Archive for April 2010
One body…..so why do we abuse it?
30/04/2010 by admin.
One question I seem to be constantly asking is why people don’t value their health. Instead people abuse their bodies through smoking, alcohol, poor diets, high stress levels and lack of exercise. It seems that it takes a serious health issue before many people are prepared to change their lifestyle. Even then, after a period of time, they become used to their new status, perhaps now a diabetic or someone with a heart problem and then settle back into old habits ignoring the health issues.
We only have one body, we each have control over our own lives, we should not blame others for the state we are in. We have to take responsibility for our own health.
Are you managing your stress levels?
28/04/2010 by admin.
When we are stressed, the body produces hormones adrenalin and noradrenaline as it goes into ‘fight or flight’ response.
As a result of a release of these chemicals our bodies react by:
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raising blood sugar levels so that we have the energy to deal with the stress
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increased breathing rate to aid more oxygen circulating around the body
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blood is diverted from some areas such as stomach to priority areas. This is why we often don’t feel like eating when under a lot of stress
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we tend to sweat more – this allows the body to dispose of toxins and keep the body cool
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our pupils dilate to allow better vision
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our muscles tense so that they are ready to react to the situation
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our pulse rate and blood pressure increase this enables more blood to pump around the body so that we are ready to react to the situation
Managed stress can be a positive thing but when stress gets out of control or is too frequent it can impact our health resulting in high blood pressure, a precursor to a stroke or heart disease. Exercise is a great way to reduce stress, it helps to bring blood pressure down and utilises the hormones noted above. I’ve used exercise for many years as a great way to reduce my stress. It enables me to think through solutions and I get most of my best ideas when I am training. Training leaves me feeling calmer and puts me in a good mood.
If you find you are frequently stressed, make a note in a dairy of these issues which affect you and take time to come up with strategies to help you cope with stress. Ask friends for advice on how to cope with stress, sometimes having a different perspective can be useful. Also watch how people that manage stress well deal with it or ask them how they stay calm in stressful situations.
Saturday’s Boot Camp
27/04/2010 by admin.
Saturday’s boot camp will be at Fort Richmond at 10 am. You might need your SPF.
Tonight’s Boot Camp
27/04/2010 by admin.
Well done to all boot camp participants for their efforts tonight. We had 5 newbies amongst the 18 participants, 3 of which were part of the ’steal the cones’ winning team.
Why high protein diets are bad news
27/04/2010 by admin.
Many popular diets suggest you eat lots of protein and sometimes fat and very little carbohydrate. A conversion with a new client prompted me to write this blog post.
High protein, low carbohydrate diets are popular because there is a quick initial weight loss. However, the bad news is that much of the initial weight loss is water.
There’s more bad news to come. These high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets, force your body to begin a process known as ‘ketosis’ in order to burn fats, which results in fast weight loss. Long periods of ketosis can result in serious health problems and can damage your kidneys and liver. Ketosis is a process by which your body converts fats into energy. During this conversion process, ketones are produced as a by-product. Ketones make your breath smell – some people mistake this smell for alcohol….hmm…not pleasant.
Your body uses glucose, which comes from carbohydrate, to meet much of your energy needs and certainly for any high intensity exercise. If your body has insufficient glucose available, it will begin ketosis to obtain energy from fats stored in the body.
Your brain can only utilise carbohydrates to function properly, hence high protein diets can impact your thought processes, reaction time and other motor skills.
Forget the quick weight loss route and opt for exercising 3 times per week sufficient to raise your heart rate and breathing levels and a healthy, well balanced diet.
Today’s Boot Camp
27/04/2010 by admin.
Tonight’s boot camp will be held at Saumarez Park - meeting in the rear car park at 7.15 pm.
What’s been happening
27/04/2010 by admin.
It’s been a busy few days, two cycle ramp tests on Friday gave an insight into the improvements my trainees have made. One had improved a massive 45 watts in 4 weeks of training. My boot camp participants were running their hearts out on Saturday at Chouet. Sunday was a road race which was won by James McLaughlin who is riding so well this year with more to come. So it’s been an exciting few days.
Eat more whole grains foods for good health
23/04/2010 by admin.
Whole grains are high in fibre and are full of antioxidants which cannot be found in fruits and vegetables. The best way to increase your consumption of whole grain foods is to replace some of your refined-grain products (eg white rice, bread and pasta) with whole grain. The more you can replace the better for your health. Using whole grains will also help with weight management. By way of example, replace half the white flour with whole wheat flour in your regular baking recipes eg for cakes etc. Use wholemeal bread instead of white bread when having toast for breakfast or when making sandwiches. Add brown rice, barley or wild rice to your soup or casserole.
Anaemia - how to avoid it
22/04/2010 by admin.
Continuing on the theme of anaemia here is some information how to avoid it. Include iron-rich foods in your diet such as lean meat, poultry and fish. Other sources of iron include cereals, wholemeal bread, eggs and dried fruit iron-enriched grains, tofu, spinach, and beans. You should always take in your iron-rich foods with a rich source of vitamin C, such as glass of orange juice, to aid absorption.Some foods inhibit the absorption of iron and should therefore be eaten separately. These include tea, wheat bran, and foods which are high in calcium such as milk, yoghurt, cheese, almonds, antacids, and calcium-phosphate supplements.
If your regular diet tends to be low in iron, consider taking a multi-vitamin which contains 15 mg of iron. Seek medical advice before taking supplements or making dramatic changes to your diet.
Anaemia explained (part II)
21/04/2010 by admin.
Symptoms of anaemia tend not to appear overnight; hence it can creep up on you. Early symptoms tend to be, dryness in the mouth and throat, sores at the corners of the mouth, burning sensation on the tongue, brittle nails and hair, difficulty swallowing, fatigue and sometimes palpitations.
As anaemia develops sufferers can experience shortness of breath and sometimes dizziness. In extreme cases angina (pain in the chest), headaches and pains in the legs might be experienced
