Active Weight Tips & Information

Trying to stay healthy and eat well? We will be giving you 'weekly' tips and recipes on this page, to help you keep healthy during this current situation (current week listed first).

Week 5

This Weeks Topic : Sugar

 

During lockdown it is easy to get into the habit of reaching for them sweet treats when feeling a little bored or stressed.  However for most of us the amount of sugar we eat each day is significantly higher than our recommended daily allowance. 

The government recommends that free sugars which are any sugars that are added to food or drinks or any sugars which are found naturally in honey, syrups, and unsweetened fruit and vegetable juices, smoothies and purées – shouldn't make up more than 5% of the energy (calories) we get from food and drink each day.

 

This means:

Adults should have no more than 30g of free sugars a day,

(Roughly equivalent to 7 level teaspoons). However most adults are consuming more than 12 teaspoons a day.

 An average can of full sugar fizzy pop contains about 9 teaspoons of sugar and an average chocolate bar also about 9 teaspoons so you can see how easy it is to consume much more than is recommended.

Here are some tips to help you cut down your sugar intake.

 Top tips to help you cut down

  1. Try to choose water whenever possible.
  2. Try diluting a small amount of pure fruit juice with sparkling water instead of fizzy drinks.
  3. Swap cakes or biscuits for a currant bun or tea cake.
  4. If you take sugar in hot drinks or add sugar to your breakfast cereal, gradually reduce the amount until you can cut it out altogether.
  5. Rather than spreading jam on your toast, try a low-fat spread or cream cheese or sliced banana.
  6. Check food labels and choose foods with less added sugar or go for the low-sugar version.
  7. Try halving the sugar you use in your recipes
  8. Choose tins of fruit in juice rather than syrup or better still just snack on fresh fruit or vegetables.
  9. Choose wholegrain breakfast cereals and be sure to avoid all the high sugar ones altogether. 
  10. Avoid chocolate and sweets as much as possible.

 

Eating a balanced diet controls your blood sugar levels and reduces your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.  Cutting down on the amount of sugar you consume in your daily diet will have a positive effect on your mood and how you feel.

This weeks recipe - So Simple Healthy Ice Cream

Place 2 handfuls of frozen fruit (mango, raspberries, banana and strawberries) into a blender with ½ a tub of Greek yoghurt and blend until soft.  Serve immediately with chopped fresh fruit.

Place any left over into an ice cube tray and freeze.  When frozen these can then be stored in a freezer bag and eaten as little frozen treats.

 

 

Week 4

The importance of reducing 'how much fat' you include in your daily diet.

An important factor for anybody trying to lose a few pounds or look after their health is the amount of 'fat' included in their daily diet.  The two main types of fat which need to be considered are:

-saturated (bad fats) which are characterised by being present mostly in animal products and solid at room temperature

-unsaturated fats (good fats) which tend to be liquid at room temperature.  

Saturated fats are the ones you should aim to avoid as much as possible, as these are most harmful to your health.

You can do this by using the10 top tips for this week.

Top tips for reducing fat in the diet:

  1. Choose skimmed or semi skimmed milk and low fat dairy products.
  2. Reduce the amount of cheese in the diet- do this by grating it and be aware that a portion of cheese is about the size of a small match box.
  3. Cut all solid fat off meat products.
  4. Remove skin from chicken or turkey.
  5. Choose leaner mince- preferably less than 5%fat content.
  6. Avoid frying foods completely.
  7. Avoid processed and "beige foods" such as pasties, pies, pastries, battered products, chocolate and cakes.
  8. Cook from fresh whenever possible.
  9. Limit creamy sauces eg mayonnaise and salad cream.
  10. Try to include 2 portions of oily fish in your diet each week.

 1g Fat = 9cals     1g Carbs = 4cals       1g Protein= 4cals

 

This weeks recipe - Chicken Curry

Peel and blend 1 onion, 2 cloves of garlic, inch of ginger, 2 red chillies, ½ teaspoon of turmeric, 1 tablespoon of medium curry powder and 1 tablespoon of tomato puree. Set this mixture to one side.

Dry fry 2 skinless diced chicken breasts add pureed mixture and cook for a further 5mins stirring all the time.

Add 2 cans of chopped tomatoes and a handful of lentils and leave to simmer for a further 30mins.

Serve with boiled wholegrain rice.

WEEK 3

Emotional Eating

Particularly during lockdown most of us will have experienced 'emotional eating' -  here are some ways to recognise it:

Emotional hunger usually craves specific comfort foods.

Emotional hunger usually craves junk food or sugary snacks that provide an instant rush. You feel like you need chocolate or pizza, and nothing else will do.

Emotional hunger often leads to mindless eating. Before you know it, you’ve eaten a whole bag of crisps without really paying attention or fully enjoying it.

Emotional hunger usually isn’t satisfied once you’re full. You keep wanting more and more, often eating until you’re uncomfortably stuffed.

Emotional hunger isn’t located in the stomach. Rather than a growling tummy, you feel your hunger as a craving you can’t get out of your head. You’re focused on specific textures, tastes, and smells.

Emotional hunger often leads to regret, guilt, or shame. If you feel guilty after you eat, it's likely because you know deep down that you’re not eating for nutritional reasons.

Here are some tips to help avoid emotional eating

  1. Try to have routine to your day. Get up at the same time every day and stick to set meal times
  2. Try to have a breakfast which releases its energy into the bloodstream more slowly such as porridge oats.
  3. Include foods in your diet high in fibre such as vegetables and pulses. These will stabilize your blood sugar helping you to avoid sugar craving cycles.
  4. Don't eat sugary snacks and drinks in between meals this can cause sugar spikes and dips causing low mood.
  5. Include wholegrain carbohydrates such as bread cereal and potatoes in your meals. These help us feel fuller for longer and stave off the urge to snack.
  6. Keep busy try to plan your day's activities in advance.
  7. Get some exercise this helps reduce stress which can be another trigger to emotional eating
  8. Practice mindful eating. Sit at the table, eat slowly. Turn off distractions such as TV, tablets and phones.
  9. If you feel anxious or stressed, try some breathing exercises. Breathe deeply in through the nose and take the breath down past the ribcage into the stomach then breathe out through the mouth -repeat this a few times.

 

This week's recipe: Overnight oats - a perfect start to the day

 What you need:

 Rolled oats, milk or water, Greek yoghurt, raspberries, honey, cinnamon.

 

Place 30g or 3 heaped tablespoons of rolled oats into a bowl add ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon.

Cover with water or milk stir and leave in the fridge overnight

In the morning remove from fridge loosen with a little water or milk top with a tablespoon of Greek yogurt and a handful of raspberries and drizzle with a little honey.

Enjoy….

 

WEEK 2

Would you like to make some changes to your lifestyle which will help you to lose weight and be more active? 

We are here to help! 

You might ask....Why should I lose weight and change my lifestyle?

Here are some reasons why:

It improves

  • Confidence
  • Mental Health
  • Fitness
  • Sleep
  • Emotional Wellbeing
  • Back/joint pain
  • Strength

We can do this by

  • Eating well
  • Practising self control
  • Believing you can do it
  • Developing coping skills
  • Getting support

This will lower the risk of developing

  • Diabetes
  • Certain cancers
  • Coronary Heart Disease
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Stroke
  • Stress/anxiety
  • Obesity

  

  This week's top tips are all about changing your diet:

  1. Hydrate before you caffeinate. Have a glass of water next to the bed ready
  2. Eat a portion of fruit with breakfast. Try to have wholegrain cereal or toast.
  3. Cut back on fruit juices. No more than 1 portion a day (a small tumbler)
  4. Have a portion of vegetables with every meal (a cupped handful)
  5. Cut back on sugary snacks. If you get peckish, try having a glass of water first
  6. Watch your portion sizes avoid going back for seconds (freeze leftovers for another meal)
  7. Try to choose foods that are low in fat, such as lean cuts of meat, fish, chicken etc
  8. Avoid creamy sauces and mayonnaise. Go for tomato based sauces and low fat dressings
  9. Allow yourself 1 x 100 calorie treat a day.
  10. Don’t forget alcoholic drinks are just empty calories with no nutritional value at all!

 

 

This week's recipe - Cajun Chicken Skewers

Take a chicken breast and chop into cubes, then sprinkle with Cajun spice

Set aside whilst preparing the rest of the ingredients

Wash, deseed and chop a red pepper into cubes

Wash and chop ¼ a handful of mushrooms

Peel and chop ½ onion into squares

Wash a handful of cherry tomatoes

 

Place all of the prepared ingredients onto a skewer, then place on a wire tray and cook in a preheated oven at 180' or gas mark 5 for approx 20minutes,turning occasionally until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Serve with a portion of brown rice and a squeeze of lemon juice or alternatively, put the cooked ingredients inside a toasted pitta.

 

 

WEEK 1

Lockdown and Lifestyle Choices 

 

Lockdown has without doubt had the most significant impact on our behaviours around what we 'choose to eat' and the 'amount of exercise' we take, than any other event in many years.  This is mainly to do with a 'compulsory' change in daily routine for the majority of the population.

Maintaining a healthy diet is not easy at the best of times but under current circumstances, it has become even more difficult, particularly for those who are vulnerable/shielding.  We are now shopping less frequently or in some cases being provided with food we wouldn't normally choose. 

Feedback from many social media platforms indicates that many of us are worried about extra pounds creeping on!  Emotional eating is often the cause of this, especially during this current situation.

Spending more time at home can lead to boredom, anxiety and stress which will impact on behaviours and choices we make around food and exercise.  These feelings can trigger 'emotional eating' which will in turn have an impact on 'emotional and physical health' thus creating a cycle of unhealthy eating habits.

Top10 tips to help avoid creating unhealthy habits during lockdown:

  1. Acknowledge the trigger ie boredom, stress or anxiety may be significant factors at the moment.
  2. Choices - make a conscious decision to change any 'recent' unhealthy behaviour patterns before they become embedded as a habit.
  3. Routine - this is the key to healthy habit forming. Set fixed mealtimes for the day and stick to them!
  4. Plan your meals for the week.
  5. 'Yes'- it is worth cooking for one - extra portions can be frozen. Eat the right quantity and quality - whilst eating too much and snacking on high fat, sugar and processed foods can be bad for us, so also can not taking time to prepare healthy meals.
  6. Vegetables, fruit and wholegrain carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, rice and cereal should be included in every meal. This helps balance our blood sugar levels.
  7. Both 'protein' and 'dairy' in the diet is important for cell repair and brain function. Try to have 2 portions of each every day, include things like meat, fish, eggs, cheese and lentils.
  8. Avoid 'snacking' - instead 'drink water' as this will hydrate and help you feel full. Water combats constipation and can reduce brain fog and lathery.
  9. Move as much as you can. If possible, go outside and walk, run, cycle or maybe take a chair out and 'march on the spot' whilst sitting.Vitamin D from the sunlight helps us to absorb calcium and exercise produces endorphins which help improve mental health.
  10. Positive thinking is crucial at the moment but not easy - so make a decision to focus on things you 'can control' during this time. Food and exercise fall into this category and are a good place to start. The two current most important influences to our mental health are providing the body with good nutrition and exercise.

 

Making better lifestyle choices and changing behaviour around diet and exercise improves our immune system providing better mental and physical health whilst decreasing the risk of long term health conditions such as Coronary Heart Disease, Type 2 Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Stroke and certain Cancers.