Author: Jabernet

I don’t know about the rest of you, but this muggy weather is taking its toll on my energy levels.  The days are hot and sticky, the nights are warm and muggy and sleep seems impossible right now.  This can cause you to feel tired and drained during the day.

Why do we feel tired when it’s hot?

According to the experts more women than men report this general fatigue.  Many things can cause sluggishness, but poor nutrition is a big culprit.

The key is to balance your blood sugar levels to prevent peaks and crashes through the day. So eating every three/four hours is optimum. At The Body Retreat we recommend three main meals and two small snacks every day.

Choosing food to increase energy levels

But you need to choose your snacks wisely, yes an ice cream or a long ice cold fizzy drink would be lovely on a hot summers day. But beware, the simple sugars found in ice creams, lollies, soft drinks, and biscuits may provide a quick boost, but then a big letdown afterward as your blood sugar levels crash will leave you  feeling worse than before and in need of an even bigger boost!! Protein is the key to balancing those blood sugars.

The best way to beat fatigue is to eat a healthy breakfast to kick-start your body into gear for the day. It will help you to think clearer and eat healthier for the rest of the day. Our “On the Go” smoothie really comes into its own on days like these, it is healthy, tasty and nutritious and it only takes 2 minutes to prepare, you can even do it the night before and keep it in the fridge.  Because it’s fluid it is more easily absorbed, which means you, get the impact of the nutrients fast.  But its well balanced to ensure no crashes!!

Breakfast on the Go Smoothie

Serves 1 

Ingredients:

1 small ripe banana

50g pineapple, peeled and cubed

1 tbsp wheatgerm

1tbsp porridge oats

1 tsp crushed linseeds

50 mls  fresh apple juice

50g natural yoghurt

50mls coconut water

Sprinkle of fresh nutmeg or ground cinnamon

Method:

Place the banana and pineapple in a blender and blend until a rough puree, add the remaining ingredients and blend until a smooth juice.  Poor into a glass and grate a little fresh nutmeg or sprinkle a little ground cinnamon on top to taste.

Why should we drink lots of water?

Two-thirds of your body is made up of water.  Dehydration is one of the leading causes of a lack of energy, if you’re not well hydrated, your body puts its resources into maintaining your water balance instead of into giving you energy. If you are not a water lover try adding a splash fresh fruit juice and lots of ice to make it more to your palette… but only a splash of juice, remember pure fruit juice is just sugar.

Exercise to beat tiredness

While eating the right food and drinking enough fluid can help to combat fatigue, sometimes there is no better solution to tiredness than a quick walk outside. Try a 10-15 power walk in the sunshine and fresh air to blow away that fatigue. It is particular good to get outside just before you go to bed a night, bringing your body temperature down before you go to bed will help you to fall asleep faster.

Follow these simple tips and you will  have a good nights sleep, feel rested for the next day and get more out of these gorgeous sunny days.

Don’t let the heat side-track your exercise goals!

At last it seems that summer has arrived,  it’s seriously scorching outside this week.  Whilst it’s tempting to hide from the heat and lounge in the shade, you still want to maintain your health and fitness goals.

Stay healthy with these summer exercise tips from our fitness guru Julie Brealy:

• Hydration is the word of the day. Whether you’re a runner or just taking a brisk walk, drink water to retain fluid and stay cool. You need to be drinking at least 1.5 litres per day while it’s this hot!
• It’s all fun and games until you’re sidelined by heat exhaustion. Listen to your body and know your limits; watch out for nausea, dizziness, or an increase in body temperature.
• Watch the weather; exercise before temperatures spike – early mornings and evenings are the coolest!  You could also opt for indoor activities on days when it’s too hot.
• Be a shade seeker.  Is there a park or wood near you, seek out the shade where possible as being out in direct sun can increase dehydration.
• Shed dark, heavy cotton clothes for light, breathable clothing that wicks away sweat and reflects the sun. It’s a great opportunity to wear some hot colours to match the weather.
• Did you know that there are still hundreds of open air swimming pools or lidos in the UK? So if you’re are a water baby take it outside this summer to give your training a boost.  Swimming is a great way to tone up and burn off those calories whilst staying cool as the temperature rises.
• Save yourself from sunspots, wrinkles and sunburn— get a baseball cap, use sunscreen and exercise away from direct sunlight.

Go ahead — pull on your swimsuit, throw on running shoes, or just get out in the local park for a game of catch with the kids — enjoy the hazy days of summer before winter rolls around too soon as these days are just a memory!

Anyone who has ever been on a diet will know just how difficult it often is to stick to. And then, if you do manage to reach your target weight, how equally difficult it can be to maintain it.

That is why heath and fitness camps are so popular. They are designed to put you in an environment conducive to successful weight loss, with people facing similar challenges.

There are many different types of weight loss retreats – or bootcamps as they are often known – so making sure you choose the one that is most suitable for you will help you achieve your goals.

At The Body Retreat we offer a range of different retreats to suit you and your lifestyle.

So, what do you need to consider when choosing a retreat?

What are you trying to achieve – a quick fix? Or weight loss and maintenance?

What is your goal? A rapid weight loss where you only consume juices for several days (which often goes straight back on as soon as you start eating normally, back home)? Or a programme which will educate you on how to lose weight successfully – and maintain that weight loss?

At The Body Retreat, we offer the latter. We know that old habits are hard to break and, in some cases, there may be other obstacles to maintaining your weight loss (such as understanding why you reach for that biscuit tin when you get that 3pm slump, or that glass of wine as soon as you walk in the door after a bad day).

On our weight loss retreats for women, losing weight is just one part of the programme. We have a personalised, holistic, approach consisting of an equal balance of exercise, nutrition and behaviour on all our events.

Our aim is to provide you with a new framework for your life so that you can learn how to lose and then maintain your weight through a mixture of healthy eating, exercise and new behaviours (such as dealing with stress, or foregoing pick me ups such as caffeine when you are tired).

Big groups – or one-to-one attention?

Do you want individual attention, where you can exercise at your own fitness levels under the expert eye of a trainer? Or be part of a large group where you just throw yourself in the deep end and hope you don’t injure yourself because no one is telling you if you are doing a particular exercise correctly?

On all of our retreats, we have small groups so that everyone gets a personalised service. Our groups tend to be a mixture of all levels of fitness, ages, shapes and sizes, and our programmes are tailored to each individual so that they can meet their goals.

What is included in the cost?

You may see some weight loss retreats advertising themselves through cheap deals – while this is all well and good, do make sure you know what is included in the cost before you sign up.

Some of these so-called “cheap” camps will charge you extra for things like en-suite rooms, towels, snacks and even water!

At our retreats, everything is included. Your food, snacks and drinks will have the emphasis on being healthy while still being tasty and satisfying. Three main meals and three snacks will ensure that you never go hungry, plus herbal teas and water are on tap!

And all our venues offer clean, luxurious, and (usually) en-suite rooms – no dormitories!

Activities

If their website details it, check out the sort of activities you’ll be doing to make sure that they:

• are varied, so that you get to try lots of different activities as well as work different muscle groups;
• do not require lots of equipment (meaning that when you go home, you can keep up with the new routines you’ve learnt, without having to join an expensive gym);
• appeal to you – at least a bit! For example, if running for a bus is the only running you do, suddenly being thrown into lots of 10k runs and very little else won’t make for an enjoyable time at your camp.

A varied mix of activities – such as gym and outdoor based exercise classes and workouts intermixed with sessions on nutrition, workshop activities and low impact exercise such as yoga, pilates, and Nordic walking etc – is ideal, as it meets all the points mentioned above.

Finally, whatever weight loss retreat you decide to attend, don’t forget to check out the credentials of the Team – being in the care of qualified, experienced people will help you achieve your goals – as well as give you peace of mind.