Hot Weather and Alcohol Feasting

Ms H

We are currently having a hot weather in Europa. A cool alcoholic drink may seem like a good way to chill out and relax on a hot summer day however, there are many potential disadvantages. In summer more events are such as festivals, weddings or getting together with friends and family. You could enjoy yourself if you know your limits and keep the followings in your mind: 3-4 units/ day for a men and 2-3 units/day for a women are the recommended levels.

Your liver processes 30 ml of pure alcohol in 30 minutes. Your body takes about 3 hours to break the alcohol down in a standard drinks e.g. a pint (568 ml) of beer or a large (250 ml ) glass of wine.

wine	alcohol units  in 250 ml wine
8%	2
9%	2.2
10%	2.5
11%	2.8

beer & lager	units in 1 pint 586ml
4.3%  Guinness	2.3
5.2% Stella Artois	2.95
7% e.g.  Carlsberg	4
8% e.g. Crucial Brew	4.5
9% e.g. Tennents	5

Alcohol forces your kidney to lose more fluid and it has the effect of making your sweat more, so you could become dehydrated easier.  Dehydration can cause headaches, dizziness, sickness, tiredness or heat exhaustion.

Alcohol interferes with balance, coordination and judgment, numbs your senses and slows down your reactions making it more difficult to get your-self out of trouble. These effects are intensified by sun exposure and heat. Reduced judgment caused by alcohol increases the risk of injury. Alcohol causes a loss of inhibitions and leads to reckless behaviour.  Any way you could put yourself in danger during hot weather activity even if you don't drink alcohol.

Smart choice if you drink alcohol-free refreshments like smoothies, here is a recipe:

2 slices of watermelon,

1 freshly squeezed lemon juice,

2cm length of ginger and

water

Drink plenty of water or soft drinks in between alcoholic drinks to prevent dehydration. The main idea is that try to avoid alcoholic drink during a hot day.

Diet for High Blood Pressure

Ms H

80% of those who have hypertension can normalise their blood pressure through healthy lifestyle. With a modification in your daily regime you can balance your blood pressure, glucose, leptin and insulin levels.

A person aged 60 or over has a high blood pressure if the reading exceeds  

Normalise and control your weight with your diet and your daily exercises. If you overweight you need to lose weight with lower calorie consumptions and heavier exercise routine.

You must learn to control your stress level by meditation, breathing deeply for 5 minutes, spend time in the moment and focus on your senses and talk to others.

Diet:

Eliminate alcohol, sugar and caffeine from your diet.

Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits; 7 portions per day and 75% of your daily food should be raw. Here is one example drink smoothies,  they contain the full amount of fibre and the carbohydrate, natural sugar and other nutrients of the ingredients.

You should eat vegetables and fruits containing potassium, calcium and magnesium example: kiwi, peach, banana, blueberry, kale, broccoli, pepper, sweet potato, avocado, beetroot and quinoa.

Normalise your omega fatty acids    

The ratio human beings evolved eating is somewhere around 1:1, while the ratio today is about 16:1. Too much omega 6 and too little omega 3 are among the causes for many diseases in modern society.

Exercise

As you grow older, an active lifestyle is more important than ever. Regular exercise can help boost energy, maintain your independence, and manage symptoms of illness or pain. It helps you maintain or lose weight by increasing your metabolism and building up muscle mass. Exercise also relieves stress. The following types of activities are important: cardio training, strength and power workout, balance and flexibility training and outdoor exercise. Some examples: walking, gardening, fishing, bird watching, tai –chi, cycling, sailing , skiing and swimming. The main benefit of doing outdoor activities, even for a short period of time is being able to absorb the sunlight, which generates vitamin D.  Vitamin D is necessary for brain, bones, muscle and cognitive functions.

    

Diet for High Blood Pressure

By Ms H  Judit Hadnagy

Your diet has a great effect on your body functions example -heart and blood pressure. If you have a high blood pressure a “healthy blood pressure diet “ is very essential. This blood pressure friendly eating habits can reduce the number (this is your aim) and further on may help to avoid medicine altogether.

Eating less salt: The healthy daily amount of salt is 6g/day. Salt makes your body retain water. If you eat too much, the extra water stored in your body raises your blood pressure. Most of the salt we eat is hidden in processed food like bread, cereals and biscuits. Don’t add salt when cooking use herbs for extra flavour. Instead of sodium salt use “lo salt”. Avoid processed foods like ketchup, mustard. Smoked fish example contains high level of salt. Always read the label!

Eat more fruits and vegetables – 7 portions /day- Fruit and vegetables are full of vitamins, minerals and fibre to keep your body in good condition. They also contain potassium, which helps to balance out the negative effects of salt. Try to eat fresh raw fruits and vegetables.

Avoid eating too much saturated fat, as this will raise your cholesterol. It is usually found in red meats, butter, palm oil or ghee. In contrast, polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats will help to lower your cholesterol level. They can be found in olive oil, rapeseed oil or sunflower oil. Avoid eating sugar and sugary food. 

Alcohol is not good for high blood pressure. Keep to the recommended limits this will helpto keep your blood pressure down. The current recommended limits are 21 units of alcohol a week for men, and 14 units a week for women.

Drink	Units of Alcohol
Single measure of spirits (25ml)	1 unit of alcohol
Pint of normal-strength beer	2 units of alcohol
Medium glass of wine (175ml)	2 units of alcohol
Large glass of wine (250ml)	3 units of alcohol
Pint of strong beer	4 units of alcohol