A study of 400 children found that just six weeks’ holidays was enough to reverse major fitness gains – and increase the number of overweight and obese children by one fifth.

The British study by ukactive found that during the academic year, the pupils aged nine and ten made steady improvements in their fitness levels.  

But around 80 per cent of gains were reversed during lazy summer holidays, in which PE lessons and walks to school were replaced with long days hunched over gadgets.

At the start of the summer, 20 per cent of participants were overweight or obese. 

But just six weeks later, the figure was 24 per cent.

It came as a survey involving more than 1,000 families found that children were spending an average of 174 hours on gadgets, games consoles or watching television over the six weeks – an average of more than four hours’ screen time daily. 

The research by Sainsbury’s came as the supermarket giant launched a chain of summer camps, costing £7.50 a day, offering children sports such as tennis, cricket, dodgeball and football, as well as arts and crafts. 

The 70 clubs, based mainly in schools, which also serve a healthy lunch and snacks, are aimed at those aged five to 15 and are run by holiday club provider Premier Education.

Judith Batchelar, director of Sainsbury’s Brand, said: “We know from speaking to parents that the summer holidays can be a difficult time to keep kids active and entertained without having to spend a fortune. 

“Our Active Kids holiday clubs are designed to help by giving children the chance to try a variety of exciting new activities whilst meeting new friends and keeping their fitness levels up during the summer holidays. We hope children taking part in a club this summer continue to keep up with their new hobbies and head back to school with a spring in their step.”  

Chairman of ukactive, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, backed the plans. She said: “We have a national crisis with our children’s health, as today’s generation is the least active in history. This situation is magnified during the school summer holidays, where children lose up to 80 per cent of their fitness levels across the six week break.”

Tam Fry, from the National Obesity Forum, said too many children were being allowed a stream of junk food during the holidays, with childminders and grandparents falling prey to “pester power”. om speaking to DH, it seems 20 million could get same day appt with pharmacist for minor issues.

Earlier this month fitness leaders said schools should be kept open all summer, running sports clubs, in a bid to tackle Britain’s growing obesity crisis.

They urged ministers to fund a new programme which would give children access to sporting facilities and playing fields throughout the holidays.

Sports leaders called on the Treasury to take action to tackle record levels of obesity and inactivity.

Almost 40 per cent of all sports facilities in England sit behind school gates – but most of these cannot be accessed during school holidays, they warned.

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The beach season and trendy summer fashion collections are «pushing» us toward sporty exploits and restrictive diets. Certain extreme measures in pursuit of a perfect figure, however, may have the reverse effect…

HelloMonaco met Professor Elena Baranova, international expert in personalized preventive medicine and genomics, anti-aging specialist, author of a unique individual method of health improvement, anti-aging and beauty, Haute Couture Prevention®, creator of revolutionary professional food additives optimizing gene activity and President of the European Institute of Personalized Medicine and Health (Monaco).

SUMMER’S DO’s and DON’Ts

Start introducing more vegetables and fruit into your diet, favouring seasonal berries, while still maintaining white meat and poultry consumption. Protein deficiency is very dangerous especially in spring and summer. It can easily lead to neurotransmitter shortage responsible for optimal brain and hormonal function.

Introduce a summer detox. You don’t have to starve yourself for a long time. Fasting days are just as efficient. Once a week, do a day of baked apples or cucumbers (up to 1.5 kg a day) or vegetable soups only. Starving is only an option if you are not suffering from chronic fatigue.

If you really love and eat a lot of red meat (beef, lamb), switch to white meats (poultry, veal). Once a week, practice boiled rice fasting days: 1 cup of saltless boiled rice enriched with dried fruit (apricots, prunes).

If you are 35+, practice a quantum detox based on gene regulation with the aid of special LYCOOGENE products (activating detox genes, preparing your skin for intense exposure to sunlight and protecting you from a number of diseases), including BGENE and RESVERAGENE (for regulating rejuvenation processes, optimizing the functioning of brain and blood vessels and reducing fatigue). You may order these products on www.baranovamonaco.com and take a free test resulting in a customized selection of your professional micronutrients.

NotaBene: Eliminating fats from your diet is quite acommon mistake. It results in cell membrane depletion triggering the aging process, reducing steroid and sex hormone production. On top of olive oil which is full of omega-3, it would be a good idea to enrich your diet with rapeseed (Colza) and sunflower oils. The French have specially created an Isio 4, which is a mixture of four different oils combining all the essential fatty acids.

Summer on the French Riviera is a proper holiday often associated with alcohol consumption. Taste a delicious La Piscine drink based on rosé or white wines, which is quite trendy this season. It is traditionally served with a large amount of ice extending your pleasure and reducing the amount of alcohol at the same time. One glass would get you through the whole night.

To reduce morning fatigue and enjoy your evening entertainment, we recommend our highly efficient anti- fatigue quantum genomics based product, Energy I. It also has a «pleasant side effect» of quickly eliminating alcohol from your body. It can be taken in the morning after breakfast or during the day. Its unique formula significantly increases the energy production of your cells and boasts a rapid effect. It is particularly good if you lead an active lifestyle helping you to recover quickly after a busy night. It is also efficient if you practice sports thanks to its fatigue reduction effect.

People who work a lot and are 40+ take quite some time to recover as they often lack time to pamper themselves. They may even feel worse after a short vacation. This is the result of adrenal glands depletion and burn-out syndrome. This is an intense form of chronic fatigue accompanied by a slowdown of hormone and neurotransmitters synthesis responsible for efficient brain activity, sound sleep and good mood. Whether you are suffering from a sleep disorder, or morning tiredness, or increased irritability, or weight disorders, or decreased libido, it would make sense to take a vacationfollowing our individual intensive recovery programs and book a consultation with us.

Follow our simple tips and you will always be in great shape, fit for dancing all night long, all through your summer holidays, boasting a beautiful complexion! Keep up the high spirits!

The post Anti-aging Secrets, or Summer’s do’s and don’ts appeared first on MyMedicPlus.

In summers, we need to protect ourselves from the harsh UV rays, and other irritants like humidity, dust and pollution. While wrinkles and age spots are inevitable with time, skin ageing may be sped up due to overexposure to the sun, strong soaps, chemicals and poor nutrition. But did you know that fruits can do wonders to your skin in summers when consumed internally and applied topically?

Optimise your nutrition by consuming antioxidant-rich fruits along with a balanced diet. This should provide optimal levels of nutrients that are crucial for radiant skin, including beta carotene, vitamins A and C.

Founder and director at Skinella, Dolly Kumar shares five super fruits that can help one get great skin, this summer.

Blueberries
Who doesn’t like those delicious blueberry cheesecakes, but did you know that along with consuming blueberry, applying it on your face can do wonders? Blueberries contain anti-oxidants that protect you from premature ageing. Applying blueberry on your skin can help cleanse your skin and also help your skin appear fresh. The Vitamin C in it helps produce collagen that strengthens the capillaries under the skin.

Grapefruits
Often revered as the ‘fruit of paradise’, grapefruits are rich in Vitamin A and C, minerals and antioxidants. It promotes overall skin health; helps refresh your skin while making it firm and soft. Furthermore, the potassium present in the grapefruit provides a protective shield against UV rays.

Mandarin orange
Just like grapefruits, mandarin oranges contain high level of Vitamin C which works wonders for the skin, when consumed internally and applied topically. This tangy fruit contains various antioxidants that protect the skin from harsh UV rays and help the skin resist the damage caused by the sun and free radicals. They are also known to help in extracting blackheads. The juice is used to reduce blemishes and treat acne.

Pink guava
Did you know that the soft crushed seeds of pink guava can be a great exfoliating scrub? Guava is a wonder fruit that provides many skin benefits and one such benefit is the ability to provide relief from acne and dark spots. For the treatment of acne and dark spots, add some water to guava leaves and make a fine paste. Apply this paste on the affected area and rinse off with water after a few minutes, and pat with a soft cloth. Repeat the process for a few days to get the results. Besides, pink guava also is rich in vitamin A, vitamin C and antioxidants like carotene and lycopene which helps protect the skin from wrinkles.

Cranberries
Cranberries contain a high percentage of Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5 and antioxidants which helps shield your skin against any harm caused by environmental factors. Cranberries not only cleanse your skin and make it healthy, but also help halt premature aging and treat acne. They have anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties that help to treat acne and blemishes. Moreover, the fruit is rich in vitamin C, which helps scars and marks fade away. The berry reduces the effect of free radicals that are responsible for dull, dry and saggy skin.

While these fruits are useful for your skin health, if you have a persistent skin condition, its a good idea to consult a dermatologist.

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