How To Achieve Your Health And Weight Goals This Summer
The Summer Season is upon us and for most of us that means backyard BBQs, drinking a little more, eating a little more, and slacking off on our usual exercise routine. Although it can be stress relieving and fun to lessen our inhibitions throughout the summer season, many of us cruise into autumn feeling run down and hung over.
Which is often the reason why most of us catch a series of colds and flu going into autumn and winter. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could try to find a balance between having a good time and keeping our Health in check? Well there is good news! There is plenty that can be done to help support health while still kicking back, and enjoying a few rich meals and a couple of drinks.
Research has shown that Moderate Drinking, defined as 1 drink a day for women and 2 drinks a day for men, can actually have a beneficial effect on health. Some of the beneficial effects of moderate drinking noted in research are that it helps to raise HDL (good) cholesterol, it increases our body’s sensitivity to insulin decreasing the chances of getting type 2 diabetes, it helps to moderate clotting factors in the blood as well as lengthen the life span over all.
This sounds like great news! But remember that there is a fine line between moderate drinking and over drinking. As soon as that line is crossed the beneficial effects of alcohol stop and the numerous harmful effects take precedent.
Over consumption of alcohol can cause systemic problems leading to an increase in colds/flu, sleep disturbances, weight gain, skin and hair problems, memory dysfunction, gastrointestinal disorders, increased bladder infections. The list goes on! Combine this with all the over eating and indulgence we all do over the holidays and it’s a recipe for disaster.
But no one likes a Debbie downer, so let’s focus on what can be done to help keep our bodies and minds functioning at top notch this summer. Milk thistle as mentioned in previous blogs is an excellent liver cleanser. It is a great supplement to have on hand for those of us who like to indulge in summer season cocktails, but still want to be mindful of keep our livers in top notch shape. If you are keen to watch how much you eat this season there are a couple of tricks you can try.
A very effective and simple method is to drink a full 250ml glass of water with a serving of psyllium husk either in powder or capsule form, 20-30 minutes before meal time. The fibre in the psyllium husk will expand in the stomach and create a feeling of fullness so when you sit down for a meal or arrive at a party your already half way to feeling full without all the calories. In addition it is recommended that an adult have 25-30 grams of fibre a day and with 8 grams per serving, psyllium husk can be an excellent addition to your diet even if you’re not trying to watch weight.
Garcinia cambogia is another product to try if you are watching your calories. But how does Garcinia work? The active ingredient in Garcinia is hydroxycitric acid (HCA). In recent studies this chemical has been shown to inhibit a key enzyme that the body needs to make fats from carbohydrates. It also suppresses the appetite by increasing serotonin levels. Low serotonin levels are associated with depression and emotional eating.
We also have a new exciting weight loss supplement in the shop, forskolin! As recently reviewed on Dr. Oz, forskolin helps change the body composition to increase lean muscle while decreasing body fat. It also helps to increase bone density and slightly increase testosterone levels, as shown in a peer reviewed study of 30 obese men.
Increased testosterone can be good not only for men, but women as well. This hormone is found in both genders at varying levels and helps regulate muscle mass and body composition as well as many other important bodily functions.
If you’re keen to try a weight loss and detox supplement combined, Nutralife Detox and cleanse is the perfect choice! It contains high levels of milk thistle for liver detoxification, as well as combining specific vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and various forms of fibre to help support the body during detox.
Additionally this powder also contain good levels of garcinia and forskolin to cut down food cravings and appetite and help aid your body in shedding fat while still preserving your lean muscle mass.
Stop in to the shop or use our live chat feature on our website to find which products are right for your specific needs. Chances are we have something to help you achieve your health goals this summer.
By Ellie Haines - Ellie is the Social Media Manager & E-Commerce Coordinator for New Zealand Health Food Company. You can read more content from Ellie on Google+
