The Magic Of Christmas

FESTIVE CHEER

Christmas is a time full of fun and merriment and with such an opportunity to lounge around eating rich food, it can be also a time of over indulgence.

So it pays to move around a bit at Christmas time so we don't feel bloated and sluggish. Get off the couch and take a short walk, even if it's just to the local park. It'll mean there's more energy to enjoy the evening's entertainments all the more and stuff our faces with more festive treats!

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. 

The Value And Excellence Scale

QUALITY NEEDS VALUES

Revisiting Georgham - another favourite spot in North Devon this week, we were again reminded about the 'UP' and 'UP AND OVER' theory that I proposed at the start of the trip.

On this journey, it's been clearly shown where some places have continued to thrive while others have lost out to complacency. Reliance on previous good ratings must be a common problem for many establishments. If they seemingly drop the ball for even a moment to allow disgruntled customers to leave a low rating on Trip Advisor, it can mean a decline in visitors & revenue - which then has a knock-on effect with the quality of staff employed and further adds to the downfall of a potentially great establishment as they struggle to cope with tired, over-worked, under-qualifies staff. 

We witnessed this effect recently at one place where they clearly failed to appreciate the relevance of leadership - leaving inexperienced staff at the helm in the True Lovers Knot), who didn't pay heed to the small details (bizarrely, replacing loo rolls is high on the list for complaints on Trip Advisor) and lost focus on the fact that the customer is always right. It's amazing what a complimentary desert or drink on the house can do to correct a minor - or even a major niggle - yet this has rarely been offered in the places where I've had to speak up lately.  

It's not just the establishments that fail to recognise leadership and over-delivering on service for retaining happy punters, it can also catch out the long established venues too. So many places think that having good reviews entitles them to hike up the prices. They need to retain a measure of humbleness like Pumblechooks do - a particular favourite of mine in East London, yet they get above themselves time and again. This is a big problem for a lot of places that I've frequented over the years and why very very few stay 'UP' (certainly in my estimations) for very long. 

It's a fine balance giving quality and value at the same time. The Kings Head in Hursley had it but alas, has it no more. But the Kings Arms in Georgham had - and still has it 10 years on. It's a real achievement, even with new management and so many different staff over the years, to retain the core values that mean this place can provide such a high level of quality food & drink. And all delivered with consistently great service at such great value, in comparison to the many other over-priced places around today and likely, not tomorrow. 

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.

Hormonal Balance

TESTOSTERONE

Losing sleep, poor diet, high stress and environmental factors can all have an effect on our health. If we're aiming to get fit and gain muscle, we have to ensure we're in good physical shape before we train. One of the factors affecting our training ability could be a hormonal imbalance.

Certain hormones like testosterone are required by both men and women for maintaining a healthy and balanced state and it is essential for gaining muscle too. There are natural ways to boost testosterone levels and some of those methods are centred around having regular forms of exercise. So the key is to have regular daily exercise, even if they are just walking and stretching just to keep the functions of the body working and in a healthy state. Yoga is a great way to do this.

Oestrogen-Mimicking foods
Oestrogen is another sex hormone found in the body when controlling reproduction in women as well as maintaining bone health and other factors in both men and women. There are some plants and foods that have natural oestrogen-mimicking properties, like Soy.

Having too many foods that contain high levels of Oestrogen can have an impact on hormone balance and particularly effect men's fertility. So, understanding which environmental factors and foods could have a negative effect on us are well worth learning about if we wish to remain healthy, avoid negative symptoms ranging from mood swings to hair loss and increase the chances of remaining disease free.

Keeping A Balance
The advantages of maintaining good testosterone levels can be witnessed in both men and women alike. Often, a busy lifestyle, along with the stresses and strains it presents daily, coupled with a tough training routine, can all negatively impact our hormones and ultimately, our health. Fenugreek has been used for centuries and is said to boost testosterone levels, essential for recovery after exercise.

Supplementing diets with the right minerals, vitamins and health-boosting supplements, can aid in combatting fatigue and assist the body in maintaining optimum health. Supplements are not and should never be substituted for a balanced nutritional diet – but certainly, in the right amounts and for the right circumstances, can be invaluable to those seeking loftier training goals.

There's many more brands of supplements on the market today offering solutions for boosting performance. Always be sure to make your own judgements about what's right for you/your body and consult your doctor if there are prolonged bouts of low energy, problems with sleep, recovery and mood etc.

Additional information on the above brand of supplements, can be found here.

Super Foods

NATURAL DIET SUPPLEMENTS

Taking supplements with our diets can help boost our overall health & vitality. There's pills and powder for everything to increase our energy, repair damaged cells and all manor of other health benefits.

Health food shops are full with all kinds of potions proclaiming to cure our ills and make us feel super human. However, when there's so many natural food source alternatives out there, we should turn to these first rather than pop the pill or ingest the 'quick-fix' powdered variety.

Here's a list of some of the more common natural super-foods found in As Nature Intended and likely other health stores in the UK.

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.

Understanding Body Energy Systems

FACTORS AFFECTING ENERGY USAGE

Energy. We need the best quality sources to perform well - just like we need good fuel in a sports car. Unlike a conventional car however, our body has more than just one energy type that it draws from. Depending on the activity, our body's energy regulation systems will switch over to the best energy source required for the task at hand.

A brief summary...

We take in fuel through food/drink in the form of carbohydrates, fat and protein. The sugars from these food sources are broken down into glucose, which in turn is stored in the muscles and liver as glycogen. Any extra intake of fuel is processed and deposited around the body as fat. Our bodies will then access the stored fuel for correct usage to regulate blood sugar levels - ensuring energy is deployed to brain, organs and limbs - prioritising fast-access energy sources for the vital functions of the body.

The fast access energy comes mostly from our glycogen stores of which we have a limited amount of. During exercise, our muscles adapt to using different energy sources and will break down fatty acids known as triglyceerides into energy for muscles as our bodies regulate the different energy processes depending on what we're doing and at what level. Certain energy breakdown and transformation processes are faster to access and deploy than others and it's how we train our bodies to use these energy sources that determines how well we perform and ultimately how good we will look in our beach attire.

Read on to better understand how we use energy in a workout or skip to the end for a few quick tips...

Sources
Our energy is metabolised into a form we can use after eating/drinking & digestion, sourced from three natural food components. Complex carbs like bread, pasta and rice being the easiest to draw energy from and those with high GI (High Glycemic Index) are the fastest to be absorbed into our bloodstream. They are prioritised for being metabolised by the body in this order:

- Carbohydrates

- Fats

- Proteins

During exercise
Three factors will determine how our body uses carbohydrates in relationship to fat: 

- Intensity levels

- Duration of exercise

- Fitness levels

Our body extracts the energy (calories) from digested food (macronutrients):

• Carbs (4kcal per gram). These should form 60% of our daily calories and are our staple for energy production. 

• Fats (9kcal per gram). 30% of daily calories. Also a major source of energy as well as providing insulation & protection. 

• Protein (4kcal per gram). Forming 10-15% of daily calories. Main role is for growth and repair. 

For us to actually use the three energy food sources, we use an energy transfer process called ATP (Adenosine Tri-phosphate) which calls on three energy systems:

- Creatine Phosphate (anaerobic)

- Anaerobic Glycolysis (anaerobic)

- Aerobic

Anaerobic & Aerobic

In essence - the first two, which are the fastest energy systems, do not require oxygen (anaerobic) - but there is only a finite amount of energy stored and will need constant replenishing after just a very short period when exercising at a peak level (from around 60-100% max output). 

The preferred energy source for operating at aerobic levels (up to around 60% max output) is taken from fat stores around the body and deployed through oxygenated blood. Our blood sugar levels will be regulated and fats converted into fuel, mobilised for use as we perform exercise and to replenish energy reserves in our muscles/liver, continuing to work long after we've finished activities.

By increasing our fitness levels - ie. raising our threshold for max output levels above 60% - our bodies will become more efficient at replenishing depleted muscles while we're undergoing intense periods of exercise. In turn, energy is taken from fat stores to be better used by the heart, lungs and limbs, leaving reserves of fast energy glucose back for brain function and intense bursts of activity. As we increase fitness levels, the body also starts to form more capillaries in order to better oxygenate the blood, thus aiding transfer of energy to the muscles and allowing quicker repair and recovery times as well. 

Using the right system

When starting to exercise, energy is produced without oxygen for at least the first few seconds before heart and lungs can catch up with the demands. For the following 5-15 minutes, muscles will use glycogen stores while the body mobilises fats to be broken down to fatty acids for use as energy in the muscles. It's key to have balanced levels of blood sugars at this point so the body is ready for drawing on fat stores as an energy source. If weight loss is the goal - this is why having a warm up before exercise if beneficial for optimising fat burning.

Tips on energy management for sports activities or weight control 
For optimising fat burning and greater performance in body and mind, consider the following:
- Only take on complex and processed carbohydrates with a high glycemic value (white bread, white rice, pasta, jacket/mashed potatoes) in smaller quantities and subsidise with unprocessed varieties, ie. whole grains or organic oats plus fresh fruit & vegetables where possible. Carbohydrates are a great source of energy but taking on extra carbs should be for when we really need them - ie. for playing sports and doing endurance activities. The body is good at breaking down the sugars from carbohydrates into an energy source for storage and as the liver only has room for a certain amount, once the muscles have been replenished - everything else will be stored as fat around the body. So it's good to be aware of this fact if weight-loss is your goal.
- Eat protein rich meals, fresh veg and fruit before resistance training - especially if it's the first meal of the day as the metabolism will be working hard to process proteins and will switch to fat stores on the body for it's energy sources. Alternatively, if the morning meal is made up of easy to absorb carbohydrates (ie. bread/toast, sugary cereals and fruit juices) it will be great for quick energy access but the fat stores will take second place as the body uses the newly taken on fast energy carbohydrates sources.
- Make sure to include a 5-10 minute warm-up before having intense workouts to activate the aerobic (ie. fat burning) energy system which helps burn fat while you work out.

Soups, Salads And Super Juices

SPRING FRESH

I love the spring - the fresh, bright mornings, the birdsong and the beginnings of life emerging after the end of winter. A bit of sunshine can work wonders and so can eating (and drinking) fresh vegetables. I'm aiming to have steamed vegetables with meals at least once a day but it's much easier if you can have a power shot that has some fruit and veg in one tasty drink, which is still healthy and vital if you prepare it fresh. Trouble is, making a juice takes time and sometimes that's where we all fall short and settle for convenience, ie. from the supermarket. Apparently, freshly pressed/squeezed juice needs to be consumed within 30 minutes to get the most benefit from the live enzymes that give us that burst of vitality. The way the food is processed, can also destroy the enzymes. But with the right kind of juicer, the juice will retain it's goodness and can be kept for up to 3 days if stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Keeping It Fresh

Make a double batch of juice and use a Thermos flask to store it in the fridge. I tend to have a smoothie in the morning because it's also good for you and convenient. I have been using fruit juice from the supermarket, but now making a batch of juice when I get in from work seems the best time and I know the juice used with the freshly blended vegetables will still have some potency if a good blender has been used.

Instant Soup
Waitrose and Sainsbury's both have a line in pre-cut vegetables for soup. Just add stock and simmer for 25 minutes. Then blend to a fine or chunky consistency. This is the perfect answer for those looking for a healthy and convenient meal.

Salads Galore
It's the easiest time of the year to eat well. Gone are the stodgy, stew urges. Now for me it's all about grilled fish, torn chicken, lean beef - all mixed with some fresh and tasty salads. There's literally 100's of different ways to get a meal with fresh fruit, veg and leaf in one tasty meal and having a selection of the ingredients in the fridge means we can mix them all up into tasty, fresh and convenient meals in no time.

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...

Thirst Quencher

PURELY WATER

Water - the simple, single most important ingredient to improve your health. It's so simple yet, we don't drink enough of it. It's the same for me - even though I'm aware of the benefits, I have to constantly remind myself to drink throughout the day. If I'm feeling a bit tired, water is the key. Stomach ache? Water again. So, why do we struggle to drink it - and why is it often as an after-thought? As a rule, I'll have a glass of warm water with lemon juice in it every morning. I'll have another glass with my breakfast and if I'm riding to work or getting the tube, another glass before I leave the house. That's 3/4 Litre just in the morning. Throughout the day I'll drink 2-3 more in the morning and another before lunch. These tactical glasses of water not only get me up and moving around - give me a break from the computer screen and fill me up so I skip going fro an 11 o'clock snack and have a smaller meal at lunch. Drinking water throughout the afternoon also helps keep the hunger pangs at bay and keeps the mind focussed better and for longer than if you opt for a quick caffeine or sugar fix - which will give a temp boost but leave you with a lull after.

Keep a bottle on hand. I like to have a 1L re-usable plastic bottle that I fill twice a day - pouring into a smaller glass makes it less of a mission to get through.

Save Money And The Environment
Drink from the tap. Don't like the taste? Add a slice of lemon, cucumber or get these great sugar free Nuun hydration tablets. Not only are they really great for re-hydrating post workout, they are also a calorie-free alternative to expensive sugary pub drinks when you're out with friends - just get a pint of water with ice and drop in the tab! They have a great range of different flavours to try.

There's no evidence to show drinking bottled mineral or spring water is any better for you - and we're also contributing to the landfill problem by buying so many plastic bottles. But it can be inconvenient getting water from a tap, so bottled is the way to go. I've bought myself a couple of these - and keep one in my pocket so I can always have water on hand - I feel much better using this than buying and throwing away plastic bottle all the time.

True & False

TOO TRUE

Every day we learn something that we accepted was true yesterday, is now false. Especially when it comes to food.

Red wine. It was believed we should drink small amounts as it contains antioxidants and could actually be better for us drinking this particular kind of alcohol to prolong life as apposed to being a tee-totaller. It's popped up again recently and there's a reversal on this thinking suggesting it's now NOT something that's good for our health. The odd glass of wine can work wonders after a stressful day or enjoyed with friends.
Butter. Avoid it. Use spreads and olive oil. NOW it turns out - it's all based on flawed research.
Cereals. I grew up on Coco Pops, Shreddies, Corn Flakes, Sultana Bran...cereals oh yeah and white bread. I'm still alive and pretty well? Yet, there's now a real hate campaign on grains. AVOID! I have to say, I'm kinda taken to this one as there's so much negativity surrounding it and haven't touched cereal in a few years now. But, stick to the least processed variety and the ones lowest in sugar and pretty I'm sure it'll be fine.
Bread. Staple of the French, Italians and Europeans. AVOID. I'm only eating decent wholegrain or rye bread occasionally now but really, is it that bad?
Fruit juices. Get your five a day. WRONG. Low in fibre, high in sugars, acid, and calories. Just eat some fruit or make your own juice using fresh fruit and vegetables. Get a decent cold-press juicer.

And the list goes on - here's 7 more foods that have had a reversal.

Thing is - we're being constantly advertised to with deceptive marketing spiel and the media is full of fantastical rubbish designed to get us reading their papers etc. It's no wonder people are so confused what's good and bad for them - and this is just the food. Exercise is now being linked to shortening life and even taking health supplements could increase chances of cancer. What does it all mean? It means stop reading the papers (especially The Daily Mail!), question the information being fed to you via advertising and gossip, make your own investigations, do what you enjoy in moderation and if there's anything that you know makes you feel bad, keep a diary of what you do & eat and asses the results yourself. Over time you'll see/feel the results and know. We're all different and what works for some, doesn't always work for all.

Question 'truths'
I'm now half way through Counter clockwise: mindful health and the power of possibility, written by Ellen Langer. She encourages us to be more mindful and question science, research and results. We are all different and nothing is set in stone, yet, science bases it's results on facts - facts that can not be clear cut if you take into consideration there's so many factors not included in this research that affect everything and everyone, so we need to have 'shades of grey' answers. The consequence of this type of black & white reasoning is that we set our minds to 'facts' and it's this definite inflexible mindset that makes the result and consequently we become inflexible too. Telling ourselves something is bad, can and will end up becoming true if we allow our minds to tell us so.

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. 

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!