Too busy to sweat?

Let's be honest. These days everyone is busy. Our lives are choc-a-block full of work, family, extracurricular activities, social occasions, study and whatever else we fill our time with. Add pre-christmas festivities to an already over burdened schedule and somethings gotta give...usually it's the stuff that is keeping us alive...EXERCISE!

So what can you do during this crazy time to keep the exercise in your schedule but still manage to do all the other stuff that needs to be done?

• Reduce the time, increase the intensity.  By reducing the amount of time we exercise to about 30 minutes, it is much easier to fit into our schedule.  However with a reduction in time, we need to up the ante and work a bit harder.  This doesn't mean just sitting on the bike, reading a magazine!  Give some intervals a try.  Whether it be running, bike riding, swimming, power walking or rowing a great session is: Warm up for 5 minutes.  Then perform 1 minute effort, followed by 1 minute recovery.  Repeat this 10 times.  Cool down 5 minutes.  Stretch.  The 1 minute efforts need to be at your best possible effort.  Give it a try...it will be worth it!
• Get the sweating out of the way early.  During spring and summer time, the mornings are glorious.  It's peaceful and a great time to fit in some exercise before the craziness of the day kicks in.  By getting your sweating out the way earlier you will be much more likely to stick to it...and feel a hell of a lot better for doing so!
• Break up your sessions into 10 minute blocks.  If you still find that you are squeezed for time, find 3 x 10 minute blocks in your day and get moving!  These sessions should be of high intensity so you are huffing and puffing by the end of it.  Some people I know use the stairs in their work building or apartment block as their 10 minute burst.

I figure if our ex Prime Minister Johnny Howard (a pretty busy person!) can fit in his exercise everyday (remember the really unattractive green tracksuit?!) then surely we can manage our 30 minutes a day....even during the busiest time of year!

Let your health shine!
Rhiannon

To Detox or not to Detox? That is the question...

Following on from my last blog about spring cleaning your diet, it got me thinking about the popularity of Detox.  There are many products in the market available at your local supermarket or chemist and even online.  But the question is, should we?  I’m not a fan of the detox in a box, coupled with a diet of  2 weeks of deprivation.  If we are really honest the torture of the 2 weeks of eating nothing just causes us to binge on day 15!!

Detox does have its place in a healthy lifestyle and in my opinion a gentle healthy detox between seasons is a good way to transition between different eating habits and a time to take stock of any bad habits that have been formed.  Spring is the perfect time to commence a gentle detox  as we relinquish our hold on the heavy, comfort eating of winter and retrain our palate to enjoy the delicious , healthy and light spring and summer fare.  There are several ways to detox and if you are serious about doing it, I have a guided 4 week program available.  However, making just a few changes can have a positive impact.

• Start the day with a glass of warm water and squeeze of ¼ - ½ lemon.
• Give up coffee, tea, soft drink, cordial for a few weeks. Green tea, Rooibos and other herbal teas allowed.
• Drink minimum of 2 litres of water a day. When you are exercising try to drink an extra 500ml. Gotta flush away all those toxins.
• Give up alcohol for a month (yes really!).  At the very least ensure you have 5 alcohol free days each week and no binge drinking on the other two nights.
• Give up the white flour products and discover how good you will feel without the fluctuating blood sugar levels.
• Embrace your inner domestic goddess and get cooking in the kitchen with lots of fresh produce – fruit, vegetables, salads, fish, nuts and seeds, legumes.
• Eat at least one salad every day
• Eat at least 2 pieces of fruit every day.

With a simple plan in place, a detox need not be complicated or over the top.   It can be a great way to help you boost your energy levels and get you back on track if you have let your healthier habits slide.

Michelle Skidmore
Food Therapy
http://www.foodtherapy.com.au/
0413 378 250
"Good nutrition is the basis of good health"