5 more ways to battle the Party Season

There are so many challenges at this time of year that many people give up and overindulge because they say it is too hard. Hey, I just met a guy I hadnt seen in a long time who lost 30 kgs over the last few months so dont tell me it it impossible !! ps He is determined!!

Share a dessert. Why not. It can make for a fun game of fork stabbing besides the obvious eating less rich stuff.

 

Have one rumball instead of 6. It would be insane to suggest not having any party food unless you are a cover model and have a photo shoot tomorrow. So enjoy the taste and stop at one. Move past the chips and enjoy the white christmas but have one piece instead of 3.

 

Cook from a recipe book instead of eating out. I find the exciting challenge of trying a new recipe more fun than eating the same old predictable burger and you actually know where the food is coming from. You know what the basic calorie content is and have a choice in adapting the recipe to suit your choices.

 

Ask for the salad dressing in a side dish and dip your fork in it. Often women will order salad as a healthy low fat option but the hidden salt and calories are in the dressing. By dipping the fork you get a real taste without the drowned, soggy lettuce at the bottom of the bowl!

 

Drink water between your alcohol. It will fill you up faster, which satisfys the thirst craving and will dampen the toxic load the alcohol is having on your allready assaulted body from the festive overload.

Have a safe and merry Christmas

Tim James CPT AKI

When to eat and why!

Should I eat before working out in the morning?

Should I eat after working out? Should I eat between lunch and tea?

Great questions and ones often asked!

Firstly, if you are exercising on an empty stomach- especially in the morning- you won’t have any energy reserves to draw on. You will perform better and lift more if you have the right balance of nutrients.

The question is when should I eat and what are some suggestions. Here are a couple of suggestions from renowned fitness gurus.

Craig Ballantyne says 45 mins to an hour protein smoothie. Fruit and water and nut butter and if you have protein powder you can add that but its not essential.

Even Rye toast with nut butter is an option. An apple or banana with a small handful of nuts (almond, walnut or raw cashew) If you dont feel hungry first thing in the morning try a high glycaemic fruit and you will get hungry quickly. Then you can eat protein and low glycaemic carbs.

You will do far better eating smaller healthy meals and snacks than 3 great big meals and bad snacks in between. The afternoon period between lunch and tea is often problematic for a lot of people and also returning home before eating dinner.

Do you remember Mum saying “Dont eat now- you will spoil your dinner!” ? She was right. So plan ahead and dont have those bad snacks in the cupboard. Eat some raw vegies in the afternoon and maybe even a small tub of ricotta or cottage cheese with the veg’s.

Post workout nutrition is key to allowing your body to repair and feed the muscles so they can grow and build a faster fat burning metabolism.

So a bowl of weetbix and milk is not a balanced meal after a big morning workout.

A slice of rye with avocado and two fried eggs with a cup of greens is far more beneficial. Always have protein if you are having a whole grain cereal like yoghurt and nuts.

Note! The majority of this is simply my opinion gained from over 9 years of “in the trenches work with hundreds of clients” and if you need specific advise please see a registered nutritionalist.

Experiment with what works for you and take note of how you feel 30 -60 minutes after eating. This is the best way to find the right eating habits for you.

Now what food are you thinking about?

Tim James Certified PT, Australian Kettlebell Instructor

11 Ways to Sleep Well!

11 WAYS TO SLEEP BETTER  

 Listen to White Noise or Relaxation CDs. Some people find the sound of white noise or nature sounds, such as the ocean or forest, to be soothing for sleep. An excellent relaxation/meditation option to listen to before bed is the Insight audio CD.

Avoid before-bed snacks, particularly grains and sugars. This will raise blood sugar and inhibit sleep. Later, when blood sugar drops too low (hypoglycaemia), you might wake up and not be able to fall back asleep.

Sleep in complete darkness or as close as possible. If there is even the tiniest bit of light in the room it can disrupt your circadian rhythm and your pineal gland’s production of melatonin and serotonin. There also should be as little light in the bathroom as possible if you get up in the middle of the night. Please whatever you do, keep the light off when you go to the bathroom at night. As soon as you turn on that light you will for that night immediately cease all production of the important sleep aid melatonin.

No TV right before bed. Even better, get the TV out of the bedroom or even out of the house, completely. It is too stimulating to the brain and it will take longer to fall asleep. It is also disruptive of pineal gland function for the same reason as above.

Read something spiritual or religious. This will help to relax. Don’t read anything stimulating, such as a mystery or suspense novel, as this may have the opposite effect. In addition, if you are really enjoying a suspenseful book, you might wind up unintentionally reading for hours, instead of going to sleep. 

 Avoid using loud alarm clocks. It is very stressful on the body to be awoken suddenly. If you are regularly getting enough sleep, they should be unnecessary. I gave up my alarm clock years ago and now use a sun alarm clock. The Sun Alarm™ SA-2002 provides an ideal way to wake up each morning if you can’t wake up with the REAL sun. Combining the features of a traditional alarm clock (digital display, AM/FM radio, beeper, snooze button, etc) with a special built-in light that gradually increases in intensity, this amazing clock simulates a natural sunrise. It also includes a sunset feature where the light fades to darkness over time – ideal for anyone who has trouble falling asleep.

Journaling. If you often lay in bed with your mind racing, it might be helpful keep a journal and write down your thoughts before bed. Personally, I have been doing this for 15 years, but prefer to do it in the morning when my brain is functioning at its peak and my coritsol levels are high 

 Get to bed as early as possible. Our systems, particularly the adrenals, do a majority of their recharging or recovering during the hours of 11PM and 1AM. In addition, your gallbladder dumps toxins during this same period. If you are awake, the toxins back up into the liver, which then secondarily back up into your entire system and cause further disruption of your health. Prior to the widespread use of electricity, people would go to bed shortly after sundown, as most animals do, and which nature intended for humans as well.

Eat a high-protein snack several hours before bed. This can provide the L-tryptophan need to produce melatonin and serotonin. Also eat a small piece of fruit. This can help the tryptophan cross the blood-brain barrier.

Reduce or avoid as many drugs as possible. Many medications, both prescription and over-the-counter may have effects on sleep. In most cases, the condition, which caused the drugs to be taken in the first place, can be addressed by following the guidelines elsewhere on this web site.(mercola.com)

Avoid caffeine. A recent study showed that in some people, caffeine is not metabolised efficiently and therefore they can feel the effects long after consuming it. So, an afternoon cup of coffee (or even tea) will keep some people from falling asleep. Also, some medications, particularly diet pills contain caffeine.

(adapted from Dr Joseph Mercola)

How to really succeed in fitness or life!

It occured to me after a few conversations with friends and clients over a period of days that what comes out of my mouth can be quite powerful. Now before you say “well duh!”, hear me out!

Do you unconsciously use negative words like ” I cant do that”, I am too weak, I may not reach that goal, It is too hard, I dont like that, etc.. The list can go on and on.

Lets start by unpacking a few of these phrases.

If I say “I can’t do that” out loud, I am reinforcing the fact that I will not do it. What if I do want to achieve that particular goal? Would it not be better to say, Well I can do a modified version of that goal! That is reinforcing forward motion and goals are accomplished by one small step after another.

If I focus on “weak” rather than strong I am looking at what I cannot do rather than what I can do and therfore decreasing my potential for success. I could focus on what I am good at and seek to improve it.

What about using “I dont like that”? It may be a true statement but it is reinforcing negativity rather than focusing on what I do like. Life is so short and we only get one go so why not focus these “now” moments on what we do like about our current fitness regime.

As you go through the next few hours check the words you are using and even words of those you are conversing with. Are they positive or negative? If your words are negative you can easily change that by recognizing how you are limiting yourself. If the words of others are negative you have a choice to either let them know what it sounds like or alternatively keep that conversation short so as to eliminate negativity from your day.

I trust this will help you to stay focused and keep achieving those goals.

Tim James

Certified PT, Australian Kettlebell Instructor