Think about the last time you overindulged in unhealthy food. Were you thinking about something upsetting, had a stressful day, were you watching TV, or chatting to someone? Before you knew it, you’d eaten far more than you had intended without even really being aware of what you were doing.

So in what ways can we practice mindfulness to improve our health?

During exercise

Paying attention to the burn of our muscles as we push against resistance. Being aware of our body so that we are using the correct technique to make the most of each rep and avoid injury. Being aware of that happy rush of endorphins when we find our flow. Noticing greenery around us or the way the early morning breeze feels on our face.

All of these bring us into the moment, letting us get the most enjoyment out of our workout and perform at our best distraction free.

Avoiding multitasking

Study after study has shown that while many of us think that the ability to multitask makes us more productive, the opposite is actually true. Bring able to focus on just one thing from start to completion is far more efficient.

Planning your meals for the week, writing out a shopping list, preparing dinner, packing your workout clothes, scheduling your workout times into your calendar. All great examples of activities that would benefit from mindfulness.

Breaking the stress cycle

The more time you spend stressed, distracted, worrying about the future, the more time you spend in a negative frame of mind. Persistent and prolonged negative emotions can actually alter your brain chemicals, making you more prone to experience anxious thoughts and further negative emotions.

Taking a few minutes here and there to pay attention to what is happening right now, what you can see, feel, taste and touch in this moment without thinking about the future can help break this cycle. Mindfulness is a lovely, gentle strategy to help ease stress and other uncomfortable emotions.

What other ways have you found where being present in the moment has helped you? We would live to hear your top tips on being more mindful!

So what’s the real deal with avocado? Let’s take a look…

Fats

Yes, avocado contains fat. But the types of fat found in avocado are considered to be “good fats.” That is, they contain unsaturated fats which are linked to lower incidences of heart disease, as well as important for the absorption of certain fat-soluble vitamins, and healthy brain function. Being a plant product, they are also cholesterol free.

It is actually essential that we take in some amount of fat in our diet every day, and avocado is a great choice as a healthy spread, in salads, fillings, or as a baking ingredient.

How much?

One whole large avocado has around 400 calories. That’s equivalent to almost a whole meal in itself. The majority of us wouldn’t consume a whole avocado in one sitting though. We might use a couple of tablespoons as a spread/filling (50 calories) or even a quarter in a salad (100 calories).

These types of portions are absolutely fine, and as long as you look at the calories you are getting from avocado as just one part of a balanced diet, there’s no reason to avoid them.

Keeping you full

An added benefit of including avocado in your diet is that the good fats and fibre can help to slow digestion, meaning that you have more sustained energy levels. This helps to avoid those blood sugar highs, and crashes that make you feel tired or lethargic.

Great news for letting you make the most out of your day! Try pairing avocado with some healthy whole grains and lean protein for maximum benefits. And most of all, enjoy!

If you find it difficult to keep up the momentum in making lifestyle changes, these simple tips might make it easier for you!

Choose 2-3 things to change in a week

Rather than trying to change absolutely everything in your life, just pick 2-3 of the most important things. This could be something like- making a commitment to walk for 15-20 minutes every morning, plus eating fruit at breakfast every morning, and cutting off caffeine after 3pm.

All of these will have significant benefits to your health, are easy to remember, and aren’t too difficult to implement. Once these new habits have started to feel more automatic, you can decide on some new goals to include. And don’t be too strict with this tip. If you get to the end of the week and don’t feel like you are ready to make any new changes, then leave it for another week!

Make being healthy easier

It’s hard to choose healthy foods when there’s nothing in your pantry but high sugar high sodium pre-packaged foods. It’s difficult to get out there and exercise when you don’t have any workout clothes that fit properly. It’s very hard to make a healthy choice when you’ve skipped lunch and are absolutely starving, and the local drive through is your way home.

Plan ahead a little, and think about what you could do now that will make those healthier choices more likely in the future. Maybe it’s laying your exercise clothes ready for the next morning. Packing a healthy lunch the night before to grab on your way out the door. Even putting together some recipes and making sure you have the ingredients on hand through the week.

Celebrate your changes, not whether you’ve reached your goal

Make sure you take a minute to celebrate all the healthy changes you have made, and that you are on your way to serious progress with your health. Rather than getting irritated that all your hard work only changed your weight by half a kilo, or that you aren’t running an hour straight without a break yet, look at what you have accomplished.

This way you will be much more likely to feel positive about the experience, and be able to continue your changes long term. Before long you’ll be hitting your goals and you’ll have enjoyed the process as well!

Is eating organic something that you should be doing? The answer to that is a resounding… maybe.

First things first

Before getting into the nitty-gritty details of vitamins, minerals, trace levels of chemicals, let’s take a step back first. Are you, in fact, eating the right amounts from each of the food groups in the first place? That is, 2-3 serves of fruit a day, 5 or more serves of vegetables or salad, 2-3 serves of reduced fat and no added sugar dairy products, a serving of lean protein or meat alternative, and plenty of whole grains.

The majority of us aren’t, and if this is you, then in the grand scheme of things whether you are buying organic or not isn’t going to have anywhere near as big an impact on your health and nutritional status as just making sure that you are eating well in general.

Fruit

One serving of fruit is a piece the size of a tennis ball, 2 golf ball sized pieces, or 1 cup chopped up. Bonus points for leaving skin on or for edible seeds. Be wary of dried fruit or fruit juice, which is more concentrated in natural sugar.

Vegetables

A serving of vegetables is half a cup of cooked vegetables, or 1 cup of salad vegetables. Be mindful of portions when it comes to more starchy vegetables such as potato, sweet potato, corn, peas, pumpkin, parsnip, and try and include plenty of non-starchy vegetables to make up the bulk of meals.

You should aim for vegetables at both lunch and dinner, or even breakfast!

Protein

Lean meat, poultry, or fish prepared in a healthy way such as boiling, steaming, grilling, or oven baking with just a small amount of healthy oil such as olive or rice bran oil is a good idea. A size about the palm of your hand is the right portion size, fish a little more.

If you want to enjoy meat free meals sometimes you can substitute in eggs, nuts, legumes, or tofu. Avoid heavily salted forms of protein, and be wary of processed meat.

Dairy

If you can tolerate dairy, choose 2-3 serves a day. A serve is a glass of milk, 2 slices of light cheese, 1 tub no added sugar yoghurt etc. If lactose is a problem then soy milk may be your next best option. Be careful of rice or almond milk, sugar content can be much higher and calcium levels much lower.

Whole grains

Grainy bread, brown rice, grainy crackers, whole grain unprocessed cereals, and wholemeal pasta are great options. The least processed the better as a general rule.

If you are meeting all of these requirements on a daily basis, and your budget allows for the additional cost of organic produce, by all meals swap your local supermarket purchase for the organic farmers market. If however like most of us you aren’t getting your recommended daily intake from each of the food groups, it might be best to start there and make improvements afterward.

Being mindful simply means to be present in the moment, that is- to be aware of your surroundings, notice things happening around you so that you get out of your own head for just a moment. This does miraculous things for relieving anxiety or depression and acts as a type of reset button when you start to get overwhelmed with planning or details.

So what is being mindful? It’s simply making the effort a few times a day, one an hour, once in the middle of the day- whatever frequency works for you- to take a moment and pay attention to what is happening around you. What can you see, smell, hear, feel and taste. It’s just being present in the moment, for a moment.

Why bother? Well, let’s discuss the health benefits of mindfulness.

It reduces stress

Lowering your blood pressure, allowing you to better regulate your emotions, to cope better, and improve your mood. Chances are that if you are stuck in your own head, it’s because you are worried about something, or feeling a little overwhelmed. Reducing your stress allows you to think more rationally and less reactively.

It reduces pain

Those suffering from chronic pain have found that mindfulness can help them to manage pain better and actually report lower levels of pain overall. This may be related to lower stress levels, as it’s thought that stress makes pain worse.

It decreases anxiety and depression

Being mindful can help stop rumination in its tracks, and divert negative thoughts to more neutral ones. It allows the mind to have a break, and therefore be able to take a step back and identify unhelpful thoughts more objectively.

It helps you lose weight

Mindfulness practices have been shown to improve outcomes for those trying to lose weight, with reduced unconscious eating, emotional eating, or comfort eating, as well as more enjoyment of healthy foods and exercise.

Less self-destructive behaviors

Mindfulness has been shown to help improve self-regulation of emotion and impulses, such as drinking alcohol or smoking cigarettes.

So overall there are many benefits of mindfulness in terms of your health. What have you found to be the biggest benefit?

All these questions and more answered below…

Why do we need to stay hydrated?

The majority of our body, around 60%, is made up of water. It is required to allow the movement of cells such as red blood cells, nutrients, fuel sources such as sugar, fatty acids, and proteins, and many others through our body, as well as allowing for toxins to be removed from our system through the urine.

Just 1% dehydration can start to affect how well our body can function- including concentration, energy levels, reflexes, exercise capacity, and memory. To keep your body running as well as it possibly can, staying hydrated is a very important element- along with healthy balanced eating, adequate rest/sleep, and regular exercise.

Why do we become dehydrated?

We lose water through our breath, through sweat, our urine, and bowel movements. The hotter the environment, the more you sweat and need to rehydrate. Exercise is another factor that accelerates water loss- through both breathing and sweating. Even indoor heating where the air is dry can result in increased water loss through the skin.

Being unwell can also exacerbate dehydration such as through vomiting or diarrhoea, fever, infection, or draining wounds.

How much?

When it comes to daily fluid intake to keep you hydrated, you have probably heard the stock standard rule of 8 glasses a day. When professionals calculate daily fluid requirements, they often use the formula of 30ml/kg of body weight. So a 70kg person would need 70 x 30ml = 2100ml, or 2.1L a day.

For every hour of exercise you complete, it is a good idea to try and drink at least 1L of fluid as an estimate, or alternatively you can weight yourself before and after your workout, and replace every 1kg of weight lost with 1L of water.

Where from?

If this seems like a lot of water to you, it might help if you understand all the different sources of fluid in your day. About 20% of your fluid needs are actually met through the food that you eat, assuming you are following a healthy diet including the recommended serves of food groups.

For the 70kg person above, this is about 420ml. This means the total fluid for the day to get from liquid forms is 1680ml/day. Simplified, 1.7L a day, or 7 glasses of water… sounds pretty close to the general guidelines right?

Well what if you are heavier than 70kg? Lets say, 100kg? Thats 3L fluid a day, minus 600ml from food, 2.4L which is close to 10 glasses a day. This is where aiming for 8 glasses a day just won’t cut it if you are overweight/obese.

Luckily, this liquid form of fluids doesn’t need to come from just plain old water. Fruit or vegetable juices, milk, electrolyte drinks, ice blocks, herbal or black tea, coffee, soups, smoothies, cordials, and soda water all count. Just make sure that these are fitting in with your healthy eating plan- you do want to try and make the majority of your intake be through water to prevent excessive calories/sugar, and watch your caffeine intake through tea and coffee.

This all seems a bit complicated…

Before you pull out the calculator or start recording every ml of water you drink, there is one pretty easy way to tell if you are getting enough water, and that’s to check the colour of your urine. If it is colourless, or a very pale yellow, you can be pretty sure you are drinking enough.

Just remember that vitamins or other supplements can change the colour of urine, and a bright yellow colour can be seen even if you are fully hydrated.  In this case, just make sure you aren’t feeling thirsty and are roughly consuming the right amount for your weight.

One last thing- it is actually possible to drink too much water, which saps the electrolytes from your body and can lead to a dangerous condition called hyponatremia. Although this is rare, it is something to be aware of- more is not always better.

And as always, you know your body, and everyone is an individual, so make your decisions about the amount of water you need based on your own individual circumstances, and then just enjoy the benefits to your physical and mental state from staying hydrated.

If losing weight was as simple as eating less, and exercising more, everyone would do it. Losing weight and living a healthy lifestyle for the long term comes down to a total shift in the way we think, our daily habits, and our view of what food and physical activity means to us.

Plan for success

If you were given a project to complete by a certain date how would you do it? You would break it down into individual tasks that needed to be completed, schedule times during your week to work on these tasks so you stayed on track with the timeline, and made sure you used the most efficient tools to get those tasks completed quickly and well.

This is how you should look at weight loss. You’ll need to break your overall weight loss goal into smaller weekly or monthly goals, and then break this into the tasks you will need to complete for this to happen. Workouts, grocery shopping, meal planning, and food preparation should all be given a time slot during your week, that can become your new habits.

This may seem like a lot of effort at first, but like the formation of any new habit, what’s hard initially becomes second nature and takes no willpower at all after enough repetition.

Make it enjoyable

Pick meals that sound delicious. Choose types of physical activity that you enjoy, or find a way to make it more enjoyable such as listening to music or exercising with a friend. Take a healthy cooking class with your partner. When your choices bring pleasure instead of a sense of deprivation you are more likely to continue with them for the long term.

Keep it interesting

Try new types of group exercise, go rock climbing, travel and walk around seeing and experiencing new things, experiment with new and different types of dishes, and test out new recipes for healthy snacks that keep or are freezable. Variety is the spice of life!

1: Longer lifespan

Healthy diet and exercise has been linked to living longer, and not only this, but having higher quality of life at the same time, with less health problems, better mobility, less pain, and better cognitive function.

2: Better energy

It can be hard going through that “withdrawal” period where you give up junk food, high sugar foods and drinks, and start eating healthy and moving more. But if you can stick with it, you’ll find that after a little while, you notice your energy levels are a lot better with a great diet, and add in the energy promoting effects of exercise to top it all off and you are looking at better ability to concentrate, more elevated mood, better sleep quality, and being better able to cope with stress, what a great combination!

3: It makes you a good role model

If you have kids, grandkids, or friends that you care about, them seeing you taking measures to be healthy will be contagious! What a wonderful thought, that by you doing the right thing for yourself, that you could also be helping other people model your healthy behaviours.

When it comes to a slow metabolism, two ways to fight this is to increase muscle mass (how much muscle you have) and to do exercise regularly, as your metabolism remains higher for hours after a workout.

Here are three exercises that work out your larger muscle groups and multiple muscle groups at once, to give you a great metabolism boost short term and long term (if you keep it up)…

1: Jumping jacks

An oldie, but a goodie, using both lower and upper body, getting your heart rate up, and efficiently burning calories. If you have issues with joint pain, get into a heated pool, and do your jumping jacks underwater to cut out the impact and pressure on joints!

2: Burpies

If you haven’t done these before- jump in the air, drop down to the ground, step or jump your feet back into plank position on your hands and feet (body straight), then jump or step your feet back in and repeat.

These work large muscles in your legs, jumping requiring immense power for the dynamic movement, then the second part of the exercise works your core (postural) muscles, arms, shoulders, and back. All in all, a very efficient exercise!

3: Cross trainer

If there’s one piece of exercise equipment that is fantastic for working upper and lower body muscles, as well as your core, it’s the cross trainer. The big plus is that it’s very low impact, so great for those who struggle to jog or walk on a treadmill due to jarring that comes with each step. And as you are working your entire body, it’s an incredibly efficient workout.

Are you avoiding starting exercise because you are overwhelmed with all the different types of training, figuring our which is best, will burn fat fastest, make sure you don’t bulk up, or boost your metabolism the most?

This is what is called “analysis paralysis”- where you are overwhelmed with so much information and so many different methods that you can’t decide which is the best way forward, and so you don’t do anything at all.

The best way to get around this? Just start! You don’t need the latest workout gear. Just comfortable clothes and shoes. Don’t overthink things. Forget about how long you “should” be exercising for. Do what feels right for your body today. You can work on improving on this in the future.

Just go for a walk.

For five minutes, ten minutes, half an hour. And to give you a little extra incentive, here are the top six reasons why walking is a great form of exercise.

Walking increases aerobic fitness

You don’t have to run marathons to improve your fitness. Start with a gentle walk, work up to a brisk walk, and eventually you can do power walking sprints, where you walk quickly for 30 seconds to a minute, and then drop back the pace for the same amount of time, and repeat.

Stronger bones

Did you know that your bones get stronger when they experience stress, in the form of impact and bearing weight? Just the action of getting up and onto your feet puts pressure on your bones, then the impact of taking steps (more if you are walking more briskly), is enough to strengthen bones, and stronger bones means less risk of fracture or osteoporosis later in life.

Reduces body fat

Exercise helps build muscle mass, and higher muscle mass results in increases in metabolic rate. A higher metabolism plus burning up energy while exercising can help reduce body fat when following a healthy calorie controlled diet.

Improved balance

More so with outdoor walking than using a treadmill, walking forces your core (postural) muscles to work to keep you upright, and changes in terrain, going uphill or downhill, stepping up over curbs, balancing on slightly unstable surfaces such as sand, all these factors strengthen muscles and improve reflexes. This reduces risk of falls and improves overall muscle tone.

Reduces risk of lifestyle diseases

Diabetes, heart disease, stroke, impaired glucose tolerance, high cholesterol, high blood pressure. The risk of developing these can be greatly reduced by regular walking, and if you are already working to manage any of these diseases then walking can help improve or in some cases even reverse these diseases.

Improved joint pain

Joints are less stable and therefore more prone to injury, or exacerbation of current pain when the muscles surrounding them are weak. Strengthening muscles around joints means they are better supported. The action of walking helps compress and decompress the cartilage in joints, which is how nutrients used for healing and regeneration are absorbed.