When we think of athletes and active people, we certainly don’t think of exercise being dangerous to their health. It makes sense that active people would be healthier than sedentary ones. The truth is, exercise and strenuous physical activity can increase our oxygen consumption in order to meet our energy demands.

Whether it’s your heart beating, nerves communicating or muscles pumping – your metabolism works 24/7 and is the source of your energy. To carry out these bodily functions, we require energy that ultimately comes from our food. Metabolic rate is affected by many factors, including our age, weight and genetics.

Keep a bottle of water with you during the day:

While it might seem obvious, always carrying a water bottle with you will encourage you to keep sipping on water throughout the day. Keep a bottle on your desk at work, in your car or in your gym bag and you’ll have one with you wherever you go.

Including foods with protein in every meal and snack is essential for weight and fat loss. Protein containing foods help to make you feel fuller for longer period of time, preventing blood sugar spikes and dips.

Studies have shown that even just one alcohol-free month boosts both your short- and long-term health and can help you drink less in the months following.

Drinking coffee is a well-established and much loved part of many of our daily routines, with the majority of us not surviving the morning without a cup of our favourite brew. Coffee has become not just something we drink to help us wake up in the morning, but a way of life and a real part of our culture. Something perhaps less thought about is the impact a coffee has on athletic performance and whether it can be used as an effective pre-workout stimulant.

Filling your fridge with healthy perishables makes whipping up nutritious meals a pleasure, not a chore. Fill your fridge with these 10 versatile ingredients.

Feel a cold coming on? Can’t shake your cough? Don’t worry these immune boosting foods are star defense players in your diet.

Are you getting enough nutrients to power through your HIIT class or do you sometimes feel like you’re running on empty? Lookout for these 5 common signs you’re not eating enough to fuel your workout.

Our skeleton is also extremely efficient, despite supporting the weight of our entire body. The dry weight of a healthy human skeleton averages only around 7% of total body mass – so blaming excess weight on ‘big bones’ is not exactly an excuse!

If you’re into fitness, you’re most likely aware that protein is essential for muscle growth and recovery. But what about protein supplements? Are they necessary? What should you look for? Here is the best-practice guide.

Despite contrary belief, bread offers many nutritional and health benefits for a well-balanced diet. But with so many options and information out there, how do you know if you’re choosing the right one? Use our guide to help you pick the best bread for you.

 1. Ditch the Gum

When you chew gum, you also swallow a whole heap of air, which can lead to stomach distention.

Do you need to buy organic all the time? There’s a difference between organic and conventionally grown foods when it comes to nutrition, safety and price. The organic food aisle can be difficult to navigate – not to mention, costly – but there are a few organic and pesticide-free products that are certainly worth the investment.

Let’s start off with the basics – what does the word Macros mean? Ultimately Macros is short for Macronutrients – Macronutrients refers to the nutrients you get from food that gives us calories or energy. The word ‘macro’ means large, therefore macronutrients are nutrients needed in large quantities. There are three types of macronutrients and they come in the form of Carbohydrates, Fats and Proteins.

WHAT DOES TRACKING YOUR MACROS MEAN?

Fundamentally, tracking your macros means counting how many grams of carbohydrates, fats and proteins that you consume on a daily basis.

Your skin is the outside indicator of how your body is doing on the inside. Although important, taking care of it purely from the outside isn’t going to be enough if you want a glowing healthy looking skin.

Here are our top five foods for great looking skin

The term ‘fat-free’ is one of the more common forms of labelling that should raise a warning flag. If you’re new to losing weight it’s an easy mistake. ‘Fat-free’ yogurt may be relatively free of fat but when the fat is taken out the yogurt doesn’t taste so good. Manufacturers compensate by adding more sugar as well as thickening agents neither of which are good for your health or your diet plan. Fat free ice cream is much the same with added sugar in the form of corn syrup that is high in fructose – one of the main causes of obesity. 

There are many ideas and beliefs about when is the best time of the day to exercise. Many people like to get up and get it done first thing in the morning and others prefer to exercise late in the afternoon or evening.

If you’re an Olympic athlete – preferably a cyclist, rower or tennis player – do manual work, live in England, as opposed to Scotland or Northern Ireland, and fast one day a week we have good news for you: you’ll probably be healthier and live longer than those who aren’t or don’t.

According to recent research published on the British Medical Journal website Olympian athletes live 2.8 years longer than average and the cyclists, rowers and tennis players lived longest of all. The study examined the life spans of 25,000 athletes who competed in the Games going back as far as 1896. Those involved in contact sports such as boxing gained the least whereas cyclists and rowers had the best health. However, even those who practised lower intensity sports like golf also had a boost in health and public health specialists from Australia and the US have suggested that even moderate exercise on a regular basis of 150 minutes a week will result in a life extension of several years.

While all vegetables are basically good for your health some are better than others. Cruciferous veggies are special due to their chemical composition which includes sulphurous compounds which give then their pungent flavour. When broken down by either chewing or chopping these sulphurous compounds are converted into isothiocyanates (ITCs) which can prevent and help fight cancer as well as boosting the immune system. Cruciferous veggies also contain antiviral/bacterial agents that can help keep you disease free.

Cruciferous veggies include beets and their greens, bok choy, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, kohlrabi, mustard greens, radishes, turnip greens and watercress.