Hi All!
Here is your monthly dose of health updates.
This months tips are all about setting the stage for winning with your health during the festivities throughout December. How to attend and enjoy events without derailing your nutrition and health routine.
Holiday Season Planning for Diet and Exercise
Just like you have dates in your calendar for year end parties, Christmas toasts and celebratory occasions, now is the time to block out your daily exercise in your schedule as a nonnegotiable event. Especially while your usual routine of gym days and movement activities may be disrupted, it is essentially important to allocate that time and be mentally prepared for it. If a last minute invitation comes up, adjust the time of the fitness event, but as a non-negotiable, simply deleting it isn’t an option. The same applies for leaving time to do your meal planning and prep for the week – schedule it as life saving event that no-one can interfere with.
TOP TIP – as time is tight, but consistency is invaluable, try and plan shorter workouts (e.g. 30 minutes every day), rather than your extended 1.5hr routines. You might not break any records, but you’ll definitely ensure that your strength, ability, focus and metabolic systems stay primed and in shape.
A trick for preventing eating outside your health boundaries at the festive table and celebratory events
Whether you’re attending a corporate buffet event, or sitting down for a feast with the family, make use of a friend or loved one to support you by loading your plate for you.
Speak to them in advance of the occasion and ask for their help. Set out why it’s important for you to avoid all the processed and carbohydrate laden ‘food like’ temptations, and tell them what you want to eat, how much of it and what you absolutely don’t want to be served to you.
Depending on your current health status, and where you are in your habit building journey, you may decide that there are some holiday indulgences that you want to treat yourself to – and this is ok. But setting out your boundaries in advance, be it food types, portion sizes, and which events you want to consume at at all, and being firm in your resolve when offered options outside of your boundaries, are all acts that will help keep you on track to avoid falling back in to the trap you have worked hard to get out off.
Join the gym now, or book your first class/session with a trainer
If your New Years resolution includes fixing your health and boosting your fitness then there’s nothing better than having a firm commitment in your calendar for the first week of the new year.
Join your local gym now – even if you don’t intend to start until after the festive season. Book your place now in your first group workout class, or schedule and induction with a trainer. If you wait until after the new year to think about which gym to join, or what class or program to start with, it’s likely that by the end of January you’ll still be figuring it out. Do it now, and then enjoy the holidays knowing that this time your new years resolution has a start date.
If you’ve ever considered working with a Personal Trainer, or taking the advice of a Nutritionist, The Health Fix’s Bespoke 1 on 1 Health Coaching & Mentoring may be exactly what you’re looking for. Read about how health coaching can help you upgrade your life.
We’re offering an amazing seasonal discount on training programs, so be sure to check your inbox in the coming days so you don’t miss out! 🤫🎉💪🏼
High fibre diets may not be all that healthy after all – continuing to myth-bust the marketing claims
It has long been known that compounds found in so called “Super-Foods” are often the plant’s defence chemicals, and these compounds are predominately found in the leaves and roots of common vegetables.
A research paper entitled “A high-fiber diet synergizes with Prevotella copri and exacerbates rheumatoid arthritis” serves to further confirm that some food items might not be so super after all. This appears to be a repeating pattern seen in many autoimmune conditions, with symptoms disappearing upon cessation of consumption.
Choosing the best time of day to exercise to maximize results and optimize your health
A new study highlights that exercising at the same time of day, every day, can be beneficial in solidifying circadian rhythms and their effect on our metabolism, mood, focus and energy. The findings emphasise that this discipline could be especially important when trying to reverse chronic disease (e.g diabetes) or to optimise sleep patterns and quality sleep’s effect on day time energy.
It should be cautioned however, the best timing for exercise is definitely what ever time you can be consistent with. Therefore if your lifestyle requires a flexible schedule, then it’s better to exercise no matter what, regardless of the time of day you have available for it.
Re-analyzed data exposes decades of false demonization of red meat products
If you were to believe the mainstream message from TV Chefs, Health Gurus, and most notably Doctors and Nutritionists, then you’d have spent the last 50 years thinking that red meat is bad for you and the planet. Any critical thinker already understood that the foods that powered 2 million years of human evolution weren’t likely to be responsible for the last centuries explosion of chronic diseases.
Thankfully, more honest and thorough examination of existing and additional data is being conducted, leading to the question, when will Western governments publicly back track on their nutrition advice and the consequential pandemic of metabolic disease?
Big Think outline a brief history to the politics and poor quality evidence that previously implicated red meat in instances of cancer and heart disease.
Higher intake of saturated fat in fact associated with a DECREASE in heart disease symptoms – especially in men.
In another challenge to paradigms of old, multiple improved health markers correlated strongly with higher consumption of real dairy products.
Read the study
Every month we’ll recommend some of our favourite resources for additional learning or inspiration in the fields of Health, Fitness, Lifestyle and Self Development. If you’ve found a book that has made a positive impact on your life, do let us know!
Here’s this months selection! . . .
Brain Energy: A Revolutionary Breakthrough in Understanding Mental Health – and Improving Treatment for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More – by Christopher M Palmer MD
Sickening: How Big Pharma Broke American Health Care and How We Can Repair It – by John Abrasion MD
The Mineral Fix: How to Optimize Your Mineral Intake for Energy, Longevity, Immunity, Sleep and More – by Dr James DiNicolantonio
Every month we share tips, motivation and points to consider in order to achieve and maintain optimal health along with a few health related news and science updates that you may have missed.
Often we’ll share the answers to questions frequently asked by our private coaching clients and online course participants.
If there’s a topic you’d like us to explore next month we’d love to hear from you! Simply reply to this email with your idea or request.
