.      A mix of 9 fruit & veg per day varying in colour (different vitamins)

4.      Eat smaller portions more often - 5 small varied meals per day (we can digest it properly & never feel hungry!)

5.      Stay hydrated – don’t wait until you feel thirsty (or hungry).

6.      Buy ‘own brand / saver’ veg & invest in good quality meat (all veg is the same but quality meat = quality nutrients).

7.      Make your own sauces, using tinned tomatoes / cold oils – no cheese (sauces contain hidden dangers)

8.      Look for wholegrain / brown varieties (you're gut will love you for this).

9.      Steam or grill if possible (keeps the nutrients in without adding any bad fats)

10.  When time, make extra portions for quick meals later in the week (one of my favourites).

 Why not try these simple techniques out this week folks & add a comment below to say how you're getting on?

James

The best...invest!

Hi folks,

This morning I attended a meeting organised by an engineering training company that I work with. Their message was simple; it pays dividends to invest in good quality training.

In this period of reduced budgets and uncertain futures it is naturally our first response to cut out luxuries and only spend money on the basics to stay operational. However, working at this level will only ever produce average results. So as a business what we need to ask yourselves is, do you want to emerge from this ‘recession’ limping along with the others or visibly ahead of your competitors on track to great profits?

Everyone agrees that pro-actively increasing your workforce health gives a range of substantial financial benefits, as does the research evidence but many companies are like scared sheep. Why not be innovative, make a calculated investment, and stand out as an industry leader?

For example, if you’re buying a new car, you could save money and get an old second hand little ‘run-around’, or you could invest a little more in a newer model that you really want, that will be more reliable and will deliver the desired results. Both options will get you from A to B but the second option will improve your performance and pay-off as both a short and long term investment.

You have the workforce, we at Occupational Fitness have valuable training at a great price, so let’s take your company forward together! For more information or if you know anyone who may be interested, please contact me through our website www.occupational-fitness.com or email james.bednarski@occupational-fitness.com.

See how many comparisons you make between products over this weekend and the reasons behind them.

Thanks.