6 Ways to reduce the stress of Christmas

It's the second week in December and all around we are bombarded with stimulus: Wonderful smells, of spices and clementines, the pressure to look good, whilst entertaining family and friends, shopping for England and attending Christmas Parties. This all means STRESS!!!!! 

Perhaps you've spent time this year, working on a healthier lifestyle, supporting your body through nourishment and movement.....Perhaps you haven't..... YOU, may intend to start your health journey in January, in which case damage limitation may be the right thing for you to do at this time of the year. The intention of this post is to encourage some festive self preservation and investments, this means INVESTING IN YOU AND YOUR SANITY. Everybody know's how to be healthier, but here I will set about offering some practical hints and tips, which should help to lessen expansion of the waist:

1) Sleep more:

At this time of the year many of us are sleep deprived, as we set about achieving the impossible. It's important to remember that sleep is the bodies natural way to reset, to heal, and to grow. It's sleep that allows us to start each day refreshed. How will you find the energy for all of your commitments without sufficient rest? 

Failure to sleep causes confusion in our hormones, Ghrelin (our hunger marker) and Leptin (our satiety signal) become unbalanced. This means you are likely to eat more than you need.
It's also the case, if you are un rested you will lack energy and seek "instant hits" from sugar, from here you are likely to hit the sugar cycle:

Crave sugar > consume sugar > cell walls open > blood sugar elevates > sugar level drops and you return to craving!

"Sleep has so many benefits with so little effort, sleep directly affects the quality of our waking life" -Unknown

Practical Sleeping tips:
A. Sleep in a dark room, with a blackout blind if necessary or buy an eye mask, which signals to the brain that it's time to sleep.
B. Try to go to bed at the same time, creating a healthy sleep habit.
C. Keep T.V's and gadgets outside of the bedroom, the stark blue light often omitted from devices signals to the brain that it's day time.
D. Try counting sheep, Yes! it helps, this may seem like an old wives tail but is a form of meditation/ relaxation which helps you to nod off.
E. Reduce caffeine from mid afternoon, as this stimulates brain activity, replace that espresso with a herb/ fruit tea which is caffeine free. Camomile is said to be very good for relaxation.

2) Move more:

We were built to move and to work, moving is one of the best ways to create calorie deficit, which means you will lose weight. It's medically proven that people who move more are:

>Up to a 35% lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke
>Up to a 50% lower risk of type 2 diabetes
>Up to a 30% lower risk of depression
( Source http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/Whybeactive.aspx)

Other reasons to move include:
-Improved bone strength (reduced risk of Osteoporosis)
-Increased lean muscle mass (which elevates our metabolism0
-Raised self esteem/ reduced stress
It's really important if exercise is new to you that you seek medical approval before embarking on exercise, also please move within the realms of your ability. Walking is a great way to start.

Practical Movement Tips
A. Struggling to fit exercise your day around Christmas? Why not download a pedometer app?
B. If you are struggling to find the perfect gift for the loved one that has anything why not turn to the traditional welly and get some cold crisp walks in between Christmas and New Year?
C. Avoid the "Carbohydrate Coma" which strikes so many by playing active games like charades or Twister. (other games are available!)

3) Hydrate:

I know, it's old news right?  So what does water do for us?
-Hydrates brain cells
-Lubricates skin and tissues
-Increases oxygen in the blood and lungs
-Regulates body temperature
-Prevents loss of calcium
-Provides elasticity to muscles and joints 
-HELPS DIGESTION AND METABOLIC FUNCTION
-ELIMINATES TOXINS/ REDUCES CONSTIPATION
-GENERATES ENERGY

Still not convinced? 
Brain = 75% water
Blood = 83% water
Muscles = 75% water
The cost of being dehydrated is massive: At 1% dehydration you will struggle to concentrate. At 5% dehydration you will feel hot and tired and experience a drop in performance.

Practical Hydration Tips:
A. Reduce costs and intoxification by having a non- alcoholic drink in between your favourite tipple.
B. Swap cafeinated drinks with decaf options
C. Buy yourself a posh water bottle, sounds silly right? but it makes drinking water much more fun. Try adding flavour with: Cucumber, berries, ginger or mint.
D. Try fruit and herbal teas
E. Increase consumption of vegetables and fruit, Broccoli for instance is 89% water.

4) Reduce stress:

If you are constantly feeling stressed, your are likely to be tired and irritable. This irritability causes yet more hormone in balances as discussed under the sleep section......

The smart phone generation is in a constant "information overload" state, next time you are in a public area, stop for just 5 minutes and count how many people you see who are attached to phones: texting, snap chatting, calling, checking e-mails, taking photos, posting to Instagram or for that matter any other platform which allows you socialise at the click of a button.

Practical stress reduction tips:
A. Banishing your phone is not an option? OKAY! but just try to reduce the amount of time you spend on it, nourish real relationships and make an effort to laugh.
B. Meditate:This doesn't mean that you have to grow your hair, live in a camper and smoke weed. It means, step back, relax your brain from the constant demands on your time and relax. It's not a self indulgent act, it's about giving yourself a breather, some space to just chill. Try these ideas:
- Listen to a piece of music, nothing else, just listen.
-Find a comfortable space and focus on 360 degree breathing (in through your nose, out through your mouth.
-Focus on an inanimate object for 5 minutes

5) Plan, plan and plan more (especially to nourish):

The best tool to take your thoughts a step closer to actions is to plan. 

Practical planning Tips:
A. Commit your ideas paper using the humble Biro! Take a look at what's above and decide which is your personal priority. I've listed some useful tips here, why not plan to implement one tip per week? 
B.If you currently drink a litre of water per day, commit to drinking 2 ltrs. Write yourself 5 or 6 post it notes and leave them in significant places. These might include: The car, the office, the fridge door, the dining table etc.

"You will never find time, you must make time for everything" -uknown  

6) Eat Seasonally:
Christmas is, for many a time of indulgence, why not indulge in quality produce and ingredients whilst they are in Season. Buying produce during it's "Season" means you are getting the very best flavours and therefore less quantity is need. 

"Buy the best quality that you are able, and reduce quantity" The following items are in Season over the festive period, and each and every one has wonderful nourishing qualities..... ENJOY!

Protein:
Turkey
Venison
Whiting (fish)
Mussels

Vegetables:
Turnip
Beetroot
Brussel Sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower    
Celeriac
Celery
Jerusalem Artichoke
Kale
Leek
Pak Choi
Parsnip
Pumpkin
Swede
Sweet potato
Pomegranate
Quince
Pear
Grapefruit
Date
Cranberries
Clementine
Apples

I hope that you have found this blog useful, all that remains is to wish you a healthy, fun Christmas and all good things for 2017.

Here at Three Pillars of Fitness we have lots of exciting things planned for the New Year, if you'd like to know more please visit www.threepillarsoffitness.co.uk

Andy x

Post natal movement and nourishment.....

In this Blog, I'm going to delve into some of the affects that pregnancy has on the body and what is suitable in terms of nutrition and movement, to heal the body post baby.

If you are reading this and have recently given birth then it's a massive high five from me and a huge amount of respect to you. I hope you and your "bundle" of joy are well and enjoying the world, others reading this blog may be Post Natal (in many cases it's been years since the baby arrived). This is still appropriate so keep reading as you may well feel that you have never fully recovered.

It's important for me to acknowledge that, I am Male. In truth, I will never say "I understand" when it comes to matters of pregnancy and birthing. I have, though seen members of my own family and certainly clients who have been through this "Life changing, life giving experience" and suffered various ailments as a result. 

I often hear Mum's in my class, voicing issues, like this.......

"I was picking "baby" up from the Mose's basket the other day and felt my back go!"
Yes, Mum's do this, they move lots: Lifting, twisting,  pushing, pulling. So it's important to incorporate this into exercise sessions by recreating your daily movement patterns, building strength in the muscles used and minimising the risk of injury.

"I went to see my GP for the six week check and it was over in 3 minutes"
Often the case in many parts of the world these "check ups" are being discontinued. In this country they seem to be inconsistent at best. This is a major oversight, many Mum's I have spoken with say the questions are geared towards the babies health, but what about Mum's? There are some 20 conditions which need to be discussed before a suitable programme of exercise is devised, so why aren't the G.P's doing this? These include: Joint pain, prolapse, scar healing, diastasis and gestational diabetes to name just a few.

"I gained weight as a result of pregnancy and now I'm on a diet" 
As a Mum I'm sure you'd agree, that pregnancy, birthing and child care take a massive toll, on you. Both your physical and mental health are challenged: Your hormones are all over the place, you may be lacking sleep, and the key focus is the well being of the new baby and the rest of your family. The last thing you need is the additional stress of dieting. The focus should be around what you CAN have not what you CAN'T, nourishing your body to aid repair needs to be the focus. General guidelines include:
-Colour: Fruits and vegetables (natures jewels!): Vitamins minerals and fibre
-Proteins: To promote healing and building, increasing levels of collagen
-Whole grains: Fore energy, satiety, and more consistent blood sugar levels
-Healthy Fats: Essential fats, polyunsaturated and mono unsaturated fats  
 IN SHORT,  JUST EAT REAL FOOD!!!!!

"I have no core/ no abdominal strength, I have tried the abdominal crunch challenge to improve it, but nothing happened!"
This is likely to be a Diastasis Recti (separation of the abdominal wall). As you are carrying a growing baby, the abdominal muscles separation. Causing weakness in your core. The core is made up of  the Transverse Abdominus, Rectus Abdominus, Internal and external obliques and that's without including back muscles which are critical. 
A significant separation here means that the very foundation of your body is compromised. 
The solution, is not spinal flexion (loading the abs, will cause further separation). The best thing to do here is target the midsection, in a standing position with a focus on 360 degree breathing to heal. 

"According to WebMD two thirds of 
new Mum's have a diastasis."
 

"I have pain in my lower back, butt, neck, hands, etc"
Many of the pains suffered by Mum's are as a result of:
-The increasing mass of the baby, and breasts means more weight held at the front of the body. This undoubtedly causes pain (often lower back, gluteal pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and/or pudendal nerve pain).
-Structural, hormonal and postural changes, as the body prepares for birthing.

"Will my body ever feel the same again after children?"
The truth is maybe not, but there's always hope. Giving birth to your bundle of joy is a miracle, nothing can distract from that. However, the process is very traumatic for your body. If your body feels different, even 10 years after child birth then you are still post natal. 

It should be acknowledged that the body has an incredible set of coping mechanisms, the body is truly wonderful and must be nourished and nurtured to support your daily activities. 

Here at Three Pillars of Fitness, we specialise in Functional fitness for Pre and Post natal women, as we know conceiving, carrying, birthing and caring for your child, and your family is a job for life. We like to offer Mum's a service which is focused on healing, repair and strengthening your body as well as offering some much needed "you time!"

FREE TASTER: If you would like to attend a free class on Friday 16th September at 09.15am (in Woodingdean, Brighton, UK). We'd love to hear from you. The class is designed specifically for Mum's, regardless of whether your child is 1 or 31 CLICK HERE TO CONTACT ME for more information.

Healthy Treat Brownie.......

You will need: 
 
150g pitted dates

325g raw nuts (I used mixed)

65g raw cacao (or cocoa) powder 

2tsp of vanilla extract (I used a tiny bit of vanilla essence)

-Cover the dates in warm water for 10 minutes

-Use a food processor to blend the nuts and cocoa into a powder (keeping some back for the topping)

-Drain the dates keeping some of the liquor for later

-Mix all ingredients together adding a little of the liquor if required, and press into a small, baking paper lined tray

 

-Add the remaining chopped nuts and put in the fridge for 2-3 hours

Cut into 16pcs and enjoy (180 calories per brownie)

Store in the fridge or freeze for up to 2 weeks

#healthytreats #nonasties #heaven #vegan

5 alternative ways to lose weight

I have worked in the fitness industry for years and have met many clients whose goal is ultimately to lose weight..... each and every one of them is playing the calories in Vs calories out game. Yes, that's a great way to begin but it's not the only way to change your lifestyle if you want to lose that spare tyre. This is my guide to help:

1) Sleep:
Sleep your way to a better body. Well, partly!! Sleep is the way for your body to reset. To heal, to grow and to start each day with a winning attitude. One which says, I am the pilot of my own plane and I am responsible for me! How will you find the energy to exercise without rest?
Failure to sleep causes confusion in our hormones, Ghrelin (our hunger marker) and Leptin (our satiety signal) become unbalanced. This means you are likely to eat more than you need.
It's also the case, if you are un rested you will lack energy and seek "instant hits" from sugar, from here you are likely to hit the sugar cycle:

Crave sugar > consume sugar > cell walls open > blood sugar elevates > sugar level drops and you return to craving!

"Sleep has so many benefits with so little effort, sleep directly affects the quality of our waking life" -Unknown

Need some help to sleep? The following actions will help to improve sleep duration and quality.....

A) Sleep in a dark room, with a blackout blind if necessary or buy an eye mask, which signals to the brain that it's time to sleep.

B) Try to go to bed at the same time, creating a healthy sleep habit.

C) Keep T.V's and gadgets outside of the bedroom, the stark blue light often omitted from devices signals to the brain that it's day time.

D) Try counting sheep, Yes! it helps, this may seem like an old wives tail but is a form of meditation/ relaxation which helps you to nod off.

E) Reduce caffeine from mid afternoon, as this stimulates brain activity, replace that espresso with a herb/ fruit tea which is caffeine free. Camomile is said to be very good for relaxation.

2) Move more:
We were built to move and to work, moving is one of the best ways to create calorie deficit, which means you will lose weight. It's medically proven that people who move more are:

• up to a 35% lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke
• up to a 50% lower risk of type 2 diabetes
• up to a 50% lower risk of colon cancer
• up to a 20% lower risk of breast cancer
• a 30% lower risk of early death
• up to an 83% lower risk of osteoarthritis
• up to a 68% lower risk of hip fracture
• a 30% lower risk of falls (among older adults)
• up to a 30% lower risk of depression
• up to a 30% lower risk of dementia 

(http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/Whybeactive.aspx)

Other reasons to move include:

• Improved bone strength (reduced risk of Osteoporosis)
• Increased lean muscle mass (which elevates our metabolism)
• Higher self esteem 

It's really important if exercise is new to you that you seek medical approval before embarking on an exercise programme, also please move within the realms of your ability. Walking is a great way to start.

3) Hydrate:
I know, it's old news right? So what does water do for us?
-Hydrates brain cells
-Lubricates skin and tissues
-Oxegenates blood and lungs
-Regulates body temperature
-Prevents loss of calcium
-Provides elasticity to muscles and joints
-HELPS DIGESTION AND METABOLIC FUNCTION
-ELIMINATES TOXINS/ REDUCES CONSTIPATION
-GENERATES ENERGY

Still not convinced, well.......consider this:

• Brain = 75% water
• Blood = 83% water
• Muscles = 75% water

The cost of being dehydrated is massive: At 1% dehydration you will struggle to concentrate. At 5% dehydration you will feel hot and tired and experience a drop in performance.

4) Reduce stress:
If you are constantly feeling stressed, your are likely to be tired and irritable. This irritability causes yet more hormone in balances as discussed under the sleep section......

The smart phone generation is in a constant "information overload" state, next time you are in a public area, stop for just 5 minutes and count how many people you see who are attached to phones: texting, snap chatting, calling, checking e-mails, taking photos, posting to Instagram or for that matter any other platform which allows you social at the click of a button..... So banishing your i-phone is not an option? I'm with you but just try to reduce the amount of time you spend on it, nourish real relationships and making an effort to laugh.

"Meditate" Go on try it. Meditation doesn't mean that you have to grow your hair, live in a camper and smoke weed. It means, step back, relax your brain from the constant demands on your time and relax. It's not a self indulgent act, it's about giving yourself a breather, some space to just chill. Try these ideas:
- Listen to your favourite piece of music, nothing else, just listen.
-Find a comfortable space and focus on 360 degree breathing (in through your nose, out through your mouth.
-Focus on an inanimate object for 5 minutes

5) Plan:
The best tool to take your thoughts a step closer to actions is to plan. Commit your ideas paper using the humble Biro! Take a look at what's above and decide which is your personal priority. I've listed some useful tips here, why not plan to implement one tip per week? 
If you currently drink a litre of water per day, commit to drinking 2 litres. Write yourself 5 or 6 post it notes and leave them in significant places. These might include: The car, the office, the fridge door, the dining table and anywhere else you spend a lot of time.

"You will never find time for anything, you must make time"- Uknown



If you would like help to lose weight in a sustainable, healthy manner and have had enough simply cutting calories, please get in touch. We look forward to hearing from you.

Are you getting enough calories?

What are calories? 
Calories (Kcals) are simply an expression of energy in our food, scientifically illustrated it's the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of a litre of water by 1 degree celsius.

Why do you need them?
I often get frustrated when I hear people compare their body to a car. yes, a car requires fuel as does your body BUT (and it's a big BUT!) when you turn off a car engine it stops burning fuel. Your body is different, it's burning fuel from the moment you were conceived until you die, regardless of additional energy expenditure. This means that even if you were to sleep for the next 7 days your body still requires lots of energy to breathe, for your heart to beat, to support restoration and for your organs to function (this basic calorie requirement is known as your basal metabolic rate or BMR).

What is Metabolism?
In simple terms metabolism is the rate at which your body converts fuel into energy for use (metabolic rate).

What influences my metabolic rate?
Many factors influence metabolic rate, including

• Age
• Sex
• Muscle mass
• Illnesses or disease
• Medication
• Level of activity
• Exercise
• Environmental temperature
• Thermic effect of food
• Body composition

The maths, How many calories do I need? 
These days there are many apps and websites which offer calculators, the problem with this is you never know how the figures are generated. I would suggest using the formula below: 

The Schofield Calculation:

Men 
18-29yrs    BMR= 15.1x weight (KGs) + 692     SEE=    156
30-59yrs    BMR= 11.5x weight (KGs) + 873     SEE=    167

Women 
18-29yrs    BMR= 14.8x weight (KGs)+ 487     SEE=     120 
30-59yrs    BMR= 8.3  x weight (KGs)+ 846     SEE=     112 

SEE (Standard error of estimation: The calculation may be too many or too few by this amount). 

BMR x1.4 inactive men and women (this applies to most people in the UK)
BMR x1.6 moderately active women
BMR x1.7 moderately active men
BMR x1.8 very active women
BMR x1.9 very active men     


THE SIMPLE WAY (Bagley 1996; Glynn et al 1999):
 BMR = 25 kcals/kg body weight 

I want to lose weight, can I simply slash my energy consumption and lose weight? 
Energy consumption should not be slashed in order to lose weight it should be reduced in a measured way which will vary from one person to another. Simply eating 500 Kcals per day will not work, this is well below BMR for a human regardless of the variants above (the only people that can recommend this sort of action is a nutritionist, dietitian or suitably qualified health care practitioner). Eating too few calories for a long time will cause a number of issues: 
-Fatigue: Tiredness, No fuel in = unable to expend energy.
-Mood swings: feeling deprived, unable to concentrate, twitchy.
-Hormonal in balances: Not having enough energy from calories causes confusion in homeostasis (your natural chemical seesaw). Particularly Leptin (the hormone that tells you when you are full up) and Ghrelin (which tells you when you are hungry). 
-Reduced metabolic rate: A confused body without fuel has no idea where it's next energy is coming from so stores some energy in case it goes into stress or an adrenal/ shocked state (over time this becomes an issue called adrenal fatigue AKA metabolic damage).
-Undernourished: Eating way below caloric requirement is likely to mean you just aren't eating enough, variety in the diet is lacking, which means you aren't nourishing your body.

So how do I lose weight?
Create a reasonable calorific deficit, generally 10-15% lower than your calorie requirements. This must be done, carefully. Starting a "diet" on Monday and hoping to lose 16lbs by the weekend, simply isn't reasonable. PLEASE NO MORE SETTING YOURSELF UP TO FAIL. 

"PIGEON STEPS WILL CONQUER EVEREST with consistency!!!!"

What should I do if I am currently eating well under my calorie requirements, and trying to lose weight? 
Many of our clients here at Three Pillars of Fitness require help with metabolic repair, this is  a really difficult principle to accept "YOU AREN'T EATING ENOUGH TO LOSE WEIGHT!!" Many clients who fall into this category are also exercising, really hard. In this case we work really closely to coach a new mentality towards health: MIND: DIET: EXERCISE. A plan consisting of 6-8 phases is developed according to the individuals requirements, beginning with reducing exercise and slowly introducing more nourishment, energy and calories.  If you are struggling to understand your energy requirements, reach out and book yourself a FREE CONSULTATION by clicking here.