Health & Wellness Lifestyle
- Joy Watt
- Jan 11, 2022
- 8 min read
Lifestyle
The Beauty Approach
Joy A Watt
Contents
1. What constitutes a healthy balanced diet
2. The importance of sufficient water intake
3. A safe approach to reduce and increase weight
4. The effects of environmental pollution and UV damage on the human body
5. Government recommendations regarding caffeine, smoking, alcohol/drugs, and environmental pollution and UV rays
6. Self-help techniques used for detoxification
Introduction
This report looks at lifestyle choices to boost your health and improve the effects of the beauty treatments, in line with better wellbeing and choices for a healthy lifestyle, of which there are many diets and varying advice.
Currently we follow the NHS and Government guidelines for health and nutrition, which uses the Eatwell plate to guide a healthy diet.
A Healthy Balanced Diet constitutes the correct nutrition which helps us to improve our physical condition, and balanced food choices can help us to increase fitness and energy levels as well as to improve skin and gut health. For working out and activite sports, good nutrition can prevent dehydration and optimise recovery times to keep energy levels sustained.
From the eatwell plate we can see that protein is very important for balancing our health which traditionally comes from meat, poultry and fish for an omnivore diet. However vegetarians can get protein from eggs and other dairy products and Vegans can turn to nuts, beans, seeds, legumes, tofu and additional vitamins through pills.
What Constitutes a Healthy, Balanced Diet?
We have a barrage of information daily about the right type of diet and the right foods to eat. This can be confusing and often contradictory, therefore I am looking at how the NHS advises us to balance out our eating choices for good energy and better health. They advise that a calorie controlled diet will help to balance out our input, and exercise helps our physical condition and output.
It is recommended that women have around 2000 calories a day (8400 kilojoules) and men are allowed approximately 2500 calories a day (10,500 kilojoules). Eating fewer calories helps with weight loss, and often more calorie consumption is linked to eating more fats, sugars and carbohydrates than the eat well food plate advises. These 8 key tips will lead to a healthy balance of food intake:
1: Higher Fibre Carbohydrates
Use wholemeal breads, rice and pasta where possible and include potatoes and cereals in each meal to help with regular bowel movement and to keep you feeling full for longer.
2: High Intake of Fruit and Veg
Getting your 5 a day or more in fruit and vegetables is very important for daily vitamins and minerals. You can eat them fresh, frozen, canned, dried, in soups and smoothies or however your tastebuds determine.
3: Eat more Fish, Nuts or FlaxSeeds
Oily fish are high in Omega 3 fats which are good for keeping a healthy heart and circulation to ease joints and flexibility through boosting circulation. It is recommended to eat a minimum 2 portions of white fish and 1 portion of oily fish every week.
4: Reduce Saturated Fats and Sugar
Fat
The amount and type of fat in your diet is important, not all fat is bad for you but saturated fat can increase body mass, promote high cholesterol and increase the risk of heart disease.
It is recommended that women should have no more than 20g and men no more than 30g of fat every day. A low fat diet is not suitable for children under the age of 5 who are growing and developing at a fast rate.
Sugar
A high rate of calories and kilojoules can be found in sugar, which adds to weight gain/obesity, tooth decay, build up of toxins, and is a high risk food found often in convenience food and fizzy drinks.
Naturally occuring sugar still needs to be consumed in moderation but is much better for our overall health and wellbeing.
Food labels are useful to help us check food content, and the traffic light system can make it clear how much sugar and fat in our food is acceptable, we should try to stick to the green and healthier limits.
5: Reduce Salt Intake
People with a high blood pressure are more likely to have a heart attack or stroke, and this is often linked to a high consumption rate of salt, as adults are advised to have no more than 6g daily. Most of the salt we eat has already been added to food, and is often high sodium table salt rather than the healthier and natural sea or rock salt, which also needs to be consumed in moderation.
6: Reduce Weight through Activity
Most adults lose weight by reducing calories, eating less and being more active, therefore exercising while maintaining a healthy and balanced diet can help you regulate a healthy weight. Obesity can lead to conditions such as type 2 Diabetes, cancers, heart disease, stroke and gut inflammation, which can seriously affect your health.
The body mass index is a healthy weight calculator which you can use as a guide to help manage a healthy eating and active lifestyle.
7. Keep Hydrated
Government guidelines to a healthy amount of water daily is 6-8 glasses, or 2 litres of fluid. Water, low fat milk, non-sugary drinks, herbal tea and low caffiene hot drinks are healthy choices. Many fizzy drinks have hidden sugars and acids which can affect other areas of your health as they are bad for your teeth and high in calories. Fruit juice and smoothies also have a high sugar content so it is advised to minimise this to 150ml daily which is a small glass. In hot weather you need to drink more to stay hydrated and also reduce drinks with an alcoholic content.
It is debatable how much fluid retention a variety of drinks can give us, my sport science did a study and the results are shown below:
8. Eat Breakfast
Energy to start the day is very important and cereals or high fibre grains which are slow releasing can help to fuel our bodies and reduce the need to snack. Getting the nutrients you need at the start of the day can create a good healthy balance for life.
Some people skip breakfast because they think it can help them lose weight, but the balance of food and energy needs to be taken throughout the day rather than one big meal at night, which can be heavier on your health.
The Importance of Sufficient Water Intake
Our bodies are made up of nearly 70% water and the body is designed to use water to flush out toxins and damaged cells and hydrate each system, boost energy and clear out waste. Fluids regulate the body's temperature and ensure that joints are adequately lubricated with fluid movement, making drinking water one of the most important things you can do for your health. The diagram below shows the water balance required with intake and output for the average male and female:
A safe approach to reduce & increase weight
How do you track how many calories you are eating per day? You can download something to help track your lifestyle such as the MyFitnessPal app. From experience, this has worked for me and it's the main thing that has kept me in line with my diet. All you do is simply scan your food or select it in a search bar and save it. You'll be able to see everything that you've eaten all day for breakfast, lunch, whatever. It takes a while to get used to and it is tedious at first - but it really makes you think about what you're eating. The app also lets you track the amount of nutrients you've had, whilst also warning you if you've eaten a little too much salt or sugar. You'll start to think twice about scoffing those sweets and switching to healthier recommended choices.
By keeping a food diary and keeping track of what you eat, you can successfully manage your food and calorie intake if you want to lose or gain weight.
Effects of environmental pollution & UV damage on the human body
Dermalogica is a well respected product which my lifestyle client has been using, and they have an air pollution tracker for post code areas to track the levels of pollution in your area. This is because the skin ages more dramatically when it comes into contact with UV and particle pollution from a congested environment, and creates a build up of free radicals in the skin. This can create wrinkles, fine lines, acne, shadows and redness or dryness as the skin is reactive individually on each person, depending on skin type.
Microplastics are also a problem, and can appear in some products such as exfoliators in the form of pearls and beads. Products that contain synthetic ingredients or plastic pearls are not only bad for our bodies but bad for the environment too as they get into the watercourses and create disease and pollution in the food chain.
Government recommendations regarding caffeine, smoking, alcohol/drugs, environmental pollution & UV rays
Both tobacco and alcohol share similar effects on the heart. While the detrimental effect of smoking on the risk of cardiovascular disease is well-recognised and straightforward (the risk of heart disease increases with the amount of smoking), the impact of drinking is more complex.
Some evidence suggests that moderate drinking (3 – 14 drinks a week) may be associated with a lower risk of heart attack, while heavier drinking may well increase the risk of heart attack, heart failure, stroke and high blood pressure.
As smoking is also common among alcohol drinkers, and smokers and drinkers frequently share similar behavioural and lifestyle patterns, it is currently unclear whether it is the combined or independent effects of smoking and alcohol that greatly raises cardiovascular risk.
Nonetheless, the health problems associated with excessive smoking and drinking are extensive. Public health efforts to minimise the dangers of both smoking and drinking may significantly improve the well-being of society. There is lots of free information, help, support and advice about being alcohol aware and the following charts are useful for knowing our limits on substances, Caffeine is measured in milligrams and you are allowed up to 400mg daily. Alcohol is counted in units and it is recommended that you drink no more than 14 units a week. It is best to cut tobacco out of your diet completely.:
Self help techniques used for detoxification
Stress can often be a toxic and challenging thing to deal with, and can manifest itself in a very physical way, bringing strain and pain to the body. Exercise can really help to alleviate the symptoms of stress, and can bring back flexibility, better breathing and a healthier physique. Stress can trigger a fight or flight response in the autonomous nervous system and release more cortisol than the body can deal with, which can raise your blood pressure, tense up muscles and quicken the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. There are various self help techniques to help manage stress, anxiety and detox the body:
Body Brushing: Stimulating the skins nervous system, balancing the skin and sloughing of dead skin cells with upward brushing before bathing
Aromatherapy Bath: Using relaxing oils such as lavender, geranium and chamomile along with mineral salts in the bath can help to relax and detoxify the body
Yoga: Start the day with gentle movement such as sun salutations and focus on regulating your breathing will bring a calm and healthy start to the day, this will energise the body and stimulate the circulation and digestive systems, creating core strength and flexibility.
Walking to Work: If you normally drive to work, try to park further away and include exercise in your daily commute. Walking produces endorphins which can cut down feelings of stress and anxiety. you can listen to relaxing music or mindfulness sessions to ease your mind into the day. walking also is a great form of exercise to boost circulation, burn calories, keep good joint mobility and help the respiratory system by breathing fresh air, especially if you are able to walk through a natural or green space.
Healthy Lunch: Take your lunch away from your desk and get time out to recharge your batteries at the gym or go for a walk. Sitting all day can cause the blood to pool around your legs which impacts on the lymphatic system. Having a proper break with some movement and healthy eating will help to improve your mood and productivity over prolonged periods such as the working week.
Drink Water and Herbal Tea: Flushes the bodies system out and rehydrating is very important throughout the day, and will not only help your skin to stay plumper and more youthful but you will feel fresher and fitter. Reducing alcohol and caffeine will aid a better sleep.
Sleep for minimum 7-8 hours every night: The body needs time to unwind and rest, getting a good nights sleep is one of the most important things that you can do to detoxify your body. If you suffer from insomnia and often wake up or find it hard to get to sleep, try to reduce time on your mobile phone, television or computer and try to read or do yoga and stretches before bed to help you wind down before bed.
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