Cortisol is sometimes referred to as the ‘master’ hormone, as it’s a powerful hormone necessary for life. But if optimum levels are not maintained in the body, it has the ability to wreak havoc on our body’s fragile endocrine balance. The result? Your health will suffer. What is cortisol? Cortisol is a hormone produced in the adrenal glands. It’s primary functions are to: regulate the increase of blood sugar through gluconeogenesis (the breakdown of non-carbohydrates to glucose) suppress the immune system aid with fat, protein, and carbohydrate metabolisms decrease bone formation help to manage our stress response. Stress management Cortisol helps us to function during times of stress in our lives. When the stress levels go up, cortisol kicks in and delivers help. Cortisol helps us with a quick burst of energy, our memory sharpens, and our sensitivity to pain decreases. These are all natural and important functions of cortisol and … Read More
Chicken and vegetable bake
We have had some requests for a healthy chicken dish. Well you can’t beat a delicious and easy dish that combines chicken and vegetables! Ingredients Skinless chicken thighs – as many as required 1-2 garlic cloves, crushed (to taste) 2-3 diced onions 2-3 sticks of celery, diced 4 carrots, diced 1 turnip, peeled and diced 2-3 parsnips diced 1 chilli diced (to taste if required) 1 cup of dry white wine 500 ml chicken stock (or salty water). Dice vegetables to the same size for consistency. Method Wash and dry the chicken thigh with a paper towel. Sprinkle salt and pepper on them for taste. Put some olive oil in a large pan, heat the pan, and once hot enough seal the thighs on all sides until lightly brown. The chicken does not have to be cooked all the way through. Once sealed place the chicken in a large baking … Read More
Training idea: Winter interval training
It’s chilly outside but you still want to lose weight. No problems, here are a couple of workouts you can do to burn more calories indoors. Clients are asking what they can do indoors to keep dry and warm now that winter is here. The following training workouts can be done either on a cycle or a treadmill depending on what you might have at home. If running or cycling indoors, make sure that there is enough airflow to stay cool so that you don’t overheat, and drink plenty of water. The session should take you about 15 to 20 minutes inclusive of the warm up. If you hit the high intensities, there’s no need to go longer than 20 minutes. Enjoy! 60/60 Interval workout Warm-up: 5-10 min of light intensity cycling/walking low resistance Work: 60 seconds at 90% VO2max (RPE =Very Hard) sprinting or running with increased resistance Relief … Read More
Escabeche recipe
This is a claimed Spanish dish with variations of it popular along the Mediterranean coast, Portugal, North Africa, South America and the Philippines. It contains plenty of protein and healthy fats. Originally this cooking technique was designed to preserve cooked fish and as such this dish can last in the fridge for up to three days… that’s if you don’t eat it all first, as its delicious! Ingredients 2 tbsp plain flour 2 tsp salt flakes ½ tsp chilli powder ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper 12 Small Red Snapper fillets, skin on and boned. 300 ml extra-virgin olive oil 4 – 8 cloves garlic finely chopped (amount to taste) ½ cup (125ml) red wine vinegar 2 fresh bay leaves 2 sprigs thyme 1 small red chilli, thinly sliced (more to taste as desired) Method: Combine the flour, chilli powder, and salt. Check the fish for any remaining bones and scales then remove, … Read More
Training idea: Circuit training
Here’s a training workout that can be done indoors with the cold approaching. You have the choice of two circuits. Do each circuit twice a few times during the week to keep you in shape through winter until you can get out there again. Circuit 1 Barbell Squats 15 reps Variation: Can hold dumbbells if no bar available Hanging Leg Raises 10 reps Variation: Lying on your back, lift both straight legs off the ground. Dumbbell Bench Press 15 reps Variation: Put your feet on a chair/table and do push ups. Squat Jumps 15 reps Plyometric Push Ups (a push up with a clap as you lift your body off the ground) 10 reps Repeat the circuit two more times, resting 1 minute between each set. Circuit 2 Close Grip Chin Ups 10 reps Variation: Try a lateral Pull Down if in a gym or with some Dumbbells do a bent over … Read More
I think I strained something
Muscle strains are very common. It’s important to identify and treat sprains as soon as they occur. And know how to prevent them from occuring. What is a muscle strain? A muscle strain is an injury that damages the internal structure of the muscle fibers. There are three grades of strains, depending on how small or severe the damage is: Grade 1 Pain with stretching and resisted muscle contractions. Small number of fibres affected. Grade 2 Unable to continue activity, pain on muscle contraction and stretching Difficulty in bearing weight Decreased range of movement Moderate swelling or redness. Larger number of fibres effected. Grade 3 Initial severe pain Unable to bear weight Rapid onset swelling Severe loss of movement and significant pain Severe damage to fibres. A muscle rupture can also occur if the damaged parts of the muscle pull away from each other. What causes a muscle strain? A … Read More
4 Ways to turn your can’ts into cans
Use positive affirmations to achieve the successes you deserve. A lot of the time, we find excuses for things that take more effort to do. Whether or not we want to achieve it, we will find a reason for why it is out of our reach. Does this sound familiar? To overcome this, we must begin filling our head with positive affirmations. The first step to success Tell yourself it’s possible!!! Although this might sound strange and even a little weird, this is the first step towards success. Here are 4 ways to steer yourself away from these negative thoughts and push you towards all the successes you could hope for. 1. The mind is a muscle, so work it hard Let’s just say one of your goals is to cut back on eating hot chips, but you just keep telling yourself “it’s too hard it’s too hard!” Boom!! In goes … Read More
Lose weight without leaving home
Sometimes getting to the gym isn’t always as easy as we plan. Here are a few ideas of what you can use and do to create a workout space at home. 1. Gather equipment Not everyone will have a box of old barbells lying around, but most people have a few books, bottle of milk or even a cat or dog who will be more than happy to help! Lets just say our first exercise is a squat. Doing this exercise with no weight will seem like a breeze, so pick up a few thick books and hold them above your head. Now how much more effective does that feel? Do the same for any exercise: pick up something of a good weight that’s just lying around and use it to your advantage. 2. How to create your routine Break the routine down into which muscles you want to use. … Read More
Training idea: Simple 15 minute workout
If you have just a few minutes every couple of days for some activity, try this fun way to do more pushups and squats. By the end of the workout you will have done 150 reps of each and won’t take you more than 15 minutes. Just go down the list once thats all you will need to do every second day. Enjoy! Pushups – 50 reps Squats – 10 reps Pushups – 40 reps Squats – 20 reps Pushups – 30 reps Squats – 30 reps Pushups – 20 reps Squats – 40 Pushups – 10 Squats – 50
Beginners guide to Osteopathy
What is osteopathy all about and what’s in it for me? Beyond Fitness Osteopath Boris Lukin explains. Every time someone asks me what I do, I say “I’m an Osteopath”. And almost every time they look at me with a puzzled face and ask “What’s that?” Well let me explain what an Osteopath does… Osteopaths practice osteopathy, a form of manual medicine which recognises the links between the structure of the body and the way it functions. We are skilled in evaluating, diagnosing and treating a whole range of dysfunctions in the body. Dysfunctions ranging from: acute sprains strains chronic aches and pains any musculoskeletal conditions. Osteopaths are primary healthcare practitioners We are recognised as primary healthcare practitioners and we are trained to recognise conditions which require medical referral. So what can you expect from your osteopathy treatment? We get to know you First we ask plenty of questions about … Read More