DRINK MORE
62
THE WHYS TO HYDRATE
DR REBECCA STAFFORD
Q&A ABOUT WEIGHT CONTROLWITH DR HABIT
Premium health psychology coaching for the successful woman who can control everything - except her weight. WHO ARE YOUR CLIENTS?
The successful woman who is frustrated by weight struggles. She feels she has tried everything and is tired of being judged by people who don’t understand how tough it is. She may have lost weight only to regain it.
Complicated regimes and stringent diets have all been known to fail. Our body is like memory foam and this can often lead people to disappointment and frustration. Healthy diet, exercise and everything in moderation is the best way. Once we deprive ourselves, the increase to want something drives us to extreme, if we starve ourselves our body will store fat and come back with vengeance later, and this can all lead to serious illness and complications. It is mostly common sense, looking after ourselves and keeping a healthy balance. It can prove difficult for many, our lifestyle and work habits can limit us, along with raising a family and the many pressures that do not always allow us the time to exercise. Stress and fatigue, play a big role in our wellbeing and with so much else to juggle, it can be easier said than done. One important element in all of this is water. Simple, available and the benefits are huge. Our body is approximately 60% water. Drinking enough water maintains our balance and helps to transport nutrients within the body, and also aides digestion, calorie control and of course, body temperate. Other benefits include reducing the burden on our kidneys and liver by helping to flush out waste products, and may also lower the incidence of bladder and colon cancer by preventing the build-up of carcinogens. Water is also hugely beneficial for your skin, muscles and joints, by aiding moisture to your skin and helping to reduce problematic skin issues and supplying oxygen to the muscles and lubrication to the joints thereby making both stronger. When we consider that our muscles consist of approximately 75% water, the brain 90%, bones 22% and blood 83%, it seems like the best possible thing we can do is to provide the necessary and vital amount of water we require daily to also protect our vital organs, help to absorb nutrients better and for our general well-being. If you are doing strenuous exercise or your body is over-heated, you will need more. Always be mindful of carrying water with you. Do not go to an extreme, as too much water can be dangerous, again use your common sense and feed your body sensibly. We have no excuse not be able to look after our body, health and mind with H2O! — Words: Donna Malneek
WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST MISUNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT WEIGHT-CONTROL? One is not realising there are easier ways of managing weight than relying on energy-sapping, fallible, will-power. Another common misunderstanding is thinking weight is all about eating less and moving more: few people realise the extent of psychology – stress in particular – in weight control.
HOW IS STRESS INVOLVED IN WEIGHT?
Chronic stress can cause unwanted weight gain in several ways. It lowers the metabolism — making it easier to gain weight (hence the saying “I just have to look at a donut and it goes on my hips”) — and harder to lose it. Stress also triggers emotional eating habits.
HOW DO YOU HELP?
First of all, I understand how motivated my clients are to lose weight, how hard they try, and how tired they are of struggling. Secondly, we boost the metabolism by reducing the cause of the stress — and the cause isn’t always that obvious — with effective but little known psychology strategies. Thirdly, we use behavior psychology strategies to boost healthy lifestyle habits the easy way (little - if any - willpower needed) as well as reducing less healthy habits — such as emotional eating.
WHAT’S YOUR BACKGROUND?
I’ve spent 12 years studying and practising psychology; including a Ph.D. in health psychology from the University of Auckland, eight years volunteering as a Lifeline telephone counsellor, and a private practice as a health psychology coach.
HOW MANY SESSIONS DO CLIENTS USUALLY HAVE?
Some clients get everything they need from a single session. Others prefer on-going support.
DO YOU FOCUS ON WEIGHT LOSS?
No. We focus on boosting emotional and physical health. Weight issues are far easier to resolve from a healthy place.
HOW MANY CLIENTS CAN YOU COACH?
I currently have space in my schedule for two more clients.
FOR MORE INFORMATION & CONTACT DETAILS GO TO: DRHABIT.ORG/WEIGHT-CONTROL-HEALTH-PSYCH-COACHING