Your perception of your environment and how it can influence how your body works.

I have been shadowing the most amazing nutritional therapist/naturopath as part of my nutritional therapy studies and she recommended this lecture by Bruce Lipton;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjj0xVM4x1I

It's called the Biology of Belief and it explains beautifully how we can cause illnesses such as cancer through our interpretation of the every day life we live in.  The first half is very science based (which I love!) but hang in there.  I think the message is very powerful.

Let me know what you think.

Eating better food

I have been studying hard for my nutritional therapy degree and too busy learning to blog!  One of my lecturers recommended this website from The Nutrient Rich Food Coalition, which helps the general public to eat better and to make better food choices.  I thought it was a great tool so decided to share it all with you.

http://www.nutrientrichfoods.org

I'm learning all about weight loss at the moment - very fascinating and complex!  Science shows that the higher the nutrient content of your food, the less likely you are to be overweight so concentrate on good health and end up looking fabulous at the same time.

Enjoy.

Poop transplant

I read about a procedure recently where people with severe stomach issues received beneficial bacteria transplants from family members via their faeces.  It's true - honest!  Bacteria such as C. difficile are very common and can disrupt vital intestinal flora.  The faecal input from family members can return the gut microbiota to healthy levels which mean that the intestinal cells are better equipped to fight infections.  The research papers I read showed very promising results.  Food for thought!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2442891/Poop-pills-feces-healthy-people-guts-patients-infections.html

Prancercise - the next big thing?!

Check out the latest fitness craze.  It's prancercise!!!  I love it when people find their own way to exercise and you have got to love the outfit!

'Prancercising': a workout for show ponies www.smh.com.auA fitness program from 1989 and inspired by horses has become an internet sensation - in 2013.

Sports Energy Drinks - The Lowdown

The International Society of Sport Nutrition has published their position on the use of sports and energy drinks.  It makes very interesting reading with benefits and disadvantages reported.  I have been trying very hard not to use them recently after advice from a sports coach, and have been turning to chomping down a banana on my longer training sessions.  It would be interesting to hear any comments you may have.

Here is the paper.  Happy reading!

ww.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1550-2783-10-1.pdf

Incorporate Exercise Into Your Daily Regimen to Prevent Cancer

I received this very interesting article from an author named Melanie Bowen regarding the preventative and therapeutic effects of exercise for cancer.  Melanie's link is http://www.mesothelioma.com/blog/authors/melanie/bio.htm and here is the article.

Incorporate Exercise Into Your Daily Regimen to Prevent Cancer

Did you know that fitness is an important part of any cancer patient’s regimen? If you have recently been diagnosed with mesothelioma, breast cancer, endometrial cancer, or prostate cancer, you probably were told to exercise and eat five servings of fruits and vegetables daily. If your doctor didn’t tell you to exercise, you should probably inquire and find out why.

Studies have shown that exercise boosts the immune system, fights free radicals, and balances energy levels. Exercise can help improve a host of symptoms if it is a regular part of the routine. Here are some ways that fitness can benefit cancer patients.

1.  Improves Survival Rates
Cancer patients who exercise are more likely to survive. Exercise helps to remove toxins from the body faster. When toxins are removed, free radicals do not have time to attack the body. This is why exercise is so important to cancer patients. In fact, exercise is important to healthy living overall. Other conditions may develop as a result of lack of exercise and may interfere with cancer treatments. For instance, lack of exercise may lead to obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes. These conditions may exacerbate cancer.

2. Improves Mood
People who have cancer are often depressed because they are uncertain about their outcome. Exercise helps because it increases endorphins, which help to regulate mood. When cancer patients are feeling down, they should go for a walk, jog, or engage in other physical activity to boost their spirits.

3. Reduces Further Tumor Development
People who exercise will reduce the development of tumors and carcinogens in the body. Exercise and fiber are two important factors that help eliminate cancer from the body. Exercise can also reduce inflammatory and immune factors.

4. Reduce the Risk of Cancer With Exercise
Exercise can reduce the risk of cancer by anywhere from 20 percent to 80 percent. Studies have shown that 30 to 60 minutes of exercise per day can reduce the risk of cancer. The exercise should range from moderate to high-intensity for the best results. Patients who engage in high intensity exercise can reduce exercise times to between 20 minutes to 40 minutes daily.

If you want to prevent cancer or prevent further development of cancer, go outside and get active! Gone are the days that illnesses are treated with bed rest. Instead, physicians know that patients must increase their heart rate through exercise to eliminate toxins and increase the chances of recovery.

The low down on soft drinks

Soft drinks are something that people do not take into account when fighting the battle of the bulge. Be very careful with soft drinks, fruit juices, flavored 'healthy' waters and alcohol

Check out the web page below for the low down on soft drinks.

http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/blogs/chew-on-this/are-we-too-soft-on-soft-drink-20120213-1t1n9.html

Let me know what you think.

Fiona

Recovery from exercise

Hello.

I found this interesting article about recovery after a big workout. There are some really cool tips on avoiding soreness and injuries. Check it out.

http://www.smh.com.au/executive-style/fitness/its-make-or-break-for-muscles-20111110-1n95e.html

Born to Run

I read this amazing book last weekend. There was a bit of technical stuff about running but most of it was so interesting and am sure would appeal to any good book club. Makes some great points and should definitely be read by anyone running, walking or generally keeping fit.

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race ...

Let me know what you think. x

Are nutrient-enhanced waters just 'expensive lolly water'?

Hello.

Quite a few of my clients have been turning up at their sessions recently with 'nutrient-enhanced' water. On inspecting the label it's very clear that they are loaded with sugar and not very healthy. Here's an article I received from the Australian Fitness Network that gives a detailed account of what is actually contained in these bottled drinks. Check it out.

Are nutrient-enhanced waters just 'expensive lolly water'?

Hello again!

Hello.

I have finally started blogging again! Started studying a nutrition degree so I would have lots to blog about and then didn't have any time to blog!!! I am determined to get blogging again so look out for some more interesting health articles and recipes. Please feel free to forward any articles, information, websites or recipes you have found useful and interesting so we can share them with the masses.

Looking forward to it. x

Sleep More - Weigh Less!

I really like it when an article I read really hits home and is very relevant to the clients I am working with. Sleep, or lack of it, plays a major factor in our everyday health and can play a crucial part in a weight loss diet. At the moment, I have a client who is finding it very hard to lose weight purely because she is surviving on around 3 hours sleep every night. Doctors find it very easy to throw sleeping tablets at a problem which is probably caused by a hormone imbalance or insufficient melatonin in the body. So if you are having problems sleeping a naturopath or hormone therapist would definitely be a better option. Also, don't forgot the circadian rhythm. All animals have a daily rhythm whereby they go to bed at a certain time and get up at a certain time. The body is the most happy when this rhythm is maintained. For example, if you go to bed at 10pm every night and get up at 6am every morning your body will be very happy that you are getting 8 hours sleep every night and it knows exactly when to sleep and when to wake up. Of course, in an ideal world, we would be able to maintain this at the weekend as well as during the week - yeah right! I don't think anyone I know will go to bed and get up at the same time 7 days per week! Think about it - it probably is the major factor in that horrible "ugh" feeling on a Monday morning (that and the alcohol units consumed - but that's another article!). Check out the link below for all of the info related to helping weight loss by sleeping more.

articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/10/20/sleep-more-lose-weight.aspx

Swap to Brown Rice for a Healthy Heart

Hello.

We swapped to brown rice around 6 months ago and haven't looked back since. All white carbohydrates including rice, bread and pasta are all pure energy and not much else, so swapping to the nutritious and fibre-filled brown counterpart is a very sensible idea. I found the whole grain rice too gritty and it takes around a fortnight to cook but it seems that brown rice is better for you anyway - woo hoo! See below for lots of big words from the experts!

Brown rice boost to heart health
Brown rice is often thought to be healthier than its white counterpart because of its higher fibre content, and researchers have now furthered its credentials with claims that it also has the power to fight cardiovascular disease.

When brown rice is polished to make white rice, the nutritionally beneficial subaleurone layer, which contains oligosaccharides and dietary fibres, is stripped away.

A team of US and Japanese researchers says that the subaleurone layer – between the white centre of the rice grain and the brown outer husk – may provide protection from high blood pressure and hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) by working against angiotensin II, an endocrine protein which promotes these conditions.

Satoru Eguchi, Associate Professor of Physiology at the Cardiovascular Research Centre and Department of Physiology at Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia said, ‘Our research suggests that there is a potential ingredient in rice that may be a good starting point for looking into preventive medicine for cardiovascular diseases. We hope to present an additional health benefit of consuming half-milled or brown rice as part of a regular diet.’

Source: The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology

Beware of the Tofu!!

Hello.

I have read many articles recently and had a very interesting conversation with one of the health experts at FILEX last year about the health, or indeed unhealthy, affects of Soy products. Living in Asia, most of us eat a lot of tofu and I know many of my friends children who use soya milk as an alternative to cow's milk. There is a lot of evidence out there which confirms that unfermented soya products e.g. tofu, soya milk, soya cheese, soya yoghurt etc interfere with the balance of our hormones. I have taken this information seriously as my own daughter is lactose intolerant and was enjoying soya milk on a daily basis. I have now changed to rice milk (please don't let me read any articles on that one!). Please look at the link below and make up your own mind.

articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/10/13/soy-controversy-and-health-effects.aspx

Let me know what you think.

Tomato, Zucchini and Oregano Slice

Hello. Here is another super yum recipe from Australian Women's Weekly. It's great warm or cold and can be made the night before for a yummy lunch at work. It's also healthy, low fat and very easy to make.

Tomato, Zucchini and Oregano Slice

125g cherry tomatoes

1 egg

3 egg whites

1/3 cup (65g) low fat cottage cheese

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 small zucchini (90g) grated coarsely

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh oregano leaves

30g baby spinach leaves

1. Preheat oven to 200C/180C fan-forced. Line an 8cm x 21cm loaf pan with a strip of baking paper.

2. Place tomatoes in pan. Roast 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, combine egg, egg whites, cheese and garlic in medium jug.

4. Remove tomatoes from oven; reduce oven temperature to 160C/140C fan forced.

5. Sprinkle tomatoes with zucchini and oregano; pour over egg mixture. Bake about 25 minutes or until set.

6. Serve slice with spinach.

Enjoy!

Make your workout more efficient

Hello.

Here is a very interesting article about making your workouts more effective. This is the way I train most of my clients i.e. resistance training mixed in with bouts of short burst anaerobic exercise and longer bouts of recovery. It's effective and a great way to lose weight. I have read quite a few articles recently on the same subject and most experts agree this is a much more effective and efficient way to work out compared to long repetitive cardio sessions.

http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2010/10/05/dont-make-these-mistakes-with-your-workouts.aspx

Hope you enjoy the article and let me know if you try it.

Great iphone app for runners/walkers/cyclists

Hello.

I have just tried out a fantastic iphone app called GPS MotionX. A client of mine recommended it and I love, love, love it!! It has a track recorder on it, which tells you time, how fast you are going, your average speed and how far you have travelled. It evens has the map with the route you took. You can save all of this information into your phone and even share it with your friends on twitter and facebook. There's even a button for controlling your ipod at the same time. Very funky indeed and only costs $3.99.

It gave me some very interesting information i.e. I am running further than I realised and much faster, but probably way too fast to increase my distance so will try to slow it down next time and I may not collapse at the end - very useful!

Check it out.

Growing old gracefully

Hello.

One of my clients recommended this website. It is really interesting, and is packed with nutritional information. I tried the nutritional typing questionnaire and came up as a 'Mixed Type' which means I'm suited to veggies mixed with meat. It has lots of anti aging tips so check it out!

www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/if-you-want-to-age-gracef_b_700335.html

Grab A Beetroot-Ade!

A few of my clients and friends are currently taking part in iron man/woman activities marathons and triathlons so they may find this article useful.

It looks like the Aussie love-affair with the humble beetroot may be able to reap its rewards on the sports field, with a recent UK study showing that beetroot juice may increase stamina and endurance by up to 16 per cent.

Researchers from the University of Exeter found that nitrate in beetroot juice reduced the intake of oxygen by a higher degree than other known methods.

Eight male study participants between the ages of 19 and 38 drank half a litre of organic beetroot juice daily, for six days, after which they completed a selection of tests on an exercise bike. The results were measured against the findings of the same tests when conducted using a daily placebo in place of the beetroot juice.

After consuming beetroot juice, the participants cycled for an average 92 seconds longer (16 per cent) than they did after drinking the placebo beverage, and also displayed a lower resting blood pressure.

Study author, Andy Jones, a professor in the university's School of Sport and Health Sciences, said "Our study is the first to show that nitrate-rich food can increase exercise endurance'.

Warm Tandoori Chicken Salad

Super low fat and super yummy courtesy of WeightWatchers.

Warm Tandoori Chicken Salad

1/3 cup (95g) skim-milk natural yogurt

1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh coriander

2 tablespoons lemon juice

6 small pappadums (20g)

280g chicken tenderloins

2 tablespoons tandoori powder (or tandoori paste bought from the supermarket marinated with yogurt as per instructions on jar)

cooking-oil spray (no need if marinated from jar)

100g baby spinach leaves

1 lebanese cucumber (130g), halved lengthways, sliced thickly

125g cherry tomatoes

1. Combine yogurt, coriander and juice in small bowl.

2. Cook pappadums in microwave oven on Medium (50%) for about 40 seconds; break into pieces.

3. Sprinkle chicken with tandoori powder, spray with cooking oil. Cook chicken on heated grill plate (or grill or barbeque). Slice thickly.

4. Combine spinach, cucumber and tomatoes in medium bowl; add chicken. Serve salad sprinkled with papadums, then drizzled with coriander yogurt.

Tasty!