TO P 10 TIPS FOR

H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S
� N U T R I T I O N S T A R T E R P A C K �
 Top 10 tips for Health & Wellness

INTRO D U C TI O N
He al t hy e ati ng is n ot a b o u t s tr ict d iet ary limit ati ons, st aying unreal isti cal ly t hi n, o r
d ep ri v i ng yo urself of th e fo o d s yo u love. Rat her, it ’s about feeling great , hav i ng
m ore e ne rg y, i m p rov in g yo u r o u tlo ok , and st abil iz ing your mood. If you feel
ove r w he l m e d by a ll th e co nfl icti n g nut riti on and diet advice out t here, you’ re not
al on e . It se e m s th at fo r ever y exp ert who tel ls you a cert ain food is good for yo u -
you ’ l l fi nd a not h er s ay in g exa ctly the opposite. But by using t hese simpl e ti p s, yo u
c an cut t hro ug h th e co nfu s io n a n d l earn how to creat e a t ast y, varied, and h e althy
d i et t hat i s a s go o d fo r yo u r m in d as it is fo r your body.

Wh et he r yo ur go a l is to lo s e weight , gain weight , build muscl e, become fitt er, fe e l

b ett e r, fe e l st ro n ger, feel m o re en ergised, run t hat ex t ra mil e or complete t hat
m arat ho n by next yea r… Hea lth a n d fit ness will most definitely pl ay a part in yo u r
ac h i eve me nt s. Keep rea d in g a n d p ick up a few ti ps to help you achieve t he new
i m p rove d yo u!

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 Top 10 tips for Health & Wellness

S T E P 1 GOA L SE TTI NG
• Set t a rget s : Fi n d you r goa l , ma ke the plan and work towards it!

• Baby Ste p s : To s et yo u rs el f u p for success, think about planning a healthy d i et a s

a n u m b e r of s m a l l , m a n a gea b l e s teps—like adding a salad to you r diet once a
day — rat h e r th a n on e b i g d ra s ti c change. As your small changes become hab i t,
yo u c a n co nti n u e to a d d mo re h ealthy choices.

• Pati e n ce i s key: Yo u m u s t b e p ati ent and your results will follow

• Ma n a ge yo u r ti m e: If you d o n’t d o this well then everything that makes yo u

hea l t hy s u ffe rs – you wo n’t get enough sleep, you won’ t have time to prepa re
hea l t hy fo o d s , a n d you wo n’t fi n d the time to exercise. Book appointments for
t he gy m o r s o m e ti me fo r yo u rs elf in your diary just as you would meeting s for
wor k o r t h e fa mi l y.

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 Top 10 tips for Health & Wellness

S T EP 2 DI E T IS KE Y
• Foo d i s a b a s i c n eed for th e effi c ient functioning of the human body. The hu m a n
bo d y n e e d s a s p ec i fi c q u a nti ty of different ingredients to f unction.

• Cu t b a c k o n regu l a r tea a n d coffee intake which are high in caffeine. Substi tu ti ng

al l - n at u ra l green tea i s a n excel l e nt way to boost your weight loss and you r
hea l t h . Not o n l y d oes i t h ave th e power to boost your metabolism, but it also
co nt a i n s t h e h i gh es t co n centrati on of catechins, antioxidants found in plants that
have b e e n fou n d to p rotec t a ga i nst heart disease and even some cancers. Si p on
a few c u p s of green tea th ro u gh out the day to get all of its amaz ing benefits.

• Ditc h t h e w hi te s tu ff! Swi tc h your white carbs to brown: Brown carbs are fu ll of

fibre a n d go od n es s , ma ke th i s s witch and watch the difference it makes to you r
wa i s t l i n e . Mos t wh i te foo d s (b read, rice, pasta, su gar, flour) are primarily ma d e
up of refi n e d c a r b ohyd rates a n d e mpty calories, so cutting them out of your d i et
is o n e of t h e q u i c kes t ways to s h ed pounds and improve your well-being.

• Foo d d i a r i e s c a n a l s o h el p ta rget areas for improvement. For instance , a fo od

dia r y m i g ht ma ke s om eo n e rea l i ze that he or she is eating 1 ,0 0 0 calories at lu nch
and s et a go al to t r i m l u n c h es . Jotting down everything you consume will
enco u ra ge i nd i vi d u a l s to eat a h ealt hy diet and be physically active. Diet d i a r i e s
are p owe rf u l too l s to m a ke th e i ndividual accountable for the food that they a re
putti n g i n t h ei r b od i es a n d th ey a lso increase the awareness of where thos e
ex t ra c a l o ri e s a re co m i n g fro m .

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 Top 10 tips for Health & Wellness

S T E P 3 WATE R

Wate r i s a m a j or com p o n ent of th e human body and can make up 4 5 -7 5 % of tota l

bo dy m a s s . Bo dy water content c a n vary greatly between individuals. Most of thi s
wate r i s co nt a in ed i n s i d e o u r cel l s

• In c re a s e yo u r water co n s u m pti o n .

• A l ot of tim e ou r b ra i n s tel l o u r bodies we are hungry when it is actually just

dehyd rate d an d th i rs ty.

• It wo u l d b e a goo d i d ea to i nves t in a good quali ty P BA- free water bottle w hi ch

yo u c a n re u s e a n d keep you rs el f hydrated throughout the day.

• Ou r b o d i e s are m a d e u p of 60-70% of water

• Wate r i s n ot on l y goo d at fi l l i n g you up and slimming you down. It is also

ex tre m e l y b e n efi c i a l fo r yo u r s k i n and teeth.

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 Top 10 tips for Health & Wellness

S T EP 3 WATE R
Dr in k i n g wate r i s s o i mp o r ta nt for staying healthy, energized, and even losing
weig ht . Th e re are s o m a ny rea s on s to stay hydrated—hunge r is often disguise d a s
t h irst , i t b o o s t s yo u r meta b o l i s m , a nd water is the best energy drink availab le .

Ma x i m u m a c tivi ti es of h u m a n b od y are dependent on water for their proper

f u nc tio n s . Th e re i s n o o n e r i ght a n swer to how much water you need, as it
depe n d s o n e a ch p ers on a n d th ei r lifestyle—you may nee d to modif y your flui d
int ake d e p e n d i n g on h ow a c ti ve yo u are, where you live, your health, and if you
a re p re g n a nt a n d /o r b rea s tfeed i n g.

Lac k of a p p ro p r i ate q u a nti ty of water may cause a lot of disorders, so it is

reco m m e n d e d to ta ke a p rop er q u a ntity of water daily.

Dr in k p l e nt y of water. Water h el p s flush our systems of waste products and toxi ns,
yet ma ny p e o p l e go th rou gh l i fe d ehydrated—causing tiredness, low energy, a nd
h ead a c h e s . It ’s co m m o n to m i s ta ke thirst for hunger, so staying well hydrate d w i ll
a l so h e l p yo u m a ke h ea l th i er fo o d choices

Indiv i d u a l s w h o a re exerc i s i n g d u r i ng the day will require an even greater vo lu m e

of wate r i nt a ke d u e to th e extra fluid loss during their workout. Athletes can
ex pe r i e n ce u p to 3 l i tres of flu i d l o ss per hour, du ring intense exercise. We ca n
wo r k o u t h ow mu c h extra l i q u i d i s required, based on our calorie intake. It i s
reco m m e n d e d to i nta ke 1m l of wate r for every calorie of food consumed. e. g . A
diet of 2 5 0 0 kca l wi l l req u i re a 2500 ml intake of water.

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 Top 10 tips for Health & Wellness

S T E P 4 P ORTI ON CONT RO L
• Do n ot ru s h yo u r mea l s . Eat s l owly to allow your body to digest your food. Thi s
w il l a l l ow yo ur b od y ti me to regi ster that it is f ull and prevent you f rom
ove re atin g .
E LE MEN T
• Re a l l y e n j oy you r foo d by p ayi n g attention to the taste, texture, aroma etc.,
w h i c h w i l l g i ve yo u m o re s ati s fa c tion from your meal and prevent you f rom
rea c h i n g fo r u n h ea l thy s n a c k s s h ortly after meals.

• Foc u s o n h ow yo u fee l after eati ng. This will help foster healthy new habits a nd
t as te s . Th e more h ea l thy fo o d you eat, the better you’ ll feel after a meal. The
m o re j u n k fo o d you eat, th e m o re likely you are to feel uncomfortable, nau se ou s,
o r d ra i n e d of en e rgy.

• Avo i d m i n d l es s eati n g. Mi n d l es s e ating is classified as any other reason oth e r

t ha n h u n ge r to eat- s i ght, s mel l , stress, taste, texture, boredom, anxiety etc. If
yo u a re n ot tr u l y h u n gr y d i s tra c t yourself with a positive activity- walking,
rea d i n g , p a i nti n g, ta l k i n g to a fr i end etc.

• Us e s m a l l e r bowl s , p l ates a n d c u ps as studies have shown that people ser ve

t he m s e l ve s 20-40% m o re fo o d when they are using larger plates.

ACTIO N PLAN
• Th i n k a b o u t yo u r foo d wh i l e you are eating it

• Re a d l a bel s to get to gr i p s w ith portion size

• Be awa re of th e c a l o r i es you are eating

• Avo i d h i d d en c a l or i es

• Us e a s ma l l er p l ate (9 1 / 2 -10 1/2 inch-2 4 -2 5 cm plate)

• Lo a d t h e p l ate wi th vegeta b les

• Do n’ t h ave u n h ea l thy fo o d s easily accessed

• P L a n you r s i tu ati on s th at you know trigger mindless eating

• Be re a l i s ti c a n d awa re of s tress eating and emotional eating

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 Top 10 tips for Health & Wellness

S T EP 5 TRE AT YOU RSEL F

If you s t u c k to a p l a n a n d com p l eted what you aimed for this week reward
yo u rs e l f. No n - fo o d rewa rd s (b eyo n d chocolate).

Treat yo u rs e l f on ce a week : Wh atever your treat meal is, one day a week have
w h ateve r yo u wa nt a n d en j oy i t! This creates balance and longevity.

Feeli n g gu i l t y ab o u t th at gi a nt i ce cream sundae you enjoyed at your niece's

bir t h d ay p a r t y ? Do n't b eat yo u rs el f up! It takes a lot of calories—3 ,5 0 0 —to g a i n a
po un d of b o d y fat. So rea l l y, th at one off day doesn' t usually result in any
sig ni fi c a nt we i g ht ga i n . It's a b ou t what you do the next day and the day afte r that's
rea l l y i m p o rt a nt— s o d o n't s tay off-track. So be sure to w hittle away at those extra
c al o r i e s ove r t he n ext d ay o r two, preferably by boosting exercise rather than
eati n g to o l i tt l e. Sta r vati on i s n ot the healt hy answer!

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 Top 10 tips for Health & Wellness

S T EP 6 FO OD P RE PA RAT I O N
Ma ke yo u r own h ea l thy treats . Preparation is key.

Have p l e nt y of s p i ces , fres h h er b s , and lemons at your cooking beck and cal l. It's
am az i n g w h at a l i ttl e d a s h of s p i ce, sprinkle of herbs, p inch of lemon zest, or
squir t of l i m e ju i ce c a n d o to l i ven up a dish—and your diet. The best part: They
co nt a i n a l m o s t n o c a l or i es . Exp er i ment with your dinner, tonight!

Reg a rd l e s s of w h at yo u ’re d oi n g, p reparing yourself in advance gives you the b e st

c han ce to a ccomp l i s h you r goa l s . Try preparing your food in advance to ensu re
t hat yo u d o n ot eat u n h ea l thy foo d s or skip meals.

Sho p o n ce a we ek : On e d ay a week, get your food shop done, stock the f rid ge a nd
yo u w i l l b e a m a zed h ow mu c h ea s i e r it is to be healthy.

Prepa re m o re of yo u r own m e a l s . Cooking more meals at home can help you ta ke

c harge of w h at yo u ’re eati n g a n d b etter monitor exactly what goes into your food

Rea d t h e l a b e l s . It’s i m p o r ta nt to b e aware of what’s in your food as manufa ctu re rs

often h i d e l a rge a m o u nts of s u ga r or unhealthy fats in packaged food, even food
c l ai mi n g to b e h ea l thy.

Co o k at h o m e . Yo u 'l l h ave mo re control over what you consume, and you kn ow

w h at t h at fo o d conta i n s , a n d h ow much of it you' re eating. That makes for a m ore
det ai l e d e nt r y i n you r foo d d i a r y.

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 Top 10 tips for Health & Wellness

S T E P 7 MA KE B RE A KFA S T M A N DATO RY
Yo u 've h e a rd i t b efore, b u t i t's wor th repeating: Breakfast is still the most
impo r t a nt m e a l of th e d ay! Sk i p p i n g the first meal of the day can increase risk for
o bes i t y m o re t ha n fou r fol d . If yo u don' t eat right when you wake up, your bod y
sense s a fa m i n e i s com i n g a n d s l ows your metabolism to compensate. Then, w he n
yo u r b o d y i s p res ented wi th fo o d l ater, it's ravenous and wants to pack it in,
l eadi n g to b i n gei n g wi th a s l ow metabolism—a recipe for weight gain.

To o b u sy fo r b rea k fa s t? Tr y a s m o othie. Smoothies with an avocado, Greek yog u r t

o r ba n a n a a re g reat a d d i ti ves to m ake any smoothie or juice creamier.

Lem o n u p : Bo i li n g water wi t h l em o n is fantastic for your skin, hair and diges ti on,
c heap a n d effe c ti ve.

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 Top 10 tips for Health & Wellness

S T EP 8: M OV E M ORE - CA R D I O & S T R EN GT H
T R AINING
To get t h e b e s t res u l ts we n eed to do a mixture of both Aerobic (Physical exe rci se
t hat re q u i re s oxygen to m eet en erg y demands-cardio training) and Anaerobic
exerc i s e wh i c h i s m o re i nten s e tra i ning that triggers lactate formation promoti ng
st ren gt h a n d p ower- res i s ta nt tra i ning)

Have f u n : No matter wh at exerc i s e you do; it has to be fun! If it’s f un you w i ll

co nti n u e to d o i t, h ow ma ny p e o p l e continue with sports they don’ t enjoy?

St ren g t h :
Build m o re m u sc l e ma s s . On ce we pass the age of 4 0 we start to lose muscl e m a ss
and i t l e a d s to a s l ower m eta b o l i s m, middle-aged weight gain and a decline i n
st ren gt h a n d f u n c ti o n . Yo u c a n b u i l d muscle mass by doing strength training
exerc i s e s .

Mo re m u s c l e e q u a l s mo re e n ergy b urned. After bu rn effect- metabolism rema i ns

el evate d a n d yo u kee p b u r n i n g c a l ories long after you have worked out.

Wo m e n d o n’ t b e afra i d to s t ren gth train. It will not make you look like the
hul k-t h at i s a co m p l ete myt h . Unfo rtunately, these myths are keeping too ma ny
wo m e n f ro m exp er i en c i n g th e p rofound benefits of resistance training. Simp ly p u t,
wo m e n a re n’ t bu i l t th e s a me way a s men are and we do not gain muscle mass a s
easily. Wo m e n l a c k th e r i ght b a l a n ce of hormones, testosterone and growth
ho r m o n e , to p u t on m u s c l e m a s s the way men do.

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 Top 10 tips for Health & Wellness

Th e h u ge a d va nta ge to wei ght tra i ning is your body's ability to burn fat during a nd
after exe rc i s e .

Res is t a n ce t ra in i n g c a u s es a n i n c rease in energy expenditure hours after you tra i n.

Lift in g we i g ht s c a n red u ce you r r i s k of heart disease and was approved as a

heal t hy fo rm of exerc i s e fo r t h o s e at risk f rom the American Heart Associati on. A
st udy i n t h e Jou r n a l of Stren gth a n d Conditioning found that those who lift
weight s a re l e ss l i kel y h ave h ea r t disease risk factors such as a large waist
c irc u mfe re n ce , h i gh tr i gl ycer i d es , e levated blood pressure, and elevated glucose
l evel s .

A s yo u a ge , yo u a re at r i s k of l os i n g both bone and musc le mass. Postmenop a u sa l

wo me n a re at a greater r i s k fo r os te oporosis because the body no longer se crete s
o est roge n . Re s i s ta n ce tra i n i n g i s a n excellent way to combat loss of bone ma ss,
and i t d e c re a s e s th e r i s k of o s teop orosis.

In ad d i tio n , re s i s ta n ce -tra i n i n g s tu dies on older adults show that moderate

inten s i t y we i ghtl i fti n g i mp roves memory and cognitive function. Next time yo u
need to b l ow off s o m e s tea m, h i t the weights.

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 Top 10 tips for Health & Wellness

Exerc i s e d o e s not h ave to b e p er formed in the gym. It can be done at home, i n the
l o c al p a r k , at t he b ea c h etc . Wh atever type or form of exercise you choose, m a ke
sure i t d o e s n ot feel l i ke a c h ore a nd that it is enjoyable for you.

If ti me i s a n i s su e a n d you c a n n ot dedicate an hour a day to work out. It is a ll

abo u t s m a l l c h a n ges . Brea k i t u p i nto 1 0 minutes of activity- it will all add u p . Ju st
m ake s u re yo u a re m ovi n g mo re at every opportunity you get e.g. take the sta i rs,
do 20 j u m p i n g j a c k s d u r i n g ea c h commercial break, play with the kids, take the d og
fo r a wa l k , u s e 20 mi n u tes from your lunch hour to take a brisk walk. Get off you r
bus a few s to p s ea r l y a n d wa l k th e rest of the way home.

Wh en yo u exe rc i s e, fo c u s , d o n’t s i mply move arms and legs up and down. You
need to fo c u s on th e mu s c l es . If you actually think about the move you’ re d oi ng
and s q u e e ze t he m u s c l e you ’re working while you do it you recruit more muscle
fibres a n d get a fa s ter, m o re effec ti ve result.

Exerc i s e i n ge nera l i s a great way to manage stre ss. Researchers have consis te ntly
fo u nd t h at t h o s e wh o regu l a r l y s tre ngth train tend to manage stress better a nd
ex pe ri e n ce fewer a d vers e rea c ti o n s to stressful situations as those who do n ot
exerc i s e . Ou r bo d i es c a n't recover as well if we' re not strong, so a balanced
wo r ko u t p l a n t hat i n c l u d es s tren gth, cardio, and flexibility training is
reco mm e n d e d .

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 Top 10 tips for Health & Wellness

Fo r b e gi n n e rs - Intro d u c i n g exerc i s e gradually is the most effective way of ma k i ng

it a l o n g te r m ha b i t. As you b ecom e more comfortable and confident you wil l b e
abl e to s l owl y i n c rea s e yo u r a c ti vi ty level.

Brea k u p yo u r wo r kou ts . If yo u d read a long workout, break it into small chu nk s.

" Five m i n u te s here, 5 mi n u tes th ere -- it all adds up,

Si m p l y t r i c k s :

St retc h for 1 0 minutes before your mor ni ng shower.

Ta ke a bri s k , 2 0- minute walk at lunch .

Li ft we i g ht s while you wait for your pasta water to boi l .

Ta ke t he s ta i rs i nstead of the elevato r

Pa r k t h e ca r a bit further f rom the shop or at wor k .

Wa lk a rou n d t h e block after dinner- make i t a habi t!

Chan ge yo u r wo r kou ts : Bo d i e s rea ct to change, so change your workouts as ofte n

as po s s i b l e to get th e b es t res u l ts .

St retc h . It m a ke s you m o re flexi b l e, relieves muscle tension, and improves postu re .

It al s o h e l p s you tu n e i n to you r b ody.

If yo u d o n’ t re st, you d o n’t get th e results you desire. Have two rest days a we e k –
it ’s d u ri n g re s t th at yo u r b od y s trengthens and grows. Overtraining will also le a d
to yo u l o s i n g en j oyment i n wh at you’ re doing. Sometimes, when life is hectic , you
wo n’ t wa nt to wor k o u t a n d you s h ould ask yourself where that comes from: i s i t
an exc u s e o r i s yo u r b od y tr yi n g to tell you that it needs more rest?

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 Top 10 tips for Health & Wellness

S T EP 9 CO N SISTE NC Y
• Kee p yo u rs e lf m oti vated . Treat yourself to a new sports gear. Buy yourself a
co mf y p a i r of r u n n ers to wa l k to work. Make yourself a new music playlist w hi ch
yo u fi n d u p l i fti n g a n d to rea l l y get you going.

• Ch a l l e n ge you rs el f. Step i t u p . Work out 5 minutes longer. Raise the inclin e leve l
o n yo u r t re a d m i l l . Go fo r a few extra repetitions. It makes a difference. We
sho u l d a l ways b e p u s h i n g o u rs el ves.

• En j oy t h e Ch a l l en ge: By emb ra c i ng every challenge you face you will see g re ate r
imp rove m e nts b oth m enta l l y a n d physically.

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 Top 10 tips for Health & Wellness

S T E P 10: SL E E P
Th e o l d s ay i n g 'you s n o oze, yo u l ose' couldn' t be more accurate when it come s to
shed d i n g p o u n d s . Dep r i vi n g you r b ody of sleep can speed up the aging proce ss
and d ete r yo u r wei ght-l os s effor ts . The brain craves carbohydrates when you 're
ti red , s o yo u cou l d u n k n owi n gl y s a botage even the best laid plans. Aim for a good
6- 8 h o u rs (m i n i mu m) of s l ee p ever y night to allow your body to restore and to
prote c t v i t a l o rga n fu n c ti on s .

Al l hu m a n b o d y orga n s n eed res t for their normal fu nctions. The human body i s
l ike a m a c h i n e a n d i f th i s m a c h i n e is over worked it may lose its balance. Ove r
wo r k b ot h p hys i c a l a n d m enta l m ay cause loss of health and much disorder.
Co ntin u o u s wo r k a n d a b s en ce of rest is bad for a healthy body. There is no
spec i fi c tim e for ta k i n g res t b u t a s much rest as your body feels fresh and
co mfo r t a b l e i s recom m en d ed . It i s also recommended for ladies and especially for
preg n a nt l a d i e s to ta ke a s mu c h rest as possible because they needed it more tha n
a no r m a l p e rs on .

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 Stacey L Machesney MSc Public Health Nutrition

E NJ OY YO UR NU TR I TI O N CO U R S E
AN D YO U WILL LE A R N A LOT MORE
IN TH E NE X T 4 WE E K S .

T H IS PACK WILL
J U ST G ET YOU
START ED

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