Serves Made Simple, by the Australian Heart Foundation

Serves Made Simple!

The national Australian Heart Foundation have some excellent tips and tricks for everyone, and I mean everyone, to lead a healthier, more active lifestyle.

I'd like to share with you a few of their fantastic online PDF document resources - tips for serving sizes of fruit and vegetables, and tips on storage and 'shelf' life of the most common!

AHF Serves Made Simple - Fruit

Aim to have at least 2 serves of fruit per day - easy if you enjoy smoothies and snacking on fruit!


AHF Serves Made Simple - Vegetables

Aim to have at least 5 serves of vegetables each day - half of your dinner plate should be full of vegetables.


Winning Storage Tips

Correct storage of your fruit and vegetables allows them to last longer and reduces or eliminates wastage. Try to pick fresh, seasonal fruit/vegetables where possible but frozen/canned (the sugar/salt free kind) will suffice off-season or if you are stuck for time/money etc...


Look out for more posts on tips for getting more fruit and veg in to your diet!

Buon Appetito :)

Dom

Supercharge Your Workout Using A Heart Rate Monitor

Supercharge Your Workout Using A Heart Rate Monitor

It can sometimes be more beneficial to determine a specific training intensity for your aerobic exercise (instead of just winging it and running for a set time!). Subsequently, heart rate monitors worn on the chest and/or wrist have become hugely popular in today’s fitness culture.

I suspect, however, that a lot of you are wearing these for their ‘calorie counting’ features, rather than for their true purpose – to measure your heart rate!

It is in your best interests, then, to read on and get a little insight in to how you can utilise your nifty little gadget for achieving the best results in your quest to get fit.

Know your equations:

There are, unfortunately, a few equations you must know in order to begin using your heart rate monitor effectively. The first of which is your predicted maximal heart rate (MHR):

208 – (0.7 x age)

Easy! Now you must find your resting heart rate (RHR). For this you will need to time your pulse at either your wrist or neck for 15 seconds, and then multiply by 4 (or for 30s x 2) to get a reading for your hearts resting beats per minute (BPM).

The next equation is probably the most important in terms of training application: the Karvonen Formula for finding your heart rate reserve (HRR):

Heart Rate Reserve = Maximal Heart Rate – Resting Heart Rate

HRR = HRM – RHR

Finding your HRR allows you to apply training intensities at a given percentage within certain heart rate training zones.

Know your zones:

Knowing which zone you should train in is of utmost importance as it allows you to train in the zone most likely to produce the best results for you. Using ACSM's guidelines, let’s keep it relatively simple:

Light = 30% to 39% HRR
Moderate = 40 – 59% HRR

Vigorous = 60 - 89% HRR

Finding your target heart rate (THR) using a given percentage of your HRR allows you to train at an intensity closer to your maximal oxygen uptake reserve (VO2R), a more accurate marker of aerobic fitness. (The HRR percentage is exactly the same as VO2R, i.e. 50% VO2R = 50% HRR).

Now it’s time to find your target heart rate using everything I have just covered.

Let’s say you wish to train between 70 – 85% HRR (a 'vigorous' aerobic zone for the trained individual) you would use the formula:

(HRR x 0.70) + RHR = THR
(HRR x 0.85) + RHR = THR

Let’s say you are 23 years old, which means your MHR = 191.9 and you have a resting heart rate of 70 BPM, which will give you a HRR value of 191.9 – 70 = 121.9.

Add all of this to the THR equation above:

(121.9. x .70) + 70 = 155 BPM

(121.9. x. 85) + 70 = 174 BPM

Target HR = 155 to 174 BPM

Round Up:

Running for just 20 minutes, three times a week at an intensity of 70 – 85% HRR has been shown to produce excellent cardiovascular results over 6 weeks for the aerobically trained. But remember; all you need is between 20 – 60 minutes, 3 – 5 times per week for the best results. Reduce the target HR for your needs and progress gradually.

Now you should be able to use your favourite running gadget fairly accurately to achieve your goals quickly and safely.

There are a lot of numbers and equations to get your head around here, but be patient, figure it out, and the results will speak for themselves.

You can also copy/paste/print the section below which allows you to simply fill in the values for yourself, using nothing but a calculator and a pen! Keep it handy so that you can check that you’re training between the correct target heart rates in your runs/workouts! Or use the online calculator at runningforfitness.org to find out a little more about zones.

*As the data produced by the equations  are all predictions, please bear in mind that they will never be truly accurate, unless you are tested in a lab setting to find your true results.*

Keep up the hard work guys!

Dom

Want to build muscle? Follow this principle...

Want to build muscle? Follow this principle...

In resistance training (weight training of all types), there are 3 basic principles:

Strength Training, Hypertrophy Training, and Endurance training.

For most people going to the gym to do weights, building lean muscle is the goal. In order to achieve this, one must adopt the middle principle there with the funny name - Hypertrophy Training.

Hypertrophy

hy·per·tro·phy

NOUN (pl) –phies

-          Enlargement of an organ or part resulting from an increase in the size of the cells.

To put this principle into effect we must consider the most common pattern of lifting weights – reps and sets! Today, the American College of Sports Medicine recommend the following
training load for muscular hypertrophy:

• 70% to 85% of 1RM (1 rep maximum – the most amount of weight you can lift ONCE only for a specific exercise) for 8 – 12* repetitions.

For training volume:

• For beginners and intermediates, either multiple or single-set re­sistance training programs of 1 – 3 sets can be performed initially (although single set programs may improve exercise tolerance/compliance).

*It is important to perform the correct repetition range in increments of 2, so performing 8 - 10 reps or 10 – 12 reps is advised.

Some key points and tips:

One must adopt this repetition and set principle for almost every exercise in your routine. As a general rule of thumb, a full body workout must include:

-          A Leg exercise – such as squats or deadlifts

-          A Push exercise – such as press ups or bench press

-          A Pull Exercise – such as lat pull downs or pull ups

-          A ‘Supplementary’ exercise – such as shoulders, biceps, triceps exercises

-          A Core exercise(s) - specific core exercise like plank or leg raises (avoid sit ups!)

So for each of those elements, one must perform 1 – 3 sets of 8 – 12 reps.

Progression (a periodised approach), falling under one of the 5 principles of training, is key to advancing and continually achieving results. Beginners to weight training should commence a program at the higher rep/fewer set range (as should be designed by a gym instructor upon joining a gym/health club)  so generally, a rep range of 12 – 15 in 1 set can be prescribed.

Progressing to fewer reps within the hypertrophy range (8 – 12), and more sets eventually will help to avoid plateauing and boredom. These progressive changes will be at their most effective after 6 – 8 weeks of any given program.

For a little more information, check out the About.com site on hypertrophy training at weighttraining.about.com

Now you have a basic understanding of how much and how many of each exercise should be done for building muscle. Any questions are welcome and as always, have fun and work hard!

Dom

4 Superfoods You'll Find In Any Healthy Persons Kitchen

4 Superfoods You'll Find In Any Healthy Persons Kitchen

Avocados:

Ah, the ever so wonderful Avo. Abundant in Australia at this time of year, a well sought after green nugget of health. This versatile "superfood" is packed full nourishment, including but not limited to: 

Monounsaturated fat, or "good fat" which can help decrease levels of LDL ("bad" cholesterol) in the blood.

Vitamins B, C, E and K - aiding in energy production (essential for those of you who are active), supports immune function, fights free radicals which in turn boosts skin, nail and hair health, and promotes healthy blood plasma production for healing, respectively.

Potassium - an electrolyte that aids in replenishing  those lost through physical exertion and natural secretion.

Protein - a medium sized avocado contains 4g of protein, as well as...


Fibre - 11g of the good stuff!

Moreover, avocados have been proven to protect against prostate, breast, and oral cancers, and the high levels of lutein may protect your eyes from macular degeneration and cataracts, according to a study by Medical News Today (1)

The last, but possibly most interesting point I'd like to share with you is that a study in by Li et al. (2013) (2) reported that consumption of hass avocado with a hamburger decreased vasoconstriction compared with those participants that consumed a hamburger alone. The anti-inflammatory properties of avocado may have a significant impact on general vascular health.

Overall, avocados rank in there with the top foods found in any healthy individuals fridge. There prowess over a lot of other fruits (yes, avocado is a fruit!) means you should start eating half an avocado a day. 

Berries:

Gram for gram, berries of all kinds pack in more antioxidants than most fruits typically consumed in the western diet. Antioxidants, as mentioned before, help fight off free radicals produced in the body (which enhance ageing, among other negatives), and blueberries in particular have one of the highest levels of antioxidants.
Incorporating a handful of blueberries (or any other berry really) into your smoothie, yoghurt, porridge or whatever can help in overall health. Consuming food that can help decrease the amount of free radicals may help stave off cancer and heart disease too.

Nuts:
Nuts of many kinds are to be found in any healthy individuals cupboard. Almonds, walnuts, pistachios... you name it, we've got it! Apart from a being a fantastic source of protein, nuts provide many benefits:

Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated fats - these fats, in particular omega-3 fatty acids, which also are found in fish, can help decrease the risk of heart disease.

Decrease LDL Cholesterol - and can reduce the risk of blood clots.

Vascular health - consumption of nuts can promote healthy artery walls.

Innumerable studies have been conducted on the health and wellness benefits of nuts, and many have shown that body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, diastolic blood pressure; blood concentrations of total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglyceride; and fasting blood glucose are all improved in those who consume almonds in particular (3).

It is to no surprise then that healthy individuals are throwing nuts in to anything they can. Smoothies, yoghurt, protein bars and as a snack, to name but a few.

Fish:

If you don't eat fish, this part isn't for you, but I highly recommends that you start (unless you're vegetarian or vegan, of course). The health benefits of consuming fish, even just once or twice a week (4) are clear as mud. A bountiful source of protein, fish is also ranking in the top 10 health foods due to the following:

Vitamins D, B2

Minerals iron, zinc, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium

Low fat - but fish contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids (docosahexaenoic [DHA] and eicosapentaenoic [EPA]), which can help prevent cardiovascular disease, promote healthy brain function and may decrease the pain of arthritis. 

These are just a few of the main health benefits of fish consumption. The best sources of these nutrients are to be in salmon, sardines, anchovies, tuna, trout, herring, and mackerel in particular.


There we have it. These foods (so called "superfoods") are a few examples of what can be found in any healthy persons kitchen. The variety of foods provided a plethora of choices, some portable and others to keep frozen for long life. The lesson you should learn is that through clean eating, comes a clean body and a clean mind.

Remember - true health comes from 20% exercise, 80 % nutrition, and 100% mind set!

Enjoy your food, folks!

Dom

References:

(1) Medical News Today, 2013. Available from: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/270406
(2) Li Z, Wong A, Henning SM, et al. Hass avocado modulates postprandial vascular reactivity and postprandial inflammatory responses to a hamburger meal in healthy volunteers. Food Funct. 2013; 4 (3): 384–91.
(3)  Abazarfard Z, Salehi M, Keshavarzi S. The effect of almonds on anthropometric measurements and lipid profile in overweight and obese females in a weight reduction program: a randomized controlled clinical trial. J Res Med Sci. 2015; 19
       (5): 457–64.
(4) Australian Dietary Guidelines, Eat For Health, 2014. Available from  https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/food-essentials/five-food-groups/lean-meat-and-poultry-fish-eggs-tofu-nuts-and-seeds-and

How To Get Stronger Abs

How To Get Stronger (and better looking!) Abs

The ever ubiquitous sit up is out. The plank is in, with all its various forms!

Since day dot, we have been fed pernicious advice about what to do if we wish to get those coveted abs of steel.  But with new research erupting from within the fitness industry, we now know that sit ups are relatively dangerous (basically by placing excess pressure on the spine), but also that we can switch them out for one simple (yet difficult) superior alternative… the plank!

But first, a swift change in focus is necessary regarding what we think of when we talk about abs. It is a lot more productive and safe to think about working on your core, rather than just your abdominals.

*Having a strong core protects your back, particularly your lumbar, and reduces the likelihood of injury. But your abdominals make up only a part of your core, so I will share with you the Plank and a few variations you can utilise to strengthen your entire core, keeping you safe, fit and better looking.*

Basic Plank
- Start in the position shown in the picture; on your elbows and toes with your spine completely straight from ankles to neck.

- Keep your butt tight and your core engaged (imagine sucking your abs in and up slightly through towards your spine, or imagine you’re about to be punched in the gut!)

- Keep your shoulders stable by pushing them down through your arms towards the ground - avoid any slouching/hunching of the shoulders by keeping relaxed, back and down.

- Look at the ground about 6 inches in front of your hands, which should be apart, with your fore arms pointing almost in front of you.

Regression:

Hover
Try this if you cannot maintain the basic plank for any longer than 10-15 seconds.

- Commence in the same position as above but with your knees on the ground, feet lifted up off the floor.

- Remember, keep your abs braces and don’t let your hips lift or sag which will take the work out from your abs.

Progression:

• Plank Variation #1 – Side Plank

- Lie on your side with the elbow closest to the ground on the floor, propping your torso up, forearm straight ahead.

- Ankles should be together, one on top of the other as in the picture.

- Now tighten your abs again and lift your hips off the floor and form a straight body, in one line from toes to the head. Rest the upper arm on your hips as in the picture, or wherever feels natural.

- Keep those hips from dipping or rising to far, and ensure your core is constantly engaged.

- Try hip dips to make this more of a ‘rep’ style exercise – dip your hips until they are just above the ground, then lift them back up to the neutral position again, do 3 sets of 12 – 15 reps, with 20 – 30 seconds rest between sets.

- Switch sides and repeat the process.

Why it works:
Placing more demand on your oblique abdominals (either side of your torso), this move is more demanding if held properly. The need to balance also recruits more stabilising muscles including your abductors/adductors in your hips/legs.

• Plank Variation #2 – Toe Taps

- Begin in the basic plank position.

- Lift one leg slightly off the ground and out to the side and quickly tap the ground.

- Bring the leg back to the starting position and repeat with the other leg.

- Do 3 sets of 12 – 15 taps each leg, with 20 – 30 seconds rest between sets.

Why it works:
Tapping your toes out to the side recruits far more core musculature to create the movement required to bring your legs out to either side. The fewer points of contact with the ground while the leg is out also demands more balance, therefore more core muscle recruitment.

• Plank Variation #3 – Arm Circles

        

- Begin in the basic plank position.

- Keep your form strong as you draw a wide circle on the floor out to the side with one arm as illustrated in the picture.

- Return arm to starting position, and then switch arms.

- Do 3 sets of 12 – 15 reps each arm, with 20 – 30 seconds rest between sets.

Why it works:
Creating instability demands more strength and endurance from your core muscles and all their stabilising muscles. When you bring an arm right out to the side in a circle, you create a massive imbalance and shift your centre of gravity enough so that it places greater demand on these musculature systems.

• Plank Variation #4 – Plank to Push Up

- This will work your pectorals and triceps as well as your core, so a double whammy in my eyes!

- Start in the basic plank position.

- Now put your left hand on the ground beneath your shoulders as in a push up.

- Push yourself up with a little help from your right forearm and end in a push up position.

- Lower yourself back down by placing your left arm back in to the plank position, followed through with your right.

- Tip: to make this effective, try to reduce any side-to-side sway/rotation of the body as your lift/lower.

- Repeat 12 – 15 times, rest 20 – 30 seconds, and then repeat with the right arm leading.

Why it works:
Recruiting a far greater number of muscles and demanding more strength output, this pushes your muscles in to a non-isometric realm of work. Your core must work to stabilise your body and hold its form as you work muscles in your upper body.

• Plank Variation #5 – RPC (Reduced Points of Contact)

- Begin in the basic plank position.

- Lift a leg, an arm, or a leg and opposite arm up off the ground to create fewer points of contact with the ground.

- Hold them up straight for a set amount of time, say 20 seconds. Lower then repeat with another arm/leg or the opposite arm and leg as before.

Why it works:
As mentioned before, any change in points of contact, i.e. reducing the number of points, results in a greater demand from the muscles stabilising your core and body.

    I have now shared with you how to do the basic plank itself, a regressed option for anyone starting out with their core strengthening journey, and 5 progressions you can utilise should you wish to work harder! 

A short, 1 minute plank hold at the start of a workout can greatly enhance how productive you are in that workout by warming up the core muscles before any larger exercise that may require them to be highly active.

Similarly, if you incorporate a few plank holds or plank variations in to the end of your work, you will see great progress in strength over all, not just with your core.

There are, of course, more variations to be found, but these are enough for anyone to get started with. Keep discovering more and good luck to all.

Have fun, work hard and feel free to share!

Dom

Your Guide to Shin Splints (And how to avoid, identify and treat them!)

Your Guide to Shin Splints

(And how to avoid, identify and treat them!)

    The bane of those from all walks of active life – runners, tennis players, even dancers – shin splints causes severe pain in the lower leg below the knee, either on the front side of the shin (anterior shin splints) or inside the leg (medial shin splints). They often afflict beginning runners who do not build their mileage gradually enough, but can similarly affect seasoned runners who abruptly change their regime, adding a sudden increase of mileage, for example.

    The root cause of this debilitating syndrome can most often be whittled down to four little words: too much, too soon.

Identifying symptoms of shin splints:

“Shin splints” is the umbrella term for any non-specific posteromedial leg pain, and the primary symptom is severe pain down the front part of the leg (or inside the leg with medial shin splints), usually starting during physical activity.

This pain does not necessarily indicate that anything more serious like tibial stress syndrome is present though, as it is often misdiagnosed with a few other problems like compartment syndrome - the swelling of muscles within a closed compartment, as with the lower leg - or with a stress fracture - a more serious injury wherein the bone is incompletely cracked. Both of these syndromes can be specially diagnosed and definitively blamed as a cause for shin splints.*

Shin splints is more generally felt as painful tenderness down the front side of the shins and, unlike a stress fracture, the pain will worsen over night as the soft tissue has had a chance to tighten. It may also be at its worst when you try to flex your foot upwards from the toes.

*If you run your fingers down your shin over the sensitive part(s), tenderness and pain should run more or less evenly along the entire shin front. If, however, you reach a sharp pain at a certain point, this may be a sign and symptom of a stress fracture. Always visit your physician should you experience this.

Common causes of shin splints:

There are many known causes of shin splints such as over-pronation (a frequent cause of medial shin splints), inadequate stretching before or after physical activities, worn-out shoes, excessive stress placed on one leg or one hip from running on cambered surfaces such as roads, or always running in the same direction on a track.

Although there is no ultimate consensus on what shin splints is exactly, some hypothesis include small tears in the muscle that's pulled off the bone, an inflammation of the periosteum [a thin covering of tissue that wraps around the tibia bone, or shin bone], inflammation of the muscles, or a  combination of any of these.

Thankfully, there is an agreement on the best treatment.

Treatment of shin splints:

• Experts agree that as soon as shin splints occur, training is to cease immediately, or at very least scaled right back. Rest is the single most important means of treatment, usually for 2-3 weeks.

• Ice packs should be applied directly the site to reduce inflammation.

• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be administered.

• Physiotherapy and electrical stimulation treatments may be prescribed in more severe cases.

• Rest for a short period of 2-3 weeks may be curative with no further treatment. ‘Cardiovascular conditioning may be maintained during this period with swimming, upper-body weightlifting and deep-water running’ (Baxter, Donald E. - Baxter’s the Foot and Ankle in Sport 2008). 

Prevention:

    Prevention is multimodal. In simple terms, the easiest way to avoid shin splints is to build intensity and mileage gradually. A gradual increase over a period of weeks or even months is the best approach.

    Being sensibly shod is key, also. The right running apparel matters to a lot of runners, but the most important item of clothing is often the most overlooked in terms of necessity – the shoes!
Supportive running shoes (and I mean shoes that are specifically designed for running, if that’s what you do!) are so important, it’s a make-or- break situation. Arch support, perhaps through orthotic in-soles, is a must. Which leads us on to…

    Surface – running the same direction on a track continuously puts you at risk of muscle imbalance on one side of the body, through the hip down to the ankle and foot. Similarly, cambered roads should be avoided, as the slope puts similar strain down one side of the body, which all may lead to shin splints. Instead, try and run on level track, or change direction occasionally to avoid repetitive negative influence on one side.

    Stretching - dynamically pre-run, statically post-run, is a simplistic guide. Consult your coach or other relevant professionals for a tailored stretching complex.

    Consulting professionals – approach a professional such as a podiatrist, a personal trainer, or a well-trained sales assistant at a reputable shoe store. They can provide you with a running gait analysis and determine what shoes are suitable for you, but also advise you on what to do about any running gait issues you may have (which may be causing your shin splints).

These are just a few of the most effective prevention methods. Always consult a physician or other specialists if you have any concerns, or if the pain lasts longer than a couple of weeks or gradually increases, even with rest.

Overcoming shin splints (or better, avoiding them) will aid you in your path to success.

Remember, always do your best and the best will be done by you!

Good luck!

Dom

5 Tips For Sticking To Your Resolutions

How To Stick To Your Resolutions

    So you’ve made your resolution! Whether it’s to lose weight and get fit, read more books, travel more often or whatever, you’ve made a choice to form a new habit. As humans, we are naturally habitual, and what I’d like to share with you today are some top tips on keeping those habits, and ultimately your resolution, in check!

We all face self-defeat at some points in our lives, and new habits are not immune to such. All too often we hit a bump in the road and our habits quickly dissipate, forgotten and abandoned. So first, let’s look at some of these ‘bumps’, the causes of our disappointing failures…

Enthusiasm fades – probably the most common cause. We all begin our new endeavours with a passion and determination, but soon enough the enthusiasm fades and we no longer have the drive, the spark, we once had.

We forget – 2 or 3 days go by, our resolution out of mind. It’s all too easy to forget for a while something that we intended to do, especially when nothing is there to remind us.

Distractions – today, a plethora of entertainment options surround us – the TV, games consoles and the internet being some of the most prevalent. At times, these seem more appealing than our resolutions. I mean, with the entire 10 series of “Friends” on Netflix, who can blame us for choosing that over a tiring gym session!? (Except me… I blame you!)

Work and/or personal life gets in the way – all too often, I hear people complain that they can’t get to the gym because they’re too busy, or they get home from work and are too tired or they’re travelling/commuting or blah blah blah… I don’t buy it! The fact remains though – work or personal life can affect the way we look at our resolutions.

Giving up is the easiest option – so you will go strong until March, maybe even April or May. Congratulations, you’ve made it 3, 4 or 5 months. But creeping up on to your shoulder is that little devil that keeps telling you it would be easier not to keep it up. He’s muttering “it’s easier to stay in tonight and forget about the gym”, or “Friends is on Netflix, put down that book”. The gist of the story is that we see quitting as a viable option.

These are a few of the most common bumps in our road to keeping up a resolution. Let’s now address each of these and come up with a solution.

Enthusiasm – I feel the best answer to this is to make several, smaller, highly achievable goals, rather than making one huge, daunting commitment to something. It’s easier to aim for and achieve a goal if it is within our grasp. For example, we aim to read 50 pages of a book each week. That’s not a lot, but it’s achievable (you can tailor these goals to your abilities remember). Or what about dropping a pants size (trouser size for us Brits!) in a month? Do-able, realistic, and better yet, achieving these goals bolsters our enthusiasm. Making small, achievable commitments allows our enthusiasm to stay in check!

We forget – easy! Reminders are our best friend here. Today’s smart phones are not only always by our sides, but are incredibly user friendly and ergonomic. Put them to good use and set reminders up daily/weekly to make sure we don’t forget about our resolutions. Or use sticky notes and post them on our laptops, computers, pillows, bathroom mirrors… Or put our running shoes by the front door.

When our habits become automatic, these reminders are obsolete, but for now, get them everywhere!

Distractions – this is a tricky one. This, above many, requires the most will power. One effective method is to leave our distractions somewhere we are not. In other words, leave your phone, laptop or whatever distractions you have, in another room. Or leave them tucked away in your bag if you wish to read on your commute.

Or if you’re super serious and/or lack the will power to stay away from distracting websites, give Concentrate a go. It allows you to block yourself from a website for a certain amount time!

Work/personal life – a big’un! I will talk more about this specifically in another article, but for now, I’ll suggest a few tips!

We all have certain commitments that are unavoidable. Whether these are work related or personal, they occasionally interfere with our resolution. But that’s ok, because we can aim to lower the interference outside of these obligations.

When I hear people say they’re too busy for something, I take this with a humongous pinch of salt. Unless you work for 16 hours a day and sleep for the remaining 8, I sincerely doubt that you have no time for a self-improving resolution. These typically only take an hour or two at the very, very most.

If getting fit is yours, what about before or after work? And before you whinge “eughhh I'm too tired!” or some other petty excuse, let me remind you that, albeit counter intuitive, exercising gives you more energy! Furthermore, it can take as little as half an hour (shower and change time included), and can be done almost anywhere!

So why not get up half an hour earlier or workout at home when you return (and have attended to the kids, to dinner, to the pets or whatever important things are on the daily agenda).

If reading more is your resolution, why not read on your way to work, on your way back, on your lunch break, before bed, or any other moments throughout the day that you could put something unimportant down and pick up your book.

Again, another post soon will address this specific distraction issue, so look out for it!

Giving up is easier – well, of course it would be. But nothing worth having comes easily! When that moment rolls around (and believe me, it will) the best thing we can do is look back at what we have already achieved, and look forward to what we can have, if we just…kept…going!

So there we have it. One last point I’d like to make about all of this – accountability. A buzzword in today's “healthy body, healthy mind” subculture, this word alone can make or break your resolution. 

If you hold yourself accountable, take responsibility, then anything is possible really. I suggest you hold yourself accountable. Tell a million and one people about your resolution and make a deal with yourself that you won’t give up, no matter what. Therefore, you hold yourself true to your deal with the added knowledge that if you don’t, everyone will know.

So good luck, and please feel free to ask for any more specific tips! I will gladly do my best to help.

Dom

4 Easy Tricks for a Better Diet

    Your body has undergone millennia of evolution and development to achieve it’s highly tuned state of an anatomically modern human, H .s. sapiens. And as a fellow fitness freak in training, you're trying to better your mind and body even further, right?

So why then go and fill it full of junk? Why ‘feed’ your body unwholesome, highly processed, noxious ‘food’?

Instead, you should be filling up on nutrition that your body wants, needs and enjoys. But you know that right?

In this day and age, it’s hard not to be exposed to the world of health, even indirectly. I am sure you have no doubt been told, nae! preached unto, time and time again that getting the right nourishment is important.

Well, here some simple tips to help you achieve this with minimal fuss, and don't worry; I won't even mention tofu or kale!

KISS
Keep it simple, stupid!

    Why fuss over gourmet health meals, when all you need is food in its (almost) natural state? Your body doesn't care whether your veg has been sautéed, steamed, stir-fried, baked, boiled… whatever. It cares about the nutrition it can provide, and what better nutrition than food in its natural state?
We have the simple, good-to-the-core, tasty availability of numerous vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, lean meats, fish and fat-free dairy all at our fingertips in stores today, so keeping it easy and simple is a walk in the park when it comes to all of your main meals.

Have A Plan = Have Some go-to’s!

    In the morning, try some simple oats, some peanut butter (the no added sugar or salt variety, of course) and some honey – all natural sources of energy for your tough day of living! You can add in a scoop of your favourite protein or handful of berries too, for added oomph!

    Snacks include the aforementioned nuts, seeds and fruit – or why not throw in some satiating vegetables like celery, carrot, cucumber sticks? One of my favourites is celery sticks with a peanut butter layer on top (go easy here with the peanut butter, mind), then dot the PB with berries or pistachio kernels. All super portable, various, cheap and damn tasty!

    Lunch is where most people crack and go for the ‘easy’ options like fast food. Well, this is where your planning comes in most useful!
    Try taking a sandwich (with wholesome insides of course), or buy a low-fat-ingredient salad with plenty of raw vegetables and salad leaves, or if you have access to a microwave oven, try bringing a small sweet potato (or yam, to all you ‘murcans!) and  give it 4-5 minutes in there, topped with tuna/mackerel/chicken and your salad for a more filling lunch.

    Dinner, easy! Simply grilled/baked chicken breast with a large helping of veg and greens! Give google its namesake and peruse all of the healthy dinners available for us lazy/tired/broke/can’tcookwon’tcook young and fit folk.

All easy, all simple, all tasty and all nutritious!

HALT

    This tip stems from another of my abbreviations – HALT. It’s simple really, before sauntering over to the fridge, stop and think:

H – Hunger. Is it true hunger, or are you just bored? Or…
A – Anxious. Are you feeling anxious, nervous, depressed about something? It’s called ‘comfort food’   for a reason. Or are you…
L – Lonely. When we are alone, we feel no pressure to eat what we want, food is our company. Are you just lonely? Go out and socialize or recognise that it isn’t right to eat for amusement alone. Or maybe you’re just…
T – Tired. We all need energy, and when we are tired, we often look to calorie-dense foods that seem more appealing at the time than looking to wholesome foods.

    So the next time you find yourself standing in the glorious luminescence that is your fridge light, HALT.

Substitute for Sustenance

    Some easy substitutions can make the difference between a s**t body and a fit body.
It’s easy, just look at some of the more calorie laden things that you eat, like sugar, chips, fries, chocolate, soft drinks, full fat milk, among others, and you'll soon see how easily they are snuck in to your diet without thinking.

·         Unsweetened tea/coffee/cocoa – if you must have sweetener, use a stevia based one, it’s all natural with no harmful chemicals.

·         Skim milk, or 1% milk (or almond/rice/coconut milk) – good for your oats in the morning or in your tea, coffee or cocoa etc.

·         Wholemeal carbohydrates – complex carbohydrates provide longer lasting energy and are ultimately less likely to be stored at fat after metabolizing. So brown pasta, brown bread, brown rice…you get the idea.

·        What about mustard instead of mayo on your sarnie?

·         Buy, or make, your own vegetable chips, or have sweet potato fries instead of the fat laden originals.

·         If you can't resist chocolate, try swapping milk chocolate with a high cocoa content dark chocolate, and limit the amount you eat to around 30 grams – about the size of your thumb!

    So, you get the idea. Stop and think, “Is there any way I can substitute something here with another, more healthy option?”

Your Humble Hand

    Often, portion size control is to blame when it comes to overeating. Here is a trick that utilizes your humble hand as a visual aid in determining portion sizes:

One Cup = Your Fist – a portion the size of your fist is roughly one cup portion of food.
Use for: Vegetables, fruit, salads, drinks, soups etc.

Half Cup = Cupped Hand – a cupped hand of food is roughly half a cup.
Use for: Pasta, rice, cooked vegetables, beans etc.

3 Ounces = Flat Hand – roughly the size (thickness, width and length) of a 3 oz steak of meat/fish.
Use for: steak, chicken, pork, fish.

One Tablespoon = Thumb – thumb sized portion of food is a tablespoon of food.
Use for: peanut butter, dark chocolate, salad dressings etc.

One Teaspoon – Thumb tip – similarly, the tip of your thumb is roughly the size of one teaspoon of food.
Use for: oils, sweetener, chia seeds etc.

                                                                        

Use these tips and why not try find some more to pave your path to success in your fitness goals!

Have a look at the official Australian Dietary Guidelines too!

Good luck!

Dom