Things I Like – Volume Two

Here’s a quick look at some more things I like for various reasons!

1. Fred and Friends

These guys design cool stuff! I like pretty much anything they make, and yes you do have to pay a bit more for the cool designer look! Recent additions to our collection include the M-Cups (not what you might be thinking!!) You can check out all of their cool kitchen stuff which make cooking even more fun!!

2. Australian Kettlebells

Now, Australian Kettlebells aren’t any different to any other kettlebells, but the guys there have a great range of training gear that I not only use but totally recommend. They have bands, bags, ropes, rings, clubs, vests and kettlebells of course! We always use their gear at our Hobart Bootcamp for Women with great effect!

3. Dr. Jonny Bowden

Not that Dr Jonny is just a thing, but all of his products are first class. I have a few of his books, CD’s and always get something from reading his articles. He has a very solid academic background and all of his information is based on research. He also stays up to date with the latest findings and as such from following his writing you stay right on point with all the current research. You might not like that sort of thing but I do, hence it’s place on this list!

4. Tea

Tea is a drink. But it is more than just one drink. If you say you don’t like tea, then you had better have tried them all because of the few hundred thousand or so variations available there is going to be one you like. If you haven’t already have a quick look at my article on tea. There are plenty of health benefits associated with drinking tea, but they also help to keep you hydrated and feeling full. You can get some sweet teas if you are looking for something to fill the 3pm gap, such as the Qi White and Fruity Tea.

Fish Oil and Fat Loss

Here’s a quick question for you. Well actually it’s more than just one question.

I’ll assume the answer to question one is a yes.

1. Do you want to lose some fat?

2. Do you take fish oil daily?

If you didn’t answer yes to the second question then you really are making your efforts harder than they should be.

Fish oil has such a vast range of health benefits that I would suggest that it is the best ‘bang for your buck’ supplement on the planet.

Research has shown that there is a massive (almost 50%) decrease in the chance of a fatal heart attack amongst heart attack sufferers. Acting as a natural anti-inflammatory, including fish oil into your daily regime can also make joint pain almost vanish overnight. But apart from all this healthy and feel good stuff it can also help you look super sexy!

The International Journal of Obesity reports that one study showed that the inclusion of fatty fish or fish oil capsule resulted in a weight loss of 4.5-5kg over 8 weeks. Not super amazing by itself, but this is without the addition of any exercise. Simply by adding fatty fish or fish oil to the diet made this happen.

More recently, a study out of South Australia showed that exercise (even really poor fat loss methods such as 45 minutes of walking at 75% age-predicted maximum heart rate) and fish oil supplementation resulted in a greater fat loss than fish oil supplementation alone or exercise alone.

It really is a case of 1+1=3.

And think about the possibilities if you were doing some real fat burning exercise!

So how do I actually make use of this information? Simple, follow these steps.

1. Go and buy some fish oil tablets if you haven;t already got some. Most will have 180mg of EPA and 120mg of DHA.
2. For maximum fat loss you want to take 2-3 grams of EPA/DHA per day. Don’t get confused with 2-3 grams of fish oil which would be 2-3 1000mg fish oil tablets. Each tablet will contain 300mg of ‘active ingredients’ so you are looking at 7-10 per day. It sounds like a lot of tablets, but the results are worth the effort.
3. Always take the tablet with food. Otherwise you run the risk of them being oxidised for energy. Bad.
4. If you find that you are burping fish all day, put the tablets in the freezer. This should put a stop the fish burps pretty quickly!

Sometimes the best soultions are also the easiest. Just think, by simply adding some fish oil to your diet you will be able to supercharge your body’s fat burning potential. And as an added bonus you still get all of the other health benefits! Not bad for about $15 a month!

PS. Check out with your doctor first if you have any condition, or allergy that might be an issue. Common sense please!

8 More Ways To Instantly Improve Your Eating

As you probably know I am not a big fan of making massive dietary overhauls in one step. Instead I favour the approach of making small, consistent improvements. I think this is a better approach because it leads to much greater sustainability and long term success.

The chances of succeeding when you try to chance long term habits overnight are very slim. If instead you replace the old, bad habits with new, healthier ones over time, you will be able to sustain these new habits just like you did the old ones. The main difference being that you will be healthier and leaner as a reward for the effort.

“What are the 8 C’s?” I hear you asking. Well they are 8 foods that have no health benefits, packed with sugar, fat (or both) and will lead to extra kilos and extra inches on the waistline.

Alright, you’ve waited long enough, here they are.

1. Cereal. Any processed breakfast type cereal has to go. If you want, go for whole rolled oats instead.
2. Colas. Without being brand specific (none of them are good for you) opt for green tea, black tea or flavoured teas.
3. Cakes. If this needs explaining we’re in trouble.
4. Cookies. See cakes.
5. Candy. Basically sugar in different shapes. And the ‘sugar free’ versions are packed with modified alcohols.
6. Crackers. Not only are they a poor quality, processed food, chances are you will add some cheese, dips etc to them.
7. Cream. Throw ice cream in here as well. They are a sure fire way to pack on the pounds.
8. Chocolate. Sure one piece of 80% cocoa chocolate might be alright, but every otherwise chocolate isn’t your friend!

All I want you to do is reconsider your intake of the 8 C’s. If all you were to do this week was to drop the 8C’s, increase your green vegetable intake and read this, then you would be doing better than 95% of the population.

What other ‘C’ foods can you think of that should be avoided? Leave a comment below.

My Top Ten Fat Burning Super Foods

So you slug it out in the gym day after day. But you don’t seem to be getting anywhere. That extra bit of stomach fat won’t budge no matter how much extra effort you put in.

I have developed a checklist that can help to problem solve this, um, problem.

1. It’s your diet. Consider adjusting what you eat.

If you are training at a genuine intensity, regularly, and you don’t think its your diet then try number two.

2. It’s your diet. Consider adjusting what you eat.

Plain and simple. You can’t out train a bad diet. I see it time and time again. People working harder and harder with no plan or thought given to their diet. If you train hard and eat poorly you will get mediocre results at best. You might boost your fitness but getting fitter doesn’t help you fit into that pair of jeans you love.

If you train hard and follow it up with a solid, nutrient rich, healthy eating plan then your results will be simply amazing.

The following is my list of 10 foods you should be eating regularly if you want that lean, athletic look.

1.Blueberries
Packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. Frozen or fresh you will still get the amazing health benefits of this fruit.

2. Salmon
Omega 3s, quality protein. Enough said. Eat more salmon.

3. Spinach
Pound for pound, spinach is the champion. A great source of vitamins and minerals this leafy green should be the base for every salad you make. Say goodbye to iceberg lettuce today.

4. Broccoli
Broccoli will make just about every top 10 list involving food. It is the king of the vegetables. Protein, fibre, potassium, calcium, vitamin C, folate, magnesium, the list goes on. Add a cup of this to any meal and you will be getting more nutrition than half the population do in a day.

5. Avocado
Don’t be afraid of eating fat. Especially if you are trying to lose some body fat. Your body needs it to function and if you don’t give it some through your diet, it will hold onto what is already has. Avocados have the good fats that your body wants, plus some fibre. Don’t go overboard though, two or three mashed tablespoons will do.

6. Walnuts
Good fats, good proteins and good fibre means that this filling snack will give you a swag of your daily essential nutrients in just a handful of nuts.

7. Tomatoes
Fruit, vegetable or berry. Who cares!! This wonder food can be eaten in so many ways (think sauce, juice, raw, sliced, diced, steamed) that there is no reason to miss out.

8. Onions
Just like the tomato, you can get onions into just about any meal. Quickly fry them to decrease the intensity of the flavour, or just dice them up and add to your salad. Remember to brush your teeth or get some sugar free gum afterwards.

9. Eggs
Forget the hype or choose your belief. Free range, caged, organic there are lots of arguments going around the benefits and problems associated with all of them. The fact remains that eggs provide us with one of the best protein sources available on the planet. Also loaded with vitamins, minerals and choline (which is essential for optimal cardiovascular function). And when ‘they’ say eggs are bad for you consider what the Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating had to say “No research has ever shown that people who eat more eggs have more heart attacks that people who eat few eggs”.

10. Low Fat Cottage Cheese
The trick with cottage cheese is to never eat it by itself. Otherwise persistent gagging or vomiting may be a problem! But if you want to get this protein rich, low carb, low fat, body friendly food to stay in your stomach simply blend it with an equal portion of your favourite berry and half a dozen walnuts. Great tasting, good protein, good fats, good fibre, perfect for the lean body.

These foods all feature in my ‘Eating Made Simple‘ series. Make sure you check it out.

What are your favourite fat burning foods? Did I miss something off the list? Leave a comment below to let me know.