Quick and easy meals

Here's a quick and easy healthy breakfast option and a tasty dinner recipe.

Apple & Banana Smoothie

1 banana
1 apple
Pinch of cinnamon
1 Tbsp of honey
2 Tbsp natural low fat yoghurt
Water & ice to desired consistency

Blend the lot in the blender for 1 minute. A great low fat, high fibre breakfast that will keep you full for hours.

Basic chicken stir-fry

Ingredients:
500g skinless chicken breast cut into strips
½ head Chinese cabbage, roughly chopped
1 bunch bok-choy – slice stalks and chop leaves
2 carrots sliced finely
2 Tbsp rice bran oil
2 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 small red chillies chopped finely
2 cloves of garlic, crushed then chopped
1 Tbsp grated ginger
1 red onion chopped finely
2 Tbsp crushed cashew nut

Add 1Tbsp oil to wok or large heavy frypan. Cook chicken till lightly cooked and set aside.

Add last of oil to wok or frypan. Add chillies, garlic, ginger and onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add carrots and stir fry for another 2 minutes. Return chicken to wok and heat for 1 minute.

Add bok-choy, Chinese cabbage, fish sauce and lime juice and stir fry for a final 3 minutes. Remove from heat and serve with a garnish of crushed cashews. 

 Enjoy!

 

I have training ADD

OK, I finally admit it. I have training ADD - yes, ADD as in Attention Deficit Disorder. (Perhaps that's why I haven't posted in my blog for so long). When I say 'training ADD' I mean I can't stick with one training protocol or plan for very long, or long enough to see the results I should. As a result I'm cheating myself out of progress.

Yes...even this one!

I guess I came down with the ADD soon after bodybuilding writers came to the internet. You see I read A LOT and among those readings are new training ideas as well as plans from years gone by. And they are so dammed inviting and interesting I need to try them all... But, in my defence, I need to know a lot of different training methods in order to give my clients the service they deserve, so it's kinda justified!

Right now you might be asking yourself "How can I avoid catching training ADD"? Well there are a few important steps to staying immune.
1. Take before photos at the start of your new training program. You'll want photos from the front, side and back.
2. Commit your training plan to paper and carry it to gym with you.
3. Use week 1 of your plan as a 'feeler' week to figure out the exercises and select the appropriate weights.
4. Commit a solid four to six weeks to that plan before considering switching. Make sure you progress during those weeks by adding weight or reps to the exercises.
5. Take after photos and compare to the ones you took at the start.

Then at the end you can move on to the next 'latest thing' knowing you gave the last plan the best possible chance.

Fill up on Fibre

Looking for a healthy way of feeling full and satisfied after meals? Trouble with late night snacking? Then you need to add plenty of fibre to your diet.

Fibre should be an integral part of your healthy eating plan. It can keep you feeling fuller for longer after your scheduled meal, therefore keeping your weight loss in check. You should be aiming for at least the minimum recommendation of fibre in your diet which is 20 - 35 grams per day for adults. Choose fibre sources such as fresh dark green vegetables, fruit and legumes.

I'm constantly suprised by the low fibre intake in the regular diets of people that come to see me. Suprised because 'fibre campaigns' have been running in the media for years in order to address a number of health issues. Yet people fail to address this important ingredient in their diets.

But even with eating regular sources of fibre it can be hard to get your daily allotment. That's where supplements come in. And two of my favourites are Metamucil and Hunger Busters. These supplements work in the same way as high fibre foods. They provide bulk to digested food which helps it move through the digestive tract at a normal rat. Also an increased intake of fibre in the diet every day helps promote a healthy digestive system. And as an added bonus fibre supplements reduce the glycemic load of your meal, reducing insulin levels.

All in all fibre is an important tool in your weight loss arsenal.

The ALR Experiment

Finding effective, value for money supplements can be difficult. So many label claims are hard to believe and it seems as though the manufacturers have free licence to write what ever they want. Not so with the products from ALR Industries. There's no outlandish claims on the label and their product ingredients are backed by hard scientific data.

At the moment I am trialling the ALR Mass Stack, thanks to the people at Planet Max. You can check out more about these products at the ALR site. There's some very comprehensive science there, albeit a little heavy to read all at once. So, I'll attempt to break it down a bit in a brief summary.

The supplements in the Mass Stack (Bad Ass Mass, Jungle Warfare, Pro-Anabol and Restore) are concentrated plant extracts called sapogenins and lignans. These compounds have a strong anabolic effect on the body, meaning they make you bigger and more muscular by increasing testosterone levels, increasing the rate at which new muscle is made and speeding recovery rates. So, in effect, the science indicates that the supplements are ideal for bodybuilding purposes.

The recommended cycle is 10 weeks in length which is a good length of time to dedicate to some hard core training and strict, hard core eating. Which is what I have embarked on.

This is me at week 1 at 103kg.


Right now I'm at the end of week three and weighed in this morning at 105kg. In order to know that the ALR products are working, I'm not using any other supplements of the same nature. My diet is also remaining the same (low carb / high protein) as usual and I'm utilising a pre-workout and postworkout drink like I always do. For the duration of the 10 week experiment I'm training with high intensity, utilising giant sets, drop sets and rest pause techniques. Yes, the workouts are brutal but I want to see if this stuff works. At this point I'm up two kilograms, I'm definitely stronger and I'm not as sore as I'd expect from the workouts - I'm impressed!

What are you doing to stay healthy? - Part One

No-one likes to be sick. Or worse still, in hospital. I’m recovering from back surgery, so I’ve had a bit of time to think about this. It’s no fun not being able to follow your normal routine. In fact it’s downright frustrating! Not that I am actually sick – I just can’t’ do the things that I normally do while I recover from the surgery.

From this....


to this. Not sick, but not well. (Yes, they are white stockings)

Here’s a revelation for you. Hospitals are full of sick people - really sick people. They look and sound sick. While I was in hospital I would lay awake and listen to them coughing (you know those continuous, hacking coughs full of phlegm – yuck!) and I’d see them walking the corridors, pale and gaunt looking yet remarkably overweight from a life of excess. I’m sure they hadn’t planned to be sick. (While I’m on about hospitals, what’s with nurses going for a cigarette break? Hello…? Look at the people you are treating)

But what plans did these people have in place to remain healthy? My guess is none. And as the old saying goes “if you fail to plan then you plan to fail”.

What are you doing right now to ensure you stay well, avoid sickness and, worse still, stay out of hospital? If your answer is nothing then maybe it is time to do something. Here is a list of 10 important tips to get you on your way.

Top 10 wellness tips
1. If you are overweight, plan to lose weight now. Being overweight or obese leads to diabetes, heart disease and stroke. This is old news.
2. If you smoke, quit. Smoking will kill you – slowly and miserably. This is also old news.
3. Re-read one and two. Do they apply to you? If yes, then get onto it now!
4. See your doctor. Get a comprehensive blood test – cholesterol, liver enzymes, thyroid, hormonal profile etc. Get your pulse rate and blood pressure checked. This is important. These are your baseline measurements by which you’ll gauge your progress.
5. Exercise more, or in some cases, just start exercising! I’m sure you’ve seen the add on television “find your 30”. 30 minutes per day is the minimum. Can’t do 30? Aim for two 15 minute sessions to start with.
6. Clean up your diet. Avoid processed and convenience foods. Aim to eat more fruit, vegetables and lean meats. If it runs, swims, flies or grows in the ground then eat it. If it comes in a box or has a bar code then avoid it.
7. Drink more water. Dehydration is serious and can cause major problems in your body.
8. Reduce stress – not only do you need to get your diet in order, you need to get your life in order. Are you tired and overworked? Spending more than eight hours a day at work? When was your last holiday? Money and or relationship worries? Get these things sorted.
9. Aim for progress, not perfection. Set small obtainable targets and focus on one step at a time.
10. Get help from friend or enlist the help of a professional. You don’t have to go it alone.

In Part Two I’ll discuss your Wellness Options.