The Fitness Myth Buster

Had a client last year that wanted to lose some weight and body fat. We went through some Kettlebell instruction so he could train on his own as time was pretty precious. The main element was providing him with good nutritional information.

I gave my client my nutritional programme that all my Personal Training clients MUST go through, as well as my Fat Loss Fit Camp members. This entails 30 days of clean, natural foods – meat, fish, poultry, veg, fruits, nuts and seeds. No caffeine or alcohol, just clean water.

Now the exercise regime didn’t go quite to plan due to time constraints but the client stuck to the nutrition 99%. I decided to follow the “diet” for the 30 days and we both blogged our journey.

So let’s get to the nitty gritty. Over this 30 days, we both lost a stone in weight! (actually, I didn’t need to!!)

But, the main aspect of this, and this post, is that my client had numerous health beneifts as well as the weight loss.

Firstly;

• Increased energy levels with no afternoon slumps
• Improved skin condition
• Improved sleep quality
• Elimination of snoring!! (so his wife benefitted too!)
• Had not suffered any Hay fever symptoms

Which brings me onto something else related to this. I was reading a post by Dr Mercola this morning and it was talking about the research which suggests increasing your levels of vitamin D and Magnesium has been shown to decrease or eliminate Asthma and Hay Fever. Studies showed that of those suffering from Hay Fever/Asthma were nearly always deficient in these areas.

Many of the pharmaceutical medications out there that supposedly help these conditions are actually making people worse.

I’m really glad to say that our nutritional programme advocates supplementing in both Vitamin D and Magnesium. This is not a pill popping exercise but suggesting clients get more sun exposure without sunscreen (safe levels of exposure) and the use of Transdermal Magnesium Oil rubbed into the skin.

What hardship is trying to eat sensibly, exercise outdoors when possible and following a healthy lifestyle in general for just 30 days.

Want to try it?

Contact us for you FREE 30 day programme and leave your comments below on your findings

Thanks to Dax Moy for this timely reminder this week about Principles and Methods.

“Methods are many, Principles are few, Methods keep on changing but Principles never do”.

Conundrum?

Well, in terms of exercise, there are many methods to getting fit, strong, flexible, etc. You have Kettlebells, circuit training, running, free weights, bodywieght training, Yoga, and so on and so on. All are methods to get you to your goal and every person will have their preference as to wat will suit them best or what they will enjoy.

So the Methods are many and all will work to some extent.

But the Principles of training is what will guarantee your success. Whatever Method of training you opt for, you have to follow the Principles to ensure you get the benefits.

So what are these?

Progressive Overload: You have to challenge your body on a regular basis. Doing the same thing week in week out will not force your body to adapt. Plodding the pavements 3 times per week over the same route at the same pace will make you more efficient; equalling burning less fuel.

Bench pressing 60, 70 80 or even 100 kg every Monday and Friday won’t make you stronger. You have to change something in order for the body to become stressed. Perform more reps or sets, alter the speed of reps, change the angle of movement, increase the weight.

You have to change something consistently for adaptation to take place.

Regeneration: With all this extra stress on the body, you have to allow time for rest and recovery. I have know many trainers that workout 6-7 days per week, do not see results so work even harder or more often. Hey. I’ve done it myself many years ago. This scenario just leads to staleness, and possible overuse injuries.

Instead, cycle you training so that you work gradually harder over a 4 week period so that week 4 is the toughest you have trained in terms of weight, reps, sets, speed, or whatever, then back off on week 5. Do half the training you did on week 4 or just do some light aerobic work or stretching and mobility. Then start the cycle again.

Now what works for you may be different. That is, you may want or need to work progressively over a 3 week period then ease off on week 4, or extend your progression phase to 5 weeks then have week 6 backing off. Find what works for you but follow the Principle; Progressive overload, then de-load.

So what about Nutrition?

Okay, the Methods are many and they keep changing. Low fat diets, Atkins, low carb, high protein, ridiculous Lighter Life starvation diets, etc. All of these will get some short term results, every single one. But they can’t possibly have any lasting benefit and may even cause you health problems.

The Principles of Fat Loss through Nutrition are to eat a predominantly vegetable based diet, of clean, preferably organic foods, small amounts of animal protein, fruits, nuts and seeds. You will get all the nutrients and minerals you require from following this Principle although due to modern soil conditions, you may need to supplement a little.

Reduce/eliminate sugar and sugar based products from your diet and do not consume anything with additives, preservatives, colourings or anything you cannot pronounce.

Reduce or eliminate dairy from your diet. It is not conducive to human digestion, especially when processed the way it is today.

I have been asked many times recently how to get enough Calcium in your diet if taking milk out of the equation. Firstly, you can get many more times, in some cases over a hundred times more Calcium from vegetables sources – Kale for instance.

It is also more about absorption of Calcium rather than the amount you take in. If you are consuming certain foods/drinks that leach Calcium from your bones, then it doesn’t really matter how much you take in, does it?

If you follow these Principles for Nutrition, your body will find its natural weight level. Put these Principles together with those for exercise and you have a winning formula.

Don’t forget to leave a comment…

I was preparing to give a weight loss, health and fitness seminar the other week and wanted to get some interesting information on various “healthy” foods.

We are hearing a lot of promotional stuff about the “Special K” diet; a breakfast cereal that if eaten a few times per day for 2 weeks, you will see a reduction in weight.

Well, some research I pulled up made me laugh about their claims but firstly, let’s look at the basics of this “diet”. A carb laden meal without any true nutritional value. Covered in the majority with milk that is undigestable for humans again with most nutritional value stripped from it. Usually covered with a sprinkling of sugar or even worse, a spoonful of chemicals that still gives your body the sensation of taking sugar with all the downsides.

Hmm, doesn’t sound so appetising when you put it like that, does it?

So let’s take a look at some of that research I was talking about. The following is extract taken from Wikipedia and discusses “Special K” in particular.

The country of Denmark has outlawed Kellogg’s products since 2004. Danish health officials banned the cereal because, as they claimed, Kellogg’s wanted to add extremely high levels of vitamin B₆, calcium, folic acid and iron, which would reach toxic levels when eaten on a daily basis. Young children risk liver and kidney^[9] damage, while the foetuses of pregnant women can suffer complications from the toxins.

The Dutch television show Keuringsdienst van Waarde^[10], in an episode aired on 15 October 2009, followed up one of Kellogg’s Special K nutritional claims, namely the addition of iron. The show provided evidence that the iron was not nutritional ionic iron – as it occurs in natural foods like spinach – but was in fact metallic iron. A Kellogg’s telephone helpdesk employee was not willing to discuss the ingredients of their products in general, claiming it was a company secret, although in the show the company was not confronted with the findings. The nutritional experts in the show (a university professor and a general practitioner) agreed that actual metallic iron should not be part of a diet, speculating that it might damage organs.^[11] After the airing, the Dutch food authority nuanced the claims made in the TV program, claiming there are no health risks as long as Kellogg’s stays within the legal limits. They also challenged the claim that the cereal could contain ’shredded bikes’, and responded that iron powder is suitable for human consumption.^[12]

The evidence provided during the show follow David Catz’s description of an experiment by Dr. Babu George, Sacred Heart University, in which iron is extracted from cereals.^[13] The description dates from 1984. As a result of this experiment being published and inquiries being made to the manufacturers, some companies have replaced the metallic iron in their products with an iron compound such as iron(III) phosphate, also called ferric phosphate.

Okay, the article isn’t conclusive but it should make you pause for thought. Why would a government actually ban a product, or company for that matter, if everything was hunky dorey?

Instead of trying to take the modern phenomenon of quick fixes with a host of processed foods that anyone with an ounce of sense would realise are not good for us, why not go the way our ancestors HAD to cope and get your nutritional requirements from fresh, preferably organic, produce.

So, interested in what they put in this “healthy” cereal?

Here goes;

Rice, wheat (wholewheat, wheat flour), sugar, wheat gluten, defatted wheatgerm, dried skimmed milk, salt, barley malt flavouring, vitamin C, niacin, iron, vitamin B₆, riboflavin (B₂), thiamin (B₁), folic acid, vitamin D, vitamin B₁₂. ^[8]

Think I’ll stick with my Spinach and fruit smoothies or veg stir fry, thank you very much!

Let me know what you thought of this with your comments below

Think this is a ridiculous statement?

Think your GP giving you meds is the only way to live with this debilitating disease?

Think again. Stop being lazy and eat how we were designed to by going Raw as much as possible and predominantly vegetarian. Don’t get me wrong, I am not a vegetarian and have no desire to give up meat but then again I eat pretty healthy compared to the majority of the population.

Modern dairy is predominantly sugar and we have a hard time digesting it anyway.

Why not try this 30 day challenge and turn your life around.

Oh, and watch the video below…

Reverse Diabetes in 30 Days Video!

This is exactly the type of nutrition plan we prescribe for our Personal Training clients and Fat Loss Fit Camp members and get great results!

Have been watching a few videos lately by Sean Croxton from the US and this one below really struck home.

I know plenty of you out there will be big fans of the rubbish served from the likes of KFC and you may well be raving fans of Oprah Winfrey. So take a look at this video, it’s just under 10 minutes long so settle down and enjoy.

Maybe a good idea not to have a KFC bucket with you during this!

Oh, and don’t forget to leave a comment…

Oprah ReThink KFC