A week in Food

Here are a few of the things I have been eating over the last week and foods that I regularly eat. Feel free to steal any ideas, they are all very easy to make!

 Tuna Salad - Tuna, Lettuce, Tomato, Cucumber, Celery, Beetroot, Hunk of Mature Cheese and Balsamic Dressing

 

Roast Chicken - With Roast Vegetables- Carrots, Sweet potato, Onion and Courgette in spices- Cumin, Paprika and Thyme

Roast Chicken with Sweet Potatouille- See earlier Blog for recipe

Beef Salad- Salad as above with Hunks of Beef

Chicken Curry- Leftover roast chicken, courgette, cabbage, onion, ginger, tin of tomatoes, tomato paste, tumeric, garam massala, cayenne pepper, cumin, s+p.

Breakfast- Bacon, Poached eggs, grilled tomato, mushrooms in butter/thyme and garlic.

 

Pork- Pan fried pork, with brocolli and Mushrooms/Cabbage/Onion and Garlic cooked in pork juice with white wine vinegar and s+p

Eat well : )

Anti-Office Mobility

Why on Earth Do I need to Improve my  Hip and Lower Body Mobility?

Well, lots of reasons. But having mobile hips will essentially  reduce the amount of pressure placed on the knees and back.  The majority of people sit down everyday in their normal jobs and this can cause the muscles of the hips to tighten up and the glute muscles to become weak and inactive. This is caused by the the 90 degree leg position when sitting down that causes the hip flexors to continuously contract. In return the antagonistic (or opposite) muscles which are the glutes relax. This is why I recommend using a standing work station where possible-

Standing work station to reduce back/hip pain

For the lower limb muscles to work effectively (ie  to provide full power output, speed and create efficient angles) they need to work around a full range of motion and this means mobile joints. In other words, to maximise power and speed you need to improve and maintain joint mobility.

There are hundreds and hundreds of stretching and rolling techniques that you can use to improve mobility but here are a few that Ive been using recently and are recommended by http://www.defrancostraining.com/

1.Foam Roll the IT band (outside of thigh) -10-20 rolls - focus on tight spots
2. Foam Roll the adductors (inner thigh)-10-20 rolls- pay attention to tight areas
3.Glute/piriformis myofascial release (bum roll) - 1 minute each bum - feel the pain and repeat
4.Fire hydrant circles- 10 in each direction and each leg
5.Mountain Climbers - 20 repetitions
6. Hip Flexor Stretch- 30 seconds hold each side

For more detail about each of the stretches - http://www.defrancostraining.com/ask_joe/archives/ask_joe_08-10-03.html

The only bit of equipment you need to perform all of these stretches is a tennis ball (as you can use a tennis ball instead of a foam roller).

Perform this routine 5-7 times a week which won't take much time out of your day and will improve your lower body mobility and how you move by leaps and bounds!

Home Workout of the day

Here is an easy to follow workout you can perform at home with no equipment and will take you no longer than 15-20 minutes. Improve your fitness, strength and your ability to move your body naturally.

Warm up - walk up and down the stairs for 2-3 minutes until feeling warm
                - perform a few leg and arm swings to stretch the muscles


Main

Squats (get low, to make it harder add some weight- tin of beans?)
Press ups  (on your knees is an easier version)
Burpees  (squat thrust into a jump, an easier version is to perform it using a chair)

Repetitions- 10, 9 , 8, 7, 6, 5 , 4, 3, 2, 1 .

Go through the circuit performing the required reps, 10 then 9 etc.. rest only when needed. Try and improve your time.

Stretch/Mobility

If you sit alot throughout the day perform these streches aswell- they will help to improve your lower body mobility and ease pain in these areas.

http://www.defrancostraining.com/ask_joe/archives/ask_joe_08-10-03.html

Bodyweight Squat

Plank

Enjoy!

Inspirational

I read this quote in a book that i'm currently reading and it sparked some inspiration within me. It just shows, you dont have to put up with your current cirumstances, get up and take action!

'' For the last 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself:''If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?'' And whenever the answer has been  ''No'' for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something...almost everything- all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarassment or failure-these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.''

-Steve Jobs, 2005.

My Miniature guide on how to lose weight and keep it off for the rest of your life.

Weightwatchers, lighter life, low fat, fitness gurus, the NHS and the government tell you all sorts of conflicting information.  Your told to count points, count calories, eat low fat ready meals, 'healthy chocolate snacks', eat less fat and eat less! You're told different types of information with no real backing to why and this only leads to confuse you and in the long run to give up all together.  What if losing weight was more simple! It is..

The only real long term solution to weight loss and health is to eat the foods that we are meant to eat and have been eating since we were full time cave dwellers.  Packet and convenience food is only a recent invention and is quite clearly linked to society's dramatic increase in obesity. So what do we eat and what do we avoid?

Try to mimic what Mr Caveman used to eat: Meat, Fish ,Nuts, Seeds, Vegetables and some fruit. It is as simple as that! No low fat diets or midday hunger pangs, just eat healthy, fresh and clean foods. Eat FAT! Having a few bits of dodgy modern food now again really wont set you back as long as you don't eat it day in day out!

To maximise health and your fat loss potential you also want to avoid certain foods: Refined/ processed and packaged foods. In particular sugar, wheat products, excessive dairy and alcohol. Eating these foods can elevate insulin to high levels and cause you to store more fat.

Thats it! No 10 page essay or weekly weigh ins, just focus on eating clean and you will not only lose excess weight but keep it off for life!

Paul
Personal Trainer and Weight Loss Consultant

www.paulraynerfitness.co.uk

Lemon and thyme Roast Chicken with Sweet Potatouille

Roast Chicken

Place a half a chopped onion, 3 garlic cloves, 1 bay leaf thyme s+p on a baking tray.
Stuff a pricked lemon inside the whole chicken- place on top of onions
Rub a small amount of olive oil over chicken and season with s+p
Place in a pre-heated oven - 180 degrees, and cook as per instructions.

Sweet Potatouille

Fry half an onion in a large pan, add 1 clove of garlic, 1/2 chopped-cubed sweet potato, a few chopped mushrooms, 1/2 a chopped red pepper (+ any other veg you fancy). Cook until soft.
Pour in 1 tin of tomatoes, 400ml of veg stock, 1tbsp of tomato paste, sprinkle of thyme, few tbsp of red wine vinegar.

When chicken is ready-take out of pan and leave to rest under some foil and a tea towel
Add the roasted onions+bay leaf and some of the thick meat juices (not the greasy fat) to the sweet potatouille mix.

season to taste- serve and enjoy : )

Fajita Frittata

Im a regular reader of Mark's Daily Apple, as not only does he talk sense on exercise and nutrition, he also posts some of the best Paleo-esque recipes around.

Here's one I havn't tried yet, but as soon as I do I'll post it!

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/fajita-frittata-with-avocado-salsa/#axzz1jv3up9Uk