What falls within the Proteins, Carbohydrates and Fats categories?

Many of you often ask what falls within the categories of protein, carbohydrates and fats. There is so much information and many websites out there, it can be confusing. So to help you out I have collated a list for each category, please add/remove any items you may/may not prefer as not everything on this list will be your preference or even agree with your body! (Note this is not an exhaustive list and items are not listed in any particular order)

Remember, everyone is different and each individual’s body will respond differently when they process the food they eat. It’s how you cook these foods below and how you combine them that make them powerful fuel for your body. There is also a little science in cooking and the combination of food to get the most nutrients and vitamins out of them.

Ideally, where possible, get organic ingredients. When it comes to meat grass-fed is best as that is the way nature intended. If the meat that you eat comes from an animal that only eats grains (which may or may not be genetically modified) remember that is always going to be passed onto you in some form.

Key things to look for when choosing your food:

• Choose food/ingredients which is its natural state and full of colour
• Choose food/ingredients that has been grown in nature not in a lab

Anything packaged and lasts for more than 3 – 6 months will most likely contain chemicals to preserve its shelf life. Be mindful of advertising and packaging, if you dig a little deeper, you’ll find the real truth to the source of that product.

Remember – you are what you eat!

PROTEINS:       ·      Fishes (Salmon, Tuna, Anchovy, Mackerel, Eel, Scallops, Shrimps, Snapper, Squid, Trout, Abalone, Clam, Crab, Lobster, Mussel, Oysters Herring, Codfish, swordfish etc.)       ·      Eggs       ·      Beef, Veal       ·      Lamb       ·      Chicken       ·      Pork       ·      Duck       ·      Goose       ·      Turkey       ·      Quail       ·      Rabbit       ·      Cheese (cow, sheep, goat)       ·      Liver       ·      Chickpea       ·      Beans (Kidney, Lentil, Lima, Mung, Navy, Pinto, etc.)

CARBOHYDRATES:       ·      Green Vegetables (Spinach, Kale, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Watercress, Cucumbers etc.)       ·      Fruits (Banana, Currant, Grapes, Kiwi, Mango, tomato, Apple, Berries - all types, Dates, Figs, etc.)       ·      Vegetables (Artichokes, Capsicums, Carrot, Celery, Eggplant, Fennel, Lettuce, Parsnip, Potato, Sweet Potatoes, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Mushrooms, Beetroots, Olive, etc.       ·      Avocadoes (also high in good fats)       ·      Grains (Millet, Oats, Rye, Wheat, Barley, Buckwheat, Rice etc.)

FATS (good fats):       ·      Butter       ·      Coconut       ·      Animal Fats (from a grass fed and/or organic animal)       ·      Fish Oils       ·      Hard Cheese       ·      Nuts (Brazils, Walnuts, Almonds, Hazelnuts, peanuts etc.)

HERBS & SPICES/Miscellaneous:       ·      Cayenne pepper       ·      Chili pepper       ·      Clove       ·      Allspice       ·      Coriander       ·      Parsley       ·      Cumin       ·      Dill       ·      Honey       ·      Cinnamon       ·      Ginger       ·      Tumeric       ·      Carob       ·      Vanilla       ·      Cacao       ·      Sesame       ·      Tea

Doing too much

Trying to be good at too many things and finding myself failing to meet expectations, not just others but mainly my own high expectations.

Sometimes I need to remind myself to ‘stop and smell the roses’ because really, life passes by pretty damn quick especially as we get older.

Do you find yourself trying to do everything? It’s not that someone else can’t do it, but it’s easier doing ourselves right? I mean, it takes less time to just do it rather than explain the process to someone else. We know what we want and we can get it done… the problem is, there is no time because you have added to the ‘to do’ list which seems to grow and grow no matter how much you keep ticking items of that list.

The average person can only really focus on 2 - 3 goals in a period and do them well. You can’t be good at everything, you simply do not have the time or capacity. Despite thinking you can look after your family, work, play team sport, catch up with friends, look after your health and take over the world; something has to give at some point in time.

I learnt this the hard way, trying to do too much. It wasn’t by choice but more by coincidence, we had a family emergency, my partner and I weren’t spending any quality time together because we were busy working in and on our business, working hard on improving my football game as well as trying to be good leader. I found myself drowning in the daily tasks and responsibilities I have chosen to take on. There are definitely things you can’t change and things that you just have to deal with but the key thing is to sit down and figure out what is your top priority right now. It may change in a week’s time, or a month’s time. But what is it that you need to achieve right now, today and this week? This brings us back to what are your top three goals? 

When setting goals, you have to ask yourself:

1. Are these goals going to make me happy?

2. Are these goals going to help me get to where I want to be?

3. Is it an achievable goal?

With these in mind, maybe your ‘to do list’ is reduced? Maybe it doesn’t matter what others think. Maybe you should start putting yourself first which in turns allows you to help others as well allowing you to work towards achieving your goals.

A positive mindset can be very powerful, it can make or break a person. So instead of putting so much pressure on yourselves to do everything and do it at a high level, sometimes 80% is good enough.

We are always our own harshest critic, so be mindful to treat yourself nice and give yourself a break once in a while.

Applications and tools that you can use that can help with your productivity:

•   Evernote Basic

•   Google Calendar or some form of calendar

•   Dropbox

We’ll be sharing ideas on how to become more productive so you can have more time to do the things you love like spending with your family and friends in coming newsletters so watch this space.

Reflection of our Journey so far

I’m not great with words, never been much of a writer and the thought of having to write blogs regularly as part of our new business model was daunting. But as I stood there looking at the Client Experience Board we put up at the studio on our Saturday night off, it actually made me teary.

A lot has happen in the last year, Louise and I decided to take the next step to open up our own health hub so we could reach out to more people, to help more people. Our little home business was growing but we couldn’t grow anymore due to limited space. So we spent a year looking around and finally acquired a place mid 2015. The permit process was painful to say the least but after months of paperwork, and a month or so of renovating the space ourselves while working our normal hours we finally opened the doors to our first little health hub on 13th Dec 2015 officially, Hopscotch Fitness in Burwood. 

Since then, we’ve been busy working away on all our businesses, Louise juggling her full time work and her Myotherapy business which has been solid and growing. Her healing hands and knowledgable mind has been able to help many and really it’s only a matter of time until she devotes her time to her passion making it a full time gig.

In recent months, we’ve been creating new processes and procedures to help build a stronger foundation for our business. It hasn’t been easy, it definitely has pushed our boundaries but we kept at it. It has also made me doubt myself, question myself if I’m good enough to do what I do, to build this empire we want, to help as many people as we can to live a healthier life. I still have so much to learn, could be so much better, but am I good enough? Am I where I should be? These thoughts creep into my mind with these new changes as clients join and leave our community.

As I stand looking and reflecting on what my clients have achieved and the joy in their faces, it makes me really proud to see the changes I have seen and they have experienced. I know where I want to be, I know what I want to do, I just need to push through and work on what will make me better. I believe in our service, I believe in our value, I just need to realise that it may not be the right time and right service for everyone we meet right now. It is not necessarily a reflection of us as a business. I also know I can't ask for a better business partner who has been inspiring, supportive and hardworking to continue this journey with.

So for those who are staying on board, we appreciate your patience, support and belief that we can add value to your lives. Bare with Louise and I as we try and make our business better for everyone working with our purpose to ‘inspire and improve our clients health through assessment, training and education’.

 

For those who have yet to join our little community, we welcome you with open arms, we are here to help you with your health and fitness goals. To find that fun in moving your body, creating lasting lifestyle changes that you can share with your family and friends.

Train in Twos

Training in two... whether it be training with a training partner or taking up an extra session, this method works extremely well for those who lack motivation or self discipline. You are now not only accountable to yourself but someone else, either for the one session a week or twice a week. These options have encouraged people to exercise/move more and has had very positive effects both mentally and physically.

This week, a number of clients either had a rescheduled session or picked up an extra session, making their training a little more frequent. Despite it being only one extra session, there were some great results and some have enjoyed it so much that they have decided to pick up another in the coming week.

So do yourself a favour, if you lack that motivation,  grab a friend to train with or spend a little bit more and get that extra session, the actual results you get outweigh the money spent. The more you move the better your body feels and more likely you will see changes with consistency!

"The biggest benefit to me, personally, about training two sessions per week is that it allows me to build up momentum and focus. The biggest thing I struggle with, leading such a busy work life and personal life, is keeping fitness front-of-mind.  Having my the obligation of seeing my trainer twice a week helps to keep my fitness in the back of my mind much easier than a once-a-week session. 

It’s also great to be able to focus on different types of movement — core vs legs, dynamic vs strength, push vs pull, etc. 

It also helps with fitness “homework” — I am more inclined to do foam rolling and stretching when Wiki is there to remind me more than once per week! " ~Julia B.

Julia, has had a hard year after reconstructive knee surgery as well as issues with one of her big toes. Through the physical and mental roller coaster ride, she is slowly coming out on top. Her ability to push herself is outstanding on a great day and I believe it is her love of sport that keeps her motivated. She is dying to get back onto the Grid Iron Field with her team mates!

"I have really been enjoying training with Wiki. She has given me a great range of exercises that are helping improve my posture, flexibility and strength. Wiki gives very clear explanations for simple exercises to ensure that I use proper technique when training on my own. Her knowledge and patience has helped me train more effectively and has given me a better understanding of how to improve my overall strength and fitness." ~ M.A.G.

M.A.G. is a new client who have only been training for a month now. She is a very consistent runner. In the gym you may have seen her, I've always thought of her as "the young lady who runs a lot"! With heavy pounding and not enough strength work, she has found she's having pain and issues with her foot. She finally decided to take on my offer and has been training once a week. Occasionally she trains twice a week as she's seeing and feeling the benefits!

Not long until the Christmas break so stay focused and keep up the great work. Don't let your perception of what other's expect of you deter you from reaching your goals or staying on track.



Train Hard, Eat Well, Rest Up

Emoto Rice Experiment

Could your thoughts and energy change the way your body physically behaves?

A little background information - Dr. Masaru Emoto, the Japanese “scientist” who magically turns normal rice into gross rice, simply by yelling at it… Well not quite. His initial experiment was to do with water particles and how different crystals were formed based on the energy used towards them. He found that the water particles formed beautiful crystal structures with positive prayers. The effects of energy on water particles. If you look him up on the internet you will find many variations of his experiment so I too decided to give this a go. I'll firstly explain the set up, then I will explain what I found and of course the conclusion and what is to be done next…

The Setup - 21st June 2014.

1. I cook some white long grain rice in the rice cooker (I could have used raw rice and just added water also).

2. Got three relatively similar jars and cleaned them in the same manner. (in the following photos you will see the jars are slightly different, this is were a scientist would contest and yes I agree, the difference in jars could be an contributing factor to the rate of change therefore the resulting factor. Therefore I do plan to redo the experiment with changing the jars around)

3. I filled the three jars with roughly the same amount of rice from the same batch and ensured the lids were on tightly.

4. Labeled the jars with "Positive", "Negative" and "Neglect"

5. Took photos of these jars and left them in the same space with the same light over the next month and a half. (Now, another factor to consider here is that as it is not a totally controlled environment, the amount of sunlight can also affect the rice in these jars and I understand this, thus when we repeat this experiment, we should be able to see if the same results occur.) But the results of the experiment will…. keep reading on.

The Experiment

So every day for next few weeks, I was to talk to each of the jar. I didn't necessarily speak to it rather I used my positive and negative thoughts to speak to it.

I would say or think positive thoughts to the "Positive" Jar.

I would say or think negative thoughts to the "Negative" Jar.

I would neglect the third jar.

These are things we do to ourselves on a daily basis without thinking about it. Many of us get up in the morning and already we are bombarding ourselves with negativity. How awful we look that morning, how we dislike something about ourselves or how we put ourselves down. Think about it… that is not a great start to the day, why would we want to do that to ourselves?!

The Results

Below are some of the photos from the experiment. You will be shocked at the results you will see.

21st June 2014

28th June 2014

5th July 2014

9th July 2014 

12th July 2014

6th Aug 2014

Conclusion

As you can see, no visible mould was formed in the positive jar of rice, while the two other jars had quite a difference result. I did expect the 'Negative' jar to be much worst and in many of the online experiment it was, you can see how being neglect can also have a damaging effect.

The human body is made up of approximately 70 - 75% water, you can see how relevant this experiment can be. Despite the scientific concerns you may have, this is just an experiment to show you that your thoughts and energy can greatly affect the way your body. The type of energy we either exert or receive can greatly affect our own physical body as well as to those around us. Based on how you treat your body, your body will respond in certain manner. This is already evident in what you eat is what you are.

Learn to be more positive whether it be toward others or yourself, you should try and start the day with happy and positive thoughts. As they say, before you do something, imagine yourself succeeding at it, what it looks like and feels like, this is the first step to prepare you mentally then physically. So next time before you think or speak, remember the effect it may have. Always chose to be better.

Train Hard, Eat Well, Rest Up

Which shoe for which activity?

Bridgette Nevins is a Podiatrist from Camberwell Sports and Spinal Medicine, she has put together a few basic points on looking after your feet and choosing the right shoe for the right activity. Looking for a Podiatrist in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne? Book in with Bridgette at the clinic on 03 9889 1078.

With all the shoes on the market, it’s a wonder we aren’t all rocking in a corner overcome by the thought of having to pick which one to wear. It’s almost like Russian roulette, choose the wrong shoe and you will end up nursing an injury on the couch instead of burning up the pavement with a run.

To turn the odds in your favour, pay attention to the following tips, and you will find making that next exercise shoe purchase all the more simpler.

1. Get to know your feet

Every pair of feet are different, and knowing what foot type you have is very important in assisting with wearing the correct shoe.

Over pronators – This means that your feet are rolling in. If you have a look at your shoes, you may find that you wear down the sole on the medial side of the outer-sole.

Over supinators – This means that you put most of your weight through the lateral edge of your feet. Looking at the sole of your shoes you may see that you wear down the outside edge of the sole.

Neutral – You have an even wear pattern from the lateral edge of the heel, through to the big toe where you push off.

2. Do not make shoes do more than one activity

It does matter which shoe you choose to use for your work out; if you choose the wrong one you are increasing your risk of injury.

Shoes cannot multitask effectively! Walking shoes have a stiffer sole, whilst running shoes are more flexible with extra cushioning due to the higher impact they have to withstand.

Walking and running shoes are designed for forward and back motion only. These shoes have minimal lateral stability because your feet do not move laterally (side to side) when you are running or walking.

Cross trainers are designed for forward and back, and side to side motion such as those movements seen in Basketball, netball, tennis and cross-fit classes.  Cross trainers have a combination of lateral stability and flexibility through the midsole for running motion. These shoes are great if you are doing a combination of leisurely activities through the week. It is important to remember that if your main sporting activity is basketball for example, that you have a basketball specific shoe.

3. Holding onto your shoes for too long

Everyone has that favourite pair of shoes that they just don’t want to give up, no matter how many holes the sole has. Running shoes should be replaced every 600 – 800km; now unless you count your kilometres regularly it can be difficult to keep track.

For a person running 2 – 3 times a week of between 8 and 10km at a time, it is estimated that you change your running shoes every 6 – 8 months. If you are not a regular weekly runner, I would suggest changing your shoes every 12 months.

The reason that you need to replace your running shoes regularly, is that the cushioning in the shoe starts to wear down, the heel counter loses its stiffness and stability, and the midsole becomes too flexible. Continuing to wear your shoes after this has happened opens you up to risk of injury.

If you are replacing your work out shoes when they look worn out, then you are replacing them too late. You do not have to throw them away, you can use them for gardening, or donate them to charities such as Shoes For Planet Earth (Camberwell Sports and Spinal Medicine is a collection point for this charity).

4. Get Advice

Unless you have been doing the same sport for years and know exactly which shoe you need, then it is best to get some help with selecting a shoe.

You can go to a speciality sport-shoe store where they have trained staff to assist you with your purchase.

If you are concerned about your foot posture or have a history of injury, it may be in your best interest to see a Podiatrist first for a biomechanical and gait assessment. A Podiatrist will discuss with you your injury history, activity regime, look at your foot posture, joint range of motion, and assess your gait with computer analysis. From this, they will be able to recommend what type of footwear will be most appropriate for your chosen activity, and assist with preventing any other potential risk factors that could cause injury.