Category: Wellbeing

Summer vibes: Tips for a healthy-ish Christmas

The Christmas season is a time to gather with loved ones, enjoy delicious food and reflect on what we’re grateful for. While it’s a season of joy, it can also be a challenge to maintain healthy habits amidst indulgent meals and holiday relaxation.

Here are a few tips to help you strike a balance and enjoy a healthier summer break.

  • Mindful Eating: Christmas gatherings often feature rich and kilojoule-heavy dishes. Instead of restricting yourself, practise mindful eating. Enjoy your favourite foods in moderation, savour every bite, and listen to your body’s hunger and fullness cues. Start with smaller portions and go back for seconds only if you’re still hungry.
  • Stay Active: Incorporate movement into your holiday routine. A post-meal walk, a morning yoga session, or even a family-friendly game of cricket can help counterbalance the extra kilojoules and keep you energised. Physical activity is also a great way to bond with family and friends.
  • Hydrate: With so many tempting beverages around, like cider, wine, beer and sugary soft drinks, it’s easy to forget about water. Staying hydrated is crucial for digestion and overall health. Make it a habit to drink a glass of water before meals to help with portion control.
  • Prioritise Sleep: Holiday excitement can disrupt your sleep schedule, but rest is essential for your wellbeing. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night to support energy levels, digestion and immunity.
  • Don’t Skip Meals: Skipping breakfast or lunch to ‘save room’ for dinner can lead to overeating. Instead, have balanced meals earlier in the day (include fibre and protein) to keep your metabolism steady and your appetite in check.
By adopting these simple habits, you can fully enjoy Christmas without sacrificing your health and wellbeing.
Happy Holidays!

Summer vibes: Five essential SunSmart tips to stay protected

Australia is one of the hottest places on Earth and as a result has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world.

On a summer’s day in Australia, sunburn can occur in as little as 15 minutes. Whether serious or mild, all types of sunburn can cause permanent and irreversible skin damage.

Don’t forget these sun protection tips next time you are outdoors:

  1. Don’t wait for your beach trip to be SunSmart – Most Australians get sunburnt around the home, not at the beach. No matter where you are this summer, UV levels will be high enough to damage unprotected skin. Check your local sun protection times on the free SunSmart app so you can make sure you’re protected when you need to be.
  2. Check your sunscreen is in date – Before you slop on the sunscreen that you just dug out of the back of the cupboard, make sure you check it’s still within its expiry date. If you’re topping up your supply, look for a sunscreen that is SPF30 (or higher), broad-spectrum and water-resistant. Remember you need to slop it on 15 minutes before going outdoors and top it up every two hours. Be generous, using at least 35ml for the average adult application. That’s about seven teaspoons – one for each limb, front and back of your torso and your face.
  3. Use sunscreen in combination with other sun protection – Sunscreen is not a suit of armour. Make sure you also slip on covering clothing, slap on a broad-brimmed hat, slide on sunglasses and seek shade when you’re out and about.
  4. Forget the ‘golden glow’ – Tanning is skin cells in trauma – not a sign of health. If you must have a tan, opt for a fake tanning product, but remember you still need to use sun protection.
  5. Watch your spots – Check your own skin regularly, including any skin usually covered from the sun. If you notice any new spots or existing spots that have changed in shape, colour or size, see your doctor.

For more tips and information visit the Cancer Council website in your state or go to sunsmart.com.au

 

Source: Five SunSmart refresher tips for summer

Maintaining optimism to achieve your goals.

Now that we’re about a week past what many behavioural scientists have dubbed ‘quitting day’ (that is, about two weeks into the new year, by which time a disastrously high proportion of people have abandoned their new year’s resolutions) it’s a good time to discuss the power of a positive outlook.

We all know that having a positive outlook is important for achieving success and happiness. However, blind optimism can sometimes do more harm than good.

That’s where the concept of realistic optimism comes into play. Realistic optimism involves having a positive outlook while also acknowledging and preparing for potential challenges. It is having the courage to start something new and knowing failure could be a possibility.

To quote Eleanor Roosevelt “Do one thing every day that scares you.”

When it comes to health and wellness, realistic optimism can be a powerful tool.

By approaching our health journey with realistic optimism, we can stay positive while also taking proactive steps to overcome any challenges that may arise.

Here are some tips for incorporating realistic optimism into your health and wellness routine:

  1. Seek realistic change: Having a clear vision of what you want to achieve is important, but it’s equally important to set lifestyle changes that are realistic and most importantly, achievable. This will help you stay motivated and avoid feeling discouraged if you don’t see any results. For example, if you want to lose weight, set a number that’s achievable for your body type and lifestyle. Trying to lose 10 kilos in a week is not realistic and undoubtedly sets you up for failure. Instead, aim to lose 500g first, and then build from there.
  2. Focus on the positives: Focusing on the things that you can control and celebrating your progress along the way can help you maintain an optimistic outlook and stay motivated. Small wins are still wins. If you’re trying to incorporate more exercise into your routine, celebrate small victories like walking an extra block, parking your car further or stretching before you start your day. Don’t focus on feeling down when you miss more formal exercise opportunities, instead understand that every step forward is progress towards a more active lifestyle and should be celebrated.
  3. Prepare for challenges with a growth mindset: Acknowledge that setbacks and obstacles are likely to happen, a normal part of the process and also a learning opportunity. When you encounter a challenge, don’t give up. Instead, think about how you can overcome it or what you can learn from it so that it doesn’t prevent you from staying on track towards reaching your goals. For example, if you get sick and have low energy to exercise, don’t throw in the towel. Instead, focus on another part of your health, like hydrating a little more, getting good restorative rest, or adding in fresh foods loaded with vitamins and minerals so that you can recover well and get back on track.

By incorporating principles from this mindset into your daily routine, you can view health improvement (or any goals you are working towards) as a progressive journey rather than a series of chores that lead to an outcome. This perspective can help you to stay motivated and adapt to challenges as you work towards your health and wellbeing improvements.

 

Written by Karla Fruichantie – HBD International