After the holiday season are you fitter or fatter?

After the holiday season are you fitter or fatter? - I hope you enjoyed Eid and your summer leave and are back ready to make a fresh start.

From the letters I receive, I can see a certain keenness to get back on track and take up healthy eating and get back into exercise with renewed vigor and extra determination. If you are like me, all the relaxation and socializing during the summer vacation means you return fatter not fitter: Now is naturally a time for new resolutions and a fresh start. Let me motivate you to make changes.

Start each day well

So let’s get ready to think about making changes. Start the day well, but before you do anything else, drink a nice detoxifying glass of hot water with a slice of lemon. Then take a few minutes to exercise in the privacy of your bedroom. Start with some stretching and then exercise each part of the body and then take a minute or two jogging on the spot — great for a healthy heart! My Mini-morning Workout is ideal for this and you can get an illustrated copy by e-mailing to minian@ardenhealth.com.


Give your body the best meal

Breakfast: Choose something low fat and healthy with fresh juice. (An excellent time to get your quota of cereal and refreshing yogurt and fresh fruit juice). Choose whole grain cereals that are sugar and salt free. Breakfast is not the time for chocolate-coated cereals. Porridge oats are so cheap (cheap, at low cast, or don’t cost much), healthy and great for the slow release of energy as well as lowering cholesterol and being good for the heart. Add some fruit and yogurt

Lunch: If you are working, pack a nice healthy sandwich, and low fat desert. Take lots of fresh fruit for snacks. If you are lucky enough to be at home for lunch you may prefer to have this as your main meal of the day.

Supper: Have some pasta, rice or lovely new potatoes with lean meat or fish and loads of fresh vegetables or salad. Follow with fresh fruit salad.

Try to drink at least 2 liters of water a day and cut down on tea and coffee.

Try to cut down on snacks, but as we are all human, do allow yourself one treat per day.

This is a good time of year to make some new exercise resolutions. The cities of the Gulf have plenty to offer — beautiful beaches, swimming pools, as well as plenty of gyms and exercise classes. So, don’t be shy as the facilities are there for everyone.

Try to fit exercise into your routine. If it is part of your daily routine, you will soon be doing exercising out of habit.

If you would like to join a gym, do! They are there for everyone, whatever shape or size. It is probably easiest to stop off at the gym on the way home from work or school — or on the way home after dropping the children off at school in the morning. Don’t go home first and sit down — that’s doing it the hard way! If you are naturally lazy go to a class where the teacher will push you to work harder or join a team sport. My husband always wanted to play tennis and so started to take lessons at the age of 40 and now regularly takes part in tournaments and belongs to a team, which gives him great pleasure.

At work, try to use the stairs as often as possible. Remember that exercise gives you energy and releases feel-good endorphins to make you feel happy, confident, and able to tackle every opportunity. If you are crouched over your computer all day then get up regularly to do some stretches. For more information on keeping healthy go to ardenhealth.com. ( arabnews.com )