Just as your health and strength depend on the vitamins you eat, your sense of vitality depends on a few key ingredients. Here are some essential ‘vitamins’ for boosting your vitality.

VITAMIN C: COMMUNITY According to researchers from the University of Queensland, social connections are as important to our health as exercise. Strong social ties and a sense of belonging to a community don’t just make us feel happier. They also help us combat health problems and live longer too.

Find your tribe! Join a walking group, play chess, join a reading group, play a team sport, join a dance class.

VITAMIN N: NATURE Spending time outdoors in nature is a mood booster. It also reduces stress, lowers blood pressure and helps you to relax. If you live in a town or city, spending time in the park, walking along tree-lined streets or even creating your own green space indoors with houseplants is beneficial too.

Put a spring in your step. Try to get outside in nature at least once every day.

VITAMIN M: MOVEMENT Advances in technology and changes in the world of work mean that nowadays we’re less active than ever before. But movement helps to lubricate our joints, move waste out of the body and keeps our circulation in good condition.

Oil your joints. Learn new, gentle ways to move more with yoga or tai chi. For more ideas visit cabaphysical.org.uk

VITAMIN S: SLEEP It takes just a few restless nights to make you realise that sleep is key to your wellbeing. Lack of sleep has been linked to weakened immune systems and the development of mental health problems like anxiety and depression. During deep sleep, your body repairs and heals and your mind consolidates memories and processes information.

Heal and repair. Switch your devices off half an hour before bed to help you relax and wind down.

VITAMIN L: LAUGHTER Research shows that laughing can boost your memory, lower stress, strengthen your immune system, protect heart health, help you learn better and improve your relationships. Knowing all that, it makes sense to find a reason to laugh every day.

Laugh out loud. Set aside time to watch or listen to your favourite comedy shows.

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VITAL

Join one of CABA’s courses to meet new people and learn something new from improving the quality of your sleep to how to eat well and exercise at caba.org.uk/courses or call us on 01788 556 366

Vitamins

BREATHE EASY

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Use these tips to help you breathe better.

1. Breathe through your noseYour nose warms, moistens and filters the air you breathe in, helping to protect your lungs. In addition, when you breathe through your nose as opposed to your mouth, your breath passes over the nerve that regulates rhythmic breathing, helping you to control and slow down your breath, aiding relaxation.

2. Don’t hold your breathYou might notice that you stop breathing when you’re stressed or concentrating. If you catch yourself holding your breath, consciously relax your face, shoulders, jaw and tummy – then take a few deep breaths to get your breathing back into a natural rhythm.

3. SIT TALLEven with the best intentions to maintain good posture, sitting on a chair tends to collapse the spine into a compressed letter ‘C’, which makes it difficult to breathe deeply. In addition, tense muscles will restrict the space available for your lungs to expand. Throughout the day, pause regularly to stretch up tall with your arms overhead. This will reset your posture and encourage deep breathing.

4. LET IT ALL HANG OUTIf you pull in your tummy or wear tight belts or clothing, then you can’t use your diaphragm effectively. This can increase feelings of stress and anxiety. A flexible, strong diaphragm will naturally support your spine – and improve your balance.

Your diaphragm pulls down flat as you inhale, increasing the pressure in your abdomen and ‘massaging’ the abdominal organs with each breath.

MINDFUL BREATHING

Focus on your breathing for 1 minute. What do you notice? Place your hand on your stomach and notice if it moves as you breathe in and out. If your mind wanders, simply bring your attention back to your breath.

When a minute has passed, take a moment to stretch before carrying on with your day.

Learn more about how to breathe better by taking CABA’s yoga for busy people short course, or follow the yoga video at cabaphysical.org.uk

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MONEY ONYOUR MIND?

Call 01788 556 366 or go online to caba.org.uk/letstalk to speak to an advisor today. All of our services are free and strictly confidential.

You take out more loans to pay off your debtsBorrowing more to manage your debts just gets you deeper into trouble, because you’ll have more debts to pay off. If you borrow on a credit card when you need cash – or worse, if you take out a payday loan – you could face hefty interest charges too. You repay the bare minimum each month That means your debts will take much longer to pay off and you’ll end up paying more in interest.

You use your credit card for cashIt may be tempting to withdraw cash on your credit card but the interest rates on credit card cash withdrawals are usually high, and you may also have to pay a withdrawal fee. There’s no need to feel guilty or embarrassed if you’re struggling. CABA can help. Our specialist debt advisors will provide non-judgemental, confidential advice. They’ll work together with you to help you take back control.

According to the Money Advice Service, 1 in 5 people in the UK feel like they’re sinking in debt. There’s no doubt that money worries hurt your mental health. Many people say they feel stressed, anxious and depressed about their financial situation. They report having trouble sleeping and find it difficult to concentrate.

DO ANY OF THESE WARNING SIGNS SOUND FAMILIAR?

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You can’t put a figure on what you oweYour debts may be more serious than you realise.

You regularly don’t pay your bills on time This means you’ll have to pay extra charges.

You frequently exceed your credit limitExceeding your overdraft or credit card limit could mean high fees and charges.

In contrast to expensive designer creams, this anti-ageing treatment is completely free and works on your whole wellbeing, not just on your skin.1. Energy

Mitochondria are the power generators of our cells; they transform the food we eat into energy. Exercise increases the number of mitochondria in our cells, which means … more energy! People who exercise regularly can have the same number of mitochondria of someone half their biological age.

2. Strength

Resistance training with weights helps to counter the effects of age related muscle loss. Lifting weights for an hour each week can reduce your risk for a heart or stroke by 40%. Grip strength is linked to heart health and is used as a measure of biological age.

Actively anti-ageing

3. Mood

Exercise produces feel good endorphins that lift your mood. Studies have shown that people who exercise regularly have fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety than those who don’t. Moderate intensity exercise can be an effective treatment on its own for mild-to-moderate depression.

4. Grey matter

Moving more is good for your brain health. Research at the University of Edinburgh found that people who are more physically active demonstrate improved cognitive ability and speed of thinking and less brain shrinkage. Physically fit people are 88% less likely to develop dementia.

Spring into action! It’s essential to consult your GP, doctor or physician before beginning any new exercise regime, especially if you haven’t been very active for a while.

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High intensity interval training combines short bursts of intensive exercise with periods of rest and recovery. A session only takes a 10 minutes and you don’t need any special equipment, so it’s an easy way to add exercise to your everyday routine. Why not give it a go?

TOP TIP Where possible, exercise outside to boost your vitamin D levels too.

For more ideas on how to fit more physical activity in to each day visit cabaphysical.org.uk

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3 minutes: Walk on the spot to warm up

30 seconds: Star jumps

1 minute: Rest

30 seconds: High knee running

1 minute: Rest

30 seconds: Squats

1 minute: Rest

30 seconds: Lunges

1 minute: Rest

30 seconds: Plank

Rest and recover

WHY WHEN YOU EAT IS AS IMPORTANT AS WHAT YOU EAT Eating a meal in the morning will produce different amounts of insulin – the hormone that stabilises your blood sugar – than the same meal eaten in the evening.

That’s because, in the same way that your circadian rhythm controls your sleeping and waking cycle, your digestive system follows a regular pattern with hormone levels, enzymes and glucose levels changing over a 24-hour period. This affects how you process carbohydrates, fat and the speed of your metabolism at different times of the day. Breakfast like a kingIn 1 study, 2 groups ate the same meals, but at different times of the day. The 1st group had the meal with the highest amount of calories in the morning (big breakfast group), whilst the other started the day with the meal containing the lowest amount of calories (little breakfast group).

At the end of the trial, the big breakfast group showed a 33% fall in triglycerides (fats in the blood) reducing their risk of heart disease.

DinnerTIME!

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They also showed improved fasting glucose and insulin levels, reducing their risk of diabetes.

It seems the old saying is correct. If you want to make the most of your digestion’s natural rhythm, which peaks earlier in the day, then the best strategy is to breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper.

Limit your eating timeframeIn a study researching the impact of mealtimes on people with prediabetes, 2 groups of people ate the same meals but within different time frames. The 1st group ate meals between 8am and 8pm, whilst the 2nd ate between 8am and 2pm. Then they swapped to the other timeframe.

The results showed that eating in a shorter timeframe reduced blood pressure and improved insulin measures, indicating that participants were less likely to develop diabetes.

Hello, vagus nerve!Could a nerve you’ve probably never heard of be the key to boosting your mood and reducing anxiety? Say ‘hello’ to your vagus nerve.

What is it?Vagus means ‘wandering’. The vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve in the body, starting at your brain and connecting to a host of organs including your gut, heart, liver, pancreas, gallbladders, kidneys, spleen and tongue.

What DOES IT DO?Your vagus nerve is part of the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps you ‘rest and digest’. It helps to control body functions like your heart rate, digestion, breathing along with regulating your mood and emotions.

HOW FIT IS YOUR VAGUS NERVE?Just like a muscle, when the vagus nerve is working well, it’s said to have good ‘tone’. Your heart speeds up a little when you inhale, slowing down a little when you exhale. The difference between those speeds is your HRV. A larger HRV indicates that your vagus nerve has good tone.

tone your vagus nerve: • Singing

• Laughing

• Yoga

• Tai chi

• Humming

• Deep breathing

• Meditation

PRACTICE DEEP

BREATHING • Set aside 5 minutes where

you can be quiet without being disturbed

• Lie down on your back with your hands on your abdomen

• Bend your knees with your feet on the floor

• Relax your elbows on to the floor

• Close your eyes and notice your breathing without changing it on purpose

• Focus on your navel and imagine your breath is moving your hands. Don’t push your breath to make your hands move. Just stay relaxed and focused on your breathing as it is

If you’re feeling stressed or anxious call CABA on 01788 556 366 for emotional support like counselling.

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• Listening to music you enjoy

• Gentle to moderate exercise

• Getting a massage

• Eating probiotics

• Gargling

• Splashing your face with

cold water

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Reci e Corner

Method:

1. Heat oven to 220oC/fan 200oC/gas 7. Tip the potatoes and 1 tbsp of olive oil into an ovenproof dish, then roast the potatoes for 20 mins until starting to brown. Toss the asparagus in with the potatoes, then return to the oven for 15 mins.

2. Throw in the cherry tomatoes and vinegar and nestle the salmon amongst the vegetables. Drizzle with the remaining oil and return to the oven for a final 10-15 mins until the salmon is cooked. Scatter over the basil leaves and serve everything scooped straight from the dish.

Ingredients:

• 400g new potatoes, halved if large

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 8 asparagus spears, trimmed and halved

• 2 handfuls cherry tomatoes

• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

• 2 salmon fillets, about 140g/5oz each

• Handful basil leaves

ONE-PAN SALMON WITH ROAST ASPARAGUS

8 Mitchell Court Castle Mound Way Rugby Warks CV23 0UY UK

caba.org.ukPER_SPR_19

PROVIDING LIFELONG SUPPORT TO PAST AND PRESENT ICAEW MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES

Call CABA +44 (0) 1788 556 366CABA 24 hour helpline 0800 107 6163 (UK only)Talk to us 24 hours a day caba.org.uk/letstalkEmail enquiries@caba.org.ukAll calls are strictly confidential

bbcgoodfood.com • Serves 2

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