Burn calories and save some lives!

Oh have a drawn you in with the prospect of slimming down and getting to play super hero at the same time?

Well good, that was the plan.

I went and gave blood for the first time this week, I had gone to donate before now but I wild girl appeared and bit me the night before so I wasn't able to that time.

But what's all this about burning calories bit about? I hear you plead.

Well blood doesn't just appear from the void, your body has to use calories to make the stuff and if you donate a pint then you are buring 650kcal a time!

This is about the same as just over an hour of cardio, but this will differ from person to person with bigger people burning more when they exercise as it takes more energy to move a bigger body.

A typical recommendation for healthy weight lose is to reduce your calories by 500kcal a day to drop a pound in a week and you have just done that sat on your rump, reading this blog and, most importantly,  saving someone's life.

There are other benefits to giving blood as well, such as improving your overall cardio vascular health, you heart is going to have to work harder with a pint less blood available to carry oxygen.

Reduces your cancer risk by potentially removing excess iron from your system.

You get your blood tested for all manager of diseases such HIV and Hepatitis and let you know what your blood type is, which I have always been curious about my own but never pressed as I have a twin to harvest spare blood and organs from if the need arose.

You are saving a persons life, this could be anyone from a stranger, family, friend or even yourself if the worst happens!

There stipulations on if you can give blood, from travelling abroad, medications or drug use, your sexual preferences and those of your partner unless you are happy to abstain from certain activities for several months, if you sell sex or being bitten by a feral girl like I was.

There are more and you can find the full list by clicking here 

Men can give blood up 4 times a year and woman 3 so you are looking at a fair few calories and lives saved if you keep up with it. 

You can also just donate platelets, which you can do up to 24 times a year, I imagine this would burn fewer calories as the rest of the blood is returned to you but with the increased visits this would probably win out in the end.

There are some possibly side effects from giving blood such as nausea, weakness, feeling light headed/ dizzy and fainting however the staff will make sure you are alright and even feed you!

I actually felt sick for two days afterwards but I still managed to get to my first ever Yoga class the day after donating!

Please please please consider becoming a donor, you can call up on 0300 123 23 23 to book yourself in or check the website by clicking here