Starbucks Addict

After coming back from Vegas I find myself strangely addicted to Starbucks.

Now that I can read the menu (sort of) I really love it.

Starbucks appear to be everywhere and whilst it’s always quite a cool and trendy place to be, I am under no illusion that it is an unhealthy addiction.

No self-respecting fitness professional should admit to such a weakness and not with my drink of choice.

However, the occasional cup of coffee once in a while is not such a bad thing. That being said my choice The Venti Mocha Frappuccino (500 calories, 82g sugar, 17g fat!) is not very healthy!

Fortunately, the purpose of the blog post was to provide the readers with a healthier alternative to this satisfying, tasty coffee-flavoured icy treat.

But first be warned…

Unless you are ordering a regular coffee Starbucks can be a minefield of unhealthy food and drink.

Most of the foods and drinks are calorie dense and will cause fluctuations in blood sugar (which leads to fat storage). Fortunately, I have created a nourishing alternative.

The Vanilla Cinnamon Mocha Smoothie (awesome name, I know)

And, its only about 150cals and contains a good portion of protein.

1 serving of protein powder (Pro Amino order at www.mt-order.com (advisor no. 101-268)
1 heaped tsp of instant coffee
½ tsp of cinnamon
250 ml of rice milk
150ml of crushed ice

Blend (in a blender?!?) and enjoy.

You’ll never miss a frappuccino again!

Back to reality...

My holiday seems like a long time ago…

It was brilliant though!

We spent a few nights in Vegas went out on a road trip to San Diego and LA and then back to Vegas. We ate, drank and gambled… We visited theme parks, saw shows and on the odd occasion sat on the beach…

The Californian coastline was beautiful. And as I’m sure you’re aware the Americans can make something out of nothing. We saw the world’s largest thermometer, the worlds lowest point and even saw a tiny Elvis.

After having a great time its back to reality with a bump.

In five months I will participate in The Trans Britain.

It’s fair to say that I’m not a seasoned runner. In fact in 2009 you can count the number of times I went out running on one hand. In general I don’t regard running particularly the healthiest or the most efficient form of exercise.

Nevertheless a challenge is a challenge.

I will keep you updated with my progress…

A Breath of Fresh Air

When it comes to fat loss and fitness one of the foundation principals has to be breathing. It goes without saying - breathing is fundamental to life. You can survive approximately thirty days without food, you can survive for about ten days in a moderate climate without water, but you can only survive up to three minutes without oxygen.

It is estimated that you take between 15,000 and 25,000 breaths per day, and whilst it might not seem like a big deal to many, breathing correctly can have a huge impact on the way you think, the way you feel and the way you look.

For many of the people that visit my studio I look at various aspects of their health and well-being including nutrition, hydration, exercise, digestion, sleeping patterns and thoughts and emotions, but time and time again improving their breathing patterns has turned out to be a simple and very effective way of getting them to look and feel better.

Sure, it’s not the most important aspect of fat loss but you will be surprised at how big an impact it will make.

Speaking to my friend Judith Davis from Spinal Breath just last week made me realise just how big a deal it is. Judith made the point that if you watch a baby breath they will go up and down like a bellow. Somehow over the years, perhaps due to stress and anxiety, we seem to change our breathing patterns to shorter shallower breaths. In Judith’s opinion shallow breathing leads to a shallow expression of self and that the way we breathe is the way we live our lives. To change our life – we need to change the way we breathe.

Whilst I appreciate Judith’s spiritual sentiment I think you can also look at a number of more physical aspects of breathing that are very important.

In my experience, shallow or inefficient breathing mechanics requires an increase in respiration and heart rate. This in itself requires excess energy to fuel. This also creates excessive load on the respiratory muscles such as the scalenes, which causes what’s called a forward head posture. This can lead to headaches, neck tension, fatigue, poor concentration, and can even make your blood more acidic due to less oxygenation of the blood (this is important because diseases are more prominent in acidic environments).

Furthermore, diaphragmatic breathing pulls air into the base of our lungs, where, due to gravity, our blood tends to be. With oxygen being a key nutrient this can lead to more oxygenated blood and more energy. Also due to the location of our diaphragm as it contracts and relaxes it massages our liver, bladder, and small and large intestines so therefore aids digestion and elimination.

As a side note the diaphragm is one of your core muscles so getting it to function properly can lead to a reduction in back pain.

You get my point… breathing properly is important.

So what do we need to do?

In my opinion, Judith’s advice was fantastic. She suggested the at the beginning of each day you should make a commitment to becoming more aware of the way you are breathing throughout the day.

In simple terms two-thirds of a breath should come from your belly. So by putting one hand on your belly and the other on your chest you can simply monitor how you are breathing.

Judith also suggested every morning and evening you should take 20 conscious breaths. It doesn’t take very long so I guess you have nothing to lose!

If you wanted any help and support of course you can ask me for more info or you can book in with Judith at Spinal Breath on 01483 828497 and become aware of The Art of Conscious Breathing.

What does a Personal Trainer eat?

This week in preparation for a course this weekend I was asked to fill out a food diary. It’s not something that I have done for a long time and it proved to be a very interesting exercise. Needless to say I did not need the countries top sports nutritionist to cast his eye over it to tell me that I can improve in certain areas.

Most people will look at this and think it is very good. Sure its packed full of natural foods (aside from the fruit cake and the chocolate!!) and I appear to eat at regular intervals. However, the accompanying section which measured my reactions to foods (appetite, fullness/satisfaction, sweet cravings, energy levels, mental/emotional well-being) before, immediately after and two hours after was fairly revealing.

Of late I have been training really hard and at times (particularly in the afternoons) I felt hungry and tired. I attribute some of this to my poor sleeping patterns and erratic working hours. Certainly food for thought…

Monday

8.50am – Porridge Oats w/ Rice Milk and 2 Scrambled Eggs
10.50am – Small handful of Almonds and a small handful of seeds and a Pear
12.50pm – Large slice of Fruit Cake (post training!!!)
1pm – Two Trout Fillets w/ Small Jacket Potato and Spinach Salad
4.20pm – Small handful of Walnuts and a small handful of seeds and an Apple
7.45pm – Red Thai Curry (homemade: Rib Eye Steak, Asparagus, Green Beans, Mushroom, Sweet Corn) w/ Basmati Rice

Tuesday

6.55am - Porridge Oats w/ Rice Milk and 2 Boiled Eggs
8.50am - Small handful of Cashews and a small handful of seeds
11.30am – Tin of Tuna on Ryvita w/ Mayonnaise
1.30pm – Diced Tuna Steak in 2 Wholemeal Wraps w/ Cherry Tomatoes and Mixed Salad
4pm - Small handful of Walnuts and and a Pear
7.20pm – Chicken Breast wrapped in Bacon (with garlic) w/ Stir Fried Asparagus, Green Beans, Mushrooms and Courgette
9.30pm – Green and Blacks Creamy Milk Chocolate (A small bar!!!)

Wednesday

6.50am - Porridge Oats w/ Rice Milk and 2 Boiled Eggs
10.10am – Small handful of Almonds and a small handful of seeds and a Banana
12.30pm – Two Trout Fillets in 2 Wholemeal Wraps w/ Cherry Tomatoes and Spinach Salad and a raw Carrot
17.50pm – Apple
9.30pm – 3 Lamb Steaks, mashed Potato, Carrots, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts and Gravy

Thursday

6.45am - Porridge Oats w/ Rice Milk and 2 Boiled Eggs
10.15am – Small handful of Almonds and a Pear
13.15pm – Two Chicken Breasts, Mixed Salad, 1 hard-boiled Egg, Olives, Cherry Tomatoes
4pm - Small handful of Cashews and a small handful of seeds and an Apple
7.30pm - Red Thai Curry (homemade: Turkey Breast, Green Beans, Mushroom, Courgette) w/ Basmati Rice
9pm – Left over Thai Curry!


Just to let you know everyday I supplemented with fish oils and a good quality multivitamin. I also trained hard everyday.

I found myself eating when I wasn't hungry, having the occasional sweet craving, certain meals filled me up, I experienced peaks and troughs in my energy, I found I was waking up tired every day... Again I can attribute this to my poor sleeping patterns last week but being aware of this means that I can work to improve it.

Needless to say I eat better than most! I am looking at making some changes so will give it a month and repeat the process. I will keep you updated.

If you are interested in doing the same thing email me and I will forward over the diary. I will even spend 10 minutes looking at it if you wish…

Booze Talk.

Alcohol is many peoples biggest impediment to success. It’s not so much the calories that cause the problem with alcohol; it’s the effects of the alcohol itself. Alcohol has a simple chemical structure, and is rapidly absorbed through the stomach and small intestine and causes fluctuations in blood sugar. It’s these fluctuations that cause you to store larger quantities of fat than you would ordinarily!

If fat loss is your goal, it is recommended that you avoid alcohol altogether as it is highly toxic and puts a lot of stress on your liver, kidneys and adrenal glands. However, before you despair completely and turn away in disgust, I’m realistic enough to know that total deprivation of anything leads to cravings and ultimately bingeing. So my recommendations are – should you wish to – the occasional glass of wine with dinner will not be a terrible thing.

However, for those that have no self-control and need to drink, here are some recommendations to limit the damage…

The Rules To The Drinking Game…

Remember alcohol raises your blood sugar very quickly, so therefore always have a protein rich snack or meal before or with a drink. For example something like chicken or steak, rather than pasta will slow down the absorption or simple sugars.

For every drink you have, have a large glass of water and have a large glass of water before bed to help you rehydrate and ensure you feel better in the morning.

Remember, alcohol increases your appetite, lessens your resolve and removes inhibitions, so try to make sure you have a buddy to keep you on the straight and narrow food-wise.

Avoid all fizzy mixers except soda water at all costs – they’re full of sugar and even the so-called diet alternatives can upset you blood sugar balance and consequently consume more.

Endeavour to drink only good quality wine or champagne – make it worthwhile!

A Question On Cardio!

I recently answered this question from one of my clients and I thought it would be worth sharing…

Is this true? Does training first thing in the morning on an empty stomach burn a lot more fat? I have read that 20 minutes cardio on empty burns the same amount of fat as 60 minutes at any other time of the day.

I think this is fitness fiction at its best (as you know I am always a sceptic!!!)

I do think there is a possibility you will burn more fat if you do cardiovascular exercise first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, as your body has a vastly reduced amount of glucose (sugar) present in the blood and the muscles to fuel the activity, and will therefore look to fat as a primary source of fuel. However, it is not necessarily as simple as that…

I think exercising without having eaten within a few hours before is dangerous as it puts you at a substantially higher risk of passing out (due to low blood sugar) which neither makes you look lean or cool!

Furthermore, there is strong evidence to suggest that when your blood sugar gets low people will gorge themselves on food to satisfy their hunger. They will eat significantly more after a period of starvation than if they maintain a better blood sugar balance. For example you may have experienced it yourself when you are hungry you are more likely to pick up a energy dense nutrient deficient food such as a chocolate or a biscuit than knock up a tuna sandwich as you intuitively know the sweet thing will knock the edge off the hunger instantly.

Another thing to also bear in mind is that when your body can’t get the glucose from food it releases a hormone called Cortisol that will break down muscle for fuel. As you know a lb of muscle burns 50 calories per day at rest which means that if you wish to be trim and lean you need muscle and obviously if your body is using it for fuel your ability to burn calories is greatly reduced. Hence the reason low calorie diets or starvation diets never work.

So in the long run (so to speak), doing cardiovascular exercising in the morning on an empty stomach will not really benefit you.

Bootcamp: Frequently Asked Questions

Bootcamp is proving to be really popular. So many people have asked the same questions I thought it made good sense to answer them all in one go. Needless to say if you have a question you can contact me directly...

I’m not very fit, and a little bit nervous, Will I be ok?
Yes!! At Bootcamp we cater for ages, shapes and abilities. Everyone has to start from somewhere!! During each exercise you will be able to work at your own speed and if you struggle with a particular exercise you will be given an alternative. Everyone is nervous when they first start doing something like this, as more often than not they have never done it before. Everyone is really friendly and supportive and understands your anxiety, so you have no need to worry.

So, how much is it and what happens?
On your first time, if you contact me before turning up you qualify for your first session free. We meet at The Vyne Recreation field car park (off Alexandra Gardens) 5-10 minutes before we start and train in the field opposite. With Bootcamp you can guarantee that every session will be a little bit different. It will cost you £6 per session thereafter which is payable in blocks of six or twelve. You can pay by cheque or cash.

I want to lose weight and burn fat will this work for me?
Yes!! Like anything in life you only get out of it what you put in. During our sessions if you exert yourself you will provide the stimulus to burn fat. To assist you I will provide you with my very own Diet Of Plenty nutrition plan, which is given to all my PT clients, which has been proven to work again and again. With my guidance, if you want to, you will drop inches and pounds like never before!

The sessions are only approx 45mins long, is that enough time?
Absolutely! Gone are the days of long, slow and boring sessions. Spending an hour and a half at the gym is completely unnecessary. Bootcamp provides a short sharp and fun workout. By working at a higher intensity you will burn more calories and keep burning calories at a higher rate for the rest of the day.

I have an injury and I take medication, will I be ok?
If you have any major concerns please contact me in advance. Everyone is required to fill out a Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire before participating which will highlight any areas we need to be concerned about.

What happens if I miss a week?
That is fine. I encourage people to come consistently as that’s what gets you results, but I understand that on the odd occasion you may not be able to make it. If you can let me know in advance that you cannot make it that will allow me to plan in advance for the number people that turn up.

What do I wear?
Anything that you are comfortable to exercise in and don’t mind getting dirty. You must have a pair of supportive trainers and it might be an idea that you layer clothing, as you will get hot during the session. On cold days gloves might be an idea as you spend a bit of time on the floor and you must bring water.

What if it rains?
You get wet! Unless it particular bad weather the session still goes ahead. I guess that’s the fun in exercising outside?!?

How do I secure my place?
Call Steve on 07786 513 388 or email at Stephen_keywood@yahoo.co.uk today to book your first session and we will take the rest from there.