Monday, July 23, 2012

6 ways to improve your health during cancer treatment

Quite often those living with cancer feel powerless and stripped of control over their health… NOT TRUE!  You are perhaps more EMPOWERED to impact your wellbeing than ever before!

Here's 6 tips to improve your health before, during and after cancer treatment.

 

1. EXERCISE OUTDOORS
Both exercise and Vitamin D from the sun are important factors in maintaining a positive mindset and boosting your immune system.  Vitamin D is clinically proven to inhibit cell proliferation (growth)  We would recommend 20-30 min outdoors exercising everyday.


2. DRINK GREEN TEA
Green Tea has SO many benefits! For those on chemotherapy, Green Tea  will increase the amount of drug that is able to enter the cancer cell therefore increasing its effectiveness!  Green Tea is super high in antioxidants which, in clinical trials has resulted in fewer infections, fewer days in hospital, improved tolerance to chemotherapy treatment and improved quality of life :)  Green tea is also important to cellular energy production, therefore drinking Green Tea will improve energy, reduce pain and improve detoxification.  We recommend about 20g of green tea per day which would account to about 6 cups.


3. CUT OUT SUGAR
Studies in mice have found that low carb diets promote tumour cell  death.  This diet involves eating high amounts of protein rich foods, salads, vegetables, nuts and seeds.  Low carbohydrate diets also reduce risk of diabetes and obesity; health conditions which are linked to poorer prognosis.

 4. REDUCE YOUR STRESS
Easier said than done whilst you are going through this I am sure!  Simple ways to wind down and relax which saves energy and promotes healing may include getting a massage, having a warm bath with magnesium salts, reading and listening to music.  Include your family and loved ones in this process as they are probably stressed too!

5. REDUCE INFLAMMATION
Inflammation is the driver of pain; therefore if we shift our body into an “anti-inflammatory” state we generally feel better both mentally and physically.  Simple ways to reduce inflammation in our body includes eating more omega 3 (fish, organic red meat, raw nuts and seeds) turmeric, ginger, paw paw, pineapple, tofu, lecithin and green vegetables.  We also need to reduce inflammatory foods such as processed meats, sugar, grains (pasta, flour, rice)  Fish oil supplements can be taken safely with cancer treatment and will provide higher concentrations than what is found in foods; but please advise your oncologist.

6.      ALKALIZE
Think of your cancer like a seed in a garden, to grow it would love a carbohydrate rich and highly acidic soil; therefore we want to offer it the opposite.  We have already spoken about carbs but we also want to alkalize.  The best way to do this is to eat GREEN! 





Saturday, July 7, 2012

55 everyday weightloss tips from the team at Zotrim

A great new product from Bodyscience was featured on ACA last week and has since gone crazy in our store!!  It's called "Zotrim" and contains the herbal combination of Guarana, Damiana and Yerba Mate to boost your metabolic rate and reduce appetite therebye assisting weightloss. 

Along with this product Bodyscience has put together a list of weightloss tips which you can apply to your everyday living.

Zotrim retails for $39.95 for 90 tabs or $9.95 for 180 tabs.


·         Logging calories is a great way to keep an eye on your weight loss progress #WHATISZOTRIM

·         To ensure optimal satiety, you need 2 cups of salad or vegetables at lunchtime and 2-3 cups at dinner #WHATISZOTRIM

·         Cut the milk and sugar from your coffee to slash your daily calories and maximize weight loss #WHATISZOTRIM

·         We all need time to indulge but aim to enjoy an extra 200-300 calories, not an extra 600-1000 #WHATISZOTRIM

·         The less sugar sweetened drinks you have in your diet, the better it is for weight control #WHATISZOTRIM

·         Ideally we need 2-3 hours in between our meals and snacks to maximize fat loss #WHATISZOTRIM

·         Adding a bowl of vegetable soup to your day could cut your calorie intake by as much as 125 calories in a single meal #WHATISZOTRIM

·         Always set aside an hour or two on weekends to prepare some healthy meals for the week ahead #WHATISZOTRIM

·         Training and not achieving results – try and aim to burn 100 calories for every 10 minutes of training #WHATISZOTRIM

·         The best time to train? When you are going to get up and do it! #WHATISZOTRIM

·         Love chocolate and need a calorie controlled treat – try 20g of dark chocolate. #WHATISZOTRIM

·         For weight loss, aim for just 2 slices of dense grain bread each day. #WHATISZOTRIM

·         When choosing filling foods, look for foods that contain at least 3g of dietary fibre per serve. #WHATISZOTRIM

·         Cut out soft drinks and juices from your diet and swap to soda water with some fresh lime to cut calories and sugar. #WHATISZOTRIM

·         Keep cup up vegetables handy to munch on at home so that you are not tempted to snack on extras when you get home from work #WHATISZOTRIM

·         Limit the nights you drink alcohol to a maximum of 2 nights a week #WHATISZOTRIM

·         A perfect mid-afternoon snack contains between 150-200 calories and contains 5-10g of protein #WHATISZOTRIM

·         Always carry a protein rich snack food with you – a nut bar, cheese and cracker snack pack or protein bar are all good options #WHATISZOTRIM

·         Always share dessert with a friend for the pleasure without the calorie pain! #WHATISZOTRIM

·         Swap to a spray oil to save fat grams and calories. #WHATISZOTRIM

·         Dry roast vegetables and use baking paper to sear fish to save using oil for your cooking. #WHATISZOTRIM

·         Always measure sauces and dressings and aim for just 1-2 teaspoons to control your fat and calorie intake. #WHATISZOTRIM

·         For a slight metabolism boost, add extra chilli to your meals. #WHATISZOTRIM

·         Meal times are important – aim for breakfast by 8am, lunch at 12pm and dinner by 7pm each night to optimise digestion and fat loss #WHATISZOTRIM

·         To maximize fat loss before early morning sessions you need 10-20g of carbs and 5-10g of protein #WHATISZOTRIM.

·         Never feed a sugar craving with sweet food – try and shift the palate with green tea or a savoury snack #WHATISZOTRIM

·         The best question to ask when choosing snack foods is “Will this keep me full for at least 2-3 hours? #WHATISZOTRIM

·         If you are craving sugar in the afternoon, it may be a sign that your carbohydrate intake at lunch is inadequate #WHATISZOTRIM

·         Dining out – enjoy a protein shake 1-2 hours before you head out to help regulate your appetite and prevent overeating #WHATISZOTRIM

·         When eating out avoid anything fried or that comes with batter #WHATISZOTRIM

·         The more you have to chew your food, the more calories you will burn and the better it is for your metabolism #WHATISZOTRIM

·         Get on track with your diet by cleaning out the cupboards and filling your fridge with fresh and healthy foods #WHATISZOTRIM

·         Each Sunday set aside time to make a food plan and schedule your training sessions in #WHATISZOTRIM

·         What’s for lunch? Start a lunch club at work and never find yourself without a nutritious healthy option during the day #WHATISZOTRIM

·         Have you had your carrot today? A carrot a day keeps that weight away

·         Remember that each teaspoon of sugar you add is 60kJ or a couple of kg of extra weight a year! #WHATISZOTRIM

·         Fruit juice may sound healthy but with 4 teaspoons of sugar water or vegetable juice is a much better option #WHATISZOTRIM

·         Nuts are great for you but remember, just 10 is a serve #WHATISZOTRIM

·         Alternate alcoholic drinks with sparking or soda water with a slice of lime or lemon #WHATISZOTRIM

·         Chewing gum burns an extra 10-15 calories per hour but choose sugar free varieties #WHATISZOTRIM

·         Never leave the house without a protein rich snack and a vegetable to munch on #WHATISZOTRIM

·         Tired and cannot be bothered cooking, skip the Thai in favour of sushi and save 1000kJ and 20g of fat. #WHATISZOTRIM

·         CafĂ© breakfasts – the worst choices are muesli, Turkish toast and large fruit juices #WHATISZOTRIM

·         Need to drop a couple of kg quickly and safely, swap dinner to vegetable soup for a week #WHATISZOTRIM

·         The body does not compensate for liquid calories so avoid all juice, cordial, soft drinks and energy drinks #WHATISZOTRIM

·         Enjoy your coffee? Swap to a piccolo and halve the calories #WHATISZOTRIM

·         When losing weight we need just 40-60g of fat each day #WHATISZOTRIM

·         A high salt diet can cause fluid retention so avoid soy sauce, fish sauce and adding salt to your meals #WHATISZOTRIM

·         When you are eating out, think “protein and vegetables” when making menu choices #WHATISZOTRIM

·         Learn to compensate when you have overdone things by following a big meal with a lighter soup or salad the next meal #WHATISZOTRIM

·         Out of sight, out of mind – keep treat type foods out of sight at work and at home #WHATISZOTRIM

·         Low GI carbs including grain bread and crackers, legumes and vegetables such as corn and sweet potato are the best carbs for weight loss #WHATISZOTRIM

·         Cut out one coffee a day and save up to 10g of fat and 150 calories #WHATISZOTRIM

·         Aim for 10-12 hours without food overnight to optimise fat loss and support weight control #WHATISZOTRIM

·         When checking foods labels aim for 15-20g of total carbs per serve. #WHATISZOTRIM