The season of over-indulgence is over! Rather than starting your year with regret, follow our useful tips to get back on track to optimal health. The summer holiday period is a time of relaxation and recuperation after yet another hectic year, however we all sometimes seem to forget that slacking off over this period can often take a toll on our waistlines.

1. Preparation is Key Preparation is key in all parts of life, whether it be work, fitness, diet or overall health and wellbeing. All of us have had days where we hit the snooze button to get a few extra hours of zzz’s, only to leave us feeling a little guilty of missing that high intensity interval training (HIIT) session. In order to avoid feeling guilty, it’s important to mentally and physically prepare yourself for the season ahead. Lay your gym gear at the end of your bed, ready for your morning workout, as a motivation mechanism to stop yourself from hitting the switch come morning time. Or, if you know you have a big lunch or dinner one day, make sure you prepare by fitting in your workout in the morning beforehand (that way you’re more likely to feel healthy for the day ahead), and have a big green smoothie or juice for breakfast so you still get your daily dose of greens.

2. Reward Schedule The summer season brings family and friends from far and wide, sometimes making it more difficult to make it to that workout you were ‘supposed to do’. Perhaps hold yourself accountable to someone else, by organising an early morning walk or run with your girlfriends so that you are more likely to get your butt out of bed and are still able to spend quality time with your family after.1 Reward yourself for all your hard work, but give yourself a limit to the ‘must have’ treats and steer clear of the ones that you don’t particularly fancy, by swapping them for healthier alternatives – replace rum balls with chocolate bliss balls made with pure whey protein such as IsoWhey Ivory Coast Chocolate. Protein is an essential macronutrient in weight loss as it is involved in the body’s sensation of satiety, burning kilojoules, and maintaining weight.2

3. Hydration It is important to stay hydrated when working out. Be sure to replace lost fluids with some much needed H20. To avoid dehydration, consider adding in some IsoWhey Electrolyte Formula to your fluids, which will help to support natural hydration.

4. Nutritional Support When you’re eating sporadically and indulging in a little too much champagne, it’s easier than you think to quickly become deficient in key nutrients. Alcohol in particular leeches vitamins from your body - it’s no wonder that you often find yourself run down and sick by mid-January. If you don’t have enough essential nutrients, your body and brain will have a diminished ability to cope in stressful events, and you may find that your threshold for dealing with stress is significantly lowered. It is important to ensure you are not deficient in nutrients such as zinc, magnesium, B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin D3, amino acids and essential fatty acids.

  Stay on top of your nutrition with a good quality multi-vitamin, and for extra measure, look at taking zinc,     which is vital for building a strong immune system, and even milk thistle, a herb that can help to reduce         liver inflammation after drinking alcohol and assist your liver in the detoxification process.

5. Give your body a boost If you’ve made the resolution to get fit this year, help your body turn fatty acids into energy, with an amino acid that plays a role in energy production and also supports healthy brain function. Ask your healthcare practitioner to point you towards acetyl-L-carnitine, which is required for normal healthy carbohydrate metabolism. There also specific herbs which can assist in the management of stress. A combination of the herbs magnolia and phellodendron have been shown to assist in regulating stress in the body. This blend may help to balance stress hormones, resulting in improved sleep, improved feelings of wellbeing, reduced stress-related eating and potentially even reduced fat accumulation around your mid-section (in conjunction with healthy eating and exercise of course!) If you’re struggling with sugar cravings, look for a formula that contains gymnema, chromium and cinnamon to assist normal healthy glucose balance in healthy individuals. A high dose of chromium combined with the herbs gymnema and cinnamon support healthy carbohydrate metabolism. If you feel as though your weight loss is in plateau, or you simply want to give your body a kick start, Garcinia zeylanica is a species of flowering plant found in Sri Lanka which contains a rich source of hydroxycitric acid (HCA) to reduce the conversion of carbohydrates to fat. When combined with green coffee bean, green tea, L-carnitine, you can give your improved diet and lifestyle program an extra “boost”.

6. DON’T FORGET ABOUT YOU Don’t say goodbye to summer feeling burnt out - summer is meant for relaxing and rejuvenating! Don’t forget to take the time to adhere to your usual moments to yourself – your workouts, or even just a gentle yoga session here and there. Try not to let anything take over the time you normally allocate for your own personal enjoyment.

Ask a Naturopath at Mr Vitamins about the new IsoWhey Weight Management Program Booklet, with a full fitness program from personal trainer and health coach Nardia Norman! Visit www.isowhey.com.au for exercise tools and resources. When taking vitamins, make sure to always read the label and use only as directed. If symptoms persist, see your healthcare practitioner. ‘Ask a Naturopath’ at Mr Vitamins about how to support your body whilst your shed those extra kilos

^{Mr Vitamins recommends}

Bioceuticals ISOwhey, Acetyl L-Carnitine, AminoPlex Whey

Bioceuticals is a Practitioner only brand so please 'ask a Naturopath' to help you References

1. Laskowski ER. The role of exercise in the treatment of obesity. PM R. 2012 Nov;4(11):840-4. 7. Allergy and intolerance. NSW Food Authority. Viewed 18 December 2012. http://www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/consumers/problems-with-food/allergy-and-intolerance/#.UM56OY5njdA
2. Clifton P. Effects of a high protein diet on body weight and comorbidities associated with obesity. Br J Nutr. 2012 Aug;108 Suppl 2:S122-9.