Chocolate for christmas

Ok, so christmas is approaching and despite our best intentions we know that chocolate is going to be all around us and eventually we might succumb. But what really is so bad about chocolate? Below are some of the facts, so you can enjoy all the benefits and avoid that christmas bulge.

There are three things you need to know about chocolate.

Firstly, and most importantly, you need to make sure that what you are eating is proper chocolate. All the research done on the benefits of Chocolate was carried out on dark chocolate. Now, this isn’t the chocolate most people are eating. Many people find dark chocolate too bitter and prefer milk chocolate which is actually, in some cases, more sugar and milk than chocolate – so contains a lot less of the benefits that real chocolate provide. Bizaarely enough, white chocolate is actually made from cocoa butter and does not contain any chocolate liquor, therefore technically isn’t actually chocolate at all. Eating plenty of white chocolate and milk chocolate gives you all the drawbacks of high sugar without any of the benefits of that real chocolate can give.

Secondly it is important to know that real chocolate, from the cocoa bean, does have many benefits. It possesses plenty of phytochemicals called flavanoids which, it has been claimed, may reduce the risk of heart desease. Various research carried out on indigenous tribes with diets rich in these flavanoids has shown that they have considerably reduced instances of heart desease and strokes.  

 Lastly the bad news. Even dark Chocolate is high in fat and high in calories. An ounce of chocolate contains 8-10 grams of fat and 145 calories. If you are going to eat chocolate this christmas you need to up your exercise or be happy with putting on some extra weight.

 Therefore in conclusion we can see that chocolate isn’t all bad. If you are going to get stuck into chocolate this christmas, then make sure that a) It is good quality organic dark chocolate and b) You plan an activity the same day to burn off those extra calories (A walk or active board game) With a plan like this you can enjoy your christmas and stay on top of your game.

What are you training for? (The other perspective)

 

When I was concluding yesterday’s article ,”What are you training for? (one perspective)” I suddenly thought that there are actually many people who go to gyms, and when asked what they are training for they will sincerely say that they are not training for anything, they just love training. These people tend to make up the core membership of most health clubs and will not suffer the usual six week burnout that is traditional for people that join gyms in January.

Now in this instance training appears to be less about what people want to be, but who they already are. They have become the kind of people who have made a habit of self improvement and take genuine pride in the maintenance of their bodies. This is really the ideal for everyone, to find yourself in a place where you want to train because you know your body likes it rather than you need to train because you fear what will happen if you don’t. One of London’s Top Female Personal Trainer’s “Suzy Reading” tries to create the perspective for her clients that training should be a treat for your body and a time to give your body what it wants. How many of us feel that way at the beginning of our physical journey when our bodies are out of shape and reluctant to change? Whilst it might seem idealistic this perspective is actually available to all of us today, and can make an enormous difference to the way we treat our bodies and how they treat us.  

Looking at training from this perspective the actual act of training becomes an end in itself, so the aims would appear of less importance. As with all things it would appear that your perspective on training depends very much on the individual, but having an awareness of both approaches would seem the ideal option. 

What are you training for? (one perspective)

 

On January 28th I am competing in Tough Guy 2007. Tough Guy is widely regarded as the worlds toughest assault course and is preceded by a light ten mile cross country run as a warm up. Why am I telling you this? Because it is what I am training for at the moment.

Whilst I have work, family and financial goals in place, physically I am preparing myself for this event. Whilst the benefits of training with regard to Body and Mind Optimisation are great motivators, sometimes it can help to add little more focus to your training.

I speak to a lot of people and when asked what they are training for, they look a little blank and say, “Nothing, I am just trying to stay fit” whilst this is indeed a huge commitment in itself, eventually, for some people, this approach can become a little dull.

Some people take the view that our bodies are vehicles to experience as many different life experiences as possible. A friend of mine, Stuart Turnbull, is one of those people. Stu is embarking on an attempt to break the world record for rowing the Atlantic, on December 10th, and has spent the best part of a year training for the event. For Stuart the whole point of his training is very much event focused, however his experience will have gains for beyond the physical, and is as much about belief and courage as it is about physical conditioning.

For some of us who have reached a level of physical fitness that we feel comfortable with and might feel that are bodies are plateauing it might be an idea to use your imagination and dream up some experiences you want to have with this amazing body you have created. If rowing the Atlantic is a little advanced then triathalons, Marathons, Adventure Races or even sponsored walks can provide the extra motivation you are looking for. Motivation is very much unique to the individual and whilst certain people will be motivated purely by the satisfaction of lifting a certain weight or running a certain time an event in the future can really add a focus and spark to your training that can produce amazing results. 

PS Check out (The other perspective) for people who enjoy training for training’s sake, appearring to have no goal.

Optimum Stress

As we approach the final quarter for some and Christmas for all, stress is what everyone is feeling and no one is talking about. What exactly is it and how can we make it work for us, rather than against us?

There are a number of important points to note with regards to stress. Firstly, there are different types of stress, secondly, these stressors can work for us or against us and thirdly, all stress is cumulative. Why is this important?

Ok, the different types of stress are Physical (exercise, movement) Chemical (conversion of sunlight into Vitamin D, changes in your body due to exercise) Electromagnetic (sunlight, magnetic pull of the earth) Psychic or mental(using your brain to move towards outcomes you really want) Nutritional (food) and Thermal (Maintenance of body temperature).

Now, each of these can work for you, or against you. For example a certain amount of physical exercise is hugely beneficial to the body with regards to increasing the strength of bones, metabolic rate, muscular strength and the reduction of excess body fat, however if the body is stressed out already from other stressors, e.g (chemical – air pollution on the tube, mental – report due in last week, electromagnetic - 6 hours by the computer, nutritional – microwave meal and thermal – It’s freezing out there!) then physical exercise can be too much for an already stressed body and lead to chronic fatigue, a suppression of the immune system and in some cases an excess in cortisol which can prevent the burning of fat.

Therefore the moral of this story is to listen to your body and try and monitor your own stress levels. If you are feeling exhausted before you get to the gym, ask yourself whether your body will really benefit from this type of exercise? (Yoga, Pilates, or a walk might be better than a run) For many people the endorphin rush they get from cardiovascular exercise masks the harm the excess stress is doing them. You should feel energised after a workout and better than you did before you started. If you don’t, then you might need to look at the level of stress you are putting your body under and see how to optimise it.

All the Best

J

Food Intolerances and toning that stomach (part 1)

Pretty much the number one thing on most people’s wish list nowadays, when it comes to their bodies, is to have a flat stomach. Now the conventional idea of fitness endorses the view that if you want to tone a certain area of your body you need to exercise it, and exercise it, and exercise it. Now if this applies to abdominals how come everyone in modern gyms doesn’t have a six pack? (Because there are a hell of a lot of sit ups going on in there!)

The reason is often diet and food intolerances. If you look at the western diet, especially in the UK and the US, you will see that it is pretty biased towards wheat based substances like cereals, biscuits, bread and pasta. Unfortunately, as I’m sure you were told by your Grandmothers, too much of anything is bad for you and some people’s guts can only take so much. A gut that is reacting to an intolerance to wheat or any other allergy will normally become inflamed and lead to a bloated appearance.  (You might also experience wind, pain and fatigue after meals) When pain comes from the gut, the small intestine, the bowel or any other organ of digestion, it can cause a weakness or inhibition within the corresponding area of the abdominal wall. This means that you can train your abs all you want but they will not change if they are inhibited by a digestive problem.

The best way to identify if you actually have an intolerance is to get a blood test from a doctor, GP, or nutritionist or go on a rotation diet. For more info on Rotation Diets give me a shout.

Have a great day.

J

The value of Play.

Having just spent this weekend with my little brothers and sisters in the countryside (aged 11, 13, 15 , 17) I have come back to London feeling totally recharged and raring to go. Although I am sure we all expect this from our weekends, how many times do we actually get to Sunday evening feeling fully charged for the week ahead?

This weekend reminded me of the value of just playing. Competing and interacting without the pressures of winning and losing. So often in modern society the end is the all important thing, yet with play the end is irrelevant and is secondary to the actual experience, how Zen does that sound?

Each one of us is different, and for others drawing or creating something might be their “Play” but it is always useful to know what your optimal rechargers are!

Stand and Deliver – Postural Awareness for Autumn

During August and September we introduced you to the benefits of sports massage with the “Get Lifted” Campaign. As we approach autumn we are going to focus on the source of much of that back and neck pain - your posture. Stand by for more articles on why posture is such a big deal in everything from weight loss to back pain.  

AUGUST PROMOTIONS

Massage Promotion running until 10th September ’06

“Get Lifted”

1 hour massage – £20 (normal price £40)

30 mins massage - £15 (normal price £30 (£20 for BQ Residents)

Terms

Offer available for massages booked before 10th september only.

Massages can be done in your home or at the Bow Quarter Leisure Centre (for Bow quarter Residents only) 

This is a first promotion for a service that has produced some phenomenal results. So get involved!

Try a different approach to familiar problems

All the Best,

John