Why Using The Nike Training App Will Help You Reach Your Fitness Goals

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Ask anyone what their ultimate beauty desire is and they’ll tell you that it’s to look like a god or a goddess!  At a time when the Olympics draw near, it’s not surprising that many of you are thinking that healthy, sportive bodies are your ultimate goal.

Well let me tell you a secret.  The Nike Training app really is the ultimate app for an athletic body.  I first got introduced to it by a friend who recommended it when I was considering a personal trainer.  As soon as I downloaded it onto my iphone, wow, I was completely blown away by how truly amazing and useful it actually was.  It even worked on my older model iphone 3GS.

When I think of exercise DVDs, I tend to roll my eyes a little bit.  Do you do that too?  I secretly think that they are a waste of time.  There really is nothing like a decent run or a swim (not that I know how to swim), or a good old bashing at the gym with weights for a structured strength training workout.  

But wait till you try this app.  I am usually breaking into a sweat after just a few minutes into it.  This is no DVD where you have some celebrity jumping up and down in a pretty leotard.  This definitely is business.

DREAM NO MORE

Download the app via itunes.  It is free of charge and you’ll soon discover what I’m talking about.  It’s suitable for both male and female, beginner, intermediate or advanced.  You can choose from ‘Get Lean’, ‘Get Toned’ and ‘Get Strong’.  There’s even a selection of workouts ranging from 30 to 45 minutes.  For a quickie, select ‘Focused’ which guides you through specific workouts for butt, arms, legs or abs and takes only 15 minutes to complete.

MY FAVOURITES

I love switching between ‘Get Lean’ and ‘Get Toned’.  Each category has a selection of about 7 different workouts to choose from to ensure that you don’t get bored.  


What I really love about the app is that you can use it in the comfort of your own home.  If you don’t own any dumb bells, then improvise like I have with a couple of heavy cookbooks!  


I am just so thrilled that there finally is an app that is effective, challenging and yet works well alongside my fitness goals.  Better still, I can link my music library to this app so that I can listen to my favourite songs whilst I train.  There really is a personal trainer built into the app with the regular words of encouragement such as ‘push yourself’ bellowed out every now and then!

COMPLETE BEGINNER?

Don’t worry if you are new to exercise.  Like I mentioned above, the Nike app is well suited to a range of fitness levels.  You can also choose the 30 minute workouts and work yourself up to the 45 minute exercise sessions.  


Once you’ve selected a workout, the actual training drills are divided into various 1 and 2 minute movements such as planks, walking lunges, squat jumps, deadlifts and so on.  There's also a timer and a video to demonstrate how each movement should be performed.

OVERALL IMPRESSION

This is a well thought out app by Nike.  I’ve even used it at the gym which is great as it truly does feel like I have my very own personal trainer in my wee phone!  

I am drawn to things that give me independence and this app certainly drives me to achieve my exercise goals at my own speed and level of fitness. 

Don’t make the same mistake like me.  Lots of cardio but not enough of the strength training exercises!  

Cardio is not all that you need to lose weight or tone up!  

It’s essential to incorporate strength training as part of your weekly exercise regime to facilitate lean muscle mass.  Do this at least 2 -3 times a week.

Did you know that as you build lean muscle mass, your metabolic rate speeds up and you start to burn more calories even when you are not exercising?  How fabulous is that? 

So on that note, when are you slotting in a Nike Training workout?

If you are aware of similar apps that work well with alternative smart phones, then please share.  Or if you try this app and you love it as much as I do, then do tell me about it.  I’d love to hear from you.




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The Purple Detox – How To Do It The Safe Way

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If you have read my article ‘Detoxing-diets-do-they-work?’, you are now ‘detox smart’ and aware how dangerous some of these diets can be.  Lacking in proteins, essential fats and minerals, you could be facing brittle bones, hair loss, flaky skin or lethargy, to name just a few side effects if continued long term.

What inspires you?

With summer just around the corner, weddings, birthdays or special occasions may be demanding attention to your diet.  But before you rush out to try a detox, think about why dietitians have never advocated any of the available diets on the market today.

How can I detox the safe way?

The truth is fruit and vegetables are key to any detox.  But one fruit isn’t necessarily better than the other.

Each fruit or veg has it’s own unique distribution of vitamins and minerals.

Choose different colours of fruit and veg to get a variety of the different vitamins, minerals and fibre that will ultimately lower your risk of chronic diseases (cardiovascular and cancers).

If you want to find out how to detox the safe way, check out the purple diet.

 

The Purple Diet

I’ve grown up with mum and aunts promoting fruit, vegetables, whole grains and wholesome home cooked meals, weeks before special events.  They key is to start at least a month before your special event, so that you glow from your healthy hair & skin (from vitamin A), experience lower blood pressure (from potassium), increased healing power for cuts & wounds as well as improved immunity (from vitamin C).

Breakfast

Recipe – ‘Mango & Blueberry Smoothie’

1 mango, sliced OR 3 tablespoons mango puree

1 medium banana

Blueberries, large handful

3 heaped tablespoons low fat yoghurt, plain or fruit flavoured

Ice

Blend all ingredients together and enjoy!  Delicious on it’s own for breakfast or as a post work out snack.  If you don’t fancy a smoothie, then add the mango, banana and blueberries to a small bowl of oats and milk as a fruity cereal for breakfast.  

Tip – try a different smoothie every day.

Lunch

Bowl of vegetable soup OR large salads (think baby spinach, avocado, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, cucumber) to eat with whole grain bread.  Thin scraping of spread if you are watching your weight.

Drink plenty of water or tea for dewy, hydrated skin.  But consider avoiding coffee.  The good news is that a study in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that tea was not any different to water in maintaining hydration.  Coffee and coke should be avoided for the purpose of the detox, due to caffeine being associated with migraines and tension type headaches.

Snacks – choose a delicious fruit salad (see recipe suggestion below).  Alternatively, try a tablespoon of unroasted nuts and seeds.  This provides, protein, minerals and essential fats.  Combine with dried fruit for added fibre, but enjoy this no more than 3 times a week, as it is abundant in calories.

Eat your usual dinner but ensure that that this is full of colour.  Think purple, why not try red onions and egg plants (aubergine)?  Aim to have at least 3 different vegetables in your evening meal.  Limit recipes that call for saturated fats from whole milk, cheese or butter.  Instead use small amounts of olive or rapeseed oil in cooking to improve your cholesterol profile.  

Aim to eat fish at least twice a week to reap the benefits from omega fatty acids.  Try mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, tuna and salmon to help control poor circulation, mood swings or depression, poor memory and dry skin.

Dessert – yes you guessed it, fruit salad!  Not only is it pleasing to the eye, the fibre in fruit when matched with fluids such as a cup of green tea, expand to give you the sensation of being full for longer.

Tip, make your fruit salads in advance and enough to last you at least a couple of days.

Below is a recipe that I have selected for you from a French cookbook by Marabout Chef.

Salade de fruits a la menthe (fruit salad with mint)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 star anise (optional)

1 tablespoon juice of lime

½ pineapple (450g) cubed

½ honey dew or other melon (650g) cubed

200g fresh lychees, stoned (use tinned if you can’t find fresh)

100g red seedless grapes

1 large handful of shredded fresh mint

Directions

Dissolve the sugar in 180 ml ​​of water with star anise.  Let the liquid simmer for 10 minutes, before adding the lime juice.  Let it infuse in the refrigerator for 3 hours.  Pass the syrup through a sieve before transferring to a bowl.  Then add the mint and fruit, mix gently.  Serve immediately.

Enjoy, and remember, a variety of fruit and vegetables is key.  Aim for up to 8 or 9 servings of fruit and veg daily.

If you enjoyed this, then comment below to tell me your thoughts on detox.  Have you tried a detox diet successfully?  If so how was it?  Do share I love hearing from you!

How A Buddy System Can Be Effective

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What do you plan to do this Saturday morning?  Sport?  Lie in?  Chances are, you are either nursing a hang-over after a fun night out or enjoying a shopping spree, you lucky thing!

My recent obsession dominating every Saturday morning is ‘friendly boot camp’.  This was introduced to me by a lovely group of friends I met after travelling to Egypt one year.  We meet every Saturday morning at a local park to exercise and I am totally hooked.  I am also pleased to say that we are as equally committed to a delicious brunch afterwards.

My relationship with exercise has had its ups and downs.  Lately I have been struggling to squeeze in my usual 3 runs a week.  I love running, but grey clouds and freezing temperatures can be off-putting.  Treadmill running is frankly a little bit uninspiring.

Growing up in New Zealand, exercise was the easiest thing in the world as I had the three essential elements to a successful exercise plan – location, sun and motivation!  I lived a few minutes away from a large park called One Tree Hill and have enjoyed countless runs and walks there.

Days of sun shine are rare in London, but thanks to ‘friendly boot camp’, exercise is once again a lifestyle choice.  I have been re-introduced to boxing and the chance to exercise in an enjoyable environment amongst friends.  This increases the likelihood of me repeating this activity, every week.

A buddy system works well too.  

For example, on Thursday mornings, I meet with a colleague to exercise before work.  This is effective as neither one of us wants to let the other one down with a no-show.  It’s amazing how quickly we transform from sleepy heads to two energised individuals after just a 45 minute high impact work-out.  It’s also a great way of catching up together outside work.

Struggling to get back into exercise after winter?  Buddy up and pencil in exercise dates with a friend or colleague.  

The key is to select a day that suits you both.  

Soon you will be obligated to be loyal and you’ll quickly fall in love with the new routine.

Whether you create an after work exercise group amongst friends or a pre-work gym workout date with a colleague, the key is to select an activity or gym class that you can both commit to each week.  Alternatively, join a local running group or a zumba class at your gym.

Whatever you decide to do, select an activity that’s fun and enjoyable, preferably with a buddy to be successful in making exercise your new habit.

I also find that new exercise gear always gets me into the exercise spirit!  Check out Asics Apparel for ideas.  

Happy exercising!


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How An Affair With Cheese Can Cost You A Dress Size

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Tired after a hard day’s work?  Are you relaxing as we speak with an almost orgasmic glass of red in one hand and a terrific, creamy, mouth-watering and almost sweet sliver of brie in the other? 

Do you find that you repeat this ‘fun’ ritual every night whilst you cook dinner or just after you’ve kissed the kids goodnight?  Blissful isn’t it – that single moment when you bite into that lovely creamy richness.  Mmm.. 

Well I hate to break this well deserved moment of rapture, but what your friends or the quaint fromagerie failed to tell you is that cheese is high, high, high in fat!  Don’t even bother applying the nutrition screening tool that I introduced you to (see my article Be Shopping Savvy - Nutrition Labelling Decoded).  All cheeses are well above the 10% fat cut-off, except perhaps for cottage cheese and let’s face it, there’s not a lot to say about cottage cheese.

A reduced fat cheese is still above the 10g/100g threshold and as for the fat free varieties; can you really look me in the eye and tell me that you can eat it?  I didn’t think so.

So where does that leave us?  Perplexed I am sure; especially when you find out that a recommended serving size of cheese is roughly 30g or the size of a small matchbox.  If you understand calories, one portion of cheddar weighing 30g will give you 145 calories and 11g of fat.  Eat 3 or 4 of these portions as snacks and you’ve added over 500 unnecessary calories to your daily total intake. 

If you still don’t understand calories, a female weighing 60kg will need to run at least 9 kilometres to burn it off.  Continue eating your slices of heaven daily and you are gaining ½ kilo (1.1 pounds) each week.  A few weeks later, you’ve gained a dress size and I haven’t even counted the wine.  Voila. 

Oh and did I mention that cheese contains predominantly saturated fats?  Unfair isn’t it?  Why make food taste so good if you can’t have it.  It’s all relative of course, if this ritual is only a weekly treat and you can be detached after one glass of wine and one portion of cheese, then I say, indulge.

If you are lusting after a second slice, then plan to slot in at least a 30 minute session at the gym.  No point letting that gorgeous new dress go to waste.

Are you vegetarian?

If you are vegetarian then it’s a different story.  Cheese can be a useful source of protein and calcium.  You can even enjoy it in small amounts in an elegant salad for lunch daily. 

Lactose intolerant?

More good news is that if you suffer from lactose intolerance, then small amounts of cheese may not upset your tummy.  If milk does not agree with you, you may find switching from regular milk to soy, rice or oat milk beneficial.  There are even pea and nut varieties of milk these days.  Just make sure that you select a brand that is fortified with added calcium.

You may be slightly upset with me now, but you’ll absolutely love me when you still look like a million dollars in that dress.

So your new plan is, after a hard day at work, run yourself a bath, light pretty candles and dive into that book you’ve been meaning to.  Relaxation doesn’t always need to revolve around food.

For cheese lovers out there, enjoy Jamie's antipasti of mozzarella recipe that I’ve selected for you.


Easy Mozzarella Salad
2 large tomatoes, sliced
1 buffalo mozzarella, sliced
Large handful of basil
1-2 tsp of olive oil
Freshly ground pepper


Arrange the tomatoes and mozzarella in an alternating method on the plate.  Gently cover with the basil leaves, pour olive oil, season with pepper and serve with crusty bread.

Enjoy!


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Detoxing Diets – Do They Work?

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‘Raw food diet’, ‘fat flush diet’ or ‘liver cleansing diets’.  Sound familiar?  If you’ve tried it, then chances are that the person next to you has too.  A website search tells me that the most popular craze today is the ‘Master cleanse / Lemonade diet’. 

But what drives you to try these diets?  Radiant and dewy skin?  Glossy hair?  A tiny waist? 

The diets do promise weight loss, purified glands, slower rate of aging or help alleviating symptoms of headaches or bloating.  

Yet, I can’t find a single shred of evidence to support any of these claims.  

It seems that there is every reason to question and protest, but what’s the likelihood that the creators will volunteer the evidence (if any) behind these diets?  Regardless of diet type, what these diets have in common is minimal calorie intake.  In short, these are simply starvation diets in the quest for extreme beauty.  For entrepreneurs, this is merely an opportunity to sell supposed health cleansers for a healthy margin. 

The first and only time I tried a ‘’detox diet’, I was a teenager.  I rushed out to purchase the few and only items recommended on the diet – fruits and vegetables.  Day one, I felt invigorated and purified, but just a little bit hungry.  Day two, as advised by the author, I stuck to my exercise regime.  Sweating apparently helps expel toxins.  I later dragged my embarassed self home after blacking out in the middle of my favourite aerobic class. 

What the authors probably don’t tell you are the side effects such as headaches and lethargy to name just a few.  Although a very active person, I couldn’t complete my usual runs.  I knew that I had to surrender and hence day three was the sensible termination of the diet.

As expected, my quick literature review of the detox diets disappointingly revealed that there isn’t anything worthy to report.  There is no scientific evidence to support any of the health claims and worse, the authors fail to highlight the potential side effects of following the restrictive diets.

By all means, try a diet if it pleases you, but I am not sure that it will make a tremendous difference to your body.  Be prepared to gain half, if not all of the weight shed as quickly as you lost it on resuming your usual diet.  

A few days on a ‘cleansing diet’ may do no harm, but consider yourself warned if you decide to continue the diet for longer. 

The detox diets are not nutritionally adequate and not recommended long term.

In my humble opinion, a more rewarding investment would be weekly visits to a near-by grocers market.  Enjoy and reap the benefits of the promised vitamins and minerals from your fruit and vegetables by eating it as part of a healthy and nutritious diet, every day.

For more information on fruit and vegetables, you may enjoy this article I discovered on BBC.

Beer, Butter & Chocolate: The Unexpected Threesome For A Six Pack?

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As promised, an article for Andrew on ‘how to get a six pack on a beer, butter and chocolate diet’.  Isolated case of fearless eating you say?  You may be right, but before you think entirely impossible, apply the principles of moderation and almost anything can be possible.

Right now, my assumption is that Andrew is regularly sweating it out on a treadmill and completing high volumes of planks, plank walks, toe touches, modified side planks, full extensions, v-ups, suitcases and your old fashioned crunches.

Let’s face it; women aren’t the only ones watching their figures these days.  I blame celebrities again (naturally), but with the high publicising of Barbie figures, it’s not surprising that all are feeling the pressure to look good.  If you are serious about ‘feeling good in your skin’, in addition to exercising regularly, a fitness regime that incorporates a healthy, balanced diet can be the winning combo to a lean and beautiful body.

A Scraping Of Butter

The bad news is - if you must have butter, be warned that this is full of saturated fats.  Eat this liberally and expect your doctor to grimace over your high total cholesterol levels and your risk of heart disease.  Team this with regular takeaways, deep fried foods, baking and other high fat products and you are well on your way to an early grave. 

If your heart is ready to acquiesce, then choose margarine.  Based on vegetable oils, this is the safe option.  Rich in poly and mono unsaturated fats, they work hard to combat the damaging effects of saturated fats.  

But before you rush ahead to slap on the margarine, remember that how much fat you eat is equally important, regardless of type.  

If your weight is in the healthy range, chances are that you are already eating ample fats.  A switch from butter to vegetable oils may be all that is necessary to change the ratio of saturated to unsaturated fats.

Breakfast – don’t skip it

Butter addicts, don’t fear.  Reduce your takeaways, cakes, biscuits and deep fried foods and trade it for a scraping of butter.  Then have it with breakfast.  Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  A recent article published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in March this year, indicated that men who skipped breakfast were more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.  

A study by Antonogeorgos et al, in Paediatric Obesity, also showed that children who ate breakfast daily were more likely to prevent overweight and obesity.  It should really come as no surprise that eating breakfast will decrease the temptation to over-indulge in high fat & sugary foods later.

If you plan to use your quota of butter for a fry up, then think again.  An interesting article published in ‘Nutrition Research and Practice’, in February 2012, compared Korean and Western diets.  Those who chose ‘potatoes, fruit and nuts’ at breakfast, showed lower risks of high blood pressure and blood glucose levels, when compared with adults who chose ‘eggs, breads and processed meat.’ 

These are just some of the latest findings from around the world.  As it turns out; you can be slimmer and healthier simply by eating breakfast.  Team your breakfast with smart food choices and you’ll also help protect your heart and risk of diabetes.  What’s more, if the thin scraping of butter on your toast encourages you to eat breakfast, then this could be the saviour from a monster munch attack later in the day.

Breakfast suggestions 

• cereal with reduced fat milk 
• high fibre bread with a scraping of butter (or margarine) or other spreads.  
• another delicious breakfast selection is fruit salad with yoghurt. 

Lunching?

Base the rest of your meals around carbohydrates, protein, fruit and vegetables.  Sandwiches packed with salads or soups and pasta salads bursting with coloured vegetables will help you meet your target of five fruit and vegetables a day.  Choose no bigger than a palm sized portion of meat, chicken or fish per day.  Don’t forget that lentils, beans and chick peas are a great alternative source of protein.

Combat Chocolate Cravings

After your gym work-out, why not treat yourself to a glass of low fat chocolate milk?  What a clever way of replacing muscle glycogen stores after exercise.  If you don’t do this, you run the risk of post work-out dives in blood sugar levels (and thus the danger of raging chocolate cravings). 

In addition to restoring the much needed carbohydrates, you’ll find that you’ve just satisfied your sweet tooth and potentially prevented a major pig out.  Have this drink immediately after a work-out (ideally within 30 minutes) for maximal absorption and replacement of glycogen stores.  Eat your evening meal as soon as you can.

What About Beer?

How could I forget!  After your hard work of healthy eating and commitment to exercise, I think you’ve earned yourself a can of beer this weekend! 

If you decide to give the can a miss, I found Delia's braised steak and mushroom recipe online which could also be prepared with beer.  Just go easy on the butter!

Enjoy!


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Breakfast Attack: How To Screen Your Cereal

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Do you ever feel bewildered by the number of breakfast cereals available on the supermarket shelves today?

If you have applied my screening tool for decoding nutrition panels (refer to article 'Be shopping savvy' for more info), then you may have noticed that very few breakfast cereals actually meet the golden criteria of <15g/100g sugar, <10g/100g fat and >5g/100g fibre.

Breakfast cereals are tricky as you want to consider the actual source of the fat and sugar.  If you find a cereal that receives your stamp of approval for fats and fibre, but not for sugar (contains >15g/100g), then I suggest that you look closely at the ingredient list.  

There are many reasons why breakfast cereals fail in this area and it's purely due to the added sugars.  Don't forget that any honey or syrups that are added to the cereal will also contribute to the total sugar content of the cereal.  If your favourite cereal is low in fat but high in sugar, think about where these sugars are coming from.  Is there dried fruit in this cereal?  Is fruit listed as one of the top three ingredients or is it sugar, honey and syrups?

Sugar added to cereal is not the same as sugar from dried fruit

For example, let's have a look at Alpen High Fruit cereal.  

This is a perfect example of a low fat, high fibre cereal with a high sugar content.  The good news is that the majority of sugars are sultanas, raisins and dried apple pieces.  There's further dried fruit in the form of blackcurrants and cranberries.  Sounds delicious.  As a rule, dried fruit contributing to the total sugar content of the cereal is not the same as added regular sugar.  


Fruit provide dietary fibre and are also a source of essential vitamins and minerals.  The verdict?  I am not complaining.  If you are a fan of muesli type breakfast cereals, then dig in (after you've applied the screening tool ofcourse)!

If you want a cereal without the extra fruit then have a look at Alpen Original.   This particular cereal is also low in fat and receives the tick for fibre.  Did you notice that the sugar content is lower at 23% compared to 30% from the High Fruit range?  Did your beady eye also notice that Alpen Original has ordinary sugar added as their fourth ingredient?  Think of the Alpen High Fruit as the cereal that's full to the brim with dried fruit, whilst Alpen Original has clearly needed a boost in flavour with a bit of regular sugar.

Ladies it's your breakfast, pick the one that tickles your taste buds.  Personally, I prefer waking up to a small bowl of Scottish Jumbo Oats, stocked by Waitrose.  It has a whopping 10.8g/100g of dietary fibre and is just right with a dash of skimmed milk and a teaspoon of brown sugar or dried fruit.  It's the perfect breakfast made easy.  More importantly, I am in control of how much sugar gets added every morning, not the manufacturer.

Enjoy the last day of your Easter holidays! Don't forget your breakfast tomorrow.


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