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While half of the world is getting ready for a chilly snowy Christmas, we here in Australia and New Zealand are gearing up for a sporty summery Christmas holiday season!
Christmas time in Australia is a time to gorge, splurge and spend time with families, relatives and friends, whether it is out on the bright and sandy beaches, or basking with a barbeque feast in your own backyard; whether at a dance party or soulful carol singing in a park.
Christmas time in New Zealand is a perfect time to venture out and enjoy some outdoor activities such as snorkeling, diving, paragliding, sunbathing, volley ball, hot air balloon rides, or simply enjoying Christmas home functions or large festive gatherings, with family and friends.
It’s that time of year when you want to look fabulous and get in shape as well. And the key to looking good, feeling great and enjoying your holiday is by staying on top of your health, so you can be your best, no matter where the Christmas holidays take you!
A few tips to adopt…
- Adopt a good nutritional regime and stick to it. With all the festive food, irregular eating and not the most nutritious choices at hand your nutritional intake could suffer. Keep your nutrition on track with supplements that offer an optimum level of nutrition – to bridge those holiday nutrition gaps.
- Stay hydrated and energised. With the heat of the summer and a holiday activity overload, it is most important to drink sufficient water and fluids. If you are into sporting activities and perspiring a lot, then a natural energy drink or a sports nutrition drink will give you a burst of energy along with keeping you hydrated.
- Load up on antioxidant abundant fruits and veggies. Summer time brings along a glorious variety of colourful fruits and veggies, which will give you an antioxidant boost to help fight off the summer nasties and keep your skin nourished as well.
- Protect your skin and eyes. The sun can cause havoc when you are out having a great time – sun burn, sun stroke, headaches, etc. Make sure you wear a sunscreen with at least an SPF 30+ rating which protects from both UVA and UVB rays. Wear sun-protection clothing, and sunglasses to protect your eyes from sun damage. Carefully choose your hours out in the sun and it is prudent to also make sure you have an after-sun skincare regime to help your skin recover.
- Go light and slow with the alcohol. It is the festive season, but too much alcohol can be damaging to several organs in the body from the Brain and heart to the digestive system, skin, lungs, liver, heart, kidneys, blood and pancreas. And it can cause or aggravate ailments such as osteoporosis, cirrhosis, diabetes, mental instability, memory loss, infertility and cancers. So choosing lighter low-calorie alcoholic beverages mixed with antioxidant rich fruit juices is a better option for the holidays.
- Plan for rest and relaxation. The holidays are a time for fun and festivities, but don’t forget that you do need some down-time to unwind and re-energise! Clock out when it is bedtime and ensure you have your 8-hours of shut eye. And a few pampering or yoga sessions can add that special touch to your holiday season.
Considering that your eating patterns could be out of routine, and your nutrition could be out of balance, the everyday multi-vitamin and multi-mineral EssentialsTM will keep your nutritional intake intact. Try Body RoxTM for your teenagers and UsanimalsTM for your kids.
You could be in the pool this moment, or indoors the next, and on-the-go all the time! Sounds like your immune could do with an antioxidant-rich Proflavanol® C100 boost.
Swimming, snorkeling, beach volley ball, even dancing and walking…all of that physical activity calls for some extra support to your bones with Active Calcium PlusTM. Teenagers can opt for the teenage version: Active CalciumTM Chewable.
Running out of steam? A stamina boost could be the answer, and CoQuinone 100TM may just help! It will help keep your heart health intact as well.
USANA is now offering you a delightful special on some of these products to keep you going through this summery festive season:
Christmas Nutritionals Pack contains the EssentialsTM, Proflavanol® C100, Active Calcium PlusTM, and CoQuinone 100TM and this pack offers a high 20% discount on the regular sales value of the individual products. This special is timely and available from Monday, 3rd December to Wednesday, 19th December, while stocks last. Visit USANAtoday.com for more details.
Here’s wishing you Healthy and Merry Christmas!
Vitamin supplements should not replace a balanced diet. USE ONLY AS DIRECTED. ALWAYS READ THE LABEL.
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“Christmas time is always busy, visiting friends and family and the whole social experience. I travel a lot in the months leading up to the middle of December and so for me I find it to be particularly hectic. I use this time as a bit of a rest period from my normal squash specific training, so I am not working as hard as I normally do, however I still like to do something most days to keep active.
I don’t see a lot of summer time, so I like to make the most of it and be outside. I find that the best thing for me is to get up in the morning and to have a training session straight away. I mix things up, sometimes I will go for a run, workout in the gym, or maybe a casual bike, but I always try to do it first thing in the morning. If I wait until the afternoon, I find too many distractions and then this is when I have a much bigger chance of not doing a training session that particular day. I have found this to work best for me over the summer period and hope it works for you too during the summer holiday season.”
– Martin Knight, Professional Squash player
“The best way to stay healthy and fit over the holidays is to set yourself a specific goal. At the moment is the right time to look for something to train for or set a specific goal. It can be something like a little race, for example a 5km running race or a bike race or whatever you like. It could even be something for yourself, for example do your favourite running loop faster or do a higher weight in the gym. But you want to achieve it by January or February. By doing this, you will always have it at the back of your mind, while still allowing yourself to have a nice Christmas dinner. You will try to make up for it the next day, because you want to achieve your goal. Myself, I will have a big race at the end of January. I am very excited about the Christmas holiday period, because I know, I have a few more holidays and time to do more training. I will still have some treats and nice food, but will run it off the next day. Allow yourself to some treats, but make sure you do an extra km the next day 
Have a happy Christmas Holiday! “
– Britta Martin, Triathlete and Triathlon coach
“During my break I am still active, I just change my routine to keep it fresh and interesting; to give the top two inches a break and have fun. I like getting into activities with my family. I took up aqua aerobics with my mum while off the bike for a while. It was solidly entertaining and provided a good excuse to visit the coffee shop for mother-daughter time afterwards. I also went on a few tramps/ rock climbing/ kayak expeditions with my sister and her crazy outdoor friends which was so much fun
I am also a fan of Bikram Yoga, it’s a hard workout, but very social and relaxing. Once again it is simply something different to do, that will help maintain fitness. I like it because it is an all over body workout, so helps balance my proportions somewhat (the upper body in most cyclists is non-existent).
I tend to get a bit spontaneous during the indulgent season too, with food and exercise. I find that I am rather relaxed with what I eat, but I am still conscious of not overeating, which is an important factor to maintaining shape without strict training regimes. I jump in the occasional social/indoor sports games, take dance lessons with friends, fall on my face and trip over my poles attempting Nordic walking and generally do things which are new, or that I think I would enjoy. I do still get in the saddle for the odd toodle, and even joined the dark side, going mountain biking a couple of times.
The main thing is keeping it relaxed, fun and interesting.”
– Ashleigh Neave, Cyclist
“Maintaining your health and fitness over the Christmas & New Year celebrations is absolutely possible, and believe it or not you can still enjoy the festivites and start the new year feeling fit and fabulous to boot! Like any goal you need to make plans and a commitment to stick to them. You might actually find this is a time you can sneak in a bit of extra exercise, if you have some time away from work.
For me, I always keep the bigger picture in mind- in my case the next big competition and my goal to win a medal at the next Paralympics. Christmas and New Year fall right in the middle of the swimming season in Australia, so I have been training hard for months and over indulging just isn’t worth it. For me Christmas is MOST fun when I KNOW I AM STILL ON TRACK WITH MY TRAINING.
If I am heading into a REALLY major competition, not much about my routine changes. I will be training on Christmas eve, sometimes even on Christmas day. If the public pool is closed on the public holidays I substitute by going for a ride of my handcycle in the park or doing a workout at home.
One way we tend to over indulge during the festive season is with all the delicious food at parties and friends’ places. To help with this I often take a healthy dish to a gathering, which other friends can enjoy and can help me keep on track. I prefer to taste a few ‘treat’ items I will REALLY enjoy rather than try EVERYTHING. Filling up on salads and light options help.
I like to get my training done for the day before heading off to celebrate with friends and family so I am free to enjoy the rest of the day.
Wishing you a Merry, Happy and Healthy Christmas!”
– Marayke Jonkers, Paralympian
“I find Christmas is that part of the year to enjoy myself and spend time with family, but I justify eating all the good stuff by substituting it for exercise, for example during that time I will take the stairs instead of the escalator.
Eating in moderation is also a good way of handling it – eat what you want but in moderation. Seeing as though this time of year there are so many festivities going on, if I have to drive I’ll park a good walk away so I get some exercise that way.”
– Nathan Charles, Australian Rugby Union player and Super 15 Rugby player
“This is a very easy question for me to answer because at this time of year in New Zealand we are preparing for Surf Life Saving and Kayak Nationals and for Events in Australia. So if you don’t stay on track with the training and the complete nutritional regime you can kiss your season goodbye so it is business as usual!! There is time to rest at the end of March but not over Christmas and New Year. For example -The Squad I train with were all out on the Ocean in Surf Skis at 7am last Christmas day. I can remember that it was a stunning morning, warm and still with a glassy ocean and we paddled from the Club to the Coastal Mountains and back, around 25kms, before going home to a Christmas breakfast!! We still have time with friends and family but it makes it so much easier when your friends and “Family” are the people you train with because we help each other keep on track and encourage and support everyone.
I guess it depends on how dedicated you are and what goals you have but if you are part of Teams, whether it be Double Surf Ski or K2 Kayak, then you need to be on the same page with your Team Mate!”
– Alex Fort, Kayaker and Surf Life Saver
Some great advice from our athletes which each one of us can incorporate into our own festive and holiday routine. So get started and make your personal plan to stay healthy and fit this holiday season!
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In our previous blog, we shared some practical tips from USANA Associates about how to find a balance between indulgence and health this summer. This time, we’d like to share some tips from USANA experts, Brenda Rogers, USANA’s Training & Development Manager, Qualified Naturopath, and Sheila Zhou, USANA’s Health Product Expert & Technical Scientist
The underlying principle of Dr. Myron Wentz’ extraordinary understanding of the cell and how it impacts our health, is: the body cures itself.
But we need to give it the right resources to do this! And this is what cellular nutrition is all about – giving the body the nutrients it needs to do its job, for example the liver needs sulfur, the immune system needs Vitamin C, the blood needs B12, the nerves need calcium. Then, on top of all that for effective absorption sulfur needs the B vitamins, Vitamin C needs calcium and magnesium, vitamin B12 needs good digestive function and calcium needs magnesium and phosphorus. WOW!
So, while we know how vital it is these days to supplement our diet with additional nutrients, we also know that optimal health will not occur without the hand of nature and that a healthier diet is essential.
So this summer, take the opportunity to improve your health. Here are 5 challenges for you for over the summer and Christmas period:
1. Improve your eating habits. It doesn’t have to be huge. You could simply swap white rice for brown rice, or replace soft drinks with water (or herbal tea or Rev3, or water with mint leaves or water with lemon juice – just for a few ideas). Or add a soup or salad to your evening meals 2 or 3 times a week. Every little improvement counts.
2. Try adding a freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juice to your diet once a week – carrot and apple with ginger is divine.
3. Experiment with new fruits and vegetables. Have you ever tried Jerusalem artichoke? Do you know how fabulous lychees are? Go on, try something new!
4. Grow something. Grow a herb, grow lettuce, grow anything. Even if you fail and the thing dies on you, you’ll have a greater appreciation of the growth and preparation of food – how much work it is and how precious the food is that we put in our bodies.
5. Exercise a little more. It helps digestion, it gives us energy, it helps circulate the blood. Use the longer days to add in a bike ride after work, or a swim at lunch time or a yoga class over the weekend. We are deluded if we think exercise is optional! It’s not.
In health.
– Brenda Rogers
While summer means fun in the sun, holidays, barbecues, outdoor activities, and much more; it could also mean sunburn, dehydration, and over-indulgence. In addition to eating a healthy balanced diet, staying healthy for the summer season requires 3 simple rules – hydration, sunscreen, and antioxidants.
Drink fluids throughout the day – Water is essential to ensure the proper functioning of your body. Adequate fluid intake is particularly important during summer month to prevent dehydration. Sweating in hot days can cause dehydration, loss of electrolytes, and muscle fatigue. Take bottles of water with you when you go out. Make sure that you replenish electrolytes such as potassium from your diet.
Slip, Slap, Slop – Sunburn is not only unpleasant but also unhealthy. UV radiation is the major cause of skin aging and can induce skin cancer. Use a good broad spectrum SPF30+ sunscreen to protect the skin from the short- and long-term effects of UV radiation, and re-apply it frequently during the day. Always wear protective clothing, a hat and sunglasses when going out in the sun.
Add antioxidant to your diet – Too much fun in the sun can induce extensive generation of free radicals from UV radiation, thus increases oxidative stress in the body. Under these circumstances, many antioxidants undergo depletion and must be replenished continuously.
Free radicals have been implicated in the development of many chronic disease as well as aging. Antioxidants counteract the toxic effects of free radicals in human body through physiological and biochemical mechanisms.
Fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, olive oil and tea are all rich sources of antioxidants. Throughout summer, lots of fruits and vegetables come into season. It is a great time to eat plentiful and variety of fresh seasonal produce, as antioxidants in food have varied biological potency, and have synergistic and interdependent effects on one another. A broad spectrum antioxidant supplement that contains various antioxidants is another great way to effectively boost the antioxidant levels in the body, and to protect your body against the damaging effect of oxidative stress.
– Sheila Zhou
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“Everyone’s favourite time of the year Christmas can also be a stumbling block in your overall health – Too much food, too much drink and depending where you live, too much sun… In other words, an overdose of just about everything that you wouldn’t normally do in 50 weeks of the year. Hey I’m not saying don’t enjoy yourself but it’s always a good idea to take a few precautionary measures.
I usually increase my dose of nutritional supplements at that time of the year. Just for that week or so over Christmas and the New Year, as I then know I’m getting my full daily dose of minerals and vitamins during that critical period of not eating healthy foods and drinking far too much.
It’s also a time for the outdoors in the crazy heat of ‘down under’. All of us are out at the beach, BBQing or just out enjoying the summer weather. Do we put sunscreen on every time we go out? Not usually! What I do is to just make sure I put on my USANA Daytime Protective Emulsion before I head out. I also carry one in my pocket as sometime I can get caught out and stay out all day. It’s not quite as good as a 30+ sunscreen but it’s far better than nothing.
So enjoy summer everyone but don’t forget your USANA products to keep you in tip top shape for 2012.”
– Jim Doherty, New Zealand
“With the free time and lovely summer weather, it’s a great opportunity to get out into the great outdoors. We find the Rev3 natural energy drink is the perfect way to get that boost of energy; especially on the longer hikes!
With all the time spent out and about in the summer weather, it’s great to know we’re protecting our skin with the Daytime Protective Emulsion and its built-in sunscreen.”
– Fiona Jamieson-Folland, New Zealand
“As everybody has a busy lifestyle these days, Christmas is just a great opportunity for us to catch up with friends! Instead of travelling, we tend to hold lots of parties at home. Indulgence with food and drinks are so unavoidable! But there’s still a way around it. To stay fit, we will choose to cook healthy food, such as salads and steamed meat rather than fried meat; and will always take USANA HepaPlus and Proflavonal C100 before drinking. We’d also like to take the opportunity to share our health tips with friends – this means we pick topics on health during the conversation and try to engage them in the discussion.”
– Kathy Huang & Wu Di, Sydney, Australia
“Christmas is a time when we are tempted by too many tasty treats. So we always try to make sure we keep moving – get plenty of exercise. Go for a walk; find a dog to chase; kick a ball around; go for a swim – as often as possible. We have plenty of USANA Probiotic on hand, just in case we over-indulge!
Christmas in Australia occurs at the hottest time of the year, right in the middle of summer. So why do we insist on the big heavy midday feast? Swap the roast turkey for fish on the barbie and trade the pudding for fruit salad. And don’t forget the USANA HealthPak!”
– Jo & Warren Naseby, Perth, Australia
“I always look forward to the Christmas season as it is the most fun-filled and joyous part of the year. This year the Christmas season will be particularly so for me as my niece plans to get married during that time. I must therefore ensure that my family is suitably armed with USANA Proflavanol C100, CoQuinone and Poly C so that they will be bouncing off the walls with energy and make this the most memorable time of the year for us.”
– Kesha Bart, Perth, Australia
Great tips, aren’t they? We want you to have a carefree holiday, not one that will create loads of health problems. Try these tips and tell us if they work or not! Send your experience and tips to [email protected] and you may be featured on USANAtoday.com!
Photos from foodtrotter.com
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