The new year is about to begin and a lot of people want to start the new year with exercising. This is also why a lot of  gyms get new subscriptions of motivated people with new year’s resolutions. But why do people suddenly want to exercise more when the new year has arrived?

The month of December

Is it because of all the food we eat during the festivities in December? Do we want to get rid of the extra kilos we gained? Or is it just because of the ‘new start, new me’? Anyway, people seem to be motivated to work out again in the new year. And that is definitely not a bad thing!  But why only then?

Hold on!

Unfortunately, most of the people will work out only for a couple of weeks and after these first few weeks they stop. That is too bad, because the most difficult period is already behind you. In the beginning you still have to build muscles and up your fitness level. But when you train regularly, exercising should get a little easier. Still, a lot of people stop after a while. But why? Ask yourself the following questions: what can help me to stay motivated? Does working out get boring? Do I need more variation? Think out-of-the-box!

Furthermore, having a goal can also be motivating. However, make sure that it is an achievable goal. Realise that you are doing this for yourself, and for your own body. It is for a good cause and that will give you the motivation.

How to stay motivated

Of course it is way easier to say: ‘’find the right motivation and set achievable goals’’, then to actually stay motivated. But with the right tricks, you’ll be able to stay motivated! For example, if you are going to exercise, do it always on the same time. This will make sure it is going to be a ‘habit’. A habit is something that has become natural for you, because of this it will cost you less effort.

Furthermore, it is important to write down your pitfalls. You learn from them! If your pitfall is that you want to see immediate results, ask yourself: is this achievable? Think by yourself: what is achievable? If you find it difficult to answer this question you can ask help from people who know more about it. For example a personal sports coach!

NiceDay app

Plan a workout in your Daily Planner in the NiceDay app and describe how you feel before and after working out.

Do you ever skip a party because you are trying to lose some weight? Too bad! That is not the intention of your diet. You want to have fun, you do not want to be worrying about your weight! Thank god you can also lose some weight and have fun! We will give you some tips.

Ain’t no party, like an alcoholic party

At parties, alcohol is probably the biggest challenge when it comes to your diet. Alcohol are  empty calories and extracts nutrients that can slow down your metabolism. Choose  the right drink, a cocktail contains a lot more kilocalories and sugars than a glass of wine. For beer goes: how darker the beer, the more kilocalories it has. And as for wine, the best choice is a dry and white one. You could also choose to make alcohol mixtures using diet sodas, however you should be careful since the alcohol might hit in faster.

Of course, the best option is to avoid alcoholic beverages completely. But if that does not work for you, try to start drinking a little later and vary with water or diet sodas.

A party without cake is just a meeting

Next to alcohol, cake also contains a lot of kilocalories. Arrive at the party a little later, if you think you are not strong enough to reject the cake. You should never feel guilty for rejecting cake, nobody (except maybe you) will care. Tell the host that you have been trying so hard to lose some weight and you do not want to quit now. However, if you decide to take a piece of cake, you can adjust your food intake for the rest of the day. Take a little less rice with your dinner, skip dessert or snack less. This way it will not harm your diet too much!

Avoid snacking

A beer in one hand and a snack in the other, will that be you? When you are trying to lose some weight, it is better to choose between those two. If you go all out now, the week of hard work would be for nothing. Distract yourself and get as far away from the snacks as possible. Focus on other stuff, for example the happiness and the latest news from your friends and family!

Midnight snacks

Alcohol triggers your appetite, so that might be the reason why you feel hungry after a night out. Next to that, you feel tired so your midnight snack will probably not be a culinary delight. Midnight snacks mostly contain a lot of fats. Alcohol will make the liver work harder, eating fatty food will only make this worse. It will have a distorting effect on the fat metabolism, so it is not so healthy and not diet proof! Choose for something light, like an apple or a banana.

The right mindset

Make sure you are going to a party with the right mindset. Stop thinking: ‘There is alcohol and cake at the party, that would ruin my diet.’ And start thinking: ‘A party will be fun, it will distract me from chocolate cravings and I will have a good time.’ The long term goal of losing weight for most people is to be happy and healthy, keep this goal in mind. Skipping parties might help you to lose some weight, but it will distract you from your end goal.

So: let’s get the party started!

Almost 2 out of 10 people in the Netherlands work during the nights. For instance because they work in the hospitality, medical, or logistics sector. And even though shiftwork is commonplace, it does bring a number of health risks. Biologically speaking humans like order. Every human has a biological clock which determines their daily rhythm. There are some individual differences in rhythm (you probably know some morning persons). But in the absence of professional or social influence everyone eventually gravitates to their natural rhythm.

Changing your rhythm

As a human you are able to change your rhythm, although this takes time. When you work in shifts you do not get sufficient time for this. By the time you have properly adjusted to one shift you usually move to a different one. Therefore, the best solution is usually to stay somewhere in the middle. Deal with fluctuations by getting a sufficient amount of rest and making some changes in your diet and lifestyle where applicable.

Complaints specific to shiftwork

The most frequently heard complaint when working in shifts is fatigue; disturbances in your biological clock affect your energy levels throughout the day. This increases the chance of mistakes because you are less alert, which can be very dangerous depending on your line of work. In the long run, working in shifts also increases the risk on cardiovascular diseases, as well as gastrointestinal complaints. Furthermore, there is a relationship between chronic fatigue and a number of psychological complaints, which means that disorders such as depression are more frequent among shiftworkers.

The perfect solution…

…unfortunately does not exist. One way or another, working in shifts disturbs your natural balance. Minimizing risks is often the best solution in this case, for instance by applying the right coping strategies. A healthy lifestyle is an important part of this. Food that is rich in protein can give you enough energy to work through the night, and frequent physical exercise keeps you in shape and makes it easier to sleep at night. It is also important to ensure a good social life; it can be easy to lose sight of this when most of your peers have a ‘regular’ rhythm, but this can also lead to loneliness and psychological complaints.

What can I do?

Perhaps the most difficult part of working in shifts is that the rest of the world is designed for those that work a regular 9-to-5 job. At night the streets are quiet and the stores are closed. While during the day you are kept awake by the hustle and bustle outside, and your friends are out and about. This doesn’t always make it easy to sleep at times when you really want to. Or to make healthy choices when it comes to nutrition or exercise. Luckily there are also things you can do to make it easier on yourself. For instance, ensuring that your bedroom is dark and quiet helps you sleep better at any time of the day. If you find it difficult to ensure this, a sleep mask or earplugs can go a long way. If you frequently find yourself hungry when the supermarket is already closed, then make sure you have sufficient healthy choices on hand by buying groceries in advance to prevent yourself reaching for that unhealthy snack. Finally, use the extra days off that you get for working in shifts. Plan fun activities with friends and family, or to get some well-earned rest.

In a nutshell

• Ensure your sleeping environment is dark and quiet;
• Buy healthy groceries ahead of time;
• Pay attention to your social life;
• Get sufficient rest when you can.

Day shift or night shift, always make sure you are well rested! How do you deal with irregular hours? 

Looking at this picture you might think “No, this pose can’t be good for me, I’m not flexible enough”. Logical, most people think that when they see the Plow pose. And yet everyone can do this pose when you gradually build up for it. The basis for this pose is in the preparatory poses. The warmer the body, the more flexible the muscles and joints, the easier the Plow is. In addition, there are all kinds of variations that allow you to do the Plow with more ease (and fun). These tips will help you.

What is the Plow posture?

This is a basic pose; an inverted supine position and forward bend. In yoga jargon this pose is called “Halasana”. Hala means “Plow”. There are many variations in this asana, although some may be pretty risky. The starting point is always doing what feels right; respect the body and the limits it indicates. In this pose, the (lower) back muscles, hamstrings, calf muscles, scholar muscle (just above the ankle), the triceps and the monk’s cap muscle (shoulder muscle) are stretched intensively. Stretching of the body is good because it brings back the natural length and suppleness of the body and the bloodstream and metabolism are stimulated. In the picture I have entwined my hands and stretched arms. Alternatively, the arms can also be stretched with the palms of the hands flat on the ground. When the toes do not touch the ground and the pressure on the lower back feels too much, it is best to put the hands on the lower back with elbows on the ground for support.

What is the effect of the Plow?

Halasana is a good pose to increase flexibility in the back muscles and hamstrings. In addition, it also has a positive effect on the muscles in your neck and shoulders and ensure that any tension that is there is reduced. The biggest challenge in this asana is being able to breathe freely. As a result of the reverse over bend, more pressure is placed on the diaphragm and organs, which reduces the freedom to breathe deeper. It is a matter of feeling how far you can bring your feet back to breathe freely. The goal is not that your toes touch the ground, that comes naturally with time. The focus is on the back and on breathing freely. To be able to do the Plow a good warm-up is required. That is why you will encounter this pose in a yoga class half way or towards the end of the class.

These tips help to do the Plow with more ease:

Tip 1 Preparation

Good preparation is important. Doing sun salutations several times makes the body, muscles and joints ready for this posture. Do at least 10 sun salutations when you do not do any other preparation poses. In yoga jargon we never say that we ‘do an pose’ but say we ‘come into the posture’. To get into the Plow, the (supporting) Shoulder stand and Bridge are nice preparation poses, where the second one gives the most challenge.

Tip 2 From the Shoulder position

If your toes do not touch the ground in the Plow, the Shoulder pose is the best position to start from. In this asana you have your hands on the lower back for support. On the exhale the toes point towards the face and the legs go straight and slowly forward. Try to keep the back straight as long as possible and first focus on the hamstrings. When you feel that you have reached your max, you hold your pose there. Remain a number of breaths in the pose. When the feet do touch the ground, gently stretch out the arms and place the palms on the floor. Feel the difference. If it feels comfortable, bring your hands together, intertwine the fingers and stretch the arms as far as possible while resting your hands on the floor. Bring the chin towards the chest to decrease pressure in the neck.

Tip 3 From the Bridge

In Halasana coming from the Bridge is more challenging and requires more of your arm muscles, especially the triceps. When you are in Bridge, the arms are stretched, fingers intertwined and the hands rest on the floor. You bring your body weight on one leg, for example the left. At the inhalation you stretch the right leg up and let it fall backwards, at the same time you push your arms against the ground. When the right toes are on the ground, let the left leg follows. Now also bring the chin to the chest to decrease pressure in the neck.

Are you annoyed easily if you have not eaten for a while? Feeling hungry isn’t nice and if we can’t eat for a while this can be very frustrating. It can take the upper hand in your thoughts and strengthen (negative) emotions. But where does this feeling actually come from?

Hangriness

Hangry stands for ‘hunger’ and ‘angry’: getting angry because you are hungry. Maybe you recognize it, feeling angry towards the person next to you, simply because that person is breathing a little too loud. But, after you’ve eaten it’s all fine again. It’s OK, we feel you ;-).

Does hangry really exist?

More and more research support it, hunger is an emotion! And this has everything to do with hormones. If you have not eaten for a while, your blood sugar level drops. When your blood sugar level is (too) low, your body intervenes. Your body needs energy! That is why it sends out hormones to tell you that you have to eat something. These are the same hormones as the hormones released during stress. That explains the tense and agitated feeling.

How do you reduce hangriness?

When we are hangry, we are guided by our emotions without being aware of it. We see the world a bit more negative and blame others more quickly. Being aware of this already helps a lot. Is it really that bad that the person next to you is breathing so loudly? If you find yourself having (incorrect) negative thoughts, make sure to have a positive distraction. Listen for example to that song you like so much!

To prevent is better than to cure

Of course you prefer to avoid a hunger attack. Therefore eating enough and healthy is the only solution. It is important to keep your blood sugar level constant. Take snacks with you everywhere you go, for example some nuts. Leave white bread and pasta for what it is and go for the whole wheat version. Also make sure to consume enough protein, that’s especially important during breakfast. Do you normally have a sandwich for breakfast? Then also add a cup of yogurt or an egg to your meal!

Are you hangry sometimes?

Everybody experiences some tension or stress from time to time. For example tension for a deadline at work, for your wedding, to catch your train in time or to go to a party where you don’t know anybody. You can feel this tension in your head, your mind and your body. Your heart starts to race, you get a dry throat, a rushed feeling or butterflies in your stomach. This tension is understandable: your body prepares itself for a reaction. However, to understand what tension does to you, it is important to know what it is.

Experiencing stress

Tension or stress is a physical reaction to a possible threatening situation. Whether you experience something as stressful, depends on how you assess and deal with the situation. What’s stressful for you, can be the opposite for somebody else.

Origin and function of stress

When you are in a situation that is exciting, two systems are activated in the brain and body. The first system is being activated by the hormone adrenaline and activates your body so it is ready to react. This is known as the ‘fight- fright- or flight reaction’. This system is set in a way that it rather reacts too much than too little, because reacting 10 times too much, is evolutionary better than reacting once too little. Back in the days this could lead to dangerous situations with a predator. Due to the production of adrenaline, the second system is being activated: the adrenal glands (attached to your kidneys) produce cortisol, also known as the stress hormone. This hormone increases the blood sugar levels and the boosts the metabolism, so there is more energy available in the body to deal with stress and react optimally.

Healthy stress

Stress is merely a natural and healthy reaction of the body, because it makes sure you can react properly in an emergency situation. Nowadays this stress reaction does not only occur as a reaction to physical stress, but also to psychological stress. This stress usually lasts somewhat longer. Short term and healthy stress helps you to achieve things, because it makes you alert, concentrated and efficient. The body recovers quickly from this type of stress.

Unhealthy stress

When your body is unable to recover because a new stressful situation occurs, the amounts of adrenaline and cortisol remain at high levels. If the stress continues to persists, the hormone levels rise even more, which is unhealthy. When stress is persisting or severe, your body needs more time to recover from it. If you do not give your body this time, the stress accumulates. This can lead to several complaints. These can be physical complaints, like high blood pressure, tiredness, headache, neck- and back pains and insomnia, or psychological complaints like irritability, depressive feelings, problems with concentration or making decisions. Also unhealthy behavior can arise, like eating too much, smoking or drinking alcohol. Consider these signals as warnings: these are precursors of burnout!

So, is stress always bad?

The answer is… no, stress is not always unhealthy. A short term stress reaction of the body is very healthy, but when your body suffers from longer periods of stress, it can go wrong.

When should you intervene?

On this article you can find a list of signals that can indicate short term or long term stress. Do you recognise more of these mentioned complaints? Than it is possible that you experience too much chronic stress and it is important to intervene. Talk about it with your social network or your colleagues or employer, eat healthy and pay attention that you get enough sleep, exercise and rest. We advise you to look for activities that you find calming or receive energy from (something creative, walking, reading, etc.) and try doing this more often. You can find some more tips here. Adapting your lifestyle and paying attention to healthy and calming behavior is an important base for the “recovery” of your complaints. The NiceDay app can help you with finding this balance by planning activities, registering your feelings and setting notifications.

Do these signals or complaints last longer? Consult your general practitioner. He or she can evaluate the situation with you and will help you finding the right help.

“You can do anything, but not everything”

NiceDay actions

Try writing down your thoughts and feelings in the ‘Feeling Registration’ to get insight in what goes on in your mind and body. Plan a relaxing activity in your ‘Daily Planner’ and reflect on what doing this activity brought you.

Exercising has a positive effect on your health. You feel more energetic and maintain your weight more easily. But, do you also ensure a sufficient food intake to improve your sports performance? Many people underestimate the effect of nutrition on their sports performance, health and weight. Did you know that if you’re exercising to achieve a certain weight or muscle mass, nutrition has a bigger effect than sports?

Drink sufficiently

Firstly, think of your water intake: if you’re doing sports, your body loses a lot of water. If you lose 2% of water weight, your sports performance may already decrease by 25%. Most athletes don’t need to drink sport drinks: only if you train longer than one hour, you may consider it. Rather drink water while exercising: 150 ml per 15 minutes, or for very heavy sport sessions: 500ml per 30 minutes. As an athlete, you can easily drink 2 to 2.5 liters of water daily.

Carbohydrates are good

In addition, it is useful to eat enough carbohydrates. Do not underestimate this: carbohydrates are necessary for the release of energy and for building muscle. A higher muscle mass means more fat burn, even during rest. Avoid carbohydrates from soft drinks, snacks, fruit juice and white bread. You get more energy from brown pasta, bread and rice, fruit, vegetables and beans or chickpeas. If you prefer to eat white rice or pasta before exercising, be sure to add enough vegetables to have the energy for your sports session.

Recover with food

In addition, your body also needs food after your workout. Most important are the proteins, from beans, chickpeas, meat, fish, vegetables, nuts, dairy and eggs. Many athletes overestimate the amount of protein they need. Try to eat 1 to 1.5 grams of proteins per kilogram of body weight. The most important period to eat enough proteins is in the 48 hours after a sports session. Try to divide your protein intake over your meals during that period. Especially in the evening a small meal with some proteins works beneficial for the recovery of your body.

NiceDay app

If you make small adjustments in your food intake and try to drink enough, you will notice that you have more fun in sports and improve! Note what your sports goals are in the diary of the NiceDay app, for example 5 kg of weight loss, running 10 km,  touching your feet, et cetera. Also note how your sessions go and what you’ve achieved already. This gives you a nice overview of the progress you make.

We used to think of quinoa as exotic. However nowadays there are sugar free quinoa bars with added protein powder, dipped in a bed of antioxidants; also called chocolate. Healthy eating is made easy for us but only if we are willing to give up our monthly salary for it. Can you still eat healthy without going bankrupt?

Not as healthy as it seems

In the supermarket you will find all different shapes and sizes of health bars. But have you ever read the nutritional value? The number of calories in such a bar is often equal to the number of calories in an entire meal and sugars can be found in the form of ‘honey’, ‘agave’ or ‘fructose syrup’. Not so healthy! You think you are doing well, but in fact you are not.

Then what? Try these 5 tips:

1. Choose your vegetables and fruits right

Fresh fruits and vegetables are often quite pricey! Keep an eye on the offers. In addition, go for products from the season. Seasonal products are often produced in the region, which means less transportation costs and thus a cheaper product! Another option is to use frozen fruits and vegetables. In fact, because they freeze it immediately after picking it, it retains many of the good nutrients! That in contrast to imported vegetables and fruits, those slowly lose their nutrients.

2. Eat less meat

When you take a look at the costs of your meal, you may notice that meat and fish are by far the most expensive. Meat and fish contain a lot of good nutrients, so simply omitting this is not the answer. But luckily you can replace it very well with some cheaper products. Skip meat and fresh fish and replace it with legumes, nuts, eggs, mushrooms, frozen fish or canned fish.

3. Shop smart

Skip the Albert Heijn, go to the Lidl or Aldi instead. That can save you up to ten euros a week! If you prefer to go to the Albert Heijn, then don’t choose the products that are at eye level. Look a bit lower, these products are usually a lot cheaper! It is also smart to go to the local food market for fruits and vegetables. Preferably at the end of the day. At the end of the day they want to get rid of their products, so you get a big discount!

4. Easy meal prepping

Perhaps you have already heard of it: meal prepping. Fitness fanatics and health lovers love to do this, but it’s also very useful for when you want to watch your money. You don’t necessarily have to prepare whole meals. Also cooking separate components will work, you can mix and match them throughout the week. This allows you to eat varied, eat healthy and never cook too much! For example, cook a large quantity of rice, different types of vegetables, legumes, chicken, fish and a vegetarian substitute.

5. Make a shopping list

When you’re in the supermarket unprepared, you often buy too much. The solution is to plan what you will eat. Think of the meals you are going to eat that week and which ingredients you need for it. Then make a shopping list. Decide for every ingredient why you need it and when you are going to eat it. Is your shopping list realistic or a little bit too ambitious?

Do you find it difficult to eat healthy and budget-friendly?

Is everyone around you sniffing and coughing? Maybe you caught a little virus yourself? Autumn has started again, the season of colds and fevers. Nutrition is important throughout the year, but especially in autumn it needs a bit more attention. Healthy eating is the key to a good resistance. We will give you some tips.

Eat the rainbow

First of all, it’s important to get enough nutrients in. This means eating enough fruits and vegetables. Try to vary: did you know that orange fruits and vegetables contain a lot of vitamin A and green vegetables a lot of minerals? By varying in colours you know that you will probably get enough nutrients in. However, it wouldn’t hurt to take some supplements in the autumn and winter months, for example, some extra vitamin D or a multivitamin.

Healthy guts

Our intestines are often underestimated when it comes to health and well-being. Intestinal problems can have a big effect on your mental health and your lifestyle, but also play a big part in your overall health. Did you know that your immune system is in your guts? Eat foods high in fiber (for example whole grain products, vegetables, fruits and legumes) and drink plenty of water. Occasionally have some foods with (added) probiotics. Probiotics are bacteria that have been scientifically proven to have health benefits and are safe, it’s sometimes added to dairy products.

Drink enough!

Drinking enough is very important. When you don’t, your body does not have the fluid to eliminate waste out of your body. It doesn’t really matter what you drink (no alcohol of course!), but the healthiest options are water, tea or black coffee.

Eat according to the season

Vegetables and fruits of the season are mostly healthier than imported fruits and vegetables. This is because the time between the country and your plate is shorter and it therefore had less time to lose nutrients. Another advantage of seasonal products is that it’s a lot cheaper and better for the environment. Examples of seasonal vegetables and fruits in autumn are:

• Kale
• Endive
• Pumpkin
• Carrot
• Pear
• Plums

NiceDay: put some extra thought in your diet this season. Do you have difficulty eating 2 pieces of fruit or vegetables a day? Plan this in your Daily Planner for a reminder.

When you can’t do push-ups, the Cobra is a good yoga pose to build strength in the arm muscles. In addition to the arm muscles, the back muscles, large buttock muscles and hamstrings are also trained in this pose. In this blog I’ll share more about the effects of the Cobra.

What is the Cobra?

This is a basic posture: bending backwards from a prone position. In yoga jargon this posture is called “Bhujangasana”. Bhujanga means snake. Bhuja stands for arm or shoulder and ang stands for limb. In the Cobra the focus is on the spine, arms and legs. Many think that the legs are passive in this position but especially the hamstrings can be active just like the big gluteal muscle.

What is the effect of the Cobra?

By raising the upper body, the entire group of the dorsal back muscles and the abdominal muscles are active. This movement ensures that these muscles get stronger, which reduces, among other things, low back pain. The triceps, biceps and large and small pectoral muscles in the arms are especially trained. By regularly doing the Cobra, strength in the arms increases. Because the upper body goes up, the hamstrings automatically stretch. When they feel stiff or aren’t trained, the Cobra can be a challenge for the leg muscles. The big buttock muscle will automatically activate when this pose is a challenge for the hamstrings to help the body to stay in position.

That’s how you do the Cobra

Lie on your stomach and place your forehead on the mat. The hands come under the shoulders and the arms against the body. At an inhalation the hands push the body upwards, the arms stay slightly bent and against the body. The chest is pushed forward and chin up. Because the upper body goes up, the glutes and hamstrings tighten. Use this tension by pushing the hips towards the ground and thereby increasing the intensity of the asana. Although it is customary to raise the body on the inhalation, it can sometimes feel better to do this on the exhale. This depends on the breathing at that moment whether it is high (at the chest) or low (at the abdomen). Do what feels most comfortable for you to get the most out of this pose.

Alternatives

Does it hurt your (lower) back, shoulder or arms? These alternatives help you to do the Cobra with more ease.

(lower) Back

How higher the upper body is pushed up, the more pressure comes on the (lower) back and on the back muscles. The goal is not to bring the upper body as high as possible but at a height that feels good to you. Strength increases automatically and so does the ease of doing this pose.

Shoulders

With stiff shoulder and / or neck muscles, it may be nice not to put the hands under the shoulders but further apart or slightly forward. It can certainly help to pull the shoulder blades together to remove tension at the shoulders and neck.

Arms (and wrists)

In this position, the arms remain close to the body. When that doesn’t feel good, it is fine to have the elbows pointing outwards, which reduces the pressure on the arm muscles. If the wrists are sensitive, it can help to make fists with the hands and rest on them.

When you practice this pose for the first time, the muscles can (slightly) tremble. That is a sign of effort. Concentrate on your breathing to hold on to this pose and build up strength in the arms.