Geelong's Gym

Do you tell yourself regularly, this week I’m going to eat healthy?  And then two days into it, you find a whole plateful of plain vegetables with a tiny portion of flavourless meat is just boring and there’s no way you’re going to eat like this for the rest of eternity?!

Don’t worry… you’re not alone.  Sometimes when you look at your plate of “healthy” food it just seems so uninspiring.  So what do you do?  You follow it up with a delicious slab of cake, bowl of ice cream or something equally fattening which completely undoes what you were trying to achieve with your healthy veggies.

So what’s the solution?  I’m sure it would be a whole lot easier to eat healthy food all the time if it got your taste buds tingling.  So, here are a few tips to make your plain old veggies taste great:

• Make a vegetable soup – but instead of boiling the veggies in stock, roast the tomato and pumpkin with olive oil and a few cloves of garlic and watch your soup come to life.
• Stir fry your greens in a little peanut oil and sprinkle some sesame seeds over the finished product to add some extra flavour.
• Add a twist to some traditional favourites – make your lasagne healthier by substituting the meat for roast veggies and pesto or try making a pizza with avocado and mixed beans.
• Make a vegetable risotto with roast pumpkin, roast capsicum, fresh basil and baby spinach… not only will it smell great, it’ll taste great too.
• Blanch baby carrots and serve them with a drizzle of honey.

There are many other ways you can make your vegetables more interesting… try a little creativity and see what you come up with.  And I guarantee if they taste great, you’ll find it much easier to stick to a healthy eating plan!

Have you been out for breakfast lately?  Maybe afterwards you felt like you’d over indulged a little, maybe you even raced into the Gym to do penance on the treadmill.  Well, today I thought I’d make you feel a bit better about your over-indulgence… because it can’t possibly have been as bad as the breakfast on offer at Jester Diner in Norfolk, England.

The ridiculously huge, calorie laden KIDZ breakfast

Jester Diner is challenging its patrons to eat their 4kg KIDZ breakfast in 60 minutes.  It’s made up of 12 pieces of bacon, 6 eggs, 12 sausages, 2 hash browns, sauté potatoes, mushrooms, beans, tomatoes, 4 servings of black pudding, 4 pieces of bread and butter, 4 pieces of toast and 4 pieces of fried bread!

Containing at least 6000 calories, I feel a heart attack coming on just reading all those ingredients!!  And in fact, Professor David Haslam from the National Obesity Forum has said the meal could lead to heart disease, diabetes and a stroke.  It’s even possible to die after eating the breakfast in one sitting, though very unlikely.

And before you even start to think about trying something similar to this massive breakfast, take a moment to consider how much exercise you would have to do to work off 6000 calories.  I’ll give you a hand with that thought process… the average person burns around 500 calories an hour, so to work off one serve of the KIDZ breakfast or similar, you’re looking at 12 hours of exercise!!!

Anyone think that’s worth it?!  Thought not!

Excerpts from an article by Dr. Alan Barclay BSc. GradDip, PhD (Chief Scientific Officer – Glycemic Index Foundation) Conquest  (The official magazine of Diabetes Australia), Summer 2011 (December Edition), pp24 – 25.

Before even thinking about dieting, consider some basic principles about weight control first.

We all know that losing weight and then maintaining that weight loss is not easy, particularly if we take the perspective of “going on a diet” for a short period of time to lose a few kilos.  Before long, we almost inevitably find ourselves going back to our old lifestyles that put the weight on in the first place.  Whatever the latest fad diet is – be it the low carbohydrate, low sugar, low fructose, low fat, blood type etc – the truth is that, in the long run, chances are you won’t be able to stick to it due to overwhelming feelings of hunger, boredom, inconvenience or the fact that it clashes with your deeply ingrained familial and cultural beleifs.  The bottom line is that in the long run, “diets” don’t work.

WHAT HAS BEEN PROVEN TO WORK?

Eat your way to weight loss with fruit and veg!!

In order to successfully lose weight and keep it off you basically have to eat and drink less and move more – sounds so simple, doesn’t it?  The devil is in the detail, of course.  Making small sustainable changes to your lifestyle that do not dramatically change the types of food you like, don’t cost too much, and don’t take up too much of your valuable time are the best way to go.  Your weight loss goals should also be realistic.

WHAT’S REALISTIC WEIGHT LOSS?

0.5 – 1.0kg of weight loss per week is optimal – that way it’s fat that you are losing, not water, muscle, organ or bone.

SO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE?

1/ SWAP IT, DON’T  STOP IT

Rather  than buying the latest diet book and taking on a completely alien eating plan, take a good look at your current diet and see how you can make a few sustainable changes that will not ruin your family and/or social life, nor cost you a bomb.  The “Swap it, don’t stop it” approach works best in the long run – prohibition has never proven successful.

2/ EAT AND DRINK FEWER KILOJOULES

The average Australian man consumes about 10,000 kilojoules (kJ) each day, and the average woman consumes about 8000kJ/day.  To lose around 0.5kg of body fat per week, you need to eat around 2000kJ a day less, or consume about 25% less kJ each day.  This can be achieved by swapping to  lower kJ versions of your favourite foods or just eat smaller portions (or both).

3/ WATCH WHAT YOU DRINK

Soft drinks, fruit juices and alcohol are all concentrated sources of kJ, so to lose weight you should limit them as much as possible.

Eating vegetables and fruit can help you lose weight.

Excerpts from an article by Claire Sullivan, BSc, Adv Dip HSc (Nat), Grad Dip DD – Research and Development Manager Health World Australia Metagenics Update, December 2011/January 2012, p5

Optimising phytochemical intake may be a useful strategy to enhance results in weight reduction programs according to a joint research project from the University of Florida and the University of Virginia.

Phytochemcials are bioactive compounds present in plants  – consuming a diet high in these phytochemicals “move our cells into a protective state”.   Whereas a diet lacking these phytochemicals “moves” our cells toward dysfunction.

Today’s diets are frequently deficient in the fruit, vegetables and plant based foods that are a source of phytochemicals, and this research examined the relationship between phytochemical intake and weight gain and inflammation.

The researchers recruited 54 men and women aged 18 – 30 who were divided into two groups based on their BMI;

• normal weight individuals – BMI < 25 kg/m²
• overweight individuals – BMI ≥ 25kg/m²

Each participant completed a three day diet diary on two separate occasions, for dietary analysis to determine the Phytochemical Index (PI) of their diet.

The researchers made some fascinating discoveries:

• Despite the difference in BMI there was no statistically significant difference in the daily calorie (kJ) intake between the two groups.
• The normal weight group had a 10.3% higher PI compared to that of the overweight group (PI values decreased progressively with increasing weight)
• Overweight and obese subjects consumed fewer servings of green leafy vegetables, green vegetables, fruits, and wholegrain breads than the normal weight subjects
• Inflammation levels were higher in the overweight group compared to the normal weight group
• Among all participants significant inverse relationships were found between dietary PI value and BMI, body weight, waist circumference, and body fat percentage.

Phytochemical consumption is known to have many health benefits.  This study reveals that phytochemical intake reduces steadily as weight increases, despite total calorie (kJ) intake being equal.  This indicates that in the context of weight management there are additional benefits to eating fruit and vegetables beyond the fact that they are relatively low in calories.

Do you find yourself relying on energy drinks to get you through the day?  We’re downing energy drinks at record rates, yet we’re feeling more lethargic than ever.  Even worse, hospital visits related to energy drinks have increased more than ten times since 2005!  And most of those patients are men… yep, that’s right… 35% of men between the ages of 18 and 24 are drinking energy drinks regularly.

Perhaps we should be asking ourselves why we’re so tired all the time!!

Yikes! Consuming energy drinks all the time just can't be good for us!

Maybe you avoid the drinks which are high in sugar and so you might be wondering, “What’s so bad about energy drinks?” That’s a fair question… so here’s what the experts have to say about it:

1.  Decaf Energy Drinks

Some people choose decaf energy drinks thinking they’re healthier than the caffeine based ones.  But if there’s no caffeine, what provides the energy boost?  Usually it’s B vitamins.  What’s wrong with consuming more vitamins, you ask.  Well, a decaf five hour energy shot, for example, contains several thousand times your daily recommended B12 and B6, plus 100% of your folic acid.

But, despite all those B vitamins you won’t get a big boost, because the energy provided isn’t stimulating like caffeine.  And, if you eat fortified foods or take multivitamins, energy drinks such as these could send you over the folic acid edge, which over time could raise your cancer risk.

2.  Coffee Energy Drinks

Coffee is a relatively safe product and so people often assume coffee energy drinks are a safer option.  However, what you’ve got to look out for here are the other ingredients included in these coffee energy drinks.  Very often they include extra boosts, such as panax ginseng, which can  cause abdominal pain and headaches!

3.  Energy Shots

Americans spent a massive $1.3 billion on energy shots in 2011!!  These shots contain all the stimulants of large energy drinks, but often, because they’re so small, people drink more than one and then can’t get to sleep at night!

So, what are the alternatives if you really need a pick-me-up to get through the day?  Here are a few suggestions:

1. Make a cup of coffee – not only will you get the caffeine boost, but coffee can lower your risk of developing depression, diabetes and Parkinson’s disease.
2. Eat a protein rich snack such as a handful of almonds - protein helps increase insulin production and insulin can have an alerting effect.
3. Drink Juice – juice contains a whole stack of natural vitamins and it’s devoid of all those additives in energy drinks.
4. Grab a bottle of Tea – the combination of caffeine and theanine can boost alertness without raising your blood pressure as much as caffeine does alone.

Information in this post sourced from Men’s Health.

Well, that’s probably not such a big surprise.  After all, how many of us when given the choice between beer and broccoli would choose the broccoli?!  But a recent article in The Geelong Advertiser has shown some pretty scary statistics about men’s attitudes towards all things healthy.

In January, the annual Victorian Population Health Survey was released for 2009.  It shows that overall Victorians don’t eat enough vegetables, drink more alcohol than they should and more and more are becoming obese or developing diabetes.

Men... get eating those fresh fruit and veggies!

In some areas Geelong rated better than the state averages but also needed significant improvement in other areas.  Interestingly, though perhaps not surprisingly, it is the men of Geelong who really need the shake up when it comes to taking care of their bodies and developing a fit, healthy lifestyle.

Here are a few statistics of where men in Geelong stand:

• 22.8% are smokers
• 18.8% drink alcohol at weekly high-risk levels
• 42.2% are overweight
• 17.9% are obese
• 6.4% eat enough vegetables
• 49.7% eat enough fruit
• 63.2% do sufficient physical activity

So men, it’s time to take control of your life and your body!  How about adding more fruit and vegetables into your diet, making a conscious effort to smoke and drink less and, of course, get out there and exercise more!

And if you want to learn more about how your body can function at it’s optimal level and the best ways to exercise and manage your nutrition, why not consider doing some study?  You can do your Certificate III or IV in Fitness, or even a Diploma of Fitness, at Geelong’s Gym.

Information sourced from The Geelong Advertiser, Monday 30 January 2012.

Yes, you did read that right… there is just one thing you need to do to make a drastic difference to your belly fat!  Give up wheat!!

Sick of your belly fat? Kick wheat to the curb and enjoy a flatter stomach!

U.S. Cardiologist, William Davis, states that not only is wheat the worst food for your heart, but it’s also the worst food for your abs.  In fact, wheat effects every organ system in your body, but its impact on your belly is its most visible characteristic.

You may be wondering how one little grain can have such an impact, but the facts speak for themselves.  Dr Davis’ patients who gave up wheat lost an average of 26.7 pounds each!

There’s a reason why wheat is so bad for us.  Back in the 1960s a group of scientists set out to make wheat easier to grow and more resistant to pests, which was fantastic for the farmers, but really bad for us.  Basically, genetic engineering transformed wheat into a super carbohydrate which wrecks havoc on your body and makes you fat.

Scarily, this even applies to “healthy” whole wheat!

So, the choice is yours… give up the wheat and see the difference in your belly.  Plus, dropping wheat from your diet will also dramatically slash your blood sugar, cholesterol, triglycerides and other markers of heart disease risk.

Make the change today and enjoy better health and a flatter stomach!

Information in this post sourced from Men’s Health Magazine.

“Tristan, don’t eat anymore of those… you’ll be hypo-glycemic within half an hour!” I said to my son the other day.

“What the heck does that mean?” he asked, as he shoved another lolly in his mouth.

So that, of course, got me thinking about what a great topic this is for the festive season, when we can’t help but be surrounded by lots of sweet goodies.

Uh Oh... all that sugar is making me sleepy!

The thing is, lollies and refined sugars = human intervention into how our body naturally works.  Eating lollies, sugars and manufactured products causes an overuse of our Pancreas in order to secrete insulin to help get our blood back in check.

Why does this happen?  Well, once our body consumes refined sugars we become hyper-glycemic, meaning our blood levels have more sugar than they require in order to meet the body’s needs and to function.  Our body is clever and detects  that we have too much sugar, so the Pancreas then secretes vast quantities of insulin to get our blood back into a normal range.

However, what happens the great majority of times is we then have more insulin than is required and within about 30-40 minutes (because of the excess insulin), we become hypo-glycemic, meaning we have lower sugar levels than we originally started with and feel fatigued and tired.  Generally that’s nothing to get stressed about, because that’s what the body is supposed to do.  But, for some people, this whole cycle happens very, very regularly because they eat a lot of junk food, lollies and refined sugars, therefore putting undue strain on the Pancreas, causing it to secrete more insulin than it should naturally need to.  And that’s when the onset of diabetes becomes a very real concern.

But it doesn’t stop there.  When the body is in a state of being hypo-glycemic (that point 30-40 minutes after), our body’s natural response is to produce your fright, flight, fight hormone… adrenaline!  That adrenaline drives you to go and eat something to take the symptoms away (i.e. something high in sugar) which is again going to get you in the same situation and cause your blood glucose level to go back up again!

So, what’s the solution?  Take a leaf out of your parents and grandparents’ book (and even further back down the family tree!) and eat the way they ate years ago – more whole foods and natural ingredients and less refined sugars.  They were definitely on to something, because back then there were far less cases of diabetes.

On a final note, it’s the festive season where we’re surrounded by a whole load of tempting treats and sweet delicacies.  Don’t stress yourself out about the consequences of indulging in these goodies… it’s Christmas and it’s okay to enjoy the festive fare.  But I hope that what you’ll take from this post, is that it’s all about balance.  If you eat well, with good healthy, natural foods for the majority of the time, then you’ll be able to enjoy the moments of indulgence guilt free!

I recently saw John Tickell speak in Melbourne.  I’ve heard him speak several times over the years and love his passion for eating and living a healthy lifestyle.  Not to mention the fact he’s also an outstanding presenter who has the audience in stitches of laughter.

He mainly spoke about the enormous problem facing the Western World in dealing with the health crisis resulting from lack of physical activity and poor food choices by the majority of the population.  The problem is getting worse, with 2/3 of Americans overweight or obese and Australians following hard on their heels.  In fact, it was recently reported on the news that obesity has now overtaken smoking as the number one cause of premature death in Australia!

John shared some examples of nations with excellent health statistics, such as the people of Okinawa (an island off the coast of Japan) who are predominantly vegetarian.  Yes, we all have a couple of canine front teeth capable of ripping flesh from bones but the bulk of our teeth are molars designed for chewing vegetation.

When striving for success in life, you generally mirror or copy those who are successful… I find it strange then that so few people seem to follow this approach when it comes to a healthy lifestyle!

Have a look at Healthy Theory – it covers the Blue Zones of our world, which are the healthy nations and their eating behaviours.  Or take a few moments and read over one of the Blue Zones eating and lifestyle recommendations.

For example, Okinawa, Japan is known for its low number of diseases and the longest living human.  Spare a few minutes from your day and check it out here.  If you learn just two or three new things to adapt into your eating habits then it’s time well spent.  In fact, maybe you should consider spending 10-15 minutes every month on nutrition educational reading.

Remember… we only get the one body and one chance.

Ask yourself this question, how serious are you about living your life to the fullest?  Or perhaps the better question is, are you in the driver’s seat or are you more of a victim of your life?

You may think that you eat pretty well but let me shake up your thinking a little bit.  John recognises that in the Western World we eat 50% Meat/Dairy, 30% Processed Food and 20% Vegetables/Fruit/Grains…

But we should be eating more like 5% Meat/Dairy, 10% Fish and 85% Vegetables/Fruit/Grains…

If you want to find out more about John’s research and how you can vastly improve your lifestyle by eating properly, check out his books.

Now that Spring is in the air, most of us start getting worried about fitting into our summer clothes again.  Unfortunately, there’s no quick fix.  However, we do have a few tips that will help you move that stubborn tummy fat:

• 

  Eat your way to a flatter tummy!

  Eat Dark Chocolate – we all know we need to eat less rubbish and more good foods, but let’s face it, sometimes you just need a treat!  So instead of the usual block of milk chocolate, chips or ice cream, have a little dark chocolate instead… because it’s actually good for you.  Dark chocolate boosts good HDL cholesterol levels, plus it contains natural substances that help control insulin levels and relax blood vessels, lowering blood pressure, and it provides important minerals including copper, magnesium, potassium, calcium and iron.  What’s not to love – it tastes good and it’s not on the taboo list!

• Add Apples to your shopping list – fresh fruit is a must and apples come high up on the list as they’re packed full of antioxidants, such as quercetin, catechins, phlorizin and chlorogenic acid—powerful antioxidants.  Chop them up with some blueberries and yogurt and you have a delicious summer dessert minus all the calories.  There are also plenty of great varieties in the supermarket at the moment, so go nuts!
• Speaking of Nuts – instead of snacking on biscuits and chips, have a container of nuts and seeds handy for when the munchies hit.  They’re a great source of many key nutrients, including protein, fibre, iron, zinc, magnesium, copper, B vitamins and vitamin E.
• Eat more green vegies - I know, I know, this isn’t news to you!  But if you’re really wanting to trim that stomach down, you need to eat less carbs at night and more vegies, especially broccoli which is high in fibre, aids in digestion, prevents constipation, maintains low blood sugar and, best of all, curbs overeating.
• Lean meat is your friend – we all need protein but that’s not an excuse to whack the barbie on and load it full of sausages and burgers.  Instead, go for skinless chicken, which is a great source of protein and low in fat.

But most of all, if you really want to get rid of that tummy fat you need to get moving!  That’s right, exercise is the key to really shifting the fat and getting a fabulous flat and toned stomach.

That’s right readers, my cheeseburger has just turned two years old!

My cheeseburger... two years after I purchased it!

I’m sure you saw my post last August and so are familiar with my burger history.  If not, then you’re in for a real treat.

It all started a couple of years ago when my son, Germain, and I first watched this great video called “The Bionic Burger”.  I’ve posted it below and it’s only just over 3 1/2 minutes long so well worth the watch.

Basically, it’s an incredibly enlightening look at the additives and preservatives used in fast food.

This is a picture of my burger taken on 16th August 2011 – two years after I originally purchased it.  As you can see, there is hardly any decay.  There is a small bit of discolouration on the bottom, about half the size of a 5 cent piece.

Do yourself a favour and watch this video… it’s very interesting!