Finding motivation to train: My top tips to beat the post-holiday blues

In true British style, the summer has come and gone in a blink of an eye. To be fair, we have had some fantastic sunny weather and I’ve enjoyed some long hazy days, some alfresco dining courtesy of my new barrel barbeque and have even taken up running again as it was too nice to be stuck inside the gym all the time. However, as I write this I’m looking out through the window as the rain pours down and gives me a big reminder that autumn is well and truly on the horizon.

As a veteran trainer of many years I always witness a trend in September; that it takes a while for people to return to the gym after the summer holiday season and relocate the motivation to push on with their training. Why does this happen? My theory is that the majority of training leading up to summer – pretty much from January onwards – is geared towards aesthetics, so as soon as the fear of wearing clothes that reveal lots of flesh has dispersed, then so does the motivation to exercise frequently.

The problem with this is that it is very short term and just creates a cycle of repeated behaviour every year:

So here are my top tips to break this cycle, get back in the gym and start taking a more strategic approach to your health and fitness all year round.

1. Improve your foundations to keep injury free

One of the issues you have to contend with when going through a negative training cycle is that injuries will be common, as you are over-training in short bursts to make up for months of inactivity.

My advice is to approach this autumn as if you are starting from scratch and work harder at building the foundations. By this I mean look at your posture, your mobility, muscle imbalances (speak to your trainer about how to assess this) and take time to improve your technique of all the foundation movements – squats, deadlift, lunge, push, pull and twist. Not only will you see a ramp up of improvement in your performance, but the common aches and pains you suffer with every spring and summer will miraculously disappear.

2. Reset your nutrition and learn how food can make you feel better

Transforming the way you eat doesn’t have to be geared towards losing weight. The excesses of the summer holidays – too much alcohol, too many desserts, too many meals out… well, just generally TOO MUCH of everything – can leave you feeling bloated, lethargic and unmotivated, so physically you may not be performing at 100%.

Cleaning up your diet through my favourite reset method – elimination – can help you learn about how your body reacts to certain foods and forces you to plan meals, cook with wholesome ingredients, find the most nutrient dense foods and remove all those very addictive junk foods that are just not great for your long term health.

3. Set yourself some performance goals not aesthetic ones

Take a break from trying to lose weight, reducing your body-fat or increasing how big your muscles are so you look good in your swimwear and think about setting yourself some performance goals in the gym.

It doesn’t matter what level of fitness you are, you can always hit a new personal best. For some it may be being able to run 1 mile non-stop; for others it might be to squat their bodyweight or do unassisted pull-ups. Whatever your performance goal, I can tell you that if you set out a strategic plan to achieve your goal then you will get some aesthetic benefits at the same time and without the stress of focusing on them every day. The buzz you get from hitting your targets and seeing your fitness improve month to month will keep you motivated all year round.

4. Try creating some new healthy habits

Using this period of non-aesthetic focus on your health and fitness is the perfect time to start looking at other ways to improve your total wellbeing by creating some new and healthy habits.

I have written before about how it’s actually easier and more beneficial for your health to create new habits than it is to break old habits, so I was pleased to read an article by James Clear – an entrepreneur who uses an understanding of behavioural science to succeed in life and business – agreeing with that principle, but also giving some fantastic practical tips to put it into action.

He states that you should look at the 3 Rs of behavioural change when trying to install a new habit:

Reminder – the trigger that initiates behaviour

Routine – the behaviour itself

Reward – the benefit you get from the behaviour

How does that work in the real world?

Well first of all, it’s important not to try anything too radical; just small tweaks in your habits and behaviour will give you a greater chance of success. So, if your new behaviour is to drink herbal tea every morning, then look to tie that into an existing habit.

For example: if every morning you go into Costa Coffee (other coffee shop brands are available!) to get a cup of hot sugary milk with extra syrup then your ‘REMINDER’ is going into Costa Coffee, your ‘ROUTINE’ is now ordering a herbal tea instead, and your ‘REWARD’ is whatever you want it to be. I think a non-food reward works best, maybe putting the money you saved from buying a tea (even if it’s only £1 every time) into a pot that can build up over the next few months to then buy yourself something.

Healthy habits to try could be:

• Stop eating bread
• Flossing daily
• Drink herbal tea everyday
• Watch less TV
• Cut down your use of social media
• Call your friends and family more often
• Take a daily walk

5. Book yourself into an event for charity

If none of these suggestions takes your fancy, then put those narcissistic tendencies about how you look to one side, and do something for charity.

There are countless physical challenges that are available for people to sign up to in the name of charity; running a 5km park run, wading through muddy obstacle course races, climbing the peaks of our national parks or even attempting an amateur triathlon. All of them will require months of dedication to training and an improvement in your physical fitness and nutrition before you could complete them, so can help towards setting some long term targets to keep you motivated through the autumn and winter months.

Stay healthy!

Top tips for damage limitation on your summer holidays

For many people their summer holiday is a huge motivator to get in the gym and work on their beach body (note, I said for many, not all, so please not another social media hate campaign against the fitness industry). They’ll have spent many months partaking in gut busting routines to shape their legs, firm their bottoms and pump up their pecs. 

They would’ve counted carbs, sunk alkalising green juices that look and smell like pond water and deprived themselves of so many treats they would make a nineteenth century puritan look like a party animal, all so they can put on that designer bikini or pair of funky board shorts and feel a sense of achievement and pride (and lap up the compliments) that they are in the best shape of their life.

So there is absolutely no point going through all this pain to ruin it all within 48 hours of hard drinking and filling up on junk food to end up a bloated mess. Here are my top tips for damage limitation whilst on holiday.

Beware the all-inclusive buffet

It may offer fantastic value but there is no need to try every single dish on offer every night. The sheer amount of food that is piled onto plates in the all-inclusive buffet is staggering and the bizarre combinations are slightly stomach turning. I would estimate (purely based on observation) that the average person eats 2-3 times more food every day than they would normally consume if they go all-inclusive, guaranteeing they will be going home with some unwanted poundage. My advice if you are going to an all-inclusive resort is just to pace yourself and have a good look round the options before you choose your meals, that way you won’t get food envy and want to try everything and anything. 

Explore by foot and potter about

One of my favourite things about being on holiday is not needing a car. I really enjoy exploring the area by foot and depending on where you are this may include; coastal walks, exploring capital cities, long walks along the beach or just getting from your resort to the local town and back. It may not be a huge calorie burner, but cutting back on taxi’s or ditching the hire car will allow you to stretch the legs out, bask in the sunshine (soaking up that vitamin D), take in the local scenery and atmosphere and I always find that a good walk helps get rid of aches and pains by forcing you to be in a natural upright position – which is vital as far too much time is spent sitting these days.

Look out for the omelette station at breakfast

The breakfast buffet is probably the best thing about hotel food. There is always loads of pancakes, waffles, bread rolls, bacon, cured meats and much more on offer and it’s as tempting as the evening buffet to go overboard. I have found the best way to approach a hotel breakfast is to go for eggs. There is always an omelette station and they are always freshly made and have a good selection of fillings available – this breakfast is full of protein and good healthy fats, satisfies your appetite and gives a feeling of self-righteousness that can be rewarded with an ice cream later in the day ;-)

Give the water sports a try

If like me you are from the UK it’s not often you get to go in open water without needing a wetsuit or emergency treatment for hypothermia, so it seems a shame to not fully take advantage of the aqua based activities available at most summer holiday destinations. Whether its sea kayaking, water skiing, swimming, surfing, coasteering or climbing back on the banana boat after being thrown into the drink for the umpteenth time, you will be using elements of fitness such as strength, balance and co-ordination. So ditch the hotel gym for your holiday workout and head down to the beach to try out some of the awesome and fun sports on offer and turn your holiday into an active adventure.

Look out for local patrons

Unfortunately the view of many resorts is that Brits like to eat burgers, chips and beans and have very unsophisticated palates, so the quality of food available in the more touristy zones is ropey at best. So I have found the best way to get decent food that the locals would eat is to ask, erm the locals. Take some time to get some inside knowledge about the best restaurants that are not in the tourist areas and you will most likely get better quality, better value and food that doesn’t destroy your gut leaving you bloated and smelling of fried food.

Coconut water is a perfect hangover cure

After a night dancing away until the early hours and sinking a few too many sangrias there is no better hangover cure than a cold coconut water. It’s full of electrolytes which is great for hydration and packed full of nutrients such as potassium and magnesium which can help reduce the inflammation in the body. If you’re lucky enough to be staying on an island paradise then a fresh coconut is perfect, but if that isn’t available then a carton full of non-concentrate coconut water will more than do the job leaving you refreshed and ready to face another day.

All of these tips recognise the need to enjoy yourself whilst on your holiday; the key is not to deprive yourself but to have these tricks up your sleeve so that you can get the best of both worlds. You avoid ruining all of your pre-holiday hard work and won’t face a huge repair job once you get home.

Enjoy your holiday and stay healthy!

5 things people who are getting results at the gym are doing that you need to do.

1   Taking goal setting seriously

I don’t mean turning up every day at the gym and deciding that you need to work your arms because they look flabby, or do thousands of crunches because your tummy is bloated.

No, real goal setting takes thought, process and execution. I recently listened to a motivational speech by gold medallist sprinter and ex-professional athlete Derek Redmond, he gave an insight into how he set goals for winning medals.

He used a 100 day goal setting pyramid to set overall goal, performance goals and process goals using the SMART system – each goal should be;

                     Specific – Measurable – Action based – Realistic – Time based

Going through this process allows you to sit down and really think about what you really want to get from your training, what you can actually commit to and keeps the targets short enough that you don’t get bored and lose motivation.

For an example of how the goal setting pyramid looks, check out my blog or email james@hutchisonpt.co.uk and I’ll send you the document to use.

2   Seeking expert advice

This doesn’t only mean booking in sessions with a Fitness Professional (although it’s a good option), it can mean talking to people who have achieved what you want to, booking in on fitness seminars, reading blogs from industry experts or watching fitness & nutrition webinars.

Whatever the source of expertise you seek out, it will always help you reach your goals and break those training and motivation plateaus. Remember, it’s not a sign of weakness to ask for help and I can tell you that even after 15 years in the business I am still learning every day.

3   Taking their nutrition seriously

It’s an old cliché that you can’t out train a bad diet, but I’m afraid it’s totally true – especially the older you get. Whether your goals are weight-loss, fat loss, muscle gain, performance or general health you need to have more than a basic understanding of nutrition and I don’t mean calories in vs calories out.

Do you know how much protein you need? Do you know how much carbohydrate you need for your goals? What about why fat is essential in your diet, the best sources of nutrient rich foods or how to eat pre & post workout?

Taking the time to seek out the information will empower you with the tools to fine tune your diet in a scientific way and reap the rewards in the gym as your energy levels sore, your recovery time improves and your body functions in an efficient way.

4   Training at the correct intensity

Now it’s very tempting for me to ask the question, “Are you working hard enough?” In many cases this is definitely an issue. I see loads of people in the gym getting sweatier walking up the stairs to the gym floor than they do during their workout. How do they expect to change their physiques when they refuse to get out of their comfort zone?

However, the correct intensity is dependent on your goals. For example, if your goals are to increase your muscle size and strength then going to a body pump class and doing high rep –low weight exercises isn’t going to be effective regardless whether you feel “worked out” after an hour.

Referring back to our earlier goal setting post, be specific with your goals and then you can be specific with your training and implement the appropriate intensity.

5   Having rest days

I can’t emphasise how important this is, quite simply your body needs recovery to change. Now, I’m not going to fall into the trap of claiming everyone is overtraining, as even those of us who train regularly are not anywhere near the levels of professional athletes who are pushing their bodies to the limit day in day out.

However, if you are training hard and not seeing results, then look at your rest and recovery procedure. Are you taking complete days away from the gym? Are you getting regular massage? Are you learning how to use a foam roller to break down muscle tissue? Look at your sleep patterns or even how you are eating and drinking on non-training days.

If you are looking for real results then these factors can be the difference between success and failure and let’s face it, what’s the point of breaking a sweat and feeling pain in the gym if nothing is changing?

Stay healthy!!

Nothing is achieved in your comfort zone!

If there is one thing I can guarantee, it is that as a coach or trainer nothing is achieved in your comfort zone. Let’s put your training to one side for now and look at some other things you may come across in life.

If you want to get promoted at work, you wouldn’t expect it to happen by sitting in the corner not getting noticed; you would go the extra mile, work harder and take on extra responsibility to show that you are capable of more. 

If you wanted to start a business, you wouldn’t wait around for it to happen; you’d take a risk by borrowing money or investing your savings into the project, knowing that you are going to have to be uncomfortable before you succeed.

The same is true of your training and nutrition goals – sometimes you need to suck it up and put yourself in a place that you know is going to take extra effort and preparation, is going to need sacrifices and at times is going to take some mental toughness to succeed. But if you have a goal that is intrinsically important to you, the overwhelming positive feelings that come with reaching that goal will far outweigh the temporary pain along the way.

I’ll give you an example. I am currently putting myself through a regime of training and nutrition with the goal of reducing body fat. Those who know me, or have read my articles before, will know that I am not usually bothered with aesthetic goals. However, recently I have slipped too far into my comfort zone and my training has been purely based around things that I enjoy – picking up heavy things for low reps. My nutrition has also slipped into comfort and I have allowed myself too much variety, which has ended up with me overeating for a number of months, resulting in 3kg in extra weight (not all muscle) and a general feeling of sluggishness.

To get myself back on track and firmly step out of my comfort zone, I have done the following:

• Written myself a fitness plan that includes higher volume and more conditioning work – or in lay terms: things I find difficult and don’t enjoy.
• Put myself on a regimented nutrition plan with restrictions and a process to follow. This curbs my natural enthusiasm for variety and will instil some discipline over a set time period (I am still allowing variety in what I eat, but am planning it in advance – even self-inflicted rules can provoke rebellion in me!).
• Set myself a body composition goal. This is totally different from my usual performance goals.

This of course is all personal to me and I would never suggest that my goals should be your goals, but here are a few things you could look at to help you break out of your comfort zone and revamp your training goals. 

Work harder. Are you coasting through your workouts without really breaking a sweat? If so then you need to ramp up the intensity of what you are doing and make sure you are coming out of the gym knowing that you pushed out every possible rep.

Change routine. If you have got used to doing exercises a certain way then change your routine. This doesn’t always mean completely new exercises, but could mean changing rep range, shortening rest periods or using different forms of the same move (front squats instead of back squats for example). If you like gentle cardio sessions, then try some high intensity work. If you like body building, try some calisthenics instead. The choice is yours.

Go public with your goals. Nothing makes people more uncomfortable than pressure from your peers. Tell people what you are going to achieve and put a time limit on it. Saving face is enough to make sure you achieve your goal.

Try an elimination diet. An elimination diet puts you more in touch with how you feel about food. Many people have forgotten what it’s actually like to function at 100% and do not even realise that common ailments such as fatigue, headaches, skin rashes, blocked nose, excess gas, feeling bloated – to name a few – are most likely caused by what you are eating. An elimination diet removes the most common contaminates from your diet (wheat, gluten, dairy, alcohol and processed food) over a period of 30 days and allows the body to reset and become energised naturally. It’s hard, but totally worth it!

Create some new habits. Breaking habits depletes will power and is an inefficient way of changing behaviour. Creating new habits on the other hand has been shown to be a really successful way of entering into a change cycle. Watching new TV shows; getting your news from a new media outlet; trying new foods; starting a new hobby – anything that makes you fire up some new brain activity is going to be mentally healthy for you and will enrich your life and have a positive effect on your overall motivation levels.

 I’m going to leave you with one of my favourite quotes that sums all of this up nicely:

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”

Albert Einstein

Stay healthy!

Four healthy things I have learned this month.

One of the most important parts of being a health and fitness professional is to keep yourself well-read and on top of your game. It would be quite easy to learn just enough to get me by, but after many years in an ever changing industry with new science and new methods coming into the public domain constantly, you can never stop learning.

On that note, here are four healthy things I have learned this month;

1)  How to make a tasty, savoury, gluten free bread.

I am always trying out new recipes and as someone who is a big fan of the Paleo movement and the message they promote, I often try gluten free breads. However, I find that most of them have been very sweet and almost cake like, so I was really happy to find this fantastic savoury option, which is really simple to make.

Here’s the recipe:

• 200g almonds
• 260g pumpkin seeds
• 200g brown rice flour
• 85g sunflower seeds
• 3 tbsp. psyllium husk powder
• 3 tbsp. dried mixed herbs
• 2 tbsp. chia seeds
• Salt & pepper

• Place the almonds and 175g of pumpkin seeds in a food processor and blend until a flour forms.
• Pour the flour in a large mixing bowl with all the dry ingredients and mix well.
• Add in 600ml cold water, stirring the mixture together.
• Leave the bowl to one side for about an hour to let all the water absorb into the mixture.
• Turn the dough out onto a baking tray and form into a loaf no thicker than 5-7cm tall and bake in an oven at 180 degrees centigrade for approximately 45 minutes, or until golden brown.

2.       How to make your own organic chicken liver pate.

Recently I have been made aware of the benefits of eating organ meat on a regular basis, especially livers for their superior nutritional profile. Chicken livers are packed full of protein, healthy fats, vitamin A, vitamin B12 and iron. The problem with buying shop bought pate is it is often full of rubbish ingredients and you cannot be 100% sure of the quality of the livers used – these must be organic as the liver is the chemical plant of the body, therefore if the animal has been fed rubbish then you can guarantee the liver will be rubbish.

So here is a link to a delicious organic chicken liver recipe I have tried and tested and can confirm it’s delicious.

3.       I should spend more time at the athletics track.

This is not something I have learned this month, more reminded myself of. I went for a little track session this week with a few colleagues and after 30 minutes of a mix of 400m, 300m, 200m and 100m sprints at full intensity I was more than ready for a sit down and couldn’t bring myself to jog back up the hill to work. WOW! 

I have been so focused on improving my Olympic lifting technique over the last 18 months, coupled with the fact I no longer play football on a regular basis means my sprint sessions have been few and far between. 

Sprinting is the ultimate high intensity interval training (HIIT) workout. HIIT workouts have been widely promoted for their health benefits, including fat burning, improved cardiovascular health, strength gains and time efficiency. The 4 days of DOMS I experienced after this is personal testament to how effective they are for a workout.

4.       Why sleeping naked is good for your health.

    The last thing I have learned this month is something I guess I have always known intuitively as I always sleep more soundly and comfortably this way. Now I have the evidence to back me up I can convince the other half that science is why I insist on this policy at night :-)

Stay healthy!

How a fitness enthusiast does Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching this weekend and couples are frantically booking up romantic meals for two at restaurants full of over-priced food and hitting the high street for novelty gifts and second rate boxes of chocolate. As a fitness, nutrition and lifestyle enthusiast (maybe even stretch to labelling myself as an aficionado),  I’ve always had a slightly different approach to preparing for the sexiest day of the year. So I thought I’d share my tips on how to celebrate Valentine’s Day without compromising your healthy lifestyle.

Pre-date workout

You can’t go on your date without having a workout first. It de-stresses you, clears your mind, it gets you in the zone and more than anything it makes you feel confident before putting on your evenings outfit – and we all know that CONFIDENCE = SEXINESS.

Guys, I like to call this workout “the party pump”. It’s the only time I ever purely focus on aesthetics when I’m working out, but if I don’t feel like my t-shirt has been sprayed on after this upper body blast then I haven’t worked out hard enough. Here we go:

Push-Ups X 10 – Pull-Ups X 10 – Incline Push-Ups X 10 – Parallel Bar Dips X 10

Repeat: 10 rounds followed by 100 bicep curls with a light barbell!

Ladies, I haven’t forgotten you. Getting your booty firmed up and ready to look drop dead gorgeous in a pair of slim fit jeans is a must before your date turns up. So follow this classic legs and bum blaster:

Dumbbell Lunges X 10 – Bar Squats X 10 – Hip Raises X 10 – Dumbbell Bench Step-Ups X 10

Repeat: 8 – 10 rounds followed by 100 front kicks (50 each leg) on the heavy bag.

The main meal

Let’s state this loud and clear; EATING HEALTHILY DOESN’T MEAN EATING BORING! In my opinion there is nothing more perfect for a Valentine’s meal than a good slab of grass fed protein packed beef steak (I prefer rib eye) – I mean who doesn’t find the marbling of a prime cut of steak sexy? I like my steak medium rare, seasoned with salt & pepper and accompanied by the well-known aphrodisiac and antioxidant-rich super-food asparagus (pan fried in coconut oil), and a glass of Sardinian Red wine, which is famed for its life-preserving and anti-ageing qualities.

The indulgent dessert

I mentioned earlier that there are many second rate boxes of chocolate out there, but if you or your partner are health, fitness and nutrition enthusiasts then you haven’t lived until you’ve treated yourself to some Booja Booja chocolate truffles; they are organic as well as gluten, dairy and soy free and are absolutely delicious! If the steak and asparagus hasn’t hit the spot, then these indulgent delicacies will seal the deal for you.

Post-meal mood setting

You’ve eaten some good food, you’ve drunk some good wine, maybe even sipped a few glasses of champagne and most likely sat through a light hearted Hollywood chick flick, so now it’s time to set the mood for love. So is there a better way than treating your other half to a hot detox bath?

Here’s my fool proof bath recipe that will cleanse their skin, relax their muscles and with the right essential oils, ramp up their hormone levels a notch!

Fill your bath tub with hot water adding 1 kg of magnesium rich Epsom bath salts, a small handful of bicarbonate of soda and a generous drizzle of Lady Sclareol oil (a mix of ylang ylang, geranium, rosewood, jasmine, clary, sage and sandalwood oils) which is the perfect sensual oil.

Soak in this for 20 minutes to really let the oils and salts absorb into the system and take effect. If you’re feeling particularly sensual after this bath then maybe use the oil to treat your partner to a back, neck and shoulder massage in the bedroom – careful not to use too much oil or you’ll soon be slipping off the bed.

Evening cardio

Now this is the part of the evening we’ve been working up to. You look good, you’ve shown off your culinary skills and are feeling great after a hot detox bath, now’s time to show off your skills in the bedroom as well as proving that the gym has been good for something, by opting for a more adventurous and physically demanding position from the Karma Sutra.

Here’s one for the guys to make use of that upper body party pump; Stand and deliver!

Ladies, you’ve worked on those pins and booty for hours in the gym, now it’s time to show off those strong legs with the erotic accordion.

So, to all you lovers out there, have fun and…

… Stay healthy!

10 character traits of healthy people

1. They sleep enough. 

Did you know that sleeping less than 7 hours per night makes it 3 times more likely that you’ll catch a cold? Not only that, people who don’t get enough sleep are likely to eat more due to the fact their leptin (an appetite hormone) levels fall, promoting an appetite increase. So, forget watching that late movie, get an early night and start reaping the rewards of a full night’s sleep.

2. They plan their meals.

Have you ever made the mistake of food shopping when you are hungry? That’s right; you end up with a basket full of high sugar or convenience foods that do nothing for your waistline. For some people planning meals sounds boring and time consuming, but it actually helps you make healthier choices, regulates your portion size and is great for long term health.

3.  They exercise without being told by their trainer.

Scheduling in regular sessions with a PT is the best way to make sure you have an effective exercise programme. However, the healthiest people and those who achieve the most results don’t just rely on 1 or 2 hours per week of exercise; they find time for extra gym sessions, yoga classes or go that extra mile to be as active as they can every day.

4.  They set themselves exercise goals.

For some exercise is a chore and for some exercise is something that just needs to be ticked off in the diary, but for the healthiest people there needs to be a goal. Not because they want to continuously break records, but because they understand that it makes it more exciting and gives the sessions structure and purpose, which stops them giving up.

5. They always ask questions.

Why is it that many people stop asking ‘why?’ after they leave school? If we just accept things as fact without finding out why or how, then you never really learn for yourself. Healthy people want to understand how to improve their health. They read books and newspaper articles, they ask health professionals for advice and are willing to research the latest facts on health and wellbeing.

6.  They eat fatty foods.

Fat, particularly saturated fat, has been demonised for decades as the cause of cardiovascular disease and obesity. Finally, the mainstream media are beginning to spread the word that fatty foods, such as oily fish, avocados, nuts, seeds and coconut oil, are full of the essential nutrient required for energy, regulation of hormones, and absorption of minerals and protection of the immune system. Healthy people have known this all along and live by the mantra, “fit people eat fat”.

7. They’re always trying new things.

Humans are habitual by nature; it’s an evolutionary mechanism that has helped us survive by staying safe and conserving energy. But we live in a very different environment these days and it’s much safer to break out of your comfort zone and reap the healthy rewards. Healthy people eat a variety of food; they try new activities and are always looking to seek ways of stimulating their mind to look after their mental and emotional health.

8. They drink alcohol in moderation.

There have been some studies out recently that have shown that drinking alcohol in moderation can help reduce the risk of heart attack, particularly with certain red wines (Sardinian and Sicilian), even compared against those who don’t drink. The key word though is moderation. There won’t be many reading this who don’t get drunk sometimes and that’s fine. It just has to be sometimes, not all the time, not even every week. Healthy people know how to let their hair down too; it’s just not the only way they unwind.

9. They laugh often.

According to Dr Michael Miller, a cardiologist from Maryland, laughing for 15 minutes per day has the same positive effect on blood flow and dilation of the arteries as 30 minutes of exercise – that’s not even mentioning the positive effect it has on your mood and mental health. So, if you want to keep your health on track then make sure you get your daily dose of comedy!

10.  They manage stress well.

Healthy people don’t bottle up their emotions; they seek out people to talk to or find a healthy way to channel the tension. They don’t run themselves into the ground physically; they receive regular massage, osteopathy or whatever drug-free method is needed to make sure they’re pain-free. Healthy people are aware of how environmental pollutants can adversely affect health, so eat clean food and use paraben-free beauty products. So whether your stress is emotional, physical or environmental, for a healthier life it’s important you recognise it and learn how to deal with it.

Stay healthy!!

Changing behaviour for long term health

One of the most frustrating aspects of being a Fitness professional is seeing such inconsistency in peoples training regimes and diet.  I am forever hearing next week is the week I’m going to sort my food out; on Monday I am going to stop drinking so much; after my holiday I am going to take my training more seriously etc. 

This table from Stanford University’s psychology research department makes interesting reading and can shed some light on why people seemingly find it so difficult to add an exercise or healthy diet regime to their life,  give up a bad habit or break away from self destructive behaviours that affect their overall health.

The table highlights the fact that not enough focus is on recognising or understanding how much our behaviours, therefore our lives are controlled by habits.

	Stanford University’s Top 10 mistakes in behaviour change
1	Relying on will power for long term change.
2	Attempting big leaps instead of baby steps.
3	Ignoring how environment shapes behaviour.
4	Trying to stop old behaviours rather than create new ones.
5	Blaming failure on lack of motivation.
6	Underestimating the power of triggers.
7	Believing that information leads to action.
8	Focusing on abstract goals more than concentrating on concrete behaviours.
9	Seeking at the outset to change the behaviour forever.
10	Believing that behaviour change is always difficult.

It is human nature to think that we are all in control of our lives and all of decisions and behaviours are completely rational and all of the choices we make are conscious.  The truth is that they are not; our brains may only make up 2% of our body-weight but they consume 20% of our energy resources. In fact, it has been shown that willpower behaves like a muscle in the sense that it burns more energy and can get tired when overused.  Which suggests that it’s natural for the brain to want to conserve energy; running on auto-pilot is a good example of this. 

Our lives are run by habits, so when it comes to changing your diet, or committing to an exercise regime or giving up drinking or smoking it is no wonder so many fail at the first hurdle as they are battling against environmental triggers that they don’t know exist.  The good news is there is something you can do to help; learn new behaviours and create new brain connections!

Professor Ben Fletcher, Head of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire has spent his career researching this field and has overwhelming evidence that shows that when people try new things their mind is opened to change.  This in turn has a positive effect on breaking habits, losing weight and making sustainable long term changes. 

Remember, Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome. So, try making some positive changes in your life and do something different today!

How to eat well on a budget

The old adage, “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse,” has become a sad reality for many Brits recently and we are currently experiencing the fallout of the so called “Horsemeat” scandal.  For many health and fitness professionals like myself it has been an extremely interesting news story, one which both disgusts me but also allows me to feel slightly vindicated as I openly speak out against processed food on a daily basis to my clients.  The fact the food industry has been caught red handed in lying to consumers over the content of its products is no surprise to me and my colleagues, but it gives me the perfect opportunity to present a positive counter argument to something that I hear time and time again; “I can’t afford to eat good food”.

First of all I want to set out my stall; I am not naive in thinking that in today’s financial climate has not affected many individuals and families on low incomes, and I am certainly not arrogant in thinking I can give parenting advice.   I do know if many of us change the way we think about food we can improve our diets (and those of our families) and do this on a budget that suits your circumstances.

The recent news scandal has highlighted that processed food cannot be trusted;  in fact I was told by reliable source that someone is needed to literally count the animals going in and out of these meat processing plants due to the corrupt nature of the business.   For those who do not know, processed food is food that has been pre-prepared and will have instructions to either be re-heated or to be cooked from frozen.  Apart from the ambiguous meat sources, these food types are also packed with sugar, salt, artificial flavouring, fillers and sweeteners. As a general rule of thumb, if the ingredients list is longer than a few items avoid it.

Buying what we in the industry called “whole foods” and cooking from scratch is the ideal solution to make sure that you are getting good quality, healthy and nutritious meals on a regular basis.  This is usually where the phrases “organic” and “free range” pop up and on the whole I would recommend buying as much of these products as you can, but first of all; What are they and what do the terms mean?

Organic Food

According to the soil association organic food is, “... food which is produced using environmentally and animal friendly farming methods on organic farms.”  The problem with a definition like this is it is still quite ambiguous in its meaning, especially as different countries have different organic regulation.  But to put it in lay terms, Organic food will not be grown using industrial chemicals to aid the growing process, it will not be genetically modified and organic meats/poultry will not be fed with non-organic animal feed. 

Free Range

Free range food doesn’t mean Organic, what it means is that the animal in question would have been living in conditions that allow it to roam around and forage for food naturally.  In the case of chickens for example; this means they will not be kept it battery farm conditions (artificial light, nowhere to move or flap their wings).  Why is this important? If an animal cannot move around its muscles and connective tissue cannot develop correctly, which means a terrible quality of animal is produced.  The food industry has tried to get around this by using hormones to help their animals grow and by injecting water into meat to make it look more succulent, but this is purely for aesthetics to help them sell a bad product with low nutritional value.  So just think, if your diet is mainly made up of this poor quality produce, then how are you supposed to get energy and essential nutrients from it?

Below I have put together a list of common ingredients, different levels of quality and their prices.  It makes worrying reading.  The Organic Supermarket produce is over 300% more expensive than the Supermarket Value brands, which is terrible as it does price out a lot of hard working families.  But the mid range brand, which includes free range eggs, chicken and organic milk is not that different to the value brands, so is definitely affordable, especially if unnecessary products such as sweets, crisps, biscuits, cakes, alcohol and frozen food are taken off the shopping list.

Table of common Ingredients

	Supermarket Value Brand	Mid Range Brand	Organic Supermarket
Wholemeal loaf of bread (800g)	£0.90	£1.50	£3.78
Dozen Eggs	£2.18	£2.65 (free range)	£4.38
4 Pints of Milk	£1.29	£1.79 (organic)	£4.30
Whole Chicken	£4.00	£5.50 (free range)	£17.32*
Total	£8.37	£11.44	£29.78

* Available for delivery in London only, which has affected the price on this delivery service

My advice for people who wish to improve the ingredients quality of their shopping list, but cannot afford to buy at organic supermarkets (that’s most of us) is to make up your shopping list with a mix of ingredients from your supermarket (look for the better quality produce such as free range and organic), local green grocers and when possible your local butcher.  If you are unable to buy organic vegetables the make sure your scrub them well before cooking, a tip would be to use apple cider vinegar to scrub them before rinsing in cold water (this removes any pesticides).

Another piece of essential advice is to change the way we look at our diets.  Why do we need to eat animal produce every day?  You can get essential protein from combining cheaper vegetable protein sources; for example a homemade daal (lentil curry) with brown rice and vegetables can provide all of the essential amino acids to make a wholesome protein rich, vitamin rich and energy rich meal that can feed a family at a fraction of the price of a meat based meal.

If you do want to use meats and fish then look at traditional working class dishes from home and abroad to make your meals go further; Stews, curry, paella, tagine, Bolognese, stir fry’s etc. All these dishes use whole food ingredients with some meat, but can be made in bulk portions to feed a family on a budget or to feed an individual for multiple days.

To sum up, it is not impossible to eat well whatever budget you are on, just make sure you shop smart and buy your ingredients whole.  It’s really easy to blame others for the state of your health, but taking some responsibility and cooking more will not only improve your health but the quality of your life and those around you.

Stay healthy!

For more information and recipe ideas email James directly to arrange a consultation james@hutchisonpt.co.uk