10 Tips To Kickstart Your Fat-loss
Fat loss is an ongoing concern for many of us.
We often feel its a choice between a fun life and good times with friends then being overweight OR an intense workout everyday and a diet that leaves us hangry as all hell, hopefully we are slimmer ……. until we inevitably relax and straight back to the old us
Fat loss really isn’t that hard, BUT it's easy to panic and make it hard. I work with people who want to lose fat all the time. Clients get a good eating plan, recommendations and guidance through workouts that will improve shape/ strength/ tone. You don’t need a coach though. It is easier to initiate change with a coach, but what if you can’t afford it or feel you are beyond help.
Be consistent - this is actually a first and last rule.
Pick one of the below and stick with it EVERYDAY. The people who don’t achieve their goals (and this applies in everything), are the ones that don’t do something everyday towards it.
Its always the 80/20% rule, there is no need to be perfect. Fat loss WILL occur if you are consistent.
Thats it.
It really is that easy, but of course we don’t tend to do what needs to be done. Sometimes we start a massive change. All in. That lasts about 2-6 weeks, and then we are back to where we were or worse. So lets start small. Its not as satisfying but it works and it lasts.
Consistency is the key, but it doesn’t just happen. We need a plan and we need rules. We are training that goodnatured and lazy Labrador that lurks inside of us.
Your first task is to pick one of the rules below and do it everyday for a week. Keep it simple and easy.
Then add another thing and do that everyday, and so on.
These are habits below are shown time and again what all successfully slim people do. Once you have done it enough, you will be one of those people too.
Lets Go!
10 - 15,000 steps a day - It’s not necessary to count steps but it is a really good way to see how active you are during each day and it will encourage you to move more
Weights- Lift weights 3 -4 x a week. Muscle burns fat. Full stop. We can build bulky muscle or lean muscle BUT we must build muscle for a strong, youthful body and mind.
Water- 2-3 litres a day (yes tea and coffee do count, but fresh is best. Do NOT count soft drinks, even diet ones)
No Soft drinks - diet or otherwise. Diet soft drinks still trigger insulin responses and that will lead to fat gain.
5-8 Serves of vegetables a day- Most of us don’t eat nearly enough.
Protein with every meal- protein is filling, no doubt about it. Add healthy proteins to every meal and snack and try even to eat them first.
Carb free days- It's true, excess carbs turn convert to fats (so do proteins by the way, but that’s a little harder). Minimising or eliminating carbs is a brilliant way to pull your body towards greater health and that always means burning excess fat. Try a day without breads, pasta, rice, all grains, low fruit, and no sugar. See how that feels. Make sure to add healthy organic olive oil, fish oils, avocados, oily fish etc, to feed your body and keep you satisfied.
Intermittent fasting- There are so many styles of intermittent fasting and they can be extremely effective. The 5 and 2 days and the daily 12 hour eating window is among the easiest and most common. Fasting can be overdone and females are a little more sensitive to hormonal fluctuations that they can cause, so read up before you dive into it hard.
Chew slowly - Try for 20 chews per mouthful and watch how satiated you feel and less prone to look for more. Its also a great mindfulness exercise.
Sleep- The best for last. Sleep is vital for our body to function properly and ‘good’ sleep is imperative. There are 3 basic phases to sleep and that is a cycle from light sleep to deep sleep to REM (dream state generally speaking). We need a good dose of all 3 to maintain a healthy body and mind. Fat wise, poor sleep will lead to elevated cortisol and more chronically high insulin levels and these guys equal fat gain and also fat burning resistance. Put sleep quality first on your list of priorities.
So what do you think?
Which one will you try first?
Please don’t over analyse, Just pick one (I can do that for you if you contact me). Share with me how you go. Don’t be shy, just do it. Consistency is the key to miracles.
I have only briefly described the above 10 tips to start losing fat. Please email me if you have any questions regarding them. I’m available for bookings, in person and online, if you wish to get a personal program created for you that will incorporate fitness, nutrition and lifestyle enhancements to fit your personal situation.
All the best to you and your health!
Vashti :-)
Menopause and Weight Gain; Inevitable?
““It is fairly brutal and you go through all the accompanying side effects: hot flushes, weight gain, a sense of mourning for lost youth, sexiness and somehow the point in anything. I became depressed, which I ended up getting help with.” ”
Have you hit that time in your life where your cycles are fluctuating, your brain is foggy, energy at an all time low, maybe night sweats, flushes and just generally feeling miserable? Me too!
A positive aspect of this age of oversharing, is that we can talk more freely about previously taboo subjects, and menopause is one of them. It was not so long ago women were regularly put into mental institutions because men didn’t understand what was happening…and neither did they!
However it's still, like most female issues, not widely talked about apart from many comedienne’s routines and with coffee (or wine) at your friends.
Its great to laugh at our cycles whether pmt or menopause but when you are actually living and breathing it day in day out, then it becomes a little less funny and more frustrating.
Although there are many facets to menopause and what happens to us, I want to tackle just one thing predominantly today. This is something I hear about a lot (and concerns me too!).
Weight gain
A woman will gain weight during and after menopause and there's nothing we can do about it.
Does that worry you? Are you resigned to the inevitability of it?
““You thicken up around the waist… you just change shape… you gain a little more weight but it’s just placed differently. It’s like you almost lose your waistline.
“Your chest, your décolletage, sort of wrinkles, and you think ‘What’s that?
“I think you start to dress differently because you think, ‘Right, that doesn’t make me look at my best… Stick to skinny legs and baggy tops.’” ”
This thought is quite frightening in all honesty. Loving your body ala naturalle is all very well, but I don’t know anyone who actually likes being overweight…honestly…
.. and the reason for not liking excess weight is not just aesthetics, (although thats a lot of it, lets be honest), but either consciously or subconsciously we know the real reason for keeping our weight down is health and longevity related….. your body knows this even if you are not yet aware…. If you want the best chance for a healthy, full, long life then keeping your fat levels on the lower side is a very important factor.
During perimenopause the female body starts slowing the reproduction cycle down. Progesterone production slows years before oestrogen declines, leading to
Breast swelling and tenderness
Mood swings
“Fuzzy thinking”
Irritability
Trouble sleeping
Water retention
PMS
Weight gain
Testosterone also decreases and it shows often with these symptoms:
Loss of sex drive
Decreased sexual response
Decreased sensitivity in your erogenous zones
Decreased sense of well-being, energy, and ambition
Depression
Loss of or thinning pubic hair
Resting metabolic rate lowers, muscle is broken down at a faster rate, bones become brittle and insulin sensitivity decreases.
Estrogen levels drop towards the end of menopause and this has its own list of symptoms including:
Creator: Diane Diederich
Hot flashes
Night sweats
Vaginal dryness
Decreased energy and ambition
Depression or mood swings
Dizziness
Headaches
Mental confusion
Urinary incontinence
Recurrent urinary tract infections
Increased susceptibility to vaginal infections
When menopause hits, a year after your last period, these issues tend settle as the hormonal holocaust subsides and steadies out.
This hormonal madness you have experienced is basically responsible for that spare tyre and more. Many women gain fat during peri menopause, and it doesn’t often change with time. The older you get, the faster the muscle loss etc. Not only do these factors mean our body doesn’t look and act like it used to but it also impacts our neural networks, weight gain and loss of muscle mean the brain is unable to repair and grow new nerve cells and connections like it used to.
This doesn’t sound good does it?
Is it out of your control?
NO
Thank goodness!
Although women have been taught to dread menopause, this life stage ushers in the springtime of the second half of life and is often accompanied by surges in creativity, vitality, newfound ambition, and the need to be of meaningful service to the community in a larger way. Dr Christiane Northrup
From the Mayo Clinic:
The hormonal changes of menopause might make you more likely to gain weight around your abdomen than around your hips and thighs. But, hormonal changes alone don't necessarily cause menopause weight gain. Instead, the weight gain is usually related to aging, as well as lifestyle and genetic factors.
Lets tackle those factors that will make a difference
Sleep
Sleep is also another staple that is affected during this time. Even if you weren’t going through a hormonal upheaval, lacking restorative sleep alone will prevent that weight from going and encourage more fat storage. When we don’t sleep well our cortisol levels are generally unreasonably high and stay high for much of the day when they should be naturally lowering. Living in this high stress world doesn’t help this either. With high cortisol, and increases in blood glucose and insulin insensitivity, it is no wonder that weight gain tends to be a standard part of menopause.
Fortunately there’s power in knowledge.
We know these things occur so let's look at what will balance them out.
Try Maca and black cohosh to balance the sex hormones (menopause combination tablets generally have a mix of these in them and I have spoken to some women who swear this reduced their night sweats)
Other herbs for cortisol balancing:
Rhodiola
Ashwagandha
Blood sugar balancing:
Berberine
Bitter Melon
Apple Cider Vinegar
““If you deal with it in a healthy fashion then I think you come out the other side a better person. I’ve got so much more energy now than I ever had in my early 50s before the menopause.” ”
Exercise
Exercise is one of the best things that anyone can do to improve everything. It will help you sleep well, balance hormones, slow bone loss, improve cognitive health and reduce fat and inflammation. Best of all you only need around 20 minutes daily to gain these benefits
We have higher morning cortisol so adding a walk every morning will use this cortisol and leave you with energy for the day. You don’t really want to thrash yourself, using up the energetic cortisol first thing in the morning. Maximise the fatty oxidation by doing the light exercise on an empty stomach. Deep breaths also are shown to be important.
In the afternoon try a little intensity with weights or a tabata workout. You don’t want to over fatigue but you do want to work hard enough to create a temporary lift in cortisol, that can then subside for evening.
To HRT or not?
I wanted to put in a mention regarding hormone replacement therapy.
Is HRT safe?
When I was first aware of HRT many years ago, it was apparently the miracle product and women around the globe raced to their doctors to demand this pill that promised balanced hormones (younger skin!) and more energy. Several years later there was a swing in the opposite direction. Suddenly HRT caused breast cancer and was ‘bad’. Add a few more years, more studies and importantly, longer studies, and there seems to be decent evidence to say that its very helpful and if you maintain your body in a healthy state you should not be of extra risk for the negative effects.
After listening to a wise woman who prescribes them to her very happy patients and self, I decided to take the plunge and ask my doctor whether it was worth going on it. So I am now trying it. For me so far the effects have been minimal. Other women I have spoken to are extremely adamant about how much it has benefited them, their lives and their happier families (anecdotally it seems particularly for those experiencing night sweats)
““So many women I’ve talked to see menopause as an ending. But I’ve discovered this is your moment to reinvent yourself after years of focusing on the needs of everyone else. It’s your opportunity to get clear about what matters to you and then to pursue that with all of your energy, time and talent.” ”
One thing I was very worried about was gaining weight, as if I might blow up over night. Fortunately their are plenty of studies showing no weight gain on the HRT (such as here, here and here). So when I started mine I watched myself carefully. I found when I started mine that my hunger or more precisely, my urge to eat, increased a bit. Not huge, but enough to worry me. I wrestled with this for a few days and then thought logically about it The tablet itself will not magically put weight on me. More food = weight gain. I was able to temper this urge completely by increasing my vegetable and fibre intake. For example I added psyllium husk or glucomanann to my vegetable soups. What a huge difference that made! A daily serve of this keeps my bowels regular and also eliminates my urge to over eat. In full disclosure, I don’t limit the amount of soup at all and some days I need more than on others. I still snack, but I can keep it from becoming a daily habit with this technique.
ROSEMARY CONLEY, 55-year-old diet and fitness guru: from this article
I started taking HRT four years ago and can honestly say it's one the best decisions I've ever made.Before I started going through the menopause I was convinced it wouldn't affect me.
I was fit, ate healthily and had an extremely positive outlook so I presumed I was mentally and physically equipped to deal with it.
I was wrong.
Like most women, my menopausal symptoms really started to affect my life. I became tired, lethargic and miserable.
It was such a horrible feeling knowing I was firing on two cylinders.
I knew I couldn't live that way so I went to my doctor to enquire about HRT.
He was really helpful and suggested that I try an HRT patch which is stuck on the lower abdomen.
He did warn me there was a minute risk of developing breast cancer but I felt that the benefits - a normal happy lifestyle - outweighed the dangers.
HRT has had a really good effect on my life.
Not only is it helping lower my risk of heart disease, it is also maintaining the health of my bones which lowers my chances of developing osteoporosis.
I weigh less than I did before I started wearing the patches even though I haven't changed my diet or exercise regime.
Before my menopause I really felt my age. But now I've recaptured the energy I had in my youth and feel 20 again.
So is weight gain inevitable?
I hope you can see now that it really isn’t.
Is it harder? Well, the body is going through or has gone through huge changes and unfortunately it slows all the pathways that make weight loss easier. However, it does NOT make it impossible or unbelievably hard. Feeding your body the right foods, avoiding sugar and moving everyday is the key to life long health, and doing that fortunately results in a healthy lean body. Consult your doctor, your naturopath, your fitness trainer, be proactive and embrace this inevitable change and make these following years the best of your life.
““All of a sudden I don’t mind saying to people, ‘You know what? Get out of my life. You’re not right for me.’ It’s wonderful and liberating.” ”
Making Movement a Daily Thing
Movements for the elderly or less mobile
Body tune ups for Active Owls
We are Older, Wiser and Living Stronger for a reason, and that reason is that we do something most days to make our body healthier. Now if you are not yet an Active Owl, don’t despair! The following is all you need to do to create more physical health and wellness for yourself. Commit to doing something everyday. Do as much or as little as you like. The most important thing is to just do something everyday. The habit is the true secret to success, so I don’t care at all whether you can do 20 minutes or 1 minute of the following movements, and neither will your body. Your body will be so happy you did something, that you will immediately feel a reward of wellbeing flood your body. Honest.
Go from this
To THIS!!
first thing in the morning, before or after a glass of water.
Cat/cow spinal stretch
Thread the needle
Plank ( hands or elbows)
Rolling twist
Superman
Rolling twist
Crab lift and release
Seated forward bend
Start with 3 repetitions (or 3 breaths) and work your way gradually over weeks and months to 10 of each. It won’t take long. Here is a video showing you the movements. It is on the floor and shortly I’ll attach a routine for those needing a chair and to stand. In the meantime, do check out my youtube page. I have many videos that are aimed for the less mobile person. (remember, only less mobile for now. You just wait!)
What next?
Now that you have spent a few minutes waking the body up, activating the nervous system, especially those of the spine, moving the blood and lymphatic flow, I want to give you some other options you can use to make it more specific to your needs.
You will almost definitely have sore and tight areas in your body. Maybe some old injuries or just pain that has snuck up to you and become a resident in your muscles and joints.
With the following I’d preference you to warming the body up as above and THEN adding one of the following series after. Add it whenever you like during the day. The next day, try a different one.
Always do a quick body scan during a deep breath before you start the exercises and then finish with a deep breath and another inner scan and note the differences you are feeling.
Each focus below has stretches and mobility for each area and then a strength section. All you need is some elastic bands that are light, medium and heavy resistance.
Only do the exercises that cause no pain. Aches can be ok if its stimulating an underactive area.
Consult your health professional if you are not sure. Contact me too, I can help in person and online. Use the bands as necessary to make something more challenging but don’t overdo it, that will make things worse.
Shoulder focus
Shoulder circles with stick
Twist with stick
Neck stretch looking front on and then angle upwards
With stick, elbows together and high. Hands wide
With roller, pressure under arms and on shoulder head
Pec minor stretch
Shoulder Strength
Rotator cuff against wall
Angled raises
Elbow wall press
Band around hand and wall walks with elbows. Hands remain parallel and wide.
All fours shoulder shrugs
Hip focus (this helps your back)
(try to squeeze bottom while doing. Use the bottom squeeze to open the knees and hips further)
Hip circles
Hip open hold
Lunge wide knees hold
Leg swings side
Sumo lunge hold
Windmills
Hip Strength
Standing leg pulses front, side and behind
Seated clams
Standing clams
Side walks with band
Lateral lunges
Single toe touch and up
Hip hikes on step
Core focus
Side plank
Superman
Calf/ Ankle/ Foot focus
Calf stretch
Achilles stretch
Ankle circles
Toe spread
Standing toe spread
Calf/ Ankle Foot Strength
Calf raises (feet neutral, wide and pigeon)
March wide and centre
Tap toes front, to sides and behind (standing leg bent)
Towel scrunches with feet
I hope you’ve gotten some ideas of how to start building your new stronger and more mobile body. Its easy to become overwhelmed if you are not used to it so just start with one or two moves and build only as you feel keen to. ANY movement and exercise is going to work and make you feel better.
I’m always reaffirming it but contact me for help.
I’ll happily reply.
If it requires extra time to answer, I’ll recommend a short consult via email (or Skype if you wish) to give me some personal details and I can write you up some specific exercises, and even include a video if necessary. My fees are very reasonable and I’ll always try to work in with you.
Have a wonderful day!
Vashti x
Stronger, smarter with creatine?
You may be familiar with Creatine or you may never have heard of it. It is one of the most widely studied supplements out there and is very affordable. Let me show you why this amino acid is not going away anytime soon in gym culture but also why it is a valuable contributor to living a long and healthy life.
What is Creatine?
Creatine Monohydrate has long been used by athletes and gym junkies to give them that extra edge in performance and muscle building. Outside of the gym however, it’s not widely talked about.
Creatine monohydrate is an amino acid created by the aminos arginine and glycine and is stored in predominantly in the energy demanding skeletal muscles and brain (95%) and a little in the liver, kidneys and testes. As mentioned, it is one of the most studied substances and also one of the cheapest.
Supplemental creatine has traditionally been used to replenish the Phosphocreatine (Pc) in muscles. Pc is used for the fast energy pathway. It gives you that extra oomph for the first few seconds an exercise and high intensity exercise. Its anaerobic and doesn’t rely on oxygen to perform. Pc joins with Adenosine diphosphate (ADP) to create Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) for energy. It can also work the other way and breakdown Pc from ATP to replenish muscle Pc stores, ready for the next explosive bout. Sprinters, power lifters, tennis players, basketballs etc use the Pc energy source a lot during their sport. Whether or not you are involved in those sports, the everyday athlete (you, yes, you) can benefit. Sometimes life will require quick moves from you, ie, grabbing a falling object of various weight, size and velocity, and having your fast twitch muscles ready and able to cope with this sudden tension without damaging yourself (or others), is one of the keys to longevity.
Does it work?
In short yes.
In most people it increases the creatine content in muscle when supplemented. Studies show a 12-20% increase in strength and a 12-26% increase in power output when creatine was used in combination with an appropriate training program.
Concerned about your brain health? In those with lower creatine levels, which is generally those with low red meat and seafood intake, it will also aid in increasing alertness, memory, learning and cognition. or those with ample stores their seems to be no extra cognitive benefit.
Here is a list of other benefits from Examine.com (Examine has many links to studies there) :
DNA damage - Creatine appears to mitigate much of the DNA damage associated with exercise and may be useful for cancer therapy.
Lowers depression? - A few studies have shown a lowering in depression. It seems to help SSRI therapy and is more pronounced in females.
Heart disease - It has heart disease protective properties by lowering triglycerides, LDL and total cholesterol. It also is protective by lowering possibly homocysteine levels which are high in heart disease patients.
Anti-aging - topically applied, it has been shown to decrease lines and firm skin. (yes I’m looking further into that!)
Can be protective to the effects of stroke as it can work in an oxygen deprived environment.
Can I supplement it with just food?
Yes, kind of. Red meat and seafood contain higher levels of creatine. This will give your muscles and brain a fair bit of stored creatine to work with. However:
Those with certain gene mutations may not be able to create creatine their diets and use it efficiently.
It also may not be necessarily of benefit to eat too much red meat for other health reasons, such as heart disease risk from high saturated fat intake.
Cooking denatures creatine so to avoid destroying the creatine you would need to have your seafood raw and your steak quite under cooked.
If you do decide to follow a diet or predominantly diet way of supplementing, I would also recommend considering a broad spectrum digestive enzyme with your meals, to help your body digest and utilise the nutrients as efficiently as possible. Choose grass-fed beef and wild sourced seafood and only lightly cook them.
Are you vegetarian, vegan, sleep deprived or an older adult?
These groups are often lacking in ready creatine supplies and can benefit greatly from adding it into their diet.
Vegans and vegetarians are most likely to be deficient in stored creatine.
If you are older, then be aware that protein doesn’t digest as well, so your body won’t be able to take advantage of your food as much as say a 20 year old. Supplementation and adding a digestive enzyme will greatly enhance the uptake of creatine for muscle building and mental enhancement. You still have to lift the weights however creatine will counter act the older bodies from breaking down muscle as fast (probably due to its myostatin lowering effect which in high levels will facilitate muscle breakdown). It stops muscle wastage, builds strength and aids endurance.
Interesting
Creatine has been found to increase memory, learning and cognitive ability especially in older women.
How do I take it?
Take 2.5 - 5 gms a day. It will increase the water stored in your muscles so make sure to have plenty of water when you take it. There used to be stories of needing a juice or source of sugar to enhance its uptake and avoiding caffeine as it can nullify creatine effect. Fortunately none of that is worth following and certainly adding sugar or juice is not recommended for a healthy body. An elite athlete however may notice a difference if taking creatine with berries or a healthy low glycemic carb meal. Please note that the extra uptake a low glycemic carb can give isn’t of much benefit for those that aren’t athletes whose diet is right on point where every small change can potentially make a difference in performance.
The time of day also, doesn’t seem to play any factor in the efficacy of uptake, so take your dose when its convenient. Although there is a little research that taking it too close to bed can interfere with sleep.
Do you need to load it?
Loading is a method to take a higher dose of a product to get higher levels into your system quickly. There is no need to load creatine, you can go straight to daily doses of 2.5-5 gms. This will mean it will take 2-3 weeks for noticeable benefits.
BUT if you want to fast track the benefits. Start by loading for 5 days with approx 20 - 30 gms a day, pulling it back to 2.5-5 gms daily thereafter.Be aware with higher doses that you may experience stomach upset and bloating. Water retention is often associated with higher intake too. Counter this with high water intake when you take creatine. If you find you have gained a pound or several with creatine in water weight then consider lowering the dose and even cycling your intake by giving yourself days, weeks off from taking it.
Cycling?
There is no study showing creatine should be cycled but it may be a useful technique as mentioned above to counteract the cycling.
Which creatine is best?
There are LOADS of creatine supplements out there and most say they have the best uptake into the body because of the type of creatine they use or the extra ingredients they have added into the supplement. All this means it will cost you more. There is no research out there yet that shows that any are better than your standard readily available creatine. Personally I would look for a brand with a good reputation, that is approved and goes through testing processes, just to ensure that the product is 100% creatine and not creatine with ‘extras’.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about Creatine. Its a very interesting supplement and from my personal experience, it is one of the few supplements that I did notice that extra strength I suddenly gained. Its not much but every bit counts and now that I am fully aware of its neural protective and enhancing effects I shall be much more consistent with taking it. I will still cycle the product, as is my habit, but not leave it a couple of years as I have done. I’m back on it!
Please note that if you have a poor diet, creatine will not work miracles at all. Ensure that you are exercising regularly and eating a balanced diet most of the time before trying to get extra benefits from supplementation.
If you have any interesting stories or questions about creatine please comment below. If you would like a consult to upgrade your nutrition and fitness then don’t hesitate to contact me.
Vashti x
References and Links:
https://selfhacked.com/blog/creatine/
https://www.leafscience.org/geroprotectors-creatine/
Brain health and Dame Judy
I’ve just been watching (please read in a posh English accent), an absolutely delightful documentary that interviews four wonderful old English theatre actresses, Judy Dench, Joan Sutherland, Maggie Smith, and Eileen Atkins. It’s called Tea with the Dames.
I’ve always found reading or hearing of others lives and thoughts a very enriching experience and this was no exception. These ladies have lived fascinating lives and have all been through ups and downs that many can relate to, although playing opposite Lawrence Olivier (one of the most famous actors ever for those unaware), is probably not relatable for most of us, however, we can imagine…ahhhhh.
One wonderful bonus from this mesmerizing documentary is that I am enjoying all my thoughts coming to me in a FABULOUS English accent….. trust me…I sound just ‘magnificent’.
The other, less self-centred bonus
While I was soaking in the wit and humour from each of these ladies. I was struck with the lost art of repartee, quick-witted direct communication in our modern society. More and more, electronics have become our main form of learning and communication…..personallyI feel that I have lost a lot of that ability even though I grew up largely without electronic distraction and plenty of note writing and outdoor play, let alone the proceeding generations who are mainly indoors and bent over some device, thumbs moving wildly.
I promise this is NOT a modern society put down piece as I am adamantly positive about our future as a species even when it can often seem to be hurtling down a terrible slope (example Trump being Trump…and STILL president! My God)
I do believe/ hope, there will be a swing in the reverse direction, back to older values like those of outdoor play, falling over, getting hurt without a helicopter parent racing in to soothe, and manners where men (and women) will once again open the doors for others. Probably the main reason I feel confident about this and don’t get too despondent is that eventually the link between being sedentary and eating processed food with the diseases of dementia, diabetes, cancer, etc, will be proof enough that even the naysayers will quieten down. It will take to go this mainstream….our governments always are the slowest to learn……. but I think it will happen.
This links to the next point and if you have remained with me this far through my waffle, this is the reason for this article.
What do you wish you had changed or known when you were younger?
Each woman was asked this question and AS THEY WERE LAUGHING AND TEASING EACH OTHER ABOUT HEARING AIDS and diminishing eyesight, Dame Joan said that she wished she had known how important our brain health is. She mentioned that it's not apparent when you are younger, how much the health of the brain affects us, but it becomes quite clear when you get older how important it is. Dame Judy now does her best to look after her mind, but she wishes she had started younger.
Each woman agreed and they all said this was the one thing they would all have changed and looked after their brain health from their forties.
I wrote a few articles on brain health last year as I noticed many of us are noticing memory loss, brain fade, or worse with too many of our family and friends being diagnosed with dementia or cognitive issues.
Its NEVER too late to start helping your brain and the wonderful bonus is that all things that help your brain also help the rest of your body and that means you are happier and are probably enjoying your life a lot more.
Click the links below for some direct ideas on improving your brain health
Blog Snack: Truth about sodas / soft drinks
I’m not going to preach too much today but instead let the graphics speak for themselves. You may have seen them before as apparently they are famous. I hadn’t so here they are, fresh from the Renegade Pharmacist. A great website to have a look around.
Whether you drink soft drinks or not, most of us are aware that they are not good for us. Not good is a pretty vague statement though. Here is a terrific infographic on Coke. Simple and to the point.
from: therenegadepharmacist.com
Diet soft drinks
Unfortunately the only thing diet soft drinks can deliver on is a low calorie beverage. Thats where the health value starts and finishes. The artificial sugars used still trick the body to release insulin which is then not needed and so converts energy to fat by reflex. The artificial ingredients cause a major upset in the body as it struggles to break them down and the gut microbiome (last years catch phrase), is also compromised. We need healthy gut bacteria for all sorts of processes including producing hormones at the right ratio. Compromise that system and serotonin is not produced sufficiently, melatonin, the list goes on.
Have a look at this next infographic
from: therenegadepharmacist.com
If you wish to drink a soft drink, it may be better for you to drink a non diet one. The chemicals are less as they use sugar to sweeten and not a poor artificial one. In some places drinks are sweetened with Stevia, a more natural sweetener that the body is able to process much more efficiently. Those ones are certainly your best bet, but always check the label and see what sweetener is used, there are sweetness made from Stevia that may not be completely good for you either
To finish, please drink water, lots of water Lemon juice or lime will make it taste more interesting if thats your need. There is no good road ahead to health and long life if you consume the more available soft drinks out there, they negatively impact your cognition and gut health, increase your chances markedly for diabetes, dementia, heart disease etc, and make those conditions worse …. and wear the enamel from your teeth.
I’m always here for your health :-)
Vashti x
Do you want a MIRACULOUS morning?
I heard the term ‘morning miracle’ first used by an author named Hal Elrod. This young man had a nasty accident in his early 20’s and through a lot of perseverance and positivity and support was able to go from not being able to move and given a fairly dismal future diagnosis, to moving and fully functioning fairly quickly. My details won’t be exact, as it is several years since I have heard about this man, but what he achieved against the odds and in short time is astounding. He was inspired to create a concept he dubbed the ‘6 minute morning miracle’, it was his way of making sure that every morning he started the day with meaningful actions designed to get him stepping toward goals.
This concept in itself is nothing new. I’m sure you have heard of doing regular small things that end up being a big thing such as a new skill or productive habit, new business, better relationships etc. What I appreciated about Hal is that he appealed to my lazy yet structured brain with this one minute concept.
The idea is to allot 1 or 2 mins to 3- 6 things. For example, as soon as you wake up you could:
From life hack.org
Meditate
Write in a gratitude journal
Squats
Pushups
Write a to do list
Stretch
1 minute each and in 6 minutes you are done. It’s not a lot of time but I’m sure you can see by the end of it you would feel like you have started your day off brilliantly. Mentally inspired, physically ready to go and emotionally settled.
It’s the concept of this that I appreciate. It’s a great way to start new habits but not feel overwhelmed when you really have little to no motivation at times.
We all could do exercise for one minute even when feeling like its the last thing on earth you would like to be doing.
Just Do it.
Try it right now, lets just do something for 3 tiny little minutes.
Put your timer on. Make it easy and start with 3 big impact things.
First 60 seconds,
Exercise. Squats, star jumps, pushups...a combination of the above, or simply stretch, 30 secs per side in a lunge or waist or hamstring stretch.
Next 60,
Paper and pencil and write. Write things and people you are grateful for. Go!
And the final 60 seconds,
Close your eyes. Breathe and listen for a while and sounds around you. Then bring the focus to the breath passing in and out of your nose. then follow that breath to feeling inside your head, all around and gradually make your way down your spine to your.... oops! Times up.
Now, how do you feel?
Imagine starting everyday like this
.... imagine finding every day like this .... theres no limit or restriction. We are all individual. Where could this idea most benefit you?
Individualise this
Again, theres no real rules and restrictions ..... this is just a cool flexible way of adding good quality routines and beneficial habits into your life. So think what you really need to address ..... is it more activity? Is it calmness? Is it learning a skill? Is it just to be happier?
If you are not sure, or need a bit of help, a good coach is the perfect person to go to. Someone like myself who is positive, open and individualised will help you set the goals and methods that best fit your life. They can either hold your hand for a few weeks/ months/ years.... or leave you to it... what ever you need.
Lets do it
Write a free list of things you would like to add into your life to enrich your world. Don’t analyse, just write.
When you are done pick the top 6. Then pick the top 3.
Start with 3 things at one minute each. It sounds tiny, but just do it at least once....then you can either add a few others or make it 2 mins each. No over achieving here.... just for a few days. After say 5 days in a row have a think about increasing it or leaving it exactly as it is for now.
But what if I’m in the flow and don’t want to stop?
Say you are exercising first, then before meditating you have your gratitude list minute to do and you are really getting into it. Just stop....its good discipline and if you kept going the odds are that you won’t do the meditation section no matter that you may tell yourself you will. Do the meditation. when that’s finished go straight back to your gratitude exercise.
It sounds easy and it should be, but what can derail you is if you want to add ‘exercise’ but then come unstuck about the best one to choose as you only have one or 2 minutes for it....thats where a friend or coach can help.
Say you want to learn a language and think how on earth in that short time can I make it count? Or you don’t like meditating but know its ‘good for you’ so you want to add it to your life.
Let me give you some more examples:
First is exercising :
You may have a fatburning goal and want to make your bottom a nice shape. Aobviously you will not be able to accomplish fatburning in your time, BUT you can increase your blood flow and energy to be ready to put in later. So 30 seconds of either vigorous squat jumping or squatting and 30 seconds of bottom squeezes would be a great start. thats for a one minute interval.
life hack.org
Second, a language:
Pick out one or two new words at the most and write them out over and over and then look at them and say them out loud. Voila!
Third, for the reluctant meditators:
Do a forward fold and hang or lie on your back with your legs up on the wall and allow them to sink to the sides. Now breathe and hold. As you breathe, think about the muscles you feel stretching, note your desire to get out of that stretch and breathe through that.... one minute is up before you know it and your body is echoing a big THANK YOU!
Meditating outside the box
There are endless options.
Think about the last year you have had...
did you grow or change? Are you sitting here feeling you are in the same or similar spot?
Imagine if you did some little habit everyday for the next year ..... the difference it would make to you as a person.
Pretty significant huh!?!
It’s easy, but most of the time we don’t do this. Any steps you make will benefit and change you. Start today, don’t make excuses. If you need help, let me know. If you start doing it yourself, let me know too! I want to hear :-)
Make 2019 YOUR year.
Love, Vash x
References
Sample morning routines from super achievers:
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/08/tools-of-titans-author-tim-ferriss-on-his-morning-routine.html
https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/article/lifestyle-articles/ben-greenfields-morning-routine/
https://www.success.com/10-morning-routines-of-wildly-successful-entrepreneurs/
Hacks to enhance my life, brain, body, performance
A few weeks ago I was quite taken aback … in a good way ….
The owner of one of the gyms I work at asked me to sit with him and film a short video of what my day consists of. In short what do I do now, at the age of 47, to keep me fit and healthy. He knows I love bio hacking (which is just finding simple ways to live, think and move better through life), and we have spent a lot of time in the past exchanging ideas and any interesting things we come across that may help a person to perform better and more happily through life.
We chatted briefly, made a few notes and went straight to video. It’s amateur but a good first go I thought. You can see it and other videos here.
Although our chat on the video went well, due to it being impromptu, I later I realised I had missed several other interesting things that someone might find useful.
So I have decided to write a little about my daily routine with a few why’s of what I currently do and share it below.
The steps below are ones I take nearly everyday. They are things I have found through my research and experience. I try many things, some stick and some don’t . I try what appeals and keep it if it works easily into my life….. at heart I’m sure I am really very lazy. This is what I’d like you to do, pick out something interesting and doable. I think you’ll find several really easy things to action straight away, and you never know…they just might make the difference you are needing at this point in time.
I do the following roughly 80% of the week (a silly statistic meaning it may be 7 days, it may be 5 days a week).
I found being this way has allowed me to keep my figure at this current weight of **cough cough…60kg….(that was confronting to say, although I know thats very healthy, I have left over disordered thinking from being 50kg a few years back which likes me to panic if I am ‘heavy’)
…. so 60kg and approximately 19% body fat (BF)….fairly easily. Personally I would love to hit 55kg again, which with my muscle mass is around 15-16%BF, but to do that means I don’t eat out a few times a week and probably zero alcohol and a little more training…. It would make me tired and less able to cope with stress (I have a little chronic PTSD I deal with…not from the weight mentioned above …. so stress is a regular thing for me to cope with)… which reminds me…resilience training is the next thing I’ll be putting in my schedule soon!
This was a long winded way of saying I put in work, most but not all, of the time so I can still eat out and relax with friends and family and not be overly strict with my diet, and exercise constantly (I have done that in the past…and although I thought my body was great...its not the way to live a life thats happy for me and also to be good to be around).
Lets start!
First thing in the morning
I get up early.
5am weekdays, I like an early start. I try to make weekends 6am as it is best for your body’s health and circadian rhythm, to get up at the same time every morning. I haven’t mastered that, but I do the best I can, and I admit to sleeping in at least once a week most weeks.
I have half to one litre of water between now and my shower with apple cider vinegar to help the bile acids activate for the day. This aids in digestion and the natural detox system.
My sons *love :-)
I walk the dogs for 30 mins. Its easy and fairly slow which used to frustrate me but they so LOVE to fossick around and check everything out…. then I decided to use this time to stretch my body and I feel so much better ( as do my joints), that I have never looked back.
I do stretching and rotations of my :
Shoulders
Neck
Chest
Hamstring
Hips
Hip flexors
Calves
…and I do some pushups and yogic down dogs on benches at certain spots.
Nothing to strenuous. I breathe deep. The shoulder and neck stretches make me look upward to the lovely trees and I always hold and relax for a breath or two. This particular one I have given the highest importance as its the key to a straight posture - so no turtle neck!
Cortisol is high in the morning and because of this I don’t overdo morning exercise as that would create too much cortisol. Instead the dog walking and stretching increases my mobility and posture while nurturing my parasympathetic system( rest and digest).
During walk I make sure to take in the sky so my eyes can soak in the morning uv light, stop melatonin production .... terribly important for a healthy circadian rhythm, enhanced immunity, weight control, stress control, and brain health amongst other things.
It's interesting actually what looking at the sky in general does.
We have all these sensors in our eyes that absorb the uv lights and others and that initiate processes and systems in the body. If we cover up our eyes with glasses or windows then we don’t get the full benefits for our body. So it doesn’t mean don’t cover up, but just try to get some pure light to your eyes in the morning and evening at least. Shield your eyes when glare is around.
When I want to burn more fat I will go for a 20 to 30 min gentle running shuffle after the dog walk, my running is a shuffle and on my toes (to use my body’s natural suspension system) ….. my version of a jog that I hope to continue most of my life. If I don’t run I will do yoga instead.
After the run, more water and then shower time.
I am gradually acclimatising myself to cold showers. I do this by playing with the temperature. A few seconds cold and then hot. I gradually lengthen the cold time and its surprisingly bearable to do it this way and my body has taeken to it well. Its no longer quick the shock when the cold hits me and I am able to keep it cold longer than the time before generally. Trust me, I’m not brave, I LOVE my hot showers and am the last to jump into pools as everyone who knows me is well aware. I’m a complete coward. So why on earth would I add this seeming torture to my morning schedule
Health benefits of cold
Hot cold contrast showers to activate brown fat, helps body’s natural thermal regulation stimulates the vagus nerve (largest cranial nerve), slows and even prevents inflammation.
The vagus nerve has been shown to cure rheumatoid arthritis when electrically stimulated. It can also be stimulated stimulated by cold and deep breathing. Low vagus activity is associated with poor memory , inflammation, brain fog and fatigue. The higher the vagus tone the more oxytocin (the cuddle hormone) you produce. ….so a cold shower and a cuddle could be the ultimate happiness recipe maybe…hmmmm
With higher vagal tone we are less anxious, gut health is promoted and with the oxytocin produced we feel closer to people and more altruistic.
Brown fat is the metabolic beast of the body. Some of us have more, some have less. The more you have, the more white (think ugly) fat we will burn doing everyday things. So we want more. It also works a charm at allowing us to adapt to extremes in temperature more easily.
My extra hack: I will be taking bitter melon before I shower as this works synergistically with the cold to increase the brown fat activity.
Intermittent Fasting
I intermittent fast most days and everyday if possible I try not to eat for a 12 hour window. It’s a lot easier than you may think. It gives the body a chance to rid itself of old, damaged cells, and also to rest from the digestive process. Our body prioritises digestion before running other healing processes completely so allowing those to take precedence for some extra time everyday is a good thing to do for general health. It also balances blood sugar and insulin levels, which of course leads to fat loss.
Fasting is interesting, and for the health benefits I mentioned above. It can be done SO many ways. This is just one. I like the regular everyday one, or you could fast for one day a week, or a few days a month, etc…. there are plenty of ways to do it so try the one you feel will be easiest to fit into your lifestyle.
I will still have black coffee and water and then I will eat/consume any calories (like a coffee with milk) when I feel I need it between 10am to 3 pm. Because the body is so receptive at that point, I will make sure the very first thing is either vegetables or a quality protein and fat. If I put anything carby like toast, my body would go into a little spasm and over produce insulin and I’d have the blood sugar levels sky rocketing and then plunging….a recipe for ill health and fat gain.
As I have double checked all the knowledge I have on how my body works with a DNA test I know that I have a tendency to obesity, diabetes, cardiac issues. I can go into that more another time, but the upshot is I am a little more vigilant with my blood sugar response to food and drink and I supplement and choose my foods accordingly. Supplements I sweat by, especially if I eat breads, pastas, fruits, anything sugary.
Apple cider vinegar
Berberine
Bitter melon
These 3 power house supplements help my body to slowly release glucose and also for my insulin level to respond normally and immediately when these foods are eaten. The calories still count of course but my body’s response to them is sensitive now and not dulled by chronically high levels which anyone over weight, is.
Later
As the day draws on, cortisol naturally dips and even if you made sure to keep your carbs low to avoid that sleepy afternoon feeling, you may still feel flat and mentally drained. To work with this dip, I lift weights. Sometimes its quite hard to get in to the gym, but most of the time I will go their and not allow myself to start thinking about it…else I will sit my bottom back down in a chair and probably eat. Weights….or any exercise, in the afternoon will provide a lift to your energy and mood and settle the cortisol. This is even true if you are suffering unnaturally high cortisol levels which is generally due to chronic stress. In this later case the higher cortisol will be utilised more productively to enhance muscle gain and thus will lower afterwards naturally and help to reset your cortisol cycle.
Exercise is often easy to avoid later in the day. Don’t talk yourself out of a session just because its not the best time of day or you are tired. Listen to your body, do a lighter workout, do yoga, do anything, just be consistent. A little everyday ….. there’s magic in that.
The best workout is the one you do
At the end of the day
I take bitter melon with my evening meal to again deal with higher sugar levels from dinner which is often concluded by fruit (I do LOVE my sweets so fruit is a wonderful substitute to ice cream)
Sleep
Sleep is a high priority and I guard it tightly. I like to go to bed at 9pm for my 5 am start. My room is as dark as possible and I use a salt lamp as the light is not the blue of normal lights. You may remember above that you look at the sky in the morning to soak up the blue light which switches off melatonin production amongst other things, well the red light of the lamp allows the body to start producing it.
Be careful of electronics. Looking at a screen of any sort (they emit a blue light) and the body reacts by suppressing melatonin, so ideally you would wear either blue blocking glasses or turn all electronics off an hour or so before bed.
Melatonin is a wonder hormone (although aren’t all hormones wonders). It is released every evening to inform the body to shut down and wind down. It activates the healing processes and all systems needed to rejuvenate the body. It seems that as we age, we produce less and less melatonin, which could be why many older adults sleep less and less. If you go to sleep at different times then the body doesn’t know what time to release melatonin and your sleep will no doubt be quite unsatisfying. By going to sleep at a consistent time the body is able to reliably produce melatonin at the best moment for a therapeutic sleep. However one or two late nights and it takes a while to settle back down again. You can see this is why health professionals advocate sleeping at the same time everyday of the week and not just Monday to Friday. You can also imagine why jet lag takes quite a toll on the body as it has to work our gradually when on earth is the best time to release melatonin.
As a result, for many years I have cycled through supplementing melatonin.
I use either 5 HTP (5 hydroxy tryptophan, this is a precursor to serotonin and melatonin, take 150-300mg) and / or melatonin ( 1+ gm, not the homeopathic stuff) to ensure that my body and circadian rhythm is consistent. I especially use this the night after a late night before. It resets my body by ensuring the release of melatonin happens when it should, it should be taken an hour before bedtime. It really is a miracle worker for jet lag.
Now, if this has caused more questions than answers please send me a message or comment below. If you agree or disagree, also please send a message. I love to get others opinions and thoughts….and if you have tried any of the above, put that down too! The above is basically what I do, and I have another list of things I PLAN to add in the future.
Do try something, any time spent improving your health will repay you back many times over, so start small.
Click the button to download your free PDF. Start with something that seems easy to do and notice how much better you feel over the coming days and weeks.
All the very best x