Veg Out...And Get Lean!!

I guarantee I could look at anyone's diet (yes, including you) and find at least 3 meals or feedings where veggies could easily replace the sub-par option that currently exists there.

They aren’t exciting but they are full of everything-goodness of which your body will thank you greatly for by not getting sick all the time and providing you more energy at work and at home.

Much like water, I’m not going to put a number of serves or anything on this because that’s when people think “7 serves is too much for me to do’ and don’t actually do anything.

We’re all about solutions people!!

So what I want you to do is first write out everything you eat for a whole 7 day period including all food, drinks and everything in between, good and bad. Then go through the 7 days and circle everything you think wasn’t the best option it could have been.

Each circle represents an opportunity that veggies can be added into your diet and that something not-so-great, can be eliminated = 2 major wins on the getting ready for spring/summer front. Check out this handy table to assist you in your choice and portion size of your new "vego" nutrition plan.

Again similar to water, if you’re eating a lot of veggies then A – they will fill you up for longer and discourage potential overeating and B – if you’re eating veggies then you’re not eating sweets and pastries (hopefully).

Over 3 – 4 weeks try and add veggies to 80% of your meals over a period of 7 days whether they be cooked or raw.

Veg out and lean out!!

Andrew Jobling Health and Nutrition Seminar Wrap Up

Last Thursday evening we hosted our very first in studio seminar. Rather then it focus on anything specific we tried to cover a broad spectrum of issues relating to all things health and fitness.

We bought in a highly regarded guest speaker Andrew Jobling who is an ex-AFL footballer, personal trainer and now professional speaker, writer and author who focuses on helping people believe in their own power and potential to expand their boundaries and to create positive long term change to live a happier, healthier and more dynamic life.


Some of the main points those in attendance took away were:


Decide Not Just What You Want, But Why You Want It - only when you really find a real world reason to want change will you truly seek it. Andrew was using the example that for a very office worker to fit exercise in their busy schedule, they will need to train at 5am. With a few of these types in attendance it didn't really agree with them but the point being made was that if just fitting in some exercise is not worth getting up at 5am for then find something that is like running on the beach with your grand kids who haven't even been born yet.


The Power of Metabolism in Body Composition - up to 90% of all calories burnt are through your metabolism which is effected by exercise but even more so through nutrition. Processed foods have little to zero nutritional quality to them meaning they don't require any energy to digest. Now place this next to a steak that can use up to 70% of it's OWN calories in just eating it!! So if you're trying to lose some bodyfat, and who isn't, chewable foods is the best place to start because of the 'negative" calorie balance they can provide but also chewable foods are generally the best foods.


Managing Blood Sugar Levels - we've all heard of the Glycemic Index (GI) but I bet if I asked you how it actually worked in the body over a course of a day then you'd probably find that you didn't really know as much about it as you should. In a nut shell when we sleep we go into a "fast" and we wake up our blood sugar levels are low. A great idea is chomp on a piece of moderate to high GI fruit to get a quick blood sugar spike and get us back to "even". Your goal for the rest of the day is stay as close to even as you can. This can be done through frequent feedings throughout the day of small to moderate portion sizes. The most important part is what you decide to eat at these times. The general rule is that sugar will raise your blood sugar and protein and fat will stabilise it so if you have fruit, muesli and yogurt all at the same time, then be prepared for a pretty dramatic drop in blood sugar in an hour 2. Split that sugar up through several meals throughout the day instead.


So there you have it. Not my usual laugh-your-arse-off type of post but an extremely informative one.

Our Very First In-Studio Seminar!!

Keep next Thursday evening, May 16th, OPEN!!

We have enrolled the services of the author and public speaker Andrew Jobling for our very first in-studio seminar starting at 7pm in our South Yarra studio.

An ex-AFL footballer and personal trainer, his recent book titled "Eat Chocolate, Drink Alcohol and Be Lean and Healthy" has changed countless Australian lives by sharing his secrets to achieving the success of achieving long term health with their health, mind and body.

The Program Outline:

• Clear up the misconceptions & understand what has stopped you in the past
• Discover the simple steps to creating long term change
• Understand that being lean, vibrant and healthy is all about metabolism
• Discuss some basic nutritional steps, easy to implement into a hectic life
• Understand the impact of controlling blood sugar levels, eating natural foods, quality supplementation and moderate & enjoyable indulgence

The seminar will go for 60 - 90 minutes and we will provide some nibbles and drinks on the night.

All you need to bring is a yourself, a pen, some paper and a willingness to bring some change for the better!!

Did I also forget to mention that this seminar is FREE??

And did I forget to mention that you'll receive a FREE showbag with some goodies from some of the high quality Toorak Road local businesses??

We could not be anymore excited about this so make sure you book one of the 30 seats we have available prior to Tuesday, May 14th.

Bring your mum, bring your dad, bring your bff, bring your neighbour, bring somone from your Facebook friend list you've never actually met before!!

Bookings can be made via our main website or by calling Troy on 0411 091 978.

Sleeping Advice from Sheldon Cooper

Developing a Sleep Routine

"Soft Kitty, Warm Kitty, Little Ball of Fur..." 

Having poor sleeping habits is close to an epidemic these days with the pressures of work as well as family. Coupled with there never seeming to be enough hours in a day and often sleep is put on the back burner with an attempt to “catch up’ on the weekend.

We’ve all read the recommendations of getting 8 hours of sleep a night but it can be hard for some people to get that much, myself included.

What you should be aiming for is whatever sleep you do get, make it quality sleep, and this all starts with what you do in the hours before nigh, night.

Good sleeping habits can aid in fat loss and weight management by minimising physical and mental stress.  If stress takes over your life it can raise the production of a hormone called Cortisol . A normal stress response hormone, however in too high a level this hormone actually stores bodyfat - on purpose!!

Try this step by step guide to getting a better nights’ sleep and make your routine every night.

• Watch the Night Garden including Hoot's Night Call (maybe I've been watching too much of this with my 2 year old son Archie)

• Make your room cool, not overheated
• Make your room as quiet as possible
• Make your room as dark as you can
• Replace your mobile phone alarm with a clock radio alarm
• Ditch your computer and phone 60 minutes bed
• Read something light 15 minutes before turning your lights off
• Get yourself the most comfortable bed for you

"...Happy Kitty, Sleepy Kitty, Purr, Purr, Purr"

I Head into the VD Clinic and Who Should I See...

Well if you headed in there in 1927 you’d have seen German swimmers sitting under sunlamps to gain an edge in the pool.

If you were there in 2009 then you might have read a newspaper headline stating that VD may allow US Olympians to dominate in 2012.

Now hopefully you realize that when I say the VD clinic I’m certainly not referring to venereal diseases but rather Vitamin D.

Vitamin D is actually a steroid hormone not a vitamin in the truest sense but in athletes it can prevent stress fractures, improve reaction time, strength, speed, endurance. For regular folk it can aid in fat loss, bone health, heart health as well as possibly life extension.

I’m not really a betting man but if I was, I’d bet on you being deficient in Vitamin D.

Its primary source is from direct sunlight but can also be found in foods such as seafood, eggs and mushrooms but with food tampering by the big wigs before we even get to purchase the finished product, this  can leave many items deficient of their natural content. This leaves direct sunlight as your best choice and besides, it feels nice and fuzzy too.

In 1 study there was a 26% higher mortality rate in those with low Vitamin D levels and according to the Vitamin D Council, a deficiency is a major factor in at least 17 different types of cancer.

So what if you like feeling like shit but just wanna look good on the outside?

Well, we have got you covered again because another study showed that adding Vitamin D to a reduced calorie diet may lead to faster fat loss, with a liking for chewing up abdominal fat too!!

I could go on for decades with its benefits but let’s get to the how’s and when’s of Vitamin D.

As mentioned above direct sunlight is the easiest, cheapest and bestest way to get your Vitamin D. Head out for a walk in the sun between 10am and 3pm for 10 – 20 minutes without sunscreen. If you're heading out for longer than go 15 minutes without it, then pop it on for the remainder of your outing.

If you live and / or work in a location that doesn’t provide a lot of sunlight then supplementation is encouraged at a dosage of 1000 – 4000 IU’s per day. Aim for the higher end if you have a history of playing Farmville all day and ordering takeout for dinner and the lower end if you’re a generally outdoorsy type of cat.

As good as Vitamin D is, you can actually get too much of it but not through direct sunlight, only through over supplementation, so match your dosage with the amount of sunlight you receive.

Look for something in a D3 gelcap form. If you’re really interested in where you stand in the Vitamin D hierarchy then head to your GP and ask for a test where your aim is to hit blood levels of 50 – 80 ng/mL. A great time for this is at the start of autumn and winter when sunshine falls away pretty quickly.

D-lightful!!

Because This Is How We Roll

I can't say for sure but we might well have been the first personal training studio to implement foam rolling in Melbourne. There weren't even proper foam rollers available back then so we used basic foam off cuts!!

Our clients have a pleasure and pain type of relationship with our foam rollers because initially it can quite painful but as your pain tolerance improves and you start to iron out those trigger points in the muscles then it really starts provide relief.

Your muscles are surrounded by what is called fascia which is most easily described as wetsuit that covers the entire body. When you feel "stiff" then it's a sign that the fascia has constricted itself around the muscles quite tightly making it hard to move freely.

Once this fascia is relaxed a little via foam rolling then range of motion and muscle activity is improved almost immediately.

The main problem with restricted movement is that the compensation is restricted muscle use meaning a small amount of muscles will get used constantly and the rest, well hardly ever.

For example a very dominant illiotibial band (a thick band of fascia that runs right down the side of the thigh from your hip to your knee) can result in the inhibition of your gluteal muscles which as well as causing all sorts of issues with your hips, knees, ankles, lower back and even your shoulder, but can leave pants-less in public.

Here’s a video of yours truly going through various foam roller and other myofascial release drills:

                      

So if you have lingering joint and/or muscle pain, maybe a foam roller can help you out a little.

We suggest getting your foam rollers from here: http://www.empind.com.au/.

Full Circle Fitness Home Workout #6

The rain continues to fall here in South Yarra so here's the Full Circle Fitness Home Workout for July.

This month we have 4 exercises and this is how we'll do them:

Overhead Reverse Lunge x 8 per leg / Push Up Hold with Side Arm Raise x 8 per arm / On Spot Sprint x 20 per leg / Overhead Reverse Lunge x 8 per leg / Push Up Hold with Side Arm Raise x 8 per arm / Burpees x 20 x 2 cycles



So it's the same 2 exercises with a different "finisher" every 2nd circuit.

Do 2 cycles of the above without resting at all and time the full workout. Each successive time you d the workout, try and beat your previous time.

As always here's a video of the exercises:

Don't forget Rob is now doing massages in the studio so get those knots out and get that relaxing feeling, call Rob on 0432 671 981 to book your massage.