Start the day

Posted on January 20, 2014

eggsThere’s a saying that, for optimal health and weight management, we should eat breakfast like a King and dinner like a pauper.  And it’s spot on.  Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day.  It’ll help you to maintain a healthy weight, get your brain fired up for the day, improve your mood and lead to higher intakes of essential nutrients.  Skipping breakfast leaves you more likely to snack on junk and feel sluggish throughout the day.

So, if we know it’s good for us, why don’t we get on with it and eat a healthy breakfast every morning?  If you’re one of the 56% of Australians who skip brekkie at least once a week, make it your mission to change your ways.  Even if that is the one and only thing that you change, your health will benefit.

A healthy breakfast is low in fat, provides a variety of foods and has plenty of fibre, vitamins and minerals.  We recommend always including dairy and a piece of fruit with your breakfast, so that you are on your way to meeting your daily dietary requirements.

Psst…. Your breakfast serve of dairy might come in your daily coffee.  Just make sure it’s low-fat.

Variety is important.  If you eat the same breakfast everyday, it’s unlikely that you’re ticking all of the nutritional boxes.  Even having 2 or 3 breakfasts on rotation will help your health.  Check out these ideas:

  • A smoothie, including some rolled oats to add substance
  • Soft-boiled or poached eggs on wholegrain toast with vegemite
  • A bit of everything….. Wholegrain toast with avocado, a piece of fruit, a pottle of natural yoghurt
  • Grilled cheese on toast and a piece of fruit
  • A couple of weetbix with milk & a sliced banana
  • Fruit salad with yoghurt or ricotta
  • A 2-minute omlette filled with grated or shredded veges, so they cook in a flash
  • Leftovers.  Who said you can’t eat curry for breakfast?
  • Wholegrain cereals (try to get the ones with plenty of nuts and not too much dried fruit) with milk & a grated apple or pear
  • A punnet of berries, a handful of nuts and a glass of milk

The most important thing is to eat something.  Get your metabolism, and your brain, going for the day.  If you haven’t been a breakfast eater in the past, you might need to start small and slowly increase the size and variety of your breakfast.  Consider it a challenge, and you might just find you enjoy it.

Posted in diet | Tagged , , , , |

Is it really the end of the world?

Posted on January 13, 2014

Microsoft Word - Document1“What the caterpillar calls the end, the rest of the world calls a butterfly”  - Lao-tzu.

People with a bad attitude are easy to spot.  The ones who are always negative, no matter what.  Hopefully they were given some rose-tinted glasses for Christmas.

But what about the rest of us?  Like most things in life, I believe that attitude is a spectrum.  And most of us could work to push ourselves a little bit closer to the positive end of the spectrum.

I started thinking about this when I was at a wedding in the weekend.  It was the best!  Not because it was the best venue or had the best food or the best dress or the best cars, but because the bride & groom were relaxed and ready to have a great time.  They were more focused on having the best day of their lives than on the table settings.  They let any minor glitches pass by, so that they could keep on having fun.  It wasn’t because their wedding was easier than the next one, or that they’re naturally relaxed, or any other reason.  They chose to have fun and to focus on what mattered – a great day surrounded by the people they chose to share it with.

I noticed their brilliant attitudes even more than I normally would because I’d spent a few days before the wedding with the opposite personality.  Someone who finds it much easier to see what’s wrong than what’s right in the world.  One of those people who worries about things that aren’t worth thinking about at all.  It was exhausting!

No matter what is going on around us, it’s up to us to choose how to respond.  Does it really matter that we have to take a couple of days of sick?  Or are we lucky that it’s just a bad cold and we get the chance to rest and recover?  Is losing our job the end of the world, or is it a temporary setback that will ultimately help us to do something we’ve been wanting to do all along?  Is it a big problem that you locked yourself out of the house, or is it a little bit funny?

One of life’s greatest skills is learning to put things in perspective.  When you feel like you can’t cope with whatever has come your way, stop and ask yourself if it will still matter in a year.  Will you even remember this moment?  Most of the time the answer is no.  We get so caught up being stressed that we lose all sense of reason.

There’ll still be hard times.  There’ll be weeks when you’re overtired and struggle to cope.  Months when your workload is absurd.  Entire years when your children refuse to sleep through the night.  Bills that keep coming…… So remind yourself that these hassles are temporary.  Life goes on.  It might even become better than it was before.

Because wouldn’t the world be dull if caterpillars gave up as soon as they became butterflies?

Posted in psychology | Tagged , , , |

Running: Posture check

Posted on January 8, 2014

So you’ve decided that you’d like to run more.  Which is great!  Until everyone starts saying “I used to run, but I was always injured’, ‘no-one can run forever’, ‘running is bad for your knees’….. The list goes on and on and on.  But it doesn’t have to be like this.  Especially if you follow these technique tips from the very beginning.

#1: Head

  1. Tuck the chin in and imagine someone is lifting you up by your pony tail.
  2. Imagine you are running with glasses and trying to peer over the top of the rims at the horizon.
  3. Don’t let your head fall forward of your shoulders.

#2: Shoulders

  1. Lengthen the back of the neck by pulling the shoulder blades back and down and pushing the chest up.

#3: Arms

  1. Keep your hands away from the centre-line of your body.
  2. Your knuckles should brush past your hip.
  3. Your arms should move parallel to the direction you are running in.

#4: Pelvis

These points are assessed when you’re standing still, but affect your running.

  1. When standing still, place a finger on each hip bone.  They should be level.  Now lift one leg off the floor.  The hip bones should remain level.  If one hip drops, you need to work on your single leg stability.
  2. Stand side on to a mirror.  If you have a pronounced arch in your lower back, you need to work on hip flexor flexibility and core strength.

#5: Knees

  1. Stand on both feet, and then lift one off the floor.  Check that the knee of the grounded leg doesn’t rotate inwards.  If it does rotate, you need to work on glute strength & single-leg stability.

#6: Feet

  1. Have your feet checked by a podiatrist or running shoe specialist.  This way, you can make sure that you have the most appropriate shoes for your arch type.
  2. Try to land softly in the middle of your foot, rather than landing on your heel with every stride.

Posted in Fitness, Running | Tagged , , , |

Mind games

Posted on December 16, 2013

Microsoft Word - Document2A little honesty goes a long way when it comes to fitness.  If you’re like most people we’ve met over the years, you’re probably pretty good at tripping yourself up when you’re doing well and reverting to your old ways.  But not anymore!  Because you’re going to read about these 5 common excuses to avoid training and then you’re going to ditch them, for good…..

 

Excuse #1: I’m really run-down, I think I need to take a break

You know what?  Sometimes this holds water.  If you genuinely are run-down, you do need to take a break.  But 9.8 times out of 10, you’re fine.  Or close enough to it to train anyway.

Solution: Get started.  Start your session and keep an eye on the clock.  If, after 10 minutes, you feel no better than before you started, you can quit.  Get out and go home.  No guilt necessary.  But you might just find that 10 minutes into it, you’re feeling fabulous.

Excuse #2: I’m too busy

Busy is the new black.  We’re all busy, all of the time.  We don’t mean to be blunt, but you’re not that special.

Solution: Either

a) cancel whatever else you have on and train anyway, or

b) reschedule training to what was meant to be a rest day, or

c) realise that this happens far too often and adjust your training time, possibly to first thing in the morning (before life can interrupt).

Excuse #3: It’s not working anyway

Really???

Solution: Your training programme might not be paying dividends as quickly as you want it to.  But you can guarantee that you’ll get the results that you want faster if you stick with it than if you sit on the couch.  So pack your bag and go training.

Excuse #4: Injury strikes!!

This happens.  Unfortunately, more often than we’d like it to.  And you really don’t want to make it worse and worse, until you can’t train at all.

Solution: Be realistic.  Is it an injury, or a tiny niggle?  Does it get worse during training, or stay the same?  If it’s a minor discomfort and it doesn’t seem to get any worse during your session, get on with it.  But book a session with a physio or other specialist for the next few days.

If your injury is more dramatic than that.  Ie, if it hurts more than a 6 out of 10, if it gets worse during or after training or if it has been hanging around for over a week, it’s time to seek help.  Rest alone won’t fix it.  So either take today off or do something that doesn’t aggravate it, and book a specialist appointment as quickly as you can.

Excuse #5: I’m getting bored.

Hopefully you’ll get to the point where you enjoy training.  Spring programmes are varied (and short-term) enough to keep you interested.  But if you’re still battling…..

Solution:

First step, recruit a buddy.  Even if they do one session a week with you, it’ll help to mix it up.

Second step, do something fun after training at least once a week.  Nothing unhealthy, but feel free to have your favourite meal, catch up with a friend, sneak an extra few minutes to relax while the babysitter is around…. Whatever works for you.

Third step, get realistic.  Not everything you do in life is fun fun fun.  Which is a bit rich coming from us, we’re all about making life as enjoyable as possible.  But a big part of that is learning to make the mundane and the necessary seem fun.  Get playful.  Entertain yourself while you’re training with daydreams and mini-competitions.  Giggle at the people around you.  Act like a child.  It all comes down to your attitude, and only you can change that.

Every single training session is a step in the right direction.  Only you know why you got started in the first place.  So keep that in mind, and keep on keeping on.

Posted in Fitness | Tagged , , , , |

Swimming: Overuse & other aches

Posted on December 4, 2013

swim raceThose of you who have decided to make a splash this summer might like to read on, to boost your chances of remaining injury-free.

Swimming is often used as a rehab tool, or as something to fill the void when injury stops you from doing your usual training.  In fact, that’s exactly how I discovered it.  But this doesn’t mean that swimmers are injury proof.

In this blog we’ll cover a few common injuries and niggles, and then give you advice on how to avoid them and what to do if they do strike.

#1: Shoulder pain

This is by far the most common swimming injury.  Every single time you use your arm to pull your body through the water, the force is transmitted through your shoulder joint.

It is generally a rotator cuff injury causing the pain, but there is a lot going on in your shoulder joint, so make sure you get a proper diagnosis.

Avoidance

  • Increase your swimming volume gradually
  • Ask a coach or a proficient swimmer to have a look at your technique
  • Don’t swim when your muscles are fatigued

Treatment

  • Ice your shoulder twice a day, for 10 minutes each time, especially after training.
  • Do a few land-based training sessions, to give your shoulder a break.
  • Try acupuncture, to increase blood flow to the area.
  • Go and see a physio or other specialist for an accurate diagnosis.

#2: Back pain

If you are training for triathlons or ocean swims, you’ll be focused on front crawl.  Which means that you are only likely to experience back pain if you had a weakness in your core muscles to start with.  You’ll develop pain in your back if the arch in your lower spine is exaggerated when you swim.  Here’s how to make sure this doesn’t happen to you…..

Avoidance

  • Develop core strength outside of the pool
  • Use a pull buoy and squeeze it tight.  This activates your abdominals and limits rotation through your lower back.
  • Look down and only slightly forward.  By keeping your face down, the rest of your body pops up to the surface of the pool, which reduces the need to arch your back.

Treatment

  • Manage the pain with ice, twice a day for 10 minutes.  Especially after training.
  • Work on core strength and stroke correction to correct the underlying issue.
  • Get a sports massage to loosen up your tight back muscles.  A good masseuse may discover some other imbalances that are part of the problem.
  • If pain persists for more than a fortnight, go and see a specialist for a diagnosis.

#3: Nerve pain

Sometimes swimmers experience sharp, unusual pains, tingling or numbness in their fingers, hands, wrists, forearms or elbows.  This can be pain that is caused by pressure higher up the nerve line, usually around the shoulder joint or shoulder blade.  It’s a bizarre feeling and can be quite frustrating, because it makes swimming with good technique even more challenging than usual.  But it is usually quite easy to overcome.

Avoidance

  • Keep your head tucked in, eyes looking down and only slightly forward as you swim.  This makes you less likely to get tight neck muscles, which can create nerve pain.
  • Keep as relaxed as you can, especially during the recovery phase of your stroke.
  • Focus on doing a few drills in every session.
  • Be aware of your posture beyond the pool.  What are your shoulders and neck doing when you sit at your desk, drive, do a spin class or watch TV?

Treatment

  • Massage and acupuncture are both great for reducing muscle tension.
  • Take a few days off swimming.
  • Use heat patches overnight to relax tight muscles around your shoulder.

#4: Cramps

The positive when it comes to cramps is that they don’t last long.  They negative is that they are painful beyond belief.  Calf and foot cramps are especially common in swimming.  Here’s what to do about it.

Avoidance

This isn’t quite so simple when it comes to cramps.  Cramps can be caused by dehydration, medications, pregnancy, or a low blood levels of various minerals (like calcium, magnesium or potassium).  Basically, the science gurus haven’t quite figured it out.  A few things that you can control include:

  • Keep well-hydrated all of the time and especially on training days.
  • Warm up and cool down for every swim.
  • If you feel a niggle that you think could turn into a cramp, stop and stretch the affected area before it’s too late.

Treatment

  • Put weight on the affected area and try to stretch it out straight away.  This might mean you need to get out of the pool.
  • If you experience cramps often, try using Crampstop spray or nutrition products that help to prevent cramp.
  • If all else fails, have a chat to your doctor.  They’ll be able to send you for blood tests to see if supplements would help.

When it comes down to it, you’re not a medical professional (well, you might be, but let’s assume you’re not) and neither are we.  An accurate diagnosis is always the best idea, so make an appointment with your preferred specialist if you have a swimming-related pain that hasn’t resolved within a fortnight of following these guidelines.

 

Want more help with your swimming?

Keep your eyes peeled – Spring 30-day Beginner Swimmer programme will be available right here from mid-January.

 

Posted in Fitness, Swimming | Tagged , , , , , , , |

Fads & fiction

Posted on November 26, 2013

This post was inspired by quinoa.  Because it’s exceptionally good for me and even ‘normal’ (aka, not super healthy) chefs are cooking with it.  And I love to try out cheffy trends!  But when it comes to the crunch, I just don’t like it very much.  Which left me stuck with a couple of boxes in the pantry.  You can see what I decided to do with them at the end of this post.  But for now, let’s focus on what they did to my brain…..

It made me think about diet and exercise fads.  I like to think I’m quite smart when it comes to food and exercise.  In fact, smart enough to put together plans for people like you all over Australia.  And I’m pretty good at weeding out exercise fads.  But when it comes to diets, I’ve tripped myself up a handful of times.  OK, so I never went down the road of the lemon detox and I never, ever will.  And I’m not rich enough to go fully organic or committed enough to make everything from scratch.  But I have eliminated entire food groups that, quite honestly, were fine as they were.

When it comes to exercise, my guidelines are simple:

  • If you’re watching TV or reading a book at the same time, you’re probably not working hard enough.
  • If your sessions takes less than 20 minutes, you better be doing a lot of them.
  • If your session takes over 90 minutes, don’t do too many each week.
  • Variety is key, results take time, your body responds best to new challenges and what works for your best friend might not work for you.
  • Pssst… As a side note, only do Cross-fit if you have great technique and are exceptionally injury prone….

But what about detoxes and diets?  You can guarantee there’ll be a new one in every magazine once January rolls around.  The best theory that I can come up with is that everyone is different.  Some people thrive on a challenge and need to really push themselves for a few weeks.  While others are better making minor adjustments.  Some people can live a no- or low-sugar life and be perfectly happy, while others feel deprived and end up bingeing.

So how about we go with these diet guidelines:

  • If you need to lose weight for your health, not for vanity, ditch the magazines and see a dietician.  You need someone who works with facts and can assess your situation.
  • Your body needs food.  A little hunger is fine, but total deprivation is madness.
  • Your body needs balance.  Make sure you have a proper understanding of the food groups and which foods belong to which group.
  • If something has worked for you in the past, give it another go.
  • If you do something structured, like a sugar detox or the 5:2 diet, have a plan for how you will come off the diet when you have achieved your goal.
  • If you are a rebel who breaks all of the rules on any diet, then dieting is not for you.  Work on what to include each day, rather than what to exclude.  Like 5 serves of veges, 2 serves of fruit, 2 snacks between meals and a balance of grains, protein and dairy.  There won’t be room for much else.

Whatever path you choose to take, good luck!

And here is the quinoa solution……

Quinoa crunch

It’s quicker to make than standard muesli & is protein-packed.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups of white quinoa
  • 1 1/2 cups of rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup of shredded coconut
  • 1/2 cup of flaked almonds
  • 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds
  • 1 tsp of ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup of maple syrup
  • 30ml of coconut oil (warmed until it is liquified)

Method

  1. Preheat your oven to 180.
  2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, and then spread it over a baking tray lined with foil (or baking paper).
  3. Bake for 25-30 minutes, tossing half-way through.  Keep an eye on it, so that it doesn’t burn.
  4. Leave to cool.  Serve with fresh fruit and yoghurt.  It’ll keep in a sealed container for a few weeks.

Posted in Diet and fitness | Tagged , , , , , , , |

Sleeping your way to the top

Posted on November 20, 2013

OK, it’s not what we’d usually recommend.  But when it comes to boosting your health, sleep is a key component.  You might think that you’re doing everything right.  Training well, eating clean, even meditating every now & then.  But if you’re not topping it all off with a good nights sleep, there’s a limit to how much you can achieve.

Good things happen to your body when you rest.  Let’s avoid getting into too much detail.  Just trust me that your body makes more physiological adaptations when it’s resting than when it’s training.  On the flip side, you’ve seen how dazed and confused new Mums and night shift workers can be.  Cutting back on sleep, while sometimes necessary, won’t do you any good.

Here is a great analogy from Dr Susan Blum, along with a handful of practical tips on getting more shut-eye each night.

If you’re trying to repair your body, imagine you’re trying to fill an empty bathtub with water. You might be doing many good things, like eating healthy and exercising, but if you aren’t getting at least seven hours of sleep every night, the drain is wide open and will undermine your efforts to feel better. Many people need more than seven hours of sleep, but studies show that seven is the minimum.

The bottom line? Getting solid sleep is the single best thing you can do for yourself during times of stress to keep your immune system strong, and prevent yourself from getting sick.

The first step is to ask yourself WHY you aren’t sleeping enough. For some, it’s simply that you’re going to bed too late because you’re enjoying time alone at the end of a long day of taking care of others. Or perhaps you’re still keyed up from working late or doing things in the evening.

 

Next, try these lifestyle tips:

One: Be prepared

A good nightly wind-down routine will not only help you to fall asleep, but will also help you to stay asleep. Begin at least an hour before bedtime by turning off any electronics such as television, computer, smart phone, iPad, etc. The light from the screens and the stimulation of watching them literally keep your brain in the “on” position.

Two: Tune out

If you have a TV in your bedroom, I highly recommend removing it so you aren’t tempted. Instead, treat yourself to soothing activities such as a warm (but not too hot) bath or shower. When the water is too hot, the body absorbs that heat and the heart rate speeds up to try to cool down. There is scientific evidence showing that a higher body temperature at bedtime makes it harder to fall asleep. For this reason, people should avoid strenuous exercise after about 5 or 6 pm—the body needs to cool down for 4 to 5 hours after exercise in order to support falling asleep and staying asleep.

Three: Be regular

Try to go to bed at the same time every night—even on weekends—to keep the body’s internal clock in a routine.  Also, keep a steady wake-up time each morning. This regularity supports adrenal recovery.

Four: Eat for sleep

There are certain foods and beverages that can interfere with both falling asleep and staying asleep. The most obvious one is caffeine; sources of caffeine include coffee, sodas, chocolate, hot chocolate, tea, and even coffee-flavored ice cream. The smallest amount of caffeine can interfere with your sleep cycle—even the amount in decaffeinated products can be disruptive.  Inflammatory foods like sugar, alcohol, food colouring, and refined carbohydrates can be culprits as well since they aggravate the brain, causing an irritation that can keep you up at night. Try removing these foods from your diet for a few weeks to see if it helps your sleep issues.  Instead, choose foods high in tryptophan since it gets converted into melatonin. Organic turkey, chicken, eggs, and almonds are all great examples of foods that help us get the good night’s sleep we all need.  Another way to get a good night’s sleep is to make sure you eat plenty of protein throughout the day. Aim for at least 15 grams with all your meals and also include some form of protein as a snack.

 

Good luck & good night

 

Posted in sleep | Tagged , , , , , |

Are you a rule-breaker?

Posted on November 11, 2013

I don’t know about you, but rules make me want to break them.  OK, not the big rules.  Ones that come with giant fines & prison terms.  But the little rules.  You know the ones……. I have to swim 3 times a week. I must not eat chocolate. I must sit at my desk and work 8am-5pm, no matter what.  Whatever.  I thrive on change and flexibility and doing what works best at the time.

The problem is that without any rules, our health & fitness regime can be erratic.  And therefore not get us anywhere.  I couldn’t think of a new word to make rules seem more user-friendly.  But what I have done is come up with examples of times we tend to break all the rules and steps to encourage you to stay on track.

 

It’s a holiday

mountain yogaLet’s assume we all take roughly 4 weeks leave a year.  4 weeks to kick back and relax and life the good life.  It’s the wrong time to worry about food & fitness, right? Wrong. 4 weeks + statutory holidays is roughly 10% of your year.  If you go completely off the rails, you’re going to have to work a whole lot harder for the rest of the year.  So aim for damage control.  Eat light lunches.  Snack on fruit, veges & nuts.  Walk daily.  And if you generally train quite hard, try to do something challenging every couple of days.  I have great memories of stair repeats on coastal paths in Sicily, riding the French Alps and hiking sand dunes here in Australia.  Hire a bike, a kayak or a paddle board and make it part of the experience.

 

3:30-itis

Microsoft Word - Document1Energy slumps during the day are part of life.  They’re also a reflection of your health habits.  So rather than giving yourself a boost with sugar or caffeine, why not set yourself a challenge.  When 3:30 strikes and all you want is coffee or chocolate (or both), start off with a glass of water and a piece of fruit with a few nuts.  If by 4:15 you’re still suffering, have a square or 2 of chocolate.  But you’ll often find that the urge has passed.  (If you really struggle with this, check out our latest blog on The Pause).

 

A glass is good, right?

Microsoft Word - Document1Yes.  But not every day.  And too many glasses at a time will unravel all of the effort you’ve put into your food & fitness.  There’s no easy way around this one.  It takes discipline.

The best advice I can give you is to get your 2 AFDs (alcohol-free days) done early in the week.  And that’s a minimum.  And remember that a day is 24 hours, not just the evening.  So if you have a drink or 2 at an office lunch, you’ll need to take it easy in the evening.  If you really struggle to cut back on booze, get the rest of the nation to help you out by joining a challenge, like Dry July or Febfast.

 

OK, so there are plenty of other things that we do to trip ourselves up.  And to be honest, we’re all human…. sometimes that extra day of nothingness or an extra glass of wine is going to happen no matter what.  Just do your best to keep the big picture in mind and know where to draw the line.

 

If you have particular habits that you need help with, why not get in touch?  We’re happy to turn your hurdles into a blog post, without naming any names.

 

Posted in Healthy habits | Tagged , , , , |

Dodgy decisions

Posted on October 28, 2013

Microsoft Word - Document1You know how sometimes you do something, and then almost instantly wish that you hadn’t?  Like sending late-night text messages.  Or sending e-mails at work that are a little too honest.

So I’m tired this morning.  In fact, I’m very tired, even after a good night’s sleep.  I’m up and working, but I’m battling.  So I wander over the road for a coffee and a chocolate croissant.  Which I thoroughly enjoy.  And then I stop and think, why did I just do that?  It’s 10am on a Monday, hardly the time to be unravelling.  A glass of water or a cup of tea would have solved the problem.  Or even a minute on the balcony taking in some fresh air.

Luckily for me, I don’t do guilt.  So I’m over it.  I’m not sitting here beating myself up about it.  But it made me think.  We all make poor choices every week, probably every day.  And some of them are impacting our health.  So what can we do differently?

After mulling over this while chewing on delicious flaky pastry, I’ve decided that the number one solution is ‘The Pause’.  If you’re about to send an aggressive e-mail, draft it, and then pause for a day.  Proof read it, and then pause for another day.  If you still think it is appropriate to send 48 hours later, go for it.  The same applies to text messages, although 48 hours might be a bit extreme….

When it comes to diet, The Pause is the answer.  Let’s say you want a chocolate bar.  Decide to wait an hour.  Drink a water or herbal tea while you wait, because often cravings come from thirst.  Keep yourself busy.  And if you really want it an hour later?  Go for it.  Chances are, it won’t happen every day.  (Note: I will re-read this post next time pastry-hunger hits).

One of the best things you can do is figure out what days and times you tend to make bad decisions.  What are your triggers?  Boredom, stress, reward, hunger, thirst, fatigue? Or something entirely different?  Do your best to pre-empt the hardest parts of your week.  And notice how much better you feel the times that you are tough enough to resist.

When it comes to cravings, think of The Pause as a back-up plan.  If you’re well hydrated and you always have your meals and snacks prepared (see last weeks blog), you’re less likely to end up desperately trying to talk yourself out of a vending machine expedition.  But even the best laid plans can fall short, so it pays to know how to cope.

When it comes down to it, we’re only human.  And if we never made dodgy decisions, we’d have very few stories to tell.  So who cares if you trip yourself up sometimes?  Learn from it and move on.  As long as you take the time to make sure you’re not constantly doing things you don’t want to do, at the expense of your health & wellbeing.

Posted in diet | Tagged , , , , |

Always be prepared

Posted on October 22, 2013

calendarOK, so I’m no boy scout.  (Always Be Prepared is their motto, if you’re wondering what in the world I’m talking about).  But what I have realised is that I take being prepared for granted.  It is a given that we know what is for dinner each night of the week at our house, and that our meals are made up of a variety of red meat, white meat, fish and vegetarian meals.  I take it as normal that there are at least 5 training sessions in my diary, with scope to add a few more.  And I manage to have large chunks of the weekend to myself without any planning at all.  But it took a lot of sub-conscious fine-tuning to get to this point.  Which is what I’d like to help you out with now.

1. Meal planning

Microsoft Word - Document1When the fridge is starting to look a little bare, it’s time to make a plan.  Quickly check what is left in the fridge, in the freezer and in the pantry, so you have some sort of guidance.  And then plan your meals for the next 5-7 days.  You might like to read your week on a plate for guidance.  Basically, make sure your meals aren’t all following the same formula.  And if you tend to go out a lot, have a few unplanned meals in your week, otherwise you’ll end up with a fridge full of rotting food.

Once you have a plan, either make the time to head out and buy what is on your list, or order it online.  Grocery shopping seems annoying and time-consuming, but it is tonnes quicker than starting from scratch at 6pm each day.

This advice is nothing new.  The key is to follow it.  Figure out when in your week you have time to plan your meals and when you have time to do your shopping.  If you are always home late on Tuesdays, plan a super simple salad or have leftovers in the freezer.  Once you’ve been planning your meals for a few weeks, you’ll fall into a rythm and wonder why you didn’t do this earlier.

2. Training regime

CardioExercise is just like eating.  Doing the same thing every day isn’t much good for us.  So take a look at your week and decide where and when you’re free to train.  Ideally your week would include a couple of fitness sessions (like spin classes, zumba, going for a run, swimming or a brisk walk) a couple of strength sessions (like pump classes, weights at the gym, circuit training or boot camp) and something calmer (like yoga or pilates).

To make it more entertaining, try to do some of your exercise with others.  Swim squads, running groups, lunchtime training groups, going to the gym – anything timetabled will help you to structure your week.

Another useful tip is to always have a back-up plan.  Something about training sessions makes them particularly easy to skip.  So plan to do more sessions than you really intend to do.  Simple tricks, like having a copy of the gym timetable in your phone and keeping training gear at work will make it easier for you to take up last minute exercise opportunities.

And always take a day of rest per week.  Even if you’re feeling invincible.

3. Me time

Microsoft Word - Document1This one varies depending on which stage of life you’re at.  It is a sweeping generalisation, but if you don’t have kids, you’re probably managing to get enough time to yourself.  If, however, you do have a bunch of little darlings pulling you in all directions, time out takes planning, discipline and the ability to ask for help.

Firstly, a disclaimer.  I don’t have kids.  So feel free to laugh at my advice.  But I do have plenty of friends and family members with little ones and I can see which ones have mastered the art of keeping it together.

Ideally, you’d have tiny moments to yourself most days.  This is where discipline comes in.  You need to be strong enough to turn your back on the messy kitchen or the pile of washing and do something you actually enjoy, rather than another household chore.  Read a chapter of your book.  Have a coffee.  Watch bad TV.  Or good TV.  Stare vacantly out the window.  Whatever you feel like doing.  For the most part you can do boring jobs when the kids are around, so choose not to waste the time you do have to yourself.

But these little moments of calm aren’t necessarily enough to keep us emotionally balanced.  This is where planning and asking for help comes in.  You’d ask someone to mind the kids so you could go to the doctor, so why not occasionally ask someone to look after them while you go for a walk?  Or to get your hair done?  Even a very helpful partner might need to be asked to look after the kids by themselves.  So do it.  Healthy kids are raised by a community, not by a super mum battling away by herself.

Keeping it together

If you can balance what you eat, how often you train and enough time to yourself each week, you are well on the way to being a healthier version of you.  The key is to keep on fine-tuning, especially in chaotic and stressful times.  Good luck!

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