Posted on

Monday, 2nd July

Heard the one about its too expensive to eat well and healthy? Well, i have too! Plenty of times!!! Too many times to mention in fact!

Well, statistics don’t necessarily back this one up!

Times have moved on and its heck of a long time since Tesco was the only game in town!

In llanelli, now there are far more choices and we do not have to put up with a lack of service or rudeness from any type of business anymore!

We have Aldi’s, Lidls, Morrisons and Asda of course, all offering extremely good value for money.

Due to the harsh economic climate, they are all going out of their way to become cheaper, especially on a lot of the basics.

Some people used to look down on aldi’s and lidl’s a few years ago, but when you actually try some of their fruit and vegetables, they are often much tastier than most of the bigger supermarkets. And the price difference can be substantial!

So if you are committed  to eating well and healthy, this may be the place for you!

If you say you havent got time to cook healthy, then a stir fry doesnt take long.

A great invention has been the slow cooker, which works big time in my house especially with three children!!! This is a great way of getting all your veg into your meals, and tasting absolutely fantastic too!!! You need to try it!!

Please don’t give the excuse of “whoever i live with cooks for me and i cant eat well”, because this is absolutely unacceptable!!!

Take charge now, use the so called “discount” supermarkets, in my book Aldi and Lidl blows away the big boys in terms of freshness and taste, so act on it now.

If you still say its too expensive, then how can you justify all the other junk thats usually in the trolley?!!!

Get your priorities straight and get eating well and right!!!

Twitt
Posted on

Thursday, 10th May

Adjusting your eating in the first place to become a healthier, fitter person is one of the hardest, most uncomfortable processes we go through.

Although most of us show great enthusiasm when we say we will and want to change our lifestyle, the actual knuckling down to it all can be much harder than we thought.

Most people who are overweight and unhealthy exist on a diet of high refined sugars and high in saturated fat. This is the ultimate double whammy in becoming the most unhealthy version of yourself, and the bad news is that this way of eating can take a lo of getting used to.

Not only that but those of you who eat a lot of “bad” and “empty” calories (in terms of nutritional value), will usually be prone to drinking a lot of these worthless calories in too.

If you see someone carrying a big bottle of coke or pepsi down the road for instance, then its fairly reasonable to expect them to be overweight.

If you see someone who “calls for a pint” every night or every other night in the pub, then is usually guaranteed they will be overweight, and if not, certainly unhealthy inside which can be even worse.

Since most people who live this lifestyle have been on it most of their lives, then of course it is going to be very difficult indeed to get off this path.

The great news is though that once you leave the path of making yourself extremely unhealthy over the long term, the changes can start happening fairly quickly, and happen much quicker again when you start exercising properly, or just even moving around more.

As I said, the hardest decision is often to change your diet in the first place and get on the right road. I don’t consider the right road to be slimming clubs either, they are the quick path to yo-yo dieting and ultimate failure and self-confidence destruction (scientific studies say that 97% of dieters put the weight back on and 5% more).

Im talking about eating healthy, eating fresh when possible and eating foods as much in their natural state as possible. This is the right road that will eventually take you to ultimate health and a strong standard of fitness.

Twitt
Posted on

Tuesday, May 8th

The revolution in training goes on and some remarkable changes have happened the last few years in particular.

The return of bodyweight training, and the rise and rise of functional training (exercises that have real life meaning) has been fantastic for me, because it what i have done for many, many years and its great to see a lot of people embracing this style of training!

I spoke to an equipment supplier last week and he told me what i already thought-that steppers, cross trainers, treadmills even were on the way out, and that steppers were totally out, and on the way to joining the dinosaurs!!! A lot of companies dont even make steppers anymore!!

I have been banging on for years that these machines should not form the foundation of your training. Steppers in particular don’t offer much value in terms of results, and are an example of a machine doing a lot of the work for you, plus wasting a lot of money.

Treadmills have their place if you are forced to exercise inside, but there are a million other options thats for sure!

If you’re fed up about me talking about  medicine balls, bosu balls, swiss balls etc, then tough! This is the way you should be training for all kinds of amazing results. If you want a strong back, then this is for you. If you want a strong tight stomach, then this way of training is for you, if you want great balance, then this way will work big time for you.

Bottom line is that if you want to be fitter, stronger, better balanced and healthier in every single way, then you have to learn how to handle your own bodyweight and really “find” your body again and its true source of power. This isnt some kind of mystical thing either, its entirely possible and its about time you made it happen!!!

Twitt
Posted on

Friday, 20th April

If you are intent on making good progress, try and fill your shopping trolley with the following foods.

Lean protein sources such as chicken, turkey, fish and eggs always hit the mark in terms of top quality foods that serve your body very well in terms of losing body fat and being lean and hard.

Healthy starchy carbohydrates such as brown rice, brown rice and oatmeal will give you good long lasting energy that will not cause your blood sugars any trouble at all. We all need energy and these foods are the best and most effecient sources.

Lean fibrous veggies such as mushrooms, squash and broccoli can work for you in a big way, in terms of health in all sorts of ways, if you’re missing out on them, then you’re missing out on serious results.

Fibre packed fruit such as apples, berries, oranges and grapes you know contain natural sugars, and will automatically make you feel better, help in the battle against diseases of all kinds, and can be excellent additives when combined with natural yoghurt, making proper desserts or snacks, so please do not fall for all of the “light” versions of yoghurts, when in fact all they are is loaded with refined sugar, a big no no not only for fat loss but good health in general!

Don’t forget Frosties the cereal is advertised as low fat, but is full of sugar and definitely will not help you with your health and fitness goals! Don’t fall for the “low fat” advertisements because they are not giving you the full truth!

Healthy fats include flaxseed oil, walnuts, avocados, olive oil, and don’t forget the essential fats you can get from fish.

A varied diet is essential so make sure you continue to make the right choices!!

Twitt
Posted on

Wednesday, 11th April

Causes of back pain are usually associated with familiar themes.

Lack of core stability, the muscles used in particular to support your spine are prime reasons for that often sickening pain you can get from back pain.

Being overweight though is a massive factor, and because the majority of the population are carrying too much weight, then back pain if a fact of life for the majority of people in this country.

Its not only the extra weight but in particular it’s the weight around the trunk area that makes the problem a lot worse.

Imagine carrying a chair around with you every day and you often will have the feeling that a lot of people have, it’s the uncomfortable and awkward feeling that really makes life a misery at times.

This is why exercise and eating properly really helps from day one.

The moment you start losing weight in the trunk area, your back will become stronger and more flexible, allowing you to do more in life and substantially ease that very unpleasant pain you have been having for a while.

Simply moving every day will create pain relief.

What’s the alternative of NOT moving?

Usually sitting down and this is the root of the problem. Also when you sit down you can tend to lounge and put even more pressure on your weak back.

 Poor posture when you sit even is responsible for long term back pain, the same as poor posture if you work at a computer all day, and most people have experienced a bad back on long car or bus journeys, which when you think about it is a totally unnatural position for your body to be in.

If you do just one thing every day, promise yourself that you will become just a LITTLE more active, this is the first step to ridding yourself of back problems that according to latest statistics, affect 87% of the working population at some point in their lives!!

Twitt