I'm not really sure where I'm going with this blog post today, but feel the need to cover the whole topic of the dreaded SUGAR substance again.
Boring, freaky, wierdy, antisocial, mad, crazy, are just a few of the adjectives that have been used to describe.......me, yes, me! And that's by my friends. All because I took sugar out of my diet. And when I say sugar, I also mean refined carbohydrates (pasta, bread, rice) and alcohol as the body converts them to a form of sugar to be digested.
It is by far the hardest thing I have ever attempted to do in my life, no exaggeration. Therefore, in some situations I have succumbed.Sometimes I have to admit it's because I don't want to be different (although in normal circumstances I do quite like this).
Chocolate bars, chips, glasses of wine,fresh bread and butter, tortilla chips and dips, champagne, mints after a meal, a latte with friends in Starbucks, popcorn and coke in the cinema - all of these foods are now the norm in our daily lives, and are, in the main, part of sociable eating. To take all of this out(and more) is, I'll admit, damn near impossible.
I keep being told that we only get one life and we should just enjoy it! My God, I wholeheartedly agree with this statement. I love my life, I love all the opportunites we get, all the choices we have etc. etc. but shouldn't we be able to do this without eating sugar? Does it really have such a hold on us?
I read an article in a magazine the other day in which a journalist had been challenged to give up sugar for one month. Thats all. She did it eventually but with lots of false starts, and then feelings of irritablility, lethargy, spaceyness, moodiness, major cravings and more. This sounds more like someone withdrawing from cocaine, or serious alcohol intake than just plain old sugar.
Sugar is found in almost ALL processed (or CRAP) foods. Try reading some labels next time you're in those dreaded middle aisles in the supermarket and you'll be amazed. Even in what could be considered the most savoury meal, sugar will be present.
Why is this necessary? because those nasty food giants have worked out that by adding the right combinations of sugar, salt and fat to foods they can create insatiable feelings (ie. we never feel satisfied) so we crave more. The Pringles advertisement strap line 'Once you pop you can't stop, is very, very accurate for those reasons.
So, what happens in your body when you eat these foods is that, because they are nutritionally lacking, and have just the right chemical combination, your body wants more. But its more than a want - its a need. It's an overwhelming urge for more. Try eating one chip from a whole plate of them. Once you've tasted one and it activates that 'need' within you ie through your taste buds, you literally can't stop without physically removing the plate from within your grasp.
David Kessler, an Amercian who worked with Bill CLinton to take on the tobacco manufacurers has just written a book - THE END OF OVEREATING, and it's about this very topic. How the food manufactuerers are making stuff thats impossible to stop eating. Its great for their profits, but terrible for our waistlines.
Apparently from an insatiable point of view these are the top foods to be avoided at all costs :
Pringles, French Fries, Starbucks Mocha Frappucionos, Snickers, Kettle chips, Chocolate chip cookies, Flapjacks (unless home made),biscuits (especially chocolate ones). I'd add anything alcoholic to this list!!
The thing is and now this is serious. Sugar causes health problems, in excess.Apart from it making us fat, it makes us bloated - this is because glucose is stored in water in the body (short term) as glycogen in the muscles and tissues, so when you take it out of your diet you literally deflate!
It can also lead to syndrome X which is a resistance to insulin that can increase the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes, and I think everyone knows that this is one of the biggest diseases of our time, and is rapidly rising in numbers.
So, the big food giants should be shot, in short.They are ruining the nations health, to line their own pockets. Not quite that simple I guess, as we can all say NO, but as I've just outlined it IS NOT THAT EASY. If it were we wouldn't need millions of diet books, self help books,low fat and low sugar processed foods (by the way avoid these, they're just as bad) and everything else that makes up the whole 'diet industry' - also doing well out of us thankyou very much!
This blog rambles abit today. I'm not apologising. It's my blog and I can ramble if I like!! I hope you've got something out of it, and it makes you think a little. If I could challenge you to attempt to take sugar out of your diet for one week and see what happens that would be just great. Please give me feed back. Don't resort to smoking to fill the gap however, as someone I know did. Couterproductive, big time!
Right, now back to my life; how to avoid all the available alcohol in our holiday home (particularly Pink Camel Valley Champagne), and the nibbles that will be out to go with it tonight.........aaaaaaaargh!
RX
Thursday, 30 July 2009
Monday, 27 July 2009
DON'T LOSE IT
I'm about to go away for a couple of weeks on holiday with my family and the last thing I need (a, because it's my job and b, because I've worked hard at it) is to lose any of my fitness/muscle tone.
It's very easy when we go away from our normal existence to indulge and think "Oh what the hell"; but holidays are short lived and however enjoyable ,most of us will return a few weeks later, look in the mirror and wish we hadn't been couch or pool potatoes for the whole time.
Today's blog details a time saver workout that ANYONE can do ANYWHERE. It won't take up hours out of your family time, or deprive you of relaxing in the sunshine, and if you do it in the morning it's out of the way, and that box can be ticked.
I love to get up early and workout in the fresh air overlooking the sea. I find it hugely motivating and exhilarating to have a breathtaking view to look at whilst pushing my body out of its comfort zone.
Other than a pair of trainers there is NO EQUIPMENT REQUIRED, and as much as I miss my punch bag, weights,bosu ball, stability ball, kettlebells,and all the other paraphenalia I have collected over the years to add variety to exercise, for two weeks I can manage perfectly well without it.
Skipping ropes require minimal room in the suitcase, and will provide an aerobic workout that'll tire you pretty quickly, and resistance bands too. Running and brisk walking are great to do anywhere and if you're lucky enough to be on a beach try volleyball, bat and ball, boule or anything that gets you up and moving. Swimming is a superb all over body exercise and a great cool down when you've had too much sun.
Back to the workout for today - this can be adapted to your personal fitness levels and ideally done every other day, with a run/swim/walk on the days in between. Work on the basis though, that anything is better than nothing!
Sets : x3 of each exercise
Reps : 10-15 of each exercise
Warm up for 5 minutes, a brisk walk is good, or marching on the spot.
Body Weight Squats
Forward lunges
Lying bridges
Push ups
Tricep dips
Plank
Side plank
Stretches to finish - important.
Remember : if you're somewhere hot you need to drink lots of water, and before you get thirsty. Also try to workout in the morning when it's cooler - and because you've done it for the day then! And ENJOY! Our bodys are made to move - yes really.
Good Luck and have a good holiday, I know I will. RX
It's very easy when we go away from our normal existence to indulge and think "Oh what the hell"; but holidays are short lived and however enjoyable ,most of us will return a few weeks later, look in the mirror and wish we hadn't been couch or pool potatoes for the whole time.
Today's blog details a time saver workout that ANYONE can do ANYWHERE. It won't take up hours out of your family time, or deprive you of relaxing in the sunshine, and if you do it in the morning it's out of the way, and that box can be ticked.
I love to get up early and workout in the fresh air overlooking the sea. I find it hugely motivating and exhilarating to have a breathtaking view to look at whilst pushing my body out of its comfort zone.
Other than a pair of trainers there is NO EQUIPMENT REQUIRED, and as much as I miss my punch bag, weights,bosu ball, stability ball, kettlebells,and all the other paraphenalia I have collected over the years to add variety to exercise, for two weeks I can manage perfectly well without it.
Skipping ropes require minimal room in the suitcase, and will provide an aerobic workout that'll tire you pretty quickly, and resistance bands too. Running and brisk walking are great to do anywhere and if you're lucky enough to be on a beach try volleyball, bat and ball, boule or anything that gets you up and moving. Swimming is a superb all over body exercise and a great cool down when you've had too much sun.
Back to the workout for today - this can be adapted to your personal fitness levels and ideally done every other day, with a run/swim/walk on the days in between. Work on the basis though, that anything is better than nothing!
Sets : x3 of each exercise
Reps : 10-15 of each exercise
Warm up for 5 minutes, a brisk walk is good, or marching on the spot.
Body Weight Squats
Forward lunges
Lying bridges
Push ups
Tricep dips
Plank
Side plank
Stretches to finish - important.
Remember : if you're somewhere hot you need to drink lots of water, and before you get thirsty. Also try to workout in the morning when it's cooler - and because you've done it for the day then! And ENJOY! Our bodys are made to move - yes really.
Good Luck and have a good holiday, I know I will. RX
Sunday, 5 July 2009
DETOX YOUR WORLD
A real quick blogpost today, full of bullet points - What Can You DO Today To Start You On A Healthier Track?
* Reduce the processed foods you eat and particularly microwave meals bought in little plastic tubs. Never microwave plastic pouches, Tupperware or other plastic containers. There is evidence to suggest that the plastic seep into the food and we in turn eat them. They are in the main, non nutrient foods in the first place anyway.
* Keep food in plastic out of the fridge also. Use glass, ceramic or stainless steel. This applies to milk bottles too - decant if you have to.
* Drink filtered water only. Have a water filter attached to your tap, or your fridge water supply, and use a filter kettle for your hot drinks.
* Eat 1-2 portions of brassica vegetables each day, this revs up the ability of the body to de-tox environmental chemicals - they include, broccoli, cauliflower, sprouts, collard greens, cabbage, sauerkraut and kale etc.
*Avoid CRAP foods (caffeine, refined, alcohol, processed) - those aisles in the supermarkets full of packets. Nasty.
* Cut trans fatty acids out of your diet - mostly found in foods found in the middle supermarket aisles, see above point. Again, nasty.
* Eat clean foods, organic where possible. Think hunter, gatherer. If not organic go for locally grown produce. Clean foods help your immune system 'army' to fight off any invading cancer causing free radicals.
* Follow a detox protocol which avoids filling the body full of chemicals - eat clean, drink clean, stop smoking, reduce alcohol, use natural, organic skincare products, and household cleaning products (you can smell the nasties in these a mile off), use skin brushing techniques prior to bathing,drink herbal teas rather than regular tea and coffee. This will all help reduce your overall toxic 'load' which will otherwise stockpile the rest of your life.
* Read Detoxify Or Die by Sherry Rogers, MD.
* Buy glass bottles to carry your drinking water around in.
* Help to spread the word to friends and family about the pervasive power of plastics to destroy health.
* Reduce the use of over the counter drugs and medicines to fight minor ailments, which will probably go away on their own given time (and if they don't look for a more natural cure that works on the cause and doesn't just suppress the symptoms). The liver has its work cut out to detox the combination of OTC drugs placing stresses on the body.Prevention is way better than cure - diet, exercise, stress reduction, hydration, positive thinking, good sleep.
*Move your body, that's what we were designed for. Sitting down for eight hours a day helps us store toxins, reduces muscle tissue efficiency, encourages an unhealthy immune system and basically enables the body to forget how it should work.
* Read Eat, Move and Be Healthy by Paul Chek for excellent, detailed information on how to detox your world.
NB. Cancer is caused 95% by diet and environment - protect both of yours because your health is a gift to be cherished at all costs.
I really hope this is food for thought, and of use to ALL readers.
If you need further detail on any of the above bullet points, leave a comment and I'll elaborate.
RX
PS. FREE RADICALS : basically immune system 'invaders'. They come in many shapes and sizes, there are bacteria, viruses and fungi as well as parasites amongst others, all out to reduce our line of defence. They are potentially dangerous chemicals which we can mine-sweep with good antioxidant nutrients. When they take hold we are in danger of dis-ease.
* Reduce the processed foods you eat and particularly microwave meals bought in little plastic tubs. Never microwave plastic pouches, Tupperware or other plastic containers. There is evidence to suggest that the plastic seep into the food and we in turn eat them. They are in the main, non nutrient foods in the first place anyway.
* Keep food in plastic out of the fridge also. Use glass, ceramic or stainless steel. This applies to milk bottles too - decant if you have to.
* Drink filtered water only. Have a water filter attached to your tap, or your fridge water supply, and use a filter kettle for your hot drinks.
* Eat 1-2 portions of brassica vegetables each day, this revs up the ability of the body to de-tox environmental chemicals - they include, broccoli, cauliflower, sprouts, collard greens, cabbage, sauerkraut and kale etc.
*Avoid CRAP foods (caffeine, refined, alcohol, processed) - those aisles in the supermarkets full of packets. Nasty.
* Cut trans fatty acids out of your diet - mostly found in foods found in the middle supermarket aisles, see above point. Again, nasty.
* Eat clean foods, organic where possible. Think hunter, gatherer. If not organic go for locally grown produce. Clean foods help your immune system 'army' to fight off any invading cancer causing free radicals.
* Follow a detox protocol which avoids filling the body full of chemicals - eat clean, drink clean, stop smoking, reduce alcohol, use natural, organic skincare products, and household cleaning products (you can smell the nasties in these a mile off), use skin brushing techniques prior to bathing,drink herbal teas rather than regular tea and coffee. This will all help reduce your overall toxic 'load' which will otherwise stockpile the rest of your life.
* Read Detoxify Or Die by Sherry Rogers, MD.
* Buy glass bottles to carry your drinking water around in.
* Help to spread the word to friends and family about the pervasive power of plastics to destroy health.
* Reduce the use of over the counter drugs and medicines to fight minor ailments, which will probably go away on their own given time (and if they don't look for a more natural cure that works on the cause and doesn't just suppress the symptoms). The liver has its work cut out to detox the combination of OTC drugs placing stresses on the body.Prevention is way better than cure - diet, exercise, stress reduction, hydration, positive thinking, good sleep.
*Move your body, that's what we were designed for. Sitting down for eight hours a day helps us store toxins, reduces muscle tissue efficiency, encourages an unhealthy immune system and basically enables the body to forget how it should work.
* Read Eat, Move and Be Healthy by Paul Chek for excellent, detailed information on how to detox your world.
NB. Cancer is caused 95% by diet and environment - protect both of yours because your health is a gift to be cherished at all costs.
I really hope this is food for thought, and of use to ALL readers.
If you need further detail on any of the above bullet points, leave a comment and I'll elaborate.
RX
PS. FREE RADICALS : basically immune system 'invaders'. They come in many shapes and sizes, there are bacteria, viruses and fungi as well as parasites amongst others, all out to reduce our line of defence. They are potentially dangerous chemicals which we can mine-sweep with good antioxidant nutrients. When they take hold we are in danger of dis-ease.
Monday, 29 June 2009
SUPERFOODS
As promised here's a short blogpost on superfoods for my lovely friend Paul.
There is no official or scientific definition of the term 'superfoods' (despite the fact that is one of the most used words in nutrition currently. The lists quoted often contain a diverse range of foods, from walnuts to salmon, spinach to blueberries.
So what is a 'superfood' - basically a food bursting with goodness and therefore high levels of nutrients and especially antioxidants (those clever things that are able to disarm free radicals and so help boost our immune systems and ultimately help cancer prevention).
Superfoods are all available in supermarkets, no specialist health food shops need to be visited, but please don't stray down the centre aisles full of C.R.A.P. foods.
You will not find any superfoods there. By the way if you've not read my previous blogs C.R.A.P. stands for caffeine, refined, alcohol, and processed. The more processed a food is the more of an anti nutrient food it is and far removed from a superfood.Even foods that have been fortified with vitamins don't count. What's the point of taking all the goodness out to process it and then attempt to put artificial goodness back in??
Anyway, back to superfoods - two of the most seasonal at the moment are asparagus and strawberries; both full of goodness. I think this is obvious by looking at them - fresh, colourful, moist and healthy looking. Put up against Wotsits and marshmallows there's no contest is there?
"The foods we eat are the first line of defense from the negative effects of lifestyle stress, pollution, radiation, and toxic chemicals". So says Amanda Hamilton, nutritionist to the stars.
And so the more superfoods we eat versus processed foods devoid of nutrients, the stronger our immune systems and the greater our chances of staying dis-ease free. Isn't that what we ALL want? Surely no-one wants to be ill, sick, dis-ease ridden and in pain because of a bad diet if they can help it. If we can help ourselves by eating well, and eating right for our types (see Metabolic Typing blogs), we can go a long way to maintaining the healthy body's we need for a long and fulfilling life.
The 'best' diet contains a varied mix of superfoods (and yes OK a small proportion of the other stuff) and the more colourful the better. Aim for five plus of fruit and vegetables a day, ten would be even better, mixed with protein to keep blood sugar stable.
So here's a list of a sample of superfoods - how many have you eaten today?..........
Apples,avocados,broccoli,wild salmon,turkey,seeds,nuts,kiwi fruit,garlic,cinnamon,green tea,dark chocolate (the darker the better 70% cocoa plus),oats,quinoa,pumpkin,spinach,tomatoes,beans and pulses and one of the most quoted : blueberries.
We still have plenty of strawberries by the way but not for much longer, come get them quick.
Today's Tip : have at least two superfoods with each meal, every day. Bet you feel better!
There is no official or scientific definition of the term 'superfoods' (despite the fact that is one of the most used words in nutrition currently. The lists quoted often contain a diverse range of foods, from walnuts to salmon, spinach to blueberries.
So what is a 'superfood' - basically a food bursting with goodness and therefore high levels of nutrients and especially antioxidants (those clever things that are able to disarm free radicals and so help boost our immune systems and ultimately help cancer prevention).
Superfoods are all available in supermarkets, no specialist health food shops need to be visited, but please don't stray down the centre aisles full of C.R.A.P. foods.
You will not find any superfoods there. By the way if you've not read my previous blogs C.R.A.P. stands for caffeine, refined, alcohol, and processed. The more processed a food is the more of an anti nutrient food it is and far removed from a superfood.Even foods that have been fortified with vitamins don't count. What's the point of taking all the goodness out to process it and then attempt to put artificial goodness back in??
Anyway, back to superfoods - two of the most seasonal at the moment are asparagus and strawberries; both full of goodness. I think this is obvious by looking at them - fresh, colourful, moist and healthy looking. Put up against Wotsits and marshmallows there's no contest is there?
"The foods we eat are the first line of defense from the negative effects of lifestyle stress, pollution, radiation, and toxic chemicals". So says Amanda Hamilton, nutritionist to the stars.
And so the more superfoods we eat versus processed foods devoid of nutrients, the stronger our immune systems and the greater our chances of staying dis-ease free. Isn't that what we ALL want? Surely no-one wants to be ill, sick, dis-ease ridden and in pain because of a bad diet if they can help it. If we can help ourselves by eating well, and eating right for our types (see Metabolic Typing blogs), we can go a long way to maintaining the healthy body's we need for a long and fulfilling life.
The 'best' diet contains a varied mix of superfoods (and yes OK a small proportion of the other stuff) and the more colourful the better. Aim for five plus of fruit and vegetables a day, ten would be even better, mixed with protein to keep blood sugar stable.
So here's a list of a sample of superfoods - how many have you eaten today?..........
Apples,avocados,broccoli,wild salmon,turkey,seeds,nuts,kiwi fruit,garlic,cinnamon,green tea,dark chocolate (the darker the better 70% cocoa plus),oats,quinoa,pumpkin,spinach,tomatoes,beans and pulses and one of the most quoted : blueberries.
We still have plenty of strawberries by the way but not for much longer, come get them quick.
Today's Tip : have at least two superfoods with each meal, every day. Bet you feel better!
Friday, 19 June 2009
STRAWBERRIES
We have a little strawberry farm going on in our garden at the moment, and my five year old, Nat, is well in charge of it. Every morning he's out there in his pyjamas with a great big bowl picking the most beautifully sweet, red, strawberries before the birds pinch them.
We're giving them away to family and friends because we can't eat them quick enough!
So, today's blog is about how nutritious these fruits are and how we could all do with including them in our diets (unless you have an allergy to them - apparently it's the protein that forms the structure of the plant that could be responsible).
The ancient Greeks called strawberries 'komaros' meaning 'a mouthful' and they are a perfect size - particularly for children, and so sweet and succulent, what's not to love about them?
The best news in, they are really, really good for us; a true superfood:
Medicinally they are considered to have cleansing properties, due to a combination of their laxative and diuretic actions, and they can be very calming on the skin so useful for treating sunburn and insect bites.
They're rich in the minerals iron,magnesium,potassium and calcium, and are also rich in vitamins A and C. They actually contain more vitamin C per weight than citrus fruit helping the iron in them to be more readily absorbed.
They are extremely low in calories (if this is your thing!) and are also a low GL food meaning they will not spike your blood sugar levels shortly after eating. In fact I recommend strawberries and a few nuts as a mid morning or afternoon snack to clients - a whole punnet of them is the equivalent in GL points to a few dates!
Antioxidant vitamins A and C can help in the mopping up of free radicals, so strawberries can be a good anti cancer food. They are also rich in the soluble fibre, pectin, which can help with cholesterol. This makes them effective against heart and circulatory disease.
One little tip that I learnt just the other day ; when you pick them ,leave the green 'caps' on, as when they are removed an enzyme is activated that destroys vitamin C.
So enjoy them as part of your healthy nutrituous diet, safe in the knowledge that your body will thank you, and if you're a protein type feel free to add some good quality double cream too. I have mine with coconut milk, toasted dessicated coconut, a few nuts and some cinnamon sprinkled on the top. Lovely!
Enjoy. RX
We're giving them away to family and friends because we can't eat them quick enough!
So, today's blog is about how nutritious these fruits are and how we could all do with including them in our diets (unless you have an allergy to them - apparently it's the protein that forms the structure of the plant that could be responsible).
The ancient Greeks called strawberries 'komaros' meaning 'a mouthful' and they are a perfect size - particularly for children, and so sweet and succulent, what's not to love about them?
The best news in, they are really, really good for us; a true superfood:
Medicinally they are considered to have cleansing properties, due to a combination of their laxative and diuretic actions, and they can be very calming on the skin so useful for treating sunburn and insect bites.
They're rich in the minerals iron,magnesium,potassium and calcium, and are also rich in vitamins A and C. They actually contain more vitamin C per weight than citrus fruit helping the iron in them to be more readily absorbed.
They are extremely low in calories (if this is your thing!) and are also a low GL food meaning they will not spike your blood sugar levels shortly after eating. In fact I recommend strawberries and a few nuts as a mid morning or afternoon snack to clients - a whole punnet of them is the equivalent in GL points to a few dates!
Antioxidant vitamins A and C can help in the mopping up of free radicals, so strawberries can be a good anti cancer food. They are also rich in the soluble fibre, pectin, which can help with cholesterol. This makes them effective against heart and circulatory disease.
One little tip that I learnt just the other day ; when you pick them ,leave the green 'caps' on, as when they are removed an enzyme is activated that destroys vitamin C.
So enjoy them as part of your healthy nutrituous diet, safe in the knowledge that your body will thank you, and if you're a protein type feel free to add some good quality double cream too. I have mine with coconut milk, toasted dessicated coconut, a few nuts and some cinnamon sprinkled on the top. Lovely!
Enjoy. RX
Thursday, 18 June 2009
PLATEAU
It's great wehn you first start out on a new fitness and health 'regime'. You're motivated, you're doing something different and if you stick to it strictly (and it's a good, sensible plan for you) you WILL get results. Eventually though, however much you stick to your plan you'll reach a plateau, a frustrating plateau! This is because the body is great at adapting, and this is what it's done. It's got used to the change and thinks this is now the norm so less effort is required.
So today's short blog is purely to give you a few pointers to overcoming a plateau :
1. Shape up your exercise - make sure you're doing regular sessions; is it possible to squeeze another one in, in the week?. Government recommendations are five times a week for 30 minutes, but if you're smart you can do less and achieve more. It comes down to intensity - forget the steady state cardio ie. running at the same pace for the duration of your exercise session.
2. Push through your comfort zone - that's what us personal trainers are here for. To help you go further than you would if you were working out on your own. I often get clients saying part way through a session " I would have stopped by now if you weren't here".
3. Do the opposite of what you're currently doing. Give your body a shock! If you're currently working out using a stability ball use dumbbells instead. If you're using a rowing machine, get on a bike instead. Shake it up a bit and your body doesn't know what to expect so the adaptation process can't happen.
4. Eat more, but the right stuff. If you're eating right for your body type you should be able to eat regualr meals of adequate proportions to fill you up, so you don't feel as if you're depriving yourself. Metabolic Typing does not use calorie counting, traffic light systems, or any type of food restricting etc.
5. Keep a food diary. Record every morsel that passes your lips, food and drink, and review it regularly. You may be very suprised at how much 'non nutrient'food you are snacking on, even if your main meals are home prepared.
6. Plan - it really is all in the planning. I set out my exercise plan at the beginning of each week, and work out all my meals and snacks for the following day, the night before. Sounds a bit dull but you soon get used to it, and it means YOU are in control. Take a little time to plan ahead and reap the benefits.
GOOD LUCK. RX
So today's short blog is purely to give you a few pointers to overcoming a plateau :
1. Shape up your exercise - make sure you're doing regular sessions; is it possible to squeeze another one in, in the week?. Government recommendations are five times a week for 30 minutes, but if you're smart you can do less and achieve more. It comes down to intensity - forget the steady state cardio ie. running at the same pace for the duration of your exercise session.
2. Push through your comfort zone - that's what us personal trainers are here for. To help you go further than you would if you were working out on your own. I often get clients saying part way through a session " I would have stopped by now if you weren't here".
3. Do the opposite of what you're currently doing. Give your body a shock! If you're currently working out using a stability ball use dumbbells instead. If you're using a rowing machine, get on a bike instead. Shake it up a bit and your body doesn't know what to expect so the adaptation process can't happen.
4. Eat more, but the right stuff. If you're eating right for your body type you should be able to eat regualr meals of adequate proportions to fill you up, so you don't feel as if you're depriving yourself. Metabolic Typing does not use calorie counting, traffic light systems, or any type of food restricting etc.
5. Keep a food diary. Record every morsel that passes your lips, food and drink, and review it regularly. You may be very suprised at how much 'non nutrient'food you are snacking on, even if your main meals are home prepared.
6. Plan - it really is all in the planning. I set out my exercise plan at the beginning of each week, and work out all my meals and snacks for the following day, the night before. Sounds a bit dull but you soon get used to it, and it means YOU are in control. Take a little time to plan ahead and reap the benefits.
GOOD LUCK. RX
Monday, 15 June 2009
CARBOHYDRATES
I've been hearing alot of people talking about carbs over the last week or so and how you should 'load up' on carbs before you do any endurance exercise. That may work for some people but if I did that I'd be flagging virtually immediately.
My body needs dense protein, it's taken me a while to work it out. I couldn't understand for years why when I eat pasta for lunch I feel dreadful an hour or so later -sluggish, sleepy, lethargic, definitely not up for doing anything energetic. The pasta party the night before the Great North Run would definitely have to be an invitation I'd decline.
However, I have a friend who is a vegetarian and she is also a marathon runner. She copes very well on a bowl of pasta for a meal, it'll last her for hours.She's a carb type through and through and she's worked out what foods do it for her.
So carbs are right for some people, but it's not a rule that they MUST be eaten before endurance sport. We are all different; we look different on the outside and so we are just as different on the inside which is why some ways of eating work well for some people and not for others. Put me on the Atkins diet and I'd do really well, but my friend definitely would not.
Most people are a bit confused as to which foods 'work' for them because when you put processed foods into the mix it messes things up. They confuse the body, they stimulate it with chemicals, they raise blood sugar levels and then drop them from a great height, they help to dehydrate, they alter moods - all of this prevents us from being in tune with what our body's really need.
One thing's for sure though, we don't need the amount of refined carbohydrates that we consume as a nation. Crisps, white bread, white rice, white pasta, cakes, muffins, buns, confectionary, alcohol, chocolate, the majority of breakfast cereals etc. = refined carbs.
And these are the foods that are making us fat, in the main. Our body's process them like sugar,so ultimately we can become insulin resistant and diabetic (apart from all the other health issues they raise). The rise in the number of people who have diabetes and those that are going to get it in the near future is scary, and alot of these statistics will be children.
This can be prevented by eating a diet of Low Glycaemic Index foods ie. slow release energy foods, such as oats, brown rice, wholewheat, spelt, buckwheat pasta, wholegrain/rye/spelt breads. Basically denser, heavier, more fibrous foods that take more time to be digested and therefore offer more sustenance to the body keeping it fuller for longer.
I know that when my children eat crisps they will be hungry shortly afterwards; the same goes for a piece of cake or a white bread bun. If they eat oatcakes with cheese they will not. Adults are exactly the same.
Processed foods send messages to the body that say " ok, well I've got some food but it's not the food I need so I'm assuming something better is coming along". If we continue to eat processed foods, the body continues to think this way, which is why people have the capacity to eat ENORMOUS amounts of C.R.A.P. foods which make them fat but don't satisfy them.
How about cutting out processed foods for a week, all of them, just as an experiment to see how your body reacts. You'll get very clear meassages then telling you which unprocessed foods are working for you, which ones you need to keep your blood sugar levels on an even keel and which ones make you feel below par.
This is where Metabolic Typing can help. Bet you were wondering when I was going to mention it!
I know I harp on about it alot but it really is such a tried and tested method of eating. No calorie counting, no gimmicks, no bars, no shakes, no points, no traffic light systems, no humiliating jump on the scales each week in front of a load of strangers. Just a list of foods that are right for your body, gained from answering some questions on your psychological, dietary and physical traits. Very straight forward, it really is.
If you've been struggling with your weight, with bloating, with abdominal discomfort, with food cravings, with mood swings, with low energy levels,lethargy, insomnia and many other symptoms METABOLIC TYPING could be just the thing for you.
Call or text or email me to discuss. It can be done remotely, as well as face to face.
Today's Tip : Take charge of your eating - starting today. I guarantee you'll feel better for it, ultimately.
My body needs dense protein, it's taken me a while to work it out. I couldn't understand for years why when I eat pasta for lunch I feel dreadful an hour or so later -sluggish, sleepy, lethargic, definitely not up for doing anything energetic. The pasta party the night before the Great North Run would definitely have to be an invitation I'd decline.
However, I have a friend who is a vegetarian and she is also a marathon runner. She copes very well on a bowl of pasta for a meal, it'll last her for hours.She's a carb type through and through and she's worked out what foods do it for her.
So carbs are right for some people, but it's not a rule that they MUST be eaten before endurance sport. We are all different; we look different on the outside and so we are just as different on the inside which is why some ways of eating work well for some people and not for others. Put me on the Atkins diet and I'd do really well, but my friend definitely would not.
Most people are a bit confused as to which foods 'work' for them because when you put processed foods into the mix it messes things up. They confuse the body, they stimulate it with chemicals, they raise blood sugar levels and then drop them from a great height, they help to dehydrate, they alter moods - all of this prevents us from being in tune with what our body's really need.
One thing's for sure though, we don't need the amount of refined carbohydrates that we consume as a nation. Crisps, white bread, white rice, white pasta, cakes, muffins, buns, confectionary, alcohol, chocolate, the majority of breakfast cereals etc. = refined carbs.
And these are the foods that are making us fat, in the main. Our body's process them like sugar,so ultimately we can become insulin resistant and diabetic (apart from all the other health issues they raise). The rise in the number of people who have diabetes and those that are going to get it in the near future is scary, and alot of these statistics will be children.
This can be prevented by eating a diet of Low Glycaemic Index foods ie. slow release energy foods, such as oats, brown rice, wholewheat, spelt, buckwheat pasta, wholegrain/rye/spelt breads. Basically denser, heavier, more fibrous foods that take more time to be digested and therefore offer more sustenance to the body keeping it fuller for longer.
I know that when my children eat crisps they will be hungry shortly afterwards; the same goes for a piece of cake or a white bread bun. If they eat oatcakes with cheese they will not. Adults are exactly the same.
Processed foods send messages to the body that say " ok, well I've got some food but it's not the food I need so I'm assuming something better is coming along". If we continue to eat processed foods, the body continues to think this way, which is why people have the capacity to eat ENORMOUS amounts of C.R.A.P. foods which make them fat but don't satisfy them.
How about cutting out processed foods for a week, all of them, just as an experiment to see how your body reacts. You'll get very clear meassages then telling you which unprocessed foods are working for you, which ones you need to keep your blood sugar levels on an even keel and which ones make you feel below par.
This is where Metabolic Typing can help. Bet you were wondering when I was going to mention it!
I know I harp on about it alot but it really is such a tried and tested method of eating. No calorie counting, no gimmicks, no bars, no shakes, no points, no traffic light systems, no humiliating jump on the scales each week in front of a load of strangers. Just a list of foods that are right for your body, gained from answering some questions on your psychological, dietary and physical traits. Very straight forward, it really is.
If you've been struggling with your weight, with bloating, with abdominal discomfort, with food cravings, with mood swings, with low energy levels,lethargy, insomnia and many other symptoms METABOLIC TYPING could be just the thing for you.
Call or text or email me to discuss. It can be done remotely, as well as face to face.
Today's Tip : Take charge of your eating - starting today. I guarantee you'll feel better for it, ultimately.
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