Archive for March 2010
Fuel up after your workout
17/03/2010 by admin.
Need to fuel up after you gym workout or prepare yourself for a tough day? Scrambled eggs on wholemeal toast provide a great balance of carbohydrates and protein. Add to this some smoked salmon and a squeeze of lemon to provide that extra protein boost.
Saturday’s Boot Camp
16/03/2010 by admin.
Saturday’s boot camp will be held at Fort Richmond starting at 10 am. See you there.
I Love Data
15/03/2010 by admin.
Anyone that knows me is aware how much I love statistics and data. To that end my new scales are providing me with plenty of information such as Body Fat (separately advised for each limb and the trunk), same for Muscle, Bone Mass (useful for anyone with osteo concerns or problems), Basal Metabolic Rate, Visceral Fat, Water % and Metabolic Age.
Some of my clients are loving this information, ie those with a Metabolic Age younger than their actual age. Of course there is the downside for those with a Metabolic Age older than they are. However, that does give them a incentive to bring that figure down.
There is a serious side to all this information - all these figures are crucial in terms of health and fitness and could provide an early indication of possible health concerns.
Are you lacking energy?
14/03/2010 by admin.
There are many reasons why you might feel tired. If you have put on weight, lugging around that spare tyre can exhaust you. Look at your sugar intake – are you eating too many sugary foods (see previous posts on sugary foods). Sugary foods plays havoc with your energy levels – giving you peaks and troughs in energy.
Are you eating enough? Particularly if you are trying to lose weight, it is possible that your body is not having sufficient nutrients. Not only this, but you could actually be slowing down your metabolism which will slow down your weight loss. In particular, if you have cut out or drastically reduced your carbohydrate intake, this will impact your energy levels.
If you eat little and often, your energy levels stay more stable. Have porridge for breakfast with a few seeds and a spoonful of natural probiotic yoghurt or eggs on whole meal toast. Eat quality protein such as oily fish, the light parts of chicken and cottage cheese. Snack on fruit with a few nuts, oat cakes, rice cakes with hummus or peanut butter. Ensure you eat plenty of vegetables – don’t miss out on your greens, reds, yellows or blues when it comes to fruit and vegetables.
Get some exercise! You might not feel like it but start with 5-10 minutes of exercise and build from there.
Are you meeting your daily fibre requirements?
11/03/2010 by admin.
We don’t tend to consume sufficient fibre. Lack of fibre can lead to constipation and other health problems. The daily recommended fibre consumption is 20g - 30g per day.
I’ve noted below some areas which will help you improve your daily fibre intake:-
- Ensure your breakfast cereal contains 5g+ of fibre. Opt for ‘no added sugar’ museli, wholemeal toast or porridge.
- Beans are a good source of fibre. A 75g tin of red kidney beans provides 4.7g fibre. Baked beans are high in fibre but don’t consume these too often as they also contain sugar and salt.
- Get the recommended daily intake of 5 fruit/vegetables. These will massively help towards your daily requirement of fibre.
- Consume potatoes, wholemeal rice and pasta.
- Switch white bread for wholemeal bread, which contains approximately 2g fibre per slice compared to 0.5g fibre for white bread.
Eating sufficient fibre can help with weight loss and weight management as foods high in fibre fill you up more and are lower in calories.
Along with our 20-30g of fibre per day, we need to drink sufficient fluids. Recommendations suggest we should consume somewhere around 1.5 - 2 litres of fluid per day.
Saturday’s Boot Camp
09/03/2010 by admin.
Saturday’s boot camp will be held at the Reservoir starting at 10 am. Wrap up warm.
How balanced is your diet? Part II
09/03/2010 by admin.
As promised, here are some more tips for you:-
- Limit your intake of sugary foods. It’s often forgotten that sugar is in many drinks (canned and some coffees), sauces, canned food and salad dressings to name some areas. Of course there’s the obvious such as cakes, biscuits, chocolate etc but then I don’t really think I need to tell you that.
- Use skimmed or semi-skimmed milk. Also opt for low-fat cheeses such as cottage cheese, edam, feta and mozzarella.
- Limit your salt intake - don’t add to food or cooking and don’t consume too much processed food.
How balanced is your diet?
08/03/2010 by admin.
Are you doing all the necessary things to ensure that you have a well balanced diet? Here are a few things you can work on:-
- Start the day off with breakfast. Something along the lines of porridge or wholemeal toast and a poached egg.
- Eat 2 - 3 portions of fish every week, preferably oily fish to get the ‘good’ oils that your body needs.
- Cut out white bread - replace with granary or wholemeal. Also cut out or reduce white rice and pasta.
- Eat sufficient slow burning carbohydrates such as rice, couscous, bulgar wheat, wholemeal bread. Complex carbohydrates should take up about 60% of your daily food intake.
- Eat 5 portions of fruit and vegetables each day. Aim for variety - don’t get stuck eating the same fruit and veg each day.
How close are you to achieving the above?
More tips to follow.
Fitness Studio Update
05/03/2010 by admin.
It’s been a busy week as the builders have moved off site and my fitness equipment has arrived. My clients survived the first few sessions in my fitness studio. I am delighted with the studio, both in terms of appearance and the quality of equipment.
I am also looking forward to using the equipment myself and poor ole Mike will be directed to the fitness studio to fight the flab.
Thanks to everyone involved in doing such a great job, in particular Phil and his mob, Dave B, Andy, Dave H and Paul L.
Many benefits of Quercetin
05/03/2010 by admin.
Quercetin is found in plant pigments called flavonoids that give many fruits and vegetables their colour. It can also be purchased as a dietary supplement.
Quercetin is a natural anti-histamine. Along with other allergies, it has been known to relieve asthma symptoms. It is also a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Research suggests that quercetin might help to prevent cancer, in particular prostate cancer.
Quercetin reduces the risk of atherosclerosis - this is build up of plaque in arteries that can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
Quercetin can be found in fruit and vegetables, in particular apples, citrus fruits, red onions, parsley. Other sources include olive oil, dark cherries, grapes, blackberries and blueberries.
Check with your doctor before taking any dietary supplements.
