"Step in to Christmas"

“Step in to Christmas”

Hi folks,

It’s almost time… Are you ready to tuck in to a marathon of succulent meats, crispy roasties & rich chocolates because I sure am! It might not be the most nutritionally healthy season but it’s the perfect time to switch off from work & re-charge our batteries.

Many people enjoy a walk on Christmas day / Boxing day & this is a great idea. It not only gets us out the house & some fresh air but the walking movement helps massage our gut to help all that food digest better. So even if its just a walk out to test out the dogs new novelty coat, 30min later you’ll be refreshed & raring to rejoin the festivities.

Why not organise a Xmas walk at work? Let's face it, everyone’s mind is on the holidays right now so how about getting everyone in the office out of the office in the final afternoon. Head out on a long walk around the nearest bit of countryside, landmark etc then finish off at a pub for a swift half? People will instantly start to de-stress by chatting to each other about their Xmas plans (instead of work) that they won’t even realise that they are actively fighting a sedentary lifestyle, raising moral & getting some fresh air in the process!

Eat well, unwind & keep moving,

Have a great Christmas!

James

A Workplace Health Must!

Hi folks,


Calling all health professionals & HR managers! Get yourself booked on to the next Health & Wellbeing @ Work conference in March 2013 at the NEC. Ive been for the last 3 years & its a great couple of days. It has a trade exhibition with lots of demo's & free advice from like minded companies. However by far the best things are the wide range of seminars by top industry speakers.

Everyone there has the same common goals so it's really easy to mix & network. Every year I have some really interesting conversations with other attendees as well as the speakers at the end of each session. It's a place where real  progression is born & as you might be able to tell, I'm already excited about it!

We're constantly trying to boost the moral & performance of others but what about ours? Who looks after us? So if you want to re-ignite your passion for workplace health, be truly inspired, & come away with lots of ideas that you just can't wait to put to work, then book in now!

see you there,

James

Fruit Isn't the Quick Fix!

Hi folks,

I recently took part in a 2-day school's event to raise awareness of what a healthy lifestyle consists of. All the participants where very keen & enthusiastic but it seemed that their understanding of a healthy diet was just fruit, fruit & more fruit! Lean forms of protein, vegetables, wholegrains & good fats where berely mentioned by any of the groups which I found quite worrying.

As we know fruit is an important part of a balanced diet & a great snack of which we should aim for about 4-5 portions per day. It contains fibre & lots of antioxidants but too much and the sugar that it also contains may contribute to tooth decay & higher blood sugar levels.

So where did all of these participants get this perception from? Hopefully their teachers taught them about the importance of a varied diet, so maybe it's down to the parents. With everyone's busy lifestyles these days does a 'healthy' meal / packed lunch box just involve a token piece of fruit being tossed in because its quick & convenient? - I can imagine in many cases yes!

This view that fruit = a healthy diet is also prominent among adults. It is the first list of foods we give when asked to describe one. We don't want to stop people eating fruit, but to get everyone eating more of the other healthy food groups too. Realistcally most people won't be pro-active on this at home so one of the best ways to do this is to engage them whilst in the workplace. This will benefit their workplace health & performance, sense of investment from their employer & the health perceptions of their families.

i.e. The corporate world has the potential power (& self interest) to change the health of society through workplace education. 


James