August 23rd 2011

Hope the summer has been kind to you in terms of getting excellent results. This is always an ideal time to get results due to the great training conditions.

You have enough light in the mornings and nights, you have good temperatures and it doesn’t take too much time to get warm in your workout, meaning aches and strains are less likely.

If you have got the results you have been looking for, then fantastic!

If you haven’t, it may be time to reassess what you are doing, and whether actions are speaking louder than words or not?

People will always have up and down results, that’s what human nature and emotions are about, but some tend to have better results than others.

The ones who have the best results are the ones with the most efficient programmes, the most consistent eating plans, and they usually have a deep desire to stay in shape, and an appreciation for the taste of healthy foods, which I think is a key factor for success.

If you take sweetener’s with everything, then you’re not really giving your taste buds a chance to get used to fresh natural foods.

Its like saying you drink lots but only drink diet coke and coffee, that’s may keep you very awake and boost your performance temporarily, but its not going to bring long term success in your programme, water should always be your foundation and it’s the most important need for your body.

You can survive 8 weeks without food as has been proven by the hunger strikers, but you would be lucky to go further than 5-6 days without water!!!!

So if you’re not getting what you want out of your programme, maybe you haven’t accepted that you have to 100% live a healthy lifestyle, there are no shortcuts and no easy ways to get something very worthwhile in your life.

This is true in all fields so lets get fired up and again and go after what you really want!

August 22, 2011

Monday 22nd August

The system out there in diagnosing and healing injuries and illnesses out there is usually very good, medical science has come on a long way since even i remember around 10 years ago.

Then there is a worrying side, you have antibiotics for everything these days, some people i know must be on antibiotics most of the year, because they always seem to be ill and fragile, and antibiotics seem to be the “answer” to everything apparently for some.

You hear every month or so it seems about a new superbug. This new superbug will usually be immune to the new antibiotics on the market, so yet MORE antibiotics have to be invented to counter the new superbug!!!! Im sure you have many friends who seem to live on antibiotics, and im already fed up of writing that word, and im sure you’re already about hearing that word!!!

Then you have another word that seems far too common in people’s vocabulary these days-IBRUFEN or any such product that reduces inflammation!!! I am not criticising anyone who takes that product but what i am saying is please don’t rely on it, or start taking that product for the slightest reason.

Some people take a pill if they have a sniffle, and isnt that a sad situation.

If most people ate healthily, drink drink too much alcohol, didnt use salt in cooking, eat ready meals, eat sugary food every day, their system would work A LOT better and be less prone to illness and injury!!!

When you do have an injury, try using ice to get that inflammation down, ice is a natural product that works, that you dont have to ingest and compromise your internal workings in your body.

When you have an injury or illness, rest up a little more, get to bed earlier and stop relying on all those pills, I’m not a doctor of course but surely there’s a time to be sensible and let nature fix your problems, your body will thank you long term!!!

August 19, 2011

Friday 18th August

There are always myths and false statements out there, especially in the world of health and fitness, where marketing of products seems much more important than the quality of the product.

We should all know by now that one fitness product is not going to get us magically into shape.

Those magically designed powder based meals are not the long term answer, protein shakes have their place for sure, but not those shakes that you take all day every day, then you lose the weight, and then pile it all back on and more!!

You may have noticed by now that im much more of a natural foods type of guy.

Theres great news now on natural foods like never before.

Take natural yoghurt for example, which i now love and i used to hate it!!! The trend for you to select yoghurts now is to judge the product on how much fat the yoghurt as, this has been proven to be a big mistake. The manufacters get around this by stripping the fat out the product, and to make it taste much nicer, they replace it with more or less pure sugar!!! Therefore it suddenly becomes very well qualified as A LOW-FAT FOOD!!!! What a sham in terms of getting lean, sugar makes you fat full stop and too much makes you diabetic, another fact over time!!

This is hilarious surely or is it really disturbing more like?!!! Give me natural yoghurt anytime and here’s another fact for you after latest research.

If you eat natural yoghurt on a regular basis, then studies show that you lose be more successful on staying lean than eating regularly low fat yoghurts! Thats quite a story isn’t it? Haven’t we been duped into thinking low-fat yoghurts are some kind of god like product in the slimming terms, at least what the advertisements tell us?!! It must be right surely?!!!!

This is a big example of how advertisers and manufacters are trying to fool you, lie to you and strip of your hard earned cash,plus never deliver on their pledge to get you slimmer!! Don’t fall for it, keep it natural and at least you know what you have!!!!

July 29, 2011

Friday 29th July

If you are in control of your food, then thats fantastic and you should be proud of your appearance and performance lately.

If you’re not, then you need to back to where you were when you first started.

Most of us remember that feeling when we finally made the plunge to eating healthy the rest of our lives. It was intimmidating at first, but over time it became easier as the weeks went by, and even easier again when we started showing some really good results!!!

So if you are at a halfway house right now, by that i mean sometimes eating healthy and sometimes eating badly, then you need to go back to the start to enable you to move forward!

When you go to the diet section on the right hand side, there is a repetitive but valid theme on there. It goes on all the time about the importance of having a healthy breakfast and gives you many examples. A doctor would back this up.

It encourages you to graze and not gulp huge amounts of food down in one go, this means it is better to have smaller meals and snacks but regular and often to sustain energy and kickstart your metabolism, this is a proven way for fat loss and lean muscle retention. Your doctor would encourage this too.

The meal ideas on there are packed with variety, and all the foods are nutritious and are going to heavily contribute to you being in outstanding health! A nutritionist would tell you the exact same.

Water is vital to life, as well as good health, how many of you have forgotten that? Did you know its also a contributory factor to fat loss? Did you know its going to be better than some much-vaunted face creams for your skin’s appearance? I haven’t got another hour to write down all the extra benefits but you should be getting the idea by now!

Bottom line is the basics ARE the bottom line!!!! Face facts and go back to the start and remember how well you used to eat!!!

July 27, 2011

Wednesday 27th July

The weather has hit new heights again, making harder training sessions more and more difficult.

The first obvious change you need to make is either workout first thing in the morning or in the evening, this will be the biggest temperature difference you can make to enable you to have a more pleasant training experience. There can be real advantages to this and i prefer an early morning slot myself, but its all down to personal choice.

Number two obvious thing to do is up your water intake on the day you train, being dehydrated on a day like this is not only undesirable but its plain dangerous! Also, remember to drink water THROUGHOUT your workout with little sips and often, as well as afterwards. This weather is not just about putting a decent workout in, its about doing things in a safe and sound manner.

Number three is to keep your workouts shorter than normal and in a shaded area if possible. There’s an old saying that says that “only an mad dogs and englishmen go out in the midday sun!!”. We have already talked about avoiding midday workouts if possible and you need definitely to limit your time in the sun. Don’t worry about the shorter workouts, simply doing a workout is very valuable on a day like this.

Number four is not to write off the day unless absolutely necessary. Most people will write off workouts on days like these, but hoepfully you’re not like “most people” anymore. You still want good results whatever the weather, and you will be willing to work around any hot or freezing weather, its just another challenge that you need to work around and you will be fine.

If you follow the first three guidelines, then you should be able to put a good short workout in, have a nice shower and get on with having a great day!