Issue 19, January 2009:
- Greetings
- What's New
- Exercise
- Jen's Nutition Corner
- Your Wellbeing
- Healthy Recipe of the Month
- For Inspiration
Greetings
Dear Friend of Body Temple,
Well, it's 4 weeks already since the start of 2009 when we all made our New Year resolutions. Each year we put ourselves through this same ritual and all too often we also put too much pressure on ourselves to overachieve. So by the time February arrives some of us are so overwhelmed that all those inspiring visions we had on the 1st January have long since evaporated!
New inspiring goals and a fresh start is an exciting prospect so New Year resolutions do have a part to play. But when it comes to your health and fitness goals, be realistic with your time frame. Have a clear picture of the ideal 'fit and healthy' look you are aiming for and what it feels like.
Break your goals into smaller milestones (eg) have weekly little goals. One small action every week will take you closer to your ultimate goal ! You may not be able to fit in to your skinny jeans in only 7 days, but you can get a centimetre closer every week. So as you progress acknowledge what works for you and what doesn't and celebrate the positive results!
As anyone who's ever tried to have a fresh start knows, getting rid of old habits and creating new patterns of behaviour means taking a completely honest look at ourselves and it is also a journey that takes time: so losing weight, better eating habits and improvement in your overall well being takes patience and effort!
Of course a great Personal Trainer to guide you along the winding road is essential and the team at Body Temple is here to facilitate your inspiring journey!
Happy New Year / Gong Xi Fa Chai Ladies, here's to a healthier and happier New You in 2009!
Yours in health and fitness,
Karine
What's New
1. The new Rollers have arrived - so purchase your own at Body Temple for only $30 and roll away at home!
2. Save the date - Wed 18th Feb - Debra Lee Robinson from the Ideal Group will be at the gym during the evening to share with us lots of valuable information about the benefits of good nutrition. More details will follow shortly, but certainly a talk not to be missed so do mark it in your diaries before you commit to something else!
Exercise Tips!
Motivational tips:
With your New Year resolutions in place and now back into your workouts, here's some tips to relieve the boredom on longer workouts:
1. Focus on your core and posture, keep checking them as you work up a sweat.
2. Think about a goal you have-it could be from dancing with George Clooney or fitting into your jeans. Just let your mind wander and enjoy the boost !
3. Get into a rhythm - you can use music or just the rhythm of your feet hitting the pavement, focus on it, connect to it and let it carry you.
4. If you are on a cardio machine then imagine your are out in the great outdoors and visualize a journey that takes you over the hills along a smooth, flat road, over a bumpy moguls and across rivers.
5. If you are training outside-visualize your route as a map in your mind. Keep focusing on the next road, gate, lamppost or corner until you reach the finishing line.
Jen's Nutrition Corner
Well, it's official, the holiday season is over and we're now looking at the beginning of a new year. If you're like me a new year means a new beginning. A time to start fresh, begin new habits, new healthy habits, and re-new our vigour.
My challenge to you is to be more conscious of what you're eating, to really THINK about what you're putting in your mouth. Think of food in terms of energy. Does that banana muffin you ate for breakfast fuel your body throughout the day, including that weight training workout you're doing at Body Temple ? Or would a veggie omelette be a better choice ?
And in conjunction with being a more conscious eater, do start planning your meals (remember what I said last month about failing to plan?). Plan your meals with that "fuel" mentality. Every meal should be a balance of protein (think lean meats, beans, fish - the size of your palm), carbohydrates (think brown rice, whole grains) and LOADS of vegetables (roasted, steamed, stir fried). It will make all the difference in the world when at the end of the day you've already planned your dinner, rather than turning to a not so healthy take out meal because you're tired and already hungry.
One last point, I would like to introduce my Vitamin of the Month for January. One vitamin that seems to be getting a lot of press lately is Vitamin D. I have been reading spinets here and there about the virtues and necessity of Vitamin D for health and vitality, and was astonished to hear that over half of Americans are Vitamin D deficient. So here's a quick lowdown on this essential vitamin:
For your body it helps prevent a growing list of chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, osteoporosis, breast cancer, colon cancer, and ovarian cancer. It helps keep your bones and teeth strong and healthy & regulates the growth and activity of your cells. It can also help reduce inflammation.
Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that is naturally found in very few foods. Concentrated food sources of vitamin D include fatty fishes like salmon, sardines, herring, tuna, and catfish. Shrimp, milk, beef liver and eggs are also sources. As are fish liver oils, such as cod liver oil.
Since very few foods are naturally rich in vitamin D, much vitamin D intake in the industrialized world is from fortified products including milk, soy milk and breakfast cereals or supplements.
Another source is through direct sunlight exposure. This means exposure not inhibited by clothing or sunscreen. Prolonged exposure to the sun causes skin cancer, hence the recent push toward sunscreen use. Unfortunately the use of sun block and sunscreen means that many of us are not getting enough Vitamin D through natural sunlight exposure. Hence it is now widely recommended that we add a Vitamin D supplement to our daily vitamin supplement regimen.
Well Being - You and the New Year!
The New Year is a great time to review your goals and to work out what is most important you. Most people want greater health, more energy, and vitality, but are battling with hectic schedules and no real time to overhaul their lives. The following tips will get you on your way to transforming your mind, body, and soul plus replenish your Energy for the New Year:
1. Diaphragmatic Breathing: "belly breathing" is a simple way to increase our qi energy and improve our stamina.
2. Get a Good Nights Sleep: 8 hours of sleep per night is optimal but the time you fall asleep is also a factor: research has shown that sleeping from 10 pm to 6 am is the most effective for our body's 24 hour clock. Hormone secretion, body temperature, digestion, and other important restorative processes follow a 24-hour cycle linked to natural light exposure. The later in the evening we fall asleep and the later in the morning we wake up, the more out-of-sync our cycle becomes.
3. Eliminate Energy-Sappers From Your Diet:
- Not enough alkaline (figs, green leafy vegetables, almonds, dates, celery, cantaloupe, and parsley)
- Excess sugar: causes fluctuations in blood sugar resulting in low energy levels. Decrease all forms of refined sugar.
- Insufficient protein is a common reason for fatigue. Try almonds for a quick protein snack.
- Too much coffee: consuming several cups or more of coffee per day can promote burnout.
- Not enough water - is one of the most common reasons for low energy levels.
4. Take 20 Minutes Every Day Just For You: to relax and do nothing - pick up a book, listen to music, meditate, have a cup of tea, or try a new yoga pose.
5. Consider a Stress-Formula Multivitamin: People who are under chronic stress require more B vitamins.
Healthy Recipe:
Mixed Vegetable Quinoa (a must have detox recipe)
Serves:2
Ingredients:
300ml vegetable stock
100g quinoa
1 tbsp olive oil
1 celery stick chopped
2 spring onions, white part only chopped
1 sweet potato, chopped
1 courgette, chopped
50g broccoli florets
1 large handful of parsley, chopped
Lemon juice freshly squeezed (optional)
Cooking Instructions:
Place the stock and quinoa in a large saucepan, bring to boil and leave to simmer for seven to eight minutes. In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat the olive oil and fry the celery, spring onion and sweet potato over a low heat for two to three minutes, Add the courgette and broccoli, and continue to fry for three minutes. Stir the vegetables into the quinoa mixture, and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle with the parsley and lemon if desired and serve.
Top Detox foods to cook with:
Artichoke
Leeks
Papaya
Turmeric
Watercress
Broccoli
Beetroot
Pineapple
Carrot
Celery
Fennel
Radish
Rosemary