In this timely episode I look at the current state of poor physical and mental health, as a result of habitual watching of tv streaming channels....in this case NETFLIX.

Let's consider the following statistics, regarding Netflix subscribers.

The current average UK subscription costs £9.50 per month, equating to £114 per year. Given the average unbroken subscription time of 4 years, this stands at £455 minimum, rising higher as the costs will inevitably increase.

Now, the average watch time sits at 1.5 hours per day, equating to 546 hours per year.

This is separate from additional sedentary time spent watching other streaming channels, of which often households are locked in to at least one more (Amazon, Disney, Sky, HBO, Paramount, HULU) to name a few.

Consider the calories consumed whilst binge watching Netflix and you have a slow but guaranteed health decline, by way of excess weight gain, increased body fat levels, increased visceral fat, decreased muscle mass, decreased skeletal strength poor posture, poor eyesight and low levels of natural serotonin.

If we invested the lost time and money to Netflix and spent it exercising, sleeping well, learning new healthy cooking skills and enjoying the great outdoors, we would become healthier, fitter, stronger and possibly 'happier'.

What's not to like? Well Netflix is far easier to start and become addicted to, as the company spends millions on tracking our watching habits and therefore gives us more of what the algorithms suggest.

Starting to walk everyday, swim, lift weights, cook healthy meals and go to bed earlier is far more daunting than the 60 seconds it takes to download Netflix and subsequently there is the instant gratification of watching a 24 hour supply of tv, compared to the time served, long process of losing excess weight and improving our diets.

My advice as a professional personal trainer is to take some time out from watching tv subscriptions and do what it takes to get yourself fit and healthy.....THEN, when you have achieved your goals, perhaps go back and enjoy a Saturday night movie with your loved ones.

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In this discussion I look at why its important to monitor your alcohol consumption, for health reasons.

A unit of alcohol is classed under the following ratings, of which can vary in different parts of the world.

8mg / 10ml of ETHANOL (half a pint of beer or lager) or (25ml of vodka, whisky, gin) or (50ml of wine, port, sherry).

Consumption of alcohol is widely known to be detrimental to your physical, mental and emotional health. An alarmingly high percentage of the UK population drink alcohol, in not only social events, but also at home and or the workplace.

Both sedentary and active people alike drink alcohol as either a mild relaxant or even to give an ill advised anti depressant effect. However, it's actually a depressant, of which leads to acute, then eventually chronic dependency, as our mind and body crave the initial buzz, followed by the temporary high, then obligatory comedown the next morning.

Our vital organs are sent into a physiological panic, as the alcohol enters our bloodstream, with a varied time scale before the effects actually take place on our brain. It can take up to one hour for a single unit to have its full effect on our cognitive skills, heart rate and digestion, of which usually we have had more units within this time frame, compounding the long term effects to come.

In this episode, I list signs you may have alcohol dependency, so please take some time to consider if any of the warning signs resonate with you?

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In this short episode, I remind you to keep your new healthy nutrition plans simple.

We are only seven weeks into the new year and subsequently some are still contemplating making changes to their diets / eating habits.

Nutrition is a vast subject, of which would take a multitude of episodes to barely scratch the surface. With this in mind, as a personal trainer, I often suggest clients keep their weight loss or body fat reduction plans simple, when it comes to the early stages of nutrition changes.

It's tempting for new clients to over analyze their weekly food shop, with the influx of internet trends and social media marketing of the next 'superfood' or 'magic formula supplement'.

My advice is to avoid overthinking and make a relatively small list of foods to buy and consume on a consistent basis, at least until you have made inroads into weight management.

Factoring in your preferences for taste or any allergies, its way easier to maintain a healthy diet, given less options, rather than too many to chose from, which can lead to stagnation and even resorting back to poor choices.

As you become disciplined with your nutrition, its okay to add a cheat meal or dine out once a month to enjoy eating, as you now course correct instantly and continue with your basic calorie consumption.

Regarding supplementation, always ensure your actual food intake habits are dialed in before purchasing exotic sounding drinks, pills, tablets and potions, promising to make you look and perform better.

Money is often wasted on supplements, as its far more exciting or time saving, than food shopping and preparation, given our hectic lifestyles and schedules.

Take into account, you are still relatively new to a healthy diet and subsequently your body may be slow to change, as we all respond differently, given our starting points (weight, height, shape, sex, professions and sleep habits).

Supplements can be addressed at a later stage, as you'll now be more aware of your physiology, through basic, safe and consistency in the kitchen.

Should you give in to temptation and load up on supplements too early into your new healthy diet, it can create confusion as to what makes the most changes and perhaps lead you down the path of searching for your next fix of fat loss pills or slimming wonder drinks.

Make a list, add your tuna and bananas and get to it. Trust me you'll develop a healthy relationship with food, rather than becoming obsessed over too many choices.

Watch the short episode on YouTube and listen on Spotify or Amazon Music.

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Thanks for listening.