Physical Activity
Myths of Exercise
Over the many years I have been involved with physical activity, my degree, training thousands, working in gyms and witnessing all the strange myths that cropped up and indeed still do from time to time. And regardless how much I have told people, they still look at me with disbelieving eyes as if they would rather not hear the truth. I guess, at the end of the day every person wants a ‘quick fix’ and the fact that you’re explaining to them that this is not possible kind of ruins their vision of what exercise is really all about.
Spot reduction:
Right, thought it would be best to start with the most prolific myth as this one comes up so very often. Many individuals have approached me and asked for an exercise that would tone up a specific area on their body. Now I know I am generalising, but 99% of people that ask this question are NOT talking about toning muscle. They are mostly always referring to toning body fat but think you are able to turn excess fat into muscle or visa versa if you gave up exercising. To be able to turn fat into muscle or muscle into fat would be like changing a Jack Russel into Kelly Brook, I can dream! Ha ha! Muscle is one thing and fat is something else. Subcutaneous fat sits on top of the muscle and depending how much fat you have, this equates to how much of the muscle you can see.
Ok, let’s use an analogy… If you placed a pillow in the middle of your bed and a duvet over the top of the pillow. It all depends how thick the duvet is (Tog) to how much of the pillow you can see. Thus, if you had a 30 Tog Duvet vs a light sheet which is exactly the same with muscles and subcutaneous fat. So, the more body fat is used as fuel, the more toned muscle you will see. Now back to that miracle exercise to lose fat in one area… Unfortunately, this cannot be done and is referred to as ‘spot reduction’ in our fitness world. Believe me, if I could I would be on a yacht somewhere in the Caribbean right now as I would be a multi-millionaire. Think of the multi-billion-pound industry of Liposuction, if I were able to give you an exercise that lost fat in one area I could undercut the Liposuction business and make a fortune. But the reality is I cannot and this is why some people get fat cells sucked out this way.
When we exercise, we use two main fuels which is carbohydrates/Glucose and fat with the latter being the primary fuel for Aerobic work. When we utilise larger muscle groups such as leg muscles, the metabolic demand increases using glucose from carbohydrate intake and also during endurance activities, we use fat and this is referred to as ‘beta-oxidation’. Again, I will use an analogy… Did you ever light a candle in a science class at school and place a glass over the top to see what happened? Well if you did, you’ll know that the flame died due to the lack of oxygen within the glass as the naked flame was using oxygen to burn the wick. Once the oxygen was used up, the flame could not continue burning. So imagine our body at rest is similar to the lit candle and we are breathing in oxygen to help burn fat as the fuel. Therefore, we are taking part in aerobics without the leotard, very 80’s I know… Now think of us using large muscle groups (legs) and that metabolic rate increasing. Again similar to the candle, the larger the flame, the more oxygen is required. You will find that suddenly breathing in through your nose would not be sufficient, your chin will drop and you’ll begin breathing air through a larger hole in your face which is your mouth of course unless you have another? We are now working aerobically and at a higher rate while using fat as a fuel at a higher rate also, great! But where is the fat coming from I hear you ask? The answer is wherever the body decides it wishes to take it from. Ok, another analogy… If your car was like your body then it wouldn’t have a fuel tank and instead would have fuel on the front seats, back seats, in the boot etc… Then as you drove down the road, your car would take fuel from the back seats, under the bonnet or wherever it decided and this is the human body using fats. It’s the same if you ate a tonne (not literally) of junk food and tried to tell your body where to store the fat, impossible. Everyone is different and some lose it from their face first, some other areas. But we do not get a say in this unfortunately and exercise is only part of the whole weight management story as 80% of this tale has to be diet related. This means, changing eating habits (covered in a previous blog you can read), changing behaviours/habits and quality / quantity of food.
The long and short of it is, there is ‘no quick fix’. Applying behaviour/diet changes along with altering bad habits, utilising calories (fuel) by regular effective exercise in turn increasing your metabolic rate while you train whilst also at rest is the way we should be thinking.
Benefits of Physical Activity
This is one area that I could talk about for hours as there are so many benefits from regular physical activity. I attended a course a year or so hosted by Bromley Council and Dr Zoe Williams who was also on the programme Gladiators. The course was appropriately named ‘Physical Activity the Wonder Drug’ and never has there been a more accurate title. Basically we are built as ‘hunter gatherers’ and with this in mind, built to move and hunt for our food if you look at our ancestors. Therefore, our bodies work much more efficiently when we are exercising and as a consequence we should so much more of it… Listed below are ‘some’ of the benefits from taking part in physical activity:
External Triggers vs Physical Activity / Exercise
Which triggers encourage activity or exercise?
Which triggers encourage a lack of exercise or inactivity?
False. Health & Fitness focussed resistance training focusses on improving lean muscle mass while improving muscle strength and endurance. This will not give you big bulky muscles like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Athletes generally train a lot with resistance exercise and they have a very lean appearance. Also a lot has to be taken into consideration when trying to build muscle size such as being male of female, hormones, body type and heredity. This is before we even get to the type or training, specified diets and dedication to maximum effort.
The efficiency of resistance training relies on lifting lots of heavy weights? True or False?
False. Resistance training can include lots of different methods and which can be performed either within a gym or outside one.
Overload Principle
Depending on what number of sets / reps that you perform, the muscles worked must reach overload at the end of the repetition amount performed. As a general rule, reps should follow the following principle to gain the results you wish:
Whichever method used, the weight must be optimal to overload at the end of the repetition amount and therefore it should be a struggle to perform two more reps following completion or repetition amount.
Considering the above, sets would amount to 2 to 3 with no more than 4 sets performed and approximately one minute or so between each set. You should feel the muscle working, but not cause pain and if this happens you should stop.
Healthy Eating Basics
Many of us feel we consume a healthy diet, although possibly ignore some of the hidden areas that we place in the ‘denial’ section of our mind shall we say. For starters (pardon the pun ) we are generally programmed to eat more food in one meal than we really should. You must remember as a child having your Mum or Dad telling you that you must finish your meal to grow big and strong, eating your carrots so you can see better and vegetables to give you hair on your chest. Although the last one may not apply to all you ladies, well let’s hope not. ha ha! You were possibly given an incentive to finish your plate in the form of sweets or desert. And while this would have seemed harmless as a child as it was an act of love and wishing for you to be healthy. It actually was forming a negative behaviour or habit to eat more than you really should. Unfortunately, we are the product of our childhood or what I like to call ‘The unfinished business of childhood’ which goes into many other areas that I will have to cover in another blog.
Your blueprint for eating habits would have been written as a child so you can blame your parents for that. It is not all bad news though as us humans are particularly good at adapting, although this will take some conscious thought before it becomes sub-conscious or automatic. Ask yourself this, when you get to the end of your meal do you feel full? Do you feel tired and sluggish? Do you have to undo your belt slightly and give out a big satisfied sigh? If the answer is yes then you could possibly be over eating and again it is not your fault, but what you are programmed to do. You may have also heard of the phrase ‘little and often’ and in the western world we seemed to have got this quite wrong. Our metabolism is fastest in the morning and slows down as the day progresses. Ultimately this means we should have the larger meals in the morning hence why it’s common to hear that breakfast is the most important meal of the day as we have fasted for 8 – 10 hours But also our metabolism is running like a Gerbil that’s had a double espresso. By the end of the day when our resting metabolic rate is slowest, we should indeed have the smaller meals but we all know that in reality this is definitely not the case and have a big meal with our metabolism struggling to keep up. ‘Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper’ is another great saying and so very true reflecting exactly what I have just described to a tee.
Eat slowly… We have things called ‘satiation centers’ within our brain that tell us when we are satisfied. Thus, when we eat too fast is a bit like jumping in front of a speeding car and shouting stop! Obviously, the car would over-shoot the mark which is exactly what you would do when your brain has told you that you have had enough. Eat slower and this will give your brain time to let you know when you are satisfied. And this is the conscious thought on your part as you will need to recognise this feeling so you know when you have had enough food for your body. It will feel strange at first of course, as you won’t have the ‘over full’ feeling that you are used too. But give it twenty minutes or so and you’ll feel fine, more sprightly and more importantly your body will have just the right amount of food at that particular time. Remember, excess food needs to be stored as energy or fuel so the fat cells are an ideal place, but this is not what we want is it?
Snacking guidelines – 300kcals maximum
I recommend that you do not consume more than 2 or 3 snacks per day and these snacks should not add up to more than 300kcals. In other words, you can eat one 300kcal snack, two 150kcal snacks or three 100kcal snacks. This does also include alcohol and sweet drinks. We advise that you try to avoid saving your 300kcal snacks up over days and then having one big treat as this does not constitute a balanced diet and also try to practice 1 to 2 snacks per day rather than one 300kcal snack.
1. Follow the half-plate rule.
No one got fat eating fruits and vegetables. While a banana may have more calories than a cup of cantaloupe, enjoying a banana will not make you fat. Similarly, while a cup of carrots contains more calories than a cup of lettuce, this orange sweet-tasting veggie will not fatten you up. Fruits and vegetables are loaded with fibre and water helping you to feel full while also giving your body vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants good for your health.
Size it up: Fill half of your plate with colourful fruits and vegetables at each meal. Practicing portion control will feel a whole lot simpler.
2. Mix and match.
To practice portion-control effectively, you do not want to feel hungry. To avoid such feelings, I suggest eating foods that contain nutrients that promote feelings of fullness. Protein, fibre, and heart-healthy fats do the trick. Therefore at each meal, try “mixing and matching:” eating a combination of foods to keep you satiated. Include protein-rich foods such as fish, chicken, eggs, beans, and grass-fed beef; fibre-rich fruits, vegetables and whole grains (brown rice, sweet potato, quinoa); and a sprinkling of healthy fats including olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds.
Size it up: A yummy—and filling—dinner includes grilled salmon, roasted asparagus and cauliflower, and cup of quinoa.
3. Smart size your dishes (and your spoons!).
Considerable research has shown that the size of our plates, bowls and even utensils (yes, spoons!) can play a major role in the amount of food we eat. The larger the plate the more we serve ourselves and tend to eat.
Eating off of a larger plate can actually be a good strategy for salads and veggies that we want to eat more of. And not all portion-control strategies are about eating less. However, for a pasta meal, I’d certainly suggest downsizing your bowl.
Spoon sizes and drinking glasses make a difference too!
Drinking enough water per day? How much is enough I hear you say? At least 1.5 litres or 6-8 glasses but I prefer the 1.5 litres measure as bottled water is cheap enough so if you finish a bottle in a day then you’re drinking enough, but be sure to add to this if you are exercising as this is the basic requirement. Water also helps with weight loss as it assists in the transportation of fats, aids as an appetite suppressant and more importantly our body needs water as this makes up 80% of the human body. It runs through our blood stream in the form of blood plasma, it’s between our cells within the body and regulates body temperature. But it also keeps you hydrated, keeps your skin young and fresh while also flushing your kidney’s through so very very good for you.
To summarise:
1. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince & dinner like a pauper.
2. Eat until you are comfortable and not over full, so listen to your body.
3. Eat slowly to allow your body time to tell you have had enough.
4. Drink at least 1 litre (6 - 8 glasses) of water a day. :)
Myths of Exercise
Over the many years I have been involved with physical activity, my degree, training thousands, working in gyms and witnessing all the strange myths that cropped up and indeed still do from time to time. And regardless how much I have told people, they still look at me with disbelieving eyes as if they would rather not hear the truth. I guess, at the end of the day every person wants a ‘quick fix’ and the fact that you’re explaining to them that this is not possible kind of ruins their vision of what exercise is really all about.
Spot reduction:
Right, thought it would be best to start with the most prolific myth as this one comes up so very often. Many individuals have approached me and asked for an exercise that would tone up a specific area on their body. Now I know I am generalising, but 99% of people that ask this question are NOT talking about toning muscle. They are mostly always referring to toning body fat but think you are able to turn excess fat into muscle or visa versa if you gave up exercising. To be able to turn fat into muscle or muscle into fat would be like changing a Jack Russel into Kelly Brook, I can dream! Ha ha! Muscle is one thing and fat is something else. Subcutaneous fat sits on top of the muscle and depending how much fat you have, this equates to how much of the muscle you can see.
Ok, let’s use an analogy… If you placed a pillow in the middle of your bed and a duvet over the top of the pillow. It all depends how thick the duvet is (Tog) to how much of the pillow you can see. Thus, if you had a 30 Tog Duvet vs a light sheet which is exactly the same with muscles and subcutaneous fat. So, the more body fat is used as fuel, the more toned muscle you will see. Now back to that miracle exercise to lose fat in one area… Unfortunately, this cannot be done and is referred to as ‘spot reduction’ in our fitness world. Believe me, if I could I would be on a yacht somewhere in the Caribbean right now as I would be a multi-millionaire. Think of the multi-billion-pound industry of Liposuction, if I were able to give you an exercise that lost fat in one area I could undercut the Liposuction business and make a fortune. But the reality is I cannot and this is why some people get fat cells sucked out this way.
When we exercise, we use two main fuels which is carbohydrates/Glucose and fat with the latter being the primary fuel for Aerobic work. When we utilise larger muscle groups such as leg muscles, the metabolic demand increases using glucose from carbohydrate intake and also during endurance activities, we use fat and this is referred to as ‘beta-oxidation’. Again, I will use an analogy… Did you ever light a candle in a science class at school and place a glass over the top to see what happened? Well if you did, you’ll know that the flame died due to the lack of oxygen within the glass as the naked flame was using oxygen to burn the wick. Once the oxygen was used up, the flame could not continue burning. So imagine our body at rest is similar to the lit candle and we are breathing in oxygen to help burn fat as the fuel. Therefore, we are taking part in aerobics without the leotard, very 80’s I know… Now think of us using large muscle groups (legs) and that metabolic rate increasing. Again similar to the candle, the larger the flame, the more oxygen is required. You will find that suddenly breathing in through your nose would not be sufficient, your chin will drop and you’ll begin breathing air through a larger hole in your face which is your mouth of course unless you have another? We are now working aerobically and at a higher rate while using fat as a fuel at a higher rate also, great! But where is the fat coming from I hear you ask? The answer is wherever the body decides it wishes to take it from. Ok, another analogy… If your car was like your body then it wouldn’t have a fuel tank and instead would have fuel on the front seats, back seats, in the boot etc… Then as you drove down the road, your car would take fuel from the back seats, under the bonnet or wherever it decided and this is the human body using fats. It’s the same if you ate a tonne (not literally) of junk food and tried to tell your body where to store the fat, impossible. Everyone is different and some lose it from their face first, some other areas. But we do not get a say in this unfortunately and exercise is only part of the whole weight management story as 80% of this tale has to be diet related. This means, changing eating habits (covered in a previous blog you can read), changing behaviours/habits and quality / quantity of food.
The long and short of it is, there is ‘no quick fix’. Applying behaviour/diet changes along with altering bad habits, utilising calories (fuel) by regular effective exercise in turn increasing your metabolic rate while you train whilst also at rest is the way we should be thinking.
Benefits of Physical Activity
This is one area that I could talk about for hours as there are so many benefits from regular physical activity. I attended a course a year or so hosted by Bromley Council and Dr Zoe Williams who was also on the programme Gladiators. The course was appropriately named ‘Physical Activity the Wonder Drug’ and never has there been a more accurate title. Basically we are built as ‘hunter gatherers’ and with this in mind, built to move and hunt for our food if you look at our ancestors. Therefore, our bodies work much more efficiently when we are exercising and as a consequence we should so much more of it… Listed below are ‘some’ of the benefits from taking part in physical activity:
- Curative and preventative measures for type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is known as a lifestyle disease and is the consequence of too much glucose within your blood stream. This is generally the result of a poor diet and a lack of activity. The pancreas which is responsible for dealing with the blood glucose levels by pushing out insulin becomes overwhelmed and is unable to cope. Thus, prior to medication intervention forward thinking GP’s would advise a change of diet (cutting back on carbs and sweet foods / drinks) and encourage physical activity which helps utilise glucose as fuel.
- Increasing the heart’s muscle mass (hypertrophy). There are two types of an enlarged heart, clinically induced and exercise induced. Clinically enlarged heart is when the heart becomes baggy and less efficient struggling to pump fresh oxygenated blood around the system and general pools in the lower limbs. Whereas an exercise induced enlarged heart is a heart that has more muscle mass and works much more efficiently, effortlessly pumping blood around the blood and back again to tissues / organs that require it. This also has a consequence on the resting heart rate, which generally is between 60 – 80bpm in an average human adult, although with a more efficient heart, this rate can and will come down even further. For example, Sebastian Coe the former athlete’s resting pulse rate was 35bpm which is unbelievably efficient. Think of your heart as a pump on your car and the lifespan of that pump if it’s over-worked.
- Managing blood pressures is yet another way physical activity has benefits. This is not in isolation though and taking into consideration someone who is drinking plenty of water keeping plasma levels up within the blood and also eating a healthy diet so mot laying down fatty plaque on the arterial walls. Plus also not smoking and drinking sensibly which again reduces fatty deposits (atherosclerosis) on the artery walls and also reduces hardening of the artery. Adding physical activity to the equation helps promote blood circulation and the blood is also less thick (viscous) as a consequence so less liable to clot and if the blood pressure is controlled, then there is a less likelihood of a clot breaking loose and becoming an embolus (clot on the move) and possibly wedging itself in the coronary supply of the heart or the pulmonary supply within the lungs. Thus, preventing a heart attack (myocardial infarction) or a pulmonary embolism. Also with regular physical activity, the muscles surrounding the arterial tract become more active and the arterial walls more compliant (elastic), which helps the blood along the arteries and reduces the workload of the heart.
- When we exercise there is an increased release in serotonin within the brain stem which improves the feeling of well-being as well as endorphin release which gives the feel good factor after aerobic exercise. This has a positive preventative and curative measure for depression / anxiety and would be a natural way of combating the symptoms rather than taking tri-cyclic’s or SSRI’s (anti-depressants). Also with us feeling happier about our bodies, this will improve self-esteem and confidence so another positive attribute.
- For both curative and preventative methods for osteoporosis, physical activity has a positive effect also. Within the human bone there are osteoblasts (increase bone mass) & osteoclasts (break down bone tissue). For women who are post-menopausal, following the loss of oestrogen there is a reduction in osteoblastic activity and this in turn increases the chances of osteoporosis. There are medications that help like HRT or more extreme (didronel) and also cholecalciferol. Although every drug has a side effect and therefore the benefits of resistance work and also exercise generally will help increase osteoblasts and improve bone mass dramatically. Women that have been shown to have exercised up until the menopause have been far less likely to develop osteoporosis. Being outside helps also with prevention and curative means as with the sun light reflecting off of the skin, cholecalciferol within the skin produces Vitamin D and thus improves the bones mass. Another reason why it is so important for the elderly to be outside and if possible in sunlight.
External Triggers vs Physical Activity / Exercise
Which triggers encourage activity or exercise?
- Having someone you are able to be active with
- Planning to get up earlier in the morning to allow for some kind of activity prior to work or the before the children waking up
- Organising yourself and planning when & where you will exercise during the week ahead
- Planning indoor activity for when the weather is bad
- Enrolling in and active class such as dancing or joining a sports club / team
- Trying to limit the amount of time you spend watching TV or on the internet
- Travelling straight to the place you will be exercising from work
Which triggers encourage a lack of exercise or inactivity?
- Feeling uncomfortable with yourself or embarrassed about your weight
- Experiencing pain & discomfort when exercising
- No activities planned ahead of time
- No friends or family to be active with
- Friends or family who are also inactive
- Having bad weather conditions with no indoor activity planned ahead of time
- Having the perceived feeling that you have insufficient time to be active or exercise
- Spending too much time in from of the TV or internet
False. Health & Fitness focussed resistance training focusses on improving lean muscle mass while improving muscle strength and endurance. This will not give you big bulky muscles like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Athletes generally train a lot with resistance exercise and they have a very lean appearance. Also a lot has to be taken into consideration when trying to build muscle size such as being male of female, hormones, body type and heredity. This is before we even get to the type or training, specified diets and dedication to maximum effort.
The efficiency of resistance training relies on lifting lots of heavy weights? True or False?
False. Resistance training can include lots of different methods and which can be performed either within a gym or outside one.
Overload Principle
Depending on what number of sets / reps that you perform, the muscles worked must reach overload at the end of the repetition amount performed. As a general rule, reps should follow the following principle to gain the results you wish:
- 6 to 8 Repetitions – Strength training / building muscle size
- 10 to 12 repetitions – Middle of the road training (functional)
- 12 to 15 repetitions – Endurance / improved muscle tone
Whichever method used, the weight must be optimal to overload at the end of the repetition amount and therefore it should be a struggle to perform two more reps following completion or repetition amount.
Considering the above, sets would amount to 2 to 3 with no more than 4 sets performed and approximately one minute or so between each set. You should feel the muscle working, but not cause pain and if this happens you should stop.
Healthy Eating Basics
Many of us feel we consume a healthy diet, although possibly ignore some of the hidden areas that we place in the ‘denial’ section of our mind shall we say. For starters (pardon the pun ) we are generally programmed to eat more food in one meal than we really should. You must remember as a child having your Mum or Dad telling you that you must finish your meal to grow big and strong, eating your carrots so you can see better and vegetables to give you hair on your chest. Although the last one may not apply to all you ladies, well let’s hope not. ha ha! You were possibly given an incentive to finish your plate in the form of sweets or desert. And while this would have seemed harmless as a child as it was an act of love and wishing for you to be healthy. It actually was forming a negative behaviour or habit to eat more than you really should. Unfortunately, we are the product of our childhood or what I like to call ‘The unfinished business of childhood’ which goes into many other areas that I will have to cover in another blog.
Your blueprint for eating habits would have been written as a child so you can blame your parents for that. It is not all bad news though as us humans are particularly good at adapting, although this will take some conscious thought before it becomes sub-conscious or automatic. Ask yourself this, when you get to the end of your meal do you feel full? Do you feel tired and sluggish? Do you have to undo your belt slightly and give out a big satisfied sigh? If the answer is yes then you could possibly be over eating and again it is not your fault, but what you are programmed to do. You may have also heard of the phrase ‘little and often’ and in the western world we seemed to have got this quite wrong. Our metabolism is fastest in the morning and slows down as the day progresses. Ultimately this means we should have the larger meals in the morning hence why it’s common to hear that breakfast is the most important meal of the day as we have fasted for 8 – 10 hours But also our metabolism is running like a Gerbil that’s had a double espresso. By the end of the day when our resting metabolic rate is slowest, we should indeed have the smaller meals but we all know that in reality this is definitely not the case and have a big meal with our metabolism struggling to keep up. ‘Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper’ is another great saying and so very true reflecting exactly what I have just described to a tee.
Eat slowly… We have things called ‘satiation centers’ within our brain that tell us when we are satisfied. Thus, when we eat too fast is a bit like jumping in front of a speeding car and shouting stop! Obviously, the car would over-shoot the mark which is exactly what you would do when your brain has told you that you have had enough. Eat slower and this will give your brain time to let you know when you are satisfied. And this is the conscious thought on your part as you will need to recognise this feeling so you know when you have had enough food for your body. It will feel strange at first of course, as you won’t have the ‘over full’ feeling that you are used too. But give it twenty minutes or so and you’ll feel fine, more sprightly and more importantly your body will have just the right amount of food at that particular time. Remember, excess food needs to be stored as energy or fuel so the fat cells are an ideal place, but this is not what we want is it?
Snacking guidelines – 300kcals maximum
I recommend that you do not consume more than 2 or 3 snacks per day and these snacks should not add up to more than 300kcals. In other words, you can eat one 300kcal snack, two 150kcal snacks or three 100kcal snacks. This does also include alcohol and sweet drinks. We advise that you try to avoid saving your 300kcal snacks up over days and then having one big treat as this does not constitute a balanced diet and also try to practice 1 to 2 snacks per day rather than one 300kcal snack.
1. Follow the half-plate rule.
No one got fat eating fruits and vegetables. While a banana may have more calories than a cup of cantaloupe, enjoying a banana will not make you fat. Similarly, while a cup of carrots contains more calories than a cup of lettuce, this orange sweet-tasting veggie will not fatten you up. Fruits and vegetables are loaded with fibre and water helping you to feel full while also giving your body vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants good for your health.
Size it up: Fill half of your plate with colourful fruits and vegetables at each meal. Practicing portion control will feel a whole lot simpler.
2. Mix and match.
To practice portion-control effectively, you do not want to feel hungry. To avoid such feelings, I suggest eating foods that contain nutrients that promote feelings of fullness. Protein, fibre, and heart-healthy fats do the trick. Therefore at each meal, try “mixing and matching:” eating a combination of foods to keep you satiated. Include protein-rich foods such as fish, chicken, eggs, beans, and grass-fed beef; fibre-rich fruits, vegetables and whole grains (brown rice, sweet potato, quinoa); and a sprinkling of healthy fats including olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds.
Size it up: A yummy—and filling—dinner includes grilled salmon, roasted asparagus and cauliflower, and cup of quinoa.
3. Smart size your dishes (and your spoons!).
Considerable research has shown that the size of our plates, bowls and even utensils (yes, spoons!) can play a major role in the amount of food we eat. The larger the plate the more we serve ourselves and tend to eat.
Eating off of a larger plate can actually be a good strategy for salads and veggies that we want to eat more of. And not all portion-control strategies are about eating less. However, for a pasta meal, I’d certainly suggest downsizing your bowl.
Spoon sizes and drinking glasses make a difference too!
Drinking enough water per day? How much is enough I hear you say? At least 1.5 litres or 6-8 glasses but I prefer the 1.5 litres measure as bottled water is cheap enough so if you finish a bottle in a day then you’re drinking enough, but be sure to add to this if you are exercising as this is the basic requirement. Water also helps with weight loss as it assists in the transportation of fats, aids as an appetite suppressant and more importantly our body needs water as this makes up 80% of the human body. It runs through our blood stream in the form of blood plasma, it’s between our cells within the body and regulates body temperature. But it also keeps you hydrated, keeps your skin young and fresh while also flushing your kidney’s through so very very good for you.
To summarise:
1. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince & dinner like a pauper.
2. Eat until you are comfortable and not over full, so listen to your body.
3. Eat slowly to allow your body time to tell you have had enough.
4. Drink at least 1 litre (6 - 8 glasses) of water a day. :)