I think you need to be somewhat masochistic to do most city jobs - burning the candle at both ends, juggling jammed schedules of meetings, work schmoozing and fitting in friends and family, usually with some added hardcore exercise on top.
So it's no surprise that city folk are pretty prone to 'burning out', extended exhaustion brought on by a combination of stress, lack of sleep and poor nutrition.
Burning out can put people on long term sick leave and be debilitating and career ending, but your body does give you a few hints along the way that you're pushing you're pushing your limits and you need to scale things back, before it gets that far.
For me the first major clue is a sore throat without any other symptoms - so no cold or temperature. My glands in my neck often swell at the same time.
Another clear sign for me is a reduced tolerance to stress - if I find myself getting upset or annoyed more easily or feeling overwhelmed it means I'm overloading my body with stress.
These are both cues that I need to back off from my hectic schedule, get more sleep and make more time to wind down.
Tuesday, 10 July 2012
Monday, 9 July 2012
Wimbledon wobble
Watching women's wimbledon these days is enough to make most ladies feel a bit out of shape, especially with the stream of leggy blond Russians who somehow manage to look elegant whilst packing a real punch.
So when I watched a recent game I was surprised to see that beneath her tennis whites Russian player Kvitova had a bit of a muffin top.
Obviously this was relative, if I stood next to her I'd probably feel fairly fat, but it's still rare to see any spare fat in professional sports people given their determination to do anything they can to win.
That being said it is easy when doing a very high amount of sport to use that as an excuse to either over-eat or eat lots of sugary foods in the interest of taking in enough calories, or to 'reward' yourself for your efforts.
However even Serena Williams doesn't eat chocolate during a tournament and I'm sure she burns off a lot of energy!
Certainly you'll need more calories but you should get these from naturally good sources such as wholegrains, fresh and dried fruits and nuts. Sugar and recovery drinks should be saved for during and immediately post exercise to maximise performance and recovery.
Thankfully most of us don't have to wear lycra to work so we can get away with a bit of a muffin!
So when I watched a recent game I was surprised to see that beneath her tennis whites Russian player Kvitova had a bit of a muffin top.
Obviously this was relative, if I stood next to her I'd probably feel fairly fat, but it's still rare to see any spare fat in professional sports people given their determination to do anything they can to win.
That being said it is easy when doing a very high amount of sport to use that as an excuse to either over-eat or eat lots of sugary foods in the interest of taking in enough calories, or to 'reward' yourself for your efforts.
However even Serena Williams doesn't eat chocolate during a tournament and I'm sure she burns off a lot of energy!
Certainly you'll need more calories but you should get these from naturally good sources such as wholegrains, fresh and dried fruits and nuts. Sugar and recovery drinks should be saved for during and immediately post exercise to maximise performance and recovery.
Thankfully most of us don't have to wear lycra to work so we can get away with a bit of a muffin!
Thursday, 5 July 2012
Amino action
A supplement I should have included in yesterdays blog on making life easier is Tyrosine.
Tyrosine is an amino acid, so a component of protein, that is used to make dopamine, the neurotransmitter that makes you feel motivated.
Not only can tyrosine therefore help with general motivation to make positive healthy changes or to be physically active, but it can also help improve mood reducing the likelihood of comfort eating.
I personally find that if I take it regularly I don't get the usual carb cravings that I get if I'm stress or tired.
5-HTP is another neurotransmitter precursor that also may be indicated by carb cravings and sleep disturbances.
Certainly for anyone with unhealthy anxiety or comfort eating habits, a targeted amino acid supplement can help naturally break those habits without having to exercise huge amounts of will power.
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Tyrosine is an amino acid, so a component of protein, that is used to make dopamine, the neurotransmitter that makes you feel motivated.
Not only can tyrosine therefore help with general motivation to make positive healthy changes or to be physically active, but it can also help improve mood reducing the likelihood of comfort eating.
I personally find that if I take it regularly I don't get the usual carb cravings that I get if I'm stress or tired.
5-HTP is another neurotransmitter precursor that also may be indicated by carb cravings and sleep disturbances.
Certainly for anyone with unhealthy anxiety or comfort eating habits, a targeted amino acid supplement can help naturally break those habits without having to exercise huge amounts of will power.
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Wednesday, 4 July 2012
Making things easy
I appreciate that changing your diet can take some effort and that most of us are creatures of habit so trying to break unhealthy habits can be pretty challenging.
Most nutritional therapists will tell you that you should always start with changes in your diet rather than relying on supplements, but when you're struggling to make healthy changes actually laying some ground work with some supplements can make it so much easier to make changes.
My favourite example of this is Chromium which you can get as a liquid supplement. Just taking one drop in water with your breakfast (basically zero effort) can reduce sugar cravings sugar for the rest of the day, so instead of having to put a lot of pshycological effort into resisting the temptations of the vending machine you may find that you don't even feel like eating anything sweet for your mid-afternoon snack.
If there's some area you're struggling with it's always worth seeing if there's an easy way to deal with it, another example is that if you crave fatty foods then start your day with a high dose essential fat supplement or pour some olive oil onto your salad or pasta and you might find these healthy fats are enough to stop your cravings.
It's popular to think being healthy is hard work ... but it doesn't have to be.
------------------
Most nutritional therapists will tell you that you should always start with changes in your diet rather than relying on supplements, but when you're struggling to make healthy changes actually laying some ground work with some supplements can make it so much easier to make changes.
My favourite example of this is Chromium which you can get as a liquid supplement. Just taking one drop in water with your breakfast (basically zero effort) can reduce sugar cravings sugar for the rest of the day, so instead of having to put a lot of pshycological effort into resisting the temptations of the vending machine you may find that you don't even feel like eating anything sweet for your mid-afternoon snack.
If there's some area you're struggling with it's always worth seeing if there's an easy way to deal with it, another example is that if you crave fatty foods then start your day with a high dose essential fat supplement or pour some olive oil onto your salad or pasta and you might find these healthy fats are enough to stop your cravings.
It's popular to think being healthy is hard work ... but it doesn't have to be.
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Tuesday, 3 July 2012
Excuses excuses
Apparently there's a heat wave in New York right now, but here it still feels like Autumn. Still in a summery spirit a colleague bought the desk a round of ice creams this afternoon.
I felt bad turning down the Magnum he offered me, given that I really appreciated the sentiment, but at the same time the sugar/lactose combination is a total nightmare for my sensitive digestive system so I eat ice cream very rarely.
Still even if you don't have an intolerance, saying you do can be a great way to resist peer pressure when other are trying to push unhealthy foods on you and is much harder to argue with than 'I want to eat healthily' or 'I'm on a diet'.
Here are my top get outs when declining unhealthy treats:
I'm lactose intolerant - gets you out of ice cream, cheese and anything with cream in it.
I'm wheat intolerant - gets you out of cakes, biscuits and pizza
I'm detoxing til Friday - gets you out of most unhealthy foods and drinks including caffeine, alcohol and anything with sugar in it. The short time frame makes the goal seem close enough for you not to cave easily under pressure
I'm driving - permanent excuse for not drinking alcohol, if you don't have a car say you're on antibiotics - most people won't want more details at that point!
It gives me migraines - easy excuse for no cheese, alcohol, caffeine or cocoa, but don't then be seen eating these at your desk two weeks later!
If all else fails accept the food, put it on your desk, say you're saving it for later and then throw it away when no ones looking. Although don't do that with ice cream - you'll end up with a melted mess on your desk!
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I felt bad turning down the Magnum he offered me, given that I really appreciated the sentiment, but at the same time the sugar/lactose combination is a total nightmare for my sensitive digestive system so I eat ice cream very rarely.
Still even if you don't have an intolerance, saying you do can be a great way to resist peer pressure when other are trying to push unhealthy foods on you and is much harder to argue with than 'I want to eat healthily' or 'I'm on a diet'.
Here are my top get outs when declining unhealthy treats:
I'm lactose intolerant - gets you out of ice cream, cheese and anything with cream in it.
I'm wheat intolerant - gets you out of cakes, biscuits and pizza
I'm detoxing til Friday - gets you out of most unhealthy foods and drinks including caffeine, alcohol and anything with sugar in it. The short time frame makes the goal seem close enough for you not to cave easily under pressure
I'm driving - permanent excuse for not drinking alcohol, if you don't have a car say you're on antibiotics - most people won't want more details at that point!
It gives me migraines - easy excuse for no cheese, alcohol, caffeine or cocoa, but don't then be seen eating these at your desk two weeks later!
If all else fails accept the food, put it on your desk, say you're saving it for later and then throw it away when no ones looking. Although don't do that with ice cream - you'll end up with a melted mess on your desk!
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Monday, 2 July 2012
Green goodness
With the weather as offensively bad as it is right now, I find myself eating much more cooked food and much less salads that usual. Eating your veg raw can have big benefits in terms of the level of nutrients you can get from the food but also the raw enzymes and water content that you get from them.
However frankly right now lettuce just doesn't appeal and I found myself ordering a delicious vegetarian shepherds pie on a recent visit to the pub instead of a salad.
However even if you can't face a whole bowl of salad, green salad leaves are extremely beneficial in terms of chlorophyll, mineral, antioxidant and fibre levels so you should make sure you incorporate them daily. For me this means:
- adding rocket or watercress to sandwiches or wraps -they add a tasty kick to any filling and are alot more nutritious and tasty than iceberg.
- adding any leafy green to soup just at the end of cooking so it has a couple of minutes to wilt and then blending it immediately
- Stirring a handful of torn spinach leaves into any pasta dish I'm having just when I've finished cooking it
- Putting spinach through the juicer with some carrots and apples for a weekend breakfast juice
OR
-blending up a power smoothie of banana, protein powder, water and a big handful of spinach - the banana makes it totally delicious and not at all spinachy!
OR
-if I can't be bothered dto make one myself grabbing a green goddess juice at Crussh for a green top up
However frankly right now lettuce just doesn't appeal and I found myself ordering a delicious vegetarian shepherds pie on a recent visit to the pub instead of a salad.
However even if you can't face a whole bowl of salad, green salad leaves are extremely beneficial in terms of chlorophyll, mineral, antioxidant and fibre levels so you should make sure you incorporate them daily. For me this means:
- adding rocket or watercress to sandwiches or wraps -they add a tasty kick to any filling and are alot more nutritious and tasty than iceberg.
- adding any leafy green to soup just at the end of cooking so it has a couple of minutes to wilt and then blending it immediately
- Stirring a handful of torn spinach leaves into any pasta dish I'm having just when I've finished cooking it
- Putting spinach through the juicer with some carrots and apples for a weekend breakfast juice
OR
-blending up a power smoothie of banana, protein powder, water and a big handful of spinach - the banana makes it totally delicious and not at all spinachy!
OR
-if I can't be bothered dto make one myself grabbing a green goddess juice at Crussh for a green top up
Sunday, 1 July 2012
Welcome home
Two weekends away from home on the trot and I find myself feeling pretty tired and ready for a very early night!
We all need some proper downtime and whilst getting away from London may seem like a good way to do it, travelling can really take it out of you and leave you starting the week exhausted. It's even worse if you're coming back from a different time zone and have jet lag to contend with.
But there is a way to avoid starting the week wiped out after you've been away.
Firstly aim to get home 3 hours before your usual bed time - getting late flights/trains might be cheaper but will leave you sleep deprived and quickly kill the post holiday feel good factor.
Pickup some very easy to prepare food on the way home, preferably vegetarian/dairy free as this will be easy to digest before you go to sleep (I had a dinner of steamed veg with new potatoes and fruit salad). Most airports have an m+s simply food where healthy ready prepared veg are easily available.
When you get home don't worry about unpacking and sorting your luggage, just unpack the essentials and then cook dinner whilst drinking plenty of water (travel is always dehydrating). Any non-essential tasks can wait til Monday night.
After dinner do the minimum prep you need for work the next day whilst running a bath - check you have a clean ironed outfit and get your handbag together.
Have a 15 minute soak in the tub to make yourself feel fresh again and at the same time super relaxed. Pop on some clean PJs.
By this point you'll probably feel ready for bed and by all means hit the sack, if you're not quite ready then chill on the sofa with a cup of herbal tea and maybe watch tv (but limit it to 30Mins of something relaxing/funny).
You should be aiming to go to bed an hour before your usual bedtime, so check the clock and make sure you get your early night. It's a good policy for every sunday if you can manage it as an extra hour can make the difference between feeling fresh or frazzled on Monday morning!
------------------
We all need some proper downtime and whilst getting away from London may seem like a good way to do it, travelling can really take it out of you and leave you starting the week exhausted. It's even worse if you're coming back from a different time zone and have jet lag to contend with.
But there is a way to avoid starting the week wiped out after you've been away.
Firstly aim to get home 3 hours before your usual bed time - getting late flights/trains might be cheaper but will leave you sleep deprived and quickly kill the post holiday feel good factor.
Pickup some very easy to prepare food on the way home, preferably vegetarian/dairy free as this will be easy to digest before you go to sleep (I had a dinner of steamed veg with new potatoes and fruit salad). Most airports have an m+s simply food where healthy ready prepared veg are easily available.
When you get home don't worry about unpacking and sorting your luggage, just unpack the essentials and then cook dinner whilst drinking plenty of water (travel is always dehydrating). Any non-essential tasks can wait til Monday night.
After dinner do the minimum prep you need for work the next day whilst running a bath - check you have a clean ironed outfit and get your handbag together.
Have a 15 minute soak in the tub to make yourself feel fresh again and at the same time super relaxed. Pop on some clean PJs.
By this point you'll probably feel ready for bed and by all means hit the sack, if you're not quite ready then chill on the sofa with a cup of herbal tea and maybe watch tv (but limit it to 30Mins of something relaxing/funny).
You should be aiming to go to bed an hour before your usual bedtime, so check the clock and make sure you get your early night. It's a good policy for every sunday if you can manage it as an extra hour can make the difference between feeling fresh or frazzled on Monday morning!
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