Exercise is a key part of a healthy lifestyle. But what if going to the gym fills you with horror? This winter, walking could be just the way to power up your physical and mental health.

Counting stepsIn The Truth about Getting Fit, medical journalist Michael Mosley discovered that 10-minute walks, 3 times a day, was enough to improve health and fitness. The key is that the walk is ‘brisk’ enough for you to be out breath. You should be able to talk, but singing would be a struggle.

Walk this wayKeep your feet parallel and push off from the ball of your foot and toes for a stronger, more balanced step. If you need to carry anything, use a rucksack, leaving your arms free to swing in a spiral motion around the body. Your foot striking the ground and a natural arm swing improves circulation and helps lymph drainage, supporting your immune system.

The outdoors effect According to The Nature Fix, by journalist Florence Williams, spending time outside has significant health benefits; improving blood pressure, boosting mental health and reducing your cancer risk. Daylight - especially in the winter - helps set your body clock, which helps regulate body systems such as appetite and hormones.

Sleep soundlyAccording to the Sleep Foundation, regular walks help reduce the time it takes to fall asleep and help people stay asleep for longer. For maximum sleep benefits, try walking earlier in the day.

WALK YOUR WAY TO

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TOP TIPYou’re more likely to stick to your goals when you have company. Why not try joining a local walking group, or starting one of your own? Find out more about groups in your local area at walkingforhealth.org.uk or ramblers.org.uk

CABA’s wellbeing zone and free app can help you set your health goals and track your progress. Register at: caba.org.uk/wellbeing-zone

Everyone feels stressed or anxious from time to time. It’s perfectly natural to worry about things like starting a new job or moving house. But once the event has happened, we should be able to relax and move on.However, sometimes people find it difficult to control their worries and fears. They constantly have anxious feelings that can affect their daily life, work and relationships.

Visit your GP to rule out any other health issues that could cause these symptoms. This can also set your mind at rest if you’ve been worrying about your health.

Unhelpful habitsThere are some common ways that many people try to deal with anxiety, but some can cause you to feel more anxious.

You might try to imagine everything that could happen in the future and rehearse what you would do. However, this focus on worrying situations can actually trigger a stress response, as your body reacts to thoughts as though they’re real.

You might try to avoid situations that might make you anxious. Or if you find yourself in a situation that’s making you anxious, you try to escape as quickly as possible, without learning that anxious feelings can disappear on their own, given time. As a result, your world shrinks and your quality of life can diminish.

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Feeling anxious?

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Helpful habitsThe following habits have been shown to help people deal with anxiety:

Mindfulness

Practicing mindfulness will help you notice when you’re relying on unhelpful habits to cope with anxiety and make it easier to change them into helpful habits.

CABA offers a range of free mindfulness courses online and face to face. You could also download an app like Headspace or start by reading a book such as Finding Peace in a Frantic World by Mark Williams and Dr. Danny Penman.

Change your thinking habits

If you know that you tend to dwell on negative or upsetting things, try starting a gratitude journal. Every night before bed, write down 3 things that you’re grateful for that day - no matter how small they might be. Research shows that this simple exercise helps ‘rewire’ your brain to notice more positive things and reduces stressful thinking

Deep diaphragmatic breathing

Breathing using your diaphragm helps you relax. Lie on your back with your hands on your tummy. Breathe through your nose and let your breath deepen in its own time.

SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY

Everyone experiences anxiety in their own way but here are a few common symptoms:

• A constant sense of dread

• Feeling on edge or irritable

• Difficulty concentrating

• Dizziness

• Tiredness

• Palpitations

• Muscle aches and tension

• Dry mouth

• Excessive sweating

• Shortness of breath

• Stomach ache

• Nausea

• Headaches

• Insomnia

Humming

The act of humming stimulates your vagus nerve which regulates your relaxation response and extends your exhale. When your exhale is longer than your inhale, your body naturally produces relaxing hormones

Move more

Physical activity causes a chemical change in your brain that positively alters your mood. There’s no need to go to the gym, just getting out for a walk in daylight every day can improve your health and fitness. Stride out in natural surroundings like your local park, or even just tree lined streets for even more feel-good benefits.

Stay hydrated and eat well

While sweet treats might give short-term comfort, they lead to a blood sugar rollercoaster. Low or crashing blood sugar and dehydration can make anxiety feel worse. This winter stay warm and hydrated with plenty of hot soups and herbal tea.

You can access free professional counselling through CABA. Just call +44 (0) 1788 556 366. We’re here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Talk it out

You don’t need to do everything on your own. Try talking things through with a supportive friend, colleague, loved one or a professional. An independent view can give a fresh perspective on the things you’ve been dwelling on.

DID YOU KNOW?

You need to eat magnesium every day, as any excess will be lost in your urine.

Good sources of magnesium include:• Sunflower seeds

• Almonds

• Sesame seeds

• Green leafy vegetables like boiled spinach

• Brown rice

• Cashew nuts

• Dark chocolate

If you’re considering taking a magnesium supplement, have a chat with your GP first, to make sure it’s suitable for you.

Calcium, sodium or iron might be the more famous of the body’s essential minerals, but magnesium also plays a large part in your health and wellbeing.

Immune system

Healthy levels of magnesium fuel your cells and boost energy levels, helping to keep your immune system healthy

Bones

Your bones are made up of a variety of minerals, not just calcium. Magnesium is one of the key ingredients of strong, healthy bones and along with vitamin D, helps your bones absorb calcium

Muscles

Magnesium regulates muscle contractions and helps your muscles to relax. If you don’t have enough, your muscles may contract excessively, causing cramps or spasms

Sleep

Magnesium can help regulate your waking and sleeping cycle. A study found that increasing magnesium intake helped subjects fall asleep faster and improved the quality of their sleep

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Magnesium - are you getting enough?

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WHAT IS

FINANCIAL WELLBEING?Financial wellbeing is about a sense of security and feeling as though you have enough money to meet your needs. It’s about being in control of your day-to-day finances and having the financial freedom to make choices that allow you to enjoy life.

YOUR FINANCIAL PERSONALITYMoney can be a common source of conflict in the strongest of relationships, so take time to talk through your ‘financial personalities’. This is particularly important if you experience a change in circumstances such as retirement, redundancy or an inheritance. These changes can challenge your attitude to money and sense of financial wellbeing

,

IDEAS FOR MAINTAINING FINANCIAL WELLBEING

Write down your budget Knowing your income, expenditure and disposable income once your day-to-day expenses are covered, will give you confidence in your decisions. If your partner or spouse usually looks after the finances, be sure to talk the budget through with them, so that you both understand your financial situation

Avoid income comparisons Research shows that comparing ourselves to our friends or peers reduces life satisfaction. Keep in mind that we all have different priorities and find pleasure or enjoyment in different things. For example, you may love to travel and invest in experiences, rather than having a big car or house

Look for the positives Research in the field of neuroscience has shown that practicing gratitude regularly can help to rewire your brain structure. Feeling grateful stimulates the production of natural ‘antidepressants’ such as serotonin and dopamine, giving you a feeling of contentment and wellbeing. Try writing down 3 things you’re grateful for each day

Emotional health

Magnesium helps to regulate your brain function and mood, in particular your stress response through your adrenal glands. Reduced levels of magnesium have been linked to increased anxiety and depression, with some studies suggesting that increasing magnesium levels is as effective as using antidepressants

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WE’RE HERE TO HELP

If you’re concerned about your finances and need some help, get in touch with CABA for debt and budgeting advice.

Everyday probiotic foods

Yoghurt: choose natural, unsweetened and ideally organic ............................................PICKLES: vegetable pickled in, salt and water (not those in vinegar) ............................................sauerkraut: made from vegetables, like cabbage

I hear a lot about fermented foods - what are they? Fermentation is the chemical breakdown by bacteria, yeasts or other microorganisms. It’s been used since ancient times to preserve food. It’s the process that produces pickled gherkins, sauerkraut and yoghurt.

Why are they such a hot topic? The fermentation process produces ‘good bacteria’. The kind that contribute to a healthy digestive system, support your immune system regulate your weight and reduce inflammation. They also help to produce serotonin - a chemical that is involved in regulating you mood. Having just the right amount of serotonin produces a relaxed and positive feeling.

Can eating fermented or probiotic food make you feel happier? Early research sounds promising, but there’s a long way before probiotics (or fermented foods) are prescribed for conditions like depression. However, there are so many benefits to eating these foods and they’re tasty so it seems to make sense to give them a try.

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Go with your gut – fermented foods .............................................................................................................

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MOVE

Aim to take a 10 minute brisk walk 3 times each day. Or try a slow and mindful practice like gentle yoga or Tai Chi

SLEEP

Get plenty of sleep and make time to wind down and relax each evening

EAT

Cook up plenty of warming hearty stews and roast winter vegetables

DE-STRESS

Learn a breathing practice, spend time with friends and family and make time for hobbies and activities that help you relax

HYDRATE

Your immune system works better when you are well hydrated. Try to avoid drinking too many caffeinated drinks and instead warm up with herbal teas and plenty of water

SING

According to research by UCL, singing improves heart and lung function, boosts immunity and lifts your mood. Why not join your local choir to stay healthy this season?

Have your sayWe love to hear what you think about our newsletters. Your comments and feedback give us ideas for future editions and help us provide news and information that’s relevant and useful to you.

For a chance to share your thoughts with the wider chartered accountant community, give us your feedback by completing the questionnaire on page 9 and email it back to us via marketing@caba.org.uk

We’ll feature our favourite comments and suggestions in the next issue of Perspective in early 2019.

IMMUNE BOOSTERS Keep colds and flu at bay this winter with these quick immune boosting tips.

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Reci e Corner

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200oC/180oC fan / gas mark 6

2. Place the vegetables in a roasting tin

3. Mix the oil with the herbs and seasoning, and the lemon juice if using

4. Pour over the vegetables and toss thoroughly. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until the vegetables are tender and well browned. This may only take 20-25 minutes if using pre-roasted frozen vegetables

5. Place in a saucepan with the vegetable stock. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 5 minutes. Allow to cool

6. Blend half of the mixture, then return to the pan to reheat

7. Serve with crusty bread

Ingredients:

• 750ml/1 ½ pint vegetable stock

• 1kg/2lb mixed vegetables, fresh or frozen, chopped into bite-sized pieces

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 4 sprigs of rosemary or thyme, or a handful of sage leaves

• Salt and black pepper, to taste

• Juice 1 lemon (optional)

ROASTED VEGETABLE SOUP bbcgoodfood.com • Serves 2

Lots of supermarkets now stock bags of roasted frozen veg which you could use to make this healthy recipe super speedy.

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