GUEST BLOG: Running, Running… Running out of Iron

As an obsessed runner, I know first hand that the effects of iron deficiency can hit hard… Particularly if you’re busting your guts to achieve health and fitness goals!

With iron deficiency, simple everyday activities like ascending a flight of stairs can feel like a gruelling climb to the peak of Mt Everest, (lack of oxygen and all!).

Not to mention the negative impacts on training!

Speed training feels more like lumbering through an atmosphere made of viscous honey, with no improvements to be seen in time trials; while long runs are followed by hours in a semi-comatose state on the couch.

This makes sense when we think about the roles of iron in the body, which include (but are not limited to) oxygen transport, red blood cell production and involvement in energy production systems.

The effects of iron deficiency are compounded by fitness training.

This is because training causes:

1. Increased iron requirements: Red cell production is increased, with increased blood use by the tissues.
2. Increased iron losses through sweat, blood, urine and the digestive tract. As a runner, red blood cells are lost through “haemolysis” as blood cells break apart with every foot strike.

So – what can you do to boost iron levels?

One answer (and my favourite reply) is FOOD!

There are two types of iron found in food:

-          Haem iron - found in animal foods such as red meat, poultry and seafood. Haem iron has far better absorption (around 15-18%).

-          Non-haem iron - found in legumes, some green veggies, dried fruits, nuts and fortified breakfast cereals. Non-haem iron is less well absorbed (<5%)

Image: Absorption of haem iron vs. non-haem iron

Becoming an “Iron”-Man/Woman: Top 4 Tips!

1. Be a Mindful Meat-Eater
   Eating lean red meat 3-4 times a week is a great way to meet your iron requirements. Good options include kangaroo, beef, veal and lamb.
   
   OR….
   
   
2. Be a Vigilant Vegetarian
   If vegetarian (or prefer a plant based diet) – make an extra effort to eat iron-rich plant foods regularly. Experiment with legumes and nuts, and choose fortified breakfast cereals
   
   
3. Avoid drinking tea or coffee within 30 minutes of meals.
   The tannins in these drinks can inhibit iron absorption.
   
   
4. Add vitamin C-rich foods to meals.
   This can increase iron absorption by up to four-fold! Examples include citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables and chilli.
   
   

Talk to your doctor and dietitian for more advice. Supplements may be recommended for some individuals.

Dominique is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian (APD), medically diagnosed coeliac, avid trail runner, and self-confessed peanut butter addict. You can follow her story on Instagram: @free.dom02

Sunshine Coast Dietetics: Macros: Count 'em or Count Me Out?

As a sports dietitian, people often ask me about counting macronutrients or ‘macros’.

When I say macros, I am talking about the amount of carbohydrate, protein and fat consumed in a day (or sometimes a meal). To give you an example, yesterday I consumed 250g carbs, 108g protein and 76g fat. This means I received 49% energy from carbs, 20% from protein and 31% from fat (due to fat being higher in energy content). Though these numbers tell you nothing about the quality of my diet during the day. FYI I could have had 1 ¼ Cups sugar to get that carb intake (though I didn’t).

Why are Macro’s important?

Different training regimes require different macro distribution. The most important factor being the amount of endurance exercise someone is participating in. Endurance exercise requires a greater quantity of carbohydrate to perform. For example a 70kg elite Ironman triathlete during heavy training may require upwards of 560g carb/day. This is only a ballpark figure though it highlights the importance of macros. After we have that carb figure we can then provide guidance on adequate protein, with the remainder of energy being from fats.

For someone interested in muscle gains, focusing on having sufficient protein intake (without going overboard) would be the first port of call. Then ensuring they have enough carbs to get through their sessions, with the remainder being from fat. In these cases it is important to have knowledge about specific macros, more for ensuring minimum requirements of these specific macros are being met.

Why macros aren’t important

Providing someone with a set macro schedule, for example 33% Carb/33% Protein/33% Fat, without understanding their energy requirements, exercise program and personal preferences can be counterproductive. As discussed above, more important is the amounts of specific macronutrients. Sports dietitians have moved away from macro schedules and prefer a much more individualised and periodised nutrition strategy, focusing on the requirements of training. Furthermore, there is always flexibility in macros to address personal preferences.

As suggested above, macros also don’t provide an idea of diet quality. While most people are able to choose protein foods to fit into their macro requirements, fats and carbohydrates are another matter.  Sometimes focusing too much on the % macros will reduce your range of foods, which can compromise vitamin and mineral intake. Yes ‘my only veg is broccoli’ friends, I am talking about you.

What does this mean for you?

In a nutshell; having an idea on the specific macronutrients for your training/exercise/sport and how to obtain them is important. Focusing too much on numbers without consideration for the quality of your diet can be counterproductive. Finally, everyone has individual dietary preferences and it is always important to incorporate those in any meal plan.

Happy eating.

Peter Herzig, AccSD, APD

Sunshine Coast Dietetics 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SCDietetics
Snapchat: @dietitianlife 

GUEST BLOG: Health Is Your Most Precious Gift

Take a deep breath – fill your lungs with air… breathe out, wiggle your toes, your fingers.. open and close your eyes, speak, stand up, walk to the door… open it…. breathe again, take in that fresh air… take in life, take in your most precious gift – you are alive, you can move and you have your health. A fragile, precious gift that you so very often take for granted, until you don’t have it.

Every day so many less fortunate fight the daily battle to do the things that we take for granted. They battle for their breath, they fight to move their limbs, to open their eyes, to move their body, or to be able to express themselves.

Without our health we have nothing – It really is our true wealth.

You don’t think so? Then try living without it, try living with the daily battles of a terminal illness, or a life adjusting injury or disease, then tell me that it is not important.

My journey to health and fitness gave me a brief glimpse into the world of the loss of health and the threat of not being here to live this journey that I am eternally grateful to be on.

HELLP syndrome was my brush with this feeling. It is a rare complication that occurs in less than 1% of pregnancies. (so I have not given up hope on getting that winning lotto ticket). Broken down this syndrome is:

H – Haemolysis (break down of blood cells)

EL – Elevated Liver Enzymes

LP – Low Platelet count

It is the next step on from preeclampsia – a more common complication. I had a lot of fluid throughout the pregnancy, one hospital admission with a very high blood pressure reading and within 24 hours of being released I woke to pains that I tried to ignore as it was too early for my baby to be out into the world. I have never been a big fan of exaggerating pain so I quietly went about the house trying not to wake anyone.

Then the breathing became irregular and more and more difficult so I calmly suggested to my partner at the time that it may be time to ring the hospital and just check in – my bubs still needed cooking time at 34 weeks and premature lungs I was starting to get worried, and scared as a million possibilities of what was happening ran through my head.

A trip to the hospital followed, with each breath getting more and more difficult I rode the elevator up to the maternity ward and was very quickly attended to by the staff. So with a partially collapsed lung and blood pressure through the roof the whirlwind began – my drug free, natural birth, became an emergency Caesar to save my life – a malfunctioning liver, collapsed lung and extremely low blood count with very few platelets, the faces surrounding me said that things were not looking great for me at this stage. I clearly remember asking the staff to please, no matter what lay ahead for me, save my baby! This was my real first experience of unconditional mothers love and sacrifice as I was wheeled into emergency surgery.

The rest was quite a blur until I heard those lungs let out a cry… Tears of joy streaming down my face as my world was now complete. A scream meant that those tiny lungs were working. It meant life! It meant my precious one had made the very early journey into the world – and at 3 pounds 15 his battle for life had begun.

My journey had just begun too… 24 hour round the clock care, blood tests on the hour, diminished liver function, bruising from lack of platelets from chest to thighs, I lay only thinking of my tiny bubs, and having that first connection of touch. Instead I was forced to focus on building my strength while the angels of nurses in the special care unit took care of my little superhero. Both of our fights to recover had begun, one moment, one hour, one day at a time. 

Lessons in life to not sweat the small stuff and truly be grateful for good health were embedded! Every day I am grateful that my health returned to normal levels in my blood and liver within 6 weeks. The human body can be so amazing in it’s ability to heal and repair. I know how lucky I am to have life, both mine and my beautiful baby boy! I am so grateful to have been given a second chance, when so many others don’t get that opportunity.

Every day there are many others fighting with everything that they have just to make it through the day. I know they would give anything to have the health that so many of us take for granted. You see it in friends, family, loved ones who are currently battling, or have sadly lost their fight – they view life as we all should, with gratitude, hope, love, and courage!

So when people ask why I take on the physical challenges that I do “my why” and answer is simple – I do it for those who can’t. I do it for those that we have lost. I do it to honour them, and for those still fighting! To use every bit of my health for as long as I can to help their battles in any way that I can!

Our Health is our Wealth – so please don’t waste the precious gift that you have been given and take care of yourself, in every way. It can all be gone in an instant so always remember this is not a rehearsal, we only get one chance at this thing called life.

For those superheroes reading that are fighting the toughest of battles. The true warriors! You inspire and amaze all of us daily with your courage, strength and bravery. Although we can not help you physically battle on, please know that we are here for you, we will fight the fight for research, for treatments, for cures, for care, and to support you in any way that we can.

If you are fortunate and blessed enough to have your health, how are you choosing to use it? Comment below or Click to contact us and make the most of this precious gift that we so often take for granted.

Kirsty Levy

Facebook: www.facebook.com/mumfitnessadventure

Instagram: @mumfitnessadventure

GUEST BLOG: Why Diets Don't Work

The word ‘diet’ automatically initiates a form of restrictive eating in order to lose weight – As far as it goes YES you will lose weight when you go on a ‘diet’ but in 95% of scenarios by using this method alone you will regain back that weight plus some. WHY? Because it is a temporary fix for a long term outcome, meaning it won’t sustain you in the long term due to it usually restricting certain macronutrients which are essential for proper functioning in the body.  Here is a few key points on why diets don’t work:

·         Not only can fad diets be harmful to your wellbeing but they usually lack essential nutrients for our functioning and even worse THEY TEACH YOU NOTHING ABOUT HEALTHY EATING AS A WHOLE!

·         And then there’s the BS marketing of “diet” products, but if you read the fine print closely it usually suggests a healthy diet and exercise for best results – in other words, if you eat well and exercise regularly you don’t need this magic potion but buy it anyway! SKIP THE CRAP – STOP WASTING YOUR MONEY and just commit to a healthier lifestyle to see the results. 

·         There is nothing wrong with wanting to lose weight, but don’t go crazy in developing bad habits such as trying fad diets or skipping meals because these are just unhealthy and unmethodical to your wellbeing, both physically and emotionally.  Simply start by controlling portion sizes and perhaps cutting back on your “must haves” such as chocolate or soft drink, halve it then halve it again, this is an excellent start to developing a healthy habit to weight loss, the best thing you can do is LOSE THE DIET MINDSET!

Yes it sounds cliché and no it’s not the answer you were probably hoping for but I can guarantee you, skipping the diets and investing in your health and wellbeing will be the best thing that will yield the results you so truly desire.

Gemma is a Personal Trainer & Nutrition Coach based on the Sunshine Coast.  Offering online coaching in both fitness and nutrition to suit your lifestyle or in person via arrangement. 

If you’re sick of the vicious dieting cycle there is a special offer for a limited 10 spots for my 16 week nutrition program at 40% OFF.  This will teach you how to understand nutrition, flexible dieting and it will be customized to your energy needs.  If you’re interested contact me directly via email: gemmaricept@outlook.com

If you have any further questions I’d be more than happy to answer them over on my Facebook or Instagram page – feel free to connect with me for fitness and nutrition tips and advice.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/getrealphysiques

Instagram: @getreal_physiques

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw7c_ER2rQFLgXOA1m48lQg

Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/add/gemmaricept  

Sunshine Coast Dietetics: Tips for Children Who Are Fussy Eaters

Feeding children can be one of the hardest tasks a parent undertakes, particularly with today’s vast range of colourful and highly-flavoured food, complete with superheroes adorning the packaging. Most children are likely to become ‘fussy’ at some stage in their development, whether it is picking at their food, pushing away their plate, eating only a few of their favourite foods, or flat out refusing meals. In these cases, GPs are likely to be one of the first ports of call for parents who are desperate to get their little ones to eat.  Accredited Practising Dietitians recommend a few tips to help parents manage children’s food fussiness.

Do not beg or push children to eat

Studies have indicated that when parents insist their children eat particular vegetables, a dislike of those foods they have been ‘forced’ to eat often continues into their adulthood. A better option is to present children with a range of vegetables on their plate (including some they like), and sit with them to enjoy dinner quietly, not interrupting or coaxing them into eating. Whether they choose to eat it is up to them, but it is important to keep offering a range of vegetables from which they can choose, including those that have been refused previously.

Do not offer dessert as a reward

Sweet foods are easy to eat and very palatable for children. This can, in turn, give the message that savoury foods are less enjoyable. It is okay to provide dessert foods as part of a family meal, but not as a mechanism for encouraging a child to eat.

Do not praise children for eating

Eating is and should be a pleasurable experience, unless there are other issues, such as food allergies or intolerances, present. Praising children for a behaviour that is natural can lead to the need for ongoing encouragement and praise for every meal and snack.

What else can parents do?

It is helpful to be a good role model and enjoy meals with children. Children are likely to eat the foods that their parents eat on a daily basis, so encouraging parents to regularly eat healthy foods in front of their children is crucial to uptake and acceptance of these foods. This approach teaches the child the food is safe and part of normal, everyday nutrition. Enjoying meals together has a positive impact on children’s health, particularly those of school age. It increases intake of vegetables, fruit and dairy foods, and decreases consumption of unhealthy foods.

While eating every meal together may not be realistic, increased benefit is seen with more meals shared. Encouraging children to play with the food, either with a utensil or with their hands, and to get messy, can be helpful. They should gradually put some in their mouth and may spit back out, but that is a step closer to eating and enjoying that food.

Some other key pointers that can be offered to parents include:

• Turning off the television and other distractions

• Leaving children to eat in peace (keeping an eye from a distance)

• Letting children make some mess

• Mixing foods they already like with some they don’t

• Making sure their feet are always supported while eating

• Focusing on weekly, rather than daily, intake (children will have days where they eat more or less)

• Serving dinner foods at lunch time – this may help if they are tired at the end of the day

• Making sure they are not drinking too much milk (no more than 600 ml per day)

Peta Adams

Sunshine Coast Dietetics
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SCDietetics
Snapchat: @dietitianlife 

Paul's Body Engineering: Balance and Consistency

Balance and Consistency. These are two keys words thrown around a lot to describe the 'ideal' when one’s life is busy between work, personal and other commitments. As a Father of three, life can get very busy at times. Trying to manage three children, work, and personal commitments can be very difficult to juggle.

So what is the answer? What’s the secret to finding that balance and consistency?

Planning & Organisation

For me, I’ve found planning out my week certainly helps. Utilising a weekly planner is a great idea to map out your week one week ahead to visually see what you are doing, what time you have committed, what time you have left and perhaps how you can better manage your time. 

With my schedule training is another key attribute to my life which ensures I maintain a strong body and mind. Again this is another thing I have to commit too each week, thus finding time for this as well.

Ill start my week by scheduling out my work commitments whether that be face to face clients, online coaching requirements, blog writing, program building etc. All require the allocated time, all require completion by a certain time and date therefore need to be schedule accordingly and managed effectively. On top of this comes personal commitments such as school drop offs and pick ups, after school activities and weekend family events.

For me again, I enter all of this into my weekly planner. Knowing my week ahead down to the hour allows me to prepare well, organise my time efficiently and co-ordinate any last minute changes effectively.

Being a Personal Trainer with many clients, changes throughout the week is very common therefore often I find myself changing times around to suit. This is exactly why I have the week planned out providing greater opportunity to manage my time and make these changes , where possible, without too much hassle.

I also utilise a scheduling app on my phone to assist with the booking and scheduling process. While it is not ideal to manage more than one schedule or calender, each schedule I maintain represents a different aspect of my life and for me, this breakdown between work and personal seems to work.

It is amazing that once a week is completed planned how many gaps in your day you will find. 30 minutes here, an hour there all add up which leads into the next section.

Exercise & Nutrition

A lot of the hurdles I hear regrading finding time to train and plan out meals is time.

Thanks to the above effort, we have gone to in the above exercise to plan out each week down to the hour, enables you to schedule in training and meal prepping as needed. If you believe training three days a week is what your body and mind needs, then schedule it into the weekly planner accordingly. Plan it so it before work, after school drop off, after work etc. What will best fit into your schedule but once its in the planner its in your week and schedule to be done.

This also applies to meal prepping. One of the biggest failures for someone trying to get fit and healthy is nutrition. Meal prepping is such a good way to avoid temptation, unplanned meals and keep yourself on track. In order to meal prep you need the time to manage this hence utilising the planner again. Schedule in an hour a week or how long you believe it will take to prep out an entire weeks worth of meals thus it is now in the planner so scheduled to be done.

Family Time

This should always be a priority. Life can get so busy our family and kids become second fiddle to everything else when they should be first. We work to live not live to work so time should be given to spend quality time with family and friends.

Again this is something that can be scheduled in. Whether it be a family meal each week, a movie night, beach time, a bike ride etc if its in the planner then should be scheduled to be done.

This is how I manage my time and by all accounts I am not perfect at this as unexpected circumstances do always present themselves which cause the weekly schedule to change however it is always managed to the best of my ability.

My take home points would be;

• Plan out each week down to the day and hour ultimately showing the free time you have that you weren’t aware of.
• Ensure the planner details work, training, meals and family time
• Stick to the weekly plan as close as possible
• Manage anomalies each week to the best of your ability to keep your structure intact

Paul Hooper

Personal Trainer/Fitness Teacher/Owner

m 0466 587 643

e paul@paulsbodyengineering.com

w www.paulsbodyengineering.com

f www.facebook.com/paulsbodyengineering

i @paulsbodyengineering

Sunshine Coast Dietetics: Super Size Down

 We have all seen Super Size Me, the 2004 doco that taught us that maybe extra large fries with ‘that’ is not the way to go. Morgan Spurlock ate exclusively from the McDonald’s super sized menu for a month and in the process, his weight ballooned, energy levels plummeted and he had some overall, pretty terrifying side effects.

So how important is it to be conscious of not only what, but how much is on our plate?
It’s difficult to avoid over eating when restaurants offer meals that contain enough energy (kilojoules) for an entire day’s intake. It’s difficult at home too. The size of dinner plates, muffin tins and pizza pans have all grown.

Portion awareness is not only important for those that want to manage their health or lose a few kilos, it is an underrated skill that can benefit us all. Portion control is something that takes practice, but can help you lose weight and ultimately prevent chronic diseases like Type 2 Diabetes and Cardiovascular disease.

If you’re wanting to maintain your weight or successfully lose a few kilos, here are some handy tips to keep your portions in check.

1.    Do not skip meals
If you’re starving after missing breaky or lunch you are more likely to binge on a larger and more energy dense meal later on. If you are guilty of this, plan out your meals to fit in with your schedule.

2.    Use smaller plates

Studies have found that the size of your plate can impact how much you eat. Switch to a smaller plate and the optical illusion of a fuller plate will help to cut down on your portions.

Two plates with the exact same serve of food. Your plate will look fuller and you will be eating less.


3.    Be restaurant savvy
This can be difficult as you don’t exactly know the portion of your meal until it is sitting right in front of you. Choose options that have a portion of lean meat and vegetables and don’t be afraid to eat half of the meal and take the other half home.


4.    Slow down and skip a second serving
Enjoy a carefully portioned meal by putting your fork down between each bite. Even take a sip of water between every few bites. This will help you be more aware of your satiety and maybe prevent an unnecessary second helping.

We all love food, and everyone is guilty of over-eating every now and then. But if we make the habit of watching the portions of our meals, your weight and health will handle itself.

The Sunshine Coast Dietetics Team
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SCDietetics
Snapchat: @dietitianlife 

Paul's Body Engineering: Depression: Is Fitness The Answer?

This is my story so far...

A few years back my 10 year marriage broke down. While this was not my undoing everything I knew was suddenly turned upside down in the blink of an eye. For the first time in a long time I was a single Dad, living on my own with little structure or direction.

It wasn’t long before depression set in and I turned to alcohol for an escape. Before my marriage ended I was a trim 77kg and only after a few months I was as high as 96kg.

At times I would become selfish. I could not see a positive future and depression set in hard at times. Even the horrible thought of suicide crossed my mind.

I still maintained some sort of presence in my local gym however I really only did this to escape the loneliness which was life. I regularly neglected my daughter, family and friends and became a shell of my former self. The gym seemed to be the only release, the only escape, the only sanctuary I had.
Not long after I met my now fiancé Monique and everything seemed much clearer. She reintroduced me to health and fitness. I gave up on excessive drinking and before too long took the massive risk and became a qualified Personal Trainer.

During this time I was also introduced to the legendary Leon Stensholm. Under his guidance and training we prepped me for my first of five bodybuilding shows. I had now found a goal, a drive, a passion for something bigger then myself. While this sport isn’t for everyone I had always had an underlying desire to pursue this avenue and test myself.

I felt hungry again like I used to be on the Rugby field. It was inspiring, motivating and somewhat addictive. I have since competed again and have fallen in love with the sport and all it has to offer as well as the education I received each time. I have made some lifelong friends in the sport and love what experience each event brings.

My life seemed to have balance and purpose once more. My relationship with my daughter and family has never been stronger. My Fiancé Monique is my rock and always keep me grounded and our future has never looked brighter.

Health and Fitness is now my life and not only am I a qualified PT but I also teach the Certificate 3 & 4 in Fitness. I also write numerous blogs for various Health & Fitness sites and have a successful online component as well.

I have the occasional drink in the off season and hold my weight well. I am now a proud Father of three and always wake up with a smile on my face.

While breaking down the walls of depression is extremely hard, it can be done. If I can, then so can anyone else no matter how high the mountain is that you have to climb.

I am always available to discuss this matter with anyone that needs assistance or just wants to talk. While I don’t hold a qualification in this area I think life experience speaks volumes and if I can help I certainly will.

I will also be looking to hold small seminars in the not too distant future about this subject and how health & fitness can not only get you back on track but also restructure your life to enable you to find balance, peace and fulfilment.

Paul Hooper
Personal Trainer/Fitness Teacher/Owner
m 0466 587 643
e paul@paulsbodyengineering.com
w www.paulsbodyengineering.com
f www.facebook.com/paulsbodyengineering
i @paulsbodyengineering


For all your supplement needs check out Total Sports Nutrition https://totalsportsnutrition.com.au/?ref=178

Accelerate Health and Performance: Sifting BS

Last year I worked with a trainer who pushed all his clients to take Pre-Workouts, BCAA’s and Protein – None were body builders or athletes. They were very run of the mill general population clients who all wanted to lose a bit of weight, get a bit fitter, healthier and stronger.

Why did he push them toward supplementation? So he got a discount on all the shortcut bullshit he was doing because he wasn’t actually training or looking after his nutrition properly.
 
He won’t read this but I’d say it anyway...He was being a bit of a dick.
 
Not because he wanted to make a profit and not because he recommended supplements to his clients, but because he never really assessed or met their needs and never yielded tangible results. His clients generally liked him so they stayed a while but they often got jack of not getting the results they wanted and he didn’t stretch himself further to find out why.
 
You see, as a Personal Trainer, over time you develop a great bullshit detector. You also talk to a lot of different people and learn a lot about those people - Their heritage, their culture, their personality traits, their habits...whether they’re a folder or a scruncher.

But this guy didn’t talk to his clients and engage them...he never learned about them as people and never retained the knowledge that would join the dots and shed some light on the people he would meet in months and years to come.
 
One of his clients was a big English bloke. I’d estimate 120-140kg and 50% body fat plus...and he had him knocking back pre, intra and post workout amino acids at 5:30am.
 
Mitch: “Why have you got him on so many aminos? He isn’t lifting that much weight and that’s a lot of calories to take in before he even gets to breakfast.”
Trainer: “Nah, there’s no calories in aminos. The label says so.”
Dear oh, dear oh, dear.

Amino Acids make up protein molecules...1g of Protein yields four calories of energy...but what makes up protein molecules has no energy?

Layne Norton explains it very well here: https://www.biolayne.com/coaching/faq/part-e-bcaa/
 
So clearly there were some holes in this guy’s education. He was young and naive, and credit where credit is due, he took that on the chin and accepted the knowledge.
 
What else was there about that one client though that really, really stood out straight away, for me? He was English. A Pom. He was from the Mother Country, Guv’nah... And what do we know about the English diet? It’s pretty horrible.
 

* This actually looks delicious even if it gives me seven simultaneous heart attacks

Chips with every meal, even breakfast cereal. Sweet drinks on the regular. Highly processed bullshit as far as the eye can see. And I can say this...I married a pom.
When I met my wife her diet was shiiiit. My diet is by no means perfect but with a few simple changes my wife lost over 10kg in six months with a little bit of exercise and a shitload less Yorkshire Puddings.
 
Now I admit, I never actually analysed this guy’s diet but I’m willing to put a pineapple on it being pretty whack – a significant calorie surplus, a large amount of deep fried food and whole lot of processed sugar. That, plus a shit ton of calorie filled supplements...he didn’t lose weight. He gained weight. Fast.

When there’s no interaction and no engagement there is no bullshit detector. No little voice in the back of your head saying “This bloke isn’t telling pork pies, he is eating them!” and that is a HUGE pitfall for new, inexperienced trainers. Most trainers won’t become older, experienced trainers without this ability.
 
But it’s not just up to us...sure, you pay us to help you achieve your goals but we aren’t magicians. You see us maybe three or four hours per week tops...what are you doing in the other 160+ hours?
Are you actually eating really well or have you had salads with your Big Mac instead of fries? Are you really doing your hill sprints or are you doing a hill sprint and then taking selfies? #fitspo
Before you even try your bullshit with your trainer, be your own bullshit filter. Be your own bullshit filter every day!
 
Are you training as hard as you need to or as hard as you’re supposed to be? Are you keeping your macros and calories in check or are you mismeasuring to allow yourself some extra Ben & Jerry’s? Did you really eat pretty well this week or did the bottle of vodka, late night kebab and Large Popcorn Chicken Meal kind of fuck that up?
 
Trust me, the first answer that comes to mind is ALWAYS the right one and if it is second guessing yourself the answer to the questions above is “no”.
 
Not every has to be bodybuilder strict. The successful ones are disciplined as hell. Those guys and girls are freaks. But if you can become a lot more honest with yourself and a lot more honest with your trainer your results will go through the roof in a matter of weeks.
 
Trainers: Get to know your clients in detail. They may up and leave one day but you will be so much more prepared for the next one that comes along. Sift their bullshit!
Trainees: Sift your bullshit. Cut your bullshit. Be real with yourself and be real with your trainer. If you need someone to be your bullshit filter call me. I’ve got many bullshit filters that tell me to shut the fuck up constantly. It’s great – It helps – It is important.
 
Life is way easier and way more fun when we keep it real and own our choices and actions.
 
Please direct all hate mail to the owner of this website. 
She's the one to blame for me continuing to be published.

Mitchell Knight
Accelerate Health and Performance
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/acceleratehealthandperformance/
Instagram: @mitchellknightpt @acceleratehealthandperformance

GUEST BLOG: Cooking A Bun Isnt Always Fun (Meagan): #mumbod

What is a #mumbod? I believe it can be what you want it to be. Be it a size 6 or a size 14. Be it stretch mark city or clean of any white lines. Be it tight and taught or stretched beyond belief. I was accepting of mine after I had my first child, but not after my second. I hated my 90kg something self. I had mental health issues and I needed help. Along came healthy eating and Carly from The Bod Squad Health & Fitness.

You know why I love the shit out of Carly? Firstly, she is a mum. I dig that. I love her way of thinking. That she wants mums to be comfortable in their own skin, no matter what it is. Carly is all for pushing yourself, WITHOUT the pressure. You don’t have to look like or be like Emily Skye or Kayla Itsines. Don’t take that the wrong way, they have amazing bodies. But they also haven’t had children. Pregnancy and child birth changes our bodies. Us as women need to try and embrace that change as best we can. Carly wants happy mums, healthy mums, strong mums and most importantly she wants mums to STOP hammertime thinking that they should be fit AND SKINNY. So HI, here I am. I’m Meagan and I write the pregnancy and motherhood blog Cooking a Bun Isn’t Always Fun. Oh  and also here is my stretched skin, stretch marks and everything else. Today I took these and I'm gob smacked (you can find my original photo on my facebook page).

I accept that I'll forever have stripes and loose skin and I'm okay with that. I fuel my body with good foods and don't feel guilty when I have a cheat day. I work out 5-6 times a week. My anxiety and depression are both nearly gone after a huge battle this year, something I never want to let get the best of me again. I used to want to be 60kgs again, and now in the 70's I realise the scales really are just a number because I am happier, healthier and stronger. I'm all about fitting a comfortable size 10 and loving myself. I’m a long way from being completely happy in my skin but I am working hard. And without Carly and her mindset I couldn’t have come this far! To all the mums; learn to love yourselves. That should come first.

Meagan:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cookingabunisntalwaysfun/
Instagram: @cookingabunisntalwaysfun
Carly:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBodSquadHealthandFitness/
Instagram: @thebodsquadhealthandfitness

Sunshine Coast Dietetics (SCD): Carbs

Carbs get a bad wrap – pun intended.

This is the sad truth because the world we live in would be a far happier place if we could all embrace glorious carbohydrates as they are. In all their hearty, doughy, grainy glory.

Carbs are one of the main three macro-nutrients that provide us with energy to sustain life. Some would argue that carbs are the most important macro as they are the preferred energy source for our bodies over proteins and fats. They are so important that we recommend that 45-60% of your total energy intake comes from carbs.

Before we all go celebrate the good news with pasta and garlic bread, let’s first understand that not all carbs are created equal.

You may have heard of the scale ‘the glycaemic index’.

To put it simply – carbohydrate rich foods with a low glycaemic index, or GI, will be released into the blood stream as energy at a slower and more sustained rate than foods with a higher GI. Foods that have a higher GI are typically foods that give that sugar spike and crash that we are all familiar with.

Some examples of low GI foods include: beans, lentils, some fruits (pears, berries, grape fruit) and wholemeal pastas and breads. High GI foods include: some fruits (dried fruit in particular), some white breads and some white potatoes.

It’s not recommended to exclude high GI foods, rather enjoy them in moderation with a focus on an intake of low and moderate GI foods.

So here is the short list on why we love carbs and shouldn’t be afraid of them:
1.    They are our body’s main source of energy – for literally everything. Our muscles, our brain and everything in between.
2.    They don’t make you gain weight – this myth has been busted by several studies. Enjoy your carbs as part of a balanced diet and you will be sweet (pun).
3.    They can even help you lose weight – enjoy high fibre, low GI carbs that will help you feeling fuller for longer. Legumes, beans and whole grains should be your new besties.
4.    They are full of essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients – iron, B vitamins and dietary fibre. Win.

The Sunshine Coast Dietetics Team
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SCDietetics
Snapchat: @dietitianlife

Sunshine Coast Dietetics (Hannah): Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and FODMAPS

Accredited Practicing Dietitians are one of the most successful practitioners at relieving symptoms from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). IBS is a chronic disease which can cause lower abdominal pain or discomfort, bloating, wind, alternating bowel habits (diarrhoea to constipation) and distention. The diagnosis of IBS if given by a medical practitioner once other investigations have revealed no abnormal pathologies. IBS affects one in seven Australians, and it can greatly impact your quality of life.

Some sufferers will state that they are anxious about travelling or going to new places where they can’t guarantee they know where the bathroom is, or that the pain is so debilitating that they need to take time off. To make it more difficult, there isn’t a clear cause of IBS, it is very individual as to what the triggers are. The main two candidates are usually stress/anxiety, a dietary intolerance, or a combination of these factors. The combination of dietary management and counselling offered by dietitians helps a lot of sufferers every day to get their lives back.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a cure or specific medication that helps to alleviate the condition. But this is where dietitians shine. Treatment options include increasing dietary fibre, reducing common gas producing foods, and establishing eating routines. However, a group of carbohydrates called FODMAPs are also strongly linked to symptoms of IBS, and a reduction in FODMAPs under the supervision of a dietitian has yielded many fantastic results.

FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols. They are a large group of dietary sugars that are found in lots of common foods such as dairy foods, fruits, vegetables, wheat containing products and sweetened products. The low FODMAP diet aims to reduce the total load of FODMAPs for a short period of time (2-6 weeks) at which point each FODMAP is reintroduced slowly to monitor your tolerance. This is best done with your dietitian so you get clear results. You may react to only one FODMAP, or a couple, or find that no one FODMAP is the cause, but rather too much is the issue.

Importantly, the low FODMAP diet is never meant to be followed long term as this can cause nutritional deficiencies. With your dietitian, you can find a balance that enables you to eliminate your symptoms, but still meet your nutrition requirements. Meaning you can live a healthier and happier life.


Hannah Roberton – Accredited Pracitising Dietitian
Sunshine Coast Dietitains
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SCDietetics
Snapchat: @dietitianlife

Paul's Body Engineering: Sugar & Snacking

In simple terms, sugar is a part of everyday life. Sugar can be found in nearly everything we eat and drink, and is a major contributor to the current obesity epidemic. Sugar can impact our lives in so many ways, especially when consumed in excess.

 

So how do we reduce our sugar intake?
It is harder than one would think. A simple diet with the reduction of sugar is not that easy to maintain. For years and years, without as much knowledge as we have now, we have consumed copious amounts of processed sugar in our foods and drinks. Through years of this consumption, we have developed, over time, a primal addiction to sugar. Trying to simply cut it out of one’s diet completely is very difficult to do and even more difficult to maintain over a longer period of time. Therefore, simple reductions and changes in one’s diet is the best approach to reducing your sugar intake.

 

For example, cutting down on soft drinks, chosing clean cereal options over packet cereal, including more fruits and vegetables in your diet and less canned produce.
Another example, if you are a coffee drinker and have two cups on average per day with one teaspoon of sugar per cup, that equates to 14 teaspoons of sugar per week. Swap each teaspoon of sugar for a natural sweetener and you have immediately reduced your sugar intake by 56 teaspoons per month. It is the simple changes that you can make in your diet that will inevitably create a healthy and more energetic lifestyle.

 

We all fall victim to searching for those late night or mid-morning sugar hits (i.e snacks) and it is these snacks that cause our sugar intake for each day to exceed any limitation we may have intentionally set for ourselves. Therefore, in order to avoid these temptations follow some simple rules;

• When you have finished dinner and any desert brush your teeth.
• If you feel the need to snack and don’t have a healthy option available have a big drink of water, cup of tea or coffee and go for a walk.
• Always distract yourself with chores, tasks etc when you feel the need to snack.
• Always swap chocolate, chips etc for healthier options such as rice cakes, greek yoghurt, homemade protein balls etc.
• Support a healthy diet with regular exercise. If you should indulge do an extra session to make up for it.

 

Education is key when it comes to sugar.

 

Sugar is a carbohydrate. On all packaged groceries bought from a supermarket is a nutritional chart that identifies how many carbohydrates are in each product. To ensure you buy the healthiest version of the product you desire, look over each of the nutritional charts to see which one has the lowest carbohydrate content. Obviously quality products should supersede the ‘cheap and nasty’ however once you have done this a few times with your regular shopping you will start to learn what products are cleaner than others thus removing excess sugar from your weekly diet.

Again it is the simple changes that can be made that will make a huge long term difference in your diet and your family’s diet. The less sugar in your diet now, the better your health long term.

Paul Hooper
Paul's Body Engineering

Email: paul@paulsbodyengineering.com

Phone: 0466 587 643

Facebook: www.facebook.com/paulsbodyengineering

Website: www.paulsbodyengineering.com

Instagram: @paulsbodyengineering

AmSo Fit and Healthy (Danica): Protein

Protein. It seems to be common knowledge now that if you train, you need protein. But what doesn’t seem to be understood is what we need it for, how much we actually need and where we can get it from.


Why is protein important?
Protein is made up by long chains of amino acids, some of which the body can make itself, but others must come from foods and are consequently known as ‘essential amino acids’. The body takes these chains of amino acids, breaks them down, separates them and restructures them to become body proteins and uses them for a number of things, including:

• Transporting oxygen around the body (heard of haemoglobin?)
• Building bones, tissue and cartilage
• Creating hormones and enzymes
• Repairing tissues
• Source of energy

How much protein is enough?
You’d be surprised to know, based on the current hype around protein, that you don’t really need a lot. An 80kg male needs little more than 65g of protein each day and a 65kg female less than 50g. Now these amounts are based on every day healthy adults (19-70years) and requirements will increase based on the amount and type of exercise you’re doing but with most people meeting or exceeding their daily requirements already, it’s not that much extra. Think about the rump steak you’d have at the local pub, sometimes around 300g yeah? Well that one steak, without anything else, will give you over 70g of protein. More than enough for the average person for the whole day!

Now you’re probably thinking that eating more protein, especially after a high intensity strength session, means more gains and bigger muscles. This isn’t the case. After a session, the body can only use 20-25g of high quality protein to repair and build muscle, any more than that provides excess energy which can lead to excess weight gain.
But this doesn’t mean that you have one protein filled meal/snack after your workout and then forget about it. After a high intensity workout, body protein breakdown is elevated within the next 24 hours while the building of body proteins remains priority for 48 hours. What this means then is that if you’re doing regular strength sessions, your protein intake should be well distributed throughout each day for the whole week.


Where do we get protein from?
Protein shakes yeah? Well if you’re an elite athlete and you’re struggling to meet all you requirements from food alone then yes, protein shakes are for you. But for the everyday person, why spend loads of money on supplements that often taste like sh*t when you could just eat delicious real food?!

Instead of getting your 20-25g of protein after your workout from a scoop of protein powder, you could have a bowl of Greek yoghurt with nuts, seeds and fruit. Or a delicious peanut butter and banana smoothie. Or even a tin of tuna on crackers. All will give you the required amount of protein but plenty of other useful nutrients. People often forget about carbohydrates in their post-workout snack but it’s important to replenish the glycogen stores that are burnt for energy in exercise and eating carbohydrates can do that. 


Take home messages
Protein is a controversial topic these days and one that could be discussed at length for hours. Keep an eye out for future AmSo Fit & Healthy blog posts that will dig a little deeper but for now, remember:

• Protein is essential for more than just building and repairing muscles
• Most of us are already getting enough protein on a daily basis
• More intense exercise will increase the need for protein but not by a lot
• Protein supplements are okay to have if you can afford them, if you like them and if you’re not already meeting your daily protein requirements

 REMEMBER: excess protein = excess energy = excess weight gain

- Danica

AmSo Fit & Healthy - Student Dietitian

0458 001 848 | danica@amsofitandhealthy.com.au

www.amsofitandhealthy.com.au | facebook.com/amsofitandhealthy

Instagram@amsofitandhealthy

DISCLAIMER: Recommendations for requirements made in this blog post are based on Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand (NRVs) and are designed for healthy adults. Requirements will change based on a number of factors. Contact Danica for more information or a Sports Dietitian for your individual needs.

Amso Fit and Healthy (Danica): AmSo Fit & Healthy’s Guide To Superfoods!

 

 

'Superfoods' are inevitable. Throughout history we have grown to accept that some new product, herb, fad will pop up and grab everyone’s attention as a quick fix for good health. I’m not saying that there’s not merit behind them, some of them evoke a healthy shift in people by getting them to eat healthier foods. What I’m getting at, and have done so in other posts, is that a lot of these "superfoods" have no science to back them and just become over marketed and over-priced rubbish that can be replaced by more conventional and more affordable foods.

Our aim at AmSo Fit & Healthy is to get our clients to develop a healthy relationship with food and avoid quick-fix diet fads and avoid spending crazy amounts of money when they’re considering weight loss. We want our clients to enjoy eating real food. If you’re looking for cheap and realistic alternatives, or everyday heroes, for these crazy superfoods – you’re in the right place!

Remember that most of the "superfoods" out there are no better than the everyday foods, they’re a lot more expensive and a lot harder to find. Save yourself some money and enjoy those everyday heroes!

- Danica

info@amsofitandhealthy.com.au | facebook.com/amsofitandhealthy
instagram@amsofitandhealthy | #amsofitandhealthy
www.amsofitandhealthy.com.au


 　

AmSo Fit and Healthy (Danica): The Scam That is Fad Diets

“For 5 easy payments of $54.99, you can experience the weight loss benefits of this newly discovered berry found only in the depths of the Amazonian forest!” - Danica

How many people have fallen for the infomercials or the ads online promoting outlandish claims for crazy results…? Too many people have fallen for it. In today’s society, the majority of people are looking for the quick and easy fix, getting the results they want in the shortest amount of time with as little effort as possible. The outrageous promises of quick and easy results force the popularity of celebrity endorsed diets, powders, pills, liquids and “superfoods”. This is the sad reality within the health and fitness industry.

Let’s spin William Shakespeare a little… “A fad diet by any other name would still be a fad diet”.

Look at all of the fad diets and superfoods that popped up throughout 2015, most bringing with them their fair share of controversy… Gluten free*, low carb-high fat, grain free, dairy free, coconut water, coconut oil, acai bowls, lemon water, just to name a few. The common theme shared by all of these fad diets is that there is little to no accurate scientific evidence to back their ridiculous claims.

*Coeliac disease and diagnosed non-coeliac gluten sensitivity are serious conditions and gluten must be avoided. What I elude to is the current trend of eating gluten free for no real reason other than jumping on the bandwagon, potentially causing adverse health effects by doing so.

As we pointed out in our earlier blog post “Where your nutrition information comes from is important”, anyone can publish anything. It goes the same for these fad diets. Celebrity endorsers or fad diet gurus make crazy claims and no one stands up and asks them for proof. No one says that they have to provide it. They are clever to explain the theory of the diet using scientific language so that people think that their claims must be accurate because, science. These so called “experts” more often than not have no formal nutrition or dietetic qualifications. They grab the attention of unsuspecting customers by offering quick and easy results for long term problems and issues, with “evidence” only from unreliable research, theories and testimonials from people paid enough.

Now, I’m not saying that some fad diets don’t work. Some of them do… in the short-term. They work because they are simply just low energy diets covered up by colourful gimmicks and fancy “new discoveries”. They make you lose weight by providing less energy than you require, putting you into what’s called a negative energy balance: Energy In < Energy Out. This really is the only way to lose weight. There are no bizarre food combinations, tea concoctions or “superfoods” that will change this metabolic fact. The simple notion of eating less and moving more is often lost to the general public as there is far too much conflicting information and advice from pop-up health and fitness celebrities that people can look to. Sensible eating and regular physical activity is something people forget about when they’re caught up in the whirlwind of fad diets. True, accurate and official scientific evidence indicates that persisting with dietary changes and actively participating in a physical training regimen will produce effective weight loss that can be sustained into long-term changes.

It is hard looking past the inviting promises of some of these fads and coming to understand that the vast majority of them are just too good to be true. My tips to spot a dodgy diet are:

ä  Fad diets will provide guidance that disputes widely accepted nutrition and health recommendations
A lot of time and hard work goes into reviewing a wide range of scientific evidence and putting together the Australian Dietary Guidelines. The latest guidelines, released in 2013, were a continuation and review of the previous 2003 edition. It took 10 years to make sure that the new information, used by health practitioners, organisations, nutritionists, dietitians and  more, was up to scratch with the latest research.
As a result, the 2013 Australian Dietary Guidelines are considered to be a dietitian’s ‘bible’. Any dietary advice that dramatically opposes the ‘bible’ generally has no scientific evidence to back it and should raise red flags.

ä  A diet designed to cut out or dramatically restrict one or more food groups with no medical need to do so

Each of the Five Food Groups (grains, vegetables/legumes, fruit, dairy and lean meat/alternatives) contain a variety of main distinguishing nutrients, some only found in one or two groups. Cutting out or restricting an entire food group will put you at risk of developing a nutrient deficiency, one that may have lasting health effects. Always be sceptical if asked to stop eating an entire food group. If you don’t have a medical condition that requires you stop eating something, don’t – you could end up doing more harm than good to your health.

ä  A diet that focusses on one or a few specific foods or beverages that have “super powers”
Superfoods. All foods in a healthy, well balanced diet are super. They provide your body with the energy and nutrients it needs to function, repair and let you live a great life. I could really go on and on about just this topic, but I won’t, so remember this: don’t miss out on eating a wide variety of delicious and healthy foods just to eat some weird new berry at every meal or drown everything you eat in coconut oil just because some attractive looking “nutritionist” on Instagram told you to. You’ll be missing out on a whole heap of key nutrients if you’re obsessive over a specific food.

ä  Attractive images of results are the focus of promoting the diet as opposed to facts of the product or practice
Some ridiculously attractive girl on Instagram boasts “Before I came across these berries, I was 320kg. Since following the meal plan, eating 2 berries and 3 sheets of cardboard each day, I’ve been able to get myself down to 30kg in just 2 weeks!”… That was a little exaggerated, and stupidly unsafe and unrealistic, but a lot of the testimonials for these fad diets and products aren’t much better. And that is merely all they use to promote their business, testimonials that are more often than not just well paid girls that have actually lost weight the right way, with hard work and healthy eating. Remember to look past the glamour shots, that are usually heavily photo-shopped, and “evidence” of just a cleverly written caption on an Instagram post. 

You deserve so much better. Forget the fads. Our food philosophy at AmSo Fit & Healthy is all about eating real food. If you need help achieving your goals through healthy eating and are struggling to understand where to being, send me a message. Your body, health and sanity will thank you for it.

-          Danica

AmSo Fit & Healthy                                                                
facebook.com/amsofitandhealthy
Instagram @amsofitandhealthy
www.amsofitandhealthy.com.au

ben@amsofitandhealthy.com.au | 0405 268 619
danica@amsofitandhealthy.com.au | 0458 001 848