Watch What You Eat

When you're trying to be healthy you ditch the sugary and salty snacks for better options. Beware of what you swap them for! "Low Fat" foods are often full of hidden chemicals and additives and may not be as low in fat as you think. For example: "Less than 5% Fat normally means that the product is more than 4% Fat. Stop and think about this!

Balanced meals with a little extra exercise will stop you from feeling deprived of your favourite foods and keep you on track. Be mindful of portion sizes too. Eating more will not help you lose weight; even if the foods you are eating are healthier.

Tour de France

The race begins on July 3rd in Rotterdam and the finish line will be in Paris on July 25th. That's a collossal 22 days  of intense cycling competition with only 2 rest days. This is the 97th Tour De France. There will be 20 stages covering 3,600 kilometres. But of the 21 teams there can only be one winner.

Anyone for Tennis?

It's that time of year again. Strawberries in the fridge and Cliff Richard on high alert because Wimbledon is back. Just a few days into the tournament we have already seen some phenomenal tennis played and as the battle for mens and womens singles honour heats up the best is yet to come. An hour of playing singles tennis will burn between 450 and 750 calories depending on the intensity you give it. It's also great, competitive fun and a really cheap activity that you can play at home, in the park or at your gym if it's properly equipped. Just grab a racquet and warm up a little before you take your first shots to help prevent injury. We recommend shoulder and back stretches as well as a general 5 minute warm up to wake up your body and help avoid injuring yourself.

Activity of the Week: City Cycling

Since 2009 Dublin City Council has been providing bikes for hire to members of the public. The scheme has so far been a huge success. To take part in the scheme you simply purchase a hire card for a small fee at one of the bike stations using your credit card. Your first 1/2 hour of any hire is free with a 50 cent charge for the next hour. When you get to your destination you return the bike to a local station and your hire ends. This is a great alternative way of seeing the city and getting exercise at the same time. Of course you can also indulge in city cycling while on holiday in cities including Paris, Vienna and Amsterdam. For more information see http://www.dublinbikes.ie/ 

Galway Womens Mini-Marathon

Taking place on June 27th the Galways Womens Mini Marathon will raise money for the Simon Community; feeding the city's homeless. To enter visit www.womensminimarathongalway.ie. Your €25 entry fee will go to the Simon Community and any proceeds you raise to the charity of your choice. www.womensminimarathongalway.ie

Big Weight = Big Risk

Carrying a little extra weight might not seem like a big deal sometimes but it can seriously affect your long term health and life expectancy. Cholesterol, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure and exhaustion are all side effects of weight gain and doing nothing about your weight means that you are allowing these issues to shorten your life. Sometimes it can be difficult to find 30 minutes in the day to get out of the house or the office and take a walk. The next time you hear the little voice in your head telling you that the time would be better spent working remember this: that 30 minutes could add another 30 minutes to your life. 

Sports News: Wimbledon 2010 Begins.

Wimbledon opened yesterday in a flurry of excitement and tennis whites and will continue until July 4th. Every year we become captivated by the gritty competitive nature of this sport where shouting is part of the game but elegance and sportsmanship are highly valued. The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club was founded in 1868 but the tournament as we know it today took many decades to come together and is now known simply as The Championships. The Mens Singles title has been awarded 123 times with the United States having won it the most (33 times) although the British Isles are only 1 winner behind. The Ladies Singles title has been awarded 116 times and again the US are in front (53 wins) this time by a very substantial margin. All eyes will be on Wimbledon in the coming days as this mammoth event unfolds. You can watch it on TG4 and BBC. See www.wimbledon.org for more.