Nutrition 101 series: Choosing the right fuels

Oliver and the other workhouse boys said it first: "FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD". But why is food so glorious? People eat food for many reasons - enjoyment, health, boredom, social expectations; but when you break it down food is eaten to fuel our bodies and provide nutrients.

Think of your body as a car - they both need fuel to run. And just like cars, the quality of the fuel affects how our bodies function. So let's try to understand the different types of fuels our bodies require to run efficiently.

FUELS

When you drive to the petrol station you have many different options for fuel - ULP, LPG, diesel, biodiesel, etc. The same goes with our bodies.

CARBOHYDRATES are a common source of energy composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen molecules. Carbohydrates are classified as either simple or complex carbohydrates. Simple carbs provide a fast energy source and require little digestion - eg. sugar, fruit juices, candy, soft drinks, alcohol, etc. Complex carbs provide a slow release of sustainable energy which helps to manage blood sugar - eg. wholegrains, vegetables, legumes, fruit, etc.

FATS or LIPIDS provide much of the energy our bodies need to function and are also composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen molecules. Fats are classified as either saturated or unsaturated fats. Saturated fats are generally derived from animal origins and are in solid form at room temperature. They are associated with numerous medical diseases particularly those of the heart. Unsaturated fats are classified as monounsaturated or polyunsaturated. Monounsaturated fats are a healthy source of fat helping to increase the "good" cholesterol and decreasing the "bad" cholesterol in our system - eg. nuts, olives, avocados, etc. Polyunsaturated fats provide our bodies with essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids which can be found in walnuts, seeds, fish, etc.

PROTEINS provide energy to our bodies but are used differently as a fuel than carbohydrates and fats. Because proteins are needed for the growth and repair of cells, muscle tissue, etc, the body uses carbohydrates and fats as the first choice of fuel. When the body is depleted of both of those, protein is then used as a backup fuel source. The body is able to naturally synthesise proteins in the form of non-essential amino acids. The protein we obtain from foods are the essential amino acids which the body cannot produce. Protein can be found in meat, fish, eggs, milk, rice, whey, etc.

VITAMINS & MINERALS are organic compounds essential for growth and development. There are 13 vitamins that our bodies need with 4 of these produced within the body. Minerals may be naturally present in foods or added (ie. orange juice with fortified calcium). It is essential that we meet the body's vitamin & minerals needs as a deficiency or overdose can have serious consequences for the body. If you are unable to obtain optimal amounts of vitamins & minerals in your diet you may need the help of dietary supplements.

So now that you have a basic understanding of the fuels our bodies need to run efficiently, make sure you put the right foods into your body to get the most out of them!

You look after your car so why not do the same with your body!

JW

Nutrition 101

Picture an iceberg - the tip is exposed above the water whereas the bulk of the iceberg is submerged beneath the water. You may be thinking what does an iceberg have to do with nutrition?

Well, the entire iceberg represents an overall health and fitness regimen with the tip of the iceberg being the exercise component and the underwater portion the nutritional component. Most people think that exercise alone will help to transform their body but in reality nutrition is the main driver for a successful transformation (nutrition making up 80% and exercise 20%). Looking good on the outside does not necessarily mean you look good on the inside, but looking good on the inside will in turn make you look healthy and beautiful on the outside.

Now that I have gone over the basics of exercise in my EXERCISING 101 series, I will be presenting a NUTRITION 101 series over the next couple of weeks.

There is a lot of confusion about what foods are good or bad, nutritional labels, carbs (good or bad for you?), diets, portion sizes, etc. I will cover a range of topics in my NUTRITION 101 series that I hope you will find easy to understand and informative. And if there are any specific areas you would like me to cover feel free to let me know!

So stay tuned!

JW

Exercising 101 series: Flexibility Training

Flexibility training is often regarded as the third wheel in an exercise training program - something that is not as important (or even necessary) as cardio or strength training. I mean if being flexible doesn't make you faster or stronger why do it, right?

WRONG! Flexible muscles and joints allow you to run faster, lift heavier and improve overall sporting performance. But how does it do this? So here I present FLEXIBILITY TRAINING 101.

BACKGROUND

Flexibility is defined as the maximum range of motion (ROM) a joint structure can achieve. Different factors affect one's flexibility: age, gender, genetics, sporting history, injuries, body temperature, etc. But everyone can be flexible - it takes time and effort and consistency is KEY! Fitness and medical professionals emphasise the importance of flexibility training and this is evident in its inclusion in the general exercise recommendations by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).

Men have often regarded flexibility training as a woman's thing and yes, women are generally more flexible than men. But you only have to look at professional footballers, basketballers and other elite athletes to realise just how important it is for everybody. Take a hurdler for example - during the actual jump their legs are in a similar position to that of a split, this requires extremely flexible leg muscles and hip joints. Being that extra bit more flexible than your competitor could mean the difference between winning a gold medal and finishing in last place.

US Olympic medallists David Oliver and Terrence Trammell

WHY

Flexibility training provides many benefits:

1. Decreased

· chance of injury

· muscle tension

· predisposition to medical conditions

2. Increased/improved

· range of motion

· mobility

· muscle blood flow

· healing of microscopic muscle tears

· posture

· muscular strength

· overall sporting performance

· state of relaxation

WHAT

Flexibility training comes in many different forms from stretching (static, dynamic, PNF or passive) to yoga, pilates, dance and gymnastics.

HOW

It is very easy to incorporate flexibility training into your overall training program. It doesn't matter what physical activity you do, stretching is a MUST post-exercise. It is best to stretch statically and hold each stretch for approximately 20-30 seconds. If you have a training partner, PNF or passive stretching are great options. But if you want to seriously improve your flexibility yoga or pilates are your best bet.

So keep your body happy by keeping your muscles and joints flexible!

JW

Exercising 101 series: Strength Training

Does strength training conjure up images of body builders spending endless hours at the gym? For the ladies out there are you worried that you might bulk up like this if you start using weights?

Before I go any further, let me be very clear that the only way women can achieve this very "distinguished" look is if they inject anabolic steroids, take testosterone or other muscle building agents. Women naturally have only 1/10 the amount of testosterone as a man. If you have a closer look at the picture above, you will notice her facial features have hardened and the shape of her body has become more like that of a man. That's what testosterone and steroids will do to a lady!

Now back onto strength training - what is it all about and why should EVERYONE be doing it? So here I present STRENGTH TRAINING 101.

BACKGROUND

Strength training is basically any activity or exercise where the muscles are working against some form of resistance. There are different types of strength training with the most common being resistance and weight training. And with the world's population getting older there has been so much focus on the treatments of osteoporosis, arthritis and other bone conditions and only recently has there been a bigger push on the prevention of these conditions.

WHY

Strength training can provide significant functional benefits and improvements to overall health and well-being: increased bone, muscle, tendon and ligaments strength and durability, improved joint function, reduced potential for injury, increased bone density, improved cardiac function, elevation of HDL (good) cholesterol and increased rate of metabolism.

WHAT

There are so many different ways to strength train with or without equipment. Gyms have a myriad of strength training machines including stack/rack machines, plate-loaded machine and cable machines as well as free weights, barbells, medicine balls, kettlebells, resistance bands and fitballs. Strength training without equipment can be just as effective using your own bodyweight as the resistance - pushups, squats, lunges, dips, crunches, bridge, leg raises, etc.

HOW

So how do you incorporate strength training into your exercise program? For beginners it's best to start with machines as they provide more stabilised and controlled movements. Aim for 6-8 exercises (8-10 for advanced) using the major muscle groups (see below). To maximise strength development aim for 8-12 repetitions (reps) of each exercise for 2-3 sets. I would recommend performing a set of all 6-8 exercises before starting the next set. Try to do 2-3 strength training sessions a week on non-consecutive days to give the muscles a good rest.

The major muscle groups are:

• Lower body: quads, hamstrings, calves, hips, glutes
• Upper body: chest, back, shoulders, biceps, triceps
• Abdominals: rectus femoris (superficial: 6 pack muscles), transverse abdominis (deep: core), obliques (sides)

Over time you will need to increase the amount of weight you are working with to keep challenging yourself. It is also important to change your routine every 4-6 weeks to keep your muscles guessing and for you not to get bored.

So let's start building strong muscles right away!

JW

Understanding Heart Rates

In my previous post I outlined the importance of cardiovascular training for a healthy heart. In order to train smart and effectively you need to understand your heart rate and what the numbers represent. To do this you need to monitor how hard your heart is working and compare it to how hard it should be working.

FITNESS TARGET ZONES

                           Exercise Level                                   Benefits                             Intensity Level

                                                                                                                                    (Max HR%)

                           Light exercise                    Healthy heart maintenance                       50-60%

                             Weight loss                            Primarily burns fat                                60-70%

                           Aerobic (base)                 Increases stamina and endurance                   70-80%

                             Anaerobic                Fitness conditioning, muscle building                 80-90%

                       (conditioning)                           and athletic training

                          Elite (VO2 max)                 Athletic training and endurance                  90-100%

To work out your maximum heart rate use this simple equation: HR_max = 220 - age

When you are exercising the easiest way to find out your heart rate is to use a heart rate monitor. But for those who do not have one, there are a couple of methods to find out manually.

1. Radial artery - runs down the inside of your lower arm. Measure about 2 inches (5cm) from your wrist using 2 or 3 fingers pressed against your skin.
2. Carotid artery - runs down the side of your neck. Place your index and middle fingers beneath the border of the jaw, pressing lightly.

The most accurate measurement is if you count the number of beats in 60 seconds. Otherwise just count the number of beats in 6 seconds then times that number by 10 or count the number of beats in 10 seconds then times that number by 6.

Example: Amy is 25 years old and has been running on the treadmill for 30mins. She measures her heart rate for 6 seconds and counts 17 beats.

• 17 x 10 = 170 beats per minute
• Amy's HR_max = 220 - 25 = 195
• Intensity level = 170/195 x 100 = 87% (anaerobic conditioning)

So the next time you exercise why not give it a go and see how hard your heart is working!

JW

Exercising 101 series: Cardiovascular Training

What comes to mind when you think of cardio training? Running, running and more running? A lot of people only associate running with cardio which is why they tend to avoid it at all costs.

Well here is some great news if you are one of those people, running is NOT the only type of cardio exercise. You can actually do cardio training WITHOUT doing any running. I can hear lots of cheering and excitement out there! But before we get to that let's get back to the basics. So here I present CARDIOVASCULAR TRAINING 101.

BACKGROUND

Cardio training has many different names - cardio, cardiorespiratory training, aerobic training and my favourite "huffy-puffy" exercise; but they all have a common purpose which is to improve heart health and overall wellbeing. This is so important as cardiovascular disease is the number 1 cause of death in the western world.

Cardio literally means the heart and for our body to function at its potential the heart needs to be working well. This is a lot easier when you are young, fit and energetic and most young people take it for granted, but what happens when you start to get a little older?

WHY

As the general population is getting more and more obese, doing even a little bit of cardio can provide many benefits. Each time you exercise your heart beats a little faster and get a little stronger. And as a result your heart is able to work more efficiently (without strain) and pump more blood through the body. Cardio training not only helps your manage your weight, it can lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and help to control blood sugar levels if you suffer from diabetes. The benefits are endless!

WHAT

Common types of cardio exercises include jogging, cycling and swimming. But as I said earlier, cardio is basically any exercise that raises your heart rate. So have a think about all the different exercises that can do that - you should be able to come up with quite a list. Did your list include any of the following activities: boxing, skipping, sprints, step ups, circuits, team sports, hill climbs, rowing, side jumps, power walking, dancing, cross training, star jumps, skiing and the list goes on...

HOW

So how do you incorporate cardio into your training program? Well it really depends on what your goals are. But for a general fitness program aim for 2-3 cardio sessions a week - it's best to vary the intensity between the sessions so you don't overdo it. Some people prefer to do the same exercise for an entire session (eg. running 5km) but if you get bored easily then it's best to mix and match different exercises and create a circuit program.

Next time you jump on a cardio machine, try and push yourself a little harder. A rule I like to follow is the 2 minute rule (1 minute for advanced): 20-30secs hard then ease off for 90-100secs. And when I say hard I mean go full throttle and really push yourself - you will be surprised at how hard your body can work. The recovery phase gives you a little time to get more oxygen in and let your heart rate slow down - just make sure you don't let it slow down too much (aim for a 20-25% decrease). Remember: the harder YOU work, the harder your HEART will work!

So why don't you give it a go and start improving the health of your heart today!

JW