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://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/exercise/how-to-use-creatine-to-potentially-build-muscles?page=1

https://selfhacked.com/blog/creatine/

https://www.leafscience.org/geroprotectors-creatine/

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.

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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.

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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

Exercise and Diet around your Monthly Cycle

The monthly madness...... Ahh the things we women have to deal with.

....... Do you just go about your life and when that time of the month comes, you experience irritability/ pain and then the blood flow, which is just a damn inconvenience. Then you brush it aside and go back about your life forgetting about it until a months time when your feeling irritable again.

 ……. did you either groan, or sigh “oh yeah”, or, “yep, in the middle of it now, tell me something I don't know” …..

Did you?

…. maybe like me, you could be facing its disappearance, or is it long gone …….. in which case may feel a little little nostalgic? and perhaps, “oh, SO glad I don’t have to deal with that anymore”

…… The monthly flow is a big connection we ladies have with each other, …… and probably the only one the men aren’t trying to also have ….. ha ha 

But really…. 

Although the whole of humankind is affected by hormones it is predominantly women, who are reminded on a monthly basis, that we really are at the mercy of hormones. We have this crazed tyrant living inside of us, sometimes loving, other times….run and hide!

Sometimes you crave carbs, sometimes you don’t, sometimes you have energy and flow, and other times everything is having a hissy fit. If you are aware of your cycle, you have probably noticed that certain emotions and cravings occur around particular times of the cycle. You may or may not already be making lifestyle adjustments around it. For example, when I start suddenly feeling very down just before my period, I remind myself why I’m feeling this way, that it isn't me, and I allow myself to have a gentler workout or a rest day without feeling guilty (...most of the time..).This is making your cycle work for you, or at least a step toward it.

Today I’m going to show you how to make it work even better for you. If you are menopausal or postmenopausal, this could still be quite relevant. Studies show our hormones apparently still continue cycling after menopause, its less messy, but you still have a hormonal high and low. If you are and want to try this, I recommend using the lunar cycle as a guide and see how that works for you. To do this, use the full moon as your 'ovulation day' and the new moon as day 1 of a new cycle.

The Menstrual cycle

A very quick recap of the cycle. Visit here a more detailed version.

Day 1 is generally considered the first day of bleeding as the uterus sheds its lining. Soon a rise in Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)  and Lutenizing Hormone (LH), stimulate ovarian follicles in readiness to secrete an egg. Oestrogen's and estradiol are secreted which create an endometrium lining in the uterus to hold the egg. This phase is nearly always about 14 days long. An egg is created on or around day 14 (ovulation) and released. The rest of the follicle that produced the ova will breakdown to form the corpus luteum which will produce progesterone. Theres a little boost of oestrogen production due to this, FSH and LH production is suppressed  and their levels fall quickly. This causes the corpus luteum to atrophy, oestrogen and progesterone fall and this triggers the lining to shed and menstruation and a new cycle commence. This phase can be 14 days or shorter, it tends to be more variable in each person.

The Benefits of Exercise

Theres no doubt, women who are more physically active enjoy better health than those who are sedentary. The benefits are extensive, Dr Christiane Northrup is a GP specialising in Womens health, she lists:

• Better immune system functioning and increased levels of immunoglobulins
• Lower overall cancer rate
• Decreased risk of heart disease
• Decreased risk of breast cancer
• Longer life expectancy
• Less depression and anxiety, better mental efficiency and speed
• More relaxation, more assertiveness, more spontaneity and enthusiasm
• Stronger bones
• More restful sleep
• Higher self-esteem
• Decreased insulin sensitivity
• More energy
• Decreased PMS symptoms
• Weight control

“Studies also show that repetitive movement increases the alpha waves in the brain — and the alpha state is associated with enhanced intuition. The mind pervades the body, and I find that when I move my body repetitively and rhythmically, more of my mind’s power becomes available to me, and insights often arise during my work-outs.”

— Dr Christiane Northrup

How the cycle influences you

I’ve broken this down into phases.

Follicular Phase Days 1- 14

• Estrogen is increases
• Insulin sensitivity increased
• Metabolism is slower 
• Anaerobic / intense work is great to increase the metabolism
• Great time to go for personal bests and have some healthy carbs in your diet
• The American Journal of Nutrition stated that basal metabolic rate decreases at the beginning of menstruation and reaches the lowest point a week before ovulation.
• Another study found soccer athletes had more endurance and greater lean body mass gain  during this time

Ovulation Phase around Day 14

• Estrogen starts to fall
• Progesterone increases
• Cravings increase
• Serotonin decreases a little
• Insulin sensitivity increases
• Metabolism starts climbing
• Best day to go for a PB but due to also being more prone to injuries make sure technique is absolutely perfect
• Joints and limbs can be a bit lax
• American Journal of Sports Medicine found that due to joint laxity and estrogen-induced changes in collagen structure, ACL tears are four to eight times more likely to happen during this phase.

Luteal Phase Days 15 - 28

• Energy is not really there for power workouts
• Aerobic workouts at a conversational pace. A study showed aerobic exercise and taking a fennel supplement reduced premenstrual pain and anxiety
  • Your insulin sensitivity is decreased
• Body has a preference to use fat for energy rather than glycogen
• Motivation is a bit lower
• May hold fluid and feel heavier at this time
• Metabolism kicks up so you may feel hungrier, try to stick to healthier whole foods and not over eat
• Same 2017 study as above found it wasn’t a good time for maximal endurance efforts at this time but sprints and jumps were unaffected
• You are more prone to higher cortisol response to stress , and more likely to feel stressed , so try a lower carb style of diet
• Things start to track back to ‘normal’ during the last few days of the cycle

Putting it into Real World Practice

Follicular Phase

Exercise

You may want a day or 2 off at the start of your cycle (or the entire time you are menstruating), if you feel uncomfortable, and not up to it. Respect your intuition and use this time to stretch more, meditate. Try yoga (recommended to avoid inversion poses during this time) or pilates, whatever you are leaning to, but keep moving.

If you feel well, there is no reason not to exercise, but respect that you may have looser joints and are therefore prone to injury.

Try this intense cardio session: 20 rounds of 1 min max intensity with 30 seconds recovery. Ouch!

In the gym

4 (6 sets)-8 (4 sets) reps. Heavy weights that you could only push one other rep out. A back move, a chest move, a Leg move, a hamstring specific move and a calf move

For example: Latpulldown; Incline Chest Press, Back Squat, Romanian Deadlift and Calf Raises

Nutrition

Always stick to whole foods and remove sugar where possible. This is the case for all diets really. Extra sugar sources during menstruation may contribute to bloating and pain, so leave the bread, cookies etc if you can.

After that for the remainder of the 14 days eat a balance of protein, vegetables and fruit, and fat, with a little extra if you need it. During the days you exercise add in a wholegrain source of carbohydrates if you want some more oomph, such as quinoa, millet, oatmeal, amaranth, and beans

Ovulation

If you are one of those people who know when they ovulate 

Exercise

Make this a tough intense day, go do that crossfit wod you have been wondering about.

In the gym, do some 5 x 5 reps and sets and finish with a solid tabata or HIIT session

Nutrition

IF you have done some decent exercise, reseed your body with a big plate of meat, vegetables or salad, some olive oil and rice, or any grains mentioned above. Enjoy!

Luteal phase

Exercise

Get some steady state endurance work in 2-3 times a week for 30-60 minutes pending on your level. Use that time to put an audio book on, ponder the world, or focus on your breathing in a meditative fashion.

“you can perform 8 sets of 5 minutes at 60-70% of your VO2 max of running, biking, swimming, rowing, hiking, brisk walking or elliptical, with 3 minutes of easy movement between each”

— Ben Greenfield

In the gym

Try some higher volume. Lower the sets and increase the reps. For example

• 2-3 Sets of 15-25 reps
• 2 Day Split with a day between

Wkout 1: KB Pullover, seated row, reverse fly, biceps curls and back squat, pistol squat and Step tap ups, Side Plank pulses

Wkout 2: Flat Chest Press, Shoulder Press, Lateral Raise, Tricep Dips, Fitball Hamstring Curls, Fitball ab curls, Hip Thrust, Fitball rollouts

Finish each session with some steady cardio and a good stretch ensuring that you consciously breathe and relax during this time and bring your attention back to the body and cast your mind around the muscles you worked and how they are feeling, and which need more attention.

Nutrition

A great time to try intermittent fasting or low carb diets (get some good advice if you are unsure how to do this)

Keep as far away from sugar as possible and try very hard to have a good 7.5 plus hours sleep every night.

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Regardless of whatever phase you are in make sure you move everyday. Incorporating movement, 10,000 steps, or a more formal workout, will release endorphins and that will make you feel good, increase insulin sensitivity, increase metabolism and reduce period pain (although, if you are like me, mine hurts a lot, admittedly its more painful if I have had increased sugar in my diet). Daily movement will also reduce cravings and help you sleep better. Even if you don’t feel up to it you can move with yoga like stretches. Just keep extending the body (I have simple, VERY easy stretch ideas here on youTube).

The best workout in the world is the one you actually do every day. We can analyse things too much and go off on tangents (I do it to myself ALL the time), so if in doubt, just move. Change it if you like when you like, just do it…..hey...... that would be a great slogan … hmmm

….oh, and eat whole foods where possible. Studies show that women are very affected by food choices, the difference between a stressed out day and one where you feel you can cope with the ups and downs. You don’t have to be religious about it, just consistent, like the exercise. Try to make 80% of your intake healthy. Does it have more than 3 ingredients on the label? Put it back and make your own. If you need help, just ask. This should be a pleasant part of your life not a burden.

Extra References used for this article

• https://www.t-nation.com/training/hormone-cycle-and-female-lifters
• https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/article/fitness-articles/planning-your-exercise-around-your-menstruation-cycle/
• https://www.precisionnutrition.com/fitness-menstrual-health

Habits - The magical way to be aWesomE!

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

The alarm? The dog? Kids? $1000 ( I think that was an 80’s supermodel actually)…do you snooze till the last minute before getting up and racing through the motions to get to work on time, or the family up and ready. Then what do you do on the weekend? Stuff the alarm? You were thinking it would be good to get a morning walk in the sunshine before breakfast, butttttttt its so cosy…….zzzzzz you sleep in…ahhhhhh

What do you do at night after dinner? Is that when the munchies set in? That mindless time when you weren’t going to eat the biscuits or chocolate tonight….buuuutttt….argh…I need it…or your brain conveniently fuzzes over any logic about weight-loss and suddenly the block of chocolate or biscuits or, insert “food” here, are all gone. Damn! you think, I’ll resist tomorrow night.

All these are habits. 

The thing that makes us get out of bed, brush our teeth, or not, exercise , or not, binge on facebook, or not (is there anyone out there that can actually resist that magnetic pull to check your posts likes?, sigh)

Habits rule our lives. 

We talk a certain way, we say please, thankyou…or we don’t!, we always put salt on our food at night without thinking, we put shoes on right foot first, we get home and put the tv, or heater on, or something else all without thinking. We may kiss our spouse/ kids/ dogs when we leave for work, or we may always forget.

All habits.

The habits make us what and who we are.

So who are you? 

I think one of the only things I heard Dr Phil say that I actually benefited from, was when he counselled a couple that every interaction, no matter what, either benefits your relationship, or it doesn’t. I liked that.

If you think about it, every single thing we say or do has an impact. Positive or negative. It impacts us, impacts people at work, home, strangers, pets, plants…..everything… either positively or its negatively……its never neutral….is it? I found a lot of value in that way of thinking…. Although I don’t remember it as often as I should to help guide me to more positive interactions…its not a habit yet (doh!)…but when I DO, I feel empowered and ready to improve my life.

You may think its selfish to focus on yourself like this…I hope not, but improving your life is the most important thing you can do and focusing on you and your habits are the magical key to enable your dreams to come true.

 Imagine yourself at your very best, your most happiest…...

……what would that look like? How would you feel? How would you act? How would everyone else around you act and feel? Its the ripple effect…everyone, everything is a part of this cycle. You're happy, everyone is happy

I’ve gone a little philosophical…okay…quite philosophical…..this was meant to be just about making good habits and getting healthier and fitter….but really, those things are just one inevitable part of the rewards/ benefits of having a series of good, productive habits.

Lets try something

It won’t take long I promise

Okay so you know what a happy, productive YOU looks like (doesn’t matter if its vague, don’t judge)….. Note that down.`What things do you need to do to achieve it or at lest some of it. List those down as well. Like a 20 km run, finish a course, increase typing speed, learn to cook great Indian dishes, etc. 

Now write two lists. One is the habits that you feel are of benefit to you and the goals, and the other, a list of habits that do not benefit you or the goals.

Some of you are happily trotting off with pencil and paper/ iPad/ mud and stick in hand doing this, and I know others are thinking “urgh…I know it already, no point writing it down”

YES there IS

Just do it (thankyou Nike)…. The most common thing I hear from people who fail to make a change is, “I know what to do, I’ll just do that”…. I’ve never met anyone yet, myself included, that that has worked for.

So humour me….please….I’ll even humour you and write mine down…. (Yes..I was thinking nahhh, I know already, why bother…this is for others)….hmm…hello pot…the kettle is boiling….

If you find it a little tricky to think of positive and negative habits you do, or if you really want to go deep with work on yourself, ask a work mate, family member, friend or coach, what they would put in those columns for you. You get fantastic insights this way.

Right.

Now pick one of those negative ones. Don’t try more than one. Some people can multi-change, but really, its harder than you think. 

So for this example, I’ve picked my snacking one…now thats pretty hard for me, trust me! I know if I didn’t snack after dinner I would definitely be a few kilos lighter in fat, absolutely no doubt…..and the body weight thing and health is a concern for me. This is something I know I do that is not the best for me and yet haven't I managed to change it…ever…I know what to do…….and I’ve adjusted for a few weeks/ days/ months at a time…and yet I still head back there.

So I’ve picked that. Now I start thinking of some ways to change it to the ultimate….NO EATING AFTER DINNER (please note, this is not just a vanity goal, this is also a very healthy habit to acquire that has a ream of health benefits from mitochondria health, insulin sensitivity, good nights sleep, more serotonin production…I could go on)

Here I  have:

• Snacking non stop after dinner with pretzels, crackers, choc drink etc
•  
• NO eating after dinner

Next the goal now is to fill in the blanks. Give an easy path to the end goal. Make those links the babiest of steps. IMPORTANT, don’t question it, just make them the smallest of steps, each logically progressing slightly from the other. Mine now looks like:

• Snacking non stop after dinner with pretzels, crackers, choc drink etc
• Snacking non stop with just the choc drink (why? Its low calorie and in my case it helps me feel full and I find the crackers really call to me, so they are the hardest thing to stop)
• Non Stop with the choc drink but with a cup of hot water and lemon juice before hand (herbal tea just doesn’t motivate me…feels to hard to make at that time of night. The lemon helps my insulin sensitivity and it makes me pause for a moment before diving into the choc drink)
• Same as above, but I make another hot water lemon drink to have while I’m having my choc drink
• Now I will either stop the choc drink half an hour before bed OR I will finish with the hot water and lemon
• Now I will limit my choc drinks to one less than  I was having
• I will continue in this fashion till the below happens

NO eating after dinner

I know me…..the above should work. They are logical easy steps that I apply for one week each at least and only move ahead to the next when I feel confident.

There will be evenings when I feel completely lost and inadequate to not eat but with my list above, already written out, I will make my unreasonable mind look at it and go up the list till I reach the one that I can actually do at that time.

So even a ‘bad night’ is still a win. I won’t plague myself the next day and the next night I should be able to hop straight back to the level I was at previously. If not, I go to the level I can manage that night and probably sit there for a week before progressing again.

A year from now……eating after dinner when I don’t need it, out the window, gone! I’ll be a able to have the occasional dessert night without then sliding back into my old habit of NEEDING to eat and eat after dinner. I will be the one IN CONTROL of that.

Seriously….think about it….

How empowering!

Have you made your list?

Look at it

How can you fail?

You can’t. 

Yes discipline IS involved, however, you have taken into account your ups and downs, your mood swings, good days and bad. Put that list out there, put it on the fridge. See it everyday. When you are motivated and positive you will NOT need to have it there…fantastic! Awesome!

BUT

You KNOW you will need it at some stage. Thats the way it works. Until something is second nature, and this takes about a month, (a month per step is ideal, but I know you want results faster than that) you will almost definitely fail.

This is why most diets don’t work

Why most plans don’t work

We all have the best of intentions, but we must plan the through the failing times, else thats what we will do. Better still, we do it with baby steps so its actually PAINLESS and pretty STRESSFREE :-)

I have set so many goals in the past, and failed most of them, for this very reason of not planning properly. I’m sure I’m not alone.

So give it a go and let me know what happens, what you achieved, even if its small. Like doing the dishes before bed, or making the bed on rising. Whatever….its all a win

You KNOW you will be happier

Because

…..You will become the person you want to be, the person you know you CAN be.

Go out and conquer!

A shameless plug for my services now

The above is how I prefer to coach. I can help you set the most productive ones for your health and fitness goals. I can help you stick to them and be accountable. Imagine yourself one year from now if you started those changes today

Seriously

IMAGINE

How awesome would you be!

My answer is, VERY

Not Another New Years Resolution Post!

Every New Years a cavalcade of posts are sent scampering around the world telling, encouraging, cajoling the reader into reading about the new year resolution. Some are for it, some are against it (why wait for new year), some have a list of ‘best’ resolutions, and others let you know what resolutions you should NEVER make (ie, lose weight, renovate, or be positive to everyone you meet)

So with that in mind, let me keep this short and practical.

Personally, I LIKE the idea of a New Year resolution list. I’m all for making resolutions during the year, but there is something wonderful about starting something at the beginning of a full year ahead...like Mondays are often used to start a new project, or skill learning. New year is like the penultimate Monday. 

BUT....if you are going to go to all that effort of creating these new plans/ ideas/ improvements to your life, why not spend a few minutes more creating a way to ensure you actually reaches each of these goals and not let your enthusiasm just peter out as the weeks go by and suddenly its Easter and you are happily chewing on eggs before u remember that no chocolate rule you had set on January 1st. 

OKAY

So make a list.  

Try and keep it to a couple of items...not too many

Are they achievable? Do you feel 10/10 able to achieve it...if there is a yes but or yes if, answer, then the goal maybe fine but it needs breaking down. Lets use one of mine for example: 

1. - Meditate everyday

okay...I think you can all see how vague this is.....yes of course I ‘can’ do it, but will I?..... Probably for a few days, maybe even a week. I can bet with great certainty that it will not last long. Soooooo....lets make it doable, and quite frankly, more fun.

WHEN and HOW

When will I do it and how? Honestly, I wake early, I’m tired, I need coffee, my dogs need a walk. I work and come home exhausted and just want to sleep or watch tv and vague out. I can’t think of any ‘perfect time’ to meditate. However I know how awesome I feel when I do.

I’m going to make a check list, stick it on my fridge. I’ll have a description column, and in that will be a version of my goal. Meditate before sleep for 1 minute (either just counting breaths or using a visualisation tape). Yep, 10/10 I can do that, even when tired. If I do more great, but thats not the requirement. 1 minute and I get a nice juicy tick in that achievement box, yeehaw!

Next week in my description, all going well I will make it 2 minutes, then the week after 3 minutes, etc, etc. My goal will be 30 minutes, but I’m not even thinking about that now, thats way too hard and too unachieveable in the mind state and habits I have now. If I get to 10 minutes and freak out that its too much, I will just lower the expectation for that next week. Simple, and my list is on the fridge to remind and encourage me everyday.

So what will your goal be? 

Imagine, wanting to lose weight, learn a language, be tidy, relax, learn economics, read a book a week (yes it can be done), and what could be achieved if you broke it down to its most basic and doable part, then gently added every few days or week. That’s 365ish days a year and 52 weeks of continual improvement...imagine the person you could be by the end of one single year. 

Its now 2018, who will you be by 2019? 

Who do you WANT to be? 

Write it down....and do it :-) 

If you need any help, coaching or guidance, feel free to email or facebook me for some ideas or more formal assistance

Gene Genie?!

Is gene testing the health key to the optimal body?

Answer : possibly

I have been following avidly, the advent of mainstream gene testing. Its such exciting stuff. Like Indiana Jones finding ancient tresures, we can now find the hidden treasured data within our bodies...the blueprint to what our body actually needs and wants to be the best version it can be. How incredible does that sound!? So is it really that good...is it the end of guess work in what the hell new diet or fitness style we need to follow

A few weeks ago I noticed a fairly cheap way to have a few genes tested at my local pharmacy. For $100AUD this test will look at four genes that current research shows have impact on our body and how it processes fat, carbs, what diet the body is better on and what kind of exercise is more effective. Being cheap, it's four genes only, so I was not expecting any ground breaking detail, just perhaps some guidelines.

Let me tell you what I found out

First the genes,

    The ones tested are (with basic descriptions of each),

LIPC - regulates the production of hepatic lipase enzymes. These enzymes are involved with the regulation of cholesterol and triglycerides. Risk variants have less activity of this enzyme, which can lead to increased levels of HDL, LDL and triglycerides

APOA5 - major gene that regulates triglyceride concentrations. Risk variant carriers are more susceptible to higher triglyceride levels than those without the risk variant.

FTO - This little guy has many roles. He participates in the regulation of body size and fat accumulation. Risk variants have trouble controlling eating as they are not sensitive to the satiety alert in the brain. It's also associated with an increased incidence of ALzheimers. If BMI is high their is also an assocaition with developing type 2 diabetes. Generally those with the risk variant are 1-3 kgs heavier than their counterpart , higher BMI, higher fat mass and at risk of obesity. On the bright side it has no association with energy expenditure. So controlling the weight will not be impeded by the body resisting the weight loss...just the mind!

PPARG - What happens with any excess food we eat depends on the workings of these busy genes. Risk variants are far more prone to fat storage than non risk variants. Not only that but this gene shows what sort of sensitivity we have to fat and carb digestion, therefore what kind of diet would be more suitable.

So how does this apply to me?

In point form:

1. I respond best to medium intensity exercise (I agree and am relieved as I always feel bad when I do high intensity and also feel low intensity does little for me)
2. I do better on a diet lower in carbs and also lower in fats, particularly saturated. So potentially look at some digestive enzymes to help my body break these down and also blood sugar controllers, such as bitter melon, to keep the insulin in its place
3. I need to keep my BMI lower to avoid obesity, diabetes
4. I need to keep my brain active and also feed with healthy fats to keep alzheimers at bay
5. My mind doesn't register satiety very well, so I need to work on feeling comfortable at being 80% full and training myself how to know when I hit that stage
6. I should get a lipid blood profile and keep aware of it as I am more likely to have higher LDL and triglyceride levels if my diet isn't on point most of the time
7. I have the gene variant related to obesity (I knew it!), and as such it's important I keep active and aware of my diets health

So was it worth it?!

For me personally, absolutely! I like to be proactive and I also like the fact it has taken a fair bit of guess work out for me. Probably because fitness is my life, I completely over analyse and question what I am doing for exercise and what I am eating....this causes me to go all over the place , trying everything, and changing everything...way, way too often. Now I know why the Keto diet has never felt good to me and I have struggled doing it. For a start I was including too many saturated fats and I never felt satisfied as many people say they do. I'm not scared to add a little carbohydrate to my meals now and I am happy to workout at a medium state predominantly (I add a bit of the low and high intensity to hit all 3 states....got to keep the body balanced)

So what are your thoughts? Would you consider it?

Here's where I got the test, MyDna, I did the health one, they also offer a test which shows how your body responds to many medications.