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Visualise then actualise- Body Magic sensation
Power of positive visualisation, the ability to visualise an end result can be a powerful tool in the process of achieving any goal, not least the very common weight loss struggle.

While much research focuses on the effects of different foods to aid weight loss, this recent research looked into other factors which could make diets less successful. Scientists call these factors environmental factors and those are often overlooked in diet plans which tell us what foods to eat at what time and what quantities and this although most of you will agree with me that humans are social beings which act and interact with their environment at all times.

Many of our regular readers will know that a diet rich in fruit and vegetables is quite a good start when someone is trying to shed some pounds.
Fruit and vegetables are generally lower in energy per gram while offering usually high amounts of minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. Both are vital requirements for weight loss [...]

In my blogs I am often reminding you to stay active and exercise more however there are small steps and lifestyle changes which will also help you to be more successful gaining you aspired body shape and these are often only mentioned in individual consultations. Such choices include aiming to get regular and high quality sleep, sharing your meals when you eat out or walking one extra bus stop.

Today I will however tell you a little bit more about reducing your television hours. Statistics show that about two thirds of adults spend between 2-5h per day watching television and this although most adults spend about 5h per day seated in the UK.

Valentine’s Day has only passed and I remember many papers and TV programmes were talking about aphrodisiacs or foods which are supposed to increase your libido, but what is really behind this media hype.

Can foods really help with your sex life? Over centuries people have believed that certain foods can have an effect on different aspects of your sex life, some foods are thought to increase libido whereas others are thought to help with fertility in men and women. Often the origin of the claim can be centuries old and most often only relates to the specific shape of the food (e.g. asparagus, oysters, eggs etc.). However modern media has also advocated foods such as pumpkin seeds as the ‘Viagra for women’ based on their specific nutrient density. So is there any real evidence that certain foods could influence any aspect of our sex life?

Recently, Reuters Health released a short note on a research in America which seems to show that diets lower in carbohydrates and relative high in fat could increase LDL cholesterol.

The study investigated the effects of two different diets on 32 obese participants over a six week period. Both groups achieved an average weight loss of 6kg but the group which consumed only 20g carbohydrate or less a day was found to have significantly increased LDL cholesterol levels. The group consuming a high carbohydrate diet with about 55% calories coming from carbohydrates on the other hand decreased their LDL cholesterol levels significantly and most importantly had cholesterol levels within the healthy range after the intervention.

Having had a particular busy working week and moreover noticing my scale has moved towards the wrong side of the screen made me wonder: Could it be that increased workloads and job related stress actually hinder weight loss and increase my body fat?

My diet hasn’t been too bad this week although I must admit I felt less able to decide consciously which foods would be good for me and when to stop eating. Moreover as I have been so very busy and literately ran from A to B, I thought I should have rather lost weight than gaining it. Additionally not sleeping long enough should have also kept my metabolism running on higher levels for longer and avoid any weight gains from extra treats I felt more inclined to deserve. Yet the end of the week tells a different story, but feeling and acting this way is no real clue that job stress could really increase your waistline. So I thought I must investigate this and indeed I found a study I read a while ago which did an investigation on this topic.

Breakfast is for some people the greatest meal of the day and for others a daunting early morning experience. Research over the last decades mostly on children has underpinned what our grandmothers told us back in the days.

Breakfast might the most important meal of the day. People skipping breakfast rarely meet their recommended intakes of complex carbohydrates, fibre and fruit and vegetables. Their overall micronutrient intake is also significantly lower than the micronutrient intake of breakfast eaters. So people enjoying breakfast on most days do much better on meeting government recommendations for fibre, fruit and vegetable and micronutrient intakes and are commonly found to have lower average BMI’s.

After years of protein rich Atkins type diets advertised by the media and diet doctors, many nutritionists seem to focus their advice onto carbohydrate rich diets. Yet they are not talking about increasing the amount of sugar which belongs to the group of carbohydrates they are advising us to increase fibre intakes and ever more food companies create cereals, breads and other products which claim to be high in fibre or to be whole grain.

Fibre is part of the large group of carbohydrates and is a complex carbohydrate. Complex carbohydrates are starches and fibres, whereas sugars such as sucrose (white sugar) or fructose are simple carbohydrates. The major difference between simple and complex carbohydrates is that simple carbohydrates are easily digested and broken down by your body whereas complex carbohydrates are more difficult to be digested and some cannot be digested at all.