Getting A Shocking Early Morning Wake Up Call!

My apologies to my followers for not posting anything this week.

We had some storms arrive in our area this last week, and we've been busy sorting out the results of these storms! 

It was a surprise to be woken by the house shaking at 5.15am on Friday morning.  Yes, you guessed it, a tree had fallen onto our house!

We were very blessed to have the carport in the way of this tree (not that the carport survived!!).

The carport saved our car and the rooms at the back of our house.

This, coupled with the few days of rain, did keep us housebound for a few days.  It's now been cleared off and made safe, so no harm done.  Over the next few weeks, we will return to normal no doubt!

Luckily, there was time on Sunday to go for a pleasant walk, to remember that the rain has a lot of positives too - check out this picture of the local waterfall!

I trust your alarm clock is not quite so shocking in your current Life Journey!  Enjoy your walks in nature.

Happy Chinese New Year

This Chinese New Year is the Year of the Sheep (or Goat or Ram)

I trust you have some exciting plans for the New Year.

I'll be trying out my new tea set with friends, celebrating the Year of the Sheep/Goat.

Happy New Year friends!!

Tea Set For Chinese New Year

Just as an aside, I am having Green tea (with Jasmine) in the tea pot, apart from enjoying the taste, it also serves to stimulate the digestive system!  Great fun!!

Delicious Snacks For Your Lifestyle

I've been thinking about snacking lately.  Admit it, we all do it, we are all tempted to snack.

But, do you have a plan in place to have healthy, easy to go to snacks?

Here are some protein balls I made today.  Overall, they are high in fibre (giving sustained energy release), and are also balanced with protein and fats for overall satiety levels.  The calorie count, for you counters, is 152 calories (636 kilojoules). Making this a tasty, sweet, yet slow releasing energy and satisfying snack.  Enjoy

Isagenix Chocolate Protein Balls

• 2 cups rolled oats (uncooked)
• 2 tablespoons honey, raw
• 2 scoops Isagenix Isalean Creamy Dutch Chocolate
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil, raw, organic
• 1/2 cup filtered water
• 1/4 cup dates, pitted and chopped
• 1/4 cup craisins

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.  Make into 11 balls, using your hands to roll them.
Refrigerate.
Enjoy!!

Chocolate Protein Balls

If you wish, you can roll these in 1/2 a cup of coconut. Or, add coconut water (2/3 cup) instead of the filtered water and coconut oil (reduces calories).  There are a variety of ways  you can change these, so have fun experimenting!

Drinking And Dieting

Do you sometimes find yourself in a situation where there is alcohol? And you're on a DIET??

What do you do about this?

For me, I have a couple of solutions that I follow:

1. Make every second drink a glass of sodawater (with a slice of lemon, then I look posh!)
2. Ask for my wine to be a spritzer (1/2 wine, 1/2 sodawater)
3. Know how much I have to work out tomorrow to burn off these empty calories!!

So how do I know how much exercise I have to do tomorrow to negate the effects of those no-nutrient, high calorie drinks, while potentially nursing a hangover?

Here's a quick guide to help you remain true to your resolve of not drinking at all

Note: jogging is at 9km/h and walking is at 6km/h

• 1 bottle of cider (345ml) = 39 minutes walking, OR 17 minutes jogging
• 1 nip/shot of vodka (30ml) + cranberry juice = 36 minutes walking, OR 16 minutes jogging
• 1 glass of wine (150ml) = 21 minutes walking, OR 9 minutes jogging
• 1 nip/shot of vodka (30ml) + diet softdrink = 14 minutes walking, OR 6 minutes jogging 

As you can see, any of these would  not be fun with a hangover.  Best policy is to avoid the alcoholic drinks, but if you do weaken, make sure you're prepared to do the exercise tomorrow (extra to what you'd normally do), to negate the 'fun' you had tonight!!

Quick & Easy Healthy Snacks

I'm loving some of the quick and easy ideas that my friends tell me about when it comes to healthy snacking.

One such idea is vege muffins.

Such a simple idea and one to have for a snack on the run that combines protein, fibre and carbohydrates.

Into muffin tins, cut up your choice of veges to fill each individual tin by about 2/3.  Use veges such as broccoli, cauliflower, courgettes/zucchinis, onions, tomatoes, corn, peas, baked sweet potato, spinach, kale, peppers/bell peppers, asparagus, beans.  You can also add tofu for added protein, or some fetta cheese.

Once you are happy with the combinations, beat up eggs to pour over the top of the veges. Bake in a moderate oven for 20 minutes or until cooked through.

Easy snacks to keep in the fridge for the week ahead.  Cuts down on your trips to the vending machines!

30 Second Workout!

I'm sure that got your attention!  We all want to do anything today in less time. Time is our most valuable commodity it seems, and everyone seems to be running out of it - yet there are still 24 hours in a day!

Okay, what I mean by the 30 second workout

I usually do my weights exercises with at least a 1 minute rest period between lifting.  I read recently, that a way to increase your performance, and gain maximum benefit from your training, is to reduce your rest time between exercises.

So, if you reduce the rest time between your exercises and sets of weights to 30seconds, you maximise your outcomes.  Hence my 30 second workout!

Interesting - give it a go, see how  you feel.

I tried it this morning, and I will admit to it being a much harder workout for me! 

Let me know how you go with this and what your thoughts are

How To Move Each Day

Looking for quick and easy ways to increase your movement during your day?

Here are 3 quick tips:

1. stand rather than sit
2. walk rather than drive
3. take the stairs rather than the lift

BONUS:
Do any of these as a break between tasks when you are sitting at your desk.  Take a 5 - 10 minute break every hour of  your working day. Get up and walk briskly to the printer, or to the street for some fresh air, or to visit your friend on the next floor, or to go to the toilet.  There are many ways you can make sure you get up out of your chair and walk briskly to where you need to be.

This can include getting off the bus one stop early, or catching it one stop later! Remember to set your alarm a little earlier so you can catch that bus okay!

Want A Coffee With That Workout?

Obviously, when you are undertaking an exercise workout, the best way to enhance your performance is to ensure good hydration (plenty of fluids) and nutrition (protein builds muscles).

But, you would be wise to add the world's best known pick me up to your pre-exercise  routine!

Did you know that caffeine is one of the most effective, low-risk and easy to consume performance boosters available to you?

Even athletic boards discuss caffeine as a controlled or restricted substance.  A 'normal' dose is allowable for all athletes, and you don't need to have excessive amounts to enhance your performance.

There are studies that show that 100mg of caffeine will enhance your performance for your exercise workout.

Consider that 'health' studies are also looking at the benefits of caffeine. The European Food Safety Authority risk assessment states that up to 400mg of caffeine a day is considered safe!  This is approximately 4 cups of coffee a day.  Now, if you are pregnant, this is to be reduced by half at least.

So, to boost your exercise workout performance, how much to take and when to take it?

The International Society of Sports Nutrition states that taking 100mg (one cup of coffee) up to an hour before your exercise workout has been shown to give the greatest benefits.  Obviously this is dependent on you, the individual too.  Some people can't take much caffeine, and others chug it back like it's lolly water and seeminly have no effects.

I'd leave it up to yourself to do a trial to see how you benefit from a cup of coffee up to an hour before your exercise workout.

If you don't drink coffee, I use a product called e+, which has naturally sourced caffeine from green tea, and yerba mate, as well as herbal adaptogens that allow for a steady release of energy without the energy spike crash!

For more info, contact me directly

Top 3 Worse Things You Can Do When Ageing

These habits are deemed by some to be the top 3 worse things you can do if you want to slow down the ageing process.

1. Cardiovascular exercise - usually you think by doing cardio you are helping burn the calories, however, it's increasing the ageing process and in doing so, slows down the metabolism!

2. Eat a low-fat diet - good fats are essential to your hormones running around your body. Your hormones need to be in tip top shape for you to slow down the ageing process.  Have you noticed that since the introduction of the term 'low-fat' that the population continues to gain weight??  Most low-fat foods contain higher calories than their 'normal' fat equivalent!!

3. Yoga.  I personally love yoga, but do realise that it's not working out my body to create muscle and stimulate my metabolism.  I love it because it is about being still and present, something I often need to do.  However, being still and present does not build muscles, increase your metabolism or trigger your hormones to work effectively to reduce the ageing process.

So How Do I Change This?

By undertaking particular types of exercise programs that look at stimulating your metabolic rate (I love combining HIIT and all body weight training), by building muscle, and ensuring you provide your body with amazing nutrients in the appropriate quantities (including 'good' fats) to reduce fat, stimulate your internal metabolism and ensure your hormones are functioning at their peak.

Talk to me now about how you can start doing this today!

Breakfast Recipe - Sounds Fun & Healthy

Searching around the internet is always enjoyable, but finding something that is truly useful and what I want to try out, that's another thing altogether!!

I've been looking for ways to shake up breakfast a bit lately. I always ensure I use protein in my breakfasts these days, long gone are the days of cereal for breakfast - so not sustaining!

Well, for the last week or so, I've been getting messages about flourless banana pancakes, so I thought I'd share a recipe for you all too.  Happy Weekend Breakfast!

1 egg
1/2 banana (ripe, mashed)
Mix together

Pour onto your pan, cook over a medium-low heat until the bottom sets, about 1 - 2 minutes. Flip and cook for another minute.

Serve with fresh fruit.

Now, you can also shake this up a little by adding:

1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

You can also add a scoop of protein powder to the mix for added protein!

Enjoy

Quote For This Week

Read this, loved it, wanted to share it!

"You cannot have love if your heart is closed. You cannot have money if you are afraid of it. You cannot have freedom if you are unwilling to make choices." - Iyanla Vanzant

This also relates to you loving yourself, when you love yourself, you can get on with accepting your body and loving it, thus allowing you to nurture it properly and not through abuse at it.  Remember, abuse can be verbal (your thoughts) or physical (the junk you pour into it).

How Many Hours Do You Have?

I watched this TEDx talk today.  It was amazing.  This young man was talking about how many hours you spend at High School, all up 17,280!

The main question that is being asked in this video, is really about what are you doing with those hours?  How are you showing up?  How are you leaving your individual mark on the world?

This question can just as easily be asked about your working life.  In life, on average, you work  86,400 hours.  How are you enjoying those hours? Are you following your passion?  Are you leaving a legacy? Are you working to achieve your childhood dreams?

A great question as we venture forth in our Life Journey, whether that's about where we are in the world, how we appear to the world, or even how we turn up in our daily lives.

I really enjoyed the concept of being a conscious observer in order to find your passion. Look around your world as it is today, where are the glimmers that you observe that make you feel?

Enjoy the talk

Want A Smaller Waist?

Looking to make that waist smaller?  Do you know it could be as simple as having more protein in your diet?

A recent study found an association between habitually consuming protein in excess of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) and lower body mass index, a smaller waist, and higher levels of the HDL “the good” cholesterol.

Higher protein diets also remain popular and for good reason—people who consume more find they have an easier time managing weight and preserving muscle during weight loss.

For me, the increase in protein in my daily meals has resulted in better muscle retention while I released my weight. I now ensure I have good quality protein at breakfast, lunch and dinner.  One of these protein bases is undenatured whey protein.  I use this in my morning smoothies as whey protein has been shown to be better for you for building muscles (no, I'm not a body builder!!)

Contact me if you wish to know more about how to create a smaller waist!

Secrets To Fasting

Over the last year there has been much written about fasting as a way to lose weight.

Fasting is not a diet though, it is a way of life.  The change to this type of lifestyle needs to be permanent for you to achieve the desired outcomes.

What are those outcomes?

Well, they can be whatever your body needs at the time. It could be burning excess fat as energy, it could be growing more lean muscle, or it may just be giving your digestive system time to rest and recover!

Recently there has been some media coverage on the type of fasting that is beneficial to a healthier lifestyle. Personally, I really enjoy the 5:2 ratio of fasting.  This is where you eat from a healthy menu for 5 days of the week, for the remaining 2 days of the week, you fast.

The most recent ratio being written about is 14:10. This is where you fast for 14 hours every day, and eat from a healthy menu for 10 hours.  There have been no available studies that I have found on this ratio, whereas for the 5:2 ratio, there are more available studies highlighting the benefits to your body.

So, the secrets to fasting. 

My 7 TopTtips:

1. Stay busy.  Keeping the mind active doesn't allow you time to dwell on the fact that you're not eating
2. Treat yourself.  Okay, it's not food, but the benefits of a relaxing bubble bath, getting your hair done, getting a manicure, or whatever it is that feels like a treat, allows you to have something other than food to look forward to
3. Keep hydrated.  Drinking plenty of water to assist your body with removing the impurities that have been in your body.  Remember, when you are fasting, this gives your digestive system time to actively remove those impurities that have been stored within your fat cells (or other places in your body), so the body needs a little extra help to flush out.  Drinking 1 litre of water for every 20kg of body weight is ideal.
4. Drink herbal (non-caffeine) teas.  Personally, I love lemon and ginger in the mornings of a fasting day, and over the day I can change this to a peppermint tea.  Both these teas (make sure you obtain the herbal ones, and not the black tea that is flavoured) support your digestive system and don't put an added load onto it, while also supporting your hydration.
5. Try not to snack, but if you need to, try a low-sodium, organic vegetable broth.
6. Try a guided meditation. There is a free guided meditation by Rick Reynolds
7. Gentle exercise. Take a gentle walk, not a full on cardiovascular workout, something gentle in nature is what I love to do. I've also recently started yoga on my fasting days.

Bonus Tips:

1. Write a journal. When you are fasting, there can be a release of emotions, it's great to write these down for reflection.
2. Have an early night. Take a good book to bed and relax into your nightly slumber.
3. Avoid the supermarket or food halls. On your fasting day, do not venture into a supermarket or near any food halls or stalls.  These will put too much temptation in your way and encourage you to fail at your day of fasting!

Remember to always ease into eating again after a period of fasting, with good quality nutrition.  Also, never fast for longer than 48 hours, the studies show that there is no benefit to your body by fasting for longer than this period of time.

I follow a system of fasting that is the simplest way I have ever experienced and my increased energy at the end of a fasting is incredible! 

To contact me to find out more about the system I follow, click here and I will be in contact with you.