Archive for April 2009
Avoid those empty calories
30/04/2009 by admin.
Much of the average person’s diet comes from empty calories, ie sugar, fat and refined flours. “What are empty calories?”… I hear you ask. These are calories which provide little or no nutritional value. They tend to be hidden in sugary snacks and processed foods.
By way of example, during the refining process wheat loses approximately 85% of its essential minerals.
So “why do we need all these vitamins and minerals?”…I am sure that is your next question. Well they increase and balance our energy levels, improve childhood development, reduce aggression levels, help to prevent some birth defects, boost our immunity, balance moods, reduce the risk of cancers and heart disease and increase IQ levels.
Need I say more?
Saturday’s Boot Camp
30/04/2009 by admin.
The venue for Saturday’s boot camp is Fort Houmet and we will start at 10 am. Remember to dress for the weather and bring some fluids.
Hope to see you there.
BTW, just a reminder that there will be no boot camp on Saturday 9 May (Liberation Day) so the last one in this series will be on the following Tuesday - venue tba.
A bad way to lose weight
29/04/2009 by admin.
In my humble opinion many weight loss methods don’t work. Yes, in many cases, you do lose weight whilst you follow them but what happens when you come off the programme? In the majority of cases, the weight piles back on (sounds familiar?). There are few programmes that you can follow for eternity as so many of these weight loss methods are not practical for day to day life.
Why is this? It’s because many of these methods that work with points systems or by avoiding certain food types teach you little or nothing about managing your own diet. Eg. you can still eat that cake provided you are within your daily points although that cake will provide you with only short term energy whilst your body stores the excess sugar as fat.
That’s why I don’t agree with dieting. I believe it is important for people to get into a lifestyle of eating that they can continue going forward. I work on a basis of providing you with the knowledge that you need to manage your own diet and getting you into a good routine, eating the right things at the right times. That is not to say that you can never eat cake again but it’s a cake of consuming good foods 80-90% of the time.
The Third Nutrient….what does it do?
28/04/2009 by admin.
We all hear about the 3 main nutrients of carbohydrates, protein and fats. We also know they are all important to help us function properly but do we really know much about protein? Here is a summary of some of the key roles provided by protein.
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Proteins are involved in muscle contraction so are particularly important for those of us that are active.
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We have structural proteins such as ligaments and tendons at the end of muscles which help with movement.
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Our hair and nails are also formed with structural proteins. The condition of your hair and nails can be a good indication of the quality of your diet.
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Proteins are antibodies which fight infection.
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Proteins are messengers which coordinate certain activities within our bodies that help to control functions such as blood sugar levels and muscle growth.
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Enzymes involved in various chemical reactions in the body are proteins, an example of this is the digestive function.
Personal Trainers - should we walk the walk?
27/04/2009 by admin.
My own view on personal trainers is “yes” we should walk the walk and not just talk the talk.
When I was undertaking my PT course, one of the students (soon to be personal trainer) drew my attention. This is because she ate a load of rubbish - cakes, chocolate, crisps. Interestingly her energy levels were all over the place; one minute she’s be buzzing and fidgety, the next slumped in her chair falling asleep. Also, she stood out for me (and the lecturer) as the only one on the course that had no interest in participating in what we were doing.
Before you ask…”no” she did not epitomise health and fitness - she didn’t look fit or lean. Why would anyone go to this woman for personal training? She appeared to have no motivational skills, couldn’t imagine her being encouraging to anyone. If I were the lecturer, I would not have passed her.
Surely personal trainers have to believe in the concept of a healthy lifestyle and live it too. We should be fit, we should eat healthily, we should lead by example. Otherwise, why would you believe a word we say or why would we motivate you to improve your lifestyle?
Answers or thoughts on a postcard (or by replying to this blog).
Too much of a good thing
25/04/2009 by admin.
We need to consume both omega 3 and omega 6 oils to maintain good health. Interestingly our intake of omega 3 has shrunk dramatically over the years but our intake of omega 6 has doubled over the past 70 years. This is not a good thing. The most common advice is that we should be consuming equal amounts of these two oils.
Foods which contain the highest amounts of omega 3 are oily fish (eg salmon and mackerel), soybeans, flax seeds, canola oil and walnuts. Omega 6 is found in safflower oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, processed food and animal based foods.
Too much omega 6 can cause blood clotting which can lead to heart attacks or strokes and suppress our immune systems. They can also promote the growth of cancer cells.
So, as a general rule, we are looking to achieve a more balanced diet, perhaps more oily fish and less processed foods and animal based foods.
More about omega oils later.
Saturday’s Boot Camp
23/04/2009 by admin.
This Saturday we will be on Lihou Island headland at 10.00 am.
Remember to dress for the occasion and bring some drink with you.
Are you getting your essential fatty acids?
22/04/2009 by admin.
Omega-3 fats are known as essential fatty acids (“EFAs”) because they are important for good health and are a good source of brain food. The body cannot make these fatty acids on its own so omega-3s must be obtained from food.
We can obtain these types of fatty acids from a wide selection of fish including salmon, tuna, sardines, trout, sword fish, herring and mackerel to name some. We can also obtain omega 3 fatty acids from dark green leafy vegetables, rapeseed, evening primrose and walnut oils and some vegetable oils.
Cheating of the highest order
19/04/2009 by admin.
Watch this YouTube entry from 3 mins 40. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoEd0w-BmfI. I hate cheating in sport of any nature but you don’t get much more obvious than this. Nothing short of a lifetime ban would suffice if you ask me but I gather this guy might get away with it.
