J for Oranges

Jaw, jaw, jaw

What muscles would you not exercise when you want to lose weight?

The muscles around your jaw of course!

J for Jaw it is!

If you eat too many calories and from the wrong sources you WILL get fat. Losing weight is 80% food and only 20% exercise. Hence very large people can lose weight without moving too much more to begin with.

Eat less, move more is often touted as the way forward. Lets take it one step at a time - start by eating less and eating the right stuff. Good quality protein some fats and natural/unprocessed carbohydrates.

Michelle 'keep it shut' Day

Juniper

Now I love a G&T before a dinner out and about
But I'm careful how much I drink as it doesn't help my fitness, weight-control or 'female issues'!

Some of my pals and I have tried several different gins and compared flavours (what little flavour the spirit has that is).

But what all real gins have in common is (or should be) Juniper.

Today is J for Juniper

Not just for gin but also good for insulin production hence could be useful if you're a diabetic. The berries can also be chewed to help inflammed or infected gums and oils in them clear uric acid from the body reducing gout symptoms.

You can also use them in cooking, crushed and added to meat or added to salt and garlic the add extra flavour to green veggies.

Michelle 'off to find a juniper tree' Day  

Joggers

 My name is Michelle and I'm a runner!

I don't run fast so you might call me a jogger.

J is for Jogger

Running or jogging is easy to do, you don't need much equipment and you can do it almost anywhere. But don't expect to lose lots of weight by just doing this unless you are really inactive right now.

Running and racing can be fun - the anticipation on the start line, the struggle and comradeship on the course, the medals and goodie bags at the end.

There are lots of clubs and social groups to join if you don't want to go out on your own. Just be careful not to overeat when you get home..!

Michelle 'drinking club with a running problem or vice versa' Day

Bottle jar, jar bottle

I think I stole this one from an old Tommy Cooper sketch...

J for Jar it is!

The jar is for lunch, your lunch. Or at least the contents are.
A Mason or Kilner jar can be a great container for your packed lunch for work.
There are lots of examples on the intermet - here's a link to a good article:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/11739154/The-best-jar-salad-recipes-for-on-the-go-lunches.html

Be creative!
Enjoy!

Michelle 'Jar-Jar' Day 

 Jump!

Jump is for Jump! (Boing! Boing!) today

Jumping or Plyometric exercises are great for developing power in your lower limbs. The explosive jumping or dropping onto a surface can help to build speed. A combination of bending and stretching in one fast move.

But - don't try this every session, your body won't stand for it!
Do - warm up first with smaller/gentler movements
Do - have a bit of fun with bunny hops or tuck jumps for a change!

Michelle 'Zebedee' Day 

I for the Engine

Individuals

What works for you might not work for others and vice versa!
You can't assume that yoiu will get the same results by using hte same place as your mates.

Realise that you are different - even if only in a small way.
Eat
Train and
Rest
For you.

Want help finding the right plan for you?
You know where to find us!


Iodine

It used to be applied to small wounds as an antisecptic but not so much now!

However, we still need it in small amounts in our bodies. It's good for maintaining thyroid function and hence metabolism.

Best food sources? Seaweed, seadfood, eggs, you can also buy iodized salt.

Seaweed is one of my favourite snacks - little squares of Nori available at the Chinese supermarkets and in the health food sections of large supoermarkets and in healthfood stores. It may be a little different from the more common crisps but is high in protein and fibre - go, on...go try some!

Michelle 'mermaid' Day



 Iliopsoas

With a bit of practise I can say it - Iliopsoas.

That's our word, or should I say muscle for today! Or should I say two muscles as it's actaully the refers to the combination of the psoas major and the iliacus at their inferior ends. These muscles are distinct in the abdomen, but usually indistinguishable in the thigh. As such, they are usually given the common name "iliopsoas" and are referred to as the "dorsal hip


 Investment

Apologies for the lateness of Friday's email - when I was free the mailchimp server was down and vice versa!!!

So - I just invested in me!

I bought a new pair of shoes for the gym.
Lifitng shoes
To improve my squats
They weren't cheap for something that will get used for one thing only
But they weren't Jimmy Choo prices!

Why is this an investment rather than just a purchase?
It will help me lift better and in doing so improve my fitness.

Don't see money spent on fitness and health (including good food) as a cost, change your thinking and realise that it is an investment in your life. Time spent working on you is not time wasted or something to fit in when you can or a chore. It's time invested too.

Not sure what/how to invest in you?
Come and see us - your fitness investment advisors!

Michelle '30 min investment in running ocmig up next 'Day

H for retiring

Hy-giene

No, not a hello to a new client but a word about your gym kit...
Please keep it clean folks, the warm damp sweaty environment of your workout clobber is an ideal breeding ground for bacteria. Bacteria that can cause nasty skin conditions - I've seen the odd case of 'gym rash' before and it's not nice.
Make sure you wash you kit well and often. Don't use fabric conditioner on wicking materials mind you - they won't work as well if you do.
As well as looking after your skin you'll also please your gym buddies too - or at least their olfactory sense!
Michelle Day
PS - Merino wool is the one expection to the 'wash every time' rule. It has anti-bacterial properties and can be reworn without smell or danger to skin for, well I trialled mine for a fortnight until my hubby kindly asumed it needed a wash even though it stilled seemed fine!


Habits

As a kid I loved watching Ronnie Barker in Porridge - he was the habitual offender in the title!
His habit was burglary!
I hope you have healthier habits!
Eating good food regularly - fruit, veg and meat
Exercising often - be it walking the dog, running or any indoor fitness pirsuits
Getting plenty of sleep - 6-8 hours a day, starting around 10pm.
These habits will keep you healthy. But you need to work at it to make them habits, things don't always 'just happen'. Sometimes you need a little push, sometimes it's more than once!
Keep at it and it will pay off!
Just had my habitual protein smoothie for breakfast - tastes great, it's easy to make and very portable. I just need to plan to make sure I have the right fruit and veggies in store and some vegan protein powder. Not much of an effort really now is it?
Michelle 'choco-raspberry smoothie' Day  


How do you make a hormone?

No, not a queue for a bad joke but a question that will now be answered...
 

Hormones are secreted from the endocrine glands in the body, directly into the blood stream Some of the major endocrine glands in the body include:

• Pituitary gland
• Pineal gland
• Thymus
• Thyroid
• Adrenal glands
• Pancreas
• Testes
• Ovaries

These organs secrete hormone in microscopic amounts and it takes only very small amounts to bring about major changes in the body. A very slight excess of hormone secretion or slightest deficiency in a hormone can disease and poor health.
In the cases of hormone deficiency, a synthetic hormone replacement therapy may be used and in cases of excess hormone production, medications may be used to curb the effects of the hormone.
And what do they do?

Hormones are chemical messengers telling the organs to exert their functions. There are many types of hormones some of these include:

• Development and growth
• Metabolism of food items
• Sexual function and reproductive growth and health
• Cognitive function and mood
• Maintenance of body temperature and thirst

It's important that we look after our bodies to ensure correct hormone balance (as far as we can). This includes not giving our livers too much to do - that detox idea? It's designed (when done properly) to assist the liver to perform it's function to the best of it's ability.
This is especially important if you are going through any major hormonal changes such as in pregnancy, menopause or puberty. This even extends to the skin care and cleaning products you use - which can also disrupt normal hormone balance.
This is a big area of study - just ask us for more support if needed.
Michelle' perfectly balanced' Day
Extra material from: http://www.news-medical.net/health/What-are-Hormones.aspx 


Be Happy!

Yep!
Do it!
Smile and be happy!

OK! OK! I know it won't solve everything and sometimes you just can't face it but exercising with a clear purpose and doing it regularly will increase production of hormones that lift mood and may you happier. Even getting out into the sunlight will have an uplifting effect.

So, maybe what I should have written was, exercise and be happy! Lack of knowing what to do/how to do it or a clear purpose holding you back and making you feel down?

You know where we are when you need us...

Michelle 

G for Get it!

It all went a bit 'Pete Tong' this week (or two) and I almost did ForGetIt!

Grehlin
Our first 'G' is Ghrelin - pronounced GREL-in.

This is the hunger hormone. When your stomach is empty it's secreted and when your stomach stretches secretion is stopped.

It also plays a part in energy distribution and rate of use by regulatng the amounts sent to fat or glucose storage or to muscles to allow them to work.

Ghrelin production is actually lower in people with more fat stores (except in the case of rare medical conditions) so no - your hormones are not making you fat in this case!





A week and a bit later I started again...

Good Morning again folks and apologies. I've been a little remiss on the daily email front.
TBH I was struggling to find good posts for 'G' and them there was a big pile of
work related stress and I sort of gave up on the emails.

Sorry, you didn't deserve that.
But I'm back now.

So what is todays 'G'?

It's is G for 'Good Morning'. A good morning will tend to follow a good nights sleep. Whilst we all need different amounts of sleep it's best for almost everyone to get to bed by 10 or 10:30.

Switch off your iphone, TV, radio and relax, put down your book/Kindle.
Thick curtains or blinds will help shut out any excess light.
Writing down your thoughts before sleeping may help to clear your busy mind.

Lack of sleep can be linked to obesity and depression amongst other ills - get good sleep and have a Good Morning!

 
Guilt
Food guilt?
Overrated!
And no help whatsoever to your fitness and diet efforts.

There are two other choices:
1. Don't eat/do it in the first place - no guilt
2. Do it and don't worry - no guilt

Feelings of guilt will only maked you stressed, raise your cortisol levels and hold onto more fat!


 

F for Vessence

Six weeks in and this may be becoming a habit!

Fitness
People ask me to help them get 'fit' but what do they really mean?
Fitness has many components, in this email we'll look at it from 5 perspectives.


1. Muscular Strength

What can you lift or carry? How heavy is that shopping bag?

2. Muscular Endurance

Endurance, ah yes we've just looked at that one (last week). This is the ability to keep going, for the muscles to contract time after time for a long time.

3. Cardiovascular Endurance

The ability of your heart and lungs to deliver and keep delivering the fuel and oxygen you need to continue your workout.

4. Flexibility

This one is often forgotten. You may be able to run for miles but can you move easily and bend and stretch without effort? Tomorrow we'll look at how to increase this component.

5. Body Fat Composition

How much fat is in your body? Deposits of fab in and around organs can be dangerous and you might still have thse even though you look slim. Get you body ft checked out - are you skinny or skinny-fat?

And so to 'F'

Fasting
Some religions practise it
Sometimes you have to do it for medical reasons
In truth (unless you get up every few hours during the night) we all do it.

Fasting is taking a break from eating, not just a usual, between meals or 'I'm full' couple of hours break but longer periods.

The 8-10 hours between you last meal in the evening and first the next morning is a period of fasting. It's easier to fast when you're asleep too!

Breakfast is called break fast because you are breaking the imposed (by sleep) nighttime fast period. (In my world breakfast is the first meal of the day, whatever time you have it, it's not always an early morning thing.)

Fasting for longer periods, regularly , say once or wice per week can be a way to get your body to start burning body fat for fuel.  It also works well as a method of reducing calorie intake as long as you don't make up for it on your other meals of course! Some believe it gives your body a rest from constantly digesting and processing food. Allowing it to recover and repair more effectively.

It will not harm you (unless you have a medical condition that precludes fasting - check with your doctor before trying if so), it is natural and your body can cope wth it. As a way to help fat burning and calorie reduction I've personally found it very useful.

Try doing your cardio workout in a fasted state to increase the fat burning effect - it's hard and feels horrible but it works!


Fear - it's stops many of us from doing many things

Fear of failure
Fear of looking silly
Fear of what your friends might say
Fear of taking the first step
Fear of what success might bring

We know, we see it all the time. We help, we support. We feel it too.
Dont be scared - we're here to help. Whether you've never been in the gym before, or never done exercise or you're going for a personal best, we're here for you.

Take a first step by contacting us via our website or facebook - you don't even have to make a call. Fill in the form and we'll take it from there.

Feel the fear and do it anyway!


Fat
Don't call yourself FAT, say you have too much of it perhaps but don't define yourself in terms of a macro nutrient folks!

Anyway, less of that and more of what is it and what is it for!

Well as I said, it's a macro-nutrient along with carbohydrates and proteins. You should be ingesting it, you need it to absorb vitamins A, D, E and K. However, fats have the highest number of calories per gram at 9, protein and carbs have 4 in comparison.

Now, before you panic and stop eating fat - remember my first point, you NEED to eat it. Also, unlike carbs it does not produce the spike in insulin that would case the storing of energy as fat...yep, fat does not make you fat.

Like all things, eat fat in moderation and make it the right fats. A little bit of yellow marbling on your steak is going to add to the flavour afterall.


Flexibility
Can you touch your toes without bending your knees?
Can you grab the fingers of one hand with the others, behind your back?

No?
Most of us should be able to.

Maybe you need to work on your flexibility?
It's not just a 'party trick' to be able to place your hands flat on the floor whilst standing but that one may actually save you from some back pain - tight hamstrings can lead to that too.

So how do you get more flexible?

The first answer that might come to mind is to stretch.
However, make sure that you have help to ensure you are stretching correctly,
Or even doing the correct type of stretches (no static holds on cold muscles please),
Do them often,
Progess (may them harder) them.

You could take a stretching class - specific classes do exist (we have one at my gym) or take a Yoga or Pilates class.

Drink more water - yep, lack of hydration can damage your flexibility too so get the water in!

And whilst your in the kitchen filling your glass make sure you eat well too - veggies, fruits, meats and fish.