Quick tip - Speed up your metabolism!

Your metabolism is the rate at which your body burns energy. If you enjoy the occasional delicious morning tea or yummy dessert, make sure you eat the right foods to burn of those calories quicker!    

Try to regularly include metabolism boosting foods in your diet such as chilli, cayenne pepper, spices, low fat dairy, rolled oats, raw almonds, grapefruit, apples, eggs, spinach and beans.   Broccoli, cauliflower, celery and lettuce are also great as they require lots of energy to be broken down.  

DID YOU KNOW? 

If you under-eat it actually slows down your metabolism! To maintain a good metabolism, your body needs regular fuel and time in-between meals to digest.  So try to eat at least every 4-5 hours to maintain a good metabolism.

No time to exercise? Keep reading…

We all know the feeling of yet another week gone by without stepping foot in the gym, taking the dog for a walk or spending some time stretching our worn out muscles. With our increasingly busy lives, pressing deadlines and family responsibilities, finding time for exercise can too easily be put at the bottom of the to-do list!

Follow these handy tips from Hopewood to put the spring back in to your step, and help you feel more energetic:

• Take the stairs instead of the lift. Unless you’re located on the 20th Floor, walking up the steps can give you some much needed exercise and only takes a few minutes longer. Stairs are really good for aerobic fitness and strengthening the legs. Try to go use them as much as you can throughout the day. Plus, you’ll avoid those awkward silences in the lift!
• Walk wherever you can. If your work is too far away from home for an easy jog, try parking in a car park further away from your office and walk the last few kilometers. Or next time you go to the shops, instead of grabbling for the closest spot to the entry, choose one of the empty ones right at the back. You’ll save yourself some stress and increase your daily exercise.
• Sit up straight. If you find that you slouch a lot, try this simple exercise. While your sitting in your chair (you can also do this standing) sit up straight, hold your tummy in, push your shoulders down, keep your head straight, squeeze your bottom in and push your feet into the ground. Hold this for 30 seconds if you can, as it becomes easier, hold for longer.
• Take exercise breaks. Try to take four minute breaks from your computer at work (or home) and walk a measured distance. For example, the distance could be from the study to the back fence, or down the corridor at work. Keep the distance to about 30 metres. Do this simple exercise five times each day and before you know it you have walked 7km in one week! How easy and simple is that!