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February 2018
Happy Belated New Year, here’s looking forward to a healthy, stronger and happier year, January tends to be full of people making ambitious resolutions for the coming year that quite often comes to a falter a couple of months down the line. instead of resolving I like to use the term evolve, look at where you can make change for the better and take small steps to accomplish these goals, don’t make the steps too big, life is full of twists and turns and it can throw huge curve balls to your plans, if the plans are too big there is more to stop them.
There is no finish line, no end game just the journey so try and make yours the best you can, my aim is to help you make it enjoyable, by inspiring you with new recipes, exercises, wellbeing and the latest information out there.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE GREAT TO START
BUT YOU HAVE TO START TO BE GREAT
“Zig Ziglar”
BAD FOODS TURN GOOD
We are continuously being told what to eat and more importantly what not to eat, here are some foods that over the years have been given a bad rep, but actually they have some health aspects, this doesn’t mean you can eat them to your hearts content, but as a part of a healthy and balanced diet they can be quite beneficial.
Chocolate – not low in calories or fat, but dark chocolate (80%+) is very high in antioxidants which help to fight harmful free radicals which cause cell damage. Also if you have a sweet craving a couple of squares of dark chocolate is all the craving desires whereas the milk chocolate alternative knows no end.
Peanut Butter – has its bad rep due to its high fat content, but most whole nut variety come in at only 30 calories per teaspoon, peanuts have been associated with lower cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides all of which help combat cardiovascular disease.
Pizza – this is my vice, unfortunately I am not talking about a stuffed crust peperoni passion, but made the right way a pizza can provide a total meal with all the vital food groups included (see the recipe on the website for inspiration).
RESEARCH
New research has shown that the fatty acid in fish oils can increase your muscular endurance, therefore you can go faster and further, but only if you are consuming the right oils, science has repeatedly found that cognitive function and reduced body fat levels can be improved by having omega-3 (found in oily fish such as Mackerel and Salmon) thanks to its stabilising effect on insulin levels.
In a study on cyclists (by the European Journal of Sports Science) who took 1.3g of an omega-3 supplement daily were able to ride longer and faster than those given a placebo because their blood flow to the working muscles increased by an average of 5.25%.
Non animal foods high in these fats include flaxseeds, chia seeds and walnuts.
The recommended daily dose of omega-3 fatty acids (according to the World Health Organisation) is 0.4g, two 140g servings of oily fish a week will see you hit this target.
It’s the food that’s all over social media – THE AVOCADO, why is it so good and revered by so many people?, the main reason, whether its sliced, smashed or chucked in a smoothie is that it can stave off cravings for up to 5 hours, this is due to the avocados combination of heart healthy monounsaturated fats and also fibre that helps fill you up.
But before you gorge on a huge amount of avocados, remember they have their satiating effect because they are also relatively high in calories, a large one can provide up to 300 calories.
WORKOUT
Recently I have seen more people leaving behind the resistance machines at the gym and using free weights instead, this is great as free weights help you improve functional strength, by effectively using the tendons, ligaments and stabilising muscles that are so often given an easy time on the fixed machines.
Dumbells come in matching pairs but don’t be afraid to go single, doing one unilateral (one sided) lifts activate your anti rotational core muscles, also don’t stop at the dumbells try this warrior spear lift, can be done with a barbell or vipr it engages the core muscles fantastically.
BUILDING DISCIPLINE
Here are 4 easy to follow ideas for resisting temptations, dodging distractions and also making solid progress with your goals.
If your big goal is say losing weight – it is all about you, try turning this on its head, you’re more likely to quit if other people depend on it (prosocial motivation), using “for the sake of others” is the most powerful form psychologically, for example – losing weight will set a great example for the kids.
Ban snacks from your desk or home, there’s a huge difference between grabbing a chocolate bar from the cupboard or having to go to the shop 5 minutes away, retraining your concept of hunger can also boost self-discipline, you could also go that extra step and experiment with intermittent fasting, this will give you a better perspective on real hunger.
The average person wastes up to 2 hours a day going through emails and also random searching on the phone, reprogram yourself by changing your habits and get back that self-control. There are many apps available such as Freedom, Perfect me and self-control to name a few, they will help block access to certain websites during the working day and also turn off notifications on your phone, after a couple of days you will be amazed at how much extra you have achieved without the mindless browsing.
Try and automate your life where possible, it can be hard to keep up with everything and also make time for important aspects of life such as family, training and enjoyment. Standing orders are a fantastic tool to free up time, this is just one way to automate.
Hope you enjoyed the Newsletter, as always if there is anything you would like me to cover ping me a message
Take care, train smart
Niel