Your Union – Healthy Living Advice

Calories provide energy for our bodies to function. We get calories from carbohydrates, protein, fat and alcohol.
For each gram, you get a set number of calories:
1g carbohydrates=4 calories
1g protein = 4 calories
1g fat = 9 calories
1g alcohol = 7 calories

To have a healthy diet, most people should be eating:
* More fruit
* More starchy foods such as rice, bread and pasta (wholegrain varieties)
* Less fat, salt and sugar
* Some protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, eggs and pulses.
(It is important to eat a variety of foods to make sure you get all the nutrients your body needs)

Tips to a healthy balanced diet
* Do NOT skip breakfast - this kick starts your metabolism, giving you the energy you need to face the day.
* Add strawberries, blueberries or banana into your morning cereal.
* Try wholemeal options - they contain more fibre and other nutrients than white or refined starchy foods. We also digest wholegrain slower, which helps make us feel fuller for longer.
*Switch to a low fat butter. When making a sandwich only butter one slice of bread.
* Cut down on cheese - this is very high in fat.
* Drink lots of water - avoid soft and fizzy drinks that are high in added sugar.
* Use skimmed milk.
* Do not eat meals late at night.
* Do not skip meals.

Salt intake
The Government recommends that adults should not consume more than 6g of salt per day (1 teaspoon). A high salt intake is related to high cholesterol and blood pressure levels, which increase the risk of many cardiovascular diseases.

As a guide when you’re looking at lables:
0.5g sodium or more per 100g food =  a lot of sodium
0.1g sodium per 100g = little sodium amount

5 steps to cut down salt intake:
1) Use herbs and spices to flavour your food, not salt.
2) Do not have salt on the table at meal times.
3) Look at food labels and choose the lower salt options.
4) Drain and rinse canned foods before preparing them to remove some of the salt.
5) Avoid high salt foods - bacon, shop-bought soups, salted nuts, crisps, salted butter, processed meats, cheeses, fast food and ready meals.

Cut down on Saturated Fats and Sugary Foods
To stay healthy we need some fat in our diets, but gram for gram, fat contains more calories than protein and carbohydrates. Try to cut down on food that is high in saturated fat (meat pies, cheese, pastry, cakes and biscuits) and have food that are rich in unsaturated fat instead (vegetable oils, oily fish, avocados, nuts and seeds).

Total fat:
High = than 20g fat per 100g
Low = 3g or less per 100g

Saturated fat:
High = more than 5g saturates per 100g
Low = 1.5g or less saturates per 100g

Fruit and Vegetables - make sure you get your 5 a day
Fruits and Vegetables contain essential vitamins, minerals and fibre that may help protect you from chronic diseases.

5 General Cooking Tips
1) Trim visible fat from meat and remove skin from poultry.
2) Avoid frying - stick to grilling, roasting, baking and steaming.
3) Steam vegetables instead of boiling them - this retains more nutrients.
4) Know your fats - use vegetable oil instead of butter for cooking and baking.
5) Plan some dishes around vegetables - e.g. stir fry or soup, then add other foods to compliment the dish.

14 Benefits of Daily Physical Activity
1) Reduces the risk of heart disease by improving circulation throughout the body.
2) Helps maintain a healthy body weight.
3) Improves blood cholesterol levels.
4) Helps build and maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints.
5) Boosts energy levels.
6) Helps manage stress.
7) Releases tension.
8) Improves the ability to fall asleep quickly and sleep well.
9) Improves self image.
10) Counters anxiety and depression, and increases enthusiasm and optimism.
11) Increases muscle strength, increases the ability to do other physical activities.
12) Provides a way to share an activity with family or friends.
13)Counters the conditions (obesity, high blood pressure, poor cholesterol, poor lifestyle habits etc) that lead to heart attacks and strokes later in life.
14) In older people, helps delay or prevent chronic illnesses and diseases associated with ageing and maintains quality of life and independence longer.

Health Benefits
Physical activity does not need to be strenuous to achieve health benefits: physical activity is any activity that uses energy. Regular physical activity that is performed on most days of the week induces health benefits. Research has also shown that accumulated bouts of moderate physical activity that total 30 minutes or more in a day can also produce health benefits. Greater health benefits can be achieved by increasing the amount (duration, frequency or intensity) of physical activity.

A Guide to Moderate Levels of Physical Activity
A moderate amount of physical activity is roughly equivalent to an activity that uses approximately 150 calories of energy per day, or 1000 calories per week.

Individuals of all ages will benefit from a moderate amount of physical activity, preferably daily. The same moderate amount of activity can be achieved through longer lower intensity sessions or shorter more intense sessions.

Examples of moderate amounts of physical activity
lower intensity, longer duration: = playing Volleyball for 45 minutes, Basketball (shooting hoops) for 30 minutes, walking for 1 3/4 miles in 35 minutes (20 min/mile).
higher intensity, shorter duration: = stair walking for 15 mins, playing a game of Basketball, Hockey, Netball of Football for 15 mins, running 1 1/2 miles in 15 mins (10 min/mile).

10 Easy Ways to Incorporate Physical Activity into your Daily Life
1) Get off the bus one stop early and walk - try to build up to beating the bus to the next stop!
2) Take the stairs or walk up the escalator at tube and train stations. Walking up stairs burns 5 times more calories than standing still on the escalator.
3) Walk around the College green at lunch time.
4) Walk you talk on the phone at home, walk around the house/ flat.
5) Exercise whilst watching TV - use hand weights, improve your flexibility by stretching, improve your abs and core stability by doing sit ups, leg raises or holding the Plank position for as long as possible. Can you hold the Plank through out the duration of the advert break?
6) Go on weekend walks - make sure you walk somewhere different each weekend!
7) Replace a 10 minute cigarette / coffee break with a short walk.
8) Dance to music. Sing along too!
9) Choose an activity that fits your day - if you have an hours break between lectures book the Upper Gym to play Badminton, Table Tennis or Basketball. Book a group exercise class at Club Pulse on a lunch time or at the end of the College day.
10) Walk a longer route to campus, either on your way in or on your way home.

Is Walking Really a Work-out?
You may be surprised to learn that brisk walking can be almost as challenging as jogging. Here’s why - when you walk at speeds faster than 3.1mph, your stride length naturally increases. Lengthening your stride is inefficient because it requires additional energy to move your legs forward, which in turn requires more arm and torso movement, which leads to increased torso and hip rotation, which amounts to higher aerobic demands and more calorie burning.

Every Exercise Program Starts with a few Simple Steps:
Consult your doctor - if you have been in-active for while, it is always worth get a free check-up before starting an exercise program. Club Pulse offer a health check programme - free to both members and non-members.

Walk before you run - gradually increase the duration and frequency of your chosen physical activity sessions. If you try too much too soon you increase your chances of injury.

Do what you enjoy doing - don’t train for a marathon if you don’t like running! All forms of movement can help increase your fitness levels. Goldsmiths provides a wide variety of competitive and recreational sports, and Club Pulse offer a diverse number of group exercise classes.

Pick a time and stick to it - Although your schedule may necessitate morning workouts some days and evening activities the next, carving some time to move every day helps you make your exercise programme an on going priority and an essential part of your day.

Set goals - Set some short term and long term goals to help you maintain motivation and focus. The short term goals should lead to the long term goal in manageable chunks.

Find a friend - having someone to exercise with can increase your motivation, either due not wanting to let them down, or by some friendly rivalry.

Variety - If you get bored of your exercise routine - change it! Try to incorporate a mix of activities into your week to keep it interesting.

Tips for Avoiding Activity-Induced Injuries
* Listen to your body - monitor your level of fatigue, heart rate and physical discomfort.
* Be aware of signs of over-exertion - breathlessness and muscle soreness could be danger signs.
* Use appropriate equipment and clothing for the activity.
* Take 3-5 minutes at the beginning of any physical activity to properly warm up your muscles through increasing more intense activity. As you near the end of your activity, cool down by decreasing the level of intensity.
* Start at an easy pace - increase time and distance gradually.
* Drink plenty of water before, during and after exercise to replace lost fluids.

You don’t have to sweat it out in a busy gym to maintain your fitness. Simply boosting your levels of general daily activity can massively improve your health and energy. The BBC website offer some great advice on a healthy weight. BBC Health web pages

Weight Assessment
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a popular method used to asses whether an individuals weight is associated with an increased risk of disease. BMI is calculated by dividing weight (in kg) by height (in meters squared).

BMI is measured as x kg.m2
Underweight = 18.5 or less
Normal = 18.5-24.9
Overweight = 25.0-29.9
Obese = 30.0 or more

Although BMI fails to distinguish between body fat, muscle mass or bone, an increased risk of high blood pressure, high cholestrol, coronary disease and mortality rates are associated with a BMI greater than 30kg.m2.

The Weight Loss Equation
This is simple - to loose weight you must burn off more calories than you consume!

When you consume more calories than your body needs you will gain weight. Successful weight loss programmes incorporate changes to achieve long-term healthy lifestyle behaviours , including daily physical activity and a healthy balanced diet.

Simple Weight Loss Tips
Make small changes in your life that work for you - Can you drink 1% milk instead of whole? Can you switched to skimmed milk instead of full-fat? Try lighter or low fat versions of your favourite salad dressings, cheeses, snacks etc

Eat with a sense of purpose - Savour the flavours and engage your senses so that you truly acknowledge that you are eating.

Control your portions - Healthy eaters do not supersize their meals. If you think you are eating too much, eat off a smaller plate.

Eat breakfast - start your day with a healthy breakfast that includes some protein, in the form of low-fat milk with wholegrain cereal,yoghurt, or an egg.

Physical activity - find physical activities that you enjoy and then sneak exercise into your daily routine. Do this daily to feel the cardiovascular and calorie-burning benefits.

Don’t try to manage your stress with food - many people eat in response to stress. Food does not help you cope with stress though - you need the endorphins released during exercise to cope with stress, so go for a walk instead.

Keep track of what your eat each day with a food journal - How much do you eat on a daily basis? Did you really need that extra cookie, or the extra drink because it was on special offer?

Read labels to determine the healthiest food options - nutrition labels offer a wealth of information to help you make the best choices.

Reduce temptation - stock your fridge with healthy options such as apples instead of chocolate bars.

Stay motivated - make sure you have short and long term goals to aim towards. When motivation slips, just remind yourself what you are aiming for.

Most experts agree that a safe, healthy rate of weight loss is 1 - 1 1/2 pounds per week. Starvation diets may result in rapid weight loss, but this weight loss is almost impossible to maintain for most people.

The most successful weight loss comes from dietary changes and healthy food choices that will stay with you over time, not from diets that leave you feeling deprived or result in binge eating episodes.

Depression and Anxiety
Exercise is not a cure for depression or anxiety but it can help to improve symptoms. Exercise can provide a number of positive emotional and psychological benefits when an individual is suffering from depression and anxiety. Exercise can encourage feelings of confidence and accomplishment, provide a distraction from the problem, act as a healthy positive coping mechanism and help individuals socialise and meet new people.

Any student suffering with depression or anxiety is advised to seek medical help.

Exercise can help you Achieve Academically
Exercise improves blood flow to the brain, bringing additional sugars and oxygen that may be needed when someone is thinking intensely. When you think hard, the neurons in your brain function more intensely. As they do this, they can build up toxic waste products that can cause foggy thinking. By exercising, you speed up the flow of blood through your brain, moving these waste products faster.

A healthier, happier you
Exercise can cause the release of chemicals called Endorphins into the blood stream, which positively enhance your overall sense of wellbeing and happiness.

Stress
Regular exercise is one of the best physical stress-busting techniques available. Exercise not only improves your health and reduces stress caused by unfitness, it also relaxes tense muscles and helps you to sleep better.

Exercise helps stress by:
* Increasing the production of your body’s feel-good hormone, Endorphin,
* Alleviating daily tensions,
* As you begin to regularly shed your daily tensions through movement and physical activity, you may find that this focus on a single task and the resulting energy and optimism can help you to remain calm and clear in everything you do,
* Regular exercise can increase self-confidence and lower the symptoms associated with mild depression and anxiety. This can ease the stress levels and give you a sense of command over your body and your life.

Nutrition and Wellbeing
As people get busy and stressed, they tend to make poor nutritional choices that actually increase stress levels and cause more problems. 3 common problems caused by unhealthy habits:
1) Blood sugar imbalances - if you don’t eat enough food, or enough healthy food, you may experience blood sugar fluctuations, which can lead to mood swings, fatigue, poor concentration and greater health problems like hyperglycaemia in the long run.
2) Caffeine side effects - too much caffeine can lead to poor concentration, decreased effectiveness, sleep disturbances and increased levels of cortisol (stress hormone) in the blood.
3) Poor health outcomes - poor nutrition can reduce the effectiveness of your immune system, increasing your susceptibility to minor and major diseases.

How to Combat Stress with Good Nutrition
* Do not have caffeine after 2pm - caffeine has a half life of at least six hours. Caffeine you ingest later in the day can interfere with your sleep. Try green tea instead.

* Do not skip meals - you need to maintain stable blood sugar levels throughout the day to help you function effectively.

* Drink lots of water - vital to health and proper physical functioning

* Carry a snack - have some high protein snacks handy to prevent dips in blood sugar levels.

* Have a packed lunch - a home made lunch is generally much healthier than fast food or restaurant food.

* Have sparkling juice or water - these are refreshing and will add water to your system, rather than dehydrating you like drinks containing caffeine.

Healthy Home Eating
* Plan meals ahead - go grocery shopping once a week and plan the weeks meals whilst doing it.

* Maximise your time - cook more than you need, freeze some, and then reheat meals later in the week or month.

* Keep it simple - often the easiest meals are the healthiest, such as salads.