In the interest of not creating a blog post as long as both my arms,  I’m just going to look at four items today:

Cumin – did you know this is the most popular spice all over the world?  It’s not hard to see why.  It is a good source of iron, promotes a healthy digestive system and, if made into tea, reportedly cures stomach disorders.  It is also said to enhance liver and kidney function, boost immunity and treat skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis and dryness, relieve nausea and diarrhea, and many believe, when used as a tonic, it can prevent cancer.  Phew!  That’s a long list of fantastic health benefits from something so simple.  Oh and least I forget, for those trying to lose weight, it makes your metabolism more efficient!

Sage – sage is derived from a Latin word meaning “to save or to heal”, so that’s a pretty good start.  There is an old Arab proverb which says, “Why should a man die when sage grows in his garden.”  And the Romans used it to heal many ailments from snakebites to epilepsy!  Sage has been known to restore failing memories in elderly people and studies have shown that when combined with biloba and rosemary, sage is effective in slowing down Alzheimers.  It can cure sore throats, coughs, liver disorders and upset stomachs.  And, if you didn’t mind carrying it around in your bag, can be used as a breath freshener and tooth cleaner!

Add some herbs to your diet and you might have better luck!

Rosemary – a good source of minerals and iron, it is also a dietary fibre and when applied externally as an oil, rejuvenates the skin and strengthens the capillaries.  In fact, did you know that many cosmetics have rosemary as the primary component?  It has been used to treat headaches, digestion problems, regulation of the menstrual cycle and stimulates hair growth, prevents premature greying and boosts mental activity!  Once again, it can aid in preventing cancer, Alzheimers and bad breath!

Ginger – this wonderful plant contains approximately 1-4% of volatile oils which are responsible for its medicinal value.  It is extremely effective in curing gastrointestinal distress and hence is used in natural travel sickness pills.  It has an anti-vomiting action useful in reducing nausea and vomiting in pregnancy, reduces the pain of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis , relieves dizziness and stimulates circulation of the blood, cleansing the bowels and kidneys.

So why  not add some extra herbs and spices into your diet on a regular basis?  Your body will certainly thank you for it!

That last part probably sounds like a bold claim but I can assure you it’s not without foundation.  As you know, I like to find new pieces of information or perspective to broaden your thoughts on lots of different topics.  So, I’ve got a great video for you today which will substantiate my claim.

Angie Hilton, a Geelong’s Gym member and health and fitness enthusiast, asks Linda Newman, one of the Yoga Instructors here at Geelong’s Gym, to explain why she got into Yoga in the first place and the massive change that it made to her life.

This is truly inspirational and I’m sure will convince you of the benefits Yoga can have to your health, fitness and well-being.  But I’ll let Linda take over from here…

So why not come along to Geelong’s Gym and try one of our Yoga classes – you’ll love how it makes you feel afterwards!

Why are people so attracted to Yoga?

Monique Gharios, one of the Yoga Instructors at Geelong’s Gym, shares how Yoga has become so popular and how it can totally revolutionize your mind, body and spirit – whether you’re a total beginner or have been practicing Yoga for years.  This girl epitomizes a relaxed, stress-free mind, body and spirit!  And it’s all because of the powerful effect of Yoga on her life.

Angie Hilton, a Geelong’s Gym member who loves all things to do with health and fitness, gets the low down from Monique…

In the case of green tea, this is actually true.  The Chinese have known of the medicinal benefits of green tea since ancient times and used it to sure anything from headaches to depression!

Green Tea - could it be the cure for many illnesses?

In fact, in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, green tea has been found to reduce the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by almost 60%!

That’s pretty impressive, don’t you think?  But it gets better…

Green tea is reputed to be helpful in:

• lowering total cholesterol levels, as well as improving the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol
• rhumatoid arthritis
• cardiovascular disease
• impaired immune function

And all you have to do is boil the kettle, stick a green tea bag in your cup and pour the water.  Not much effort for so great a benefit!!!

I’m sure you know it’s so much better for your body to eat foods which are produced without antibiotics, hormones, pesticides, irradiation or bioengineering.

Most of us would like to eat better than we do and we’d love to buy foods that actually taste the way they’re meant to, rather than loaded with chemicals and preservatives.  But the cost of organic food can be seriously off putting.

Organically grown carrots are easy to grow and taste great!

So here are a few tips on how to eat more organically without blowing the budget:

• Buy directly from the farmers – keep your food dollar in the community and cut out the extra costs of delivery etc. which Supermarkets add onto the price.  Try somewhere like Aussie Farmers Direct and they’ll even deliver directly to your door!
• Know which foods you should definitely buy organic (known as The Dirty Dozen) and which foods you don’t need to buy organic.
• Create a weekly menu before you go food shopping and use each organic vegetable in more than one meal, i.e. use broccoli in a stir fry one night and as a side on another night during the week.
• Cut down on the amount of meat you use in a dish (organic meat is very pricey) and replace it with more vegetables.  For example, add spinach and mushrooms to your lasagna and reduce the amount of meat.
• Grow your own veggies and herbs that you use the most – this is seasonal and space related.
• Buy those fruit and veggies which are in season – they have the best flavour anyway and tend to be cheaper than greenhouse grown produce.
• Where possible, buy in bulk – you can always cook up and freeze what you don’t use during the week.
• Pay in cash so you can only spend what you’ve got in your hand.

So here’s to greater health and well-being without breaking the bank!!!

Did you know that Diet Soft Drinks make you fat?

Horrifying thought, isn’t it?  But unfortunately zero calories doesn’t mean that your body won’t turn the other ingredients in diet drinks to fat.

At Geelong’s Gym we know how hard people work to keep their bodies fit and healthy so when we find out information that will help them stay that way, we like to pass it on.

You see, the pH levels in your food have a huge impact on your health and how hard your body has to work to keep itself at the ideal pH level.  All foods have a pH level which determines where they fit on the Acid/Alkaline scale, which in turn determines how our body reacts to them.

I’m sure at times you’ve felt that it’s all a bit too hard trying to figure out what to eat, what not to eat etc.  Am I right?

To make things a little easier for you, we’ve included this video which explains in a fun way why Diet Soft Drink makes you fat and how you can have a balanced pH.

And if you need a little help getting creative with Alkaline foods we have a fantastic Alkaline Cook Book which will make it seem like child’s play.

Monique Gharios, one of Geelong’s Gym’s talented Yoga Instructors, tells us more about how Yoga can make us not only healthier, but also happier.

Monique demonstrating a Yoga pose

Did you know that health is a positive state and not just the absence of a negative state? Health is not just about the absence of disease. Traditional Western medicine treats illness as a disease, but in reality it is often nothing more than an imbalance in the natural harmony of body and mind.

True healing means restoring that balance and true health means keeping it.

So how does Yoga fit into this? Yoga means “to unify” and is a holistic approach to all aspects of life: physical, mental and spiritual. What Yoga does is view the person as a whole, as in a unique combination of body, mind and soul, and then uses techniques to maintain that body-mind-soul harmony.

I’m sure we’d all agree that preventing an illness is much better than having to cure one. So it’s important to live a life that prevents illness from developing in the first place. We want to be healthy and stay that way.

Linda Newman, one of Geelong’s Gym’s Yoga Intructors is here to tell you a bit more about why Yoga has suddenly sprung up everywhere.

Yoga as an exercise activity has become a permanent fixture in the fitness arena. Long recognised as an effective stress-management technique and a great way to improve flexibility, Yoga has more recently become known for what it can do for building strength and stamina. This popularity has been a contributing factor to the growth of mind-body exercise, which continues to be an increasingly important part of the industry.

The Reclining Bound Angel

Yoga classes are now a standard feature of the class schedule at Geelong’s Gym.  And they’re so popular that we’ve had to add extra classes to the timetable.  So there are now more Yoga classes at Geelong’s Gym than ever before!

Yoga, however, is much more than just another form of exercise. It is part of an extensive ancient East Indian philosophical tradition. What we refer to as “yoga” – the exercise activity – is really hatha yoga, the physical aspect of this philosophy. There are many different ways in which hatha may be practised. Guidelines govern the practice and reflect the basic principles of yoga regardless of style. Yoga techniques provide both a blueprint for stress management and a system for physical fitness.

To find out more, tune in again for our next Yoga blog.

So we thought we’d call in an expert to give us all a little helping hand.  Rob Claridge, a distinguished Naturopath from Claridge Naturopathics and Geelong’s Gym member, has kindly put together the following information to enlighten us all.
Rob Claridge

Did you know that there are three clear distinctions when it comes to Naturopathy?  Some Practitioners could be best described as “Natural Doctors”, others as “Classic Naturopaths”, whilst others practise a combination of the two.

Please let me explain.

Natural doctors base their treatment protocols on medical philosophy, which is based on a pathological or disease model.  Signs and symptoms are noted, bundled into a group and given a disease label.  Treatments are then designed to alleviate the pain and discomfort associated with such labels so that you can get on with your life without their distraction.  Treatments differ from medical prescriptions in that they are predominantly plant and “concentrated nutrient” based.  Such prescriptions may sometimes be a little less potent than drugs; however, they are certainly effective and largely devoid of the side effects so commonly linked to pharmaceuticals.  It would appear that people are catching onto this “drug-free” treatment option, with current figures showing it fast becoming a trillion dollar industry in America alone.

However, there is one big problem with this strategy and it all comes back to the “Disease Model” philosophy.  As mentioned, disease labels are derived from a group of signs and symptoms that act like alarm bells to alert you to the changing status of your health.  They are effects not causes!!  When you treat them you are not getting to the “WHY” of your problem.  Treating signs and symptoms is a bit like turning off the fire alarm and disregarding the fire.  With all of that said, however, Natural Doctoring does have some merit.  It ultimately provides a safe “Relief Strategy”, particularly if the remedies are correctly prescribed.

Classic Naturopathy is underpinned by very different foundations.  It is influenced by the Naturopathic or “Health & Lifestyle Model”.  This states that your current health is the combined effect of your physiology and lifestyle choices.  Furthermore, it sees your signs and symptoms as merely alerting you to the fact that either your physiology and lifestyle choices, or both, are not where they should be.  For example, you might be blessed with perfect physiology but choose to “drink, smoke and not come home at all”, consequently you’re likely to feel unwell.  On the other hand, you might have really healthy habits but have not corrected a physiological weak spot, so you’ll still find yourself below your health potential.

Naturopathy demands that true health correction comes from looking holistically at “YOU” and “WHAT YOU DO”.  Despite the potential enormity of this approach it’s actually a lot simpler than you think.  As I say to my clients each day, the true Naturopathic approach involves nothing more than following the renovation process.  Firstly, you need to assess your physiology and lifestyle for any areas of deviation.  Simply put, you make a list.  Secondly, you put the list in priority order.  Finally, you focus on your priorities and treat them with the strategies best suited to you.

Although your initial “renovation” list will most likely appear quite substantial, renovating the human body is very different to renovating a house!  This is primarily due to the fact the human body has an innate self healing ability.  Your body is constantly trying to repair itself.  For this reason nurturing your health priorities ultimately gives momentum to this self healing effect.  The end result is that you end up correcting much more than your areas of focus.  I classically see this when helping to up-regulate the body’s detoxification pathways, (eg. bowel, liver and kidneys).  The end result is most commonly increased energy, improved mood, clearer skin, decreased pain, reduced body fat and generally enhanced physiological function.

Again, the message is….Address your cause and you’ll eliminate your effects!  But remember, if your cause has been rumbling away for decades it will take more than a few days to fix it.  However, it won’t take very long to start feeling better once your health momentum has been switched on.

The reason Naturopathy lost favour a century ago was that the discovery of the “Disease Model” offered quick relief from pain and discomfort.  The reason Naturopathy has recently regained popularity is that we now realize that the “quick fix” strategy is temporary and ultimately fails to deal with the cause of the issue.  We have observed our parents and grandparents, who have embraced the orthodox medical model, and are now questioning its effectiveness.  The polypharmacy of drugs and their side effects may sometimes increase lifespan; however they are certainly not linked with increased healthspan!  This has been made clearer due to the numerous studies into those countries and cultures who have not embraced the Disease Model.  It is interesting to see that in such cases both their health and lifespan is superior.  They are living and breathing evidence of the efficacy of the Naturopathic model.

As initially mentioned, there are some Naturopaths who combine both Natural Doctoring and Naturopathy.  I believe that this is the best model, given that Natural Doctoring does provide you with relief from your urgencies and Naturopathy is addressing your underlying causes, so you are getting the best of both worlds.  For instance, if you have an issue with headaches, getting pain relief is an immediate priority.  Let’s face it; no one likes the distraction of pain.  However, the reality is that palliative therapy does not prevent the next headache from coming.  If your headaches are recurrent you’ll pretty soon be spending a whole heap of time, effort and money on them.  So getting relief, whilst also committing to addressing the cause, will ensure that you break the cycle of your issue in maximum comfort.

The “take home message” from this blog is that it’s less about the therapy and more about the philosophy behind the prescription.  Vitamins, minerals, homoeopathics, acupuncture etc, all provide effective treatment solutions.  However, when used to treat effects rather than causes, their outcome will ultimately be less pleasing.

In finishing, I believe that the most influential factor in your health is your health education.  The more knowledge that you have in the area of health, the better choices you will make.  Hopefully you will quickly realise that the choices of fresh unprocessed food, fresh air, sunlight, exercise, relaxation, laughter and love will always deliver health and happiness.

We are delighted to announce the arrival of TWO AMT Precor Machines into the Cardio Theatre at Geelong’s Gym.

Most of you are probably asking right now, what’s an AMT machine?

Put simply, it’s a machine that is as versatile as the human body. It will move the way you want to move. Sounds pretty cool, huh?!

It’s a low-impact cardio trainer that actually adapts to your movements. Which means you can completely change the motion and path of your steps without even having to touch a button. So you can go from short to long strides, walking to running and even into deep lunges without pressing a single button! Every workout you have can be as challenging and unique as you want it to be.

So you will never get bored!

Do you want to know more about how the muscles in your body respond to different movements?

Now is your chance. You’ll learn how to use short strides to work the calves and quads, mid-length strides to hit the hamstrings and glutes, and long strides for full engagement. Can anybody see a taut, toned and amazing looking lower body evolving right before your eyes?

The more you learn the more you’ll be able to customize your workouts to target specific muscle groups. Not only will your workouts be so much more interesting, but they will also be that much more rewarding.

I don’t know about you, but the AMT actually makes exercise sound like fun!

So why not come in and have a try of this fantastic new cardio machine. The AMT is ready and waiting for you to let your