I want to share with you today the wonders of EPSOM SALTS; I discovered them a few years ago and they're truly fabulous. I gave all my clients a bag of them for Christmas, and have had some great feedback.
Epsom Salts are full of magnesium and sulphate and both of these minerals have the most amazing health benefits.
Between them they are responsible for helping to regulate over 300 enzymes as well as assisting lots of other bodily functions (enzymes are catalysts for the chemical processes to occur in the body) from muscle control to the elimination of toxins.
Lots of people are apparently deficient in these vital minerals and this can lead to health problems, and the easiest way to absorb them is through the skin - via Epsom Salts.
A diet high in sugar and fats by the way,actually works to deplete these minerals from the body - not that I'm suggesting that any of you eat lots of these foods but...
So the benefits of Epsom Salts :
- they can ease stress
- they can improve sleep and concentration
- they can help muscles and nerves function properly
- they can help reduce inflammation
- they can help relieve pain and muscle cramps
- they can help flush toxins from the body
- they can help prevent and ease migraines
How to use Epsom Salts :
In the bath - divine! This is the most common use, great for destressing after a hard day at work or for relaxing muscles after a heavy workout. Run a deep warm bath and add two cups of Epsom Salts (double this for large baths) and soak for as long as you like, but thirty minutes minimum. Bliss!
Compresses - two cups of Epsom Salts per gallon of water for sore muscles, insect bites and removing splinters.
Foot Bath - one cup of Epsom Salts to a tub of warm water for aching feet.
I'm addicted, try them for yourselves they really are soooooooo lovely.
By the way, if you're local to me I have plenty in stock - email me at ruth.goodwin@balancedpt.co.uk. If not, you can buy them at good health food shops.
Today's Tip : Think we've been here before but.. you're important, look after yourself.
Saturday 31 January 2009
Thursday 29 January 2009
GET WITH THE PROGRAMME
It's all very well moaning about your weight, and how tight your clothes are and how uncomfortable you feel, but if you're so bothered WHY don't you just do something about it?! Take the bull by the horns and make 2009 your year to get yourself in good shape.
Now, I could bang on and on about all the latest fitness fads, exercise DVDS (which seem to be flavour of the month at the mo - and some of them are actually pretty good,will review in next blog) etc. but 80% of how you get yourself in shape, I believe, is down to what you put into your mouth. Yes, you actually are what you eat - or more specifically you are what you digest.
Your body is unique, it uses food for fuel in a way that no other body does, so that's probably why you and your mate can go on the same diet and it'll work for one of you and not the other.
But it stands to reason that everyone who eats fast food, processed food, lots of alcohol and sweeties is not going to be too healthy.
METABOLIC TYPING offers you a way of eating that is exactly what you need to lose pounds, feel healthier, have more energy and fight all the nasty bugs that are going round right now.
And it's so simple to do - fill in an online questionnaire from me on your psychological, physiological and dietary traits and you'll be rewarded with a detailed food and drink list to follow for every meal. You'll be given help with this, guidelines on other factors ie. environmental that could be inhibiting you, and with some careful menu planning, shopping, and eating/drinking you'll get the success you deserve for life.
Today's Hot Tip : stop messing about with other diets - Metabolic Typing is the way forward. Try it and see, contact me at ruth.goodwin@balancedpt.co.uk. Talk to me!
Now, I could bang on and on about all the latest fitness fads, exercise DVDS (which seem to be flavour of the month at the mo - and some of them are actually pretty good,will review in next blog) etc. but 80% of how you get yourself in shape, I believe, is down to what you put into your mouth. Yes, you actually are what you eat - or more specifically you are what you digest.
Your body is unique, it uses food for fuel in a way that no other body does, so that's probably why you and your mate can go on the same diet and it'll work for one of you and not the other.
But it stands to reason that everyone who eats fast food, processed food, lots of alcohol and sweeties is not going to be too healthy.
METABOLIC TYPING offers you a way of eating that is exactly what you need to lose pounds, feel healthier, have more energy and fight all the nasty bugs that are going round right now.
And it's so simple to do - fill in an online questionnaire from me on your psychological, physiological and dietary traits and you'll be rewarded with a detailed food and drink list to follow for every meal. You'll be given help with this, guidelines on other factors ie. environmental that could be inhibiting you, and with some careful menu planning, shopping, and eating/drinking you'll get the success you deserve for life.
Today's Hot Tip : stop messing about with other diets - Metabolic Typing is the way forward. Try it and see, contact me at ruth.goodwin@balancedpt.co.uk. Talk to me!
Monday 19 January 2009
HALF TON SON
I came in on this programme half way through last night, and at first thought " Oh my God, thats disgusting". This nineteen year old guy was so fat he literally sat in a chair all day being waited on hand and foot by his mother. I watched as he ate a ginormous plate of burger(s) and chips with ketchup and to be honest I was repulsed.
He weighed in at 800lbs, and doctors in America told him he wouldn't live for another ten years if he carried on. His heart and lungs, and other organs are under enormous pressure that cannot be sustained indefinitely.
But my repulsion turned to pity when his mother was interviewed by a psychologist; it turned out she had a son before this one, who had died at eighteen months. She struggled to get over it, and when she had her second son (Half Ton) she poured all her love into feeding him up. And boy what a good job she did!
This was how she met her emotional needs. And how common is that, actually? How many of us use food and drink and cigarettes and caffeine when we're emotionally stressed. I know I do(just with chocolate though, dark of course!).
Most undisciplined eating is emotional.It makes some sense - simple carbs and fats elevate a persons mood by lowering stress hormones. So, if you're down it lifts you up, temporarily. Sweet foods elevate pain relieving chemicals in the brain, heightening pleasure in the same way addictive drugs do.
So for self medication, people with emotional needs (which could be any one or a combination of the following : loneliness, anger, sadness, anxiety, stress, fright, irritation, depression, worry and many more) may overeat sweets or processed foods/binge drink/smoke etc to get them through the hard times.
The trick to conquering it is to find out what your 'trigger' is ie. the feelings you get just before you reach for the big bar of chocolate, and then to look for an alternative way of dealing with it/them. It's important to acknowledge your emotions, write them down and don't push them away or supress them. Unless dealt with, they will return.
There are many options available to help - just caught the end of a Paul Mckenna programme using EFT (emotional freedom technique)tapping techniques on just this very subject. Hypnotherapy can also help, as can timeline therapy and councelling. Even relaxation techniques such as massage, and most definitely positive affirmation CDs can help. All of these therapies aim to break the emotional connection with food, and boost self esteem.
Not an easy one, but for the lady with the One Ton Son it is a life or death situation - if she carries on feeding her son 8000 calories a day he is going to die, and soon. Most of us are not in such a critical situation, but if you do recognise emotional eating in you, it may be worth trying to get a handle on it.
Good Luck!
He weighed in at 800lbs, and doctors in America told him he wouldn't live for another ten years if he carried on. His heart and lungs, and other organs are under enormous pressure that cannot be sustained indefinitely.
But my repulsion turned to pity when his mother was interviewed by a psychologist; it turned out she had a son before this one, who had died at eighteen months. She struggled to get over it, and when she had her second son (Half Ton) she poured all her love into feeding him up. And boy what a good job she did!
This was how she met her emotional needs. And how common is that, actually? How many of us use food and drink and cigarettes and caffeine when we're emotionally stressed. I know I do(just with chocolate though, dark of course!).
Most undisciplined eating is emotional.It makes some sense - simple carbs and fats elevate a persons mood by lowering stress hormones. So, if you're down it lifts you up, temporarily. Sweet foods elevate pain relieving chemicals in the brain, heightening pleasure in the same way addictive drugs do.
So for self medication, people with emotional needs (which could be any one or a combination of the following : loneliness, anger, sadness, anxiety, stress, fright, irritation, depression, worry and many more) may overeat sweets or processed foods/binge drink/smoke etc to get them through the hard times.
The trick to conquering it is to find out what your 'trigger' is ie. the feelings you get just before you reach for the big bar of chocolate, and then to look for an alternative way of dealing with it/them. It's important to acknowledge your emotions, write them down and don't push them away or supress them. Unless dealt with, they will return.
There are many options available to help - just caught the end of a Paul Mckenna programme using EFT (emotional freedom technique)tapping techniques on just this very subject. Hypnotherapy can also help, as can timeline therapy and councelling. Even relaxation techniques such as massage, and most definitely positive affirmation CDs can help. All of these therapies aim to break the emotional connection with food, and boost self esteem.
Not an easy one, but for the lady with the One Ton Son it is a life or death situation - if she carries on feeding her son 8000 calories a day he is going to die, and soon. Most of us are not in such a critical situation, but if you do recognise emotional eating in you, it may be worth trying to get a handle on it.
Good Luck!
Tuesday 13 January 2009
NUTS about nuts
High fat foods that are good for your health! Yes you heard correctly, and what a choice we have ; my favourites are macadamias, walnuts and Brazil nuts but whichever ones you pick they have health benefits.
The habits of traditional people should serve as a guide to us - they ate nuts in abundance because they were readily available, unlike microwave meals, McDonald's and chocolate bars!
Nuts and seeds are in fact best eaten when they've been pre-soaked or they're partially sprouted. This is because - science bit coming - they contain numerous enzyme inhibitors that can put a real strain on the digestive mechanism if consumed in excess.
Best way to do this is to soak them overnight in water with some natural salt, and then dry them in a warm oven before eating. Or if you're hi-tech enough to have a dehydrator, you can obviously use this!
The salt in soaking water activates enzymes that neutralise the enzyme inhibitors.
Nuts are a useful addition to the diet, any diet,but if you do the METABOLIC TYPING DIET you'll find out which specific nuts will work best for you.
They're full of omega 3s, are rich in protein and contain fibre. They have a low GI and GL meaning that they won't spike blood sugar levels, leaving you energised for longer. They're also a great source of minerals, vitamins, and plant hormones called phytoestrogens - which appear to protect against hormone related cancers.
An excellent snack between meals is a small handful of nuts with an apple, combining protein and carbs to balance blood sugar.
So what's the choice and what's in them? :
Pistachios - high in potassium (good for blood pressure), calcium (bones and teeth) and Vit E (skin). They also contain high levels of plant sterols which help protect the heart.
Walnuts - Omega 3 rich they're one of the highest in polyunsaturated fats. They contain a high level of alpha linoleic acid which is a type of Omega 3 that helps prevent clots and heart attacks by thinning the blood.
Brazil Nuts - My favourite, favourite! High in selenium which is an antioxidant, helping to protect against cancer. You can get all your daily selenium requirements from just three brazil nuts!
Also the richest nuts in phytoestrogens.
Cashews - High in iron helping prevent anaemia, and Vitamin K, which is essential for helping the blood to clot. High in mono unsaturated fats too!
Macadamia - Improves the ratio of good(HDL) and bad (LDL)cholesterol, and taste yummy!
Pecans - high in Vitamin E, and phytoestrogens, and the minerals potassium and magnesium which many diets lack, and are very necessary for the healthy running of the body.
Almonds - these nuts are always in the superfood lists, and with good cause.They contain more fibre and Vit E than any other nut. The fibre they contain is great for digestion and healthy bowels and just twenty will give you as much as an apple.
Also rich in calcium. Almonds have a great versatility and ground they can be used instead of flour in baking.
Peanuts - I've included these but actually they're not officially a nut (why are they called peaNUTS then?!). They are in fact legumes, like a pea or a bean but they are very nutritious, as my four year old will testify - he just loves peanut butter!
They're rich in chromium which helps regulate blood sugar levels, and folates (a type of B Vit) and isoflavones (plant hormones with similar effects to phytoestrogens).
Nut butters are yummy and are now widely available, and a great alternative to jams and marmalades on toast. I found some brazil nut butter the other day for the first time - that was a good find! Try them, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.
TODAY'S TIP : To follow the best diet for you, for the rest of your life get yourself Metabolic Typed. Call/message me today!It's quick, easy and it won't hurt, promise!
The habits of traditional people should serve as a guide to us - they ate nuts in abundance because they were readily available, unlike microwave meals, McDonald's and chocolate bars!
Nuts and seeds are in fact best eaten when they've been pre-soaked or they're partially sprouted. This is because - science bit coming - they contain numerous enzyme inhibitors that can put a real strain on the digestive mechanism if consumed in excess.
Best way to do this is to soak them overnight in water with some natural salt, and then dry them in a warm oven before eating. Or if you're hi-tech enough to have a dehydrator, you can obviously use this!
The salt in soaking water activates enzymes that neutralise the enzyme inhibitors.
Nuts are a useful addition to the diet, any diet,but if you do the METABOLIC TYPING DIET you'll find out which specific nuts will work best for you.
They're full of omega 3s, are rich in protein and contain fibre. They have a low GI and GL meaning that they won't spike blood sugar levels, leaving you energised for longer. They're also a great source of minerals, vitamins, and plant hormones called phytoestrogens - which appear to protect against hormone related cancers.
An excellent snack between meals is a small handful of nuts with an apple, combining protein and carbs to balance blood sugar.
So what's the choice and what's in them? :
Pistachios - high in potassium (good for blood pressure), calcium (bones and teeth) and Vit E (skin). They also contain high levels of plant sterols which help protect the heart.
Walnuts - Omega 3 rich they're one of the highest in polyunsaturated fats. They contain a high level of alpha linoleic acid which is a type of Omega 3 that helps prevent clots and heart attacks by thinning the blood.
Brazil Nuts - My favourite, favourite! High in selenium which is an antioxidant, helping to protect against cancer. You can get all your daily selenium requirements from just three brazil nuts!
Also the richest nuts in phytoestrogens.
Cashews - High in iron helping prevent anaemia, and Vitamin K, which is essential for helping the blood to clot. High in mono unsaturated fats too!
Macadamia - Improves the ratio of good(HDL) and bad (LDL)cholesterol, and taste yummy!
Pecans - high in Vitamin E, and phytoestrogens, and the minerals potassium and magnesium which many diets lack, and are very necessary for the healthy running of the body.
Almonds - these nuts are always in the superfood lists, and with good cause.They contain more fibre and Vit E than any other nut. The fibre they contain is great for digestion and healthy bowels and just twenty will give you as much as an apple.
Also rich in calcium. Almonds have a great versatility and ground they can be used instead of flour in baking.
Peanuts - I've included these but actually they're not officially a nut (why are they called peaNUTS then?!). They are in fact legumes, like a pea or a bean but they are very nutritious, as my four year old will testify - he just loves peanut butter!
They're rich in chromium which helps regulate blood sugar levels, and folates (a type of B Vit) and isoflavones (plant hormones with similar effects to phytoestrogens).
Nut butters are yummy and are now widely available, and a great alternative to jams and marmalades on toast. I found some brazil nut butter the other day for the first time - that was a good find! Try them, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.
TODAY'S TIP : To follow the best diet for you, for the rest of your life get yourself Metabolic Typed. Call/message me today!It's quick, easy and it won't hurt, promise!
Monday 12 January 2009
WEIGHT LIFTING
Love it or hate it, resistance exercise, if done with enough intensity and enough regularity is going to get you where you want to be body shape and fitness wise.
It's being shouted about by everyone involved in the fitness industry, and has been for a long time now, that steady state cardio won't help you make the changes you're after. It's also very dull and boring. Who really wants to pound the streets for hours, or the treadmill in the gym, when you can bang a weights session out in less than half that time and get better results quicker.
So why should you lift weights? :
1. Well, it'll increase your strength for functional, everyday activities for a start - piggy backs for the kids, grocery shopping, moving furniture to name but a few. It'll make them easier than a walk in the park!
2. It'll help to boost a stalled metabolism - a benefit that becomes more important as we age. Every decade apparently it slows down by three per cent, and we lose muscle and gain fat. That's not a good thing! Lifting weights is the best way to prevent or reverse muscle loss - muscle burns calories more efficiently than fat.
3.It'll make you smile. You'll feel powerful and in control of your body, and your mind, because you have to focus on what you're doing.
4. It'll improve your self confidence, as your body shape changes, how much better are you going to feel about yourself?!
5.It never needs to be boring; there are thousands of different exercise variations so there's no excuse for doing the same thing week in, week out. Plus it's good to shock your muscles by mixing it up a lot.
6. It can improve your bone mineral density, minimizing the osteoporosis risk.
7. Ladies, you won't bulk - you don't have the testosterone that men have, so unless you're doing weights and taking steroids you'll just get definition and tone but not bulk.
8.You burn calories after you've worked out not just while you're doing it - not an excuse for chocolate but............
9. It keeps you healthy in other ways. It's good for improving joint stability as it strengthens ligaments and tendons. This is most useful in others sports, as it'll help prevent injury.
10. Weight training can help your heart stay healthy by increasing your good cholesterol (HDL) and decreasing your bad (LDL), and your blood pressure too.
11. And last but not least, defined muscles look sexy right? Well I think so.
Today's Tip : SO, if you're a new comer to weights, give me a call and we can have lots of fun with some great programmes. If you're a lapsed weight trainer, how about taking it back up, it is January after all..............
It's being shouted about by everyone involved in the fitness industry, and has been for a long time now, that steady state cardio won't help you make the changes you're after. It's also very dull and boring. Who really wants to pound the streets for hours, or the treadmill in the gym, when you can bang a weights session out in less than half that time and get better results quicker.
So why should you lift weights? :
1. Well, it'll increase your strength for functional, everyday activities for a start - piggy backs for the kids, grocery shopping, moving furniture to name but a few. It'll make them easier than a walk in the park!
2. It'll help to boost a stalled metabolism - a benefit that becomes more important as we age. Every decade apparently it slows down by three per cent, and we lose muscle and gain fat. That's not a good thing! Lifting weights is the best way to prevent or reverse muscle loss - muscle burns calories more efficiently than fat.
3.It'll make you smile. You'll feel powerful and in control of your body, and your mind, because you have to focus on what you're doing.
4. It'll improve your self confidence, as your body shape changes, how much better are you going to feel about yourself?!
5.It never needs to be boring; there are thousands of different exercise variations so there's no excuse for doing the same thing week in, week out. Plus it's good to shock your muscles by mixing it up a lot.
6. It can improve your bone mineral density, minimizing the osteoporosis risk.
7. Ladies, you won't bulk - you don't have the testosterone that men have, so unless you're doing weights and taking steroids you'll just get definition and tone but not bulk.
8.You burn calories after you've worked out not just while you're doing it - not an excuse for chocolate but............
9. It keeps you healthy in other ways. It's good for improving joint stability as it strengthens ligaments and tendons. This is most useful in others sports, as it'll help prevent injury.
10. Weight training can help your heart stay healthy by increasing your good cholesterol (HDL) and decreasing your bad (LDL), and your blood pressure too.
11. And last but not least, defined muscles look sexy right? Well I think so.
Today's Tip : SO, if you're a new comer to weights, give me a call and we can have lots of fun with some great programmes. If you're a lapsed weight trainer, how about taking it back up, it is January after all..............
Thursday 8 January 2009
Goal Setting
Last night I went to my regular Ceroc class - my God, you could hardly move in the hall for all the 'newcomers'. Why the sudden influx I wondered, then I realised....
Yep, it's the time of year when we all sit down and make New Years resolutions and exercise of some description usually features highly. Gyms take in record numbers in January and then lo and behold come February they're back to the die-hard members.
I've made a long GOALS I WANT TO ACHIEVE list, as I do every year and am determined to stick to it. But just to make a list isn't enough - it takes a good deal of thought, (some realism) and alot of planning and goal setting. Things don't just happen, we have to make them happen, not anyone else, WE are responsible.Our hearts and minds have to say a big YES.
That's what I say to clients who say to me that they'd like ME to get them fit. With the best will in the world I can help and advise them but THEY have to own the belief that this can happen.
They have to want it badly enough, they have to be able to see themselves in six months time the way they want to be and keep that picture vivid and clear. Not just the picture but everything else that goes with it, emotions play a big part - how will they feel, what will their confidence be like, what will their motivation be like, how will others react and how will this make them feel.
I come at it from the 'tough love' stance - getting fit takes hard work and there's no getting away from that. Anyone who thinks they can work out for an hour with me and get fit, and eat what they like are just kidding themselves. If we go through life moaning about everything and blaming things/people/weather etc. for the way our lives are, we're not taking responsibility. We have to say a big resounding 'YES' to the universe and get on with it!
And there's no such thing as a mistake, it;s just something we learn from if we get a little off track, and lets face it everyone does from time to time. Life is one big learning curve, and it'd be really dull if it wasn't so no beating yourself up if it's not going your way (or blaming others).
Keeping a journal, setting weekly goals and reviewing it at the end of each week is a good way to stay on track. If the goals have not been met, evaluate why, work out how you can get back on track, acknowledge whats happened and put it behind you and move on!
Everyone of us is different in the way we motivate ourselves, some people are 'go-getters' and very gung ho about it, others plod along at their own pace and some do it in fits and starts. Work out which one you are and play to your strengths, without comparing yourself to others.
Once you start achieving, it's a great motivator and will spur you on to do more. So, start small and gain satisfaction from small steps before trying to move mountains, that way disappointment will be minimal.
Lastly before I list publicly all my Goals for 2009 (so I HAVE to achieve them!) get yourself a goal buddy - someone you can get together with once a week and compare notes, spur each other on, compliment, motivate; a simple daily text can work wonders for self esteem.
Anway, now I'm going to bore you with my GOALS FOR 2009. Please let me hear yours in the comments section, I DARE YOU! that way we can spur each other on, and if you're reading my blog and not a follower, why not?!, the more the merrier! RX
HEALTH AND FITNESS
Have my remaining amalgam fillings removed
Continue my digestive protocol programme until it's sorted
Go to Harrogate Spa Baths regularly for relaxation
Get my six pack back the way it was before Christmas! - urgent!
Exercise 6 days a week - hard, and vary it enormously
Be in bed by 10.30pm 4/5 nights a week
Use my Chi stick every day for 100 days to get my 'Gong'
Cycle 500km for charity, through Sri Lanka
Continue to have work done to heal my neck and heel
Have a massage once a fortnight
Listen to motivational CDs every night before sleep
Walk in the fresh air at least 4 x weekly
Reduce my sweet tooth!
Get good at Ceroc dancing by going 2x weekly whenever possible
Improve my Tracey Anderson Dance Moves
Complete the Wetherby to Filey bike ride again
Get good at pole dancing
ADVENTURE
Jump out of an aeroplane
Do charity bike ride through Sri Lanka
Go to aerial extreme
Complete the three peaks challenge again
Complete the circus skills day at CircusSpace in London
Do simulated skydiving at Xcape
Go skiing at Xcape at least 4x this year
EDUCATION/WORK
Complete two day boxing course
Do Paul Cheks Equal But Not The Same correspondance course
Attend the Fitpro Convention in April
Read two articles from PT On The Net every day
Attend the NLP Skills update day in May
Continue to read motivational books - to start with - Susan Jeffers, Feel The Fear and Beyond
Complete my website so its superb
Send thankyous to clients
Create RUTHTV for Youtube and my blog
Write two blog posts for both blogs each week (other blog if you're interested http://thethingsourchildrensay.blogspot.com)
Expand my Metabolic Typing Business
Send press releases to local newspapers/magazines to promote me - done this today 12/01/09Aim to crack the corporate market with Holistic Lifestyle Coaching
Do talks and seminars on what I do/offer
Sell related products
Attend an exercise to music course, and pass
RELATIONSHIPS
Say thankyou to friends and family regularly
Be silly with my kids regularly
Be kind, no matter what happens - say YES to the universe
Meet good friends for coffee/lunch/dinner/walk/shop regularly
Be the best mum a kid could ask for - patient and tolerant (find some!!)
Spend time with the children on a one to one at least once a week
Get 'creative' with Lauren each week
Beat Benjy at boxing on the Wii!!
Get down to the kids level - alot
Visit my sister in Dumfermline at least twice this year
Visit my friends in Bath and Bournemouth at least once this year
Keep in touch with relations at least once a month
Keep up with old friends through Facebook
Read with the children individually at least 3x weekly
Help Nathaniel to ride his bike with no stabilisers
Keep in touch with my PT friends and swap notes
FINANCIAL
Earn £30k from personal training this year
Raise £3000 for charity (need to decide which one) for the Sri Lankan bike ride
Earn money through writing a book, at least one
Earn money selling fitness and nutritional products
Think thats enough to be going on with!RX
Yep, it's the time of year when we all sit down and make New Years resolutions and exercise of some description usually features highly. Gyms take in record numbers in January and then lo and behold come February they're back to the die-hard members.
I've made a long GOALS I WANT TO ACHIEVE list, as I do every year and am determined to stick to it. But just to make a list isn't enough - it takes a good deal of thought, (some realism) and alot of planning and goal setting. Things don't just happen, we have to make them happen, not anyone else, WE are responsible.Our hearts and minds have to say a big YES.
That's what I say to clients who say to me that they'd like ME to get them fit. With the best will in the world I can help and advise them but THEY have to own the belief that this can happen.
They have to want it badly enough, they have to be able to see themselves in six months time the way they want to be and keep that picture vivid and clear. Not just the picture but everything else that goes with it, emotions play a big part - how will they feel, what will their confidence be like, what will their motivation be like, how will others react and how will this make them feel.
I come at it from the 'tough love' stance - getting fit takes hard work and there's no getting away from that. Anyone who thinks they can work out for an hour with me and get fit, and eat what they like are just kidding themselves. If we go through life moaning about everything and blaming things/people/weather etc. for the way our lives are, we're not taking responsibility. We have to say a big resounding 'YES' to the universe and get on with it!
And there's no such thing as a mistake, it;s just something we learn from if we get a little off track, and lets face it everyone does from time to time. Life is one big learning curve, and it'd be really dull if it wasn't so no beating yourself up if it's not going your way (or blaming others).
Keeping a journal, setting weekly goals and reviewing it at the end of each week is a good way to stay on track. If the goals have not been met, evaluate why, work out how you can get back on track, acknowledge whats happened and put it behind you and move on!
Everyone of us is different in the way we motivate ourselves, some people are 'go-getters' and very gung ho about it, others plod along at their own pace and some do it in fits and starts. Work out which one you are and play to your strengths, without comparing yourself to others.
Once you start achieving, it's a great motivator and will spur you on to do more. So, start small and gain satisfaction from small steps before trying to move mountains, that way disappointment will be minimal.
Lastly before I list publicly all my Goals for 2009 (so I HAVE to achieve them!) get yourself a goal buddy - someone you can get together with once a week and compare notes, spur each other on, compliment, motivate; a simple daily text can work wonders for self esteem.
Anway, now I'm going to bore you with my GOALS FOR 2009. Please let me hear yours in the comments section, I DARE YOU! that way we can spur each other on, and if you're reading my blog and not a follower, why not?!, the more the merrier! RX
HEALTH AND FITNESS
Have my remaining amalgam fillings removed
Continue my digestive protocol programme until it's sorted
Go to Harrogate Spa Baths regularly for relaxation
Get my six pack back the way it was before Christmas! - urgent!
Exercise 6 days a week - hard, and vary it enormously
Be in bed by 10.30pm 4/5 nights a week
Use my Chi stick every day for 100 days to get my 'Gong'
Cycle 500km for charity, through Sri Lanka
Continue to have work done to heal my neck and heel
Have a massage once a fortnight
Listen to motivational CDs every night before sleep
Walk in the fresh air at least 4 x weekly
Reduce my sweet tooth!
Get good at Ceroc dancing by going 2x weekly whenever possible
Improve my Tracey Anderson Dance Moves
Complete the Wetherby to Filey bike ride again
Get good at pole dancing
ADVENTURE
Jump out of an aeroplane
Do charity bike ride through Sri Lanka
Go to aerial extreme
Complete the three peaks challenge again
Complete the circus skills day at CircusSpace in London
Do simulated skydiving at Xcape
Go skiing at Xcape at least 4x this year
EDUCATION/WORK
Complete two day boxing course
Do Paul Cheks Equal But Not The Same correspondance course
Attend the Fitpro Convention in April
Read two articles from PT On The Net every day
Attend the NLP Skills update day in May
Continue to read motivational books - to start with - Susan Jeffers, Feel The Fear and Beyond
Complete my website so its superb
Send thankyous to clients
Create RUTHTV for Youtube and my blog
Write two blog posts for both blogs each week (other blog if you're interested http://thethingsourchildrensay.blogspot.com)
Expand my Metabolic Typing Business
Send press releases to local newspapers/magazines to promote me - done this today 12/01/09Aim to crack the corporate market with Holistic Lifestyle Coaching
Do talks and seminars on what I do/offer
Sell related products
Attend an exercise to music course, and pass
RELATIONSHIPS
Say thankyou to friends and family regularly
Be silly with my kids regularly
Be kind, no matter what happens - say YES to the universe
Meet good friends for coffee/lunch/dinner/walk/shop regularly
Be the best mum a kid could ask for - patient and tolerant (find some!!)
Spend time with the children on a one to one at least once a week
Get 'creative' with Lauren each week
Beat Benjy at boxing on the Wii!!
Get down to the kids level - alot
Visit my sister in Dumfermline at least twice this year
Visit my friends in Bath and Bournemouth at least once this year
Keep in touch with relations at least once a month
Keep up with old friends through Facebook
Read with the children individually at least 3x weekly
Help Nathaniel to ride his bike with no stabilisers
Keep in touch with my PT friends and swap notes
FINANCIAL
Earn £30k from personal training this year
Raise £3000 for charity (need to decide which one) for the Sri Lankan bike ride
Earn money through writing a book, at least one
Earn money selling fitness and nutritional products
Think thats enough to be going on with!RX
Tuesday 6 January 2009
Gorging
How fabulous would it be to eat and drink exactly what you like for six weeks and sod the consequences?!This was the basis for the ITV programme tonight starring Claire Sweeney as the guinea pig.
Well isn't that what alot of the great British public do every day of their lives anyway?! Isn't that why we're heading for a nation full of fat, blobby, unfit, obese, lazy couch potatoes (not that I'm fattist of course!)?
Claire was in good shape to start with, worked out regularly and looked the part due to a careful diet where she was able to eat half a chocolate from the box and put the other half back in the fridge! Even I can't do that.
But after six weeks of gorging on what looked like anything and everything she could get her hands on, she managed to pile on over two stone, increase her BMI by over three points and raise her blood pressure significantly.
She still looked great with her clothes on, albeit not tight ones, and the deep tan helped too. But in a bikini she looked at least three months pregnant. And we all know that carrying excess weight around the middle is bad for the heart (unless you are actually pregnant).
To be an actress in Hollywood she would have had to be several sizes smaller (Victoria Beckham size, and who wants to go there?) but rather than suggest she dieted they wanted to either cut it off or suck it out - far quicker and easier I guess but pretty horrific?!
Eating for ones Metabolic Type is the way forward, to control weight and increase energy and vitality - you can kick start your health regime and check out your type - you won't regret it. Give me a shout,there's no dieting, no weighing out of foods, no restricted portions, just good old fashioned regular meals with foods that work for YOUR body.
The only good thing about the Claire Sweeney thing, according to my friend who watched it with me was that her boobs grew several sizes...........typical man!
Today's Tip : Get yourself Metabolic Typed, you won't look back.
Well isn't that what alot of the great British public do every day of their lives anyway?! Isn't that why we're heading for a nation full of fat, blobby, unfit, obese, lazy couch potatoes (not that I'm fattist of course!)?
Claire was in good shape to start with, worked out regularly and looked the part due to a careful diet where she was able to eat half a chocolate from the box and put the other half back in the fridge! Even I can't do that.
But after six weeks of gorging on what looked like anything and everything she could get her hands on, she managed to pile on over two stone, increase her BMI by over three points and raise her blood pressure significantly.
She still looked great with her clothes on, albeit not tight ones, and the deep tan helped too. But in a bikini she looked at least three months pregnant. And we all know that carrying excess weight around the middle is bad for the heart (unless you are actually pregnant).
To be an actress in Hollywood she would have had to be several sizes smaller (Victoria Beckham size, and who wants to go there?) but rather than suggest she dieted they wanted to either cut it off or suck it out - far quicker and easier I guess but pretty horrific?!
Eating for ones Metabolic Type is the way forward, to control weight and increase energy and vitality - you can kick start your health regime and check out your type - you won't regret it. Give me a shout,there's no dieting, no weighing out of foods, no restricted portions, just good old fashioned regular meals with foods that work for YOUR body.
The only good thing about the Claire Sweeney thing, according to my friend who watched it with me was that her boobs grew several sizes...........typical man!
Today's Tip : Get yourself Metabolic Typed, you won't look back.
Sunday 4 January 2009
Spots and wobbly tummys!
A close friend and I were chatting on New Years Day and comparing our spot outbreaks and the fact that our tums are slightly more wobbly than they usually are (my six pack is usually my pride and joy!) - a result of over indulgence during the festive period. I'm sure it happens every Christmas to millions of people, but I for one am very unimpressed with myself!
So tomorrow is the start of me getting back to my normal eating regime (my friend started his today so is a day ahead of me, he text to say he'd eaten well and been cycling, and done some weights and felt much better).
I have kept up with my exercise, but have had so many meals cooked for me for the last two weeks (for which I'm grateful, honest) that I've been eating a long way away from my Metabolic Type.
But I have clients to work out with, and must feel and look the part to inspire and motivate so todays blog is about getting back on track and detoxing the body ready for the New Year.
Media coverage on detoxing has been huge today, with experts stating that there is no evidence that spending lots of money on spa type treatments work. Whilst I'm sure some are better than others and the placebo affect goes a long way, in the main I tend to agree (checked out senseaboutscience thanks Lucy, they're also covering this subject today).
By 'detoxing' I simply mean cleansing the body of toxins accumulated ie. CRAP foods, alcohol etc and there are some very simple ways to help this elimination process to happen in a gentle but effective way.
Here goes, take your pick from any combination:
- drink warm water and lemon on waking, it kicks starts your system
- dry skin body brushing, stimulates the lymph system and enhances the bodys natural detox processes, also removes dead skin cells making it easier to excrete waste through the skin
- drinking lots of pure unadulterated water to flush those toxins out
- sweating through high intensity exercise
- exfoliating, dead sea salts and olive oil make a great,cheap and effective one
- Milk Thistle supplement supports the liver
- nettle tea is recommended for cleansing
- breathing and exercise that stimulates lymphatic drainage ie. Psychocalisthenics (the lymphatic system doesn't have a 'pump' and relies on movement to help detoxify)
- lymphatic drainage massage is also highly effective and so very gentle I defy you not to fall asleep!
- avoiding trans fats (mainly found in processed foods ie. hydrogenated)
- eating 'clean foods' in general ie. avoiding anything from the middle aisles in the supermarket!)
- eat organic where possible and you can afford it
- reduce sugar and artificial sweeteners
- take a break from alcohol - it gives the liver extra work
- avoid caffeine - it also gives the liver extra work
- take a dairy and wheat break for a while, you may be amazed at how much better you feel (both of these foods are the most common food allergys)
- if you're brave have colonic irrigation - it's a little invasive and intrusive but can help get rid of toxins that have accumulated over years and years. Not for the faint hearted!
- coffee enemas are similar but can be administered by oneself at home. I was introduced to these during my CHEK studying and they are highly effective
- avoid pain killers - they can give the liver extra work
- eat liquorice, the pure kind (not allsorts!). It has diuretic and laxative properties to help flush the system
Hope that's plenty to be going on with. Anyone needing any motivational/goal setting assistance for 2009 give me a shout!
Today's Tip : New Year New You - be the best you can be! Give everything you do 100% commitment and remember you count.
So tomorrow is the start of me getting back to my normal eating regime (my friend started his today so is a day ahead of me, he text to say he'd eaten well and been cycling, and done some weights and felt much better).
I have kept up with my exercise, but have had so many meals cooked for me for the last two weeks (for which I'm grateful, honest) that I've been eating a long way away from my Metabolic Type.
But I have clients to work out with, and must feel and look the part to inspire and motivate so todays blog is about getting back on track and detoxing the body ready for the New Year.
Media coverage on detoxing has been huge today, with experts stating that there is no evidence that spending lots of money on spa type treatments work. Whilst I'm sure some are better than others and the placebo affect goes a long way, in the main I tend to agree (checked out senseaboutscience thanks Lucy, they're also covering this subject today).
By 'detoxing' I simply mean cleansing the body of toxins accumulated ie. CRAP foods, alcohol etc and there are some very simple ways to help this elimination process to happen in a gentle but effective way.
Here goes, take your pick from any combination:
- drink warm water and lemon on waking, it kicks starts your system
- dry skin body brushing, stimulates the lymph system and enhances the bodys natural detox processes, also removes dead skin cells making it easier to excrete waste through the skin
- drinking lots of pure unadulterated water to flush those toxins out
- sweating through high intensity exercise
- exfoliating, dead sea salts and olive oil make a great,cheap and effective one
- Milk Thistle supplement supports the liver
- nettle tea is recommended for cleansing
- breathing and exercise that stimulates lymphatic drainage ie. Psychocalisthenics (the lymphatic system doesn't have a 'pump' and relies on movement to help detoxify)
- lymphatic drainage massage is also highly effective and so very gentle I defy you not to fall asleep!
- avoiding trans fats (mainly found in processed foods ie. hydrogenated)
- eating 'clean foods' in general ie. avoiding anything from the middle aisles in the supermarket!)
- eat organic where possible and you can afford it
- reduce sugar and artificial sweeteners
- take a break from alcohol - it gives the liver extra work
- avoid caffeine - it also gives the liver extra work
- take a dairy and wheat break for a while, you may be amazed at how much better you feel (both of these foods are the most common food allergys)
- if you're brave have colonic irrigation - it's a little invasive and intrusive but can help get rid of toxins that have accumulated over years and years. Not for the faint hearted!
- coffee enemas are similar but can be administered by oneself at home. I was introduced to these during my CHEK studying and they are highly effective
- avoid pain killers - they can give the liver extra work
- eat liquorice, the pure kind (not allsorts!). It has diuretic and laxative properties to help flush the system
Hope that's plenty to be going on with. Anyone needing any motivational/goal setting assistance for 2009 give me a shout!
Today's Tip : New Year New You - be the best you can be! Give everything you do 100% commitment and remember you count.
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