Plants Verses Animals

PLANT BASED DIETS

To ingest all the right nutrients in the form of a balanced diet, it's suggested that we make up our food choices from the eatwell plate. This includes eating starchy foods like rice & potatoes, fresh vegetables, dairy produce, small amounts of sugary/fatty foods and some meat or fish.

We should all aim to eat a healthier diet more often and the key to doing this, is to retain a balanced diet. 

I'd traditionally thought we had to make up meals with some meat and fish thrown in the mix but there's lots of evidence out there to suggest we can still build muscle and live an active and healthy existence without any meat or fish. And these plant foods are apparently just as good high protein food alternatives as meat and fish. 

Preparing for the gluttony feast that is Christmas, I'm limiting my portions and meat consumption over the next few weeks - avoiding taking in too many stodgy foods and exchanging the winter warmers for raw vegetables and salads at lunch times. 

The plan is to see how this type of diet affects my overall energy levels, temperament, sleep etc. and see if this new year's diet could be more plant based to help get me the physique ready for Spring.

There's plenty of sound info/advice to be found on the Internet it seems from vegan advocates, including helpful advice for identifying the vegetables which are complete foods - ie. providing for all our nutritional needs.

Plant food nutrition expert, ultra marathon runner and triathlete champion, Brandon Blazier has s nice site, offering lots of good advice for free, offering helpful food tips and recipes on his website. 

Staple Foods And Tools

STAPLES

We are what we eat. And we perform best with the right foods taken on board. So, I've been taking a closer look at which foods I really enjoy to eat the most and am therefore happy to have on a regular basis. I've narrowed these ingredients down to just those that are healthy, nutritious, as unprocessed as possible, plus convenient/quick to prepare & cook in a multitude of different meals.

Creating a new mindset for how we view our food, will enable us to make better choices in what we take into the body. Food is fuel. Simple and true. Yet, food has come to mean so much more than merely energy for the body. Advertising messages bombard us with (often misleading) information about how tasty, nutritious and healthy certain foods are. Marketeers have become experts at branding their products with impactful packaging to catch our eyes and encourage us to select their brands. It's no wonder we fill our baskets with over-packaged, processed and often unhealthy choices.

Not only are we swayed by advertising, but we often choose the foods that we find the most tasty. These more often that not, tend to be the ones high in fat, sugar and salt. These foods not only contain high level of the ingredients that can cause us harm, but the bodies response to these ingredients, means we tend to over-eat higher quantities of them too.

Apart from athletes, body builders or the body conscious types, most of us don't give a second thought to what we put in our mouths other than focus on it's taste, convenience and one other factor - social implications. We centre a lot of our socialising around food too. So, we'll prepare tasty meals or visit restaurants, where we can eat tasty, highly calorific meals with our family and friends. A lot of restaurants are now under pressure to display the calorie content and breakdown of the main essential ingredients within it's meals. If we all become greater masters of our own palette and more closely in tune with managing our health, then knowing the protein, fat, carbohydrate percentages, plus how much sugar and salt is contained within our food, will help us to make the right decisions. Restaurants and a lot of those who enjoy eating - are reluctant to allow this to happen. Much better to hide it and deceive themselves that ruin the momentary enjoyment that a desert can bring. A moment on the lips - a lifetime on the hips!

Removing impulse decisions - ie. mastering the palette, can mean we consume a lot of the same food ingredients. This can get a bit boring after a while. But, having a combination of essentials in the cupboards, the tools and creative flair to concoct gastronomic delights from a multitude of essential ingredients, will help to keep meals interesting and enjoyable.

Moderation is the key as they say - so, a little of the things we call 'treats', can still be allowed in the diet, but we should try and keep them down to a minimum and factor in some regular exercise so we can earn them. We should im to follow a 'clean' diet for at least 5 days of the week. We can therefore have a greater choice for eating whatever we want for our meals on the other one or two days of the week. And following a better diet most of the time means the odd indulgent meal shouldn't impact on the waistline too much either.

There's a few key ingredients we should always keep in the cupboard for those easy meals. Fresh vegetables, herbs and fish/meat will have to be bought regularly but always having foods like eggs, tins/packets of tomato and tinned fish to hand, means we're never caught short for something easy and relatively healthy to make.

The Right Tools For The Job
Another element to ensuring we don't revert back to processed/convenience foods - is to have the right equipment in our reach to make quick and easy meals. These items can all be bought cheaply. I've chosen an expensive juicer because it's worth investing in one that retains as much of the live enzymes from the food and allows longer life for the juice, but there are cheaper ones on the market that still do a great job.

Tools
Wok
Steamer
Juicer
Blender
Slow cooker
Griddle pan

Essentials
Spray oil 1cal
Coconut oil
Ginger paste
Garlic paste
Lemongrass paste
Madras paste
Tomato paste
Fish sauce
Hot Sauce ie. Tabasco
Virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Chilli powder
Bouillon or veg stock cubes/powder

Supplements
Fish oil
Aloe Vera gel
Pea/hemp protein
Bee pollen

Food Regulars
Avocados
Spinach
Rocket/mixed leaves
Tomatoes
Almond milk (unsweetened)
Eggs
Small bananas
Dates
Garlic
Ginger
Coriander
Spring onions
Onions/shallots
Red onions
Lemons
Limes
Celery
Cucumber
Apples/Granny Smiths
Almonds
Sweet potatoes
Broccoli/tender-stem
Asparagus
Carrots
Tuna sachets/pots
Mushrooms

Foods Convenience
Soup bags
Stew bags
Stir fry bags
Tinned tomatoes/passata
Tinned tuna
Tinned salmon/Mackerel
Rice sachets

Good Proteins
Smoked salmon
Salmon flakes
Salmon fillets
Cod fillets
Haddock fillets
Mackerel fillets
Sea bream
Prawns (fresh)
Mixed seafood (available from major supermarket fish counter)
Roast chicken
Chicken breast
Chicken thighs
Chicken strips
Turkey Breast
Turkey Slices
Duck breast
Quorn mince

Cheat Foods & Snacks
Whole grain rice
Whole oats
Spelt Pasta
Rice cakes

Cream crackers
Cottage cheese
Low fat mayonnaise
Ham slices
New potatoes
Rye bread
Almond butter
Mixed nuts (no peanuts)
Dried fruit

Gentlemen's relish fish paste
Honey
Molasses
70% Dark chocolate
Coconut water
Humous

Note It Down
Essentially, what we take in for our fuel, needs to be of the best quality. So choose organic veg, non-farmed fish, grass-fed and free-range meats wherever possible, convenient and fairly priced.

It's amazing how much we trick ourselves, so, make up a list of all the foods you regularly eat, break them down into healthy and not so healthy categories. Then work out the healthy meals to be eaten in the week and provided you take in some regular exercise every day (at least 20 minutes of fast walking), give yourself a little daily treat for the first week. Avoid snacking and remember to jot down in a diary, everything you take into your mouth to eat/drink - including how much water. After a week, assess where you've been good or struggled, and repeat the following week but without daily treats - keeping just to weekends fro sweets etc. If you can keep this up for 30 days or more - there'll be a change in the mindset with a lot more consideration given for what you consume.

Having only the freshest, most nutritious ingredients in the cupboards, will stop those impulsive snack decisions and encourage you to be more creative with the ingredients for varied meal combinations. Having a break from the sweet treats will also curb the desire for snacking on them. Eventually, over time, the weekend treats will become smaller in volume and therefore much easier to control, plus the regular management of what is consumed will mean mindful decisions play a much greater role over the impulsive ones.

A Question of Fat Loss

'LOSING' THE FAT

Eating and drinking certain types of foods and beverages will add extra weight and create larger fat stores on the body. Understanding why we have weight gain and what causes it is pretty straight forward. We essentially consume more calories (energy) than the energy we use up. Basically - we take on too much fuel and the excess gets stored around our bodies. Understanding what types of fuel are best for filling us up, keeping us fuller for longer and for building/repairing muscles will help with how we look and feel.

A common mis-understanding about fat is that we gain and lose 'fat' - this isn't strictly true. We all have fat cells. Women tend to have more than men and they are found around organs and under the skin. Fat cells are essentially storage devices for energy. They do not get 'lost' or 'burned' - they expand or contract as the energy contents are used (burned) or stored. Depending on the types of exercise we do and fuel we take in to our bodies, will determine how our bodies perform and how we look or feel. Understanding how fat cells work and why certain diets do not work in the long run will teach us the smartest ways to train our body in order to keep weight down, tone the muscles and decrease fat storage.

Feast Or Fast?

THE GREAT BRITISH BREAKFAST?

To start the day on a hearty feed - is for some, the best way to commence their day. For others, it's the opposite approach that works best. Whether it's a full English feast or an espresso and go - both of these breakfasts have their appeal and understanding which is best for you and when, could help with managing weight, retaining peak energy levels and assisting productivity.

Looking at the history of where the traditional brekky's ingredients have come from, shows that the Brits have begged, borrowed or stolen from the world to form this culinary (or coronary!) plate of delights. However, eating this protein and often fat-rich breakfast, will arguably be better than having a bowl of cereal or nothing at all. And, if you can tweak the ingredients to remove the fried bread (and even all the bread), grill the bacon, mushrooms, tomato, poach the eggs and drain off as much of the sugary sauce from the beans as possible - this breakfast will actually be a decent source of protein-rich nutrients. This meal will not only fill you up, but keep hunger pangs at bay for a lot longer, hold blood sugars in check and potentially work as part of a reduced carb, high protein diet - which, taken with a weight-baring exercise routine, actively help build/repair muscle and burn fat.

The case for the non-breakfast
Intermittent fasting and calorie or carb cycling are dieting techniques that have been shown to give positive results, which, coupled with an exercise programme and healthy meals outside of fasting times, can help to shed some of that stubborn body fat. The idea of fasting does sound negative - and having to miss out on a hearty breakfast can lead us to think we'll be starving all morning. Reading up on this technique a bit more, I'm inclined to believe it's a matter of mind state. Allowing our thoughts to 'tell ourselves' we'll be hungry, is something we'll need to adjust to change over a (relatively short) period of time. It takes about a week for the body to adjust and the mind to quieten - depending on who you read on this subject...

I've been trying variations of this diet for a while now. Essentially choosing the right days to cut back on calories over the ones to eat more. So, I generally tend to eat light on the days when I'm not exercising, have a hearty & protein-rich meal in the evening the day before training - delaying breakfast until after the morning training sessions on those days, then having a slightly later lunch and lighter dinner. This varying of meal sizes works well for me.

It's all in the planning. Just as shocking the body, by varying the training methods and adding HIIT sessions to the mix keeps metabolism fired up, I find the same works with fasting. Eating well the evening before and delaying eating until after an early morning training session, not only gives me more energy but also keeps me lean. This, just like all diets, is something that works well with some people more than others so just needs a bit of experimentation as I've done. The bottom line though, you'll learn more about yourself by trying dieting techniques like these and may get a better control of your eating habits as a result even if the fasting or protein-rich diets aren't for you.

For further reading on the topic in greater detail - this blog post on Mark's Daily Apple is really informative. Mark is already established as a living example and reliable advocate on healthy living, so his blog posts are worth a read before trying out fasting for the first time.

Supplements - Protein

MUSCLE ENHANCERS

Protein Powder
Naturally occurring protein derived from food sources like poultry, fish and beef is a key nutrient in promoting overall health and improving fitness. When we train, the components found in protein, like essential amino acids, help to repair the body and strengthen muscle. According to various sources, for a leaner and athletic body composition we should be taking in between 1.5-2x our body weight in kilograms in grams of protein per day. ie. I weigh 80kg and should be taking on between 120-160 grams of protein. If you consider the average sized chicken breast contains 25-31grams of protein - that's a lot of protein to make up in the diet. That's where the protein shakes come in handy.

Just as an example, here's what my diet is like on a day when I'm training:

Breakfast:
Smoked Salmon  – 16g
2x eggs – 14g
Avocado – 1g
Tomatoes handful – 2g
Slice rye bread – 2g
Total protein = 35g

Lunch:
Smoked Haddock – 30g
Brocoli – 4g
New Potatoes – 3g
Peas – 3g
Total protein = 40g

Dinner:
Chicken Breast – 30g
Mushrooms – 2g
Asparagus – 1.5g
Swede Mash – 1.5g
Total protein = 35g

So, if I wanted to top up on my protein intake for improving muscle mass/recovery, I should look at potentially taking on board a couple of protein shakes with 20g protein in each serving along with some semi-skimmed milk to add another total 40-50g of protein to my diet.

Understanding what the best protein types are and for what purpose will help to achieve the desired results in your training. Here's 5 good ways to pick the right protein powder. Generally, whey protein appears to have one of the highest protein contents per gram but other alternatives like pea and hemp can be just as good and may be easier on the digestion for some people. Yellow Pea Protein is also good for cooking with and adding to sauces, soups and smoothies - ideal for vegans & vegetarians.

Ultimately, eating well with a balanced and nutritious diet are going to be the best option for health and well-being. But adding a good quality source of protein powder to supplement the diet can be a convenient method for being sure of having enough protein every day.

Alcohol And Fitness

ALCOHOL AND WEIGHT GAIN

Alcohol consumption features prominently in the diet within western cultures. Taken at meal times or on it's own in social environments, it regularly forms a percentage of our daily calorie intake. The high calorie content of alcoholic beverages can add up - pushing our daily intake over the recommended daily amount which can contribute to weight gain.

It's a common misconception that drinking alcohol makes us fat. It certainly has contributing factors, but consuming alcohol on it's own, doesn't directly make us fatter. However, according to studies made on the effects from consuming alcohol, Dr Di Pasquale shows us that alcohol does affect our metabolism in ways that can contribute to changes in weight and body fat.

Learning how we process alcohol will help us to understand how these metabolism changes affect us and making a few adjustments to our diet etc. will mean we'll still have fun without experiencing the negative side effects. There's a lot of useful info out there on the internet. I've highlighted a few points from my learnings and included links below with some simple to follow tips at the end...

Rocket Fuel
Alcohol contains sugars that are broken down into acetate that are used for fuel in the body. Alcohol has the second highest energy per gram content (7kcal per gram - second only to pure fat at 9kcal per gram). It's quick for our body to use and this type of fast-access fuel that gets used up first. This is because the energy sources are quickly absorbed but as the body cannot store the energy that we take in from alcoholic drinks, it will exhaust the alcohol energy sources first before taking in fuel from other foods, including quality nutrient-rich sources.

"The bottom line is, the idea that alcohol just automatically turns into fat or gives you a beer belly is mistaken. It’s true that alcohol suppresses fat oxidation, but mainly, alcohol adds calories into your diet, messes with your hormones and can stimulate appetite, leading to even more calories consumed. That’s where the fat gain comes from."

Socialising Versus Fitness
Socialising and drinking is fun. It's boring having to nag and berate ourselves to stick within limits on the drinking but there has to be a clear objective when training for a particular goal. If the goal is to train the body and be trim for the summer, to fit in a wedding dress or if it's just to keep a basic level of maintenance, it's essential that all the hard work in the gym isn't in vein. So, maybe we just need to implement a few basic adjustments to our socialising and drinking habits to help avoid putting extra weight on.

– Eat Well: Simple one this - but how many times have we gone for drinks without eating first - only to grab a dirty burger or some greasy fast food as an after thought? Aim to eat a protein-rich, good fats, fresh veg and healthy fibre laden meal before going out. Something that isn't going to slow us down but will digest slowly, keeping blood sugar levels in check. We should avoid the temptation for eating greasy foods the following day too and opt for a healthy and nutritious breakfast instead.

– Hydrate: Drinking some water between every other alcoholic drink will slow down alcohol intoxication and will help flush the alcohol out at the end of the night, plus it might not leave us with a hangover in the morning.

– Choose Wisely: Some drinks are higher in calories than others. Mixers are a rich source of processed sugars and cocktails can contain up to twice as many calories as a light beer or wine spritzer.

– Move Around: Dancing after a few drinks will certainly help burn off the excess sugars but if we're not planning on strutting our stuff, it pays to be standing and animated rather than sedentary. Even, fitting in a brisk walk on route to the cab office/public transport etc. before returning home will speed the metabolism up enough to burn off some of the alcohol. And if it's possible to resist the temptation to lay around on the mornings after and take in some exercise instead to burn off excess sugars, there's a better chance of missing out on the hangover too.

At the end of the day - we all have to decide what we want from our dieting, exercising and socialising and find a balance. There's no point avoiding friends and fun for the sake of vanity - and likewise, we can't be beating ourselves up about over-indulging from time to time if it defeats the object of cutting loose & having a fun in the first place. It just helps us to have a better understanding of what it means to consume many extra calories in alcohol and fatty foods.

Food As Fuel

KEEPING THE ENGINE RUNNING

Food is essential for our wellbeing. We know this is true. What & when we eat, can shape our day and ultimately bring success in what we're doing. Being mindful of these decisions will give us an advantage when doing physical or mental challenges.

We choose to eat certain types of food when we're tired and hungover that are high in fat, sugar and salt when what we really need are healthier options. There's a need for better understanding what our relationship is with food in order for us to better direct our decisions towards how we take on board the right food. Are we comfort eaters? Are we easily swayed by marketing? Do we chose certain foods for convenience over fresher options?

We Are What We Eat

I've made a pact with myself to avoid all 'mystery meat' - ie. nothing processed where the origins and content are not clear and avoid sauces unless made from fresh too. But on a down day, the brain dulled by alcohol, it's all too easy to make some poor choices and it's a shock to find the remnants of a kebab in the trash. When this happens, it's little surprise at how bad we feel after a night of putting the wrong fuel in...

Sweet Enough

THE HIDDEN TRUTH

It's everywhere. Sugar. It's in our drinks, our sauces and even in our bread. Everywhere we look, it can be found....lurking. There are different forms and alternatives to table sugar like honey or stevia - but having sugary foods in high doses can still affect our weight and energy levels so they are best avoided where possible or good alternatives found instead.

Always Read The Label  

Next time you're in the supermarket - take some time to check the labels and you'll see how much sugar there is in a lot of our supermarket goods. Thing is, we can make a lot of our meals fresh with pure natural ingredients and we don't need the extra sugar added. It really is simple and just as convenient to make highly nutritious and tasty sauces/meals using an array of fresh herbs and spices. We now have a fresh selection on hand and make up for a few of the extra ingredients that tend to have a shorter shelf life by buying in a tube/jar or frozen. It's amazing how varied you can be with some passata, basil, garlic and other fresh herbs to hand. I watched a BBC TV documentary last night about eating well for less where a family were spending a fortune on their family meals - opting for convenience meals and sauces rather than making their own.

Coming from a background of packaging design, I am well aware of the importance of good packaging to draw in the consumer, so this TV show should be a real eye-opener for anyone swayed by the packaging when making food choices and like this reminder has done for me, should spur us all on to make our own fresh food more often going forward...

Just Desserts
I met with some friends for Sunday lunch today and usually where I would have had a few pints, some wine and eaten a hearty roast, I swapped out my alcohol for a (very watered down) lime cordial and soda. My meal choice was Paleo, chicken wings and whitebait followed by duck breast with sweet potato mash, cabbage and carrots. All very good. However, when it came to the desserts - I did get a bit of a twinge as I was reminded of the dessert 'treat' habit kicking in. I think it's been ingrained in me from a kid to finish your plate of food, the dessert was offered as a reward and I'd always manage to eat the 'treat/reward' even if I was already full.

Rather than succumb to the lure of a pub pudding, I sneakily ate a piece of the Paleo banana cake that my partner and I baked the day before instead in exchange for the sticky toffee pudding with ice cream. Now, a cake is still a cake. Nuts are high in fat and this cake had a lot of almonds in it. But, compared to the high-in-sugar alternative, it was still better to eat a small slice of this banana bread. I had also factored in that the 1 hour's exercise that day and possibly, slightly lower calorie intake for the whole day allowed me a small amount of dessert and I didn't have to sit and listen to the others smacking their lips...!

Don't Be So Saucy

MASTER YOUR PALETTE 

Last few days of the Paleo diet and I've just had the driest meal so far but possibly the purest in it's nutrients...

It was a roasted chicken breast with kale, broccoli, spinach and butternut squash. I steamed the veg and ate everything plain - ie. with no sauces or condiments. I accompanied it with a glass of water. It didn't look that appetising on the plate and as the chicken hadn't even been roasted in a glaze of any kind, there were no tantalising aromas coming from the meal either. Luckily, I was hungry. The first few mouthfuls were a bit of an effort because I'm used to a bit of sauce on my plate - and at least a bit of salt and pepper to get the tastebuds going. But once I'd got going into the meal, and took my time to appreciate and chew every mouthful, it actually started to be quite tasty...I realised I didn't actually need salt, pepper or any extra flavour enhancers.

Breaking The Habits

I've gotten so used to grabbing the salt and pepper at meal times - that it's become a habit. I also eat really fast. I'm trying to eat a little slower as a rule, so I can better assimilate and taste the food. This method aids digestion apparently, as the receptors on your tongue and in your mouth let the stomach know what is coming, plus your saliva mixes with your food, making it less alien in your gut,  thus helping alleviate any stomach aches. 

Drink your food, chew your water 

My nan used to say chew every mouthful 24 times before swallowing - this was likely because they were very poor in her time and especially important to do this during the rationing throughout the second world war, but also because it makes sense. The Daoists have been saying this for hundreds of years and their teachings are very much focussed on knowing oneself. More reading required on this methinks...Paul Check (in the video) has taken many of these eastern teachings and implemented these beliefs into his C.H.E.K. principles for following a training program in corrective and high-performance exercise kinesiology - ie. treating the whole body system to find the root of a problem. It's well worth looking into Paul's methods in more detail on his website.

It's strange how differently I see food now. I've become super wary of everything I buy from the supermarket because everything I see that is packaged up is marketed so well to entice us to buy. Reading the ingredients and thinking a bit more about if it's really good for us or just as easy to make fresh has encouraged us to cook and try new recipes more. These are just companies at the end of the day, who are trying to sell us stuff and they know sugar, salt and fat are our Achilles heels, but we really don't need all these extra ingredients and should cut them out as much as possible.

It's a shame to pass up on the processed sauces, they're ingrained in my habits, convenient and so tasty - but fresh tomatoes and a bit of olive oil are just as great. I now stick to non-processed options (no more than two ingredients excluding water) and mix together fresh whenever I can. 

Backup Reserves

I can't stress how important it has been having a few nuts on my person at all times. I'm currently sat in a patisserie over looking a counter covered with cakes and biscuits. I'm amazed at how my new conditioning has kicked in. I had an espresso and glass of tap water instead of a cappuccino, with my small fix of almonds instead of a cake. 

Detox Exposed

EXERCISE & DIET

So, the truth is out! Interesting research taken recently says that detox diets and all their supplements are bogus. We're being conned with marketing tricks to get us buying products that do nothing to cleanse the body and purge it of 'toxins'. This is because the body is actually very capable of repairing itself and is well equipped for removing any potentially harmful toxins.

This fact will not only upset my partner, who loves blowing her earnings on an assortment of 'snake oil' from our local health food shop, but will cheer up all those other people who are needlessly throwing away hard-earned money on these so-called 'fixes'.

There's so much noise out there with regard to what's good for you. It seems every week there's some new report to say something we've been taking as a health booster - is actually doing the opposite. Take red wine for instance - one minute it's a health benefit and the next it's not. It's pretty much a given that fresh and unprocessed foods are going to give us a better chance of staying healthy. So we should still focus on eating the foods that are already known to provide the nutrients for better health benefits.

Essentially, though, food is just one factor. Good health is maintained by having an all-round healthy lifestyle. Getting quality sleep, avoiding stressful situations whilst being mindful of eating well-balanced meals and taking time for regular exercise, are the key factors.

Paleo Diet Working
I said in previous blogs that I'd feedback on the progress. Well, here it is:
Since I've started the Paleo diet just two weeks ago, progress is now easy to see just by looking in the mirror. There's very little body fat showing around my middle any more, and the definition is coming though on my chest, shoulders and arms. My legs have slimmed down too. My jeans are feeling baggy around the knees, thighs and backside. I seem to have shed an 'undercoat' of excess bulk. I'm sleeping well, light on my feet, energised and clear-headed. I weighed myself today after boxing and I'm back up to a healthier 12st 8lb (down from a heavy original 13st 8lb). That's pretty much my fighting weight. So, a few more weeks of PT, boxing, yoga and a continued focus on my daily quality protein intake, should mean I'll hit the 12st 10lb weight but with stronger muscles and a more defined shape.

This update above, goes to show how well a focused diet, coupled with regular exercise, can bring such positive results in a very short time frame. Whatever our goals, to stay healthy, we don't need 'detox' supplements. We certainly need to look after ourselves more. But simply monitoring our diet and making time for regular exercise, will be just we need to stay healthy.

Push through

BEING ACTIVE

Sometimes, when you've been constantly on the go. relaxing and sitting around can be just what you need. A break away from the routine can really help to recharge the batteries. However, having too many lazy days can also have a negative effect on your energy levels, as I found when chilling this weekend. 

On a down day, I like to read, listen to music and veg out like the best of us. But to kick the day off, it's always great to do a bit of stretching, breathing and light movement. You can make your own little routine or I like to do some yoga moves. There's a great app called Yoga Studio which gives you the option of a full yoga workout or just a quick 10 minute stretch session and all right there in your pocket! So this morning, I woke early, went for a brisk walk around the deserted town and returned as the sun was breaking through dark clouds, signalling another glorious day. I then did a 12 minute sun salutation yoga warm-up routine with my partner before taking a light breakfast.

The thing is, I'd not had a particularly great night's sleep, was not feeling all that rested, plus feeling a bit stiff from the week and hadn't really wanted to leave the warm confines of the bedroom today. Those damned negative voices once again...But I'm so glad I got myself up and pushed through rather than snooze for another hour, choosing to ignore the lazy voice and get some fresh air, sunshine in my face and energy flowing through my veins. I now feel so much more alive as a consequence and it's another reminder to always 'push through' - get up early and embrace the day.

Food Science

The diet's still going really well. I've been watching a really good 3 part BBC Horizon documentary this morning about people struggling with their diet. It's been really interesting to see how overweight people are affected by food in various different ways. I reckon, if I wasn't as active, body conscious and self-educated about food - I'd likely be overweight too because I'm a 'Feaster'. Luckily, I am aware of what I eat and sticking to the 30 day Paleo diet for another two weeks yet. If only more people were more savvy about food. This great series from the BBC should help educate many many more people about what factors affect their weight and ultimately, their health - so well-worth a watch.

Leaner, Stronger, Faster

HAPPY FOOD

So, it's nearly two weeks since I stopped drinking and I'm really starting to notice the difference in my energy levels and general positivity. The guy's who I regularly see at the reception to my office - one of the security team, asked what I've been doing, as I seemed different in some way - more vibrant and extra friendly (jeez, I must have been such a moody b*stard before!). I explained my diet and the early starts and he said he'd like to lose a bit of weight and was on a diet too - It is Jan after all...Thing is, I reckon his diet is wrong for him as it's essentially giving him a lot less food than a man of his size needs and especially as he stands outside in all weathers, he'll be feeling it in the cold at this time of year. I've passed on the Paleo info - and I'm going to send him a link to the blog today. I've also spread the word to my partner and a good friend to see if we can get our beach bodies back in a month!

I've been reading the Paleo book by Robb Fox and starting to get a better understanding of how our digestive system works to break down the food we eat and how we use it as fuel. This is why I can see the Paleo diet really works. I ate well yesterday, cutting out the carbs as much as possible and taking on my daily amount of protein. This seemed to give me enough energy to take two intense yoga classes. The first was a dynamic yoga class with Geraldine of The Radiant Hand - these are excellent teachers who really teach yoga through discipline - giving clear direction, watching, walking the room and correcting poses. I'm starting to get a real flow now, my flexibility is really coming on and I believe I actually got an 'excellent' yesterday, my first - and coming from this teacher, it has spurned me on even more! The second class was at Fierce Grace in the City. I tried Bikram yoga before and liked the intensity of the stretching in the hot environment - and Fierce Grace is a newer cooler version of Bikram - with music. The class I took was 1.5 hours long and equally as much of an endurance test in the 40+ heat!

We had food after - tricky eating out on a Paleo diet but Busaba Eatai have some grill options and I went for the cod stir fry with broccoli, garlic and shitaki mushrooms instead of rice. I had to take my lemongrass tea without honey in it but it was still sweet anyway. I confess, I ate the cashew cookies (it's my weakness). The greatest thing about the meal was the bill, as it is 50% for the whole of Jan - and you can go as many times as you want!

Restocking the cupboard
Day 3 on the Paleo diet - and it's time to get the right foods in. So, we've been down the supermarket at 7am buying meat and fish amongst other things...

Funny how giving up drinking gives you more time - but it can leave a bit of a void for what to spend your money on...I'm really trying to save money, but so used to getting the wallet out - so the motivation for going down to Aldi at 7am this morning as it opened, was to make the most of picking up this week's offers! Aldi now has an organic range and it's a good place for getting packaged meats like ham, turkey and chicken and great value for buying bags of nuts and fresh veg, fruit etc. We also need to stock up on quality fish & meat - we have Waitrose and Sainsbury's very near - but there's a great butchers called Chadwicks also nearby (who also do delivery) that's going to have the best grass fed beef and free range stuff in the store - plus we have a locally sourced fish mongers that comes to our farmers market every saturday which I'll be buying from. My parents befriended our local butcher to ensure always getting the choicest cuts...and we ate really well as a kid. It's going to be more expensive as a rule, but if there's a proper fish mongers or butchers nearby - it makes sense to make the most of it.

Improving digestion
The daily dose of Aloe Vera is really helping keep away any stomach issues and sticking to less acidic and non spicy foods is helping too. I've also been taking a supplement called Argi+ with anti-oxidants and vitamins - including L-arginine which is claiming to aid faster recovery after training. I've noticed that when taking before and after climbing or mountain biking, I've had less aching muscles the following day. I'll have to continue taking it to measure longer term benefits.

I'm not drinking tea or coffee during the day - but having an espresso in the mornings after eating. I've taken to regularly drinking freshly squeezed lemon in hot water (no honey or sugar added now though) and having a shot of Milk Thistle first thing in the morning - allegedly good for liver function.

Fit and Flexible 
First proper week back on the exercise routine. Here's how it's been in the week so far...

Tuesday was the first day back on the early boxing routine - really enjoyed pushing myself physically and mentally, it really helps to clear any angst or frustrations. I noticed a change in the core strength immediately after doing 100 situps at the end of the session. If you're in the London area and a member of Fitness First - we're having the sessions every Tuesday morning at 7.15-8am. If you'd like to know more and to join, email me at fitclubbox@gmail.com

Wednesday was a double helping of dynamic and hot yoga. I'm really starting to notice the difference in my flexibility and posture and my lower back aches and stiffness seem to have subsided considerably. I've got a great iPhone/iPad app for the days when you just want a quick 20 minute session at home or are on holiday - it's called Yoga Studio - available on the app store.

Thursday is my personal training day. So I'm going to really push myself and with all the good food I've been eating, should be on top of my game today. The guys at Ultimate City Fitness really know their stuff! Sign-up to get their daily newsletter giving advice on personal training, nutrition and achieving a leaner, stronger and fitter you. I'll be posting my routines up on a separate training page at some point in the near future.

Touch and Go
I realise I'm spending considerably more time on the keyboard typing these days. I should know where the keys are after 20 years using a computer but I just do two-finger typing. So I've decided to teach myself to touch type. I've been using this great free typing tool called Typing Club and after doing 20-30 minutes a day for 5 days - I'm up to about 20 words a minute! There's still a lot a of work to do before I'm speedy enough to be using this method full time - but it's a start.

A final note on speed
Saving seconds from my day to do the important things by being efficient, are part of my research on how to do things better. I wrote in a previous post about using a long-life, aluminium free deodorant and said I'd come back to it soon. So, I applied a very liberal amount of cream on Monday morning. I've washed 1-3 times every day with soap and water, but haven't had to re-apply any deodorant in 4 days. That's pretty good considering all the sweating I do. So this product is £8 but it's meant to last for over a month. That means I don't have to carry deodorants around with me in my gym bag, saves me time and could save money in the long run - plus it has to be better for me not using aluminium products. This will be great for festivals me thinks...

It's not that I ever get a chance to smell, because I wash a lot - 1-3 times a day typically. I'm usually having a shower after cycling in to work in the morning, one at lunch time if I'm hitting the gym and one in the evening after cycling home. Do I need to wash so much - probably not? I'm also getting through a lot of shower gel - so I only use soap now. I've got a small bar of aloe soap (which you can get from Holland & Barratt) and a Speedo sports towel - which is small, light, faster and more efficient for drying yourself off with - it can also be used as a flannel if, like me, you don't want to wash yourself away with constant showers. It's easy to carry around and you don't have to wait for it to dry like a conventional towel - just wring it out!

Cut Out The Cr@p

REMOVING TEMPTATION

I received my first challenge email from Robb Wolf's 30 day challenge yesterday, which said to have a bit of a clear out at home - hope he doesn't mind me using the screengrab here. Please click on the above link to get on this 30 day challenge too.:

Sugar Is Bad!

Correction....sugar is bad in high quantities, particularly fructose syrup which is in so many foods now and a major factor in high levels of obesity. I watched this rather amusing and very informative video from Dr. Robert H. Lustig yesterday regarding hidden sugars in our food and the terrible problem faced in America with their foods administrative body failing to halt fructose consumption. The video clip is well worth watching and he has a book too, which I may get round to reading...or I may just stick to avoiding sugar instead....It seems to back-up what I've already learned/understood, there's too much sugar in our diet so it's best to just avoid processed food because it contains harmful additives like high levels of salt & sugars like fructose. I'm also going to look more into the Paleo diet - as Robb doesn't tell me what exactly what to throw out - all sauces?! (however, just looking at the labels gives a good idea) - this downloadable pdf may help.

So I've suddenly been pulled into this Paleo diet. Been watching a few video clips and reading up on leaky gut syndrome and the benefits of cutting out all the harmful processed (and often tasty) foods that are causing illness. One claim that I heard in the video by Dr. Robert H. Lustig, was that Paleo diets can reverse type 2 diabetes! Diet can affect mood, potentially leading to depression and also have an adverse effect on your joints, even causing/inflaming arthritis...I also watched this video on TED (I love Ted - it has some great inspiring stuff on there) - this woman claims to have reversed MS by changing her diet....well worth watching too:

The diet says to cut out fruit juices - I've heard this before, because you're not chewing and mixing the enzymes to properly digest the food and losing the full benefits of eating the fibre. However, I still like to try and get in a bit of a 'tonic' before cycling to work or taking on some light food before doing yoga. I enjoy having a glass of something which has healthy/fresh food sources in it, so I'll chose a veg smoothie/juice instead. Re. what's really good for you - it's tricky knowing what to believe, everyone's an expert on the internet these days! I've had a read through books and online, spoken to people that I can see are living proof of what it means to be healthy and come to the conclusion that I'm surely going to benefit by taking these 'superfoods' in to my system once or twice a week in a drink form. I usually have a spinach, banana and coconut water juice smoothie. I add a sprinkle of chia seeds and a splash of fish oil. I know I can also add apple, celery, avocado etc. - I'll find a few different ones to try and post later on. If you're interested to read a bit more on the healthy benefits of these few I know about already, click on the pictures below...