Friday 9 November 2012

The Great Calorie Debate


You want to lose weight?

Just cut your calories right?

Or burn a few more in the gym??

This started off as a simple conversation in the studio earlier this week and soon turned in to a pretty heated debate! So we thought we’d share our view on why all calories aren't created equally and how your body is just too smart to fall for this simple trick!...

In theory the calories in vs calories out debate works but the reality is your body is far too intelligent for this to work as a long term weight loss solution and there are a number of considerations you need to be aware of as to why following this simple equation won’t get you the results you desire.

The truth is your body is an amazing control centre that is monitoring and regulating constantly therefore the fewer calories you consume, the fewer calories your body burns.

There are around 3500 calories in a pound of fat. So if your goal is to lose 1 pound of fat per week simple maths tells us that if you simply reduce your calorie intake by 500 calories per day you’ll lose one pound of fat per week and you can just keep doing this until you hit your desired weight. Simple 
yes??

Well, NO

You’ll probably find that you lose a pound in the first week but less and less in subsequent weeks as your body adapts to this change and starts to literally run cooler to conserve the lower amount of calories you are now consuming – effectively increasing the value of each calorie!

It’s a tough job to outsmart the human body!

Here’s the even worse news...

The long term damage of this approach is that your body has now effectively lowered its Basal Metabolic rate – the amount energy expended daily at rest.

So, when you go back to your normal eating habits you easily put on the weight you’ve lost AND more!

This is the reason why most calorie restrictive diets don’t work as a long term solution and why most people go back to weight watchers time and time again.

My other problem with calorie counting is that All Calories Are Not Created Equally!

Simply put some of the things we eat are just not food! They are “food like substances!”



                                                  Real food or GOOD CALORIES, are those that supply energy to the body in an effective and efficient manner. They ensure that all of our bodily processes like hormone production, muscle growth and organ function develop and perform in the way that they should.

BAD CALORIES are those that stimulate excessive insulin levels (which is the real cause of fat storage and will be properly discussed in another blog post) they offer very little to the body except for fat accumulation and poor health.

So what do you do?

Here are a few simple tricks:

Don’t fall for marketing tricks! No matter how “Low Cal” it may be, if your body cannot use it, digest it and function optimally from consuming it your causing harm to your health and adding to that growing waist line!

Eat real food.

Our simple philosophy at All About You is that if it’s lived or come out of the ground it will benefit your body and you can pretty much eat as much as you like of these foods!

We are now offering nutrition and lifestyle consultations at the studio. If you like the sound of this and want to find out more, CONTACT US for more information.


Sunday 7 October 2012

Why haven’t you tried Pilates yet?


Joseph Pilates first introduced his concept to the world in 1910! Any exercise routine that is still getting amazing results over 100 years later must have something about it!! Our Pilates programme is really taking off at the studio now and if you’re wondering how it can help you here are a few reasons why we think you should give it a try...

It’s not just for your abs.
Pilates stretches and challenges every muscle allowing you to tone, strengthen and firm those tough to reach parts!

It’s great for stress relief
Pilates allows you to feel calmer, sleep better and be more relaxed. It improves your immune system and also lowers your blood pressure.

Pilates reduces the risk of injury
The movements involved in Pilates work every muscle group creating greater core strength and thereby reducing injury in other sports and day to day activities.


It improves you posture
Good posture doesn’t just make you look taller and slimmer, 
it will prevent neck pain, back pain, it allows for improved 
movement and also reduces referred pain throughout the body.

It improves your breathing

Joseph Pilates once said “Inefficient breathing lies at the root of poor health.” An inability to use oxygen sufficiently places unnecessary stress on the body and not being able to properly expel carbon dioxide creates an acidic environment in which disease and ill health thrive.

It’s not just for girls!
It appears that women are more aware for the benefits of Pilates, but guys, I have to tell you, you’re missing out...  Although our core training beliefs at All About You are very similar to those of Pilates we all still certainly feel the affects of one of Antonia or Blanca’s classes!

So what are you waiting for?
We now have seven mat classes per week, 10 small group reformer sessions each week as well as numerous one to one sessions at the studio in Highgate. You can view our class time table HERE or CONTACT US to arrange a free trial.

“In 10 sessions you will feel the difference, in 20 sessions you will see the difference and in 30 sessions you will have a whole new body” Joseph Pilates

Saturday 6 October 2012

Not another fad diet?!!


Everyday we are faced with so many ideas and opinions on the best way to lose weight, get into amazing shape and feel great. As fitness professional my team and I are questioned by our clients constantly about diet X or workout plan Y.

I believe it is our job to dig into all of the confusing and conflicting advice and to provide a simple approach that our clients can easily adhere to!

At All About You we keep things simple. We don’t like fad diets and quick fix solutions we believe in eating clean and moving in the right way and then moving more!

The simple facts that we promote to enjoy a healthy life are:

1.       Move more
2.       Drink more water
3.       Eat more vegetables
4.       Keep starchy carbs to a minimum
5.       Always chose real foods over supplements.
6.       The biggest one of all for me... Avoid Sugar whenever possible!

Simply put, Fat doesn’t make you fat sugar does!




Take a look a this great video which perfectly explains the role that sugar plays in not only making us fat but seriously stressing the pancreas and affecting the regulation of insulin and leptin – the hormone that tells our brain when we’ve had too much to eat!

Sugar is added to so much food and we are constantly lied to by marketers about how healthy for us their products are. Low fat alternatives or 99% fat free products are generally full of sugar. We need more information like this to make us all aware of what sugar actually does to our bodies

Sunday 12 August 2012

Ten Things We Loved About The Olympics


What an amazing two weeks! From the spectacular opening ceremony to the amazing performances at some incredible venues across London over 10,000 athletes from 204 countries have come together to deliver the greatest show on earth.

The nation has been gripped, nothing else has happened in the world as far as the news reporters are concerned. The world has come to visit London over the past two weeks and the doubters will be disappointed to hear that we could still drive quite easily around the North Circular, Our public transport system rose to the challenge and we put on an absolutely amazing show.

Here are some of the things we loved about London 2012...

           1. We Were Good.

29 Gold Medals, 17 silvers and 19 bronze, third in the medal table behind the power houses of China and USA means that this was the best performance at an Olympic Games since 1948 with some amazing performances from the incredible Team GB.

            2.  We were REALLY good!!

It has to be said again! The fact that it was a home games obviously made London 2012 special but the way in which it surpassed all expectations was incredible. Athletes across all disciplines produced spectacular performance after spectacular performance.

From the opening gold on day four from the rowing pair of Helen Glover and Heather Stanning to the brilliance of Bradley Wiggins later that afternoon, to the incredible forth consecutive games gold of Ben Ainslea’s Olympic career to the unbelievable 45 minute gold spree in the Olympic stadium on the middle Saturday from Jessica Ennis, Greg Rutherford and Mo Farrah and Sir Chris Hoy, Victoria Pendleton and Laura Trott in the veledrome to name but a few, our athletes have shown incredible ability, courage and passion to perform for their country.

3. Londoner’s are Happy!

It’s been a strange feeling to see happy faces around London, we’re not used to being friendly, but the games has erased the negativity, raised spirits and delivered a sense of pride and given us something amazing to get excited about and talking to strangers about!!



4.  An Introduction To New Sports.

I didn’t realise how exciting the Canoe Slalom was, how mad the BMX can be, how watchable the synchronised swimming is and how enthralling the Taekwondo could be?! We may have been newbies to a number of sports but if we won a medal in it we were huge fans.

5.       We Inspired A Generation.

It was the message of the games and the performances have done just that. The foundations have been laid for future generations to follow in the footsteps of our 2012 heroes. 

Young boys with their stick on Wiggo sideburns are out on their bikes, girls are in training for their Jess Ennis washboard abs and the platform is their to improve the health and wellbeing of a sedentary generation and inspire them to achieve great things in competitive sport.

6.       Who Cares About Footballers?

After another pathetic tournament performance for our England football team earlier this summer it was so refreshing to see real athletes give everything to achieve their dream. Team GB football couldn’t make it past the quarter final stage but was anyone that interested? While the pampered premier league players were heading home in their Aston Martins the real winners – the ones that had sacrificed everything and given up their families to follow their dream were getting the credit they deserved. 

Athletes like women’s boxer Nicola Adams who virtually had to beg her local community to support her Olympic hopes. I know the sell out crowds at Wembley and Old Trafford bring in the cash to the I.O.C and that’s the main reason they are really at the games, but should they be?

7.       Competitive Sport is OK!

It’s not the winning, it’s the taking part.... What a load of rubbish. London 2012 has been such a success because Team GB has been so competitive. We understand that we want all kids to experience sport and have fun but we believe that we HAVE to install an element of competition into school sports. 

As well as the sense of achievement it can bring, some of the best lessons we can learn as kids are through sport. How to succeed, how to deal with failure as well as discipline, confidence and leadership . David Cameron has announced over the weekend that he wants to bring back competitive sport into schools, let’s hope this leads to us becoming a major force at EVERY Olympic Games.

8.       Positivity and a Sense of Pride.

What a difference a fortnight can make. The economic crisis is far from our minds, even the sun has come out to lift our spirits further as the games has made us proud of our athletes and put a smile on our faces.

9.       It’s Been Great For Business!

An added bonus for us as everyone now wants to exercise! Our Class Studio and Personal Training Business have been inundated with enquiries in what is traditionally the quietest time of the year for us!

10.   The Best is Yet To Come...

The fact that everyone wants to be a part of the 2012 games has led to a huge demand for tickets for the Paralympic Games. The real heroes that defy their injuries and disabilities to push their body to the limits.


We will be watching!

Tuesday 10 July 2012

50 Ways To Keep Up With 50 Shades...


The book that everyone is talking about – the story by E. L. James is the first book in the series which recounts the deepening relationship between a college graduate and a young businessman Christian Grey.
In the book, Anastasia Steele is required to sign a contract that allows Grey to have complete control of her life which included fulfilling any desires Grey had in the bedroom.
So we decided to do our bit and help the guys out there with their performance in the bedroom and give you our 50 ways to keep up with 50 shades...

Now we’re not claiming to be Casa Nova’s in the bedroom (we let the ladies talk about that!) The idea of this article is to give you some quick and simple ideas to prevent your performance from being a quick and simple one ;-)

So let’s get to work...

 

  1.     Exercise – The answer to all of life’s problems! Move more to look better, feel better, be better and perform better! But what form of exercise should you do?

  2.       Strength training is top of the list. A strong body is sexy, masculine and enables you do to more than with an average physique.



  3.       Core Training – All movements begin from the core it’s the foundation upon which everything in your body depends. A strong core = a strong body.

  4.       Strengthen the Glutes – There’s nothing worse than whipping of underwear to reveal a saggy behind. We spend so much of our lives sat down that most people have no activation through their glutes causing pain, dysfunction and not a pretty site. Check out our simple Glute exercises to create those buns of steel!

  5.       Cardiovascular fitness – Don’t be a two minute wonder! Whilst your lover does want to hear you panting and heavy breathing, she doesn’t want a heart attack on her hands! Improve your cardiovascular fitness and be a marathon man between the sheets.

  6.       Balance – essential for performance and one of the first things to decline due to aging! Combined with all of the other elements of health and fitness detailed here good balance will provide you with a greater repertoire of moves in the bedroom!

  7.       Agility – This isn’t just a category at Crufts dog show; Agility is the ability to change the direction of the body in an efficient and effective manner, essential for great bedroom fitness!

  8.       Good Flexibility. We may want some things to be stiff, but not everything! Short tight muscles give the appearance of a muscular physique, but long lean muscles actually function in a more effective way.

  9.       Walk. A forgotten movement in the modern world. Why walk when you can take the car? Why climb stairs when you can take the lift or the escalator? We sit on our arse all day at work and get home and lay on the sofa all night. Get out there, move! Improve your cardiovascular system, relax your mind, get some fresh air and de-stress. 


Carrying on from this point, the biggest killer for most guys’ performance in the sack is the silent killer – Stress!

  10.    Don’t let stress get in the way of a good erection! The torment in your head is the biggest cause of distress down below!

  11.   Learn to breathe! READ THIS



  12.   Meditate. I was fortunate enough to meet Simon Frost  around the time I opened my first business in Highgate. Simon calls himself a soul coach and basically promotes positivity. He emphasises the fact that a lot of us live our lives either through our conditioning of the Past or fear of the future. Life doesn’t have to be this way we can and should enjoy every moment for what it is, (especially true in the bedroom!) stop worrying about what has happened or what may happen and enjoy now.

Meditation teaches you to slow things down look at your situation from a different perspective and gives you a focus to make the right decisions going forwards.

  13.   Massage. Whether it’s for remedial or sexual purposes the power of touch cannot be emphasised more. 

  14.   Go on holiday! We live in a world where work pressures dictate that we work longer hours, take less time off and even when we are away we’re contactable at any time! We let our work dictate our life and mould our personality, we spend more and more time at our desks and less and less time doing what we really love doing and being with who we really love spending time with. Do yourself a favour, book some time off, get plenty of sun san sea and the other and.....

  15.   Get away for the weekend. You don’t have to take a two week vacation to unwind, a dirty weekend is enough to get you out of the routine and living more.

  16.   Switch off the mobile

  17.   Your Lap top

  18.   Your Facebook, Twitter and Linked In accounts and...

  19.   Forget about work

When you get back to work keep some of the holiday habits going...

  20.   Schedule breaks into your day. Get out for a walk, go to the gym or just switch off for ten minutes. It’s proven that we are much more productive when working in 90 minute blocks. Stop being busy and start being more productive.
  
  21.   Take a siesta. OK this might be a difficult one to run past your boss but a nap in the afternoon is amazing for recharging and looking after your body – and even better if you can fit in a bit of afternoon delight at the same time! ;-)

  22.   Failing that take a power nap. Twenty minutes is enough to recharge the batteries and get you back to full function.

  23.   Sleep more.  – This article may be all about other activities in the bedroom but when you’re not on the job get some good quality sleep – 7-8 hours every night is essential for relaxation, repair and rejuvenation.



Eat your way sexy...



Everything that you put into your body brings about a physical and hormonal response. Your energy levels, your mood and your libido are all affected by the food, drink and supplements you put into your body. Need a boost?

Supplements:

  24.   L-Arginine: An amino acid which is used by the body to make a substance that relaxes the blood vessels which is shown to enhance sexual performance in men AND women.

  25.   Ginseng: The natural way to get Mr Floppy hard again!


  26.    Maca Root : A herbaceous plant native to the high Andes of Peru. clinical trials performed in men have shown that maca extracts can heighten libido and improve semen quality.

  27.   Zinc: A lack of dietary zinc in men is shown to be related with a decrease in serum testosterone.

  28.   Horny Goat Weed—appropriately nicknamed, this natural herb supports healthy sexual activity. It is also shown to regulate the stress hormone, cortisol levels.

  29.   Eat plenty of nuts and seeds like pumpkin seeds,

  30.   Brazil nuts and

  31.   Almonds which are all rich in the amino acid arginine, which is shown to boost levels of blood to the genitals, making them natural Viagra.

Food:

  32.    Oysters, the richest source of zinc, nourish the prostate gland and boost testosterone production.

  33.   Chocolate: The nutrient phenethylamine found in chocolate is shown to enhance mood and is the chemical we produce in our brains when we fall in love, the higher the cocoa content of the chocolate the better the effect, so stick to 60-70 per cent cocoa.

  34.   Apparently the smell of food gets us guys more in the mood! The aroma of pizza, popcorn and strawberries work best according to The Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago as they evoke the security and pleasure of childhood. So there you are girls, we really don’t ever grow up!


  35.   Alcohol also boosts endorphins, the pleasure hormones that help to release tension and inhibitions as well as increasing testosterone levels.  Just not too much though eh?!

  36.   Make the meal a romantic occasion. Apparently any dish can be erotic when enjoyed with sensual pleasure, according to Dr Michel Odent, the author of The Scientification of Love. We all need substantial bursts of the "love hormone" oxytocin to get sexually aroused – and that's less likely to happen if his body is fizzing with stress hormones.

  37.   Eat slower. Physically enjoying food quickens production of this pulsating hormone.

A similar response is also initiated with
  38.   Dim lights (a great idea if their not the best looking!)
  39.    Listen to soft background music.


  40.   Give up the cigarettes: The plain and simple facts are that men who smoke have a significantly increased risk of experiencing erectile dysfunction and the more you smoke the bigger the risk.


  41.   Be Confident! The brain is said to be the biggest sex organ – so if you feel good you're more likely to get sexually aroused, and vice versa.

  42.   Live in the moment. A sudden inability to get an erection is most likely to have a psychological background in a man: often caused by anxiety or loss of confidence as a result of divorce, bereavement, redundancy or a similar life event.

  43.   Be Positive. A negative thinker see’s a difficulty in every opportunity. A positive thinker sees an opportunity in every difficulty.

  44.    What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Let go of previous relationships. It didn’t work for whatever reason; don’t let them hold you back from a new amazing one.

  45.   Get Scared. If it scares you it’s probably going to challenge you. Be adventurous, take a risk, and don’t be afraid of failing, its only going to make you stronger.

  46.   Plan your day. If you don’t take control of your day someone else will. If you don’t make time for that special person in your life someone else will!!

  47.   Plan your life. If you sit around waiting for things to happen, waiting for the right person to come along, waiting to be happy, you’re wasting your life. Get out there make shit happen and have fun! “Failing to plan is planning to fail!

  48.   Communicate. Let others know what you want and find out what they want. The most ridiculous thing about the modern world is that we’ve never had more ways to communicate with one another and yet we’ve forgotten about the basics of speaking to people.

  49.   Listen. You’ve got two ears and one mouth for a reason.

  50.   Be yourself. If you can’t love yourself, how do you expect someone else to love you? Whilst writing this I started to wonder what others might think of it when they read it and then thought – who cares! I think it’s topical, its what I believe in and it’s a bit of fun. If you think its rubbish or you take offence SO WHAT?!!


Diaphragmatic Breathing



The diaphragm is the most efficient muscle of breathing. It is a large, dome-shaped muscle located at the base of the lungs. Your abdominal muscles help move the diaphragm and give you more power to empty your lungs. But faulty breathing patterns may prevent the diaphragm from working effectively.

When this happens air often becomes trapped in the lungs, pushing down on the diaphragm. The neck and chest muscles must then assume an increased share of the work of breathing. This can leave the diaphragm weakened and flattened, causing it to work less efficiently.
Diaphragmatic breathing is intended to help you use the diaphragm correctly while breathing to:

      Strengthen the diaphragm
      Decrease the work of breathing by slowing your breathing rate
      Use less effort and energy to breathe

Diaphragmatic breathing technique
1. Lie on your back on a flat surface or in bed, with your knees bent and your head supported. You can use a pillow under your knees to support your legs. Place one hand on your upper chest and the other just below your rib cage. This will allow you to feel your diaphragm move as you breathe.

2. Breathe in slowly through your nose so that your stomach moves out against your hand. The hand on your chest should remain still.


3. As you exhale let you stomach fall back towards the spine. Start by counting an in breath for 3 seconds and out breath for 3 seconds.

                           
When you first learn the diaphragmatic breathing technique, it may be easier for you to follow the instructions lying down, as shown. As you gain more practice, you can try the diaphragmatic breathing technique while sitting in a chair, as shown below.

To perform this exercise while sitting in a chair:

1. Sit comfortably, with your knees bent and your shoulders, head and neck relaxed.

2. Place one hand on your upper chest and the other just below your rib cage. This will allow you to feel your diaphragm move as you breathe.

3. As you exhale, gently bring the abdominals back towards the spine. The hand on your upper chest should remain still.

Note: You may notice an increased effort will be needed to use the diaphragm correctly. At first, you'll probably get tired while doing this exercise. But keep at it, because with continued practice, diaphragmatic breathing will become easy and automatic.
How often should I practice this exercise?
At first, practice this exercise 5-10 minutes before you go to bed. Gradually increase the amount of time you spend doing this exercise, to 3-4 x per day.

Wednesday 27 June 2012

Lazy Muscles!


·         Technological advances, improved transportation and seated working conditions mean many of us are living sedentary lifestyles.

·          Sitting for prolonged periods of time forces some of the muscles in your body to become weak and lazy.

·         Dysfunctional muscles negatively affect your posture and result in pain/injury.

Below is a simple exercise to perform daily to help ‘switch on’ your lazy muscles and help keep you functionally sound. 

BRUSHING TEETH WHILST STANDING ON ONE LEG






 A single leg balance is a great Multi Joint & Proprioceptively-enriched exercise!

It will help to maintain the alignment and strength of your pelvis, knees and ankles!

Brushing your teeth is essential to avoid bad breath!

Combine the 2 and you’re on to a winner!! Good times!!