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!

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.

Tea is a widely consumed drink. Next to water it’s the most drunk drink! There are different kinds of tea, like: black tea, green tea and white tea. But what are the differences between those teas? And what are the health benefits?

Different kinds of tea

Black tea is the most consumed tea, but also contains the most caffeine. Green tea contains a lot of antioxidants and less caffeine, which makes it a healthier choice. However, white tea is the healthiest one. This is because white tea isn’t fermented. Teas get fermented by steaming in a moist environment. Because of this it loses some of its nutrients.

Stay hydrated

Don’t like water? Tea can be the solution! Drinking tea helps you to stay hydrated. And on top of that, it’s better than drinking soda since there is no sugar in tea (unless you add some). Tea also contains minerals and antioxidants, these are good for your body too. Water and sodas contain less of those nutrients.

Healthy by drinking some tea

Drinking tea contributes to better health and wellbeing. For example, drinking black or green tea lowers the blood pressure and drinking green tea lowers cholesterol. Also, tea contains flavonoids, an antioxidant which boosts your resistance. Black and green tea contain most flavonoids.

Tea time

It’s best to drink tea in between meals since tea contains a chemical compound that affects the absorption of the nutrients in your food. Next to that, tea contains caffeine. It contains less caffeine than coffee, however, when you’re sensitive to caffeine you should not drink tea before going to bed. Instead there are some herbal teas without caffeine, which are just as tasty!

NiceDay: Try to drink a few cups of tea per day, please note that you do not drink too strong tea. You can plan this in your Daily Planner, this ensures that Niceday reminds you of drinking tea!

How do you train your memory? Everybody forgets something from time to time, some more than others. There are several reasons that you are forgetful, but mostly it’s nothing to worry about. However, it can be quite frustrating. This article discusses what you can do to stimulate your brain.

Train your brain?

At first it’s important to know that your memory isn’t a muscle, so ‘training’ your brain might not be the right word. However, you can help your brain a little, for example by using a mnemonic. This will make remembering easier for you. In addition, it’s very important to keep your brain healthy. You can do this in different ways. For example, it’s important to exercise, get enough sleep and to eat healthy.

Exercise

We know that enough exercise is important for our health, but it also has a positive effect on our brain! Your brain produces a special chemical during movement which creates new brain cells and connections between brain cells. Also, it reduces the breakdown of dopamine. Dopamine is responsible for muscle movements and helps to find more pleasure and joy in life.

Sleep-learning

A good night sleep, of about seven hours, will literally make you feel more awake. This will make you more aware of your environment, so you don’t miss out on important information.

Good food is good mood

A varied and healthy dietary pattern is important for the brain. There are many nutrients that support the function of the brain. For example, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fatty acids. These nutrients have a positive effect on the way you’re processing information, on your concentration and on your memory. In order to consume as many nutrients as possible, it’s useful to eat as varied as possible. Vitamins, minerals and antioxidants are in vegetables, fruit, eggs, dairy products and meat.

NiceDay: Set some goals for yourself. Start easy, for example with walking for at least 30 minutes a day or taking an extra piece of fruit daily. Maybe it helps you to get a steady sleeping pattern, then try to go to bed on time.

Food doesn’t only affect your weight and health, but can also affect your sleep. And we’re not only talking about falling asleep, but also the quality of sleep and your energy level during the day can be affected by food. In this article we explain what you should and you shouldn’t eat to sleep well.

Caffeine and alcohol

You probably already know these two. However, they are important enough to be named. Alcohol might help you fall asleep, but during the night it disturbs your sleep. This is why you won’t feel energized the next morning. Do you really desire a night cap? Take one at dinner time, so it’s enough to fall asleep and worn off during the night. On the other hand caffeine avoids you from falling asleep. It activates the production of adrenaline, a hormone that gives you energy. It takes a long time before it’s worn off, so stop drinking or eating products with caffeine later than 16 o’clock.

Vitamins and minerals

Vitamin and minerals deficiencies can cause a weakened sleep/wake pattern and a lack of energy during the day. This is especially true for vitamin C, vitamin D3, vitamin B12 and magnesium. You will not have any deficiencies when you eat according to the dietary guidelines. But if you have been eating unhealthy for a longer time, it might be a cause of your sleeping problems!

L-tryptophan

L-what? Probably you have never heard of this amino acid. L-tryptophan can convert in serotonin, a calming hormone. Research shows that an high intake of l-tryptophan can be somnolent and reduce stress. Foods containing this amino acid are: bananas, eggs, brown rice and pumpkin seeds.

The last meal

Not only what your eat, but also when and how much you eat influences your sleep. The reason for this is actually quite obvious. Your body has to work harder to digest a big meal, while your body needs rest to fall asleep. Also meals high in fat are harder for your body to digest. However, you shouldn’t feel hungry while trying to sleep. Hunger can be so intense that you won’t fall asleep. So eat your dinner  before 20 o’clock and if necessary a little snack later on. The best choice for a late night snack is something high in protein, like yogurt with fruits.

Water

You know that feeling? You are  just in bed and you need to go to the bathroom. Will you go or will you stay? Whatever you choose, it’s going to affect your sleep. Drinking enough water is important, but don’t start at night. Try not to drink anything one hour before bed and put a glass of water next to your bed for if you feel thirsty.

I bet you recognize this situation: you are sitting on the sofa and you have cravings. Deep inside you know that you should not have done it, but you can not resist. Final position: you end up with a bag of chips on the sofa! How can you control this cravings and solve it in a healthy way? By eating healthy snacks that is not only healthy but also delicious!

What to eat?

Snacking does not have to be unhealthy. You can make snacks healthy and delicious. It does not have to be difficult with different kinds of superfood. Healthy and delicious snacks can be: little tomatoes, carrots, paprika, fruit or rice crackers. Do you prefer something that is easier to eat and does not take much effort? Making your own popcorn can be the solution: you do not have to put a lot of salt or sugar in it, this makes it healthier. Furthermore, nuts are very healthy to snack too. Read in the article of Lifestyle Coach Sanne more about nuts. Do you prefer sweet snacks more? Dark chocolate is not bad for you at all, actually it is even healthy.

How do you prepare a healthy snack

Popcorn

Buy a bag with dry mais, you can buy it in the market. Warm the pan with some oil and put the dry mais inside. You can bring it to flavour with some sugar or salt, or choose a weird combination like cinnamon. Enjoy!

Ricecracker

Buy in the market rice/mais cracker. These are delicious to eat, even if it just the cracker without anything. However, you also can put something like hummus and/or avocado on top.  

Vegetable mix

Buy different kinds of vegetables that you also can eat raw, like tomatoes, paprikas and carrots. Cut the carrots and paprikas into little pieces or slices and put it into a bowl together with the tomatoes.

NiceDay: Take a snack in between meals and discuss this with your professional.

Almost everyone knows that it’s important to have plenty of vitamins in your diet. Otherwise you will get sick more easily. Partly because of this, people take vitamin supplements to get their daily dose. Makes sense, right? Because this will stop you from getting sick. Sure! However, supplements often contain many vitamins which isn’t always good for the body. Also, there are lots of different vitamins that all have specific functionalities. Some of these don’t even have to be taken with supplements. In this article, we discuss vitamins and what vitamin supplements can do for you.

What are vitamins?

Vitamins are chemical bonds that the body needs to grow, heal and function properly. Most vitamins can’t be made by the body itself, so we must get these from different kinds of food and supplements. There is a distinction between two kinds of vitamins. Fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E and K. These can be stored by the body. Then there are water-soluble vitamins like B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B8, B12 and vitamin C. The body excretes these through urine, which means we should take these on a daily base.

All the vitamins in a row

• Vitamin A: Important for functional immune system. Also, the hair, skin and eyes benefit from healthy dose of vitamin A. Fish, liver, margarine and carrots are rich in vitamin A.
• Vitamin B1: Is an energy catalysator. It helps to burn carbs and is found in pork meat, grain products and leguminous vegetables.
• Vitamin B2: Important for a proper digestion and is found in many foods like: Dairy, meat, vegetables, fruit and grain products.
• Vitamin B3: Helps to let the nervous system function properly. Rich sources of B3 are fish, meat nuts, grain products, vegetables and fruit.  
• Vitamin B5: Helps to break down carbs, proteins and fat. B5 can be found in almost all types of food like fish, meat, grain procuts but also in vegetables and fruits
• Vitamin B6: Main function of this one is to support the digestive system, but is also important for the creation of red blood cells. B6 can be found in fish, meat, eggs, grain products and leguminous vegetables.
• Vitamin B8: Helps with the build of fatty acids, important in decreasing the risk for heart and vascular diseases. B8 can mostly be found in eggs, dairy, nuts and pure dark chocolate.
• Vitamin B11: Also called folic acid. Has an important part in the forming of red blood cells and DNA. Folic acids are also important for the growth of the embryo during pregnancy.
• Vitamin B12: Also stimulates the production of red blood cells and plays a part in letting the nervous system function properly.
• Vitamin C: Good for the immune system. Kiwi’s, citrus fruits, bell peppers are high in Vitamin C. Other fruits and vegetables also contain vitamin C.
• Vitamin D: Found in dairy, fatty fish and is also added to margarine. However, the most important source is the sun because the sun starts vitamin D making processes in the skin.
• Vitamin E: Keeps the skin, nerves, muscles, and heart in shape. Rich sources are nuts, vegetable oils and grain products.
• Vitamin K: Is made by bacteria in the colon and can also be found in green vegetables like spinach and broccoli. It’s important for blood clotting and blood flow in your veins.   

Supplement Do’s and don’ts

Vitamin supplements can be a healthy ‘’supplement’’ for a healthy body because, people often struggle to get their daily intake of vitamins and minerals. These simple do’s and don’ts can help you with this.

Do’s:

• Adjust your supplements to your diet. Use the right vitamins as a supplement
• Over 50, breastfeeding or a dark skin? Then you could benefit from extra vitamin D supplements, especially in winter!
• Be cautious with supplements when you take medicines or smoke. For example, some blood thinning medicines do not  go well with certain vitamin supplements or raise the risks of smoking related diseases.
• Take supplements during dinner. Stomach juices help to improve vitamin uptake.
• Take extra vitamin C when you have a cold or are low on energy.

Don’ts

• Don’t take supplements with coffee or tea, because this can reduce the effectivity of supplements. This is due to reduced uptake capacity by caffeine and tannin.
• Don’t take a double dose when you missed one! First, your body can’t process a double dose and second, this can even be harmful to your body.
• Don’t replace food by supplements. They are called ‘’supplements’’ for a reason.

Do you also love the smell of fresh coffee beans? A lot of people drink coffee everyday. Do you also like to start the day with a cup of coffee? People think coffee is not good for them because of the caffeine it contains… However, drinking a couple cups of coffee a day is not that bad!

Healthiness

There is prove that drinking two to four cups of coffee a day can decrease the risk of heart diseases with 10%. The same thing for a stroke, also here is the risk 10% lower. Another positive effect is that drinking one or two cups of coffee improves the concentration.

Negative effects of coffee

The caffeine in the coffee causes these health effects, but it can also have a negative effect. Negative effects occur when you drink too much coffee, you can get anxiety, rushed feelings and trouble with sleeping. Whether this happens or not differs per person.

So, is coffee healthy or not?

Coffee is not bad for your health when you drink one to four cups a day. Also you need to consider how you drink your coffee, for example milk and sugar. Drinking coffee just black is the healthiest. If you don’t like black coffee, you can use a sugar alternative or normal milk instead of coffee milk. Also you can consider to drink caffeine free coffee. This will not affect your energy level.

NiceDay: Write down how you feel when you drink coffee. Do you experience the negative or positive effects?