Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Project YOU!


All of my wonderful clients are articulate, interesting, fabulous women who love life and have their individual passions.

Whether it's theater, shopping, family, tap-dancing, socialising with friends, Master Chef, or whatever you just love doing, it's time to put yourself in the picture and make your next project YOU.

You've all been training consistently for almost two months (give yourself credit for this), and have noticed changes in your energy levels, strength, flexibility & attitudes (more credit here).

Now that your training has become part of your life, you may already be planning the next stage of your health journey.... make yourself your new favourite project!

Just like any other event or project, work out where you want to end up, break up the steps into weekly & monthly goals and make them a priority in your life, the same way you have done with your training.

Make one change at a time, consolidate before moving on to the next one.
Remember that consistency beats intensity and believe that you really are worth it!


Time passes, it's what we do in that time that matters, so make sure you're using the time you have to create your best life (okay, now I sound like Oprah, but she's right ;)

Where will you be in 12 months time?

I can't wait to see your vision of YOU!


Can I say again how proud I am of all your efforts over the past couple of months.

You have made a commitment to your health and your Self that has amazing changes taking place in your mind, body and spirit; notice and enjoy the fruits of your good works!

Links

Nutrition Australia

Eggs Are A Great (and cheap) Source Of Protein

Why Some Foods Are Addictive

How Sleep Problems Contribute To Weight Gain

Preventing Osteoporosis

Are Recipes Making Us Fat?

The Problem With Salt

Dangerous Levels of Salt in Takeaway Food

Thursday, July 23, 2009

You Do The Maths - Say No To Useless Calories


A common goal among most of my clients is Body Fat Reduction or weight loss, and you have taken the first step in beginning a regular exercise program.

What you need to know is what you eat and how much you eat has a more significant effect on weight loss than exercise alone.

It is far easier to reduce consumption by 500 calories a day, than to burn off 500 calories a day with exercise.

One study, (funded by Curves, but peer-reviewed) found that replacing carbohydrate with protein, while keeping fat intake at recommended levels, (30% of daily calorie intake) has been shown to provide the largest decreases in waist circumference, body-mass & fat-mass.

Example: a 35 year old woman who is 160cms tall, weighing 120kgs has a BMI of 47 and is morbidly obese. This woman needs 1935 calories per day at rest, to maintain her body functions of breathing, heartbeat & temperature, without losing weight.

It really is all about the numbers; if you consume more calories than you use, you will gain weight and of course the composition of those calories is also a factor. The amount of calories your body needs to maintain it's current weigh is less than you think, so spend your calories wisely.

"Objective analysis shows that cuts in calorie consumption add up faster than increases in exercise. Studies show that a combination of smaller portions and changes in what we eat can easily add up to reduce calorie consumption by 500 daily, whereas burning an extra 500 calories daily can be a daunting target.

Exercise plus lower calories for women

In a study conducted at the University of Minnesota, moderate or substantial drops in dietary fat were linked to weight loss in overweight and obese men and women, regardless of how much they changed physical activity.

On average, these successful program participants decreased the number of high-fat foods they ate by five to ten servings a week. In women, even substantial increases in exercise were not enough to produce weight loss if they did not decrease fat consumption."


A Harvard study published in the New England Journal of Medicine stresses that any diet is useless if the calorie count is too high.

Spend your calories wisely, eat well and have more energy to live your great life!

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Congratulations Magda!


If you've been following Magda Szubanski's Journey with Jenny (Craig), you'll be pleased to see how "Fit & Foxy" she's looking after about a year of commitment to her health.

Keep running the long race.

Make the manageable changes that pay big dividends for your future.

Challenge the negative thoughts, actions & people in your life that sabotage your goals

Congratulate yourself for every single thing you are doing to live your great
life!

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Get It Done!


Just a little exercise humour to keep you smiling in your busy day.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Potato & Broccoli Soup

Another deliciously easy recipe that you'll love.

If you've watched the DVD I have been lending out, 10 Things You Need To Know About Losing Weight, you may recall that thick and hearty soup helps you feel fuller for longer.

Having soup as a starter will also help to reduce portion sizes of your main meal, or you may find you enjoy soup as a meal in itself.

This soup also works well with leek instead of broccoli.

Ingredients:
1 tbspn olive oil
2 broccoli heads, trim stalks and dice
3 large potatoes, diced (I leave the skin on for added nutrients & to thicken)
500 ml chicken stock (most are suitable for vegetarians)
1.5 lt water
1 cup milk (optional)
Salt & pepper to taste

Method:
Heat oil in large saucepan on medium heat
Add potato & broccoli, cook for 2 minutes, stirring to avoid sticking
Stir in stock & water, bring to boil for 20 minutes
Puree (I love the stick whiz!)
Stir in milk (optional) & season to taste

This serves 4 as an entree.
To make more, double the veggies but only use 50% more liquid. Eg. 6 x potatoes, 750ml stock, 2.5lt water. Freezes & defrost well.



Thursday, July 16, 2009

Training Results - Part I



If you've been training with me for a little while, you may be starting to get frustrated that you cannot yet see the results of all your hard work.

Rest assured there are changes happening within your body that are important even though they are not yet visually apparent, and they are doing you and your body good!

Remember, most of you were not participating in any form of exercise before, and your heart, lungs, brain, muscles, bones, veins & arteries, are all changing because you are doing what needs to be done for your health.

Your heart is a muscle like any other in your body, and when you work it regularly (yes, that's the 60% of Maximum Heart Rate I get you warming up with on the bike or elliptical ;) it gets stronger; building muscle mass throughout your body helps burn more fat, and also lets your bones know they need to build themselves stronger, to cope with the extra demands on them.

Some of you have reported there is no more 3pm "energy slump" that previously had you reaching for the chocolate pick-me-up, and that you have noticed improvements in your mood and a feeling of general well-being.

I applaud you for this, for giving time to yourself now, working towards future health and for Getting It Done!


Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Hey Sugar...

The latest ABC Science show Ockham's Razor was all about sugar and makes for interesting reading.

Here's an extract:

"Important new appetite-related hormones were discovered and what emerged from two decades of work was a scientific consensus as to how we digest food and how our appetite control system works.

We are designed for equilibrium.

Like all other animals, we won't get fat unless something is broken about our appetite control system.


When we eat fat and protein a hormone is released by our gut that tells us to stop eating when we've had enough.

When we eat carbohydrates a different hormone is released by our pancreas that does the same thing.

That is true of most carbohydrates, but there is one that doesn't trip either appetite control switch: fructose. Fructose is one half of sugar. Everything that contains sugar, contains fructose.

Now that on its own wouldn't be such a big deal if we didn't eat much fructose.

The worst case would be that we'd eat a few more calories than our brains thought we did.

Unfortunately, our livers are blindingly efficient at converting it to fat.

Before you even finish the glass of apple juice, the fructose in the first mouthful will be circulating in your bloodstream as fat."

Think about what you're eating, and why; occasional treats, parties and celebrations are fine, just not every meal, every day.






Monday, July 13, 2009

Tomato Pasta Sauce & Your 5-A-Day Veggies

A simple-to-make pasta sauce can contain all of your 5-a-day veggies, especially when you get creative.

I am a huge fan of pasta sauce.

  • it's easy to cook - leave it to simmer for maximum flavour.
  • it's cheap - meat/veggie protein + tomato and onion and whatever veggies you have in the fridge, pantry or freezer.it's quick - you can have it on the table in under 30 minutes.
  • it also freezes & defrosts well, so is worth making a larger batch
All you have to do is add 3 more veggies you and your family enjoy or can easily hide in the tomatoey goodness.

I generally use a food processor to whiz up the veggies, as there's isn't always time to chop, and add things like: carrots, cabbage, beans, legumes (lentils thicken the sauce nicely), capsicum, mushrooms, sweet potato, green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, whatever you like!

Ingredients:

200g pasta & pot of water 400g lean meat or vegetable protein (eg. tofu, legumes)
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 bottle tomato puree (often called sugo or passata on the jar)
1 onion, chopped garlic to taste
salt, oregano, basil to taste
200ml red wine, optional

Method:
Heat pan on the stove and add a small amount of olive oil.
When the oil is hot a
dd the chopped onion, and veggies until they soften, then and add the meat to brown.

Add canned tomatoes,
garlic, tomato puree & wine.
Add herbs & simmer until liquid has reduced.

Cook a handful of pasta per person or have this sauce in a wrap, burrito-style.

Combine & enjoy! :)

For all you MasterChef fans... don't just be a spectator, be a creator!


Sunday, July 12, 2009

Sitting Is Bad For You

This article from today's Age newspaper, explains how sitting too much is a risk factor for all kinds of "lifestyle" diseases... who new it could contribute to diabetes?

"Sitting too much is not the same as lack of exercise," says Neville Owen, Professor of Health Behaviour at the University of Queensland. "Too much sitting is also associated with a unique sedentary physiology. Cells in the muscles start putting out signals and chemicals into the blood that cascade up through a series of changes to things like unhealthy triglyceride patterns, too much glucose. It's a recipe for diabetes."

Professor Owen says long periods of sitting are also a likely factor in heart disease and breast and bowel cancers.

"People are so inactive, we've evolved a society where people can pretty much even sit to get anywhere we want," he says. "Most of our time is sitting now."
Link
Read more

Enjoy... and then get up and do something fun!



Thursday, July 9, 2009

Links

Heard of NEAT? Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis?

It's the moving around you do in daily life.. make it work for you!

More info on Incidental Exercise and the benefits of Physical Activity





Monday, July 6, 2009

Motivation

Thank you for voting in the What Stops You From Exercising quiz.

Most of you have said being Unmotivated is what stops you.. no surprises there, it's what stops most of us; we think we need to "feel like it" before we do anything, but that's not true.

If everyone waited around until they "felt like it", an awful lot wouldn't get done in this world.

We all do certain things to have our life be a certain way; whether that's getting up in the dark to go to work, or helping a friend move house, you do things you "don't feel like" because you know the reason they need to be done.

One of my clients felt such relief and revelation at the knowledge she didn't have to want to come to training to still Get It Done!!

She brought her Don't Want To's with her and did a great session - You go Girl!!! :)

Next time you really Don't Want To do something that's good for you, give yourself permission to Not Want To and do it anyway, even a little bit... I bet you'll be glad you did.








Ditching The Takeaway - Chinese


Stir-fry has to be the easiest meal on the planet and so quick, you wonder why you ever ordered the greasy, fat, salt and often sugar-laden takeaways you used to.

Taking a couple of steps back however, we need to shop for the right ingredient so they're right there in the pantry when we get cooking.

So, next time your at the supermarket, green grocer, or wherever good veggies are sold, pick up a few stir-fry staples.

If you're vegetarian, grab some tofu or beans for protein, which keeps you feeling full for longer, otherwise any lean meat will do; I prefer chicken, but whatever works for you is good.

The following list of veggies that taste great in a stir-fry is certainly not exhaustive, so feel free to email your suggestions and favourites...

.... snow peas, onion, any kind of thinly sliced cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, capsicum, chilli, any kind of 'choy', spinach, carrots, green beans, corn (fresh kernels or canned baby corn), water chestnuts, bamboo shoots... anything else I can find in the fridge!

Make sure you slice the ingredients into roughly the same size/width & shape so they cook together. Add leafy greens last so they don't overcook while you're softening things like carrot or broccoli.

Cook the meat first, separately, then remove from the pan, before cooking the veggies.

Add a teaspoon or two of whatever flavour sauce you're using to the meat only; the juices will stay in the pan and coat the veggies.

I tend to use hoisin sauce, as it's a great flavour and a little goes long way; golden syrup/honey & soy are also good combinations, and of course there's chilli.

When the veggies are almost cooked, add the meat back into the pan, mix together and serve!

Enjoy!

Saturday, July 4, 2009

What Does 200 Calories Look Like?

You may be surprised by the comparisons.

What Does 200 Calories Look Like?

Many thanks to WiseGeek.com for this site, giving a visual representation of what 200 calories of various foods looks like.

Bear in mind the products are American and don't always correlate to the Australian equivalent



What's In The Pantry? - More Veggies Please



An important part of cooking is having the right ingredients available to you.

You don't need to shop everyday, but if you only shop once a week or less, you're unlikely to have fresh veggies available every day.

Some canned veggies are great, and some not so much - if you currently eat less than 5 different veggies everyday, any extra is a good thing, but try to buy fresh where you can.

Frozen vegetables are okay too, but I challenge you to find any frozen veggies from Australia... peas from New Zealand is the closest I can find!*

One canned staple always handy to keep in the pantry is tomatoes and jars of tomato puree; they make pasta sauce or curry so easy and are full of lycopene, a great antioxidant.

There are also all kinds of canned beans, kidney beans, chick peas, baked beans, borlotti beans, lentils, that are a great addition to any meal; you can include a couple of different kinds in any meat dish or as the main protein in meals like lasagne, along with grated carrot, mushrooms and any veggies you like.

Eating a rainbow of color is also an easy guide; different colored veggies have different and important nutrients.

I often make a game of How Many Vegetables Can I Get Into This Meal... my record is 10 in a spicy soup I made a few weeks ago :)

See how many different veggies you can eat each day, add a piece of fruit or two and before you know it, you'll be getting at least 5 a day and feeling the benefits.

Happy cooking Friends!

*Update: Australian grown peas, beans, broccoli, corn & mixed veggies are now available; the supermarkets are listening...

Ditch The Takeaway - Pizza

Cooking food at home, from scratch, sounds harder than it is and a lot of people rely on takeaway meals as their staple diet.

If you're eating takeaway more than once a week, I strongly urge you to try these alternatives.

The recipes in the Ditch The Takeaway series will have good, healthy, tasty food on your table in under 30 minutes, at a fraction of the cost, salt & fat content, of a takeaway meal.

Whether you pick it up or have it delivered, you will wait at least 30 minutes between deciding what you want, and sitting down to eat it.

If you're still getting takeaway in the mistaken belief you "can't cook/have no time to cook" then read on...

Chicken Pizza:

1 packet Lebanese flatbread
1 jar tomato puree (often called sugo or pomodorro)
300g chicken breast/thigh meat (roughly 1 breast or 2 thigh pieces)
1 tbspn Olive oil
1 yellow capsicum,
1 red capsicum
1 head of broccoli
1 zucchini
1 medium onion
garlic cloves to your taste
Add any other veggies you enjoy!

Set oven to 180 degreesC & heat a pan to medium heat.

Chop chicken into small pieces and brown in a pan
(use spray olive oil to coat the pan without adding too much oil)

Chop the veggies into bite sized pieces: slice any 'round' veggies like zucchini into circles.

When chicken is cooked through remove from pan and set aside.

Cook veggies in the pan until they start to soften then remove from heat.

Place the flatbread on a pizza tray, cover with tablespoon of olive oil, then tomato puree.

Add your veggies & chicken pieces to build your pizza.

Cover with a moderate handful (I'm looking a you Big Hands!) of grated cheese and place in the oven for 10 minutes, or until the cheese melts.

Eat & enjoy, and you didn't even have to tip the Pizza Guy!




Why Exercise?


We all know exercise is "good for us" but what specifically does it do for our bodies & minds?

Cardiovascular Training, anything which gets you huffing & puffing, is great for fat burning and reducing size & weight, it also has the benefits of increasing your energy levels & metabolism and much, much more.

Strong evidence is now emerging that cardiovascular exercise can have a far more potent impact on the brain than simply making people feel good. Neuroscientists at the University of Quebec in Montreal, Canada, have found that as little as 30 minutes of cardio three time a week can have an impact on the brain after just three months.

Over the past decade, researchers have produced a mountain of evidence in journals such as Nature and Psychological Science showing even moderate exercise, when taken regularly, can enhance an older person’s performance on cognitive tests such as problem solving.

Another study in the Journal of Gerontology in 2006 detailed part of the biological basis of the effect. Through functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) they saw parts of the brain, which deal with executive functions and appeared inactive before he training program, suddenly “light up” or become active once more, becoming more like activation patterns observed when younger adults performed tasks. Cardiovascular exercise was the only form of exercise to produce these results. In short, increasing blood flow transports more oxygen to the brain (and other organs) encouraging growth of small vessels and helping the brain grow & stay healthy.*

THE KEY IS FREQUENCY, NOT INTENSITY.

Exercise prevents “lifestyle” diseases like high blood pressure or diabetes and regular training can improve your overall health to the point you may be able to reduce your medications to control these conditions.
Strength training, working your muscles using resistance or weights, provides all of the benefits of cardio training, plus increasing your physical strength. We’re all familiar with Osteoporosis and even if bone density is beginning to decline, strength training can slow the rate of decline.

Exercising regularly is banking your future health and keeping you in the best shape possible to deal with any health challenges that do arise.

Cardio Exercises: Walking at a brisk pace, jogging, cycling, swimming, dancing, anything that gets you puffing to the point it's difficult to carry on a conversation, is providing you with all these benefits and more.

Do what you enjoy, ramp up the pace, and feel the results!

*Source: Cosmos Magazine Issue 26 April/May 2009