Monthly Archives: October 2014

9 things I personally do to stay lean and feeling awesome

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Kate Martin11. I never (ok very, VERY rarely) tell myself I’m fat – anymore. I used to when I was post baby, but that’s another story. Never, ever, this is sooo critical to you getting what you want from your body. Try this – whenever you hear yourself say these things to yourself, you are honestly going to get more of it so stop, acknowledge what needs to be done, distract yourself from thinking like that and get on with it.

2. I try not to believe my own b.s. excuses..Trust me I have them. So does EVERYONE. But I also have many, many people in my life who call me on it.. as much as I dislike it sometimes, they are often right. Surround yourself with these honest b.s. calling people if you want to get anywhere apart from believing your own b.s. and wallowing in it but wondering why things (your body, life – whatever situation) is still the same. What are you b.s-ing yourself about at the moment?

3. I am accountable to someone/something to the point where if I don’t do it I will be either 1 – REALLY embarrassed as I’ve public-ally claimed something, or 2. I will lose my money (and usually a lot of it) as I’m paying for advice so I’d better implement what I’m paying for.

4. I change my exercise program to things I’d prefer not to do. Eg. I will spend a certain period (3-4 weeks) lifting just heavy or doing high reps.

5. I try to stick to things long enough to see results – in the health and fitness game anyway. Realistically I think you feel a difference in 1-2 weeks and after 3-4 weeks you see it. Try not to waiver during this time, try not to listen to the opinions of others during this time either if that will make you lose your focus. Which brings me to my next point.

6. I don’t care what I look like/what other people think if I am doing what’s different to the norm. Eg. I often eat out of a plastic container at inappropriate times (I figure I’m not going to stay home just because I am following x, y, z diet because I thoroughly enjoy socializing with my friends – and the real ones will love you no matter how strange your behaviour, so long as you aren’t harming anyone), even though they do sometimes think I’m crazy or embarrassing.

7. I get out of my comfort zone/learn something new. This stretches the mind and I’ll admit I do need to do this more often. But achieving things you didn’t think you could do, even if it’s, for example, lifting weights that were shit scared of does translate to the rest of your life and the confidence spreads throughout your life and into other parts.

8. I don’t calorie restrict anymore – (yes I’ve done it before, when I was desperate to lost weight after having my bub) for more than several weeks at a time. I really do want my brain function to be at an all time high. Girls you really honestly GROW fat cells when you calorie restrict, be careful and have an excellent eating plan which includes healthy saturated fats for when you come off it is all I’ll say on that.

9. I use the mantra ‘I love myself’. Try saying it to yourself at regular intervals throughout the day. Your entire world (internal and external) can change just because of this one thing. Cheers to being awesome! 🙂

I’m sure there’s more than 10 but I want you to share with me yours!

What do you do/have done in the past that’s worked? Change your mind and the body will follow I say.

Diet dilemma? Part 2 the down low on IIFYM

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dietThe IIFYM diet is just another term for flexible dieting, but what does it actually entail? The IIFYM diet is a method of dieting that requires you to meet your daily macronutrient requirements. First, what is a macronutrient? A macronutrient or “macro” is the nutritional component of a diet that is required to consume in large amounts so your protein, carbohydrates and fats. Its essentially a form of calorie counting with one gram of protein yielding 4 calories, one gram of carbohydrate also yielding 4 calories and then one gram of fat yielding 9 calories. Then you have your essential vitamins and minerals also known as micronutrients on top such as calcium, zinc, iron and magnesium. You are required to plan your meals based around your “macros” based on your goals, whether it’s to lose fat or build muscle.

Here is an example, an 80kg man wanting to maintain might have a macro breakdown such as, 200g of protein per day, 300g of carbohydrates per day and 80g of fat per day. So in total he would be consuming around 2,700 calories per day. According to the principles of IIFYM as long as those numbers are hit everyday, the foods that are used to get there will not negatively affect body composition. The protein source could come from chicken breast, the carbs could come from potatoes or lollies and the fats could come from olive oil or ice cream, as long as the macros are being hit.

So does this actually work? well yes. In fact anything works if you ‘DO’ it. If we go back to the age old equation of calories in vs calories out plus sure if your body IS working efficiently and your aim is to lose weight you just need to consume less calories than what your body burns. It sounds simple right? If you want to lose weight calculate how many calories your burn, eat 20% less than this so you are in a calorie deficient and you will lose weight. In the short term and provided you haven’t done it too many times before and are female. (Yes our hormones do make us special creatures when it comes to weight loss)

instagram joke foodHowever a calorie is not a calorie when we talk about body composition. The ideal goal is to lose fat without losing too much muscle mass because especially ladies the more muscle mass you have, the more fat you are going to burn when you are resting so we want to preserve as much muscle as we can. You need to ensure you are getting enough protein to preserve muscle. You need to ensure you are getting enough carbohydrates to replenish glycogen stores after training and enough fat for hormone production (especially in us females). Technically the protein in a chicken breast and the protein in a McDonalds beef patty have the same amino acids in it but eating McDonalds everyday is definatly not going to give you the same ‘quality’ calorie which in our opinions is the part of this package which is missing, in other words so is the long term health goal of this dieting fad. This leads to the downfall of the IIFYM theory, just because you macros may allow you to eat McDonalds or cheesecake everyday, doesn’t mean it will serve your body well in the long term.

Food is so much more than just a serve of protein, carbs and fats it’s also a source of vitamins and minerals that help us with everyday body functions. A problem with lollies and other and processed foods is they’re deficient in macronutrients. A major benefit of eating “clean” (less processed foods) is it provides your body with an abundance of these nutrients. If you eat too many “junk” foods and too little healthy foods you will develop vitamin and mineral deficiencies that can and will definitely lead to health problems, one of those eventually being weight gain.

The best way to use the principles of IIFYM, or flexible dieting, are as follows:
Get at least 80% of your daily calories from healthy (macronutrient dense) foods that you actually like and don’t be afraid of little indulgences, actually that is one of the strengths of the IIFYM guidelines, women seem to be able to mentally ‘not fall off the rails’ as often by using it. As with every diet theory – things work if you do. If you can see results using this theory (which as I said will work if you do) then slowly add in more sources of quality food and make sure you educate yourself about quality of food sources, so you not only hit your macros but you feel amazing as well.

We personally think everyone is different and we need to listen to our bodies, but if following a set of guidelines get your results and doesn’t harm you, GO FOR IT and commit and you should see results within a few weeks.

What other diets have you tried or do you want to hear about, let us know in the comments below?

If you need help with tailoring a diet to you, don’t hesitate to drop us a line here

Article by Teena Kyriazis and Kate Martin

Sleep secrets

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Sleep SecretsIf you are having sleep problems, whether you are not able to fall asleep, wake up too often, don’t feel well-rested when you wake up in the morning, or simply want to improve the quality and quantity of your sleep, try as many of the following techniques below as possible (then look at addressing nutrition deficiencies – low levels of magnesium in the body also contribute to poor sleep patterns – if you are going to supplement with magnesium make sure it is ‘chelated’. For a magnesium I personally use and recommend, click here.)

The below article is something I have used with my clients for years and it’s from the ‘mercola.com’ website. Thanks Dr Joseph:

  • Listen to white noise or relaxation CDs. Some people find the sound of white noise or nature sounds, such as the ocean or forest, to be soothing for sleep.
  • Avoid before-bed snacks, particularly grains and sugars. This will raise blood sugar and inhibit sleep. Later, when blood sugar drops too low (hypoglycemia), you might wake up and not be able to fall back asleep.
  • Sleep in complete darkness or as close as possible. If there is even the tiniest bit of light in the room it can disrupt your circadian rhythm and your pineal gland’s production of melatonin and serotonin. There also should be as little light in the bathroom as possible if you get up in the middle of the night. Please whatever you do, keep the light off when you go to the bathroom at night. As soon as you turn on that light you will for that night immediately cease all production of the important sleep aid hormone, melatonin.
  • No TV (or computer use) right before bed. Even better, get the TV out of the bedroom or at least avoid watching it 1 hour before bedtime. It is too stimulating to the brain and it will take longer to fall asleep. Also disruptive of pineal gland function for the same reason as above.
  • Wear socks to bed. Due to the fact that they have the poorest circulation, the feet often feel cold before the rest of the body. A study has shown that this reduces night wakings.
  • Read something spiritual or religious. This will help to relax. Don’t read anything stimulating, such as a mystery or suspense novel, as this may have the opposite effect. In addition, if you are really enjoying a suspenseful book, you might wind up unintentionally reading for hours, instead of going to sleep.
  • Journaling. If you often lay in bed with your mind racing, it might be helpful keep a journal and write down your thoughts before bed. Personally, I have been doing this for 15 years, but prefer to do it in the morning when my brain is functioning at its peak and my coritsol levels are high.
  • Melatonin and its precursors. If behavioural changes do not work, it may be possible to improve sleep by supplementing with the hormone melatonin. However, I would exercise extreme caution in using it, and only as a last resort, as it is a powerful hormone. Ideally it is best to increase levels naturally with exposure to bright sunlight in the daytime (along with full spectrum fluorescent bulbs in the winter) and absolute complete darkness at night. One should get blackout drapes so no light is coming in from the outside. One can also use one of melatonin’s precursors, L-tryptophan or 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP). L-tryptophan is the safest and my preference, but must be obtained by prescription only. However, don’t be afraid or intimidated by its prescription status. It is just a simple amino acid.
  • Get to bed as early as possible. Our systems, particularly the adrenals, do a majority of their recharging or recovering during the hours of 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. In addition, your gallbladder dumps toxins during this same period. If you are awake, the toxins back up into the liver which then secondarily back up into your entire system and cause further disruption of your health. Prior to the widespread use of electricity, people would go to bed shortly after sundown, as most animals do, and which nature intended for humans as well.
  • Check your bedroom for electro-magnetic fields (EMFs). These can disrupt the pineal gland and the production of melatonin and seratonin, and may have other negative effects as well. To purchase a gauss meter to measure EMFs try Cutcat at 800-497-9516. They have a model for around $40. One doctor even recommends that people pull their circuit breaker before bed to kill all power in the house (Dr. Herbert Ross, author of “Sleep Disorders”).
  • Keep the temperature in the bedroom no higher than 70 degrees F. Many people keep their homes and particularly the upstairs bedrooms too hot.
  • Eat a high-protein snack several hours before bed. This can provide the L-tryptophan need to produce melatonin and serotonin.
  • Reduce or avoid as many drugs as possible. Many medications, both prescription and over-the-counter may have effects on sleep. In most cases, the condition, which caused the drugs to be taken in the first place, can be addressed by following the guidelines elsewhere on this web site.
  • Avoid caffeine. A recent study showed that in some people, caffeine is not metabolised efficiently and therefore they can feel the effects long after consuming it. So an afternoon cup of coffee (or even tea) will keep some people from falling asleep. Also, some medications, particularly diet pills contain caffeine.
  • Alarm clocks and other electrical devices. If these devices must be used, keep them as far away from the bed as possible, preferably at least 3 feet.
  • Avoid alcohol. Although alcohol will make people drowsy, the effect is short lived and people will often wake up several hours later, unable to fall back asleep. Alcohol will also keep you from falling into the deeper stages of sleep, where the body does most of its healing.
  • Lose weight. Being overweight can increase the risk of sleep apnea, which will prevent a restful night’s sleep.
  • Avoid foods that you may be sensitive to. This is particularly true for dairy and wheat products, as they may have effect on sleep, such as causing apnea, excess congestion, gastrointestinal upset, and gas, among others.
  • Don’t drink any fluids within 2 hours of going to bed. This will reduce the likelihood of needing to get up and go to the bathroom or at least minimize the frequency.
  • Take a hot bath, shower or sauna before bed. When body temperature is raised in the late evening, it will fall at bedtime, facilitating sleep,
  • Remove the clock from view. It will only add to your worry when constantly staring at it… 2 a.m. …3 a.m. … 4:30 a.m. …
  • Keep your bed for sleeping. If you are used to watching TV or doing work in bed, you may find it harder to relax and to think of the bed as a place to sleep.
  • Have your adrenals checked by a good natural medicine clinician. Scientists have found that insomnia may be caused by adrenal stress (Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, August 2001; 86:3787-3794).
  • If you are menopausal or perimenopausal, get checked out by a good natural medicine physician. The hormonal changes at this time may cause problems if not properly addressed. – Reducing grain consumption often helps to reduce the symptoms.
  • Don’t change your bedtime. You should go to bed, and wake up, at the same times each day, even on the weekends. This will help your body to get into a sleep rhythm and make it easier to fall asleep and get up in the morning.
  • Make certain you are exercising regularly. Exercising for at least 30 minutes everyday can help you fall asleep. However, don’t exercise too close to bedtime or it may keep you awake. Studies show exercising in the morning is the best if you can do it.
  • Put your work away at least one hour (but preferably two or more) before bed. This will give your mind a chance to unwind so you can go to sleep feeling calm, not hyped up or anxious about tomorrow’s deadlines.
  • Wear an eye mask to block out light. As said above, it is very important to sleep in as close to complete darkness as possible. That said, it’s not always easy to block out every stream of light using curtains, blinds or drapes, particularly if you live in an urban area (or if your spouse has a different schedule than you do). In these cases, an eye mask can help to block out the remaining light.
  • Go to the bathroom right before bed. This will reduce the chances that you’ll wake up to go in the middle of the night.
  • Establish a bedtime routine. This could include meditation, deep breathing, using aromatherapy or essential oils or indulging in a massage from your partner. The key is to find something that makes you feel relaxed, then repeat it each night to help you release the day’s tensions.