C O M PA S S Your Health and Wellbeing Guide
Summer 2019 Issue
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE Body Positivity • Childcare and Summer Holidays Tackling Loneliness • Walking to Health Compass Magazine
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CONTENTS COMPAS S
Summer 2019
Nutrition From the inside out
Your Health and Wellbeing Guide
Page 04 Stay healthy, stay hydrated 14
Page 06 Take care of your skin in the sun Page 08 Body positivity Page 10 Walk your way to better health Page 12 Ultra-processed foods
18 Eat too many Eathigh-sugar leafy greens foods Drink tooIncrease many sugar-sweetened drinks your intake of seeds Eat tooAdd much processed unsalted tree meat nuts Eat too many foods high in hazel saturated (walnuts, almonds, nuts)fat sedentary for long IncludeBehealthy sources of fatperiods (olive oil, avocado) Eat lean meat Eat oily fish Drink low-calorie, low-sugar beverages
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Compass Magazine is published by PAM Group Ltd Contact us 73-75, Sankey St, Warrington WA1 1SL All rights reserved - Reproduction is strictly prohibited - Copyright 2019 Š For more information visit www.pamgroup.co.uk Images courtesy of Freepik.
Page 14 Summer childcare costs Page 16 What you should know about loneliness Page 18 Preventing diabetes through diet and exercise Page 20 How does your life outlook affect you? Compass Magazine
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Water Bottled and tap water are equally valuable as a fluid source.
Tea and Coffee
Both tea and coffee count towards your fluid intake, however be aware of the caffeine content, especially if you are pregnant.
Energy Drinks
Energy drinks can be high in sugars, caffeine and other stimulants. These types of drinks should be limited and do not make good choices for those under the age of 18.
STAY HYDRATED STAY HEALTHY Drink more water
Juice
Fruit juices do count towards your fluid intake and 150ml counts towards one of your 5 a day, however they are high in sugar so you should limit these to once per day.
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FRESH U
P!
SOFT DRINK
Fizzy Drinks
Although fizzy drinks do count towards your fluid intake, you should opt for sugar free options and drink these only in moderation.
Alcohol
Does not count towards your fluid intake and can also dehydrate you.
Milk
Milk is a great source of calcium, iodine, protein and B vitamins. You should try to choose lower fat varieties.
Adults should be aiming for between 6-8 glasses of water per day
D
rinking enough water is vital for your body, you physically cannot survive without it. Nearly 2/3 of your body is made up of water and it’s essential for you to be able to function properly.
How much should we be drinking? The exact amount of fluid each individual needs to drink is dependant on a large number of factors, for example: How old you are - your age affects how well your body is able to balance both water and salts. The younger you are the more water you are able to store. How active you are - if you exercise more you will lose more water due to perspiration and will need to consume more water. How warm your environment is - when we are warmer, we tend to sweat more and need to drink more water. The food that you eat – depending on your diet you may need to drink more/ less- for example if your diet was high in salt and alcohol then your body would require more water than if you ate a lot of fruits and vegetables. (Quick fact! – cucumber and lettuce have the highest water content of any food at about 96% water. Tomatoes are also a good choice, being about 94% water, they make a great addition to a salad or sandwich). As a general rule of thumb, you should be aiming to drink about 6-8 glasses (250ml) of fluids per day. Keeping hydrated helps your body to: • • • •
Transport nutrients around the body Transport compounds in the blood Remove waste products Protect your joints acting as a shock absorber • Regulate your temperature through the process of sweating
• Keep your digestive system working properly
What Counts As Fluid Towards My Daily Intake? Water is the most obvious choice when it comes to fluid intake. It’s inexpensive, it doesn’t have any calories and meets your body’s need for fluids. If you find that drinking water is difficult or just don’t like the taste then there are plenty of other options such as squash, milk, tea and fruit tea. You should be aware though that these other options often have sugar, calories and sometimes chemicals in them which mean that they’re not always a great substitute to have all of the time. A more natural way to make water more exciting is to keep your water in the fridge and to add flavour by slicing some lemon, lime, orange, cucumber or even crushing up some berries into the water.
Do Smoothies Count? Smoothies do count towards your fluid intake however you need to be conscious of both calorie content and sugar content. When making a smoothie here are some top tips to consider:
Can I drink too much water? It certainly is possible to drink too much water, however most people will feel that their stomach is full and won’t drink too much. The reason that drinking too much water isn’t good for you is because it can cause the levels of salt in your blood to drop low, causing a condition called hyponatraemia. A good way to gauge if you are drinking enough is to keep a close eye on the colour of your urine using a colour chart and to aim for 6-8 glasses (250ml) per day.
Five Top Tips: 1. Fill up on water – water has zero calories and zero sugar and is one of the healthiest ways to hydrate. 2. Include foods in your diet that can help to hydrate you such as soups, stews, fruit and vegetables. 3. Remember to drink regularly throughout the day to keep your body hydrated. 4. Make sure that you carry water with you or always have access to water, especially if you are spending time in hot environments. 5. Bottled water, spring water and mineral water all count equally towards your fluid intake.
Try:
When you are only drinking your smoothie to get fluids:
Using crushed ice to thicken your smoothie
Avoid using yoghurt, milk or ice cream to thicken your smoothie as this will add extra fat and calories to your drink.
Try adding different types of fruits that Avoid using fruits high in calories and are higher in fluids to your smoothie carbohydrates such as mangoes and such as oranges, grapes, grapefruit and bananas. different types of melons. Try adding some water rich vegetables to avoid unnecessary sugar, such as cucumber, celery or tomatoes Compass Magazine
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Taking proper
care of your skin in the sun
Understanding UV and the types of sunscreen available to help get healthy sun exposure
U
V stands for ultraviolet radiation (i.e. has a wavelength that is after the violet (= light purple) end of the range of colours that can be seen by humans). It's transmitted in 3 wavelengths: • UVA – associated with skin ageing. It affects the elastin (a protein that coil and recoils like a spring within the elastic fibres of connective tissue and accounts for the elasticity of structures such as skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, intestines, tendons, and ligaments) in the skin. UVA penetrates the skin more deeply than UVB, but UVA protection in a sunscreen will help defend the skin against ageing and skin cancer. • UVB – form of UV that is most responsible for sunburn and has strong links to malignant melanoma and basal cell carcinoma risk (both are types of skin cancer). A sunscreen with a high SPF (sun protection factor) will help block UVB rays and prevent the skin from burning, and by extension damage that
can cause skin cancer. • Getting sunburn, just once every two years, can triple your risk of melanoma skin cancer. • Sunburn doesn’t have to be raw, peeling or blistering. If your skin has gone pink or red in the sun, it’s burnt. For people with darker skin, it may just feel irritated, tender or itchy. • UVC – can’t penetrate the earth’s atmosphere so we don’t need to worry about it.
Does this mean we need to avoid the sun? We don’t need to avoid being in the sun but when summer arrives, due to the minimal amount of sun we get here in the U.K, we tend to think we need to make the most of it and we get too much sun exposure. Although we need to be aware of UV radiation and sun exposure, it’s important to remember that exposure to the sun’s UV rays does provide us with improved
mental wellbeing and helps our skin to produce vitamin D – sometimes called the sunshine vitamin. Vitamin D works with calcium and phosphorus for healthy bones, muscles and teeth. But you don’t have to sunbathe to make vitamin D. In the UK, ultraviolet light is only strong enough to make vitamin D on exposed skin (on the hands, face and arms or legs) during April to September. However, strong sun also burns skin so we need to balance making vitamin D with being safe in the sun - take care to cover up or protect your skin with sunscreen before you turn red or get burnt.
What is a safe way to get vitamin D and not be burnt by the sun? Use sunscreen! Sunscreen has organic filters (not organic in the environmental sense) that absorb harmful UV radiation and convert and give this energy back out as infrared. Organic filters are like sponges as they soak or mop up the radiation.
6-14
Low protection
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15-29
Medium protection
30-50
High protection
50+
Very high protection
Unfortunately, we can’t give a precise level of sun exposure that will safely provide you with vitamin D, while also not putting you at risk.
Sunscreens in the UK are labelled with an ‘SPF’. This stands for ‘sun protection factor’ and it primarily shows the level of protection against UVB, not the protection against UVA. SPFs are rated on a scale of 6-50+ based on the level of protection they offer ratings of 50+ offering the strongest forms of UVB protection. It’s recommended that we use a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 as a satisfactory form of sun protection in addition to protective shade and clothing. When you currently buy sunscreen containing UVA protection in the UK you may notice a UVA star
rating on the packaging. The stars range from 0 to 5 and indicate the percentage of UVA radiation absorbed by the sunscreen in comparison to UVB, in other words the ratio between the level of protection afforded by the UVA protection and the UVB protection.
of stars). Sunscreens that offer both UVA and UVB protection are sometimes called ‘broad spectrum’. A sunscreen with an SPF of 30 and a UVA rating of 4 or 5 stars is generally considered as a good standard of sun protection in addition to shade and clothing.
Be aware that if you choose a low SPF it may still have a high level of stars, not because it is providing lots of UVA protection, but because the ratio between the UVA and UVB protection is about the same.
New sunscreen labelling The new EU Recommendation means that you will notice changes on the labelling of some manufacturers’ sunscreens. As well as the SPF number, the SPFs are categorised as providing low to very high protection, to make the SPF guide easier to understand.
That’s why it’s important to choose a high SPF as well as a high UVA protection (e.g. a high number
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POSITIVITY
BODY
B
ody image is the idea that someone has of what their own body looks like, but how we see our own body is often distorted and different from what others see.
Can social media distort our body image? The rise of social media has brought about a new wave of 'influencers' and 'insta models' who now join the ranks of celebrities and play a key role in influencing our behaviour. We are comparing our appearance to people in Instagram images, or whatever platform they're on, and often judge ourselves to be worse off if we don't reflect the glamorized images we’re exposed to. What is often overlooked is the fact that influencers and celebrities come from privileged backgrounds which allows them to have personal trainers, chefs as well as lavish and carefree lifestyles. However, despite already looking ‘perfect’, it’s a well-known fact that the use of filters, airbrushing and surgery is common practice. Comparing our appearance to celebrities or other people can bring about negative feelings and make you feel bad about the way you look. It’s important to understand that how we look and our way of life is influenced by these factors: • Genetic makeup • Background, level of education, our profession, and income (socio-economic status) • Physical environment that surrounds us Once we form a negative opinion about our body image we risk developing unhealthy behaviours which are centred around achieving an ‘ideal' body. These unhealthy behaviours can include:
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To continually promote a positive and healthy self-image it’s crucial that we develop an accurate and realistic perception of ourselves.
• Strict dieting • Exercising multiple times per day • Obsessing over eating healthy food • Obsessive self-scrutiny in mirrors • Regular self-criticism
How to promote a positive and healthy selfimage There is a Worldwide body positivity movement growing which has now reached the UK - encouraging acceptance of all shapes, sizes, colours, abilities, genders and everything that makes us unique and interesting. Here are some techniques to help you promote a positive healthy self-image: Identify what triggers negative thoughts about the way you look. Is social media the problem? Are there certain people you socialise with that make you feel inadequate? Are there any objects in your environment that cause you to feel negative or insecure? Once you have identified your triggers, you can begin to modify your environment that will help to promote and sustain a positive self-image. Start by surrounding yourself with people who make you feel happy and confident, remove people in your life who prevent you from appreciating your positive qualities. Look for images or affirmations that make you feel happy about yourself. Focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses. Shift your mindset from ‘what you haven’t got’ and appreciate the
positive qualities and strengths you already possess. Think about how your strengths have helped you succeed in different aspects of your life such as work, relationships, academia, health and fitness. The next step is to write down some examples and how your strengths helped you succeed and feel at your best. Finally, think of ways you could use those strengths in the future and make sure you regularly remind yourself about the strengths you possess. Develop an optimistic perspective. Modify a negative self-image by developing an optimistic perspective and following Martin Seligman’s three P’s of optimism. When experiencing a negative event, the optimist would look at it as a temporary and not permanent occurrence. The optimist would also see it’s just one part of their life that’s negative, and does not make everything else negative (pervasiveness). Finally, you don’t always have to make something personal. Self-compassion and appreciation. These are key to a positive self-image and it’s important that we describe ourselves using the right words that cultivate a sense of positivity, self-acceptance and appreciation. Create a list of affirmations or words that positively describe you and write them down. Make sure you look at this list on a regular basis, say them to yourself out loud or in your head. This technique will take time and repetition, so keep up with reading your affirmations at least once a day. If you have trust issues and don’t like your own opinion or can’t find anything to say to yourself find and ask someone you trust to create a list for you. Compass Magazine
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WALK YOUR WAY
to better health
Here are just a few of the health benefits you’ll experience once you start moving more.
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hysical activity guidelines for the UK advise that we should exercise for at least 150 minutes (2½ hours) per week. The 150 minutes can be spread over the course of the week and should consist of moderate levels of intensity in bouts of 10 minutes or more. The UK guidelines state: “Moderate physical activity will cause adults to get warmer, breathe harder, and their heart to beat faster, but they should still be able to carry on a conversation”. Therefore, although many people overlook walking as exercise it can certainly contribute to your physical activity levels and improve your health. See below for how exercise is linked to health improvement.
What a difference a month of walking could do for you. Why not set yourself a challenge, increase your daily steps and 10
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2 diabetes, some cancers and stroke. • Feel less stressed • Increase your self-confidence • Sleep more easily • Enjoy your surroundings • Meet people and make new friends through walking groups • Save money
walk your way to better health. Below explains how walking can benefit us all, then we will look at setting ourselves our own personal challenge and get stepping.
Some tips to increase steps in your every day life
Why walk?
Make it a habit
Being active helps reduce your risk of developing a heart or circulatory condition, as well as having a stroke, type 2 diabetes, obesity and osteoporosis.
The easiest way to walk more is to make walking a habit. Think of ways to include walking in your daily routine. Examples include:
In addition to these amazing health benefits, here are 19 great reasons to get outside and walk: • Feel more energetic • Get a healthier body shape and appearance • Control your weight • Reduce your risks of developing health issues such as cardiovascular diseases, type
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• Walking part of your journey to work or parking further away • Walking to the shops • Using the stairs instead of the lift • Leaving the car behind for short journeys • Walking the kids to school • Doing regular walks with a friend • Going for a stroll after dinner with friends or family
Moderate physical activity will cause adults to get warmer, breathe harder, and their heart to beat faster, but they should still be able to carry on a conversation.”
Wherever you are right now is where you start– so, if you currently clock around 2000 steps per day, step it up to 3000. Try to increase this through the month as you start to feel it becomes more achievable. If you can aim to get up to the 10,000 steps per day by the end of the month long period then maintain this for a while before increasing it. Even a small increase is beneficial. Here is an example.
What you need You really don’t need much to walk your way to better health and take this challenge. But a few pointers to get started are below:
Listen to music Walking whilst listening to music or a podcast can take your mind off the effort. Music can also get you into a rhythm and help you walk faster. You’ll be surprised at how fast the time goes when you’re walking to your favourite tunes or podcast.
Mix it up Add variety to your walks. You don’t have to travel to the countryside to find a rewarding
walk. Towns and cities offer interesting walks, including parks, heritage sites, trials, canal towpaths, riverside paths, commons, woodlands, heaths and nature reserves.
Now we discussed the benefits and tips to increase your steps, let’s get down to the challenge. Set your own step goal...
1. A way to measure your steps. If you would like to buy a pedometer you can get them at most sports shops, some larger chemists stock them, or you can order online. Or if you already have a fitness tracker such as a Fitbit this would be perfect. Alternatively, a less costly way would be to download an app. 2. Use a sheet to record your steps. 3. A good pair of trainers or walking boots is a bonus. If you don’t have either ensure to walk in something that is comfortable for you, are secure on your feet and support your ankles, preferably with a rubber soul. 4. Dress for the weather - make sure to wear waterproofs if raining or an extra layer if it’s chilly, a hat and sun cream in the sun etc.
What to do Get walking and track your steps. Record them every day for 31 days. It doesn’t matter what day it is, just start and do the challenge for 31 days. Compass Magazine
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Ultra Processed Foods Should we be avoiding them at all costs?
M
ost of the foods that we eat are processed in some way or form. Just a few common examples include, canning, fermentation, freezing, pasteurisation, smoking, colouring and additives. Each of these processes helps food either stay fresher longer, increases nutritional quality, enhances the taste, reduces the price or improves its convenience.
When we talk about ultra-processed foods, we are talking about things like hotdogs and doughnuts. A really good way to find out if those foods are ultra-processed is to look at the ingredients. If there are a lot of ingredients that you wouldn’t find in your kitchen cupboards, it contains additives, food colourings, flavourings and ingredients you are not familiar with then you are looking at an ultra-processed food.
Processed foods aren’t necessarily bad for you, anything that has been altered from its natural state is classed as processed. You could argue that roasting almonds for example makes this natural food processed. Similarly, frozen vegetables are still classed as a processed food, yet for many of us when we think of processed foods we have negative connotations and think that these are foods that should be avoided or are unhealthy for us.
Some of the headlines state that eating processed foods will reduce your life span. Is there truth in this?
A new study did nothing to alleviate these negative beliefs making headlines early in 2019 when it found a 62% increased risk of death for people who ate more than four servings of ultra-processed foods each day. These type of foods are predominantly made up from chemicals, texturizing agents and colourants, such as ready meals and packaged snacks. We asked Sara Norburn, a PAM Life nutrition coach, to address some of the questions you may have regarding processed foods.
Sara Norburn PAM Life Wellness Coach
Area of focus: Nutrition
So, are ultra-processed foods as bad as they are made out to be in the media? SN: It's important to understand what processed foods actually are. In its strictest definition, processed food is a food that has been altered from its natural state. As well as the negatives we tend to hear about there are also some benefits we can obtain from processed foods. Processed foods are sometimes changed by the chemical process but often it’s just there has been added sugar, which is the most common. We can also add things like vitamins, fibre and lots of beneficial qualities to the foods. How does ultra-processed food differ from processed food?
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Diseases we associate with ultra-processed foods include obesity, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, gastro diseases and also an increase in total breast cancer incidences. A lot of the time it’s because these foods are really palatable. For example, imagine If I gave you an option of unlimited salad or unlimited chocolate cake. You would be more likely to stuff your face with cake rather than a salad. Overindulging in palatable foods is a major reason behind obesity and with obesity, you become more likely to develop some of the diseases we have just mentioned. Is it black and white that we shouldn’t be eating processed foods at all? It’s true that individuals that eat a lot of processed foods are often at a higher risk of developing certain diseases. However, there is also a link between poorer overall lifestyle choices - such as higher rates of smoking, alcohol and inactivity - and increased processed foods. This means that we are often analysing associations here rather than facts, we know that people who eat more processed foods may have higher risk factors but actually we don’t know if there are other influences to their increased disease risk. Also, most of the diseases that are associated with high levels of processed foods are also linked with obesity and because these foods are often very palatable, it may be that those that eat more processed foods weigh more and this is what ultimately causes the disease risk factor. Due to the fact that the food standards authority test foods rigorously before allowing consumers to buy these products, it wouldn’t seem unreasonable to say that it is okay to eat some processed and ultra-processed foods so long as we are not eating to excess. I think a lot of the coverage you may have seen in the news is scaremongering. How can I be more cautious when shopping? When you’re out shopping the easiest way to tell which foods are heavily processed is to look at the back of the product at
NATURAL Piece of natural fruit
PROCESSED Piece of fruit with added sugar
ULTRA PROCESSED
Real fruit doesn’t feature here. Texturisers, colours, flavourings and sugars make up the majority of this food product.
the ingredient list. You are looking out for items on the list that your grandparents wouldn’t have had in their cupboards, or chemicals that you don’t know how to pronounce. Generally speaking, the more chemicals in the product, the higher the processing factor.
Understanding Food Labels
A healthy balanced diet means eating a variety of nutritious foods from different food groups, including fruits, vegetables, cereals and grains, healthy fats and proteins. For convenience, price and longevity sometimes it can be more appropriate for us to choose processed foods over more natural alternatives and so this shouldn’t necessarily be considered detrimental to health. It is however, worth considering the nutritional quality of food, as processed foods (especially ultra-processed) can sometimes be lower in fibre, higher in saturated fat, sugar and salt. For example, canned fruit in juice would be a better option than fruit in a sugary syrup and fish in spring water would be a better alternative to fish in oil or brine. Cured meats however are particularly high in salt and the World Cancer Research Fund recommends that you eat ‘very little’ processed meats. If you choose carefully, some types of processed foods can be a good alternative for busy people who have limited time to shop or cook from fresh produce. You should however, try not to base your diet around ultra-processed foods as they can often be high in fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt.
• The ingredients in a particular product • The nutrients in a particular product • The contribution of a particular product in relation to an adult’s overall calorie andnutrient intake
Food labels are designed to help us identify the nutrients in our food and to make healthier choices. The information given to us on pre-packaged foods can help to provide:
This information is voluntary but quite a lot of products do include a traffic light section so it’s worth looking out for. It gives you an easy way to check at a glance how healthy food or drink is. You can use the colour system to check whether the food is low (green), medium (amber) or high (red) in sugar, salt, fat and saturated fat. The basic aim is to try to choose as many foods as you can with more green boxes and fewer reds. Compass Magazine
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Summer
Childcare C sts £
Survive the school holidays without spending a fortune By Rachael Neal PAM Wellbeing Welfare and Benefits Advisor
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any working parents feel additional pressures during the summer holidays finding it difficult to balance career demands with school holiday care. In addition, keeping children occupied during the long summer holiday can mean significant increased spending for parents at this time of year. The majority of parents are unable to take six weeks off, so make sure you maximise any Government funding you may be entitled to, to help meet the costs of childcare. Apply in plenty of time before the summer holidays begin. Parents with children under 12 years old can use Tax-Free childcare, which is worth up to £2,000 per year for each child, to pay for regulated holiday clubs during the school holidays. If your child is disabled you can continue to receive Tax Free Childcare under the age of 17 years. There are several thousand registered providers including schools, football clubs, art and tennis clubs, many of whom are set up to receive payments directly through the scheme. Working parents of 3- and 4-year olds can get 30 hours of free childcare. When used together, additional costs above the 30 hours support can be paid for with Tax-Free Childcare payments. For further information about eligibility criteria and a calculator which combines all the help available to you visit the Government website: www. childcarechoices.gov.uk Alternative Summer Provision When Government offers have been exhausted look around for good lowcost provision of summer care. One 14
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example of this is Sainsbury’s Active Kids which is priced at £7.50 per day including lunch! There are 70 locations around the country where the clubs are run. Staffed by Premier Education trained and accredited coaches aiming to keep children healthy and active, there are a wide range of activities including arts and crafts, fencing, cricket, gymnastics, tennis and circus skills. For further information visit their website: activekids.sainsburys.co.uk Low Cost Entertainment Plan some fun activities for when you are off work and can spend some quality time together. Thankfully having fun doesn’t always mean having to spend copious amounts of money. There are obvious things to do such as visiting local parks and beaches with a picnic and swimming at the local baths, but what else is out there to keep youngsters entertained? Here are some ideas to get you started: • Local libraries often organise free events during the holidays for children such as arts and craft activities, story time for younger children, and are a great information resource for other activities organised in the local area. • Make good use of National Trust or English Heritage memberships you have. Visit the websites to search for family events near you. There are filters that allow you to search for craft events and days out under £20 on the English Heritage website. • Check out the Local Council Website (and neighbouring ones) to find information about outdoor events and activities. These can be mini beast safaris or foraging with the Park Rangers, pop-up theatres, sports coaching and park events.
• Contact your local Tourist Information Centre to find free or low-cost events scheduled during the summer holidays. There is a handy filter to use to find activities of interest to you and your family and a budget option to keep costs low. Make sure you take a picnic and plenty of drinks with you as eating out can be the most expensive part of the day. Here is the national link to get you started. Filter to your area: https://www. visitengland.com • Join a walking group to explore your local area. Check out www.Ramblers. org.uk to find your local group and planned walks. You can check out the length and difficulty of the walk to make sure it’s suitable. • If you are feeling creative you could organise a treasure hunt or invite some friends round for playdates to do things like rock painting, den building, cooking or some other craft activities. Free Events Put into the search engine ‘free things to do in (…)’, adding your local area to see what comes up. Some examples are: http://www.free-events.co.uk Free things to do in Nottingham Free things to do in Cheshire Free things to do in London Things to do in London on a budget 5 Free things to do in Blackburn Have a go and find some great activities in your local area.
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What you should know about
loneliness
How feeling lonely can effect your mental health and wellbeing
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n a world of social media ‘likes’, technology quicker than the speed of light at your fingertips and the ability to get almost anything you want when you want it, is it possible to feel lonely in the 21st Century? Quite simply, yes, more than ever. In a physical sense being alone can be defined as being by oneself, in a state of solitude. In relation to a person’s wellbeing, feeling mentally lonely can result in feeling isolated, feeling left behind from the ‘group’, feeling uncared for and misunderstood despite having family and people around you. As you can see, there is a big difference between spending time on your own and feeling lonely. Here, we are going to touch on what loneliness might look like, how it might affect someone, what to do if you’re concerned about yourself or a colleague and what we can do to support you.
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What does loneliness look like? As we’ve briefly touched on, physically being alone and feeling lonely can be two different things. Some people enjoy being on their own and prioritise this time, choosing to spend time without other people around. This is completely natural and often said to be good for our own self-esteem and wellbeing to be comfortable with our own company and thoughts. However, going out of your way to be on your own, maybe because you don’t feel the people around you care for or understand you brings a different element to being alone. There are many reasons why someone may choose to be on their own, what’s important is how comfortable they are with this and the effect it has on their overall wellbeing.
physically being alone and feeling lonely can be two different things."
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Often people associate being lonely with older people, mostly because sometimes they have lost close relatives, or might be unable to leave their own homes. But this is not always the case, the national office of statistics highlighted that almost 40% of people who took part in their survey that said they had felt lonely ‘often’ or ‘very often’ were between the ages of 16 - 24. Loneliness can, and does, affect anyone of any age, background or class. Loneliness is not a mental health condition, but its associated effects can negatively impact our mental health and if left can have a lasting impact on self esteem and quality of life. Remember, being alone does not mean that you are lonely, but, if you’re on this page it could indicate that you’re worried about yourself or someone you know. Below are some examples of what someone might say or do if they are experiencing loneliness. Remember these examples are changes from a usual pattern of behaviour. Some people naturally withdraw from large crowds and prefer to keep themselves to
loneliness do you have someone you can reach out to talk to? If you don’t feel comfortable talking face to face, try texting them to initiate the conversation. Worried about someone else? Reach out to them. Ask them gently if everything is ok and if they would like to talk. Often people might not want to discuss their feelings initially but knowing you’re there to talk to may give them some reassurance that someone cares and has noticed them. Try something new to tackle loneliness. Below are some different ways you could try to overcome loneliness: • Volunteer • Join a club or local group • Join an online community of something you’re interested in
themselves, this does not make them lonely: • Avoid talking about what they’ve been doing (i.e. over the weekend) • Consistently make excuses as to why they can’t come to social events, or cancel unexpectedly at the last minute when previously they would join in • Say that they don’t have any close family or friends • Appear to try and ‘hide’ when in big groups of people • Appear out of character in mood or withdrawn
What to do if you or someone you know is experiencing loneliness Try and notice if and when you’re feeling lonely. Our minds and bodies are good at telling us what it needs and wants, tools such as mindfulness are great ways of tapping into ourselves and recognising our thoughts and feelings. Reach out. If you’re experiencing
Don’t forget, you can also reach out to us too. If you're worried about loneliness, there are various ways we can help. Try a Live Chat session with a trained PAM Assist Counsellor.
How we can help If you're worried about loneliness, there are various ways we can help. • Try a Live Chat session with a trained PAM Assist Counsellor. • The Marmalade Trust is an organisation set up to help people tackle loneliness and offers a Buddy scheme to help people find friendship and connect with their community. Compass Magazine
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ASK A WELLNESS
COACH
My Mind
How does my outlook on life affect me? Casper Farrimond
PAM Life Coach Area of focus: Mental wellbeing
Y
ou constantly read and hear about the importance of developing healthy wellbeing. Although a lot of people are not aware of what your wellbeing actually is and what underpins healthy wellbeing. If you are going to achieve healthy wellbeing in life, the first step is understanding the foundations of wellbeing and then building from those foundations.
wellbeing as an individual’s subjective appraisal of life satisfaction and the life pursuit of pleasure attainment, maximising positive experiences and the minimisation of pain. Whilst the eudaimonic perspective proposes wellbeing is more than just being happy, it’s about life meaning, self-realisation (achieving a future desired self) and the degree to which a person is fully functioning.
Research into wellbeing proposes there are two central approaches to explain where wellbeing derives; the hedonic and eudaimonic approach. The hedonic perspective, also known as subjective wellbeing, defines
Healthy wellbeing from a eudaimonic perspective: The meaning of life
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Carol Ryff, who is one of the most influential psychologists within
The concept of wellbeing and life satisfaction will always be an ongoing debate."
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the eudaimonic philosophy of wellbeing, proposed a new term called ‘psychological wellbeing’ to help distinguish the eudaimonic explanation of wellbeing from the hedonic definition. Ryff defined wellbeing as the development of an individual’s real potential. From her perspective, happiness and psychological wellbeing were not necessarily the main motivation in life but rather the result of living a full and meaningful life. Carol Ryff proposed six characteristics that form healthy wellbeing. 1) Personal Growth - You are driven by a desire to continually learn and develop your abilities/ skills. This could be anything from regularly reading to improve your knowledge, practising a hobby such as playing the guitar or talking to experts/experienced individuals to gain a better understanding of how to work more effectively in your job.
being less prone to illness and infection, increased recovery rate after illness, reduced risk of developing mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, improved brain functioning, better quality of sleep and most importantly a longer-life expectancy. So, if you fancy living for a long time, maybe you should have a go at trying to increase the number of positive moments in your life.
Which perspective is better for your health and wellbeing?
2) Autonomy - You have developed a strong sense of individuality and personal freedom. This means you are in control of what you choose to do in life. 3) Self-acceptance - You have a positive self-regard that includes awareness of your personal limitations and learning to accept them. 4) Positive relationships - You regularly connect with people you have positive relations with. Who cheers you up when you have had a rubbish day? Who always makes you laugh? Who is great at giving you advice about your problems? 5) A purpose in life - You have a direction you want to follow and are committed and determined to fulfil this purpose. What do you want to achieve in life? 6) Environmental mastery
The hedonic perspective of healthy wellbeing is simpler and revolves around the life objective to experience as much pleasure as possible. All the pleasurable moments you have in life then add up to equal happiness. In other words, the more pleasurable/ positive moments you experience throughout one day, the higher the level of happiness you will experience at the end of the day.
The concept of wellbeing and life satisfaction will always be an ongoing debate as people’s definitions will constantly vary. One person may choose to take the hedonic approach to life and simply pursue happiness and focus on savouring the good moments in life. Alternatively, someone may choose to have a more eudaimoncally-orientated life and be driven to achieve their human potential. The point is neither approach to wellbeing is wrong and recent research even suggests the combination of both approaches can lead to greater levels of wellbeing and positive mental health. This may be due to each approach being associated with different aspects of wellbeing. For example, a hedonic approach to wellbeing tends to be associated with immediate wellbeing (soon after a life experience) and positive emotions/feelings. Whereas a eudaimonic approach is more associated with greater long-term wellbeing, personal meaning, identity and social interactions.
Following this simpler way of life of focusing on the positives in life has been shown to have a number of benefits to your health and wellbeing. The benefits include
Ultimately a healthy wellbeing and life satisfaction is nothing more than a harmony between your present situation and your desired situation.
- You create and manage an environment that matches and meets your needs.
Healthy wellbeing from a hedonic perspective: The pursuit of happiness
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Preventing
diabetes
through diet and exercise
D
iabetes is a serious condition where your blood glucose levels are too high. There are four common types of diabetes (listed opposite) and a stage prior to development called pre-diabetes. When people talk about prevention of diabetes, it is usually about preventing the most common form, type 2 diabetes mellitus. This is because type 2 diabetes tends to develop due to modifiable lifestyle factors and it can therefore be prevented. There are a number of risk factors for T2DM and some are preventable, such as: weight gain around the middle (central obesity), high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure. These risk factors can be reduced by losing weight, adopting more activity into your day, stopping smoking and reducing alcohol intake. Making a change with any of these behaviours will improve your all-round health too.
Eat a nutritious diet to prevent type 2 diabetes Diet is arguably the most 20
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important part of lifestyle change. The adage that you can’t outrun a bad diet is true.
Eat leafy greens Increase your intake of seeds Add unsalted tree nuts (walnuts, almonds, hazel nuts) Include healthy sources of fat (olive oil, avocado) Eat lean meat Eat oily fish Drink low-calorie, low-sugar beverages
People tend to find it easier to lose weight or improve their health on a healthy, balanced diet even if they are struggling to exercise, rather than doing lots of exercise but having a poor diet. From a dietary perspective, when it comes to preventing type 2 diabetes, the best diet you can have is one that is nutritious, healthy and enables you to feel satisfied with what you’ve eaten. There’s a lot of research at the moment that’s looking into the role of low-carbohydrate diets and diabetes prevention, but we will have to wait for the findings of this research to see if any different recommendations can be made. Many research papers looking at low-carb diets also see their subjects experience weight loss, so it needs to be established
whether a low-carbohydrate diet independent of weight loss results in increased diabetes prevention. Aim to have a healthy, balanced diet by basing meals around vegetables and include healthy sources of fat such as seeds (pumpkin), nuts (walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts), olives, avocados, oily fish (salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines) and vegetable oils (rapeseed and linseed). It’s also a good idea to keep an eye on your added sugar intake. Try to reduce your added sugar intake from both food and drinks, and increase the amount of fibre you eat, from foods such as wholegrain bread, past and rice.
Exercise to prevent type 2 diabetes Whilst a good diet is the foundation of good health, exercise is the next important step. Exercise can help to prevent diabetes in a number of ways. During exercise, our muscles use any excess sugar in the blood and the sugar, known as glycogen, that is stored in the muscles and liver. After exercise is completed, the muscles will gradually replenish their sugar stores by taking in sugar from the blood. This helps lower blood sugar levels and improves insulin sensitivity. Regular exercise, along with a good diet, can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and can help reduce cholesterol levels and high blood pressure. Even a little extra activity each day can help. Some basic steps can really help to make a difference if they become a regular habit, such as walking to the shops rather using the car or getting off the bus a stop early.
4 main types of diabetes: • Type 1 (T1DM): It’s nothing to do with diet or lifestyle; you’re born with it. Your body attacks the insulin producing cells in your pancreas meaning you can’t produce any insulin at all. Insulin is the key that unlocks the door to your cells so that they can receive blood glucose (blood sugar) and therefore have energy. • Type 2 (T2DM): You’re not producing enough insulin, or the insulin that you’re producing isn’t working properly. This can be due to being overweight as a build-up of fat can prevent insulin from doing its job properly, but people of a ‘healthy’ weight can also develop T2DM. Lifestyle factors can play a role in someone developing T2DM. • Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM): High blood sugar that develops during pregnancy and usually disappears after birth. It’s more common the second half of pregnancy and can cause problems for the mother and the baby during and after birth. • Maturity-onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY): MODY is a rare form of diabetes which is different from both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, and runs strongly in families. MODY is caused by a mutation (or change) in a single gene. If a parent has this gene mutation, any child they have has a 50% chance of inheriting it from them.
What is diabetes? Condition when blood glucose levels are too high – can cause damage to your heart, your eyes, your feet, and your kidneys Prediabetes - Pre-diabetes is actually an umbrella term for at least two conditions. The first one is elevated fasting glucose (between 6.1 and 6.9mmol/L) but your two-hour glucose (when you eat) is perfectly normal (high when fasting and elevated when you eat). On the other hand, with the elevated two-hour test some people have perfectly normal fasting glucose, but it goes hyperglycaemic after they eat (normal when fasting but then high when had food). These are two different conditions. - Likely that 90% of effect on prevention is due to weight loss – doesn’t matter which diet you use. - Pre-diabetes ha a legacy effect i.e. if you lose weight and re-gain it, your risk is still lower than if you never lost weight at all. The longer you can maintain the weight loss, the better. Therefore, personalisation is key to enable successful weight loss maintenance.
Eat too many high-sugar foods Drink too many sugar-sweetened drinks Eat too much processed meat Eat too many foods high in saturated fat Be sedentary for long periods
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Healthy recipe
Try the Med Diet Pan fried seabass with garlic sautéed spinach and a tomato and olive salad
THE INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED FOR ONE PORTION
Spinach 1/3 cup Garlic 1 large clove
The Mediterranean diet encourages the consumption of unprocessed foods like fruits, fish, legumes, nuts, poultry, vegetables, and whole grains
Seabass fillet 1 beef tomato
Time: 20 minutes
5-6 black/green olives (pitted)
Nutrition Kcal
235
Carbohydrate
13g
Fibre
4g
Sugars
6g
Fat
12g
Saturated fat
1g
Protein
20g
Instructions 1. Chop the olives in half and add to a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil and ½ of the garlic clove. 2. Chop the beef tomato into 1/2 inch cubes and add to the olives and garlic. 3. Add a splash of olive oil into a large frying pan, when the oil is hot, add the asparagus and allow to cook until it begins to soften (2-3 mins). 4. Add the seabass fillet (skin side down) and after approximately 2 minutes carefully flip the fish for another 2 minutes on the other side before adding the spinach and remaining garlic. 5. Allow the spinach to wilt and the fish to turn slightly golden. 6. Place the spinach on the middle of your plate before placing the fish and asparagus on top. Garnish with your beef tomato and olive side salad, a sprinkle of salt and pepper and a slice of lemon.
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4-5 Asparagus spears Lemon (wedge) Natural sea salt (pinch) Pepper pinch Fresh herbs [optional] (oregano, parsley, basil, dill or oregano)
BACK PAIN MYTH BUSTING Busting myths and reinforcing what the latest evidence says is the best for your back
Myth: Fact: Moving will make my back pain worse
People fear twisting and bending but it’s essential to keep moving. Gradually increase how much you are doing, and stay on the go.
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