Monday 12th – Tuesday 13th December

Guest: VICKY DAVIS, former nurse, from A1 First Aid came in to speak about first aid tips, facts about where accidents are most likely to happen and to stress the importance of first aid training. Everyone  will need certain first aid skills at some point in their life and I have used first aid many times on myself, on others and in emergency situations. Time is of the essence when the body has suffered an injury to slow down the damage it causes and stand the chance of the best recovery possible. To listen again click on the link below. You can contact Vicky on 01277 372775 or 07885 332512 or email a1firstaid@btinternet.com Vicky runs courses in Brentwood and if you have a group of people/staff she will come to your establishment if need be.

Chatting to Vicky Davis on First Aid on Drive

I also covered local weather, news and my Winter Health Protection tips.

Wednesday 14th December

I shared 3 pieces of Health News that have gained my attention this week:
1.  ‘Narcolepsy link to swine flu vaccine investigated.’
2. ‘24,000 diabetes deaths a year could be avoided.’
3. ‘Obesity rising in primary school leavers in England.’

This all further proves that education is lacking on basic nutritional and physical wellbeing knowledge and needs to become part of the school curriculum, in my opinion. But adults also need to set by example and obesity rates in children will continue to rise if they are following and learning from adults that eat take-away foods, confectionary and alcoholic and sugary beverages. Artificial drugs and chemicals found in unnatural foods could be altering our genetic makeup increasing our susceptibility to disease and chronic ills. I would like to ask my listeners and social media follows the following question this festive season: Are you giving alcoholic beverages and confectionary as presents this year? Perhaps you will consider then, wrapping up a box of cigarettes and adding that to the same category of gift ideas?

Thursday 15th December

Guest: Aspiring Olympian Chrystall Nicoll British champion women’s sabre fencer, came into speak to me on Drive. Chrystall has also been the Double World Cup Bronze medallist and 2 times Commonwealth Gold Medallist. I asked Chrystall where her fencing career began, the dedication required to become the best, the difficulties with gaining funding for less publicized sports, and her current training and nutrition regime. Chrystall will find out if she has been successful in her qualification for the 2012 Olympic Games here in London, in May, so I hope to speak to her again on Drive before then to see how her training is going and the progress she is making. Chrystall has trained here in Brentwood at the Courage Hall since approximately 2003, where we have a centre of excellence for fencing. Her training partners include local fencers Alex O’Connell and Anthony Crutchett who have undoubtedly helped her ‘up her game.’ To listen to more information (because there is way more than this!) click the discussion below – it begins about 15-20 minutes into the recording. Follow Chrystall on twitter @chrystallN or search Chrystall Nicoll on Facebook.

Chatting to British Champion women’s sabre fencer on Drive
I also spoke to Keith Brown from FSB covering some local news for Brentwood and Billericay, covered the weather outlook and local upcoming events.

Friday 16th December

Along with my usual features on Drive I shared some news and requests for local charities in need. I also shared my Metabolic Boosting Tips to help my listeners keep their metabolisms elevated over the holiday period and avoid unnecessary fat gain and storage. Here they are:
Eat protein with every snack/meal – Protein has the highest thermal effect of all the macronutrients meaning that you burn more calories just digesting protein than you do when you eat carbohydrates and fats. The thermal effect of eating protein is approximately 30% compared with carbohydrates which are 20% and fats have a mere 3% thermal effect. By eating eggs, meat, fish, poultry, game or high protein diary sources such as low fat cheeses, yoghurts and protein shakes help boost the metabolism right at the start of ingesting them! This is why high protein/low carbohydrate nutrition plans help people maintain healthy body fat levels in the modern day, less physically demanding, life-style. Protein with each meal also means better insulin management and results in steadier blood glucose levels and decreases risk of type 2 diabetes.
Smaller meals more often – Every time we eat, our metabolism is raised as eating and digesting food requires energy. When we eat little and often, our body also gets used to these regular fuel top-ups. It therefore, becomes less likely to hold on to and store fat as it is getting a regular source of fuel so does not need to save any incase of a temporary food shortage. Providing your body with 2-3 meals a day does in fact tell your body there is a food storage. Think of hunter-gatherer times when we would have been finding and eating fruits and leaves throughout our waking ours. Studies have shown that participants that ate the same amount of calories by eating meals/snacks frequently over the course of a day lost weight compared to those participants who ate their calories in 2-3 meals over the course of the day (note that both groups ate the SAME amount of calories!)
Sweet spice and all things nice – cinnamon along with other sweet and savoury spices such as (turmeric, paprika, cumin, nutmeg etc) contain certain vitamins and minerals that create a better environment within the body to metabolise fats as use them a fuel, thus providing energy. These vitamins and minerals also aid the liver and kidneys in the detoxification of man made chemicals and particles ingested from non-organic foods and fluids, excess salts, sugars and pollution. Creating the right environment inside your body not only makes you look healthy on the outside but also helps to strengthen your immunity to infection and disease, aids brain and memory capability, and increases feelings of wellbeing and motivation.
Hot and sweaty – Foods that when ingested make you feel hotter are undoubtedly giving your metabolic rate a boost (this is another reason to embrace feeling hot and sweaty when you are exercising). Your body temperature increasing is a sign that your body is converting calories to fuel which will be dispersed from your body as heat. Hot spices and chilli snacks/meals are a sure way of healthy weight management. Don’t worry if you can’t tolerate hot flavours though, just eating a hot meal or drinking a hot drink can help you.

Take advantage of exercise and active tasks such as cleaning and cooking – Exercise boosts your metabolism as you not only give off more body heat but you require energy to do it! Aerobic and anaerobic exercise also keeps your metabolism elevated for hours and hours once you have finished training so you will be burning calories and feeling its benefits long after you’ve finished. Anaerobic exercise such as weight training and power walking (or walking on hilly terrain), that challenges you aerobic system creates lactic acid. The body requires energy to remove this which is another reason why exercise elevates your metabolism both during and after the exertion itself.
Go GREEN – Green tea contains 2 ingredients that aid metabolic function: caffeine and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Caffeine stimulates the nervous system and increases the utilisation of fats for fuel. EGCG disrupts the conversion of dietary lipids into stored fat and also elevates the metabolism. Green tea is also a powerful antioxidant and studies have confirmed that it can help reduce the risk of various types of cancers. It has also been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties and so may be useful in treating arthritis and reduce bowel and bladder inflammation. A US study has shown that Green Tea Slows Down Plaque Formation In Huntington’s Disease.
Drink water – Water is essential for every chemical reaction in the body and therefore it needs to be in abundance for optimal metabolism of calories and conversion of fats to fuel. Your body uses energy in the consumption, digestion , usage and elimination of water. Studies at the University of Berlin suggest that consumption of 500ml elevated participants metabolic rate by 24% for up to an hour afterwards. Water also helps keep joints lubricated and makes up a large percentage of your muscle tissue and blood volume. Aim to drink 2-3 litres per day, but more may be needed in hot weather or if you live a very active life. For more info on health and wellbeing see www.mindhealthmovement.com