Are Fruit Smoothies Good For Me?

I have recently become obsessed with smoothies and bought a Breville Blend Active. I feel healthy drinking them twice a day, but then one day someone said to me drinking a smoothie is like drinking a can of full fat coke!

I tend to not eat the recommended amount of fruit and veg, so smoothies are a great way to increase my fruit and veg consumption.

Benefits:

• Smoothies  provide fiber
• Fruit smoothies typically contain significant amounts of folate, vitamin C and potassium
• Smoothies can also provide other essential nutrients e.g. you get protein and calcium from your smoothie if it contains yogurt or milk.

My smoothies contain frozen fruit and water, I don’t add milk or fruit juice, so doesn’t that mean its healthy?

Negatives:

• There is a situation with the amount of sugar in a smoothie “The total sugar content of these beverages, including the natural sugars from the fruit, tends to be between 20 and 33 grams per serving”

I have reduced my smoothie intake to one a day now as i am now aware at the amount of sugar in just one serving.

I have also tried smoothies using vegetables, my favourite one is carrot, cucumber and spinach.

What I have learned is that I have to watch my serving size when making a smoothie and to not add extra sugar, such as fruit juice.

🙂

TRX

As I have mentioned in my previous blog TRX has transformed my injury.

TRX is a form of body weight exercise which increases your flexibility, strength and core. It requires the use of a TRX Suspension Trainer, these are “highly portable performance training tool that leverages gravity and the user’s body weight to complete hundreds of exercises”.

I attend TRX classes twice a week, each class last 45 minutes and you are guaranteed a full body work out coming away with achy worked muscles.

I thought you needed to use weights to build muscle…I was wrong. TRX has transformed my core, I can now hold the blank for longer, which is something I have struggled with in the past. They have also toned my biceps, triceps and back muscles.

Most importantly it has cured my shoulder injury. Exercises that helped were:

• Chest Press

• Low row

• Single arm row

These specific exercises using the TRX straps are what I feel have made my shoulder gone from strength to strength.

If your struggling with a shoulder injury and cannot do your usual workout routine have a go at using TRX straps, you will be amazed at the difference in your body and strength!

Have a nice day everyone 🙂

Exercise after injury

Hi everyone 🙂

For the past year I have been struggling with a rotator cuff tear injury in my shoulder, that’s why I have been quiet on my blog. I ave been told the injury occurred from a combination of weight training and boxing. I have not been able to exercise properly or challenge my fitness, which is not like me!

I have had several months of physio, but it still has never been the same since. Has anyone else experienced this?

Rotator cuff injuries are caused by irritation and inflammation of the tendons of the rotator cuff muscles.

For a while now I have had severe pain in my shoulder, especially when I lower or raise my arm. The pain is at its worst in the mornings and nights where my sleep has affected my shoulder.

With this injury I could not do any form of exercise, running hurt it and kettle bell irritated it more. My physio told me to rest, but that was something I struggled to do.

Physio has helped the pain stop and now the tear has fixed, but my strength in my shoulder did not want to come back.

However, I have recently taken up TRX, which I am sure lots of you have heard of…It is FANTASTIC and has transformed my shoulder.

If anyone has experienced this form of injury I would highly recommend having a go at TRX in your gym or attending classes.

🙂

Tabata

Tabata classes are finally at my gym!

We all live busy lives and some people say they simply don’t have time to work out, well I am sure you can fit a 4 minute fat burning work out into your day?

Tabata is high intense interval training. The basis of Tabata Training is 4 minutes of intense interval training. A good example is sprinting for 20 seconds and then walking for 10 seconds – Repeat 7 more times for a total of 8 sets.

Tabata Training can be done with various different exercises, but you should try and get your whole body involved, or at least the major muscle groups. Tabata Training can be done with barbells, dumbells, kettlebells or just bodyweight exercises.

I have started to attend tabata classes every Monday at my gym. It is a 20 minute class, with the main work out only taking 4 minuties. I thought surely this can’t be hard..but i was wrong. It was very intense. Because i knew it was only 20 minutes I felt I needed to work extra hard.

Next week i will be recording the amount of reps i do, and see if i have improved within a month.

🙂

Welsh Three Peak Challenge

I LOVE a good challenge. Do you?

Over the summer i completed the Welsh 3 Peak challenge. I did it to raise money for my uncle who is facing terminal cancer. We managed to raise £1000 in just one day which i was over whelmed by. The more money raised the more determined it made me to complete it.

It was one of the best and unforgettable experiences ever! I love mountain walking and breathing in fresh air whilst being surround by stunning mountains. However i was slightly nervous about this challenge because…I HATE heights!

When we arrived at Snowdon we decided what path to take, as there are several ways you can walk which all take you to the top.  One of the men who was with us chose the Crib Goch route and he said there are a few scary bits but not many, so i trusted him and off we went…

I would say we walked for about 2 hours and climbed for 4 hours which i did not expect. The climbing was fun…until we got to the scary part where i heard stories of people dying. My team member lied to me! The height was terrifying , i was shaking and had to crawl along the peak. I wanted to cry but but put on an extremely brave face. The thing that got me through it was the word ‘challenge’, i kept saying ‘I am doing this for my uncle’. After we finished all the terrifying parts i was so proud i did it and did not regret one bit as i faced by fear.

Have you ever faced a fear?

The next two mountains we climbed were Cadair Idris and Pen y Fan. They were good as there were no scary drops. Yet the pain kicked in and my legs and knees were aching, but we all carried on and finally completed all three mountains. We were extremely proud and happy.

Our next challenge will be the British Three Peaks!

🙂

Women CAN lift

Weight training and weight lifting is something I have always wanted to get into!…but i have always thought only men lift weights as that is what the media portrays to us. So I asked a personal trainer at my gym and got some advice off him, he said that girls SHOULD lift weights and that they are not only for men. He then put together a weight training programme for me to do, its called the 5 x 5 weight training programme and after researching the programme it sounds GREAT and extremely effective.

Has anyone done/doing this training programme? if yes, what are your thoughts and results so far?

I think its pretty awesome for women to lift weights.

Some women make the mistake of going to the gym and believe that heavy weight lifting will make them a man. If you are one of those women who may enter the gym do a stretch then a 20- 30 minute cardio session and may then go onto the mat and do a few sit-ups then it is time to make a change! What some people may not understand is that lifting weights are great for weight loss, toning, muscle gain and strength.

Some women actually accomplish very little in there workouts, they might burn a few hundred calories, but that will not reshape the appearance of their bodies.

But I bet women are thinking…wont I look manly and bulky? The answer is no

The reason is that men have higher levels of testosterone than women, and women have higher levels of estrogen than men. Testosterone is the main muscle building hormone in the body. Therefore women don’t be scared to lift 🙂

I am starting my 5 x 5 weight training programme on Friday and will keep everyone informed of my progress.

 

Happy training everyone! 🙂

Protein Shake Review

Do you think Protein Shakes are only for men?…Women take them too

Lots of people I train with take protein shake and said how great it is. 8 weeks ago I started taking it which I was excited about. I have always thought about taking it but only ever saw men using it. I think more women should try it! Do you agree?

Protein shakes are not a miracle substance, but they are effective in weight loss and lean muscle gain. In order to get the best results from shakes, you should take them as part of a healthy eating and exercise plan.

Protein shakes not only help but they taste good too. I take a strawberry flavoured shake which is light and smooth to drink. What’s your favourite flavour shake?

Protein is an important nutrient needed on a daily basis and has different roles in the body such as repairing cells, building and repairing muscles and the production of energy.

I take ‘Whey Protein‘ and within 8 weeks I have to say that I have noticed it working!  In those weeks I have increased my weights on a bar bell and gone up a weight in kettlebells. It has made me loose fat, preserve muscle and has increased my strength. After completing a weight class I would ache the next day…but since taking the shakes I don’t!  However the great thing it also does is reduces hunger, which is great for me. The protein shakes fill me up and stop me from snacking.  Women I know have lost body fat taking it and I am excited to see further improvements.

Have you noticed a difference since taking protein shakes?

Therefore I would definitely recommend taking protein shake, it is a great thing to take if you exercise regularly as part of a healthy lifestyle.

If you are unsure where to purchase good protein from, here is where I receive mine:

http://www.thesupplement-factory.com/search.php?search_query=super+pure+whey&recommendation=3899

Here are some useful links for further information on Protein Shakes:

– http://www.mensfitness.com/nutrition/what-to-eat/6-reasons-you-should-be-using-whey-protein

 

300 Reps for perfect abs

We would all love a flat belly for life right?

I always struggle to have that perfect flat stomach which every girl wants. I find it especially hard to get rid of fat at the bottom of my stomach, is anyone else the same?

However, I came across an ab workout which was fun to do and did not take long. I tried to do it every other day in the mornings. Here it is:

30 Crunches, 20 Bicycle crunches, 30 Toe touches, 20 reverse crunches

15 side plank hip lift (R). 30 Crunches, 15 side plank hip lifts (L), 40 Russian twists

30 Bicycle cunches, 15 Oblique v-ups (R), 20 Reverse crunches, 15 Oblique v-ups (L), 10 Leg lifts

If you do this exercise every other day in addition to cardio or strength training you WILL notice a difference.

Although, you also have to think about what you are eating to help with that perfect stomach. Here are some flat belly foods, but what makes them that?
• They’re so low in calories, you can eat your fill.
• They’re rich in healthful nutrition.
• They’ll leave less room in your stomach for more calorie-dense foods.
• Prepared in creative ways, they can taste like an indulgence. Case in point: raspberries in a yogurt, brown sugar and Grand Marnier sauce!

1. Almonds

2. Salsa

3. Plain non-fat yoghurt

4. Air-popped popcorn

5. Melon

6. Grilled vegetables

7. Skinless turkey breast

8. Cucumbers

9. Vitamin-rich greens

Hope this was helpful 🙂

here are some helpful links:

http://www.besthealthmag.ca/eat-well/diet/8-foods-for-a-flat-belly?slide=9

Cheat Day While Dieting?

Is It Better to Have One Daily Treat or an Entire Cheat Day While Dieting?

I came across an interesting article from Women’s Health Magazine about cheat days while dieting. I have heard about having a cheat day once a day weekly but I have also heard it’s better to have one treat a day. But which is better?

I tend to try and have one treat a day which I do in weekdays and have done this for a while now. However on weekends I tend to have more than one treat, which is chocolate! It’s a bad habit of mine .

When I start a diet I always feel I crave food more, does this apply to anyone else? I have read that if your craving something that’s not healthy then satisfy that craving as you can get on with your day, but then do you feel guilty after having that treat? If I have exercised that day and have a treat then I don’t feel as guilty because I know I have burnt the calories.  I always think that indulging on occasion is not going to change the way you look, but obviously a full day of indulging may affect your ideal weight for that week.

I am going to start a one treat a day programme which for me will include weekends. I want to see if it does effect my weight or not.

 

Here is a useful link on what some people believe:

http://www.self.com/blogs/flash/2012/06/the-pros-and-cons-of-diet-chea.html

 

 

Fight the Fat

When people think of boxing they think its for men…but women can box too!

3 years ago I started a class called Boxercise and found it great fun!

Boxercise is an exercise class based on the training concepts boxers use to keep fit. Classes can take a variety of formats but the class I go to involves shadow-boxing, skipping, hitting pads, press-ups, shuttle-runs and sit-ups. The class is a fun, challenging and a safe workout.

Boxing can be for every size, shape or sex. I attend classes once a week as it various my exercise routine.

Boxing is great if you have had a rough day and want to get your aggression out as it makes you feel calm because all the aggression is very channelled and controlled. It also helps you to feel in control of your body and more confident about protecting yourself if you are required to.

Do you want to give it a go? If you do I would recommend going with a friend or partnering up with someone who has the same strength ability. As I have partnered up with men before and they have punched the pads too hard which resulted in injuring my shoulder.

I find that Boxercise strengthens your whole body as it involves sparring, bouncing, ducking, pivoting, punching and requires repetitive motions of your entire body. You repeat these movements which provide strength and power especially to your arms, legs and core area.

The best thing is that it is great for weight loss as boxing can burn as high as 500-1000 calories in a single hour work. Therefore it can assist with your weight loss efforts.

Here is a great link for more information on boxing:

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2007/mar/24/healthandwellbeing.features