(On a side note though, it’s nice to know people are always talking about my product and service – the health and fitness industry).

Most, if not all, of us know that the diet industry is a multi-billion dollar industry which has a huge influence on how we think and behave around food – whether we get caught up in constant calorie counting or go to the other extreme and choose to turn a deaf ear to the plethora of overwhelming “advice”!

This can present a bit of a problem for those of us in the fitness industry.  Good nutrition and regular exercise go hand in hand towards gaining and maintaining a healthy body.  But the majority of fitness professionals aren’t heavily educated on nutrition.

Having been in the industry for 27 years, I’ve finally found the perfect fix… a system to bridge that gap.  Diet and nutrition is a big area of education and we are delighted to announce our partnership with Nutrition Complete, a comprehensive online nutrition program which really works!

It’s ridiculously easy to use… you enter in your goal (i.e. lose, gain or maintain weight) and measurements, your food preferences (e.g. dairy intolerant, no bananas etc) and the amount of time you have to prepare meals.  Then the program puts together a meal plan for you for the day, week, month… whatever you choose.  It even prints out a shopping list for you, so you know exactly what to buy!

We now make this incredibly powerful program available to all our members at a reduced cost and it’s also available to non-members as well.

If you’re one of our members with regular Personal Training contact sessions, we bonus it in and you pay nothing – a $444 bonus!  Great stuff!

I’m so grateful to have found it, so it can support our trainers and provide an outstanding option for a healthy diet and good nutrition.

If you want to find out more, come and have a chat at Reception or check out the information on our website here.

It would be so easy to pull in and grab a simple, quick dinner solution… but you’re trying to be healthy and you don’t want to undo all the good work you’ve done this week.  But, gee you’re sick of feeling like you’re missing out all the time!

Well, guess what?  You don’t have to miss out all the time… you can stop in at the local fish and chip shop every now and then without completely blowing the diet.  You just need to make the right choices when you get there.

Choosing battered calamari instead of whiting makes for a guilt free dinner!

For example, instead of your usual piece of battered whiting, get the battered calamari.  It’s so much better for you and you’ll still feel like you’re having a treat.

Battered Whiting (1oog):

• 1283 kJ
• 23g protein
• 11g carbohydrates
• 19g fat (9g saturated)
• 465mg sodium
• .5g fibre

Battered Calamari (100g):

• 878 kJ
• 24g protein
• 7g carbohydrates
• 9.5g fat (1.5g saturated)
• 320mg sodium
• .3g fibre

Of course, if you really want to have the whiting, you still can… just ask for it grilled without butter and enjoy!

Upward Dog - just part of a great stress buster workout!

Instead of reaching for a big glass of red wine to help you relax, why not try a Yoga class?  Trust me, it’s the best stress buster around!  In fact, research shows yoga reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol and brings about a decidedly chilled state of mind.

Plus, it has some other great benefits:

• A gentle yoga workout several times a week can significantly reduce lower back pain.
• Yoga makes you happier – research has shown the feel-good brain chemical GABA increased by 27% after 60 minutes of Yoga.
• Interestingly, a study in America has found a strong association between Yoga and mindful eating, so if you’re having trouble sticking to the new diet, try doing Yoga regularly.

Why not come along and give a Yoga class a go… our timetable is packed full of stress buster workouts!

• Drink more water and you’ll become much healthier
• Drink a glass of water before meals and you’ll eat less

A lovely glass of water can do wonders for your weight loss goal.

Well, guess what?  Sometimes the old wives actually know what they’re on about!

Dr Brenda Davy of Virginia Tech recently carried out the first randomised controlled 12 week trial studying the link between water consumption and weight loss.  After this trial, Dr Davy carried out a year long follow-up study and was able to come up with some fairly conclusive results…

• Prior to the trial, all participants consumed between 1800 and 2200 calories a day.
• During the trial, the women’s rations were reduced to 1200 calories and the men’s to 1500.
• The participants were divided into two groups – one group was told to drink half a litre of water before each of three daily meals; the other group was given no instructions on what to drink.
• After three months, the group that drank water before meals had lost about 7 kilos each, while those in the other group lost only 5 kilos.

Interestingly, the effects seem to be long lasting… in the subsequent 12 months the participants have been allowed to eat and drink what they like.  Those who had to drink water before meals stuck with the habit, because apparently they liked it.  They have continued to lose weight, while the others have actually put it back on!

So what have you got to lose, except your excess weight, of course!  It’s cheap, simple and, in contrast to so many other diet techniques, it actually seems to be enjoyable!

Information in this blog has been sourced from The Economist.

Naomi Watts swears by these four rules

1.  Cut back on Alcohol.  Alcohol is loaded with carbs and calories and, on top of that, it tends to cause people to make bad food choices.  Just a couple of sugary cocktails can add up to 1000 calories – half an average person’s daily need.  Avoiding alcohol altogether is best, but if you do indulge, opt for a glass of wine or slim down your drink with tonic instead of soda.

2.  Say “No” to fried food.  You can grill, bake, steam or broil, but just don’t fry!  Frying takes away the nutrients of healthy food and adds fat and calories.  Plus, many restaurants use trans fats, which increase your risk of raising artery clogging bad cholesterol and lowering fat-clearing good cholesterol.

3.  Avoid carbs at night.  You don’t have to completely deprive yourself of carbs, despite popular belief, but you should be conscious of when you eat them.  Consuming high-carb foods, such as potatoes, rice, pastas and breads, early in the day allows your body more time to burn them off.  Whereas carbs eaten at night are more likely to go unused and be stored as fat.  Barretta’s rule: stick to lean protein and vegetables after 6pm.

4.  Choose unprocessed foods.  Out of convenience we often reach for processed products, even though we know fresh unprocessed foods are better for us.  While it can be difficult to cut out processed foods entirely, there are certain ingredients you should steer clear of, such as high-fructose corn syrup, MSG, white flour and processed sugar.  Here’s a tip: shop around the perimeter of the supermarket, where all the fresh meats and produce are.

The good news is you don’t have to follow a strict diet plan.  If you adopt these four nutrition rules you’ll see a vast improvement in the way your body feels and looks.  And they’re really not that hard to follow.

Why men in particular?  Well, according to an article in the Business Review, men are more fatalistic in their approach to health.  Bascially they think when their number’s up, it’s up.  So they don’t really make an effort to change.

But it’s not all bad news.  Smoking rates have been rapidly declining which instills confidence that men can change when they choose to.

Maintaining the correct body weight is a key factor in reducing cancer risk

And change is what men need to do.  Cancer Council research shows that 1 in 3 men’s cancer deaths are preventable through lifestyle choices – an important statistic considering men are 60% more likely to die from cancer than women.

Top 3 Tips For Reducing Cancer Risk:

• Quit smoking permanently
• Achieve and maintain normal body weight, i.e. take a good hard look at your diet and make the necessary changes, then get into a gym and start working on your fitness
• Moderate alcohol intake

No one knows if they’re going to get cancer or not.  So why not start working on your health and fitness now and put yourself in a better position to avoid this deadly disease.

• Oh!  That this too solid flesh would melt.  William Shakespeare
• Everything I like is either illegal, immoral or fattening.  Alexander Woollcott
• Let me put it this way.  According to my girth, I should be a 90 foot Redwood.  Erma Bombeck
• All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast.  John Gunther
• Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity.  Voltaire
• Food is an important part of a balanced diet.  Fran Lebowitz
• We should look for someone to eat and drink with before looking for something to eat and drink.  Epicurus
• The more you eat, the less flavour; the less you eat, the more flavour.  Chinese Proverb
• Avoid fruit and nuts.  You are what you eat.  Jim Davis
• Fish, to taste right, must swim three times – in water, in butter and in wine.  Polish Proverb

And I thought I’d leave you with this one:

Marcus’ therapist told him the way to achieve true inner peace was to remember to always finish what he started.  So today, Marcus has finished 2 bags of potato crisps, a gallon of ice cream, two buckets of chicken and a chocolate cake.  He feels much better already.

The best way to start putting those resolutions into practice is to kick off the New Year with a full body detox.

I know it sounds scary, but you won’t beleive how amazing your body will feel with after just a few days detoxing.

There are many detoxes out there that are so complicated you couldn’t possibly keep up with them.  So here are a few simple tips on how to have a successful detox:

• Drink plenty of liquid, between 2-3 litres of water daily.  Adding fresh lemon to your water will also make it alkaline and help push out all those toxins.  (To find out more about alkalinity, check out our blog on Alkaline vs Acid foods).
• Cut out coffee and black tea and replace them with green tea or peppermint tea.  These herbal substitutes are great for your digestion and your metabolism.
• For the hardcore, eat fresh fruit and vegetables only; for those who don’t think you can manage that, eat mostly fresh fruit and vegetables and add tuna, salmon or fresh fish and brown rice to bulk things up.
• Cut out all junk food – I know that one is pretty obvious.
• If you really can’t give up dessert completely, try having fresh fruit (berries are particularly good) with low fat Greek yogurt.  It’s yummy and healthy.

Asparagus is great for a detox and can be used in lots of different ways. Try making asparagus soup - beautiful!

If you do this for a minimum of 3 days and no more than 7 seven days you will feel fantastic and you’ll be surprised at just how much energy you’ll have.

Add in regular exercise to help lift your fitness and those extra Christmas kilos will disappear faster than you know it.

There are heaps of fantastic Detox Recipes out there to help you on your way to a healthier body, both inside and out.

Please note: if you have any exisiting medical conditions, always seek a medical practitioner’s advice before starting a detox.

In the lead up to Christmas I thought we’d have a look at the 12 gifts in this song and how they can be a gift to the health and well-being of your body (or not as the case may be!).

Christmas - a time for joy and laughter

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me a partridge in a pear tree…

Did you know that according to Greek legend the first partridge appeared when Daedalus threw his nephew, Perdix off the roof in a fit of jealous rage?  Now I’m not advocating that you add nephew tossing into your fitness repertoire, but something you may not know about partridges is that they are seed eaters?  If you want to increase your metabolism and keep your brain alert, try snacking on seeds, such as pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds, in between meals.

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me two turtle doves…

Turtle doves symbolise love and deep friendship.  During this Christmas season, take the time to show those you care about how much they mean to you.  Sometimes the end of the year and the lead up to Christmas can be stressful and the ones who usually bear the brunt of your stress are those you love the most.  I’m sure you’ll have a much happier and healthier Christmas if you show a little extra love to your friends and family.  And if you’re really struggling to get rid of that stress, come along to a Yoga Class at Geelong’s Gym and watch it just melt away.  I’m sure your family will thank you for it!

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me three french hens…

Did you know that french hens are actually a variety of chicken in France?  Chicken is a low fat protein and is, in fact, one of the best sources of protein.  However, if you suffer from heart disease or high cholesterol then chicken is something you should try to avoid or at least eat very little of – chicken has a considerable amount of cholesterol, almost as much as red meat.  So check with your doctor before you indulge in a whole lot of roast chicken on Christmas day!

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me four calling birds…

Here’s an interesting fact for you… in the original version of the song the calling birds are actually “collie” birds, a variety of black bird in England.  Does anyone remember the song Sing A Song Of Sixpence where the black birds were served as a meat pie?  Now it’s difficult to find many health benefits in pie, since it’s loaded with buttery pastry and many other things we shouldn’t be eating.  But let’s face it, Christmas is a time when we should be able to loosen up a little and if necessary open the top button of our pants to create a little more room.  Let yourself indulge a little, because you can always work it off in the gym in the New Year.  Afterall, that’s what New Year resolutions are all about!

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me five golden rings…

I bet you’re wondering how I’m going to turn gold rings into a health benefit, right?  Well aside from the weekly massages you could probably demand if you gave  your true love a gorgeous ring, there are actually some health benefits to wearing rings, or copper ones at least.  Copper has been used to promote health since ancient times, although the greatest benefit it has is through ingesting small amounts as recommended by a doctor.  However, there are many people who swear by wearing copper jewellery to target specific areas and alleviate things like arthritis.

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me six geese a-laying…

Once again we’re back to food, which I guess isn’t that surprising considering so much of Christmas revolves around eating!  Goose eggs are highly sought after, especially since they’re much larger than your ordinary chicken egg.  But I’m sorry to say that goose eggs are incredibly high in cholesterol and so for the greater good of your body, I recommend staying away from these.

Tune in next blog post for the remaining six days of Christmas.