Friday, December 21, 2012

'Tis the season to be healthy

Putting Christmas and exercise in the same sentence is about as appealing as being the one stuck with clean up duty after Christmas dinner. It's that time of the year again when food, food and more food features as the dominant factor in our lives. And all the hard work you put into those previous 51 weeks can be undone by a week of guilty pleasures and excuses. So what can you do to avoid over-indulgence and festivity-induced exercise-amnesia? Keep reading to find out!


Christmas is a time of celebration, gathering with family and friends and sharing of food and drink. Yet with the stresses of pre-Christmas shopping, organising and cooking the Christmas meal, many forget their fitness habits. Just because you are on holidays does NOT mean your fitness gets to go too!


So here are 3 of the biggest excuses people make during Christmas and also some tips on how to best turn the situation around and survive the holiday season.

1. I've exercised so hard during the year, I deserve to take a break - even just for this week.
You deserve kudos for keeping up your exercise during the year. But as with many other habits, once you break it (even just for a week) it makes it just that bit harder to get back into it. How many of you have said that "I'll get straight back into it the first week of the new year" only to find you are still struggling to get your regimen in order by Easter?

Stick with your exercise but allow yourself a bit of flexibility. Maybe instead of doing your regular gym routine, try a different type of exercise such as a game of beach cricket with the family or a surf in the ocean.

 
2. I have so much to do during Christmas, I just don't have the time to fit in any exercise.
Amidst the incessant shopping, cooking and gift wrapping, many people struggle to find 5 minutes of free time to themselves. I'm not saying you don't have to go overboard and go to the gym 5 times during the festive week but make sure you do something.

When you wake up, set aside 30 minutes for a walk with the dog or a quick swim. If you exercise in the morning then you have the rest of the day to do everything else and not worry about trying to fit it in and you will also feel more energised.


3. There is so much food at Christmas dinner. It would be rude for me not to indulge and show my appreciation.
This one is a legitimate excuse especially if you are attending multiple Christmas feasts. Your hosts have slaved away in the kitchen for hours and the last thing you want to do is make them feel their hard work has gone unnoticed.

In this situation, the key is portion control. You can eat but make sure you don't OVER-eat. Another key point is to eat slowly and chew your food properly.

And finally, I just want to thank each and every one of you for reading and supporting my blog in 2012 and making it such a successful year. You are the reason I write these articles and I hope you are inspired to make a healthy change to your life.

So just remember you can have your cake and eat it too (just not too much of it!)


Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year!!!

See you in 2013 (or if the Mayan's are correct, happy last day on earth)!

JW


Friday, December 7, 2012

A-Z of Good Health

Everyone knows their ABCs but what about your ABCs to good health?


With an increasing number of products at the supermarket labelled with nutritional benefits such as "fortified with Vitamin D", "iodised" and "added potassium" it is time to decipher the actual benefits of such nutrients and reveal the natural sources in which they can be found.

VITAMINS

Vitamins are separated into 2 categories: water-soluble and fat-soluble.

Water-soluble vitamins (B complex & C) are transported around the body by fluids such as blood, and need to be consumed on a daily basis as they are not stored in the body.

To ensure you are obtaining enough of these vitamins in your diet, follow these guidelines:
  • 4 serves of wholegrain cereals (a serve is equivalent to a cup of breakfast cereal or a cup of cooked rice)
  • 3 serves of low fat dairy foods (a serve is equivalent to a 250ml cup of milk or a 200g tub of yoghurt)
  • 1 serve of lean protein foods (a serve is equivalent to one small chop or two small eggs)
  • 2 serves of fruit (a serve is equivalent to a medium apple or 2 small kiwi fruit)
  • 5 serves of vegetables (a serve is equivalent to a cup of salad or ½ cup of cooked vegetables)
Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E & K) on the other hand are dissolved in fat before being transported around the body by the bloodstream. This means that they can be stored in the body until they get used, so as long as you consume enough of them, you don’t have to consume them every day.


MINERALS

Minerals are essential nutrients your body needs to function well. We need minerals to undertake functions such as building strong bones and teeth, turning the food that we eat into energy and making hormones. There are many other minerals that we need in tiny amounts, yet can’t live without which are called ‘trace elements’. Consuming a nutrient-dense diet will ensure you meet your requirements of trace minerals as well!


So now that you know your ABC, it's time to be as healthy as can be!

JW


References
  • https://www.morethanmedication.com.au/Eat-well/Know-your-ABC-to-good-health/

Monday, November 26, 2012

Mythbusters series: Food (Part 1)

There are many myths surrounding diet. Well I'm here to debunk the 5 biggest myths:


MYTH 1. Don't eat after 8pm.
Fact: Calories are calories irrespective of what time it is and contrary to the belief, they cannot actually tell the time. You don’t magically store more fat after 8pm. What and how much you eat determines weight gain or loss. To lose weight, try spreading out your calories throughout the day, so you’re not starving in the evening and end up overeating.

With ever-busy schedules, many people often do not get a chance to eat until 7 or 8 p.m. It's a myth that food stays in your stomach all night and magically transforms into fat. Your body does not turn off when you go to bed. There is no magical time of day that your body starts storing fat and stops digesting food.

It is simple mathematics. Weight gain happens when you eat more calories than you expend. As long as you are burning off the same or more than what you are consuming, you can eat at any time of the day. If you are having a late dinner, go for a light meal such as some fish or chicken with a salad. And if you are craving a late-night snack, try a piece of fruit to ensure those extra calories don't sneak up on you.


MYTH 2. Carbohydrates make you fat.
Fact: Carbohydrates have had a bad rap for far too long so let's finally dump this erroneous notion. Carbohydrates do not make you fat. Eating more of any kind of food than your body needs will make you fat. Carbohydrates are the primary and preferred source of energy for your working muscles and brain. For anyone who has been on a low-carb diet will attest to feelings of lethargy and tiredness.

Carbohydrates are classified as either simple or complex and you can read more about the various types in Nutrition 101 series: Choosing the right fuels, 31/8/11


MYTH 3. Diabetes is the direct result of eating too much sugar.
Fact: Diabetes is caused by a lack of insulin absorption or production in the body, not by consumption of sugar and carbohydrates. Although, diabetics do need to monitor how much sugar and carbohydrates they ingest, it will not cause the disease to form. The main causes of diabetes are obesity and inactivity, which sugar may be an attributing factor to but cannot be the sole cause of.

MYTH 4. Fats are bad for you.
Fact: Along with carbohydrates, fats have also been on the receiving end of bad press. Just like people, fats come in all different shapes and sizes and cannot simply be lumped together into one. The important thing is to differentiate between the different types of fats and to know which type is in the foods you eat.

Healthy fats are essential for good health and have been shown to protect us from a range of diseases such as cancer and heart disease, decrease total cholesterol levels, while omega-3 fats in particular have been shown to have many other health properties, including reducing blood pressure and assisting with inflammatory bowel disease.

Read more about the different types of fat in Nutrition 101 series: Choosing the right fuels, 31/8/11


MYTH 5. Skipping breakfast helps you lose weight
Fact: While it may seem logical that skipping a meal and therefore eating less food, will help with weight management, this is not so where breakfast is concerned. Research has shown that people who skip breakfast tend to have higher body weights and a higher chance of weight influx than those who regularly eat breakfast.

The rate at which the body expends energy at rest is called the basal metabolic rate (BMR). When the body is low on fuel the BMR slows down to conserve energy. This means that when you skip breakfast, the body slows down the rate of metabolism to ensure there is enough fuel reserve for vital organs to perform essential functions.

A slower BMR means that breakfast skippers are less efficient at burning up the energy from the food they eat during the day and are actually more likely to snack and overeat later in the day, usually on foods that are less nutritious and have far more kilojoules than a simple bowl of cereal.

If cereal is not your cup of tea, try a piece of wholegrain toast with some scrambled eggs or some fresh fruit with yoghurt.


So there are your 5 biggest nutritional myths BUSTED. I will be continuing the Mythbusters series in the future with more myths about exercise and diet so keep an eye out!

JW

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Mythbusters series: Exercise (Part 1)

There are many myths surrounding exercise and I'm here to debunk the 5 biggest myths:


MYTH 1. Exercise, alone, will help you lose weight.
Many people think that as long as you work out, you can eat whatever you want. WRONG. If you burn 600 calories in a workout but eat a meal with 1000 calories, you will gain weight. It doesn't matter how much you exercise, if you want to lose weight you need to put in less than you are putting out. Exercise, however will speed up your metabolism, meaning the more you exercise, the faster your body will burn off those calories. Strength training, in particular, works wonders as muscles continue to burn calories even after you have finished exercising.


MYTH 2. Weight training will make women bulk up.
Fact: If you've been avoiding the free weights for fear of becoming the Incredible Hulk, no need to flee anymore. When it comes to increasing muscle size, testosterone is key. Men have 20 to 30 times more testosterone than women, which is why they can bulk up so noticeably. But for you to reach Arnold Schwarzenegger proportions would require you to do far more weight-lifting than the average woman, plus have some sort of hormone imbalance (either genetic or synthetically induced, as with steroids).

In fact, strength training will help you lose weight faster and keep it off in the long run. If you also do cardio, it'll help you retain muscle as you drop fat, as well as prevent your metabolism from slowing. So don't focus all your efforts on the elliptical machine -- some bicep curls could actually help you reach your ultimate goal.


MYTH 3. Crunches will get rid of belly fat.
Don't believe everything you hear on those late-night infomercials! An ab-crunching device might "help strengthen the muscles around your midsection and improve your posture," being able to "see" your abdominal muscles has to do with your overall percentage of body fat. If you don't lose the belly fat, you won't see the ab muscles. But can doing ab crunches help you to lose that belly fat? Experts say no. You can’t pick and choose areas where you’d like to burn fat. So crunches aren't going to target weight loss in that area. In order to burn fat, you should create a workout that includes both cardiovascular and strength-training elements. This will decrease your overall body fat content, including the area around your midsection.

Fact: You can do crunches till you pass out, and you still might not get a six-pack. Why? If you have a high percentage of body fat, your abs will be covered with -- you guessed it -- fat. And no, doing ab exercises won't necessarily make you lose that belly fat, either. The truth is, you can't spot-train (otherwise, wouldn't we all be running around with flat stomachs and slim thighs). In order to get visibly toned abs, you have to first reduce your overall body fat, which means plenty of cardio, coupled with strength training for faster results. After that, the fruits of your labor should start becoming apparent.


MYTH 4. No pain, no gain
Now everyone has heard of this saying but of all the fitness rumours ever to have surfaced, experts agree that the "no pain-no gain" holds the most potential for harm. While you should expect to have some degree of soreness a day or two after working out,  that's very different from feeling pain while you are working out.

A fitness activity should not hurt while you are doing it, and if it does, then either you are doing it wrong, or you already have an injury. As for "working through the pain," experts don't advise it. They say that if it hurts, stop, rest, and see if the pain goes away. If it doesn't go away, or if it begins again or increases after you start to work out, see a doctor.


MYTH 5. If you are not sweating, you are not working hard enough.
Sweating is not necessarily an indicator of exertion. Sweating is your body’s way of cooling itself. If the air is cool, you do not need to sweat to cool off. Only when your internal temperature goes above a certain set-point will your body determine that some cooling is required.

So there are your 5 biggest exercise myths BUSTED. I will be continuing the Mythbusters series with the 5 biggest myths about diet coming out soon!

JW

Friday, August 17, 2012

Olympic Wrap-Up

Now that the 2012 London Olympics have come and gone, let's take a look back at the athletes who dominated, conquered and achieved golden success at the games.

Mo Farah doing the 'lightning bolt' and Usain Bolt returning the favour by doing the 'Mobot'

Here are my top 5 athletes of the games:

1. Usain Bolt
Coming into the games, there was some doubt over Bolt's form after he was beaten by his heir apparent Yohan Blake at the Jamaican national trials only a month earlier.

Bolt eventually went on to win 2 individual gold medals in the 100m and 200m sprints (Blake finished second in both races), and a team gold in the 4 x 100m relay - breaking an Olympic (200m) and world record (4 x 100m relay) in the process. There is no doubt the 2012 London Olympics cemented Usain Bolt's status as a living legend of the track.

I'm now a legend. I'm also the greatest athlete to live.
- Usain Bolt, after winning his seventh straight title in the 100 and 200m at the 2012 London Olympic Games

2. Mo Farah
The Somali born Brit achieved an amazing feat - winning the gold in both the men's 5000m and 10,000m. He covered all the breaks, resisted extravagant changes of pace, matched his talent against the machinations of the gifted Kenyans and Ethiopians and came home with the ferocious tenacity which has typified his career. Only 5 others have ever achieved the rare golden double and no Briton has ever come close until now.

Mo Farah's famous 'Mobot' celebratory move

3. Missy Franklin
The 17 year old all-American dubbed the 'missile' won 4 gold medals (2 individual and 2 relay) and a bronze from 7 events. Franklin also broke 2 world records in the process: in the 200m backstroke and 4 x 100 medley relay.

4.Ye Shiwen
Breaking out of the blocks, the 16 year old swimming sensation from China stunned the world by winning 2 gold medals in the 200m and 400m individual medleys, setting a new Olympic record and world record respectively, both previously set by Australia's Stephanie Rice at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Most shocking was the fact that Ye swam the final 50m in the 400m IM final in 28.93 seconds; 0.17 seconds faster than that of USA's Ryan Lochte, the men's gold medalist. Not surprising was the media's reaction with suggestions of illegal substance use, despite Lochte's overall time of 4.05.18 being 23.25 seconds faster than that of Ye's.

5. Serena WIlliams
At 30 years of age, when most of her contemporaries have retired, Serena Williams shows no sign of slowing down. Winning both the singles and doubles gold medals in women's tennis - and achieving the Golden Slam (all four Grand Slams and an Olympic gold), Williams' dominant display once again showed why she is considered one of the greatest to ever play the game of tennis.


It was definitely hard to pick only 5 athletes to feature in my list. So here are a few more who deserve honourable mentions.

Michael Phelps
Undoubtedly the greatest Olympian to ever compete. Phelps left London with 6 medals in tow: 4 gold and 2 silver, adding to his already impressive collection, bringing his medal tally to 18 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals from 4 Olympic games.

Prior to the Olympics, Phelps announced these games would be his last.

Oscar Pistorius
Amazing does not begin to describe the South African athlete who participated in both the Olympic and Paralympic games. Known as the 'blade runner', Pistorius advanced through to the semi-final of the 400m at the Summer Olympics , finishing in last position with a time of 46.54 seconds. The South African 4 x 400m relay team qualified through to the final with Pistorius running the third leg, the team eventually finished eighth out of a field of nine competing in the final.

At the 2012 Summer Paralympics, taking place from August 29 - September 9, Pistorius is entered into the T44 100m, and the T42–T46 4 × 100m relay.

Female Muslim Athletes
Achieving success at the Olympic games does not always involve winning a medal. Having overcome political, social, religious and sporting obstacles, the chance to compete at the Olympics was a far greater victory than any gold medal.

Despite the lack of sporting success, these athletes have broken down major barriers, one being a Muslim, and two being a female. They have taken great strides for their countries and female equality just by their presence at the world's greatest sporting event.

Tahmina Kohistani (AFG), Fatima Sulaiman Dahman (KSA), Wojdan Shaherkani (KSA),
Shinoona Salah al-Habsi (OMA), Noor Hussain Al-Malki (QAT)

The 2012 London Olympics certainly brought out the best in athletes from all around the world with:
  • 204 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) competing
  • 85 won at least one medal
  • 54 won at least one gold medal
  • USA won the most gold medals (46) and the most total number of medals (104)
  • 30 new world records in 7 sports

I cannot wait until 2016 for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics! VIVA BRASIL!!!


JW


Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Cool Runnings

With the excitement of the 2012 London Olympics, it is only fitting to have an article suitable for such an occasion.


With the superstar likes of Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake, Asafa Powell, Michael Frater, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Veronica Campbell-Brown currently dominating short distance track events, people want to know what exactly makes Jamaicans so fast?

2012 London Olympics Men's 100m Medallists: Yohan Blake, Usain Bolt, Justin Gatlin (USA)

2012 London Olympics Women's 100m Medallists: Carmelita Jeter (USA), Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Veronica Campbell-Brown

And it's not only athletes who don the famous gold and green trim of Jamaica who have made their mark. Olympic 100m champions Linford Christie (for Great Britain in 1992) and Donovan Bailey (for Canada in 1996) were born and bred in Jamaica, as was the now disgraced Ben Johnson, who also represented Canada.

It is baffling that the tiny island nation of Jamaica with a population reaching barely 2.9 million can consistently produce world-beating sprinters, while the whole of Europe can hardly register more than a handful of athletes in the top 100. So is it genetics, training or diet that is responsible for this success? Well according to Professor Errol Morrison, president of the University of Technology (UTech), "TWO of Jamaica's staple crops — the yam and green banana — are said to be partially responsible for the island's world sprinting domination."

So before we get down to the nitty-gritty analysis, let's have a quick look at the stats:

Men's 10 Fastest 100m Times
(as of 7/8/12)



Genetic Structure

It has long been documented that athletes of West African ancestry are superior sprinters, while their North and East African relatives excel over longer distances. The majority of Afro-Jamaicans have West Africa ancestry and Professor Morrison points out a distinct advantage they hold.

"You ever looked at our black athletes compared to whites or the Asiatics, both lower and upper limbs, the relatively narrow hips, lean and thin and the power?"

"There is something called in our parlance, a cock bottom. The shape of the backbone and the hip is angled this way with the pelvis, and the front muscles afford high knee lift as opposed to when the back is more straight. That contributes to the kind of power when you drive that leg down, those are some of the genetics."

Biochemicals

According to Prof Morrison, yams produce a substance called Hypo Steroids which acts as a stimulus, while green bananas produce phytate, which is four times the concentration in the yellow yams and replenishes the energy supply.

"You can't just get up and eat tuber crops like yam and go and run. What is happening is it is a staple diet, so our young people who are using these staple crops are being exposed to these 'anabolic steroids' from very early and Jamaica is the only country with organised programmes from infancy; so you are putting up a stress and demand on these muscle groups which is being further pushed by these 'anabolic steroids' they are going to have an advantage and they are going to grow with that and by the time they are hitting the late teens you should be seeing some responsive muscle mass," explained Prof Morrison.

He added: "People don't know what green bananas do. Phytates replenish the energy supply in muscle called creatine phosphate. The hypothesis is grounded on sound biochemical principles and what we are saying is that the cycle is being passed on from very early on. So you not only have got the 'anabolic steroid' from early, you are also getting the stimulus from these phosphate substances that will give you the energy."


Prof Morrison explained that during the running of races a number of athletes on the world level are probably similar in speed, but they fade at different levels and that's when the quicker replenishing caused by the green bananas gives Jamaican athletes the edge.

"By 60 metres they start to fade and it is because we have the advantage of the replenishing of the phosphate that is allowing us to keep that momentum to the end of the race."

Jamaican culture

Jamaicans love to sprint. Track in Jamaica is epitomised by the prestige, popularity and huge following. In the same way that particular nations adores football or cricket, Jamaicans adore sprinting. From an early age, children can be seen frolicking about, trying to beat each other in mini races. As such, the sprinting spirit is cultured into Jamaicans from a tender age.

Jamaica's most successful son, Usain Bolt is convinced the key to Jamaican success is the intense rivalry of grassroots athletics from an early age.

"I feel we push our young athletes. There is this thing called the Boys and Girls Championships (Champs) in Jamaica, which showcases the talent. The level of competition is really high because it pushes you every day to be the best in your event, in your class."


And even now as Bolt gets down on the blocks at a major championships, that early experience gained is invaluable.

"I think it helped me to get past my fear of running in front of thousands and millions of people because I'm front of a home crowd and we are under a lot of pressure."

The four-day championships play to crowds of up to 30,000 at the national stadium in Kingston, while a TV audience of over a million watch the live coverage. Many of the top stars go back to hand out medals and inspire the next generation.

With 5 more days to go in the 2012 London Olympics, Jamaica is certain to add to its medal tally!

JW


References
  • http://edition.cnn.com/2012/06/21/sport/olympics-jamaica-sprinting-heroes-bolt/index.html
  • http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sports/Prof-Morrison-tells-why-Jamaicans-run-so-fast_9306187