Trainer 360

The Benefits Of Breakfast

2011-10-18T16:17:00.000-07:00

The more people i see as clients the more i realise that there are some fundamental trends that follow around those that struggle with body composition issues.

One such trend is the topic for this blog post - Breakfast. Or rather a lack of it...

Lets get this straight from the start, being fat isnt anyones fault. What it usually comes down to is a poor understanding of what is and isnt good for you. As a result of poor health education, in particular a poor understanding of nutrition, less than optimal food choices are made on a regular enough basis to ensure that over time body weight and therefore health, moves exponentially out of control.

One of the biggest issues i see with my largest clients is that they often skip meals. I would estimate that 90% of those i see with severe body composition issues skip at least one meal a day and i would say that in 90% of those that skip meals it is breakfast that is the missing link.

From 44in to 33in waist in 8 months by way of eating breakfast!

Mum always said that "breakfast was the most important meal of the day" and as it turns out she was almost certainly correct...

So what is it about breakfast that is so important and can it really make that much difference to your body fat levels...? For proof of what eating a better breakfast can do just check out the photo above. 8 months of eating breakfast, cutting out processed carbs and not skipping meals and thats what you can achieve.

A 'good' breakfast will set your body up to function optimally throughout the day but before i get onto that lets define what i call a 'good' breakfast, as often my definition and that of my clients doesnt quite match. For example I recently had a client of mine tell me that his breakfast was a ginger nut and a coke - he wasnt joking, it was (you know who you are!!! i can hear him sniggering at the mention of it) - but as his breakfast is usually nothing he argued that that could be classed as a 'good' breakfast...not likely!

A 'good' breakfast will often depend on the current health, body composition, circumstances and environmental demands of the coming day, but in my opinion i would call a 'good' breakfast one that contains zero processed carbohydrates, a good serving of protein from either eggs, meat, fish or nuts, some healthy fats (nuts, yogurt, avocado, fish or whole milk) and if demand requires some form of whole natural carbohydrate in the form of fruit (tomato, berries etc)or ideally vegetables like (spinach).

Unprocessed carbohydrates in the form of low glycemic fruit or berries are optional depending on some of the factors i listed above. The more body fat you need to loose the less carbs (in any form) you can tolerate so the less you should consume at breakfast - simple as that.

Charles Poliquin prescribes the Meat and Nut breakfast (follow this link to read more) which falls into this category, Robb Wolfe generally recommends leftovers for breakfast, Tim Ferris (the four hour body / work week) recommends a combo of eggs, green leafy vege and beans in some form or other. All of these fit into the guidelines i set out before but some have a better take up and produce better results than others.

If you can tolerate the thought of eating meat for breakfast this is my first option to rapidly change body composition and i have seen it happen time and time again for those willing to put their opinions aside and give it a go. If you can tolerate eggs and salmon, spinach and avocado then this is another pretty good option, if however you cant even stand the thought of food then i would usually kick you off with a whey protein shake with milk, yogurt and nuts as this can serve as a stepping stone to a whole food breakfast which is always the optimal choice.

Another option that i prefer not to use but do in some cases is a crushed nuts and seeds, berries and yogurt breakfast. This can also work as a stimulant to get the stomach juices flowing towards the meat and nut breakfast but is also good for providing a good combo of probiotics, healthy fats, antioxidants and proteins.

NB: Bare in mind here that if you are already lean, fit and healthy and are eating a high carb type of breakfast - say cereal and fruit or jam on toast then its quite possible that there is no need for you to change. We are all different after all, so what i am saying here mainly applies to those needing to improve their health or body composition.

If you're lean then there is a good chance you have a high tolerance to carbohydrates at any rate. Thats not to say that you wouldnt be healthier if you removed processed carbs as i truly believe that everyone can benefit from doing so. It makes perfect sense that our bodies function better with unprocessed fuel in its natural state.

So if you arent one of those who have gifted genetics that are wired for more muscle and better body composition its important you understand that you still need to fuel the machine to make it work. Our genes and bodies dont function without fuel so its important to make sure that you make better choices, more often, to stimulate a change in your body composition.

IE: "if what you are currently doing isnt working - do something different!"

How many of you out there continue to do the same thing yet expect a different result?

If you frequently skip meals or choose processed carbohydrates like Weetbix or Toast for breakfasts or have coffee before food in the mornings you cannot, in my opinion expect your body composition to change - no matter how much exercise you do. To stimulate change its imperative that you change something in your approach to your diet and nutrition and breakfast is, more often than not, the best place to begin.

Seriously though...how much nutrition is really in this rubbish?

For most its as simple as reducing the intake of processed carbohydrates and eating more whole foods, grass fed meats, fish and seafood, for others its simply eating more regularly to ensure that blood sugar is managed efficiently. It all sounds easy in principle but for someone who is so out of the habit of eating proper food in the mornings it can be a struggle of epic proportions...

So how does a 'good' breakfast help you?

For one, it has been shown that you will consume less calories throughout the rest of the day because a protein based breakfast balances your blood sugar levels for a lot longer than a processed carb breakfast - keeping you fuller for longer.

Balanced blood sugar levels helps to ensure that we make better choices when we do get hungry as we wont be 'starving' and likely to eat anything that is in front of us in the cupboard or the kitchen.

A breakfast that supplies protein, fats and carbs in the right portions will help your body function more effectively by supplying the body with an array of health promoting macro and micronutrients.

It goes without saying that following this advice and eating breakfast will therefore reduce your risk of type II diabetes as well as the likelyhood of you becoming obese instead helping you to be leaner, healthier and happier!

Paul Chek says that there are only 3 choices in life - the optimal choice, the sub-optimal choice and doing nothing....

So when it comes to breakfast the optimal choice is to make breakfast your first priority of the day and eat whole foods that will provide adequate sustenance and balance blood sugar levels, the sub-optimal choice is to eat anything available (ginger nut and coke anyone?) and the other choice is to do nothing - and we know where thats going to get you....

Organic Dilemmas

2011-09-16T18:29:00.000-07:00

A question i get quite often from clients is whether or not its worth the money and effort to eat organic food...

Of course in an ideal world i would say of course it is. Mostly however i suggest that my clients do so where possible.

My main course of reasoning for championing organic and spray free foods is that if you take a look at the containers of most sprays, pesticides and herbicides before they are dumped into and onto our food chain you will clearly see a skull and crossbones marked in a corner on the back of the container alongside the word 'POISON', which is often closely followed by the phrase 'Do Not Consume'.

Hold on...'Do Not Consume'? Why the hell are we putting that crap on our food then....?

The counter argument to all this is usually that 'the amounts in our food are in such small quantities that it doesnt do us any harm'.

I tend to disagree with this statement as its important to consider that any foreign chemical that enters the body and cannot be used, be it by smell, skin or consumption has to be detoxified and therefore places added stress on the bodies detoxifying systems - liver, lymph, skin, urinary and rear end!

Its complete ignorance to believe that just because something is small doesnt mean it cant cause problems - after all Oxygen particles are small yet they power our body and brain, hormones are small yet they are the messengers that help our tissues communicate with each other and snowflakes are small yet they can cause an avalanche or stop us in our tracks when it snows heavily.

Over time, if the conditions for detoxification arent optimal (mainly due to diet) the system becomes overloaded and the toxins can end up being stored in the body - usually in the fat cells away from the central organs - instead of being cleared in the appropriate manner.

Not only do these chemicals build up over time but they some have been shown to mimic the hormone Estrogen (and are duly called xenoestrogens) in the body and thus can disrupt normal Estrogen signaling by taking up valuable receptor space. This is obviously not ideal in men as we are supposed to have a ratio of 50 : 1 Testosterone to Estrogen so the build up of xenoestrogens is likely to upset this ratio.

Over the years various sprays have been linked to cancer and other ailments and have thus been pulled from the marketplace. Exactly what we will find out in years to come remains to be seen but often when it comes to big business, money buys results as well as research so its important to understand that not all of the data available on this subject is from balanced, unbiased sources.

Another argument from those against sprays in our foods is that the chemicals we take in could potentially be reacting together within our bodies in a way that disguises them from being seen - therefore no study could possibly 100% detect whether they are in fact sitting there or have cleared the body through natural detoxification pathways.

Its not rocket science to come to the conclusion that spray free or organically grown fruit and vegetables are going to place less toxic overload on your body than foods that have been sprayed. Whether or not organic food tastes better or contains better vitamin and mineral content is debatable but can be probably dismissed as irrelevant if you decide that you would rather not have your food dipped in POISON before you eat it.

Obviously there are other factors like cost and accessibility that play a part in whether or not you choose to eat spray free or organically grown and raised foods instead of your standard supermarket fare.

Its also worth considering that 'if you are what you eat you are also what they eat' so animals raised on crop that are sprayed may be just placing more toxic load on your system. Again price is a factor but the question that needs to be asked really is... what is the cost on my health in the long term?

In our case we have found a nearby market on a Saturday where we have started to purchase in season, spray free fruit and vege. The cost is, without doubt slightly more expensive but the food definitely tastes pretty good, as you would hope, but the best thing is the feeling you get from knowing that you are choosing to do something that is good for your body as well as for your family. All whilst supporting local farmers in your community and thus contributing positively to the bigger picture - I, We, All and of course the planet.

Gentle Liver Cleanse & Beyond

2011-08-22T01:30:00.000-07:00

After 4 months on the Poliquin Gentle Liver Cleanse i must say i am relieved to not be taking the chinese medicine formula. The taste was nothing short of disgusting and made me gag on more than one occasion - especially if you managed to get a few granules caught under your tongue whilst swallowing down the formula semi dissolved in warm water...

Generally the side effects i was expecting were minimal at best. There were a few bad smells but nothing out of the ordinary like i was expecting. No liver spots or bad bouts of zits although i did get a couple of headaches which i arent usually prone to.

In the same breath i must admit that there were a few occasions where i had a drink or two - mainly a couple of glasses of red wine (see previous post) and two nites when i did have a couple of beers - but for the most part i didnt even finish the glass or bottle. So if nothing else the whole process helped my liver through a reduction in alcohol consumption. In saying that with an 18mth old daughter and a strong focus on my own training my alcohol consumption and penchant for partying is not what it once was.

I did find that the Liver Cleanse improved my sleep quality significantly - no more waking up to pee at 2 in the morning - i have even noticed a renewed charge in my energy levels and focus - especially when training. My stubborn body fat levels have been reducing slowly as well, dropping around 2% over the course of the protocol whilst my weight stayed the same at around 96kg.

As i mentioned in a previous post my goal for the Liver Cleanse was to improve my ability to modulate and detoxify Estrogens from my system so im hoping to see a more pronounced response during the course of my next protocol - see below.

Beyond The Liver Cleanse

As of last friday i am undertaking an Estrogen / Insulin protocol suggested by Luke Leaman an extremely well respected Poliquin Biosig Instructor. I picked up the protocol from the very useful coaches community resource which is available for Poliquin Qualified Practitioners.

Exactly what the protocol requires is outlined below but my reasoning for doing this protocol is that although i train hard and eat well i still have reasonably poor Estrogen modulation which is indicated by high triceps, quad and gluteal skinfolds.

Currently my Pec fold is 3mm (down from 4.2m) and Triceps is 8.2mm (down from 9.6mm) - perhaps due to my previously mentioned penchant for partying whilst at Uni and in the Uk - beer affects these sites greatly due mainly to its ability to mimic estrogen in the body. For proof just check out the number of men with moobs or manboobs who happen to be having a brew (or 9) at your local next friday nite.

NB: A triceps of 6mm would indicate an appropriate Pec : Triceps ratio of 1:2

Being a New Zealander it is almost a certainty that i will struggle with the quad / hamstring folds as these are heavily effected by environmental toxins such as pesticides and herbicides and unfortunately there tends to be a lot of in our food chain, mainly due to our nation being a largely agricultural society. Most clients i see here in NZ have a relatively high hamstring skin fold score (usually priority number 1 on the Bio-signature software) - im not making excuses here just stating how it plays out.

The best way to combat this would be a shift to organic spray free foods. We also have the current challenge of chlorine in the water supply post quakes which i am sure is overloading our detoxification systems here in Christchurch at least.

Poor Insulin management can also cause Estrogen issues - hence the double pronged attack. Its worth noting that Estrogen tends to be well modulated (detoxed by the body) by herbs and green stuff - by stuff i mean stuff like green tea and green leafy vegetables so i will be attempting to eat and drink more of those in my diet over the the next month - this shouldnt be an issue as i love vegetables (ie: half plate of green beans and silverbeat for dinner tonite) and dont mind green tea so will be going for 1-2cups / day.

As it happens i will also be getting a double dose of those from some of the supplements ill be taking during the protocol which is as follows:

My standard health and wellness protocol consists of...

HCl Ultra 4.0 - digestive enzyme for digestive support

Uber Nutrients & Multi Intense (iron free) - Multivitamin and Mineral for cell health and detoxification support

Opti EFA & 720 Blend - Fish oils rotated every two weeks for cell health and blood sugar management

while the Estrogen Modulation protocol consists of...

Poly Estro Detox & DIM - Estrogen detoxification support mainly from Cruciferous Vegetable extracts rotated weekly.

Glucose Disposal Px - herbs to aid blood sugar management.

Calcium-D-Glucarate - estrogen detoxification supports removal of used hormones.

and post-workout i take...

Whey Protein, Glutamine, Glycine & Magnesium.

This seems like a lot of supplements, but its not indicative of what i take all the time. Generally i take my standard health protocol but for the next month i have added the Glycine and Glutamine to my post workout whey with this protocol to enhance detoxification.

It goes without saying that i place the most emphasis on eating well - mainly Paleo style (caveman eating - meat, vege, nuts seeds, eggs, fruit in limited amounts), drink lots of water 2-3L / day, the odd glass of red wine, a couple of coffees / day, training hard and of course always "finishing my set"!

(see link if you dont understand the reference to "finishing my set")

A Day In the diet and life of...

2011-08-21T02:42:00.000-07:00

This is a previous blog that i thought i posted but obviously didnt get published properly - ive only just realized so here it goes...

I decided i would do a post for my blog on what i eat on a typical day after speaking with one of my clients about eating regularly and making better choices to induce better changes in body composition. She couldnt believe what i ate when i told her but i think this will provide a good insight into what goes in on a daily basis...

This is what i ate today which is relatively typical and includes supplements. Its worth noting that im currently 78 days into a 128 day Liver Detox from which i hope to bring my livers detoxification capacity and capabilities back up to scratch so that i become more efficient at clearing Estrogen's which is where i tend to store my body fat at the moment - particularly on the triceps (currently 9.6mm and doesnt want to budge), quads (11.2mm) and hamstrings (16.7mm).

Dont get me wrong here im not super lean by any stretch of the imagination - coming in at around 13.4% BF. This needs to improve thus the large dose of fish oil and liver detox at the moment.

6.30am - Wake up: there were loads of shakes and shudders last nite (14 in all including a 5.3) so not an ideal sleep. My daughter, who is 17 months had to sleep in our bed which isnt ideal either but she was scared and wouldnt sleep alone (who can blame her - my wife and i are scared during those damn earthquakes - so we do what we have to)...anyway...
7am - Breakfast: 2 Leftover lamb chops, 3 egg omelet with four cherry tomatoes and a dollop of cream cheese and a small handful of nuts (6-8). Supplements were 2 x Multi Intense, 1 x Lipotronic Excellence (part of the detox), 4 x 720 Blend Fish Omega 3 (3g in total) and 3 x Digestzymes washed with half a glass of water.
7.40am - Coffee: strong and dark with cream and cinnamon.
Daughter goes back down to sleep and i get some paper work and programming done for the day ahead.
9am - Clients start. Water on tap whilst training them.
10.05am - Snack: Sneak inside for a quick handful of mixed nuts before my next client - Brazil, Hazelnuts, Cashews and Pecans about 10-15 or so.
11.10am - Another client comes in - more water.
12.10pm - Inside and quickly and get some turkey drums on the go with lentils and mushrooms before shooting off to the park for my Parkfit group....
12.35-1.15pm - Train Park group then home for lunch
1.20pm - Lunch: My lovely wife has brought home sushi...damn the dilemma (not technically paleo - lots of carbs in that rice...) - today i indulge.
Sups - same combo as breakfast.
1.20-3pm - more paper work, GST & Taxes suck! Also 30mins of play and mucking about outside with my daughter. Another coffee same as my first of the day.
3pm - Second Lunch: a taste test of the turkey becomes a second lunch (this is pretty standard for me). 2 drums down. No sups at this stage.
4pm - My wifes crossfit group kick off their session, today is a heroes workout called - Badger!
30 Squat Cleans (20kg), 30 Horizontal Pull Ups on Rings and an 800m Run 3 rounds for time....ouch! I did it yesterday and definitely feeling my pins - resting up today as im in for a tough one tomorrow with Lee Attril who is taking me through an Olympic Lifting Session - need to work on my cleans and snatches....cant wait!
5.15pm next client arrives and trained - constantly on the waters...
6.30pm - Dinner at the in-laws. A great meal tailored for my fussy Paleo requirements. Beautiful Lamb with heaped broccoli, cauliflower a single yam and a piece of pumpkin. A taster glass of red (not even a 100ml) from Margs cellar which is always hard to turn down - even on a liver detox diet...(gulp)!
Supplements again the same as breakfast and lunch and washed down with a bit of water and a few spoons of full fat yogurt as i didnt take them out to dinner.

So there's a day in my diet along with all the other stuff that goes on. No training in there as its a rest day for me and im also expecting a full on session tomorrow so wanted to be freshish so i can make the most of it. When i do train i take 60g of Whey protein with 20g of Glycine - and Glutamine if i have it in stock - post workout (within 10mins) then i try and eat within the hour.

As you can see i havent chosen a super strict day to demonstrate what i eat. I chose this day for the regularity and variation of the diet. For me to get to my goal of 10% i am going to have to be more strict on my carb intake no sushi style lunches and i think that for me i tend to get leaner faster when i dont have eggs at breakfast.

Once the liver detox is over it will be time to reassess and go for a stricter approach. Til then think more about what youre eating and try and implement regular feeds into your day best results...

The Wonders of Omega 3

2011-05-29T19:52:00.000-07:00

The secret is well and truly out - Fish oil (or Omega 3) has been shown to help almost every aliment on the planet and therefore should be an essential piece of your personal health puzzle.

There is now literally tonnes of research available that shows that Omega 3 helps reduce symptoms of almost every disease known to man. As if that wasnt enough by itself Omega 3's are also anabolic (meaning they help promote increased muscle growth), they support healthy trigylceride levels (great for reducing risk of Heart Disease, stroke and Diabetes), benefit blood sugar management and insulin signaling (again reducing risk of Diabetes and Obesity), improve cell communication and viscocity (which means that nutrients are more easily able to move in and out of your cells), and they can improve memory, attention span and concentration, behaviour, strengthen your immune system, improve chances of conception, promote healthy feotal development as well as improve organ function...and this is not even a fully comprehensive list...

Simply put if you arent taking Omega 3 you are more likely to be fatter, unhealthier and dying earlier...

So why are they so good for you and where do you get some...?

Omega 3s are essential fatty acids which means that they cannot be produced in the body and must be consumed in your diet. Western diets tend to have an over consumption of Omega 6 from our propencity to consume large amounts of plant material - particularly grains so generally we have an Omega 3:6 imbalance that is somewhere in the region of 1:20 rather than the optimal 1:1 or 1:2 (depending on who you listen to).

Omega 3's are most easily available from Fish and Seafood - hence fish oils being the primary source although we can produce them from other sources like Flax Seeds, although the raw materials still have to be converted within the body so its actually much more efficient and effective to consume them directly from seafood or as a supplement.

There are two parts of omega 3 that you should consider before you buy some. The EPA component that is largely used in the bodies tissues and helps to reduce inflammation and manage blood sugar levels while the DHA component largely serves us in the Brain and Muscle tissues helping with muscle contraction, concentration and neurological wear and tear.

The benefits of Omega 3 supplementation are proven and unequivocal so both increasing your intake of wild fish and taking a supplement regularly can help rebalance your omega 3:6 ratios and improve your general health and performance at work as well as on the sports field.

The best brands i have found are Poliquin Performance - i use the EPA 720 blend and Opti EFAs you can buy some here. The other brand i like is the Nordic Naurals from Norway they have a fantastic reputation as an eco-friendly and savy company that provides some of the purest and best quality Omega 3 product on the planet. Buy them online or from your local pharmacy.

Personally i take 4-6 caps a day split either 3 x 2 caps or 2 x 3 caps and alternate the brand or product regularly (usually between Opti EFA, 720 Blend from Poliquin and Nordic Naurals Omega 3 Liquid with Vitamin D) so as to avoid potential sensitivities (after all this is one supplement that is actually a food source - you wouldnt eat beef every day for a whole month would you?)

I have witnessed clients, friends and family use Omega 3 to help them with issues ranging from ADHD, conception problems, stiff joints, skin problems and immune strength with huge success so they go highly recommended for anyone wanting to support disease states, reduce the aging effect or just to improve their overall health and performance.

The wonders of Omega 3 are many but like all nutritional products you pay for quality so dont compromise on such an important nutrient or you might just pay with your health.

Gentle Liver Cleanse Part II

2011-05-05T02:29:00.000-07:00

Well im now 30 days into my gentle liver cleanse and my feeling is that the protocol is....well....gentle....

Not really too much happening in Phase 1 as of yet although in saying that i didnt really expect anything major until i begin taking the herbs in Phase II which is when ive heard things get a little more interesting.

Ive now done 5 of 6 days of alternating the Hanzo herbs as is suggested. They look like granulated pieces of clay and taste fine at first by each time ive taken them ive almost gagged at the taste of the granules that are left wallowing at the bottom of the glass or even worse in my mouth. The taste is far from pleasant and ironically resembles a horrid tipple that a good friend bestowed upon me at my Groomsmen celebration which from memory was called Balsam. In actual fact i remember almost throwing up then too.

Funny how life plays these little tricks on you now and then....

Anyway apart from the appalling taste of the herbs, when i was taking the supplement at the start of Phase 1 im positive that i was sleeping more soundly. Not that i usually sleep poorly but i was waking feeling more rested - perhaps it was the Inositol in the formula but thats only guessing. Guess ill find out if that was the case for sure when i begin Phase II on friday - taking 1 Lipotronic Excellence at Breakfast and Lunch....

Perhaps my poop has been more reliable than usual - i have suffered with moderate to severe constipation due to gluten intolerance but thats pretty good as long as my diet is restrictive to glutenous aggravators...nothing untoward in that area though but some mighty smelling number ones on the odd occasion so going to up the hydration levels for Phase II (we get to smell it because here in Chch its the old "if its brown flush it down, if its yellow let it mellow" scenario due to water restrictions and plumbing issues...)

All in all my nutrition has been solid - i did have one glass on red wine two weeks ago and a sip which provided me with an ultra nasty headache by the time i went to bed on Sunday but other than that nothing else.

Food wise things have been pretty good and training has been solid with some good gains for me in my last few workouts including a PB in the Barbell Back Squat for 5RM (which is still relatively shabby mind you) and I beat my time for the Crossfit workout Jackie by 30 seconds which i was pretty happy about considering my legs were dead from the previous days workout.

As far as body composition goes my lovely assistant (wife) will be taking them tomorrow nite at the end of the Phase so it will be interesting to see if anything has changed significantly.

Ok - think thats about it for Phase I - hope it wasnt too disappointing a read. Im looking forward to Phase II and prepping the Liver for what should be some tougher times at the end of Phase II when the herbs are brought back into play.

Til then. Train Hard. Train Right.

Gentle Liver Cleanse Post I

2011-04-09T16:16:00.000-07:00

Well its been a hell of a 6 weeks for me and my family.

Obviously Christchurch's humungous earthquake has had a somewhat negative effect on my client base, income and more importantly the emotional health of my friends, family and the city's inhabitants but in a complete demonstration of positive / negative life balance we have enjoyed witnessing some very joyous occasions over the past few weeks as some of our closest friends and family have married. In the end we have survived a series of earthquakes and in total, 5 weddings over the last 6 weekends.

It has been both a privilege and a pleasure seeing our friends and family members walk up the isle and tie the knot but the prolongled festive period has seen my training interrupted (not too badly which has been a saving grace), my Paleo diet fall on a few hiccups (mainly thanks to my own poor planning and limited choices) and the consumption of sustained and substantial amounts of alcohol which of course has added to the fun and festivities.

If you choose to consume alcohol and make poor food choices, as i have over the last few weekends, you have to expect that doing so will impact your health, as does everything that you eat or drink. I have been aware of the impact throughout and have done my utmost to ensure that i catch up on sleep and make the more optimal choices as often as possible while away but this has not sufficed...

Enter the liver cleanse....
Ever since living in the UK for 7 years i have struggled to modulate and eliminate Estrogens from my body which has prevented the upper legs, triceps and pecs from leaning up. This is probably due to the fact that London is heavily polluted with environmental toxins and add to that a poor diet (for the first 4 years or so anyway) and an even poorer lifestyle of convienece and more than my share of partying, clubbing and boozing (...shhh dont tell mum).

As i understood that this was the case i have been thinking of doing a liver cleanse for a while now. Unfortunately i only managed to get the products 2 months ago and as we were coming into wedding season i decided to put it off for another couple of months until our social calendar cooled off a little - so it seems like the perfect time for me to give this a really good go over the next four months.

4 months i hear you say - what the hell are you doing?

Well... im undertaking the 'Poliquin Gentle Liver Cleanse' (which can be purchased through a bio-signature practitioner). It uses a set protocol of herbs and supplements to help gently cleanse the liver over 126 days (a little over 4 months).

During the cleanse there are 4 phases which are designed to provide the liver with the nutrients it needs to purge toxins from the body.

The products used are Lipotronic Excellence (2 bottles) and 1 box of a Liver Cleansing Chinese Medicinal Herbal Formula manufactured by a Japanese company called Honso.

The protocol is designed to slowly and 'gently' prepare and provide the Liver with the nutrients it needs whilst providing set breaks to let the liver recover from the extra workload.

From what i have heard things can get pretty rough along the way, and im expecting the worst, but thats what i intend to share with you on this blog along the way.

I began on tues with 1 tab of Lipotronic Excellence (or LE) after breakfast and will continue with this until the herbs are introduced on day 26. Apparently they taste worse than they smell but i intend to give it a good shot so will keep you informed as to how im feeling and what's going on.

So far so good - ive been feeling pretty normal, poop is nice and solid, i might just be sleeping a little better -good deep sleeps and waking feeling more refreshed than normal - perhaps the inositol in the LE although there's a chance it could just be my body catching up after some late nights over the last few weekends...?

Alongside the cleanse protocol i intend to continue with my general health program of:

Diet:
Paleo Diet -
Meat, fish, nuts or eggs for breakfast usually in combo or with some spinach
Salads meat fish for lunch
Meat, fish, chicken and vegetables for dinners
Snacks - more of the same usually leftovers or nuts and a piece of fruit on the odd occasion yogurt.
Post workout shakes Defining Whey Protein Powder (Reactiv NZ), Glycine 20g (Poliquin Performance) usually with water but a couple of times a week with Raw Milk when available and a raw egg.
Coffee - 2-3 / day with a little cream and pinch of cinnamon
Water 2-3l / day - pretty much as much as i can drink

Supplements:
2x2 Multi Intense / day (Poliquin Performance multivitamin)
3x 2-3 Poliquin 720 Blend / day alternating with the Poliquin Opti EFA (Omega 3) and Nordic Naturals Omega 3 liquid with Vitamin D
2x Digest Force with each meal (digestive enzymes and HCL)

Training:
Crossfit workouts 3x / week usually a WOD (Workout Of the Day) and then combined with some more traditional training protocols at the moment cluster training but often prehab exercises for shoulder strength and stability. Mainly exercises and variations that i feel are missed in the CrossFit system.

Judging by my Bio-signature results im sitting at around 13-14% body fat which i have been for a long while now. My wife took the measurements as there are no other practitioners here in Christchurch so this could be a little inaccurate. My goal is 10% which should be very achievable although ive been stuck at this point for a while now so we will see how this goes.

As an aside, I was talking to a friend of mine who is a Dr about my little endeavor at the last wedding we were at and he mentioned that he thought that these liver cleanses and the like were potentially dangerous. I agreed that that is almost certainly the case for many detox protocols but i felt that this one was different for a number of reasons - hence my willingness to give it a crack.

The difference with this detox or cleanse is that lemon juice is optional and not the base for the detox, you dont just eat cabbage for 4 weeks or are only allowed soup! Instead you are encouraged to follow a 'normal', 'healthy', paleo diet and train as per usual alongside the cleanse. The prep and work is done by the Honso herbs and nutrients in Liptronic Excellence which are designed to assist the liver and not torment it.

Detoxification requires that the body have enough vitamins to attach to the toxins, the right amino acid to attach to the toxin and then slightly alkaline blood to help purge the toxin from the body. This is achieved by eating a diet with adaquate protein and green leafy vegetables which the Paleo Diet plentifully provides and drinking enough fluid.

It will be interesting to see how this goes over the next four months. I intend to drink zero to very little alcohol - perhaps a single glass of red wine here and there if anything to give my liver the best chance possible to work its magic.

I always get a kick out of trying out different protocols and self experimenting with diet and training and im sure this wont be any different so bring on the honso herbs....(although i may not be saying that in a few days time....gulp!)

A change is as good as a holiday.

2011-03-28T13:22:00.000-07:00

They say a change is as good as a holiday and I would have to agree that this holds true - well for me anyway - not just in life but also in your training as well as with your diet.

Changing your training method and introducing a little variation or being a little inventive with your food choices can be an excellent way to give your body the break it needs to stimulate further growth, break through a plateau or provide the interest you need to keep you on the straight and narrow with your health regime.

Personally I find that what works best is roughly sticking to the same types of meals each and every week but every now and then i will challenge myself to come up with a couple of new meals so that we dont become too disinterested in our meals and begin reaching for foods that will ruin all the good work we have done.

As I do 99% of the cooking in our household I feel that its my responsibility to keep meal times interesting and enjoyable - granted there is the odd taste bomb but more often than not i will come up with something that excites the tastebuds and provides us with the variation of nutrients our bodies need to help keep us on the health wagon.

Now Im no master chef but i can hold my own. Im not really a details person so Im not great at following recipes so i do my best to let my creative juices flow and get a little inventive. Whether you choose to go for a recipe or DIY is up to you but here are a couple of suggestions that can be useful.

See what there is left in the fridge and then google a recipe using the ingredients you found. This is a great way to add some variation and it never ceases to amaze me what comes up.
Try a Robb Wolf special and use his Paleo Food Matrix this provides a list of proteins, oils, spices and vegetables that you can use in various combinations to provide some extremely interesting variations in your food choices.
Use a different cooking method - try crockpot (or slow cookers), Barbq, poaching, marinades, casseroles or steaming
One of my favorites is to combine two recipes to come up with your own - i landed this one by mistake one day when cooking a fish recipe and it worked out a treat...

When it comes to training the same principles apply.
Our bodies are incredible machines that adapt extremely quickly quickly diminishing gains and returns from your time and effort investment so providing variation in your training is incredibly important.

Variation can help improve all round performance and ensures continued improvement as it allows you to continually challenge different metabolic systems and create stimulus of different muscle groups and pools of fibers (fast twitch / slow twitch etc).

There are many ways to change the stimulus in your training and here are a few:

change the exercise - do something you dont usually do or dislike or choose an exercise that might help you improve an area you are currently struggling with or have a weakness in...(eg: front squats instead of deadlifts)
intensity - this can be difficult to judge but could can be measured using heart rate, resistance, reps, sets etc
resistance - amount of overload on the muscular system
number of repetitions - should be correlated to intensity and resistance
number of sets - a simple way to increase or decrease overload
distance - distance to be completed goes hand in hand with intensity and time
height - for jumps
time - challenge yourself under timed conditions
grip - this changes the muscle recruitment patterns
tempo - adjusting time under tension
rest period - increasing or decreasing rest between sets / exercises
supersetting - combining 2 or more exercises
training method - intervals, fartlek, 5% method, wave training, german body comp, crossfit, lactate threshold, circuits etc etc etc

As you can see the ways to stimulate change are many and varied so if you are struggling with how to structure your workouts get professional advice from a trainer or coach who knows what they are doing. Its money well spent in my opinion.

Too often i see people struggling along with the same old workouts over and over until they are left wondering why their body isnt changing like it should. If you arent up for investing your money on yourself and getting professional advice on reaching your health goals then find a program or introduce some variation to your training sporadically and see how it helps you continue to progress.

With my clients i change the workout at least every 6th time depending on their goals. With some clients i implement Crossfit style workouts that change every single time they come into see me so that their bodies have no chance of adapting and reaching a plateau. Personally I use a combination of Crossfit and traditional methods to provide me with a large amount of variation and keep me interested so i guess if a change is as good as a holiday then training wise im on holiday all year round...

Ten Tips to Help Improve Your Body Composition

2011-02-08T16:02:00.000-08:00

Tip 1.
Don't skip meals or snacks....

Tip 2.
Decrease your stress levels.

Tip 3.
Eat dinner leftovers for lunch.

Tip 4.
Try to eat something green and leafy with every meal.

Tip 5.
Replace root vege with extra protein at meal times.

Tip 6.
Add cinnamon to your coffee to help manage blood sugar.

Tip 7.
An ideal snack is a handful of nuts (any type except peanuts are fine) and an apple or handful of berries

Tip 8.
Instead of reaching for those sandwiches take a large lettuce leaf and use it as a wrap for your filling of choice. This way you are removing the inflammatory effects of grains and consequently gluten.

Tip 9.
In the same vein as Tip 8. cut a pepper (or two) around the stalk and then slice in half length wise - remove any seeds. Boil an egg or two, mix the egg with cottage cheese, some fresh parsley or basil and a protein like salmon (i use wild alaskan tinned salmon - not ideal but tasty all the same) or chicken, salt and pepper to taste and smear on the pepper then destroy it in record time! Makes a simple and tasty lunch.

Tip 10.
Get to the gym and do some Resistance or strength training!

Killer Kit For Your Home Workout!

2010-12-06T00:15:00.000-08:00

Contrary to popular belief the best piece of home equipment that is around at the moment is not the Ab Roller Mark 10, the Ab-Circle Pro, nor is it the Bowflex Ultimate 2.0 rather it is the door frame mounted chin up bar. For the measly sum of $50 - $80 NZD you can be adding pull ups and chin ups to your home work-outs. There are several types around but the door frame mounted bars are really a very simple idea that can add a new lease of life to your workouts not to mention adding muscle to your frame and tone to your back and arms.

Several of my clients have purchased these and use them regularly outside of their sessions. One of my clients even has it set up outside the computer room door and has a max pull up entry fee for the kids - ie: they must do one set of as many pull ups as they can muster before entering. They are also relatively easy to transport - if you so wish.

When choosing exercises to do at home its no secret that choosing exercises that provide your body with the most neuro-muscular activation or 'bang for your buck' provides you with the best return on your precious time investment. For the back and arms chin ups / pull ups are unmatched. Granted they are difficult but they are definitely worth the pain and anguish!

So where to start. If you cant do a full pull up (palms facing away from you) or chin up (palms towards you) do not fret. Being able to do a full chin is a fantastic first goal and there are several ways to begin working towards it. Always try and set a bench mark or where you are at before you begin your training program so record your maximum reps and then follow a training program and re-test at a later date to see how you have improved.

If you cannot do a single rep from a full hang grab a chair and place one foot on the chair while the other hangs free so that if you drop you can get a foot on the floor rather than go knees or butt first. This will allow you to self spot (or assist), taking enough load off your arms so that you can complete a set number of repetitions and follow your program.

Another method that can be used to improve your performance on the chin up is eccentrics or negatives. Jump up so that you start by holding yourself at the top of the movement and then lower yourself slowly to the bottom of the movement. There are a couple of methods that work for this
1. Lower yourself as slowly as you can to the bottom position. Repeat this between 3-5 times with a rest in between each effort. Be sure to count each one and record how slow you can go.
Or 2. Take a set time say a 5 count and lower yourself from the top to the bottom for the entire 5 seconds. Rest 120 seconds and do as many sets as you are able to stick to the 5 second lowering period. Once you can do five sets go to 10 seconds. Keep increasing the time under load until you can do 5 sets of 30 seconds. Rest a couple of days then try for a pull up.

The thing to remember with this is that you only get good at pull ups by doing pull ups. So doing as many as you can do and then spotting yourself using the foot on chair method works a treat to improve your performance.

Coupling your pull ups with push ups and doing squats and lunges can give you a pretty decent workout at home if thats what you're after. Adding the right equipment like some dumbbells, a swissball, bench and a kettle-bell or two can hugely increase the number of exercises and variety in your workouts.

Get to it & don't forget to purchase a set of arm straighteners to use after your first workout.

Water – the liquid of life!

2010-11-23T10:45:00.000-08:00

As we are roughly 65% water its important to recognise that H2O is the single most important nutrient for optimal everyday function. Just 10% dehydration can lead to impaired performance and ensuring that we maintain our hydration levels is vital to our survival. After all we die in just 3 days without water. Water is vital in the human body for cell communication and to create concentration gradients so that vitamins and minerals can move in and out of our cells. Its also important for controlling body temperature and detoxification.

If you aren’t drinking enough water chances are your body and mind will be suffering with impaired performance at work and at home, you may be suffering from headaches, you may be overweight, have adult acne, foul smelling excrement and dark brown urine. Think of the body as being like a river, if there is not enough water in the system to keep it flowing it begins to dry up and the pools become stagnant and toxic. This impairs bodily function and can cause serious issues. To sort these out and you need to start drinking more clean quality water.

The cleaner the better so filtered is great if you have one. We’re lucky here in NZ as more often than not our water is clean and drinkable although its important to remember that your water source is only as good as the pipes, well or water treatment facility. Avoid drinking too often, if at all from plastic bottles due to the environmental cost and tendency to leaking plastics into the water when left in direct sunlight and keep a couple of glass bottles around the house or on the bench or desk at work to remind yourself to drink water if you need to.

When exercising we control our body temperature through loss water via sweating. So keeping hydrated especially when exercising intensely or in the heat is very important to optimizing your performance. It's estimated that a 2% reduction in body fluids can result in performance decreases of up to 15-20% (Kleiner 1999). Its also worth noting that water is absorbed more quickly into the body at room temperature as cold water needs to be bought up to temperature by the body before it can be utilized so this actually costs the body energy so when you’re busy or working out. You can also add a pinch of sea salt (the untreated kind – that is colored and sticks together) to water to improve the mineral content, increase absorption rates and put a halt on mineral loss during intense or extended bouts of exercise.

Generally, most of the health experts i respect and follow suggest to multiply your body weight by 0.03 to find the amount of water in Liters that you should drink each day. For me that is roughly 2.7L (90 x 0.03) / day. This makes sense as your body weight will determine exactly what amount of fluid your body requires to function optimally. If you drink well under your estimated intake don't panic and start drinking the new amount straight away. Its a better idea to slowly increase your intake over a longer period say an extra 200ml glass a day for the first week, an extra 2 glasses in the second week etc etc. You will probably notice an increased frequency of visits to the loo but this is completely normal as your body works to re-establish normal hydration levels and changes over the fluid in your body.

Berries Are Best

2010-11-15T01:35:00.000-08:00

An influx of berries is about due both in the garden and hopefully on your shopping list!

Not only are berries tasty little morsels but they are also loaded with important vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and polyphenols (or flavonoids) that are extremely bio-available.

For example did you know that Blueberries are a better choice than Oranges for Vitamin C as the nutrients are more bio-available. (Bio-availability is a measure of our quickly the nutrients concealed within our foods can be extracted by the body). That’s right one handful of blueberries delivers as much vitamin C as 60 Oranges as it is far more accessible to the body in Blueberries. I guess that’s why they’re regarded as a superfood. That’s not to say Oranges aren’t good for you either, but generally berries deliver much more bang for your buck when choosing fruit.

Of course it goes without saying that the Vitamin C in berries goes along way towards boosting your immune system, reducing inflammation and strengthening your connective tissues. While most contain

Blueberries are brain food - they protect and promote brain health as well as the eyes. While the ellagic acid found in strawberries, cherries, raspberries and blackberries acts as a scavenger and binds to cancer causing chemicals and reduces the incidence of DNA damage.

So crack into them when they’re in season and nibble away alongside your nuts and seeds as snacks or freeze them for use in protein shakes, smoothies or as deserts.

Spice Up Your Life!

2010-10-31T19:05:00.000-07:00

Antioxidants are what protect your cells from damage caused by free radicals (or free electrons) left over from the many inter-cellular reactions that go on each and every microsecond in your body. Your body needs plenty of them each and every day to ensure that it can function optimally on a cellular level, so its worthwhile considering what you're eating and to ensure that you are getting enough of them from a range of sources to cover your bases. Our most common sources are fruit and veges but others include herbs and spices and nuts and seeds.

There are several common herbs and spices that have been found to dramatically improve your metabolic health due to their antioxidant characteristics. Its really not that surprising that nature supplies a range of nutrients that have beneficial health effects and many of you will have these in your spice draw already. These are an easy way to spice up your life while providing your body with the micro-nutrients and antioxidants it needs to keep you healthy on a day to day basis.

TURMERIC
Is a yellow colored powder used primarily in Indian cuisine. The compound that provides its yellow pigment has been found to be one of the most powerful antioxidants on the planet - Circumin. Circumin is a naturally occurring anti-inflammatory and antioxidant that provides protection to neurons in the brain as well as tissues in the circulatory system, it also seems to help improve cholesterol ratios. Studies have shown that those who eat curries often or very often have a lower rate of of cognitive decline than those who do.

Personally i have made a move to ensure that i add Turmeric to my food more often and some ideas of where you can include it are in rubs for steak, chicken or fish before cooking, in scrambled eggs and of course in curries, crockpots or stews. There are studies supporting the use of Circumin as nutritional support in cases of prostate cancer, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer's and heart disease.

FENUGREEK
Fenugreek seeds are another Ayurvedic / Indian favorite - they arent all that common here in NZ but you can find them if you check out Indian and Asian food stores or grow your own. Fenugreek gives curry powder its aroma and is a fantastic addition to the diet of anyone who struggles with insulin management issues (or anyone who has excess body fat they wish to shed). Fenugreek helps insulin to target the muscles rather than the fat cells making you more Insulin Sensitive - rather than Insulin Resistant (which is the state your body encounters just before Type II Diabetes comes along). A recent study in the International Society of Sports Nutrition Journal showed a significant increase in both upper and lower body strength as well as an improvement in body composition when taking 500mg of a Fenugreek supplement / day in a double blind controlled study. Many other studies support these claims of potential blood sugar management and antioxidant affects.

Fenugreek can be crushed and used as a pre meal insulin management tool when added to water and drunk (15g or a tablespoon in a small amount of water). It also goes brilliantly in curries or stews.

CINNAMON
Cinnamon is another spice that potentially helps with your blood sugar and insulin management. The available evidence suggests that cinnamon has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antitumor, cardiovascular, cholesterol-lowering, and immunomodulatory effects. Studies have demonstrated that cinnamon may potentiate insulin activity and stimulate cellular glucose metabolism which has the effect of regulating blood sugar levels.

Cinamon is a great addition to any smoothie or shake or it can be used in teas, coffee, with fruit or as a Poliquin post-meal tonic (Cinnamon Quill, baking soda and water - boiled and then chilled). See here for details Poliquin Blood Sugar Tonic.

As always i think a range of herbs and spices should always be used to not only improve the flavors of your food but also aid your metabolic health and wellbeing. Adding these spices to your diet is certainly an easy way to aid the prevention of disease and illness without too much hassle. So go ahead and spice up your life.

Five tips to better health...

2010-10-17T00:55:00.000-07:00

Tip 1.

Eat more vegetables.

Why? As Charles Poliquin said "if there was one thing that almost every nutritionist in the world would agree on it would be that we should eat more vegetables." I have to agree with this statement. Especially when it comes to green leafy and cruciferous (sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli family) vegetables.

Tip 2.

Eat 5-6 small meals a day.

Why? Doing so will help your body manage to your blood sugar levels better. Sustaining your energy levels throughout the day is one of the keys to improving your metabolism. Another often forgotten reason is that when you go hungry you tend to make poorer food choices as well as over eat when you finally get around to it and neither of those two things is a great idea if you are trying to get healthier and improve your body composition.

Tip 3.

Eat enough protein. Depending on what your goal is will depend on how much protein you should aim to eat. It could be anywhere from 2-4g / kg of body weight a day depending on your weight and gender. As you probably know, protein provides a more steady source of energy than carbohydrates as well as vital building blocks for your muscles, immune system and hormonal health among others. So don be afraid of eating plenty of good quality fish, meat, poultry or game meat if you can get it.

Tip 4.

Drink Enough water for your weight.

Why? Their is plenty of debate on this topic however it is my belief that drinking enough clean water for your weight is one of the most important factors that contributes to the support of your detoxification system, lymphatic system, blood and metabolic health.

Tip 5.

Train Hard. Train Right!

Why? IMHO (in my humble opinion) one of the key reasons people dont continue to progress with their training and reach their goals is because they dont 1. Train hard enough. and 2. Train using the Right techniques and protocols. When you train, train with intensity, make your session worth the effort and make sure that if you arent sure what youre doing you do it under the guidance of someone who knows how to get the most out of each workout.

I hope that those help you go some way to manufacturing a happier, healthier you.

Over-training? or is it more like Under Recovery!

2010-09-07T20:49:00.000-07:00

I was recently attending a course where one of the slides stated - "there's no such thing as over-training, just under recovery."

In my opinion not a wiser word has been spoken when it comes to talking about training. It's clear that when we push ourselves beyond our limits we need to provide rest and relaxation at the other end to aid recovery as this is what helps to make us stronger, faster more powerful and improves our fitness.

There are many instances where the physical stress is continued over a prolonged period and this is fine too, so long as we program some recovery time to allow the body to adapt. The length of the adaptation or recovery period depends on a number of factors such as the length of the training sessions, volume of the stimulus, intensity of the workout, training age (how long you have been training - not your actual age), training level (beginner, intermediate, advanced), number of training sessions, choice of exercise, nature of session, physical condition, external factors (such as other stressors like work, family commitments, mental fatigue etc) and even muscle fiber type can determine the amount of recovery necessary.

For example: Back to back training sessions for an advanced gym goer might only require a day or twos recovery but for someone with a young training age they could require 3-4 or more days recovery. I often find that with some of my beginner clients 5-6 days is necessary if they have never been to the gym before. But its just as plausible that it might take 5-6 recovery days might be necessary to allow adequate adaptation to occur before trying to topple your previous PB (Personal Best) or improve your performance on a fast-twitch fibre dominant muscle group like the hamstrings.

Generally i think that the reason so many people pull the pin on their gym training after just a few weeks is that they don't allow themselves enough recovery time in that crucial first 4-6 weeks. Too often people will fly into their newly purchased gym membership and and knock out a couple of weeks of training sessions doing 5 sessions in a week or even more in a row without adequate rest between sessions. By the end of the 2nd week they are feeling great, they have more energy and they may have even lost an inch or two around the waist. Then by week 3 or 4 they begin to hit a bit of a wall...the training sessions are no longer progressing as they should, they begin to show signs of fatigue and then by weeks 5 or 6 their immune system begins to break down and they get ill from over-training when their body just isn't used to the punishment they have been dishing out to it.

The morel of the story is to make sure that you dont get caught up in the moment and allow your body the rest it deserves once you have smashed it in the gym. Charles Poliquin says that unless you are going to do better than your last session dont bother coming going - or words to that effect. In a nut shell that means that you should give your body time to recover and adapt so that you can improve your performance and if you don't think you can, take a bit more time off so that you can topple your previous performance.

In all cases your training should be kept at the highest possible intensity. If you must lay off it do so by lowering the volume (number of sets or reps) of the session rather than the intensity as this is where you will find the largest metabolic and muscular adaptation. Don't be scared to take an extra day off training if you think you need it. Listening to your body is the best way to keep it fresh and interesting and you should find that you will stick at it for a lot longer as a result.

Good luck and remember to Train Hard. Train Right.

Crossfitter

2010-08-29T13:03:00.000-07:00

Crossfit is the latest exercise phenomenon alongside Zumba - i could get lynched for mentioning those two forms of exercise in the same sentence but let me finish - and like the names suggest they are worlds apart. Zumba - the more population friendly dance inspired workout while Crossfit is circuit training, on dare i say it steroids - although these are definitely not part of the program - that's sole purpose is to break its participants whilst they work against the clock to finish some of the most hardcore (or ridiculous - depending on who you listen to...) workouts and rep brackets i've ever attempted...

Not all the Crossfit workouts are that scary but they are all designed to push you to your limits as you compete against your friends, group or class to smash through the 'WOD' or 'Workout Of the Day.' I must admit that i feel that Crossfit has been a breath of fresh air to my own routines, although like many, i have noticed that there is a distinct lack of structural assessment that runs with the system. The workouts range from difficult to impossible but for me that means a continual challenge that pushes me to my absolute outer limits of physical capacity.

Some of the Crossfit workouts have girls names like - Cindy, Barbara, Kelly or Helen, while some are named after fallen war, police and firefighter heroes and others are seemingly plucked from thin air and exist only as WODs. They can take anywhere from 2mins to 50mins and are guaranteed to get your fluids flowing one way or another.

Some athletic coaches have slammed the Crossfit system and rightly so as some of the routines delve into the dangerous like 30 x 60kg power cleans in a workout called Grace. I tend to think that this perhaps pushes the limits in an exercise where form is of the utmost importance, however if Crossfit is your life and soul then this becomes a vital and necessary part of your training and performance capacity so must be included in your training schedule. I guess if you stop looking at Crossfit as a training regime and begin to see it as a sport it becomes an entity of its own. While still in its infancy here in NZ it is beginning to find a cultish following and i have begun hungrily hanging out for the WOD and using some of the workouts and training with my clients who seem to enjoy the challenge, and the results for that matter.

In short i think if you play sport and have deficiencies in your physical structure, power, speed, or agility then Crossfit training is not going to help you correct those issues, however if its anaerobic conditioning and pushing yourself to the limits you're after then cycling Crossfit into your athletic conditioning program may just give you the metabolic edge you're looking for - particularly in sports like hockey, football and rugby. For me personally i am certainly enjoying the challenge however i am grateful that i still have the knowledge and technical expertise to be able to assess and test myself in a more traditional manner to establish what areas of weakness i need to correct to help improve my performance and physical condition.

Crossfit is certainly not for everyone but if the heat of competition lights your fire and you do better when you are locked in some form of competition for motivation then Crossfit may just be your one way ticket to health and fitness!

There is an 'i' in happiness

2010-08-26T00:37:00.001-07:00

My final chapter in this Paul Chek inspired blog series of health and wellness words is Happiness. Happiness is something many people forget on a regular basis. We have often become so entangled doing the things that bring us the most money that we completely neglect to do anything that brings us happiness. Whether its playing with the kids, taking a walk in the mountains, playing a musical instrument, painting, writing, traveling, shopping, personal grooming, going to the theatre, reading, meditating, sport, the gym, cooking, yoga, making tea, cleaning or connecting in love with your partner, friends and family or doing rolly pollies, you should always find the time to do the things that make you happy. These are the things that energise us on a daily basis and are therefore the things that should take priority in our lives. Making time and taking time to do these things will provide you with a great sense on gratitude and appreciation for what you have, who you surround yourself with and of course who you are.

A great friend of mine Mic (RIP big fella) once said to me 'what's in the middle of happiness?' Of course the correct answer is 'i' and I think that that speaks wonders about where happiness should come from. It really is up to each of us personally to put things in perspective and ensure that we continue to do the thing, spend time with the people that make us happy.

Shhh Quiet!

2010-08-23T19:43:00.001-07:00

Quiet - Paul Chek is perhaps the first fitness guru that i found out about who really emphasized the importance of taking time out or Quiet time. He recognizes that with some people its just as important to 'work in' rather than to 'work out' and as such activities like meditation, sleeping, qi gong, tai chi, rest and relaxation become just as important as movement. For without Yin there is no Yang.

Without rest and recovery there is no strength or growth. This principle brings about the question of balance. Balance in our lives is very important as often we become stressed and physically, emotionally or mentally fatigued from the madness of our career, lifestyle or physical demands from exercise. All too often we neglect our need for recuperation and recovery. Ensuring that we get adequate amounts of good quality sleep and that we take time to relax our minds and remove it from mindless chitter chatter can play a huge part in improving our overall vitality.

I heard a fantastic quote the other day which was - "there is no such thing as over-training, just under recovery". If we take the body as a microcosm for life and exercise as a microcosm for the stress of life, when you become over stimulated and fatigued from dealing with life and the stressors that ride along in its wake how often do you let your mind relax and recover from the bombardment your mental and emotional self takes on each day? I guess its not always easy to get away from it but if you are tired from a huge session at the gym or if your legs are stiff from a long walk you did the day before would you do the same thing again...? Not likely - unless of course you have a planned course of over-training or a goal to get fit which overrides your pain threshold...

...yet for most of us, when it comes to our mental and emotional vitality its very rear that we take a break or better yet work time into our day to let our mind relax and recharge. The exercises or 'work ins' described earlier allow us to do so and as such should form part of your daily routine. I know I feel much better within myself when I take time to meditate or breath - even when its just for a few minutes - but i often find myself ignoring this need and things slowly but surely begin to fall apart and grind me down until i eventually resurrect the habit.

For many people Quiet time is seen to be 'not an option'. This can be their undoing in the long run as like the body the brain needs its time for recovery and recuperation too. If you feel that your brain needs a break - try closing your eyes and focusing solely on your breathing. Count 12 slow controlled breaths. If your mind wanders let it do so but when your remember always bring yourself back to the breathing. Increase this by a little more each day or each week. See how it feels - you might even feel refreshed or that things are a little easier to cope with and thats all it is really - simple as that. If by chance you are more adventurous try a meditation class or some tai chi or qi gong - anything that helps your mind relax is good - walking slowly on grass in bare feet is another option. Again focus on each step and your connection with the ground and when your mind wanders come back to the walking....

Enjoy these little exercises and dont get too caught up in them as that will defeat the purpose because there isnt any....

Movement - 'There's more than one way to skin a cat'

2010-08-23T19:31:00.001-07:00

Movement - Moving is always going to be an important factor in determining how healthy you are. That's not to say that more is better though. I know several multisporters who have over-trained themselves to the point of total exhaustion and chronic fatigue which has been completely detrimental to their health. When it comes to exercise, doing something you enjoy is always the best option. If you don't have something you enjoy doing then at the very least start doing something you think you might be able to enjoy as this makes the process of including movement in your daily and / or weekly routine a little easier to comprehend.

Simply walking briskly, with purpose is often the best place to start - if you need somewhere to do so and i always think that this complements resistance training very well. Exactly how you respond to exercise is again determined by your physiology so finding something that works for is again somewhat experiential. I often find that my skinnier body type clients migrate on their own towards cyclical aerobic activities whereas the bigger boned among us often have neither the body type or the patience for such repetitive activity so therefore migrate towards power and strength based activities and sports such as resistance training, boxing, martial arts, rugby, basketball etc. No matter what the activity is if you can consistently change the stimuli on your body, by changing the activity, tempo, intensity, exercise, rest period, grip, sport, interval, range of movement or stance, you are more likely to elicit a change in your body and that for me is the key to getting to where you want to be physically.

Of course the determination and desire to succeed is also somewhat important as to continue without these two personal attributes is a step towards failure. Its not always easy but the longer you can continue including movement in your weekly and daily schedule the better your chances of successfully building a body you can be proud of.

As the old cliche says 'there is more than one way to skin a cat' and this holds true not only for how you eat but also for how you exercise. Recognizing this and using it to your advantage to prevent boredom and fatigue is one of the keys to improving your health and happiness.

Diet - What works for me may not work for you

2010-08-23T19:08:00.000-07:00

When it comes to improving your health and well-being i think that generally we forget the one thing that is probably the most important factor of all and that is that we are all different. Our unique biochemistry, genetic and physical makeup plays a huge part of what we are and how we respond to the various stimuli we are exposed to on a daily basis whether it be food, drink, alcohol, toxins, stress or exercise.

This makes sense to me and hopefully to you. In my eyes it explains the consistent failure of the modern 'one size fits all' or 'umbrella' approach to health and well-being that we are bombarded with each and every day in the media. It explains the many contradictory results we see in today's research and clinical trials of pharmaceuticals, supplements, exercise protocols and almost anything else to do with our health and wellness. The fact of the matter is that different stimuli effect each of us differently and until we understand this and make allowances for this in our approach to health (as the likes of Bruce Lipton has) and wellness we will continue to fail to make inroads into the health of the general population.

So what can you do to help your own situation? Well the first thing i recommend doing is to take heed of your situation and take a good objective and unbiased look at where you're at and what you've been doing to get yourself there.

If you come back with an analysis that suggests that you're overweight, unhealthy, unmotivated, unenthusiastic, fat, lazy, zitty, sick, tired or a combination of all of the above then its time to start doing something different than what you have been doing!

Our bodies give us clues all the time that something isn't right - we just have to start looking out for and listening to them. If you're constipated, have acne, are overweight, have low energy levels, feel ill, are constantly sick with the flu or colds, have hayfever, asthma, skin rashes, yeast infections, the runs, blocked noses, refux just about anything that manifests on the outside is more than likely a clue that something isn't right on the inside.

The simple fact of the matter is that it really is pretty damn simple to be and get healthy. Health guru and holistic wellness expert Paul Chek has it right with his four doctors analogy. Dr Diet, Dr Movement, Dr Quiet and Dr Happiness is all it really takes to get you to where you want to be. You just have to know how to make the right choices when it comes to implementing these four very simple behaviours into you life.

Diet - when it comes to diet we need to forget what we think we know and start taking heed of how each meal we eat makes us feel. If you eat something and it makes you feel like crap afterwards then it simply isn't going to be doing you any good to eat that type of food or meal. If its processed and denatured then it probably has little if any nutritional value to add to your body and will therefore steal your energy rather than provide it so when choosing foods go for the foods that make you feel good afterwards (even if you have previously heard that that particular food is supposedly "healthy" - for you it may not be) and that give you lasting energy rather than those that make you hungry again 10 mins later.

I like to use a mixture of several 'diet' or lifestyle types and physiological philosophies such as Metabolic Typing (William Wolcott), Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon (Weston Price), How To Eat Move & be Healthy (Paul Chek) and The Paleo Diet (Loren Codain) and Jonny Bowdens 'Living Low Carb' with my clients to get the best results. There are others but these five books provide great insights into a range of different methods and tools that provide a good understanding of how to find out which foods suit your needs and provide you with the best sources of nutrition for optimal health. They all have slightly differing approaches but as i mentioned earlier there is no one size fits all when it comes to your health.

Again the most important thing to recognize is that what works for you may not work for your partner or kids or friends, or colleagues or teammates and this is why its important to make sure that you try a range of different approaches, foods, meals and snacks to find out what the optimal choice is for you. Don't be confined to what you have read or think you know. Try a range of diets and really be critical about how you feel, perform or what your mood is like, how much energy you have or don't have and you will eventually find a system or lifestyle that works for you.

I personally find that for me its a diet high in animal and fish proteins and fats, as many vegetables as I can fit in at meal and snack times, a couple of small feeds of nuts or seeds a day and the odd piece of fruit. Water - and plenty of it, as well as a couple of coffees each day within certain time frames and the odd shake post training or when meals are difficult to fit into my schedule.

This diet for me is constantly evolving as i learn what foods and in what portions and at what times work best for me. You should do the same. As i mentioned earlier try something, change it or tweak it if it doesn't work and then stick with it and see if your body changes or if you feel better. Sounds easy huh! Good luck.

Welcome

2009-09-28T15:07:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new blog. Its my first time doing this sort of thing so i hope that you find what i have to say at least a little interesting and / or even informative. I don't always claim to be right and not every principle, protocol or issue that i discuss will be relevant to all of you but i sincerely hope that i can begin to help you clear a path that can be easily followed upon your journey to health and wellbeing. All of the ideas, protocols and principles that i discuss in this blog are without doubt someone else's. In part they may be adapted but they may not be too, in any case i will endeavor to respect author or provider through referencing. I heard Dr John Demartini say at a seminar that 'we should stand on the shoulders of those who are great not in their shadows' and i believe that this holds true in the health and wellness industry. I love learning and researching about new techniques and in most cases i will use and adapt principles and protocols from a great number of those who are highly respected in the health industry for use with clients.