Zest Lifestyle

The team here at Zest Lifestyle are going to be taking a well-earned break over the festive period so we’d like to take this opportunity to wish all of our network a very happy and healthy Christmas and New year. We’ll be back in the new year with more tips to keep you all thriving ready for a zesty 2025. In the meantime, Happy Zestmas to you all! 🎄💚🍾 #5pillarsofvitality #Sleep #Eat #Move #Think #Pause #Body #BusinessAsAForceForGood #Christmas #FestiveSeason

Regardless of whether you celebrate Christmas itself, the lead up to the festive period and the end of year, is a manic one for many. It can make it extremely hard to switch off and to be in the moment. The temptation is often to look to the future in the lead up - planning ahead or over thinking all the details. And then on Christmas day itself it can be tempting to dwell on the past - what previous Christmas' have been like or about those who are no longer with you or even comparing yourselves to others on social media. Therefore, it's important to try to switch off the distractions and instead to focus on the present and enjoy the moments as they arrive. Unplug from devices and superficial distractions and instead gather together with family and friends and soak up unstructured opportunities for deepening bonds. Play board games, get crafty, read a book in silence, whatever it is that works to help you slow down and to be present this Christmas. #5pillarsofvitality #Think #BusinessAsAForceForGood #Mindfulness #BeingintheMoment #Present #BeingPresent

If you’re doing the same exercise routines every week, you may find that you’re not seeing the benefits like you used to. If you’re finding that you’re no longer increasing your strength, speed or stamina, then it may mean that your body has plateaued and that it’s time for a new challenge. Whilst it’s great to have healthy habits and things that we stick to, we sometimes need to change it up in order to keep our body responding in the best way possible. And what better time to start thinking about a new exercise regime as the upcoming start of the new year? Ideally you should be looking to combine cardio, strength and balance training in order to provide the optimum health benefits. If you love what you do and are reluctant to change, then it could be as simple as switching it up within the exercise format you enjoy. For example, if you love running – then instead of always going for a long slow jog, trying mixing it up with sprints, wearing a weighted vest or shorter runs at a higher pace. This way your regular habit is likely to stick but you’ll gain more benefits from the variety and your body is less likely to become complacent. Or if you’re feeling up for the challenge, why not take the opportunity this new year to try something completely new – open water swimming, pickleball, CrossFit or wall Pilates. What would be your new exercise to try for 2025? #5pillarsofvitality #Move #BusinessAsAForceForGood #Exercise #Routine #TrySomethingNew #NewYearsResolutions

There is lots of talk at the moment about the health benefits of fermented foods, but do you know the difference between a probiotic, a prebiotic and a postbiotic? If not, then we’re here to help! Fermented foods have been a dietary staple in many parts of the world for thousands of years, initially as a way to help preserve foods. However more recently, research has found numerous benefits of these types of food for our gut health. So, what are the different types of fermented foods? 💚 Probiotics These are live microbes, including bacteria and fungi, which live inside your gut and have beneficial effects on your health. Examples include live yoghurt, kefir and kimchi. 💚 Prebiotics These are indigestible carbohydrates and fibres found in plant foods that feed the probiotics inside your gut. Examples include onions, garlic, leeks, apples, legumes, bananas and nuts. 💚 Postbiotics These are compounds produced by probiotic bacteria when they consume prebiotics or fibre. They include lactic acid, Vitamin B & K along with short-chain fatty acids and can be found in sauerkraut, pickled vegetables, miso soup, tempeh, and sourdough bread. Eating a combination of all three provides you with the perfect combination of health benefits for your gut microbiome – live bacteria (probiotics), fibre for them to eat (prebiotics) and the compounds they produce (postbiotics). #5pillarsofvitality #Eat #BusinessAsAForceForGood #Probiotics #Prebiotics #Postbiotics #FermentedFood #GutHealth

This time of year, you’re likely to be socialising more along with having a few more drinks than usual. This is likely to be having a detrimental effect on your sleep – not just because of going to bed later, but because alcohol is a known sleep disruptor. Ordinarily within a night, we go through sleep cycles from light to deep sleep (known as non-REM sleep) followed by REM sleep (rapid eye movement). These cycles usually last between 1.5-2hours so we should ideally be aiming for 4 cycles per night. When we consume alcohol, we go straight into deep sleep, skipping out on the lighter sleep phases and the all important REM phase which supports our brain health, learning and memory. As we sober up during the night, we then switch into a light sleep mode which means we don’t feel refreshed and are likely to regularly wake through the night. Not only that, drinking alcohol: 🍷 Dehydrates us 🍷 Increases our core body temperature 🍷 Often results in needing to get up for a wee in the night 🍷 Increases our likelihood of snoring All of which will have a negative impact on the quality of our sleep. So, what can you do? Other than cutting out booze completely, there are some simple things you can try: 💚 Avoid drinking on an empty stomach 💚 Switch to non-alcoholic (caffeine free) drinks halfway through the night 💚 Drink a glass of water in between each alcoholic drink 💚 Take a warm shower before going to bed to help regulate your body temperature 💚 Make sure your bedroom is well ventilated 💚 Take a glass of water to bed with you #5pillarsofvitality #Sleep #BusinessAsAForceForGood #Alcohol #SleepDisruptor

As we age, our brains naturally decline, however as always there is plenty that we can be doing to help slow this down. In fact cognitive decline is not inevitable, and there are many lifestyle choices that you can make in order to support a healthy brain. Along with following the principles of our pillars of vitality here at Zest Lifestyle, here are some of the things you can be doing to help maintain a sharp brain: 💚 Socialise Spending time with friends, family, neighbours and social groups will help to avoid feelings of loneliness and social isolation which research has shown are strongly correlated with the risk of developing conditions such as dementia. 💚 Take regular pauses Practising relaxation methods such as meditation and mindfulness aids mental sharpness and encourages good sleeping patterns which in turn promote positive cognitive function. 💚 Exercise When we exercise our bodies release a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is vital for growing and keeping neurons along with helping to reduce inflammation in the brain. 💚 Mediterranean Diet Research has found that those who followed a Mediterranean diet were far less likely to develop Alzheimer's in later life. The high levels of plant-based foods, nuts and olives all promote brain health along with a healthy gut biome which is also linked to positive brain health. 💚 A sense of purpose Having a role or purpose in life is not only good for our wellbeing, it is also associated with a reduced risk of dementia. It helps keep our minds engaged and cultivates a sense of purpose which contributes to promoting brain health. 💚 Learning something new This time of year is a great time to take up a new hobby or to play games and puzzles with family and friends. These activities all increase our neuroplasticity and help keep our brains sharp and healthy. #5pillarsofvitality #Body #BusinessAsAForceForGood #BrainHealth #PreventativeHealth

According to the Public Health Agency, giving to others stimulates the reward areas in the brain, creating positive feelings and improving our overall wellbeing. In fact, research has also shown that those who give: 💚 Tend to live longer 💚 Have lower stress levels 💚 Higher levels of emotional wellbeing 💚 Improved self-esteem 💚 Heightened levels of happiness 💚 Have a strong sense of belonging Giving can come in various different forms, so if you're not already participating, why not find something that you enjoy and give something back this festive period. #5pillarsofvitality #Think #BusinessAsAForceForGood #giving #volunteering #wellbeingbenefits

This time of year can get incredibly busy, meaning that many of our good habits go out of the window – exercise included. However, it’s really important that we stay active over the festive period and avoid the temptation to lounge around in our PJs! Whilst you may not be able to keep up your usual exercise routine, it’s worth setting yourself some boundaries for what is achievable throughout December and try to stick to this. Even if you only manage to get to one exercise session per week instead of your usual three, it will stand you in better stead. Avoiding the temptation to cancel exercise altogether and waiting to start again in the new year, will only make it harder once January does come around. And with the darker days, there’s also the temptation to hibernate and feel less inclined to go out of an evening. So, where possible, try to get yourself out during natural daylight for some fresh air and a walk. This will not only help keep your step count up, it will also support a positive wellbeing and sleep pattern. And don’t forget, when you engage in physical activity, your body delivers oxygen and nutrients to your cells, which results in increased energy. Therefore by keeping active, you'll find yourself feeling more alert, focused, and ready to fully get into the swing of the festivities! #5pillarsofvitality #Move #BusinessAsAForceForGood #Christmas #FestiveSeason #Exercise #KeepingActive

After eating, it’s normal to experience increases in your blood sugar levels. If, however you are regularly experiencing spikes in your blood sugar levels throughout the day, this can increase your risk of various health conditions. Therefore, it’s important to be aware of what might be causing these spikes along with how you can mitigate this. When our blood sugar levels rise, our pancreas releases insulin into the body – this hormone helps move glucose from the blood into the cells, helping to make sure levels don’t get too high. Our bodies are generally very good at managing our blood sugar levels and use glucose to restore muscles and cells that need energy. However, any excess glucose that the body doesn’t need is then stored in our liver, muscle or fat cells. When our bodies are exposed to constant spikes in blood sugar levels, it puts pressure on our internal systems. And over time, it increases our risks of conditions such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. So, we’ve put together some Zesty tips to help you manage your blood sugar levels: 🥗 Eat a balanced diet – full of plant-based foods, plenty of vegetables, high fibre and low in sugar. 👟 Regular exercise – keeping active helps your body to manage your blood sugar levels, going for a walk directly after a meal can be particularly helpful in managing post-meal spikes. ⚖ Maintain a healthy weight – by losing just 7% of your body weight, this can help you to better manage your blood sugar levels. 📉 Track your blood sugar levels – foods that cause our blood sugar levels to spike will be slightly different for everyone. Therefore, tools such as finger prick testing or the Zoe patch will help you to identify the foods that have the most adverse effect on your own blood sugar levels. 😤 Manage your stress – by finding healthy releases for your stress levels, this can help support your body in managing your blood sugar levels. 😴 Prioritise your sleep – when we are sleep deprived, our body craves more sugar so by prioritising your sleep, you will be in a better position to make healthier choices and in turn manage your blood sugar levels. #5pillarsofvitality #Eat #BusinessAsAForceForGood #BloodSugar #BloodSugarSpikes #Sugar #Diet

As we age, our sleep patterns and preferences change – this is as a result of a variety of factors including lifestyle, hormones and health conditions. As adults, the amount of sleep we need doesn’t necessarily change (as a general guide we should all aim to get between 7-9 hours per night) but how we sleep and when we sleep is likely to change as we progress through life. When we are born we don’t yet have an established circadian rhythm, so our sleep-wake cycle is not in a set routine and works on a much shorter loop. As we move into later adolescence our sleeping patterns become more sophisticated and other than a blip during our teenage years (blame the hormones!) we fall into a regular sleep-wake cycle. Once we hit our 30s then lifestyle factors tend to come into play such as working patterns, stress and family responsibilities which means our sleep patterns adapt in response, often meaning we are getting less sleep than we need. And then as you enter your 50s and beyond, your sleep patterns evolve once again. The most significant of which is a decrease in the amount of deep sleep. As a result, people often experience a more fragmented night, resulting in waking up more throughout the night and having trouble falling back asleep. As we age our joints become stiffer and our activity levels decline, which naturally has a knock-on effect for our circadian rhythms meaning that we get less quality sleep at night and are more prone to taking naps during the daytime to catch up. Whatever life stage you are at, practising good sleep hygiene such as having a regular bedtime; switching off tech before bed and practising relaxation techniques can all help to maximise on both the amount and quality of sleep you achieve each night. #5pillarsofvitality #Sleep #DorsetChamber #BusinessAsAForceForGood #Lifestage #Ageing