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Spring Diet Tips

Make dieting easier with helpful tips from our blog. WellBeing Pro…. Weight Loss and More

Spring is well and truly here. The sunshine seems to provide extra motivation to get in shape fro the summer. Here you will find a few tips to make the most out of the season and achieve the results you are after.

 

Turn off the TV and head outdoors. There simply are no excuses to be stuck indoors watching TV and eating junk food. Go for a walk or even better, a run. Don’t forget the water bottle. The warm weather will make it taste so much more refreshing.

 

Invest in a BBQ grill. Flame grilled food is not only healthier than fried, but it will also taste better without adding calorie rich sauces.  Barbecues are also great for socialising. Just remember to minimise or cut out completely the alcohol consumption.

 

Stick to seasonal fruit and vegetables. Visit local markets for fresh produce which is healthy and full of goodness. Research has shown that “fresh” fruit and veg from abroad loses most of its nutrients by the time it has reached the shelves. Local produce on the other hand will not have this issue and should also be cheaper.

 

Eat more lean meats and fish. Lean meats such as chicken and turkey are rich in protein and low in fat making them perfect for most diets. Fish is also rich in protein as well as Omega-3 fatty acids which lower your risk of heart disease mainly by lowering triglycerides and countering inflammation. Focus on oily fish such as mackerel, trout and salmon for the highest Omega-3 content.

 

Stay away from the kitchen after dinner. As the days get longer, temptation gets greater to have a snack after dinner. Try to avoid this by reading a book, going for a walk or socialising. Ideally no food should be consumed later than 2 hours before going to bed.

 

Drink plenty of water. With the weather getting warmer there is a greater risk of dehydration. Top up the fluid intake regularly during the day. We recommend having a glass of water immediately after waking up, before each meal, before and during a workout and before bed. This will boost the metabolism as well as keep you refreshed and help with detox.

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Power training or light exercise?

Find out which training method better suits what you are trying to achieve. Explore our blog….

It all depends on what you are trying to achieve. Power training is designed to increase muscle mass and generally individuals doing this will gain some weight in muscle, fat or a combination of both. Light exercise is mainly used to maintain weight as well as add muscle definition.

 

Important points when engaging in power training:

Eat well. Several high protein meals must be consumed throughout the day. It is also important to have a meal 2-3 hours before training to allow time for the food to be properly digested and energy needed to be released. A typical pre workout meal would consist of a high protein meat such as chicken or turkey and complex carbohydrates such as vegetables and potato.

Heavy weights and low reps. In order to build muscle in a reasonably short period of time, it is essential that heavy weight sets and short breaks are applied. Typically sets of 10-12 on maximum resistance coupled with breaks of 30-60 seconds.

Allow time to repair. Training sessions must be alternated between different muscle groups to allow time for muscles to repair. Power training will result in muscles being literally ripped and a couple of days are needed for the repair to take effect.  A good protein supplement coupled with creatine and BCAAs will help speed up the recovery process.

 

Light exercise points:

Persistence is key. Although generally low intensity, light exercise sessions typically last a lot longer than power training. In order for maximum results to be achieved, regular sessions of over 1 hour are needed.

Cardio is king. Cardio sessions up the heart rate and increase temperature thus burning more calories and fat. They are particularly effective for problem areas such as around the stomach and thighs.

Eat healthy. All the exercise in the world will not get you anywhere if you have a poor diet. Try eating more lean meats and vegetables and cut down on breads, pasta, sweets, ready meals and desserts.

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Health benefits of running

Running is not only a great way to get in shape but it will also strengthen many parts of the body as well as lifting the mood thus boosting happiness. Just 5 sessions of 30 minutes a week can make a huge difference. Below are just a few of the ways running can help you lead a healthier life.

LOSE WEIGHT

Running will increase body temperature which causes hundreds of extra calories to be burned more effectively. Studies have shown that calories continue burning even after stopping. Covering big distances at a relatively fast pace will help shift fat from stubborn areas such as stomach and thighs making abs and glutes seem more defined.

IMPROVE OVERALL HEALTH

Running can have tremendous benefits on health. It can boost the immune system, lower the risk of blood clots, improve lung and heart performance, lower cholesterol, etc. Contrary to some inaccurate reports, running will actually strengthen joints and improve knee health. In addition to this, running increases bone mass helping avoid fractures and osteoporosis.

BE HAPPIER

Whenever you feel down, anxious or stressed out, put on some running shoes and you will notice that just after a few minutes you will feel better. This is also known as a “runner’s high” and is caused by the release of endorphins from running. It is known to create a feeling of euphoria and well being.

REDUCE THE RISK OF DISEASE

Several studies have shown that running can help prevent certain cancers and several diseases such as multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. Running can also dramatically reduce the risk of having a stroke or a heart attack.

LIVE LONGER

As with other physical activities, running can add several years to one’s life. A recent study showed that individuals added an average of 3.5 years to their lives. Running can also improve brain function and helps defeat age-related mental decline.  It was also shown to prevent or slow down the progress of Alzheimer’s and dementia.

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Why eating dark chocolate is good for you

Eating moderate amounts of dark chocolate may positively affect your health and well being…

It is Easter time and we all enjoy indulging ourselves. Lucky for us, dark chocolate is the food to do just that without all the negative effect of other sweet foods. It sounds like a dieters nightmare but eating moderate amounts of dark chocolate (minimum 85% cocoa) will actually positively affect your health.

Dark chocolate contains flavanols such as Theobromine which make arteries produce Nitric Oxide that helps improve blood flow to the heart and reduce the calcification of arteries thus lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of blood clots and other cardiovascular diseases.

Dark chocolate contains Phenylalanine which encourages the release of endorphins creating feelings of happiness. It can also improve cognitive function by increasing the blood flow to the brain. Dark chocolate also contains small amounts of caffeine which has been shown to help with concentration and energy levels making you feel more alert and focused.

Dark chocolate is packed with anti oxidants. Anti oxidants help combat free radicals which are reactive molecules in our bodies that cause damage to surrounding cells. It is believed that free radicals may cause certain cancers and speed up the ageing process. Eating dark chocolate may slow down ageing as well as reduce the risk of cancer.

Dark chocolate is rich in vitamins and minerals. It contains high concentrations of Potassium, Magnesium, Iron, Copper and Manganese. It is also an excellent source of fiber which makes it great for the digestive system and feeling full thus assisting weight loss efforts.

It should be noted that dark chocolate also contains plenty of calories and sugar therefore it is best to keep to one bar a week for maximum benefits.

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Tips to help your weight loss diet

Find out how to boost your weight loss efforts when dieting just isn’t enough. Read more…

Our weight loss supplements can markedly increase your metabolic rate. However, the only permanent way to increase your metabolism so you burn more calories is to decrease fat content in your body and increase the proportion of muscle. Every pound of muscle added to the body burns an additional 35 to 50 calories per day.

Power training or even light weight bearing exercise is essential to muscle gain, which over time will help strip away fat by burning extra calories.

Other tried and tested methods include:

Chewing gum – On a recent study it was discovered that chewing a sugar free gum during the day can increase the daily energy consumption resulting in a weight drop of around 10 lbs over one year. For even better results try a 5-HTP gum which will help keep the serotonin levels boosted and experience well being while the caloric intake is reduced.

Eating spicy foods – Hot dishes such as curries will temporarily increase the body temperature and make the heart beat faster. The results are increased metabolism and sweating which will both contribute towards weight loss. Taking supplements containing chilli or pepper extracts will provide similar effects.

Drinking green tea – There have been several studies on the effect of green tea for weight loss. In experiments, a green tea extract taken with caffeine appeared to raise thermogenesis (the rate at which calories are burned off as heat) whereas caffeine alone didn’t have the same effects. The researchers believe a substance called catechin in green tea may be what causes the positive effect.

Eating little and often – Splitting the total daily calorie intake into 5 smaller meals may help burn more calories than eating 3 bigger meals. Every time we eat, the digestion process uses energy. Repeating this process 5 times a day rather than 3  will result in more calories being burned. An important point to note is that the total calorie intake must be the same for regardless of how many meals are consumed.

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How will Green Coffee accelerate weight loss?

It’s being hailed as a revolutionary weight-loss product that can melt pounds without the need for diet or exercise.

It’s no coincidence green coffee bean extract surged in popularity since being mentioned on The Dr. Oz Show. After being scrutinised by critics for calling green coffee bean extract a “miracle” product, Dr. Mehmet Oz conducted his own experiment on the supplement. Using 100 female volunteers, Oz said he found women who took the extract lost an average of two pounds in two weeks. Women who took a placebo lost an average of one pound during those two weeks.

What is it?

Green coffee beans are ones that haven’t been roasted. Green coffee beans are rich in chlorogenic acid, which studies claim slows the release of glucose into the body after a meal, thereby promoting weight loss. When coffee beans are roasted, most of the chlorogenic acid is lost. The unroasted extract with chlorogenic acid, is converted into a capsule form before being sold as a weight loss supplement.

The claims

Just type “green coffee bean extract” into an Internet search and you’ll be bombarded with companies advertising its ability to help you lose weight. Most of these products are unregulated and contain little to no chlorogenic acid. Our Green Coffee contains a genuine 20% chlorogenic acid as well as a helping of Green Tea which has been studied extensively for promoting weight loss.

A particular study, published in the journal Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity, was conducted on eight men and eight women. They were each given a high dose and a low dose of green coffee bean extract, as well as a placebo, in three separate six-week-long experiments. Participants were provided a similar number of calories each day during the course of the experiment.

After 22 weeks, or about five months, the researchers found that, on average, participants lost more than 17 pounds.

The catch

Although results have been very positive, studies have shown that taking Green Coffee or indeed any other supplements will not work unless a change in diet and lifestyle is made. There simply are no magic pills that will melt fat without any effort. Granted there are prescription weight loss pills that will make you lose weight. These however come with many side effects and once a course is finished, you are almost guaranteed to pile the pounds back on.