Indulge in a SUPERSET, not a super feast !

If you got a door body, you got a gym workout  !

Ahhh the cold weather has started to it… Summer is over. Time to get the ugg boots and trackies out, and put the shorts and skirts away. 

BUT this doesn't mean its time to put the dumbbells away too! It surprises me how may people give up on their fitness and health goals as soon as the temperature drops below 20 degrees. 

Then as soon as summer hits... BAM their on damage control to lose the winter kilos.

Winter is the perfect opportunity to get your summer body ready !

Getting to your goals doesn’t happen overnight! You have to prepare.. Which is why I have constructed a No Excuse Winter Workout.  

No equipment needed, no gym needed, just yourself and some motivation!

It might be cold outside but in the comfort of your own home you can smash this workout. While watching the latest episode of Masterchef or whatever your pick of the week is!

Ok so let me explain the workout. It is a SUPERSET.

This means you will have 2 exercises, alternating from lower body to upper body and you will repeat them back to back for 12-15 reps each for 3 rounds. Then rest for 2 min before continuing to the next superset with 2 different exercises

E.g.

Pushups 12-15 reps

Squats 12-15 reps

Pushups 12-15 reps

Squats 12-15 reps

Pushups 12-15 reps

Squats 12-15 reps

2 MIN REST

^ there is your first superset. Then you will continue to the next one.. 4 supersets in total.

Watch the video for more of an understanding. Underneath the video is the workout written out for you!

So no excuses, get sweaty!

  Warm up (2-5 min of star jumps, squats jogging on spot etc)

1) Pushups + Squats

2) Lunges+ Mountain climber

3) One legged lunge (alternating 12-15 reps each leg) + plank to pushup position

4) Lunge, Squat, Lunge + Plank

Cool down and stretch

I'm going to leave you with this...

‘’Success is simple once you realize how difficult it is. Then you know how much effort, honesty, responsibility, long-range planning, creativity, intensity, discipline, thought and control the process is going to take. It is not easy. It is not going to happen overnight. Only once you accept that will you succeed’’

Now, as I said earlier go get sweaty!

Kristy

Is it a car? is it a plane? NO...its SUPER-FISH!

What's scaly, wet and healthy all over...FISH!

Unless you have been living under a rock (Patrick from Spongebob Squarepants- your excused) you have to know by now that fish is one of the best nutrient rich protein options available to you as a meal component. Not only are they high in protein; which keep you full for long and inadvertently reduces over-eating, buuuuut...they also pack a punch when it comes to health benefits.

The Better Health Channel has a great list of all the health benefits of eating fish regularly, just have a look at how good it is for you:

Prevention of Asthma – children who eat fish may be less likely to develop asthma.

Improve brain and eyes – fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids can contribute to the health of brain tissue and the retina (the back of the eye).

Reduce risk of developing Cardiovascular disease – eating fish every week reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke by reducing blood clots and inflammation, improving blood vessel elasticity, lowering blood pressure, lowering blood fats and boosting ‘good’ cholesterol.

Reduce risk of developing Dementia – elderly people who eat fish or seafood at least once a week may have a lower risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer's disease.

Reduce risk of Depression – people who regularly eat fish have a lower incidence of depression (depression is linked to low levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the brain).

Management of Diabetes – fish may help people with diabetes manage their blood sugar levels.

Improved eyesight – breastfed babies of mothers who eat fish have better eyesight, perhaps due to the omega-3 fatty acids transmitted in breast milk.

Relief of inflammatory conditions – regular fish consumption may relieve the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and autoimmune disease.

Reduced risk of prematurity – eating fish during pregnancy may help reduce the risk of delivering a premature baby

So, get on to it. 

Eat some fish. It's really not hard. 

It's not like I'm asking you to literally go a catch a fish bare hands and all (except if you can do that I'm pretty impressed!) 

Just go to you fish monger, local grocery store, man on the street selling tuna cans...anyway you want to get. 

But just do it...

go on I dare you...

xxx Aly

P.S. here's a great recipe on taste.com --- Lime and sweet chilli fish parcels. One word- DELICIOUS.

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/8153/lime+and+sweet+chilli+fish+parcels

Oh, no sugar for me thanks, I’m sweet enough!

I don't think I have to tell you the effect sugar has on your health. But I will anyway because studies show the average Australian currently consumes more than 40 kilograms of sugar per year, which is equivalent to around 22 teaspoons and equals 1840 Kilojoules / 440 calories per day. Also, the consumption of soft drinks, which are sweetened with sugar, has increased by 30 per cent in 10 years. 

Sugars are the simplest form of carbohydrate when your food is digested it is broken down and the nutrients are transferred into your bloodstream. Sugar is then broken down rapidly into the blood stream because it is made of only one substance. This raises your blood sugar levels. This isn't good as your poor pancreas goes OH NO, QUICK GET SOME INSULIN INTO THE BODY! It does this so your blood sugar levels get back to normal again. This hormone (insulin) acts to clear sugar and fat from the blood and stores it in the tissues for future use. This causes weight gain. 

ALSO, the scare factor to this is if you do this all the time your poor pancreas gets tired and can stop releasing insulin, or your insulin your pancreas does release stops being effective which equals diabetes or insulin resistance… 

This is also is the cause of your after sugar snack crash! Wonder why when you eat a chocolate you feel good then BAM your energy gets sapped out of you? This my friend is insulin doing its job too well. It releases so your blood sugar levels decrease but sometimes it goes too low causing that crash of energy as your blood sugar levels decrease. 

Anyway so we have established that high blood sugar alerts the pancreas to release insulin as it detects the excess sugar in the blood. Insulin then lowers the elevated blood sugar by shifting the metabolism into storage mode.  So when the pancreas is producing insulin, it cannot produce another hormone called glucagon, which is responsible for telling the body to release and burn fat stores for energy.  
This is when it gets scary as this higher levels of insulin prompts the body to store the excess sugars as fat, as well as telling it not to release any of your stored fat, meaning that you are unable to use existing stored fat as energy.  This equals WEIGHT GAIN. High insulin levels not only suppress glucagon it also suppresses growth hormone.  Growth hormone is used to build new muscle mass and also for muscle development. Hence why I always say YOU CAN’T OUT TRAIN A BAD DIET!

You cannot maximize fat burning with elevated levels of insulin, it's that simple!

So how much sugar is in your favorite foods? Watch the video below to find out!

 NOTE: (Alyson here) I just want to point out that the "sugar" used in Kristy's demonstration is salt! She is that healthy that she literally had no sugar in her house...wow...I'm not joking people, imitation sugar!

In conclusion, look after your poor pancreas! The poor guy is only there to help!

All he wants is for you to limit your sugar levels in your diet. Learn to enjoy foods that are naturally sweet, without added sugar. 

Until next time, get squatting !

Kristy

You say To-may-to I say To-mah-to...

4 minutes to a better body? Are you for real?!

One word, 4 minutes, amazing results= TABATA

Okay I promise you this isn't one of those abs-circle-waste-of-time gadgets I’m talking about here.

I’m talking about an interval training protocol called TABATA!

Tabatas are basically this fast way to get an awesome fat loss workout in just 4 minutes and have better results than you would if you spent time running on the treadmill at the same speed like a lab rat.

The Tabata Protocol was created by Dr. Izumi Tabata at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, Japan. He was a real researcher in Japan and made a HUGE contribution to the fat loss world when he introduced tabatas into the fitness world! So how does this whole tabata thing work?  Well it’s basically an exercise circuit which you perform 20 seconds of intense work followed by 10 seconds of rest.  Repeat that for 8 rounds making it (4 min). Comprendo?  

Ok so the whole aim of this is to do exercises that are intense to get the benefits of this protocol. 

These are some of my favs:

• Squat jumps
• Stair Sprints
• Pushups
• Mountain Climbers

Even if its just you jumping around the room listening to the new Black eyed peas album. As long as you are getting your heart rate through the roof then your on the right track!

Don’t believe me?

As for the initial study, after 6 weeks of testing, Dr. Tabata noted a 28% increase in anaerobic capacity along with a 14% increase in V02Max. These results were witnessed by physically fit athletes. Tabata protocol has been shown to increase aerobic and anaerobic capacity while moderate intensity cardio only increases aerobic capacity

"The rate of increase in V02max is one of the highest ever reported." - Izumi Tabata, Japan

The short high intensity intervals result in a significant “after burn effect”  or EPOC (excess post oxygen consumption) in which your body continues burning calories for hours after you complete the workout.  This happens because you burn off all your glycogen (carbs) during the workout leaving only fat for your body to burn. 

So in conclusion !

   1. The Tabata protocol involves 4 minutes of maximal intensity effort for 20 seconds followed by a 10 second rest.  This is repeated for 8 sets.

   2. The high intensity results in a significant “after burn effect” that promotes your body to continue burning fat for hours after completion.

   3. Tabata improves both aerobic and anaerobic capacity, better than steady state cardio.

   4. Tabata can be done with ANY exercise that allows your maximum effort in short bursts.

   5. You should incorporate a warm up and cool down period.

   6.  A great way to end a workout if you still have a bit of energy to burn!

Watch the video below for an example of Tabata! 

Why did the chicken cross the road?...To eat some soup of course!

Hey guys!

So out of this dynamic duo (Kristy and myself) I am going to admit Kristy has all the exercise knowledge- trust me, she knows what she's talking about, she's like a mini Buddha...of exercise, you could probably even rub her (lack there of) belly for goodluck...I'm just saying...

Anyway, let me get back on track, so next to Kristy's impressive knowledge what can I bring to the table? Well  I am a lover of food so for my part, the majority of my posts will be food related, but I promise you HEALTHY does not equal BORING. Some of the most flavour filled meals I have eaten have been good for me (and considering I am a sickly sweet, totally bad for you, drizzled in caramel, dessert lover, that is a big call for me to say...but remember moderation is the key!). 

So for my first recipe I am going to give you one of my favourites. It is delicious, filling and great to tuck into with the cooler months creeping on. So grab your bowl, a spoon, a big warm doona and your favourite movie and tuck into this deliciously fresh soup!

CREAMED CORN AND CHICKEN SOUP (say it with me now: yuuuuuummmmm)

(SERVES 4)

Ingredients:

- 1 chicken breast fillet

- 2 tsp grated ginger

- 1 tsp sesame oil

- 6 green onion, chopped

- 2x 420g cans of creamed corn

- 2 cups of chicken stock

- 1 Tbs soy sauce

Method:

1) Place chicken fillet into a saucepan. Cover with cold water and simmer for 8 minutes. Drain and shed chicken

2) Cook ginger, oil and 3/4 of onions in a saucepan over low heat until soft

3) Stir in corn, stock and soy sauce. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 4 minutes. Add chicken, cooking until heated through

4) Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with remaining green onions.

That's all it is. It'll cost less than $3 to make per serve, is nice and easy and great for you. You get a good source of protein from the chicken and ginger has awesome health benefits. It calms upset stomachs, it aids the treatment of allergies, has anti-inflammatory properties and has been proven to lower cholesterol and prevent the formation of blood clots...so lap it up guys!

I'll leave you with a quote from the real Buddha himself: 

"even death is not feared by one who lives wisely"

So stay healthy and stay motivated. The more you put in the more you will get out of life.

Aly x