Ox y g en australia issue 91 mayjune 2017

30+ PAGE DIET & DETOX SPECIAL: YOUR PERFECT 7-DAY MEAL PLAN

May / June 2017

NEW-LOO K I SSU E

TORCH FAT FAST /// SCULPT A ROCK-SOLID PHYSIQUE /// NUTRITION MADE SIMPLE

STRONG & LEAN Get a Next Level Physique With Lauren Simpson

THE BEST SCIENCEBACKED DIETING ADVICE Injury-Proof Your Body

Expert Tips to Nix Pain Now

Build Your Best Body

What, When & How to Eat to Fuel Your Muscle

18 Improve your performance

6 Supplements to Build Muscle, Burn Fat & Fight Ageing MAY/JUNE 2017

No. 91

ISSN 1838-2517 ISSN

771838 251001 000104 > 99 771838

01 08

OXYGENMAG.COM.AU

contents May/June 2017

features

34

Unstoppable

Fitness Star Lauren Simpson gets personal about why being an authentic fitness role model is top of her list.

40

34

Bust plateaus with powerhouse pyramids

Build your best body with one (or both) of these tried-and-true training protocols.

44

Total Body Toning

Give this all over Total Body Toning workout a try, you’ll be glad you did!

50

Alleviate those aches

With the right movements, you can recover from (or even prevent) common training injuries.

54

Detox your Diet

We give you the good, the bad and the ugly of detox diets.

58

Your Best Diet Advice, Ever!

64

Your Perfect Week

The latest research on how to eat for maximal health and a lean physique.

This comprehensive meal plan tells you exactly what to eat for a week.

Issue 91

ISSN 1838-2517 ISSN

771838 251001 000104 > 99 771838

4

01 08

On the cover: Lauren Simpson Cover photo

by Dallas Olsen Cover design

by Lee Martin Hair and makeup

by Jen Steyn Clothing

by Muscle Republic

May/Jun 2017

72

on the cover 19 26 34 58 64 72

18-minute fat blast Improve your performance

80

Get strong and lean with Lauren Simpson

No More Fad Dieting

Forget the quick fix and remember instead these four steps!

The best science-backed dieting advice Your perfect 7-day meal plan Build your best body

Feed the Machine

Dialling in your precise intake of protein, carbohydrates and fat is a necessity if you want to look and feel your best.

94

Diet Trend or Trap?

Oxygen sets the record straight once and for all.

oxygenmag.com.au

Add asparagus to your meal plan with our easy preparation ideas.

19 15

INHALE Let Oxygen be your personal trainer.

16 By the Numbers

20 Form and Function Go beyond the standard push-up to give your pectoral muscles a good workout.

22 Mobility

Stats and facts about fitness.

Stretch your muscles in new ways with partner assisted PNF moves.

move

23 Burn

If you don’t have all the 18 The Latest latest high end gym Up-to-date news in the equipment, these simple world of exercise physiology. swaps are for you.

19 Fast Fitness

Try this 18-minute TRX workout to blast your back and core.

fuel 24 Research Says

We feed your need to know what to eat.

27 25 Eat Smart

120 Success Stories

Quick bites of nutrition news.

Amanda Humphries.

126 How She Fuels

26 Replenish

Shannah ejoys meeting goals as well as helping others meet theirs.

A look at six supplements that can help you achieve your goals.

fit factor

27 One Food, Five Ways Delicious ways to get the most out of asparagus.

122 Future of Fitness We hear from the rising stars in fitness.

thrive

boost

29 Mind & Body

What to do when you don’t feel like working out.

128 Supplements

A look at some of the latest products.

30 Health

The latest research on the benefits of staying fit.

130

spotlight

15

109 Pro Athlete Feature Alicia Gowans the WBFF Pro on her way to LA.

115

EXHALE

transform

116 Competitor Features

Nicky Jacobson and Bec Giuliani.

INSPIRE

Let Oxygen be your inspiration.

in every issue

6

editor's letter

8

contributors

10

fit feed

12

challenge update

oxygenmagAU

May/Jun 2017

5

Editor's Note

Find your perfect anti-diet!

MY 12 WEEK BODY SOLUTION

Y D LINLSEN O

LINDY OLSEN’S

WEEK 12 BODY SOLUTION

Everything you need to kick-start your results is right here - a 12 week phased nutrition and training plan to help take the guess work out of taking the steps towards getting you started on your journey to a healthier, happier you!

✔ 12 Week phased meal plan ✔ 12 Week phased training plan ✔ Recipes ✔ BONUS no equipment, no excuses workout

$69.95

SIMPLE

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*Statistics Brain | **Study by Dr Melinda Craike, Victoria University | ^Make Your Switch

✔ Over 150 page eBook

WWW

21.4 per cent pledged to lose weight or eat healthier this year (the top resolution for 2017).* 72 per cent of the female dieters had never been overweight.* 40 per cent of teenage girls are either on, or believe they should be on, a diet.** 97 per cent of dieters are as big or bigger one year after starting a diet.* 44 per cent of the women worry about their weight or body image, and only 7 per cent are concerned about their health.^ 38 per cent are willing to sacrifice their mental health through extreme dieting if it meant they could achieve their ideal weight.^

Studies are showing that dieting actually makes you larger long-term, messes with your mental health, and contributes to poor body image.

As many of you already know, eating healthy food and exercising on a daily basis is the best way to stay happy and healthy long-term. But how the heck do we know what ‘healthy’ eating is all about, and how can we enjoy our foods while also maintaining a lean, healthy, fit body?

There are so many approaches out there, including clean eating, flexible dieting, intuitive eating, and more. Some people find tracking macros works for them, whereas some find it drives them crazy and even contributes to their obsessive habits.

Your friend may love intuitive eating, another may preach flexible dieting, but the best ‘diet’ for you is the one that is not a diet and is instead a lifestyle ‘choice’ that actually works for you.

This issue we explore many different ‘diets’ to help you find a way of eating that will work for you long-term. The idea is to feel like you’re not even on a diet at all and just to live and love life, every day.

Eating what you enjoy without feeling guilty, shameful, or ‘naughty’ while also remaining fit and healthy is a great goal to focus on. To enjoy healthy foods because they make you feel great and energised rather than to eat them because that’s what you should do or out of sufferance is crucial to your long-term success, health, and overall happiness.

Modern-day living has really messed with so many people’s relationships with food. It tells us to associate good or bad thoughts with certain foods, and for my girls who compete, it can turn you off chicken breast and broccoli for life!

It’s important to find a way of eating that works for you. I sure did, and I follow my 7 Rules every day, and I stay happy, healthy and fit, and enjoy all the foods I love. Go out and find your ideal way of eating and be fabulous!

Food is one of life’s joys, so it’s time everyone started truly enjoying it!

Uprig ht

But not everyone realises this just yet. Just take a look at these statistics:

These are some scary numbers!

TARGET Row deltoid MUSCLE S: Late and

diet, and thank goodness for that! With more and more people realising that crash diets and crazy fads don’t do anything but make you more miserable and larger long-term, thankfully, many are resorting to a healthy and fit lifestyle to keep them in shape and healthy year-round.

ral trap Set-u eziu p: Get s. into an holdi ng a uprig set of direc dumbbell ht position, tly exten in front of s the thigh or a barb ded. s, arms ell Actio n: uprig Keeping the ht and uppe core weig r body tight ht upwa , bring out to rds, the side flaring the the arms of the elbow hit a body s 90-de shou lder. Paus gree angle until the down e with and slowl y. Repe then lowe the r back at.

2

017 is the year of the anti-

GET RID OF THE GUESSWORK AND SEE RESULTS WITH

www.lindyfitness.com

Earn 2 Velocity Points per $1 spent on your Jetts membership * Chat to a Jetts Team Member or visit jetts.com.au/velocity to get started today.

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* Conditions apply and are available at jetts.com.au. To earn and redeem Velocity Points, you must be a Velocity member. Velocity membership and Points earn are subject to the Member Terms and Conditions available at velocityfrequentflyer.com as amended from time to time.

Editor in Chief Lindy Olsen Editorial Assistant Ildiko Browning Copy Chief Renee Rogowski Special Projects Editor Lauren Moran

Fashion and function combine to keep you stylishly active through pregnancy, nursing and beyond

Art Creative Director Lee Martin Chief Photographer Dallas Olsen Photographers Charlie Suriano, Cory Sorensen, Dallas Olsen, Robert Reiff Contributors Amelia Ricci, Danielle Appi, Greg Dolman, Kelly Rennie, Lisa Lee, Lara McGlashan, Lesley Maxwell, Talia Cecchele, Matt Legge, Belinda Potter, Mark Robinson, Jemma O'Hanlon, Cathleen Heffernan, Michael Berg, Todd Bumgardner, Erin Calderone, Paul Duarte, Matthew Kadey, Jerry Kindela, Susan M. Kleiner, Peter Lueders, Linda Melone, Virginia Pelley, Shoshana Pritzker, Elisabetta Rogiani, Jessie R. Shafer, Eric Velazquez, Joe Wuebben, Allison Young Workout Equipment Supplied By: Cyberfit, Gym & Fitness, SMAI Advertising Enquiries Advertising Manager Aleaysha Burney advertising@challengermediagroup.com Advertising Manager Chanelle O’Hare sales@challengermediagroup.com Editorial Enquiries editorial@challengermediagroup.com Subscription and Reader Services Australia and New Zealand subscribe@challengermediagroup.com PO Box 199 Runaway Bay QLD 4216 Phone: 07 5574 5560 AU 6 issues $49.95, 12 issues $90.00 NZ 6 issues $59.95 Overseas 6 issues $99.00 Oxygen Magazine Australia and New Zealand is published by

www.mummactiv.com

PO Box 199 Runaway Bay QLD 4216 Telephone 07 5574 5560 Published and distributed under licence from Cruz Bay Publishing Inc., 300 Continental Blvd, Suite 650, El Segundo, California, 90245, United States of America. www.aimmedia.com

Oxygen Magazine Australia and New Zealand is printed bimonthly in Australia © 2017 by Challenger Media Group Pty Ltd. All rights reserved.

Production in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited. The information in Oxygen Magazine Australia and New Zealand is for educational purposes only. It's not intended to replace the advice or attention of health care professionals. Consult with your physician before making changes in your diet, supplementation and/or exercise program. Oxygen Magazine Australia and New Zealand, Unit 2, 4 Reichert Drive, Molendinar Qld 4214. Ph: 07 5574 5560. Published under licence by Cruz Bay Publishing Inc. Oxygen Magazine Australia and New Zealand (ISSN 1838-2517) is published six times per year. The publisher, editors and staff will not be responsible for unsolicited material. The acceptance of advertising does not necessarily imply endorsement of services or products. Manuscripts and photographs must be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed return envelope. This issue printed in Australia by Blue Star Web Pty Ltd © 2017 by Challenger Media Group Pty Ltd. All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced, either in whole or part, in any form without written permission from the publisher.

oxygenmag.com.au

Do

lman

Greg is an executive master trainer whose certifications include Certificates III and IV in Fitness, and Punchfit accredited boxing and kickboxing Padmaster instructor. Greg is also a BodyTune specialist and helps clients master the body–mind connection. He is the head judge with Australian Natural Bodybuilding (ANB) of Victoria and co-presents various workshops.

Read Greg’s article on page 78

Ame l

Amelia is a personal trainer, Pilates instructor and yoga teacher with 20 years’ experience.

Her qualifications include personal training and group fitness accreditation and Master of Business and Bachelor of Business degrees. As a two-time fitness model champion, Amelia educates and inspires women to achieve their best body ever. Connect with her on Instagram @livingbeautyamelia or via her website www.livingbeauty.com.au Read Amelia’s article on page 68

Mat t

Matt is a research scientist and naturopath with more than 20 years’ experience in disease diagnosis, performance enhancement, and formulation. He is a co-founder of the awardwinning nutraceutical company ATP Science and co-hosts The ATP Project — a healthfocused podcast consistently ranked in the top 10 Fitness & Nutrition podcasts in the world.

Matt is sought-after for his ability to break down complex hormone and energy pathway problems in the body and create solutions that work.

Read Matt’s article on page 54

Ricci ia gg Le

e Belin

Potter da

Kelly nn Re ie

Dan i

el pp le A i

Kelly is an international coach, fitness model, author of The Fit Mummy Manual and creator of the No.1 Busy Mum Program. She is a mother to two gorgeous girls and aims to empower mums across the world with her holistic approach to life, mindset and health. Connect with her at www.busymumfitness.com Read Kelly’s article on page 92

Danielle was the 2014 Oxygen Cover Girl Competition winner and is a current Oxygen ambassador. She is a wife and mother of two tween girls, runs her own boot camp business, and is a personal trainer, group fitness instructor and nutrition coach. Danielle is most passionate about helping other women understand their own worth and true value.

You can find her at www.bodyworkspt.com.au or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ BodyworksPersonalTraining Read Danielle’s article on page 84

Mark (Health Man Mark) is an Accredited Practising Dietitian, World Champion fitness model, and co-owner of Team 360Health. He has degrees in nutrition and dietetics, exercise science, and psychological science. To contact Mark, email mark@team360health.com.au or visit www.team360health.com.au Read Mark's article on page 80

y

Flirtatious and fun-loving, Lesley redefines what it means to be over fifty and fabulous.

A mother of three, Lesley has more than 20 body sculpting titles to her name. She is an Oxygen ambassador and cover girl.

You can connect with Lesley at www.lesleymaxwell.com Read Lesley’s article on page 76

binson Ro

Lesle

Belinda holds a BEd and MEd in Adult Education, is a Cert IV qualified Personal Trainer, Level 1 Precision Nutrition Coach, ITN Transformational Nutrition Coach, former national Figure champion and current ambassador for the Body Image Movement. Belinda teaches her own flavour of intuitive eating at www.facebook.com/realwomeneat Read Belinda’s article on page 86

Maxwell

Contributors

Greg

Mar k

oxygenmagAU

May/Jun 2017

9

Fit Feed

oxygenmag.com.au Lauren Simpson: QUICK SHOTS

From being diagnosed with cancer at only one year of age to fitness and health inspiration, Lauren is as real as they come (and we love her for that!). Don’t miss this very special feature on one of Australia’s most-loved fitness influencers.

CAN’T GET ENOUGH OXYGEN?

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter and have workouts and nutrition tips sent directly to your inbox.

LET’S GET SOCIAL: Post, pin, tag and tweet us. We want to connect with you online!

Lauren's tummy scar

KEEP IN TOUCH Tell us what you like about this issue and let us know what we can do better. Tag us in your posts @oxygenmagau and you could be featured here!

Powerhouse pyramids

Now that you’ve mastered the individual moves (page 40), put your new skills to the test with our Oxygenexclusive 20-minute workout designed to clear your head and perfect your posture. follow us on twitter @oxygenmagau join us on facebook @oxygenmagau hashtag us on instagram #oxygenmagau or #iamoxygen visit us online oxygenmag.com.au or yourtube.com/oxygenmagazineau visit us on pinterest /oxygenmagau email us editorial@oxygenmag.com.au

10

May/Jun 2017

oxygenmag.com.au

We See You

#OXYGEN EXHALE

What is your fitness inspiration? Whether it’s your favourite workout, a run through the neighbourhood or your yoga mat, we want to see what inspires you.

Share it with us on Instagram or tweet us using the hashtag #IAMOXYGEN or #OXYGENMAGAU and your photo could be featured in an upcoming issue of Oxygen!

1. @tammy_baines Fitness goals used to be about how I wanted to look ... not so much how I wanted to FEEL! Not anymore!

9. @train_like_a_girl Beach Circuit, here we go!

6. @fitblondemum I'M BACK!

10. @renata.benigno #strongandsexy with #allyourheart

7. @alilee82 Yeah baby... Last week I couldn't get 120 more than halfway up without losing grip! Today, 120 kilos x 3

2. @tarynpolovin Another day, another handstand prep!

3. @missv_63 This is just one of many amazing shots from my photo shoot

8. @becs_fit No makeup selfie... I used to not leave the house without makeup. Now thanks to a few special mentors who I look up to and have brought out my confidence, @melissa_leman @lindyolsen @emilyskyefit @aliciagowans_wbffpro I feel like I am good enough even when I don't have a mask on.

4. @kurvylicious Today's playlist: Bootylicious + Squats & Booty + Booty Bounce + Booty Wurk

2

5. @marli_louise Take me back there!

11. @bethadair13 Congrats to all of the #nycmarathoners this year!

12. @_krissy.k Memories from my first ever shoot with the amazing @dallasolsen68 @oxygenmagau

4

3

8

1

6 5

7 11

9 10

12

Now on oxygenmag.com

Go to our website for up-to-the-minute news on health and fitness, plus we post new workouts, moves, and recipes every day! Here’s a small taste of what we have in cyberspace in May and June. oxygenmagAU

May/Jun 2017

11

12 Week Challenge Proudly brought to you by

OXYGEN 12 WEEK

What they 1. GEORGETTE W #teamrachel

1

“Being part of a team where we can share our wins and defeats with each other is so inspiring; I am so excited to see everyone's progress.”

2. KATIE M #teamrachel

"I have seen more change in my body in the last few weeks than I have in a year. I feel empowered and motivated as I am seeing a happier and healthier version of myself shining through."

3. DONNA A #teamrachel “This

challenge is exactly what I needed to get back on the right track. I am loving the meal plans and find them easy to prepare and stick to, the workouts are great. Week three has been the best week yet! I am feeling fantastic!!”

4. AMANDA B #teamrachel

2

3

“I'm really loving this program because the food is so easy to stick to and it's helping me get back in control by not binge eating.”

5. REBECCA R #teamrachel

4

12

May/Jun 2017

5

“The Oxygen challenge came at just the right time, I've been training for around 12 mths and trying to stick to some type of healthy eating plan but found it really hard to stay motivated and be consistent and found myself about ready to quit!!!

oxygenmag.com.au

UPDATE

CHALLENGE UPDATE

're saying 1. SARAH H #teamhattie

“I'm finding this is the first challenge I'm sticking to. I'm loving the exercises even though it's tough! I really do find having the #teamhattie Facebook group motivating.”

1

2. MELANIE D #teamhattie

“Loving the challenge; the amount of food is great and the exercise program is challenging. Just loving it all round.”

3. KYRIA M #teamhattie

“I am enjoying the challenge. I have lost two kilos and although there isn't a very noticeable change for me visually, I do feel more confident, I have better posture, and more energy."

4. CARINA G #teamhattie

The best part about this challenge so far is meeting so many amazing women who share like-minded interests who are supportive and have created a positive space to share ideas, thoughts, wins and struggles.

I love #teamhattie xx”

2

3

4

5

PARTNERS

5. ASHLEY O #teamhattie

"I have been feeling really great since starting and getting into the challenge with Hattie!

WOW! My body has changed a lot... loving the challenge so far and can't wait to see what the end result is at the 12 week mark!"

oxygenmagAU

May/Jun 2017

13

inhale

LET OXYGEN BE YOUR PERSONAL TRAINER

BY THE NUMBERS MOVE FUEL THRIVE

16 18 24 29

LET’S GO! A killer workout is a great way to improve your mood.

Try one of the routines on the following pages for a boost in mind and body.

oxygenmagAU

May/Jun 2017

15

By The Numbers

World Health Day was on April 7, so we rounded up a few facts about what the average person is putting into their body.

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT! SUGAR

59 kilos

Amount of sugar the average American consumes every year.

SALT 9 out of 10

Number of Americans who consume too much salt

5,500 milligrams The amount of salt the average Australian consumes in a day

1,600 milligrams

1,610

The amount of salt recommended by The Heart Foundation for ideal heart health

65

PER CENT

Amount of salt that comes from supermarket foods

25

PER CENT

Amount of salt that comes from restaurant meals

kilos

The amount of sugar the average American consumes in an entire lifetime.

6 teaspoons The amount of sugar per day the World Health Organisation recommends

14 teaspoons The amount of sugar most Australians actually consume in a day

SUGAR

Sugar is the largest source of calories in the USA today. With all the sugar-rich foods on the market, the rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease are reaching unprecedented levels. In addition, eating a diet packed with sugar is linked to a number of abnormal brain functions, including poor memory and cognitive activities.

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OBESITY

$58 BILLION The cost of obesity in Australia

64 PER CENT

Number of Australian adults who are overweight or obese

23 PER CENT

Number of Australian children and adolescents who are overweight or obese oxygenmag.com.au

Model: Model: Sami Sami Rose Rose

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Move THE LATEST

By Lara McGlashan, MFA, CPT

MOVE OF THE MONTH

It’s time to turn the push-up on its head — literally. “This Pilates pike push-up helps strengthen the upper body and core while stretching the spine and lengthening the backs of your legs,” says Liz Hilliard, creator and co-owner of Hilliard Studio Method in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Motivate from within With every new year, people vow to make a habit of exercise. But as the novelty of a fresh start wears off, motivation lags. However, new research indicates that a conditioned cue (such as your alarm clock) plus an intrinsic, or inner, reward should get you going.

To help support your intrinsic motivation, formulate a positive affirmation.

New research from the University of Freiburg’s Department of Sport Science in Germany found that when people believed they would benefit from the activity they were doing, they enjoyed it more, it improved their mood, and it reduced their overall level of anxiety.

Try one of these mood-altering affirmations to boost motivation: • With this workout, I move one step closer to my goal.

• I love to train [insert body part], and with each rep, I get stronger.

• Today, I will test my limits and prove my inner and outer strength.

• In only one short hour, I will feel lighter, happier and more energised.

Save your mitochondria

Anyone who has taken a biology class probably remembers a little about mitochondria — the powerhouses of the body. These organelles reside within your cells and convert carbohydrates and fatty acids into ATP (energy) to power your activities and bodily functions. The majority of mitochondria are found in your muscle tissue, and in true use-it-or-lose-it fashion, if you are

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May/Jun 2017

sedentary, your mitochondrial population and function decreases, leading to cellular ageing, the onset of age-related diseases and muscle wasting. Regular exercise helps increase and replicate our mitochondria, improving endurance, energy and metabolic efficiency.

That said, there are a couple of ways to optimise your mitochondrial health and beat Father Time while you’re at it:

Do two to three high-intensity interval training workouts per week. HIIT has been shown in several studies to promote the growth and function of mitochondria.

Foam-roll regularly. Massaging your muscles releases PGC-1a, a protein that fuels mitochondrial growth.

Get plenty of sleep. Sleep deprivation triggers inflammation, which can damage mitochondria and render them less efficient.

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Photos by Peter Lueders / Model: Tawny Macias / Pants: Skins / Top: Wear It to Heart

HOW-TO

Get into plank position with your head, hips and heels in-line. Lift your hips toward the sky and walk your hands toward your feet. When your torso is nearly vertical, place your hands wider than your shoulders and come up on to your toes, shifting your weight more into your hands, and focus on your toes to keep your head neutral. From here, bend your elbows and slowly lower your head toward the floor, as far as you can, then press back up to the start. Do three sets of eight to 10 reps.

Move FAST FITNESS

By Todd Bumgardner, MS, CSCS

18

Posture perfect

Photos by Peter Lueders /Model: Darlene Salvador / Shoes: Nike Flywire / Pants: Beyond Yoga / Top: Lucy

minute workout: TRX back and core

Blast your back and core with this express TRX workout.

S

itting, slouching, texting —

all these modern-day postural annihilators come with a price: inactive abs, tight hips, stiff necks and rounded shoulders. Fortunately, this posture-perfect TRX suspension workout can straighten you out.

These moves target the upper back and core — two regions paramount for maintaining good posture — while deftly counteracting the negative effects of sitting.

These functional superstars also create long, lean muscle in your abs and back, building optimal shape and the intrinsic strength that leads to healthier joints, improved exercise longevity and sustained results.

After a dynamic warm-up, perform each move for 30 seconds at a moderate to high intensity. Rest 30 seconds between moves and go through the routine three to four times.

Exercise

Work-Rest TRX Strap (seconds) Length

Pull-Up

30:30

Shortened all the way up

Face Pull

30:30

Shortened all the way up

Side Plank

30:30 (each side)

Midshin level

Mountain Climber

30:30

Midshin level

Note: Do the moves in the order suggested above to minimise equipment adjustments and save time.

1

2

3

4

1. PULL-UP

Hang directly underneath the anchor so your spine is vertical with the straps, arms extended. Place your feet flat on the floor, knees bent.

Drive your elbows down and back to pull yourself up, using your legs to assist, if needed.

Lower slowly to the start and repeat right away.

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2. FACE PULL

Stand and lean away from the TRX, walking your feet out until your body is at an angle to the floor; the more horizontal you are, the more challenging the move becomes. Pull the handles toward your ears, driving your elbows out and back so that at peak contraction, they make 90-degree angles beside your head. Slowly return to the start.

3. SIDE PLANK

Set the TRX to midshin and place a foot in each cradle. Turn on to your side with your top foot slightly in front of your bottom, and place your elbow underneath your shoulder on the floor. Lift your hips to align with your head and heels.

Hold and breathe.

4. MOUNTAIN CLIMBER

Get into plank position with your feet in the cradles.

Lift your hips to align with your head and heels and press through your palms to stabilise your shoulders. Keep your hips low as you alternately drive your knees toward your elbows, maintaining a brisk pace.

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19

Move

The chest

Because this move uses dumbbells, it works your arms unilaterally, ensuring balance between your two halves.

FLAT-BENCH DUMBBELL CHEST PRESS

Consistent chest training can give a finished, full look to your pecs, creating upper-body symmetry and carving definition between your shoulders and chest, making your delts appear rounder and fuller.

Lie on a flat bench with your back arching naturally. You should be able to slide a hand easily underneath your lumbar spine.

Place your feet flat on the floor to create hip stability and total-body tension, better enabling you to generate power from the floor through your core to your arms and chest.

Pull your shoulder blades together underneath you for stability and increased power. This position also slightly lifts your sternum, helping focus the work on to the

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May/Jun 2017

chest rather than the shoulders and arms.

Hold a set of dumbbells straight up over your chest so your arms are perpendicular to the floor. If they angle toward your head or feet, you’ll lose power and control.

Squeeze the dumbbells with your hands as if trying to crush them. This helps create tension in your arms, promoting stability.

As you bend your elbows to lower the weights, keep your wrists stacked over your elbows and your forearms perpendicular to the floor. In this position, the weights will naturally move away from one another as you lower them until your elbows make 90-degree angles or the inner heads of the dumbbells graze your shoulders.

Inhale and hold your breath to create intra-abdominal pressure and stabilise your spine, then extend your arms force-

fully, simultaneously driving down into the floor with your heels and squeezing your glutes to produce more vertical drive.

The inner dumbbell heads should touch or nearly touch at the top. Do not slam the weights together.

SAMPLE CHEST WORKOUT FOR STRENGTH Exercise

Sets

Push-up complex

3

12 (change hand position every 2 reps)

Flat-bench dumbbell press

4

10, 8, 6, 4

Barbell incline bench press

3

12, 10, 8

Low-pulley cable flye

3

15

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Reps

Photos by Ian Spanier / Hair & Makeup: Nancy J / Model: Carolyn Hasley / Sports Bra: Lululemon / Pants: Elisabetta Rogiani / Shoes: Nike

Having well-developed pectoral muscles is important not only for physical symmetry and balance, but also for proper function of your arms and shoulders. These two moves can help you develop both.

FORM & FUNCTION

By Lara McGlashan, MFA, CPT

TRX PUSH-UP

Your pectoral muscles attach your humerus to your body and work in concert with your anterior deltoids to move your arms laterally, vertically and/or rotationally, making them key players in sports as well as everyday overhead actions such as drying your hair. They also stabilise your shoulder blades, protracting and rotating them as your arms move through space.

This TRX move takes push-ups to a whole new level, adding elements of balance, stability and — above all — control to challenge your chest in all directions.

optimal muscular recruitment while preventing injury.

Set the TRX loops to knee-height or below, depending on your ability. (The more vertical your body angle, the easier the move.)

Extend your arms forcefully, but not explosively, to rise to the start; you don’t want to swing around on the TRX and break form.

Take a handle in each hand and position your shoulders over your wrists so the straps hang perpendicularly to the floor.

This increases balance and helps prevent shoulder strain and/or injury.

Throughout the move, keep your entire spine — including your head and neck — in a straight, neutral position. Don’t drop your chin to look at your feet or raise your head to look forward.

Because the TRX straps move independently, you have to engage your lats and serratus anterior (the finger-shaped muscles along the sides of your rib cage) to hold the straps in place, ensuring

You can do a TRX push-up with your feet in the cradles rather than your hands, but this becomes more of a core and glute challenge rather than a chest one, so save this version for lower-body days.

Extend your legs straight behind you so your body forms a straight line, and tighten your abs and squeeze your glutes to prevent your hips from sagging.

Bend your elbows and lower your torso between your hands. Depth will vary according to individual mobility and biomechanics, but don’t descend past the handles to protect your shoulders.

SAMPLE FUNCTIONAL CHEST WORKOUT Do these moves in order for one minute each. Rest 60 seconds between rounds, and perform up to five rounds.

TRX push-up Medicine-ball chest pass (against a wall) Parallel bar or TRX dip Dumbbell pull-over (moderate weight) Eccentric dumbbell flye (light weight)

The instability of the TRX straps requires that you engage more than just your pecs.

According to research, a suspended push-up provided the greatest overall muscle activity and the greatest triceps, upper-back, thigh, abdominal and lowerback activation as compared to standard push-ups.

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21

Move MOBILITY

By Erin Calderone, MS, CSCS

Mobility magic Yes! Try proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching. PNF basically plays a trick on your nervous system: by first contracting the muscle to be stretched, you activate a sensory neuron called the Golgi tendon organ (GTO). This spawns a protective reflex from your spinal cord that tells your muscle to relax, and voilà! Your flexibility instantly improves.

PNF stretching can be done using two techniques: contract-relax or contract relax-antagonist-contract (CRAC): Contract-relax: Move your limb to your end range of motion, then isometrically contract the muscle against the resistance of a partner for up to 10 seconds. Your partner should provide enough resistance during the contractile phase to hold your limb in place. Relax and have your partner move the limb a little farther using gentle but firm pressure. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds.

Contract-relax-antagonist-contract: Move the limb to your end range of motion and isometrically contract the muscle to be stretched for up to 10 seconds as your partner holds your limb in place.

Then relax that muscle and contract the antagonist (opposite) muscle. This has the benefit of reciprocal inhibition: when the antagonist (opposing) is firing, the neuromuscular input to the muscle being stretched is inhibited, furthering your stretch. Hold this contraction for up to 10 seconds.

For both techniques, your contraction against your partner’s resistance should be about 65 per cent of your maximum, according to recent research; anything more may actually activate another protective reflex.

Repeat each stretch two to four times.

CHEST

Hold your arm to the side at shoulder-height, elbow bent 90 degrees. Draw your arm back as far as you can.

Have your partner place one hand on your shoulder and the other on the front of your elbow and provide resistance as you press forward with your arm. Then relax as your partner gently moves your limb farther into the stretch.

HIP FLEXORS

Lie face-up on a tall bench or high table with your hips at the edge. Hug one knee to your chest and let the other hang off the bench. Have your partner apply gentle downward pressure just above the hanging knee as you lift your leg upward to activate your hip flexors. Then relax your leg as your partner applies some gentle downward pressure.

INNER THIGH

Lie face-up with the soles of your feet together, knees open. Have your partner gently press downward on your knees as you squeeze them together. Then relax and let the weight of your knees open up your hips, with your partner offering light pressure.

HAMSTRINGS

Lie face-up on the ground and lift one leg straight up in the air. Have your partner hold this leg at the knee and ankle, and keep your hips on the ground as you tighten the hamstrings and try to drive your heel toward the ground.

Then relax and have your partner gently press your leg a little farther into the stretch.

Tight traps?

Loosen up with our neck/ trapezius stretch at right.

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May/Jun 2017

QUADRICEPS

Lie facedown on the edge of a high bench and drop one leg off the side, placing that foot on the ground for stability. Extend the other leg along the table and bring your heel toward your glutes. Have your partner hold your leg at your ankle as you try to extend your leg, then relax and have your partner move your ankle closer to your glute.

Note: If you aren’t feeling a stretch, walk the opposite foot forward.

NECK/TRAPEZIUS

Sit tall with a neutral spine with your partner standing behind you. Drop one ear to your shoulder and have your partner place one hand on your opposite shoulder and the other on the side of your head. Lift your head up against their hand, then relax and try to drop your ear closer to your shoulder as your partner holds the opposite shoulder down.

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Photos by Peter Lueders / Model: Tawny Macias / Pants: Skins / Top: Wear It to Heart

Is it possible to improve my range of motion quickly?

Make like Gumby with these partner-assisted PNF stretches.

Move BURN

By Lara McGlashan, MFA, CPT

Smart swaps

Not every gym is equipped with the latest, greatest fitness gear, and while The Biggest

Loser contestants might enjoy a bank of Jacobs Ladders for their cardio workouts, the only ladder your gym might offer is of the aluminum type, which is only hauled out of the closet twice a year to change the lightbulbs.

Use one of these alternatives to sub for equipment your gym is lacking, and you’ll be able to do any workout you find in this magazine or online and get the same results.

MISSING EQUIPMENT:

MISSING EQUIPMENT:

MISSING EQUIPMENT:

Who needs fancy cardio equipment or commercial gym gear? These simple substitutions work just as well as the latest, greatest machines in a pinch.

Rowing Machine

MISSING EQUIPMENT:

Sled/Prowler Sled

MISSING EQUIPMENT:

MISSING EQUIPMENT:

StepMill

VersaClimber

Airdyne Bike

Battling Ropes

SMART SWAP:

SMART SWAP: Kettlebells

Band Squat Row

SMART SWAP:

SMART SWAP:

SMART SWAP:

SMART SWAP:

While the Airdyne bike is a tremendous tool, it tends to be in short supply in most commercial gyms.

Battling ropes can offer similar benefits, especially when the workout calls for sprints or Tabata format high-intensity interval training.

A recent study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that working with ropes produced physiological results similar to sprinting. At a cost of 10.3 calories per minute of work, these ropes are fun fat burners.

The main draw of the battling ropes is that they offer a different type of dynamic resistance movement, which engages your body from head to toe.

Kettlebells offer the same sort of total-body synergy when used correctly, so substitute rope waves and slams with kettlebell swings, and side-to-side rope movements with kettlebell seated Russian twists, windmills or Turkish get-ups.

No rowing machine? No problem. Recreate the same type of rowing motion with a resistance band: secure it around a squat rack at about hip-height, hold it with both hands and step back to create tension, arms straight. From here, squat down quickly, then drive back up to the start as you row the band toward your upper chest, pulling your elbows out and back as if rowing. Move quickly, alternating between the movements and blending the moves seamlessly as you would on a rower.

Some gyms lack the real estate or artificial turf for sleds and Prowlers.

No sweat: instead, grab a 20kg weight plate, set it on the floor in an open area, place a hand on either side and push it forward.

Keep your hips low and drive with your glutes to mimic the leg activity you’d get from using a traditional sled.

And since you can’t safely stack the plates to create more resistance, increase the intensity instead by doing sprint intervals.

Many gyms have the pedal-pushing type of climbers but not as many boast a StepMill, which has a continually rotating staircase.

Outside of finding some actual stairs on which to perform drills, jumping rope is a good sub in a pinch: it engages the whole lower body as well as the core and trains timing and coordination as well as speed, much in the same way as stair running does. Jump a minute and rest a minute, alternating between the two for 10 to 15 minutes, and you should be spent.

VersaClimbers and Jacobs Ladders are similar in that they both use your whole body as a unit in order to power the equipment. Your own body is the perfect substitute for these expensive gadgets, and burpees offer a similar total-body stimulus with no pricey mechanical parts. Increase the intensity of standard burpees by taking them on the move — leaping forward or laterally instead of upward — or by doubling the number of pushups you do at the bottom to increase upper-body activity.

Battling Ropes

Plate Push

Jump Rope

Burpees

If your gym lacks some gear, we’ve got your solution.

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May/Jun 2017

23

Fuel RESEARCH SAYS

By Lara McGlashan, MFA, CPT, Fitness Editor

Live (in) Green for Longer Life

Ban the Tan to Double Your D

A new study published in the April online journal Environmental Health Perspectives found that women living in green spaces with lush vegetation had a 12 per cent lower risk of early death. Although they’re not sure of the exact reasons, researchers theorise

that green spaces offer more opportunities for socialising and physical activity as well as less exposure to pollution.

Urban gal? Try to exercise in a park to get your daily dose of the green stuff, or fill your house with live plants and flowers to help scrub your interior air and give you a little dose of happy.

Cranberries are not the cure

Drink plenty of water to dilute urine and cause more frequent elimination, helping to flush out bacteria.

Wipe from front to back to prevent cross-contamination of your (ahem) undercarriage.

Empty your bladder soon after intercourse to flush out sneaky bacteria.

Avoid douches and powders — especially those that are scented — as well as contraceptives with spermicides, which can alter your vaginal pH. Wear breathable undergarments to keep air circulating down yonder.

Avoid long baths, which can allow bacteria to venture into places it shouldn’t.

Take probiotics, which help promote an optimal va-jayjay environment.

Contrary to popular belief, drinking commercial cranberry juice does not help cure a urinary tract infection, according to physicians at the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine. The active ingredient in cranberries (A-type proanthocyanidins, or PACs) that is effective against UTI-causing bacteria is only found in concentrated cranberry capsules, and yes, slugging down such capsules (which are the equivalent of ingesting nearly half a litre of pure cranberry juice) can reduce the risk of UTI infection by up to 50 per cent. But the best medicine for this nasty nether invader is prevention, so follow these guidelines to keep your urinary tract on a healthy track.

Keep your eyes on the prize

More than 500,000 Australians over the age of 40 are visually impaired, and the figure is expected to reach 800,000 by 2020, according to the Centre for Eye Research Australia.

Research reveals 75 per cent of vision loss is preventable.

Women are at greater risk than men for vision loss from cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration, as well as a

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May/Jun 2017

Savvy Oxygen readers know how bad tanning is for your skin, but new research has also linked being bronzed to a lower production of vitamin D. The increase in pigmentation when you’re tanned actually limits the skin’s ability to produce the vitamin, according to researchers at the University of Pernambuco Medical School in Brazil.

Action point: Procure your daily D while keeping skin safe with sunscreen, such as Coppertone Clearly Sheer Faces — sweat-proof, broad-spectrum protection that’s still light enough to go under makeup (available at most major retailers.)

Can’t forgo the glow? Fake Bake Flawless gives you the perfect bit of bronze, and because it’s fast drying, it won’t end up tanning your clothes and sheets instead of your skin! $39.00, fakebake.net.au

condition called dry eye, which is common after menopause and pregnancy. Pregnancy also can cause changes in the eyeball itself, causing blurred or double vision.

Action point: See your eye doctor regularly for checkups, and protect your peepers from the inside out with regular exercise and good nutrition, and, of course, avoid smoking at all costs!

oxygenmag.com.au

Fuel EAT SMART

By Jessie R. Shafer, RD

THE BUZZ ON ...

Nutritionmyths

COLLAGEN

WHAT IS IT? Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body, found mostly in your skin, connective tissue and muscles.

WHAT’S THE BUZZ ABOUT? As you age, your body’s natural production of collagen begins to slow and the cell structures of your skin, hair, joints and bones become fragile and less elastic — that’s when you can experience symptoms of ageing, such as wrinkles, changing hair colour and loss of flexibility.

Eating collagen-boosting foods (salmon, tuna, bone broth, gelatin, citrus, eggs and grass-fed meat) or taking a collagen supplement (available in powders, gummies, liquids and capsules) can help you maintain the health and regeneration of skin, hair, nails, tendons, cartilage, bones and joints.

WHAT TO KNOW: It can take up to eight weeks to notice results from upping your collagen intake. Find the right balance — not too much, not too little. An excessive intake of collagen could result in hypercalcemia (too much calcium in the blood), which can cause constipation, fatigue, kidney stones and abnormal heart rhythms. Too little collagen can accelerate protein degeneration and joint pain. If starting a collagen supplement, follow dosage directions on the package — most recommend that you take powders and capsules with a full glass of water on an empty stomach or before bedtime.

BUSTED

Ask the nutritionist

Q: Which is better to drink to replace fluids: water or a sports drink?

Quick Bites

A: To avoid extreme fatigue, nausea and extra strain on muscles, it’s essential that you replace fluids lost through sweat. You can do that with water most efficiently but also with sports drinks and water-dense foods, such as soups and fruits. As a general rule, water will suffice as a hydration replenishment for workouts of less than 90 minutes.

For exercise longer than that, you’ll benefit from the carbohydrates in a sports drink. (Look for sports beverages that contain 15 to 18 grams of carbs per 250ml.) Mostly, however, you should choose the beverage that you’ll drink the most, whether it’s water or a sports drink, and drink it before, during and after workouts.

+

1½ cups coconut milk

1 red capsicum

1 cup cooked quinoa

+

¼ cup chia seeds

1 navel orange

+

+

+

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp coconut oil

½ cup canned black beans

oxygenmagAU

True or false?

Athletes aren’t at risk for osteoporosis.

False. You know the drill: both cardio and load-bearing exercise strengthens your bones, lessens joint pain and helps you maintain bone density as you age. True, exercise is one of the best ways to grow and keep strong bones. But female athletes can be at high risk for osteoporosis if they enter dangerous territory called the female athlete triad, a condition caused by overtraining, calorie restriction and loss of a menstrual cycle. The risk of bone loss is high with the female athlete triad and can’t be treated with calcium or exercise. Avoid it by maintaining a nutrient-dense, balanced diet while you train.

+

= =

overnight chia pudding

feel-better smoothie

½ avocado

=

quick vegan lunch

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25

Fuel REPLENISH

By Steve Downs, CSCS

Improve your performance No matter what your goals, these six supplements can help you build lean muscle, burn fat and even fight ageing.

tein intake should be between 2 and 3 grams per kilogram of bodyweight daily, divided so that you don’t consume more than 25 grams at any one sitting (for greatest absorption).

About 20 per cent of this could be taken immediately post-workout.

Multivitamin. Vitamins are the catalysts

for all the processes in your body, including anabolic muscle building. For instance, B complex helps derive energy from food, which helps you stay energised. Vitamin C is critical for immune function and anti-oxidant muscle protection while sparing nitric oxide from free radicals so it’s available for muscular endurance. Vitamin D boosts gene activation for improved muscle strength and recovery, plus it is essential for calcium absorption, which promotes bone remodelling and better muscle contractions.

This is only the tip of the iceberg. Find a performance multi for athletes and take it daily.

Creatine. This amino acid–like compound

I

n the past 25 years, the number of women who go to

the gym to pump iron has consistently increased — and with good reason. Experts say that even two strength-training workouts weekly can improve your body composition, boost your mood, burn fat and even fight against ageing. For instance, noted exercise researcher Dr William Kraemer points out that women who lift weights possess better muscle tone and can turn back the clock by reducing the 5 to 10 per cent of muscle strength that untrained individuals lose each decade after age 30.

Resistance training also promotes bone density, increases your caloric-burning metabolism (which helps you stay leaner), and has a dramatic effect on body shape and appearance.

But just committing to pumping iron isn’t enough. Even the best training program will not achieve the greatest results without the right fuel for your muscles. This starts, obviously, with the basic macronutrients: carbs, protein and fats. You need a good balance of these in order to get the vitamins, minerals, enzymes and other nutrients necessary for health and recovery. But there are specific performance-enhancing supplements you should be using to get the absolute most out of your time in the gym. Check out the following list.

Protein: Protein provides the building blocks (amino acids) of

muscle tissue. The best choice immediately post-workout is whey, which digests quickly. A combination protein containing whey, casein and soy is even better because it digests slower and provides amino acids for an extended time. (Whey digests within two hours of ingestion, while soy breaks down within two to four hours and casein within four to six.) Casein is great taken at night to help you avoid catabolising your muscle tissue as you sleep. Your daily pro-

26

May/Jun 2017

helps extend the ATP-PC cycle that fuels all activity. Its use improves muscular endurance and strength while drawing water into muscle tissue to promote increased size, fullness and growth. Don’t worry about stomach bloating, either — after about 30 minutes following ingestion, fluid follows creatine into the muscles and makes you look better. For best results, take 2 to 5 grams of creatine monohydrate post-workout.

BCAAs. These three amino acids (leucine, isoleucine and valine) are unique from other aminos because they can be burnt as fuel within muscle tissue, allowing for increased muscular endurance and faster recovery. Leucine is the anabolic trigger for growth, so it helps build new muscle tissue. Plus, it also may increase growth hormone and reduce cortisol. When supplementing, use a branched-chain amino acid with at least 5:1:1 ratio (leucine to isoleucine and valine) and take 5 to 10 grams before training.

NO Boosters. Nitric oxide is a signalling molecule that

stimulates vasodilation (opening blood vessels). By increasing blood flow, you get better amino-acid and other nutrient delivery to muscles, which signals cells to grow bigger. NO also may promote lipolysis, which releases fat from fat cells so it is burnt for energy. The best NO supplements include arginine, citrulline, GlycoCarn or Nitrosigine. Choose one and take it 30 minutes before exercise.

Beta-alanine. This non-essential amino combines with

histidine in the body to form carnosine, which is shown to increase muscle strength, endurance and size. Beta-alanine is the limiting factor in this equation, so supplementation is critical for improved performance. You can find this amino in pre-workout supplements or take it on its own. Ingest 1 to 3 grams before and after workouts.

oxygenmag.com.au

By Lara McGlashan, MFA, CPT

Asparagus contains glutathione, an antioxidant and detoxifying compound that breaks down free radicals, and which is being researched as a way to destroy breast cancer cells.

Fuel 1 FOOD 5 WAYS

Asparagus Make the most of this iconic spring with these recipes and preparation ideas.

It takes about three years from seed to first harvest, but then asparagus plants can last up to 15 years!

E

ven though it makes your

pee smell funny, asparagus should headline every health-conscious woman’s grocery list. Asparagus is super-high in key vitamins and minerals and low in calories (less than 30 calories per cup), earning it a top spot on the ANDI (aggregate nutrient density index) scale, which measures vitamin, mineral and phytonutrient content in relation to calories. Try these five great ways to integrate asparagus into your daily diet and reap all the benefits it has to offer.

The amino acid asparagine found in asparagus is a natural diuretic, which helps the body release excess fluid and salts and maintain the health of your kidneys.

1. As a soluble side

Just a cup of asparagus contains 18 per cent of your Recommended Daily Allowance of vitamin E, which is known to be a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, removing free radicals from the body, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. Because vitamin E is fat-soluble, you should sauté your asparagus spears in a little olive oil to help transport that E into your cells, tout suite.

2. As a (K)ey salad ingredient

One cup of asparagus contains 70 per cent of your RDA for vitamin K, which aids in the absorption of calcium. Calcium is important for keeping bones strong and dense, powering muscular contractions and maintaining nerve health. Shave raw asparagus into a salad made with high-calcium veggies such as rocket, spinach, edamame, fennel and artichoke. That way the K and Ca can better meet, meld and do their thing.

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3. As a double for dip

With 3 grams of fibre per one-cup serving, asparagus is a satisfying sub for avocados in rich dips such as guacamole.

And while we adore the heart-healthy fat found in avocados, it’s easy to get carried away and blow your calorie quota for the day. Instead, try our delicious Asparagus Guacamole (recipe at oxygenmag.com.au).

Serve with veggie spears or baked wholegrain pita corners for a filling snack.

4. As a brain-boosting breakfast Combine fibre-rich asparagus with protein-rich eggs and you have a brain-boosting breakfast. Asparagus is high in folate, which helps prevent cognitive impairment, according to a study out of Tufts University. Folate has also been shown to protect against neural tube defects and miscarriage as well as many cancers.

Go to oxygenmag.com. au for our Asparagus and Sun-Dried Tomato Frittata recipe!

5. As a satiating soup

Numerous studies endorse eating soup as part of a weight-watching program: soup is low in calories in relation to serving size, and according to the US Department of Health and Human Services, those who eat clear or broth-based soups have a better chance at controlling their weight. The theory is that because soup takes longer to eat, it gives your brain and digestive tract more time to register satiety.

May/Jun 2017

27

Fuel RECOVERY

By Steve Downs, CSCS

What you eat right after a workout (and when you eat it) is crucial to recovery.

Here’s how to maximise your results.

T

here’s an old fitness adage that

says, “You don’t build your body in the gym.

It’s what you do after training that causes physical improvement.” So even if you exercise religiously, you’re selling yourself short if you’re not following the correct steps the moment you leave the gym.

When you finish a tough workout, your body is starving for nutrition. Intense training breaks down muscle tissue (which catabolises protein), depletes muscle glycogen (which is critical for energy) and reduces muscular ATP stores (the cellular fuel that drives muscular contractions).

Your body requires the replenishment of glycogen first and foremost. This storage form of carbohydrate is found in muscles (about 400 grams) and the liver (about 100 grams) and is critical for brain function, as well as fuelling physical activity.

It’s also used during training to replenish ATP in the muscles.

In addition, in the absence of carbs, amino acids are stripped away from muscle to be reassembled as glycogen molecules — a catabolic process you want to avoid.

The carb connection

The great thing about post-workout feeding is that you can eat a lot of carbohydrates, even on a restricted-carb diet. This is because carbs are protein-sparing, which means they’ll go to work immediately to replenish glycogen stores and prevent muscular breakdown.

Even on a low-carb diet, you can consume up to a quarter of your total daily intake in your

28

Timing is everything for post-workout feeding.

Be conscious of your refuelling window: simple carbs are essential within minutes after you finish your last set.

Eating to recover post-workout meal. So if you’re eating 160 grams of carbs a day, you should take in 40 to 50 immediately after training. (A good recommendation is half to 1 gram of carbs per kilogram of bodyweight.)

Power up with protein

Muscle tissue requires amino acids for growth to occur.

Research shows a combination of fast-, medium- and slow-digesting proteins speeds this process and ensures recuperation. Complete proteins from food and/or supplements supply a range of essential aminos to promote muscle building.

Aim for eating 20 to 40 grams of protein, depending on how it fits into your daily intake.

(A good rule of thumb is consuming up to 0.6 to 1 gram of carbs per kilogram bodyweight post-workout.)

The final piece of the puzzle is ATP regeneration. As long as you consume ample carbs after training, your body should be

May/Jun 2017

able to replace the missing phosphocreatine in ATP in muscle cells. In addition, creatine can be found in red meat and fish, as well as supplements.

Restoration time

Timing is everything for postworkout feeding. Be conscious of your refuelling window: simple carbs are essential within minutes after you finish your last set. Protein and creatine should be consumed within the next hour. You also can include a few grams of carbs and a creatine supplement, if desired, with the latter meal to enhance absorption.

What are some examples of what to eat? Replacing glycogen is easiest — any carb will do. Lower-glycemic carbs such as fruit or juices may not be as optimal as lollies for speed of glycogen replenishment, but they’re healthier. High-glycemic carbs such as sweet potatoes, rice and white potatoes are great options. Honey is another

good choice; research shows combining it with protein helps maintain optimal blood-sugar levels to enhance uptake.

For protein, supplements are superior to whole food because of convenience, digestive speed and specific benefits. However, you can enhance amino-acid absorption by eating egg whites, Greek yoghurt, low-fat cottage cheese and low-fat milk (regular or lactose-free) after training.

Certain protein-rich foods provide the double benefit as sources of creatine. However, because appetite is not always the best following a workout, you might want to try creatine supplements.

To speed up recovery and get the most out of your training, be conscious of the small window post-workout when you can refuel your body and start the recuperation process.

Remember, it’s the 23 hours outside the gym when your body improves. Make the most of it.

oxygenmag.com.au

Thrive MIND & BODY

By Nicole Bowling

N

o matter what shape

you’re in, or even how often you hit the gym, there will be days when you feel like you just can’t push anymore — the weights feel really heavy, you can’t get into the groove or you’re just plain hurting.

Hey, it happens. But how should you handle it? Give in and try again tomorrow, or push through, getting in a workout regardless?

Not feeling it?

When to train, when to rest and how to know which option is right for how you feel.

When to push through

Perhaps the most important factor in this dilemma is to listen to your body. Monitoring everyday aches and knowing the difference between them and more serious twinges or pains is key. If you’re indeed just struggling, but not hurt, what can you do?

Sports psychologist Dr Caroline Silby, author of Games Girls Play: Understanding and Guiding Young Female Athletes (St. Martin’s Press, 2001) suggests that on the days you’re feeling overwhelmed by your workout, you can turn the obstacle into a challenge by testing how much you can get accomplished when feeling out of your rhythm.

“You almost have to view these days as separate workouts from the ones when you are feeling good,” she says. “Eventually, you’ll be able to increase the intensity you put forth on days when you’re feeling lousy and have stellar workouts regardless.”

Tactics: boosting your mind

As active women know, mental strength is just as important as physical strength when it comes to training consistently.

What mental techniques can you implement to push through the not-so-stellar days? Dr Silby suggests putting appropriate filters on the 'noise' in your head.

For instance, she says, if you’re running on the treadmill, be sure to do things that help you to stay loose, fluid and on your rhythm. Some athletes use a mantra such as 'down' every time their foot hits the ground, while others use motivational self-talk.

NPC bikini competitor and personal trainer Heidi Waselich says that planning out not only her workout but also her whole day helps her develop her plan of action for the gym. For her, the mental side of training is 80 per cent of the battle.

“Once my plan is set, I try to take at least

Alternative Route

10 minutes in the morning to meditate (I use the app Calm) or take myself through a short yoga flow; both always help clear my headspace and bring me a sense of peace to carry with me through the day,” she says.

Dr Silby also recommends knowing what’s important. “Maybe you feel tired or frustrated,” she says. “Now what? It’s up to you to process this information and figure out if it’s really important. Most often, you can feel tired or frustrated and have everything you need to be successful. So carry on.”

But if you just can’t break through the block, don’t throw in the towel completely.

Some exercise is better than none at all, and don’t beat yourself up. Remember that fitness is a lifelong journey. Identify why your workout didn’t go according to plan and get back to said plan tomorrow — even superwomen have down days!

oxygenmagAU

If your planned strength workout is causing more grief than it’s worth, it might be time for plan B. Remember, something is better than nothing. Try one of the activities below to reset your mind for tomorrow.

Who knows, maybe afterward you’ll be ready to give that workout another go.

A long stretch session A ride on the bike with new music blasting A handful of yoga flows A walk outside May/Jun 2017

29

Thrive Health

Meal Delivery Se You’ve just walked through the door after a long, hard day at work. Chances are you’re probably not going to jump ecstatically into the kitchen, finely dice a colourful array of fresh vegetables or satay up your favourite steak that has been marinating in exotic herbs.

However, if that’s you, then you can come to our office and cook for all of us!

If, however, if you’re time poor like some of us and too tired to cook your own healthy, nutritious meals every day, then we might just have you covered with these options below.

30

May/Jun 2017

14

Hand-crafted, tailor made

FitFuel Plus was established on the Gold Coast in 2016 to provide a meal management service that serious health and fitness enthusiasts could rely on.

Offering expertly prepared meals, customised to meet each individual's macro nutrition requirements. FitFuel Plus takes the stress out of meal planning and preparation, enabling superior athletic performance while saving you time and money. You can build your custom meals by selecting preferred proteins, fibrous and complex carbohydrate options; then, using your selected options, our team creates healthy and lean meal combinations using only the highest quality ingredients available. To order, head to the FitFuel Plus Facebook page and hit the ‘Shop Now’ button. Free delivery to the Gold Coast; only 48 hours' notice required on all orders.

Exclusive discount offer for Oxygen readers: 10% OFF YOUR FIRST ORDER when you enter the DISCOUNT CODE OXYGEN FFP.

fitfuelplus.formstack.com/forms/ online_order_form_1

Always on the go and no time to cook? Let us help keep you on track!

At Fresh Fit Food we are passionate about living a healthy lifestyle, and we know that in our day and age sometimes the hardest part to living a healthy lifestyle is having the time to live a healthy lifestyle! Whether its losing weight, gaining muscle or just wanting to eat healthy, we are here to help.

Portioned-controlled, healthy and convenient meals packed with flavour.

Made fresh to order using local fresh produce. Delivered to your doorstep twice a week to ensure the freshness of your meals.

- NSW Registered Business.

- Meals Delivered in NSW Food Authority Approved Refrigerated Van. - All Meals Cooked In Commerical Kitchen.

- Staff All Hold A Current NSW Food Safety Supervisor Certificate (FSS) Check out our delicious new menu online.

Gluten-free options available.

RRP: FROM $8.95 Shop on our website in April/May for 10% DISCOUNT + FREE PROTEIN BALLS with PROMO CODE: OXYGEN

www.freshfitfood.com.au

oxygenmag.com.au

HEALTHY MEALS

rvice Round Up!

MNK Food

Gym Food Australia (GFA) delivers high-quality, chef-prepared, dietitian-designed meals across QLD, NSW, Vic, SA, NT, and WA weekly.

Young, fresh and innovative producers of fitness meals cooked to order. We are passionate about healthy living, fitness, food, and most importantly enjoying it!

Food is meant to be enjoyed by you and your body. That’s why we engaged both a celebrity chef and a dietitian with body building experience to create our delicious menu. There are 4 portion sizes available in 200, 250, 350 and 500g, as well as the ability to substitute meals in and out of the menu to suit your needs and tastes. The rotating menu helps consumers maintain their diet without becoming bored of the same meals week after week. Ordering is available on a weekly, fortnightly, monthly basis for 1-4 meals per weekday on a no lock-in contracts basis (7 Days cancellation).

Orders close Sunday at midnight each week at www.gymfoodaustralia.com.au Promo code: Take $20 off your order with code "promo20" (one use per customer)

Grocery shopping getting you down?

Don’t stress, MNK Food is here to help!

Our food is made FRESH, it's hand-cooked, weighed, nutritionally approved and delivered to your door. We free up your time for the more important things in your life! When it comes to quality, there is no substitute for fresh food! Whether you’re addicted to the gym or starting your weight loss journey for the first time, MNK is the perfect option to change your life. We offer our clients online support and assistance to achieve their weight loss and fitness goals.

We cater for everyone: Gluten Free, Dairy Free, High Protein, Low Carb, Calorie Controlled, Portion Controlled, For Him, For Her, Side Dishes, Breakfast, Snacks, Sauces and Sides. We support Aussie farmers and businesses with all ingredients sourced from Australia’s best suppliers, ensuring all cattle are grass-fed with no added hormones or preservatives.

USE PROMO CODE FREEDOM http://mnkfood.com.au/ GET 10% OFF FIRST ORDER

www.gymfoodaustralia.com.au

oxygenmagAU

mnkfood.com.au/

My Fit Lunchbox - fresh, healthy, clean eating meals delivered to the people of Perth!

Meals are chef-prepared using only the finest local ingredients, in their very own “My Fit Café”. Why are they different? You can see the chefs at work and enjoy your My Fit Lunchbox meals in a stylish café environment, with a range of delicious breakfast options also available!

What makes them so special? Not only are the meals made FRESH and taste great, they’re designed by their very own In-house nutritionist to ensure optimum results!

Meals can be delivered fresh to your home/ workplace and cater for a full range of dietary requirements including Paleo, Keto, LCHF, Vegan, Gluten/Dairy-Free.

Personalised plans also available, to suit individual health goals.

Oxygen readers: receive 20% discount on FRESH MEAL DELIVERY service PROMO CODE: OXYGENMAGAZINE. Order today My Fit Lunchbox – Real Food, Real Healthy, Real Easy!

www.myfitlunchbox.com

May/Jun 2017

31

Thrive HEALTH

By TALIA CECCHELE

I

spending time with friends and family. And what’s a get-together without food! Social events can turn into a feast if you fill up on canapes and nibbles before the main meal is served (which is more common than not). And if you arrive hungry or are distracted while you eat, it’s quite easy to eat far more calories than intended. Typical starters are often high in energy, salt, and sugar, which is not ideal if you’re trying to watch your weight. The next time you’re asked to bring a dish to an event, try something light and refreshing. At least you know there will be something that is more appropriate to eat — and I’m sure everyone else will appreciate the thought too! Here are a few ideas to start.

next d The ’re aske n you ish to a light e m ti g a d ething ast n i r to b ry som g. At le e t, t ill b hin even refres there w ore and know hat is m t! you ething t te to ea som propria ap

SWAP

1

n Australia, we love entertaining and

Food

Energy

Protein

Total Fat

Sat Fat

Total Carbs

Sugar

Fibre

Sodium

Iron

Mini chocolates per 100g

2090kJ

7.2g

25.9g

16.2g

59g

52g

0g

113mg

1.1mg

Chocolate-dipped strawberries per 100g

616kJ

2.6g

7.0g

4.3g

17.1g

16.6g

2.5g

24mg

2.0mg

MINI CHOCOLATES FOR CHOCOLATE-DIPPED STRAWBERRIES By swapping to chocolate-dipped strawberries, you will slash energy (kilojoules), fat, and sugar intake by more than half — not to mention the added benefit of fibre and antioxidants for good health! Chocolatedipped strawberries are a very tasty and refreshing snack, too. But don’t get too addicted! A serve is about four to five medium-sized strawberries.

32

May/Jun 2017

oxygenmag.com.au

SOCIAL FOOD SWAPS REGULAR POPCORN FOR AIR-POPPED POPCORN Regular popcorn (think microwave bag or the type you eat at the cinema) is usually laden in butter and salt. By switching to the air-popped variety, you will be cutting down on fat and salt by more than 50 per cent, plus gaining extra fibre from this nutritious and filling wholegrain. Not a fan of plain popcorn?

Sprinkle on some smoked paprika or cinnamon and nutmeg for a flavour boost!

Food

Energy

Protein

Total Fat

Sat Fat

Total Carbs

Sugar

Fibre

Sodium

Iron

Regular popcorn per 100g

2115kJ

9.1g

25g

15.3g

49.6g

0.6g

8.5g

645mg

2.2mg

Air-popped popcorn per 100g

1426kJ

12.9g

4.1g

0.7g

55.3g

0.9g

14.5g

1mg

3.2mg

SWAP

2

POTATO CHIPS FOR CHICKPEAS High in fibre with only half the fat of potato chips, chickpeas will be a hit at your next social event.

Chickpeas will also give you a hit of protein and are low GI, which will help keep you fuller for longer. A healthy portion is about 25g or a small handful.

SWAP

3

Food

Energy

Protein

Total Fat

Sat Fat

Total Carbs

Sugar

Fibre

Sodium

Iron

Potato chips per 100g

2160kJ

6g

33.9g

12g

45.8g

0.9g

3.5g

618mg

1.1mg

Chickpeas per 100g

1597kJ

20.9g

8.8g

1.6g

46.1g

2.6g

16.5g

300mg

2.8mg

Food

Energy

Protein

Total Fat

Sat Fat

Total Carbs

Sugar

Fibre

Sodium

Iron

Spring rolls per 100g

1356kJ

11.5g

20g

5g

23.4g

23.4g

3.5g

420mg

0.6mg

Rice paper rolls per 100g

382kJ

6.5g

0.5g

0.1g

14.5g

0.3g

0.7g

167mg

0.6mg

SPRING ROLLS FOR FRESH RICE PAPER ROLLS By making fresh rice paper rolls you will cut a huge amount of kilojoules, fat, sugar, and salt out. Opt for a light protein filling such as prawn, chicken, or tofu with vegetables for extra fibre. Make a healthy dipping sauce by mixing lime juice, fish sauce, garlic, and rice vinegar.

SWAP

4

Talia Cecchele is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) who graduated from the University of Wollongong. She has worked as a clinical dietitian in Sydney, in both adult and children’s hospitals, for the past four years. Talia has an interest in paediatrics and believes that it is important to develop positive eating habits during childhood through family meals, wholesome cooking, and minimising processed foods. For meal inspiration follow Talia on Instagram @talia_dietitian

FRESH CAMEMBERT CHEESE FOR BAKED RICOTTA A healthy portion of cheese is 30-40g, which is equivalent to a couple of chunks on a few crackers.

White, soft cheeses such as ricotta or cottage cheese will save you kilojoules and saturated fat. Serve cheese with wholegrain crackers or slices of pear or apple for a different take on the humble cheese platter!

SWAP

5

Food

Energy

Protein

Total Fat

Sat Fat

Total Carbs

Sugar

Fibre

Sodium

Iron

Camembert cheese per 100g

1286kJ

19.5g

25g

16.4g

0.1g

0.1g

0g

610mg

0.2mg

Ricotta cheese per 100g

535kJ

6.9g

10g

7g

2.8g

2.8g

0g

210mg

0.1mg

oxygenmagAU

May/Jun 2017

33

Cover Girl

FAST FACTS City: Sydney Age: 26 Height: 170cm Occupation: Online Fitness Coach

Presented By 34

May/Jun 2017

www.musclerepublic.com oxygenmag.com.au

PROFILE

Embrace

BY LAUREN SIMPSON

YOU I

Presented By

When Lauren Simpson first graced the cover of Oxygen last year, it was the fulfilment of a life goal, but what gave her even more satisfaction was that the image was all her, proof that you can embrace every part of the real you, and others will too.

was an Oxygen Magazine Australia cover

girl for the first time last year. This had always been an ultimate goal and dream of mine, and words cannot express the feeling when I found out I had landed the cover shot.

When I first saw myself on the cover, I was so happy to see that the image was a true representation of me. This meant that a scar that I have on my stomach was completely visible and not edited out. (I have done many photo shoots where edited photos had my scar removed!)

I was impressed that Oxygen magazine had the same values as me when it came to women embracing their flaws and imperfections.

At first glance you may not notice that across my stomach I have a scar. When I was one year old, I was diagnosed with a Wilms tumour on my left kidney. This tumour was found to be cancerous, so I had to undergo chemotherapy and surgery to remove my kidney.

I am 100 per cent cleared and have a full-functioning single kidney. The scar that was the result of the surgery, however, was something that, growing up, I had always been very selfconscious about. I did not feel comfortable wearing anything where my scar would be visible. It made simple things like going to the beach with friends very uncomfortable for me.

It’s taken me a long time to accept this part of me. The thought of being successful in the fitness industry, a professional bikini competitor or magazine cover girl would never have crossed my mind. When my social media following started to grow, I must admit it was a little daunting posting photos for hundreds of thousands of people to see. Even though over time my scar has faded and it’s now quite faint, I am still very aware of it, and if it’s visible I often think that people are noticing it.

I’ve learnt to accept and embrace this part of me, and it’s what makes me, me. It’s unique and it tells a story about my past. The same goes for all our flaws, imperfections, and the things we just wish we didn’t have. Such things only have control and power over us if we let them.

www.musclerepublic.com

Presented By oxygenmagAU

May/Jun 2017

35

Cover Girl It’s important to accept and embrace who we are.

We all have things we don’t like about our own bodies, but they don’t make us any less of a special person. Everyone has individual and special qualities that set us apart from each other, and this should be celebrated.

The female body is so beautiful. You may have scars, stretch marks, or cellulite, but accepting these ‘so-called’ flaws will actually empower you. We should be proud of our bodies and support each other on our own journeys of self-acceptance and self-love. It’s not easy, but it is so important. Be comfortable with your body and don’t be afraid to show it off.

If you asked me what my ultimate goal is, it’s to be someone who people look up to and see as a role model. A message that I strongly push across in my social media is for girls to be true to themselves, work hard toward their goals and dreams, and to never give up.

I never imagined I would be where I am now, but it all started with a goal. My goal is to become the best version of myself, and in working toward that it is me being true to myself.

My favourite quote is, “There’s no need to be perfect to inspire others. Let people be inspired by how you deal with your imperfections.”

If you asked me what advice I would give to women who are wanting to get into the best shape of their life, it would be this: work hard, be patient, and develop a mindset that will allow you to sustain a healthy and active lifestyle.

Too often I see people who want that quick fix. They tend to follow very restrictive and low-calorie diets that may get results initially, but it is not sustainable for long-term results, nor is it good for their health.

I always try to educate and encourage my clients to change old habits and create good behaviours that will allow them to not only get results during their program, but also that they can take on board for years to come.

Your dream body won’t just happen overnight; it takes time and consistency. As they say, nothing worth having comes easy. When you start to see the results pay off from your hard work, this will fuel your fire and motivate you even more.

FUNCTIONAL FULL-BODY FITNESS Ready to sculpt your best body yet? Try Lauren Simpson’s full-body program for impressive results.

IRON CROSS

3 sets, AMRAP

“USING A PLATE OR DUMBBELLS, IT’S THE PERFECT WAY TO FATIGUE THIS MUSCLE GROUP. THIS MOVE IS A GREAT WAY TO FINISH OFF YOUR SHOULDERS AT THE END OF AN UPPER BODY WORKOUT.” Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold a set of light dumbbells in front of your thighs, arms extended. Keeping your arms straight, do a front raise to bring the weights to shoulder-height, then open your arms to the sides in-line with your shoulders. Lower them to your hips, then immediately lift again in a lateral raise back to shoulder-height. Bring them back together in front of you, then lower to the start to complete one rep.

Presented By 36

May/Jun 2017

Insider tip: “There are a lot of steps to this move, but don’t do it mindlessly. Try for a solid mind–muscle connection, feeling the muscles contracting, feeling your core stabilising, engaging your traps to control the descent.

The more you focus, the more intense and effective the move becomes.”

www.musclerepublic.com oxygenmag.com.au

Insider tip: “I have found that if you have healthy knees — no stability or mechanical issues — it’s okay if your knee goes past your toes during this exercise, if you’re not going heavy.

This helps put the emphasis on your quads, developing separation and detail, while improving ankle flexibility.”

LANDMINE BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUAT

MODEL LAUREN SIMPSON | PHOTOGRAPHER DALLAS OLSEN | HAIR AND MAKEUP JEN STEYN

3 sets, 15 reps per leg

LANDMINE ONE-ARM ROW

“PUTTING THIS EXERCISE AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR WORKOUT IS A GREAT WAY TO INVOLVE MORE OF YOUR CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM AND GREATER FOCUS.” Stand with your back to a bench and extend one leg behind you on top of the bench, laces down. Hold the end of a landmine bar in the hand opposite to your extended leg, and shift your weight on to your standing leg.

Bend your standing knee deeply, lowering until your thigh is roughly parallel to the floor, then drive through your heel and rise powerfully back to the start. Do all reps on one side before switching.

3 sets, 8 to 15 per side

“ USING ONE ARM AT A TIME IS A GREAT WAY TO ENSURE YOUR STRONGEST ARM DOES NOT TAKE OVER IN THIS EXERCISE” Stand to the side of the loaded bar facing away from the landmine anchor point. Hold the bar with one hand near the collar and stand with your knees slightly bent, back straight, torso angled forward about 45 degrees. Drive your elbow up and back to pull the bar toward your rib cage, keeping your arm in close to your side and your shoulders level. Slowly lower to the start. Complete all reps on one side before switching.

Insider tip: “Angle can be everything. Tilt forward or stand up higher to change the emphasis of the move, building up a certain area of your back that will improve your physique.”

COVER GIRL DIET Meal 1: Peanut butter protein oats Meal 2: Post-workout shake, blueberries Meal 3: Barramundi, mushrooms, sweet potato fries Meal 4: Turkey mince, tamari almonds, zucchini noodles Meal 5: Tuna with salad or grilled vegetables Meal 6: Strawberries, cashews WORKOUT WEEK Monday: Glutes/hamstrings Tuesday: Shoulders Wednesday: Powerlifting session (squat or deadlift focus) Thursday: Rest day Friday: Glutes/hamstrings Saturday: Back Sunday: Quads

Presented By

www.musclerepublic.com May/Jun 2017

37

Cover Girl

Insider tip: “This move can be done either with a barbell or a dumbbell.

I would begin with a barbell, and once you get the hang of the mechanics and how it should feel, try the dumbbells.”

DRAG CURL

3 to 5 sets, 8 to 15 reps

“STARTING WITH A BARBELL WILL HELP YOU GET THE HANG OF HOW THIS MOVEMENT FEELS, ONCE YOU FEEL YOU HAVE MASTERED THAT, PROGRESS BY USING DUMBBELLS.” Barbell

Stand with your feet hip-width apart and take a shoulder-width underhand grip on a barbell, arms extended.

Drive your elbows back and squeeze your shoulder blades together to drag the bar up along the front of your body as high as you can. Pause, then lower to the start.

Dumbbells

Perform the same motion as with a barbell, but consciously keep the dumbbells the same distance apart at the bottom as at the top and resist the urge to curl them rather than to drag them.

Presented By 38

May/Jun 2017

www.musclerepublic.com oxygenmag.com.au

PROFILE

THE ART OF LIFTING

Want to take your physique to the next level?

Then check out Oxygen’s Body Part Series EBooks. Just as a sculptor uses her chisel to carve every detail out of stone, so will these amazing eBooks teach you how to use weights to carefully sculpt your own physique into a work of living art. Each book in the six-part series will share with you targeted exercises to help you shape and sculpt that body part exactly how you want it. The series is available at www.challengermediagroup. com/oxygen-thebody-part-series/

BARBELL ALTERNATING STEP-UP

3 to 4 sets, 5 to 8 reps per leg

“PUTTING THIS EXERCISE TOWARDS THE BEGINNING OF YOUR WORKOUT IS A GREAT IDEA. USING BARBELLS ALSO TAKES AWAY A LOT OF THE MOVEMENT SO THE FOCUS THEN BECOMES ABOUT LIFTING.” Stand facing a bench and balance a barbell across your upper back and traps and hold it with your elbows down. Step on to the bench with one foot, and extend that leg to come to standing on top of the bench. Bring your rear knee through to the front, raising it to hip-height and hold, balancing for one count. Reverse the steps to return to the start and continue, alternating sides.

Insider tip: “This is a move that can help with symmetry. For instance, if one arm is a lot stronger than the other, and therefore larger, doing the move with dumbbells can help balance them out, since they have to work independently.”

www.musclerepublic.com

Presented By oxygenmagAU

May/Jun 2017

39

Training

T S U B PLATEAUS WITH

POWERHOUSE PYRAMIDS

Build your best body with one (or both) of these tried-andtrue training protocols.

BY ERIN CALDERONE, MS, CSCS

40

May/Jun 2017

oxygenmag.com.au

BUSTING PLATEAUS

W

hen I started lifting at the ripe old age of

16, I really only knew one protocol: pyramid training. Maybe I watched Pumping Iron too many times or adopted too much old-school advice from the ponytailed, leather-skinned “Mr California 1986” at our local gym. In any case, pyramids were then and are now the classic way to organise your daily grind. And with good reason: they work.

Create metabolic anarchy!

Traditional pyramids begin with a warm-up set or two using a light weight and higher reps and progressively increase the weight and decrease the reps until you top out at your maximum possible weight for a certain number of reps (Table 1).

Because each set progressively becomes more intense, your body has a chance to warm up and establish a movement pattern, helping perfect form and prevent injury. During the initial sets, your body calls more on the type I motor units — those that produce less force — to get ’er done, but by the time you hit the last and most intense set, it will call on the type II — high force — muscle fibres. These are the fibres that incite metabolic change, allowing you to lift heavier, gain more lean tissue and increase your resting metabolism.

What’s so great about it? Pyramids are an easy strategy for beginners to learn and are a great way to track progress.

So if you’ve been using 5kg dumbbells for your max biceps curls, you’ll know that when they become too easy, it’s time to jump to the 10kg weights as your target max. It all makes sense logically and is an easy way to pattern your training so you progress at a rate that best suits your body and abilities.

Lately, though, traditional pyramids have fallen a bit out of favour, especially when it comes to muscle-building. Some argue that the initial sets done pre-max lift cause excessive fatigue to the type II fibres, thereby limiting the weight you can actually handle on your final set. Others point out that because the pyramid slowly increases weight and decreases reps, the lifter may subconsciously save her energy for her last and hardest set. And although this last set is a legitimate max attempt, the other working sets are not as effective at causing overall fatigue to the muscles, therefore limiting the hormone release and subsequent muscle growth post-exercise.

Flip it!

One solution to these complaints is to flip the pyramid on its head. In a reverse pyramid, an athlete performs two to three warm-up sets that focus on increasing heat and activation in the muscles and core but that are done at an easier intensity for fewer reps so as not to pre-fatigue the muscles. Then the working sets are done in reverse order, with the heaviest set and fewest reps coming first and each successive set dropping in weight and increasing in reps (Table 2). In order to do this correctly, you’ll have to know — or be able to guess fairly accurately — your maximum weight, then decrease it incrementally with each subsequent set.

What’s so great about it? Reverse pyramids increase the time-under-tension for the muscle group overall, inciting a greater hormone response and ultimately resulting in greater muscle hypertrophy and endurance over time. It also means your type II fibres are recruited earlier, not just on the last set, and you may be able to force more adaptation — that is, growth — by taxing their energy stores.

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Training

WHICH PYRAMID IS BEST?

O

ne protocol isn’t better

than another — it all depends on your goals and abilities.

For instance, traditional pyramids are stellar for new athletes trying to increase strength, as well as for those trying to track progress over a longer period.

And reverse pyramids are better suited for hypertrophy and endurance because they provide more time-under-tension but are better suited for more experienced lifters because they require you to maintain perfect form even when your muscles are crying out for mercy.

Athletes at all levels can also use both styles of pyramids at different points in a training program, implementing the traditional pyramid during a strength phase and the reverse pyramid when refining and sculpting the physique. Alternately, if you’re trying to bring up a weak area, challenge that muscle group with either sort of pyramid as a shock treatment.

So unlike the iconic Egyptian monoliths, your muscles can be built either from the ground up or the top down. Lift by lift, you’ll create your own living, breathing monument of muscle.

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Table 1: Sample traditional pyramid workouts

Rest two to three minutes between sets to allow time to flush lactic acid and replenish energy.

Muscle group

Exercise

CHEST

Dumbbell Bench Press

BACK

LEGS

Wide-Grip Pull-down

Back Squat

Set

Reps

Weight

1*

12

15

2*

15

15

3

10

25

4

8

30

5

6

35

1*

10

50

2*

12

55

3

12

70

4

10

80

5

8

90

6

6

95

1*

15

45

2*

12

95

3

8

125

4

6

135

5

4

145

*These sets are considered the warm-ups, and the weights displayed are examples only — you should adjust the amount of weight to suit your ability.

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BUSTING PLATEAUS Athletes at all levels can also use both styles of pyramids at different points in a training program, implementing the traditional pyramid during a strength phase and the reverse pyramid when refining and sculpting the physique.

Table 2: Sample reverse pyramid workouts

Rest 90 seconds or less between sets for optimal hypertrophy and endurance gains.

This duration does not allow for complete recovery, requiring your body to adapt by increasing the muscle’s endurance capacity.

Muscle group

Exercise

CHEST

Dumbbell Bench Press

BACK

LEGS

Wide-Grip Pull-down

Back Squat

Set

Reps

Weight

1*

12

15

2*

10

20

3

6

35

4

8

30

5

10

25

1*

10

50

2*

12

55

3

6

100

4

8

95

5

10

90

6

12

85

1*

15

45

2*

12

95

3

10

125

4

4

155

5

6

145

6

8

135

BONUS! These workouts

can be adapted for any body part.

Same approach, different muscles!

GET CREATIVE!

*These sets are considered the warm-up sets. Again, the weights are examples only — choose a weight appropriate to your level.

Don’t feel limited by these two sample pyramid workouts. In fact, the more creative you get with your programming, the more your body will have to adapt. Here are a couple of examples of how you can tweak your training: Inverse: Keep your reps the same (for example, 10 each set), but as you fatigue, decrease your weight in order to hit your per-set goal of 10. Do two to three warm-up sets and shoot for three to four heavy sets.

Double: Use a traditional pyramid protocol for the first three to four sets, then throw it in reverse for the last three to four.

Unilateral: Pick a unilateral exercise, such as a single-arm row, and after a few warm-up sets, do eight to 10 reps with a heavy weight. Repeat on the other side.

Then immediately switch back to the first side, but do one fewer rep using the same weight. Continue this format for four rounds.

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43

Training With the cooler months approaching, it doesn't mean you need to lose the body you worked so hard to achieve over summer!

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DALLAS OLSEN FITNESS MODEL VANESSA PUERTO HAIR & MAKEUP LISA LEE

Total

BODY

Toning 44

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TOTAL BODY TONING

S

ummer has come to an end, but it doesn’t

mean your motivation for a great workout needs to leave with it. Before you fall into the usual trap that tells you ‘winter is coming; you can relax’, take a deep breath!

All the groundwork has been done for you, and it starts today! This one-month workout will have you shaped up and the fat stripped away before you know it. Are you ready?

The beginning of our month starts with an easy-to-follow workout that you can take with you to do at a gym. Or you can do it in the comfort of your own home where there is no membership fee required.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED l Resistance bands — at least three different types of resistance l Several places to anchor or tie your bands to — chest height, waist height, and something lower than 30cm off the floor l Lots of water — you’ll need it! l Workout journal to log your progress

YOUR ONE-MONTH GUIDE

Workouts are always best approached one step at a time, and each week this program will see you build upon skills as you learn and become stronger and more confident. We will begin with a series of basic resistance band exercises where you will instantly see an improvement in your strength and coordination of each muscle group. To our strength program we have also added some cardio training to target fat loss and to build your cardiovascular fitness.

Weeks one and two

As you familiarise yourself with weeks one and two, remember to use a resistance band that is strong enough to fatigue your muscles with a 12-14 rep range. It is also important to pay attention to your pacing each rep, as if you’re after results each movement should aim to be two-seconds-up and two-seconds-down tempo, unless otherwise specified.

Before you begin each move, ensure you are standing far enough away from the anchor point of the resistance band that you feel resistance before you conduct the first rep. If you need to stand on the band, ensure both ends are even in your hands.

Weeks three and four

As you enter week three, you will notice your body will be getting used to the exercises and you will need to increase the amount of resistance to remain challenged. Aim for a thicker band than the first two weeks, and shorten your reps down to 10-12 per set. You’ll also see an additional set has been added, bringing your total to three sets per exercise.

Cardio

Throughout this month, you will notice there is cardio added to complement your strength workout. It really doesn’t matter which exercise you choose — walking, running, or an aerobics class are all great options.

Whichever you choose, make sure it is active enough to raise your heart rate are Pre-workout prep high enough to boost your caloric burn. body-friendly To help prepare your body for your workDuring the first two weeks you’ll see and out each session, warm up with a light cardio on your plan three times per week. budget-friendly. three- to five-minute cardio session on a In weeks three and four, your strength treadmill, a crosstrainer, or a spin bike. This training days are increased from two to four assists your body by increasing the blood flow to days and then the number of days you are doing your muscles and assisting movement in your joints to cardio is reduced. deter injury. It also helps you mentally, as you start to focus Your speed on your cardio should be 50 per cent of your on the exercises you are about to begin. maximum effort. A good measure of this is that you should be able to talk, but not sing! If you have just started cardio, Strength training aim for a minimum of 20 minutes and add five minutes To give your body adequate time to recover each week, we each week to reach 35 minutes by the end of week four. If will be splitting your workouts into training your upper cardio is familiar to you, start at 30 minutes, still increasing body on one day, your lower body the next, and your by five minutes each week to finish week 4 at 45 minutes. abdominals on another.

RESISTANCE BANDS

Rest

Rest is just as important as your workouts. Aim to give your muscles 48 to 72 hours’ rest between workouts of a similar nature. With this approach in hand, you will reduce your risk of injury and allow your body to push even harder the next time you exercise. This ensures your results never stop throughout the entire four weeks of the program.

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Training

YOUR TOTAL BODY TONING WORKOUT SCHEDULE WEEKS ONE AND TWO

For each move, do two sets of 12-15 reps, keeping your rest time between sets to approximately 45 seconds.

Mon

Tues

Wed

Thurs

Fri

Sat

Sun

Upper body

Cardio

Rest

Lower body/abs

Cardio

Rest

Cardio

On your upper-body days, do the following exercises in the order below.

Y

STANDING CHEST PRESS

B

O

D

Set-up: Find a stationary chest- or waist-height object and wrap a band around it, turning away from the band and holding a handle in each hand.

Your upper arms should align with your shoulders, with your palms facing downward. Step forward just enough so that you feel the resistance from the band.

Action: Extend your hands forward until your arms are straight in front of you, ensuring not to lock your elbows, and slowly return your arms to the starting position and repeat.

E

R

Tip: Standing with one foot in front of the other will help you stay balanced and give you more stability as you press.

U

P

P

SEATED ROW

46

Set-up: Sitting on the floor with your legs straight in front of you, loop the band around your feet, ensuring you have an even amount of band on both sides. Holding a handle in each hand, making sure you’re not leaning back, extend your arms out straight in front of you.

Action: Pull both handles toward your body, remembering to keep your back straight, and continue to pull until your fists meet your ribcage. Slowly extend your arms forward until they are straight in front of you again.

May/Jun 2017

Tip: Once your hands are at your ribcage, pull your shoulder blades together to activate additional muscle fibres.

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TOTAL BODY TONING STANDING SHOULDER PRESS

Set-up: Stepping on to the centre of the band with both feet, grab a handle in each hand and raise your fists until they are just above your shoulders. Palms facing forward and elbows pointing down, keep your fists above your elbows.

Action: Straighten your arms above your head, ensuring not to lock your elbows; then lower your arms back down so your fists are again just above your shoulders.

Tip: Ensure not to lean back as you press as this will recruit more of your chest muscles than your delts.

STANDING TRICEP EXTENSION

Set-up: Standing on the band near one end, hold one handle and extend your arm overhead until it’s straight.

Action: Slowly bend your elbow so that your fist is lowered behind your head.

Straighten your arm again contracting your triceps for one rep. Complete your set and then repeat on the other side.

STANDING CURL

Set-up: Holding a handle in each hand, stand in the centre of the band with both feet and face your palms upward while fully extending your arms.

Action: Slowly curl your hands toward your shoulders while your upper arms stay by your sides. Contract your biceps, and then slowly lower your hands down to the starting position.

Tip: Ensure you squeeze your triceps at the top to target that muscle.

Tip: At the top of the movement, hold your bicep squeeze for two seconds, as your hit them harder when they are at maximum resistance.

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Training WEEKS THREE AND FOUR

For each exercise, do three sets of 10-12 reps, keeping your rest time between sets to approximately 30 seconds.

Mon

Tues

Wed

Thurs

Fri

Sat

Sun

Upper body

Cardio

Lower body/abs

Rest

Upper body

Cardio

Lower body/abs

On your upper-body days, do the following exercises in the order shown.

Y

STIFF-LEGGED DEADLIFT

B

O

D

Set-up: Stand in the middle of the band with both feet, keeping them shoulder-distance apart. Bending your knees slightly, bend forward from your hips whilst keeping your back straight. Hold a handle in each hand, crossing the band for an increased resistance.

Action: Extend your back to stand upright whilst your arms stay out in front of you. Pause for two seconds, and then slowly return to the starting position.

E

R

Tip: Going as parallel to the ground as possible will give you greater range of motion as you rise.

L

O

W

REVERSE LUNGE

Set-up: Wrapping a band around a stationary object at chest- or waistheight, hold a handle in each hand.

While standing facing the object, step back from it until your arms are fully extended and you feel the tension in the band.

Action: Step back with your right foot, bending your knee until your left thigh is parallel to the floor. Pushing through your left heel to the starting position, repeat with your left foot stepping back. Continue alternating the legs working each side equally.

Tip: When stepping back to the starting position, try to do this as slowly as possible to maximise the amount of resistance on the leg.

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TOTAL BODY TONING SIDE LUNGE

Set-up: Wrapping a band around a stationary object at chest- or waist-height, hold both handles together with both hands. Stand with your right side nearest to where the band is anchored. Extend your arms out straight in front of you.

Action: Step your right leg out to the side, keeping your torso facing forward.

Bending your left knee, keep your right leg straight and at an angle. Return to the starting position and repeat for required reps, and then turn and do the other side.

Tip: Moving the height of the band will also change the angle of resistance, which will recruit different leg muscles to work on.

Tip: Once you have extended your toes fully, pause for three seconds to hit even more fibres.

ONE-LEGGED CALF PRESS

Set-up: Sit on the floor. Pull your left leg in toward your body and tuck your foot alongside the inside of your right thigh. Keep your right leg extended in front of you.

Wrap the end of a band in each hand and wrap the middle of it around the ball of your right foot. Tug the ends firmly, keeping your back straight, and pull your toes back until your feel resistance.

Action: Pushing your toes of your right foot as far as you can, release your toes to slowly pull back to the start as you resist the tension of the band. Once the required number of reps have been met, then repeat on the opposite side.

CRUNCH WITH A BAND

Set-up: Attach the middle of the band to a secure object close to the floor and lie on the floor facing away from the anchorage point. Bend your knees, keeping your feet flat, and reach back to hold both handles in each hand. Rest your fists on your chest and move away from the anchorage point until you feel a slight resistance.

Action: Slowly curl your head and shoulders up off the floor while keeping your fists firmly on your chest. Lower yourself back on to the floor and repeat until you complete your number of reps.

Tip: Moving further away from the anchorage point will build more resistance as you go.

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50

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alleviate

Training

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PAIN MANAGEMENT

N

o matter how diligent you are with warm-

ing up, proper form and recovery, if you’re a regular exerciser, you’re going to get sore. “Our bodies are well-designed machines created to take an overwhelming amount of punishment and keep moving forward,” says American certified personal trainer, author, and Healthy Lifestyle host Eraldo Maglara.

“However, even machines have a breaking point, and when you push your body beyond its limits, you put yourself at risk for injury.”

But differentiating between an everyday ache and a more complex injury isn’t always easy. “If you’re not a little bit sore after a workout, you’re not doing enough,” says Dr Jordan Metzl, a sports medicine doctor in New York City and author of Dr. Jordan Metzl’s Workout Prescription (Rodale Books, 2016). “But soreness that lingers and changes the way you move is a big red flag.”

Clearly, if your knee goes right when it should go left, you’re ER-bound, but if your knee has a niggling little tweak or dull, nebulous pain, it’s time to tap the experts.

Read on to see what Maglara and Dr Metzl had to say about common aches and pains — identifying their cause, remedy and prevention.

those

ACHES

Identify what ails you, and use our experts’ tips to nix the pain — now. BY LAUREL LEICHT

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KNEE KNOCKS

Your knee is the insertion point for muscles on both sides of your leg, and the push-pull action of these opposing forces can wreak havoc on this joint.

A pinching on the outside of the knee is likely caused by a tight iliotibial (IT) band, which runs down the outside of your thigh from your pelvic bone to your shin. Inflammation here is caused by a combo of overuse and/or repetitive motions and improper recovery, as well as a weak hip complex.

A pinching on the front of your knee where the kneecap attaches to the shinbone is more likely patellar tendonitis, aka 'runner's knee', an overuse injury common in all athletes who jump a lot or who perform repetitive stop-start motions.

YOUR RX

 RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation), a change in training protocol and time off are solid remedies for minor knee pain.  Do leg swings and walking lunges for mobility pre-workout, and stretch your hips, hamstrings and calves to improve range of motion post-workout.  Foam-roll your quads, calves, hamstrings and glutes pre-workout and post-workout to break up adhesions and alleviate pain, Dr Metzl advises.  Strengthen the supporting muscles with squats, step-ups and deadlifts, and perform bridges to target the glutes and hip complex.

MOVE: Step-up Stand in front of a box that is knee-height or less. Step up on to the box with one foot and extend your leg to stand on top.

Reverse the move to return to the start, and continue, alternating sides.

QUICK-FIRE QUESTION Knee brace or no knee brace?

Answer: Only if recommended by a doctor or specialist, and then only on a temporary basis. “If a brace is worn on a continual basis (beyond the recommended recovery time), the knee may become dependent on the brace and, consequently, weaken the area instead of strengthening it,” Maglara says.

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Training LOWER-BACK LAMENTATIONS According to ABS statistics, 70-90 per cent of Australians suffer from some form of back pain during their life, which can be caused by anything from simple muscular strain to degenerative discs and everything in between.

If you’ve got some general stiffness in the lower back, however, don’t panic, Dr Metzl says. If it goes away when you start working out, it’s probably just tightness because of inactivity or poor posture.

However, if you experience sharp or shooting pain that radiates down your leg and/or numbness or weakness in that limb, call your doctor, because it could be a herniated disk.

YOUR RX

 Use heat/cold therapy and over-thecounter meds to help with minor pain.  Warm up your hips, glutes and lower back with foam rolling, distractions and trigger-point work,* Dr Metzl says.

Maglara recommends knee rolls to increase range of motion.  Avoid potentially compromising exercises such as good mornings, and strengthen your hips, lower back and core with planks and knee raises, Maglara advises.  Practice good posture both in and out of the gym to relieve pressure on your lumbar spine.

MOVE: Knee Roll Lie face-up with your knees bent and raised above your hips, arms extended out to the sides. Slowly lower your knees side to side, keeping your core engaged and your shoulders pressed into the floor.

BACK IN ACTION

HIP HURTS

Your hips move in multiple planes of motion as well as in rotation, and because of that, they can experience impingement.

“Pinching on the front of the hip, especially during a deep squat, is pretty common among people who strength train,” Dr Metzl says when describing the feeling of a hip impingement, which can be caused by improper form or tightness in your hip flexors.

However, if you feel a dull pain on the outside of the hip or deep in your glutes, it could be bursitis, an inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs that cushion the bones, tendons and ligaments, caused by repetitive movements or overuse. If that pain is accompanied by clicking or if it increases with prolonged sitting or walking, it could be a torn labrum, another overuse injury, which requires surgery.

YOUR RX

 Use RICE and heat/cold therapy for minor aches and pains.  Avoid high-impact activities until your pain subsides.  Stretch the hip flexors pre-workout with moves such as Pigeon, and Dr Metzl recommends adding clamshells and hip thrusts to your warm-up to mobilise your hip complex.  Strengthen your hip extensors — your glutes — with bridges, step-ups and lunges.

MOVE: Pigeon Get into a low lunge and place both hands on the floor on either side of your leg. Drop your front knee to the side so the leg lies flat on the floor with your shin perpendicular to your body (or your knee bent to about 45 degrees), hips level. Your other leg is extended behind you. Hold for 60 to 90 seconds on each side.

Sore lower back? Add a little extra cardio to your routine: as little as 25 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise twice a week can increase blood flow to the soft tissues in the back and nix stiffness and pain, according to research from the University of St. Mark & St. John in England.

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PAIN MANAGEMENT

SHOULDER IMPINGEMENT

Just like the hips, the shoulder is a complex joint, working in multiple planes of motion as well as in rotation. All this range of motion means a higher potential for injury.

Pinching felt when reaching overhead usually signals the impingement of a nerve or tendon, which is typically caused by an imbalance or tightness in the muscles of the shoulder, according to Dr Metzl.

When not addressed, an impingement can worsen, morphing into bursitis or — at worst — a tear in the rotator cuff, which manifests as pain and/or weakness that radiates down your arm.

YOUR RX

 Use RICE and over-the-counter anti-inflammatories to quell minor pain.  Avoid moves that put your shoulder in a compromised position, such as behind-theneck presses and upright rows, Maglara says.  Strengthen your shoulder stabilisers with seated cable rows, YTI raises and the medicine-ball alphabet, as prescribed by Maglara.  Take extra time to warm up and stretch your shoulders in all directions — up, down, side-to-side and around.

MOVE: Medicine-ball alphabet Hold a light medicine ball with both hands straight out in front of you at shoulder height. Draw the alphabet from A to Z in the air.

ANKLE ACHES

Your ankle is another tricky joint, and excessive exercise on unforgiving surfaces such as footpaths combined with repetitive motions can cause a strain — a dull ache that can occur anywhere on your ankle.

But if that tenderness is in a specific spot and abates when you’re at rest, it could be a stress fracture, which is also a result of the aforementioned conditions.

An ache in the back of your leg or above your heel after activity could indicate Achilles tendinitis, which is typically caused by overuse or by a sudden increase in training intensity or duration.

YOUR RX

 Use RICE and over-the-counter anti-inflammatories to treat minor aches and strains.  Limit your training to upper body only, or choose isolation exercises such as leg extensions or leg curls to work your lower half.  Strengthen your ankles with weighted calf raises and squat jumps, Maglara says.  To improve mobility, draw the alphabet with each foot while sitting in a chair preworkout, or even on a lunch break.  Once healed, replace long, repetitive cardio sessions with short, high-intensity interval training workouts.

MOVE: Weighted calf raise Stand on a small box with your heels hanging over the edge and hold a dumbbell in each hand.

Sink down into your heels as far as you can and get a good stretch, then rise up on to your toes as high as you can and pause before repeating.

ROTATOR-CUFF STABILISATION EXERCISES (such as this one) were shown to reduce pain and improve shoulder function in people with impingement syndrome in just four weeks, according to research published in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy.

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Sprains vs STRAINS

Sprains affect your ligaments — the tissues that connect bone to bone — leading to pain, inflammation, bruising and limited mobility. They happen when excessive force is placed on a joint, such as when you roll your ankle or twist your knee, and you might hear a popping sound at the time of occurrence.

Strains affect tendons (the tissues that connect muscle to bone) and occur when a joint is overstretched, either acutely — such as landing badly from a box jump — or chronically — from repetitive motions during sports or work. Both types cause pain, instability, swelling and soreness as well as limited range of motion in a muscle.

Treatment for both: sse RICE and over-the-counter medicines, and take some time off from training.

Five surefire ways to prevent that pain  Devise a 10- to 15-minute warm-up routine consisting of light cardio, mobility drills and movement prep that specifically targets the muscles you’re going to work that day.  Learn and practice impeccable form. When in doubt, ask a trusted professional for advice.  Be mindful during your workout, focusing on each and every repetition and buffering distractions as best you can.  Always cool down and stretch post-workout to increase your range of motion and flush the metabolic wastes from your system.  Take time off when you’re fatigued or rundown. Better 48 hours off than 48 days in rehab.

SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION IF:

• the pain is intense and comes on suddenly during activity or a fall • the injury is accompanied by a popping or snapping noise, followed by swelling • the joint looks deformed, or • the injured area cannot bear weight or has a limited range of motion.

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53

Nutrition

Caring for yourbugs

BY MATT LEGGE

54

May/Jun 2017

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DIET DETOX

Y

The smallest of creatures living inside your gut could be more of a key to your health, and sustainable weightloss, than you think.

ou may have noticed

everyone talking about probiotics; fermented foods such as kombucha, kimchi, and sauerkraut are all the rage at the moment, and there are so many new probiotics hitting the shelves, with a new gut bug discovery seemingly every day.

It looks like the gut bugs may be the cause of everything bad in our bodies, and our saviour to protect us from harm while guiding us to a wonderful symptom-free place of flat tummies and clear minds.

One interesting finding coming out of this new research was the concept that your gut flora population can determine your body shape. You cannot maintain your new body shape until your gut flora changes to be that of a lean person with a fast metabolism.

This new research can help to explain ‘yo-yo dieting’, ‘rebound weight gain’, and post-dieting ‘metabolic damage’.

Your food choices during a fat-loss campaign can determine how long the weight stays off by how these foods change your gut flora population.

What you eat determines your microbial load (how many bugs you do have), types of bugs you carry around, and the ratios between the different strains.

Interesting facts about our bugs

l There are 10 times as many gut bug cells

in your body than there are your own functioning cells. l Gut bugs can make you crave certain foods that they want or need to survive.

Sugars, lactose, and starchy carbs are their favourite foods. Gut bugs need nutrients too; they will make you eat what they need. l Gut bugs can change your hormonal balance, insulin sensitivity, mood, cravings, body shape, mental clarity, immunity and allergies, and detoxification and elimination. l Changing your food choices changes your gut bugs. l Starving your gut bugs creates the Herxheimer Reaction, which includes nausea, burping, bloating, farting, gurgling, and alternating constipation and diarrhoea. This is a sign of gut bugs chang-

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ing — not food intolerance, detox reaction, IBS, and so on that may make you quit or give in to the bugs. l Ratios and balance of gut bugs is more important than their numbers. You can get too much of a good thing.

Do you have ‘skinny’ gut bugs or ‘fat’ gut bugs?

A scientific paper published in the journal Nature last year revealed the results of some interesting research by a group of Israeli scientists who were trying to find the reason behind rebound weight gain after successful dieting. They found that in “80 per cent of cases in which weight loss was initially successful, reduced weight is not maintained, and instead is followed by recurrent weight gain and relapsing metabolic complications within 12 months of initial weight reduction that may even exceed the pre-dieting metabolic derangements”.

Meaning that 80 per cent of people put their weight back on — and often they add more and are sicker than before they lost the weight.

This group of scientists went on to make a major discovery. They discovered that an intestinal microbiome signature persists after successful dieting, which contributes to faster weight regain and metabolic aberrations upon re-exposure to obesitypromoting conditions.

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Nutrition

What is poop?

% %

DEAD BACTERIA

FIBRE

SOLID

WATER

%

% %

CHOLESTEROL AND OTHER FATS

%

INORGANIC SUBSTANCES, SUCH AS CALCIUM PHOSPHATE AND IRON PHOSPHATE FROM SUPPLEMENTS AND FORTIFIED FOODS

This means that people with obesity had a combination of gut bugs that helped to make them fat, and that same colony of bugs will keep them fat. While calorie constriction, diet, and exercise helped them to lose the weight, it all came back on, and more, if the gut bugs did not change.

Basically, if you don’t change your population of gut bugs that made you fat, then you can expect to struggle to keep the weight off until you change your gut bugs to suit your new body shape.

Those with a fast metabolism and good energy and body shape have a particular intestinal microbiome signature that helps to keep them lean and struggle to gain weight.

Too much of a good thing?

If you look at the ‘What is poop?’ stats, you will see that there is about the same number of dead bacteria in your poop as there is fibre! Yet all of the marketing is telling us we need more and more bugs and probiotics. More! More! More!

In obesity, the bugs have been overfed and they want more food. While on a fatloss campaign, they may starve and lay dormant. As soon as you put their favourite foods back in after restriction, they thrive and grow and change you back to the way you were.

This is the best bit…

UNUSED PROTEIN, AND

%

others

CELL DEBRIS SHED FROM THE MUCOUS MEMBRANE OF THE DIGESTIVE TRACT (FOR EXAMPLE, VILLI) • BILE PIGMENTS (BILIRUBIN IS YELLOW, AND AFTER THE ACTION OF GUT FLORA, IT CHANGES TO BROWN)•DEAD IMMUNE CELLS •ODOUR RESULTING FROM CHEMICALS PRODUCED BY BACTERIAL ACTION

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Science has also proven that diet in the form of calorie control and macronutrient manipulation (changing ratios of protein, fat, and carbohydrates) and exercise can effectively help you to lose the weight.

The new science regarding gut flora has given us some insights into what sort of food to use to make up your macros.

Step 1: Work with your healthcare practitioner to create a plan for diet and exercise that works.

Step 2: Add the following foods into your macro plan. These foods can help to change your gut bugs while you are on a fat-loss campaign: l herbal teas (for flavonoids and polyphenols) — green tea, white tea, black tea, hibiscus (rosella), rosehip tea l cranberries and grapes l kelp and nori l garlic and onion l rosemary, parsley, coriander, rocket, Vietnamese mint, mint l almonds and hazelnuts with skin on l mustard and horseradish l coconuts l pomegranate, persimmon and grapefruit l pomegranate seed oil, coconut oil l Dorrigo pepper or Mountain pepper (Australian native) l broccoli, broccoli sprouts, watercress, mustard greens l radishes — red, daikon, horse, and l fermented foods, except yoghurt (not because they give us heaps of new and live bugs, because they don’t, but because they give the polyphenols we need to keep other bugs under control) — kimchi and sauerkraut.

You can simply follow the calorie and macronutrient plan that works and just add in certain foods that will help to create an intestinal population of bugs that will help to keep the weight off.

MATT LEGGE Matt is a research scientist and naturopath with more than 20 years’ experience in disease diagnosis, performance enhancement, and formulation. He is a co-founder of the award-winning nutraceutical company ATP Science and co-hosts The ATP Project — a health-focused podcast consistently ranked in the top 10 Fitness & Nutrition podcasts in the world. Matt is sought-after for his ability to break down complex hormone and energy pathway problems in the body and create solutions that work. Make sure you catch Matt on the Healthy Living Stage on Saturday and Sunday at 1:15pm on stand E48 at the Fitness Show in Sydney on 29-30 April.

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Nutrition

YOUR BEST DIET ADVICE, EVER!

BY ALLISON YOUNG

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DIET TIPS

We cut through the BS to find the food advice that actually works.

These sciencebacked rules will take your physique from now to WOW! Welcome to the new rules of eating.

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Nutrition

Kill cravings with cucumbers sprinkled with salt.

2. Let them eat salt!

That sweaty workout can have you craving chips, wings and fries - oh my! When sweat happens, so does salt loss — as much as 5000 milligrams an hour. Skip the deep-fried salt bombs and sprinkle the white stuff on airpopped popcorn, cucumbers, baked kale chips and even strawberries for a healthier salt fix.

3. Ditch the one-note diet.

Broccoli for breakfast, lunch and dinner isn’t doing your appetite any favours. A study published in Physiology & Behavior found that food monotony could lead to cravings. Mix it up to keep from getting bored.

CRUSH YOUR CRAVINGS 1.Skip a meal or two.

Science says intermittent fasting, as in eating 500 calories one or two days a week or going 12 to 18 hours in a day without food, can help you lose weight and decrease your risk for disease. Heck, skipping meals can even amp up the production of growth hormone and satiating hormones to protect your hard-earned muscles and keep your stomach from grumbling. For best results, work your way up, gradually increasing the hours you fast from 12 to 14 (up to 18).

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4. Imagine cravings away.

Close your eyes and picture a colourful rainbow and watch your food hankerings disappear. A McGill University study showed that picturing something pleasurable engaged the imagery section of the brain to cancel out cravings.

5. Trick your sweet tooth.

Healthy sweets are not an oxymoron. Instead of nutrient-void cookies and cupcakes, reach for sweets that satisfy your sweet tooth and nutrient needs: dark chocolate delivers antioxidants, fruit gives you fibre, and Greek yoghurt with honey provides protein and calcium.

6. Get your magnesium fix.

Craving chocolate? You could be low in magnesium, a key mineral for muscle contractions and energy production that most of us are lacking. Yes, chocolate is chock-full of it, but healthier bets are almonds, beans, sunflower seeds, fish and leafy greens.

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7. Flex!

Firming up your muscles could strengthen your resolve.

In a Journal of Consumer Research study, participants who tightened up their muscles made better food choices.

BLOAT, BE GONE!

8. Hack your microbiome.

13. Farewell, FODMAPs.

The microbial makeup of your gut could determine whether you reach for a soda or a salad, suggests a review in BioEssays. Stack it in your favour by eating fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kimchi, probiotic-packed yoghurt and a variety of veggies.

9. Be a sleeping beauty.

Sleep not only does a body good, but it can also work wonders on your appetite. Being sleep-deprived can blunt your frontal lobe, your brain’s decision-maker, meaning you’re more likely to crave junk and eat more calories the next day — an average of 385 more, according to one study.

Move over gluten: the real bloating culprit could be FODMAPS (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols). These tough-to-digest small-chain carbs, found in foods such as garlic, yoghurt, asparagus, beans and barley, aren’t unhealthy, but if you’re sensitive, too much of a good thing can mean cramping, constipation and gas.

The solution: go low-FODMAP and watch your belly deflate.

14. Get fermented!

Kombucha, kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir and even probiotic-spiked protein powders can increase good gut microbes to help digest food, absorb nutrients and un-tent your tummy.

15. Down with fructose.

An apple a day could keep the skinny jeans away.

Fructose, a naturally occurring sugar in apples, watermelon, mango, honey and agave syrup, can ferment in your colon to cause abdominal pain, gas and bloating if you’re intolerant. For flat-tummy results, cut down on the culprits and skip fruit as a solo snack.

10. Surf the urge.

16. Potassium, please!

11. Tetris, anyone!

17. More salmon and sun.

Cravings usually go one of two ways: we white-knuckle through them or give into them. But there is another option: ride out the craving. Picture the urge like a wave in the ocean that builds and eventually crashes — and it will pass.

Playing a computer game, such as Tetris, for as little as three minutes could get your mind off food, says a study in Addictive Behaviors. Take that, pizza!

12. Exercise away cravings.

When mental fatigue hits and has you reaching for a cookie, hit back with exercise. A study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that the lactic acid produced during exercise can feed a tired brain and turn off the urge to overeat.

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Retaining water? Potassium can help flush extra fluid from your system, but bananas aren’t your only (or best) bet. Sweet potatoes, avocado, tomato sauce and blackstrap molasses have more.

A study published in the British Medical Journal found that 82 per cent of participants with irritable bowel syndrome weren’t getting enough vitamin D. Bonus: the sunshine vitamin, which is also found in eggs, milk and tuna, is linked to a boosted immunity and better mood.

Fermented foods are bloatbusters.

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DIET MYTHS DEBUNKED

18. Three a day is okay.

You don’t have to eat every three hours if that doesn’t work for you. Need proof? A study published in Obesity found that the three-meal-a-day group reported feeling more full than the six-meal group.

19. Suit yourself.

The best diet is the one you follow. Paleo, gluten-free, Weight Watchers, low-carb … so which way of eating wins? A meta-analysis published in the journal JAMA says the best diet is the one you stick with.

20. Time is on your side.

Eating after 8pm doesn’t make you fat. But there is a downside to late-night noshing: willpower is lower when you’re sleepy (enter donuts), and before-bed calories could interrupt sleep, causing you to overeat the next day.

Calories can’t tell the time.

21. Enough protein, already!

Protein helps you stay full longer and preserves muscle mass (win-win!), but going hog-wild on, well, hog, is pointless. Researchers from the University of Texas found that consuming 90 grams of protein at one meal provides the same benefit as eating 30 grams. The takeaway: spread out your protein intake across the day.

22. Coconut oil is overrated.

The tropical oil may be touted as the latest superfood (and its high levels of lauric acid could suppress your appetite), but just adding one food to your diet won’t magically make the weight fall off.

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SMART SNACKING

23. Refuel the right way.

If you think of your post-workout snack as a guilt-free payment for your sweat session, you could be eating back all the calories you just burnt — and then some. Forget reward; think recovery. Eating a healthy 200-calorie snack containing carbs and protein within 30 minutes (chocolate milk, banana and peanut butter, crackers and cheese) can replenish glycogen stores, repair muscle and prevent the dreaded post-workout pigout.

24. Rethink your snacks.

Researchers found that when office workers were sitting near a clear dish of Hershey’s Kisses, they ate 71 per cent — or 72 calories a day — more than they did when the chocolate was kept in white dishes. Even better, a stash of protein- and fibrerich snacks such as pumpkin seeds or dry-roasted edamame can keep you satiated, productive and away from the temptation of communal lollies.

25. End mindless snacking.

Turn off the television (it can cause you to eat 45 per cent more) and tune into your food. Eating with your nondominant hand, slowing down to savour your food and smaller plates helps, too.

26. Have a late-night strategy.

Yes, we’re most likely to binge at night, but knowing is only half the battle. Stocking healthy go-to snacks with built-in brakes — frozen fruit for sweet cravings and pistachios in the shell for salty — can keep you from diving headfirst into a bag of cookies.

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PROTEIN POWER BARS Recipe and images credited to: Georgia Harding ND Well Nourished www.wellnourished.com.au

This is a great school holiday slice for you to whip up for, or with the kids. It’s super simple, no-bake and chocolatey good!

A great treat to keep on hand for sweet loving teens (or little kids).

Photos by Well Nourished www.wellnourished.com.au

Premium Wholefoods. Incredible savings.

The Wholefood Collective We know our philosophy is a little radical, but we believe that healthy food should be affordable for all.

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INGREDIENTS l 150g of butter (or coconut oil), melted l 220g (2/3 cup) of sweetener (rice malt syrup or raw honey) l 30g (¼ cup) of cacao powder l 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder l 130g (1½ cups approx.) rolled oats or quinoa (or half oats, half rolled quinoa – see below for gluten and grain-free) l 230g (1½ cups approx.) of your choice of raw nuts and/or seeds (I used walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds) l 1 heaped tablespoon of chia or flax seeds, preferably ground l 80g (1 cup) desiccated or shredded coconut METHOD 1. In a small pot, combine the butter, sweetener, cacao and cinnamon over a low heat, stirring until combined (a few minutes).

2. For a tastier slice, toast the oats, nuts, seeds and coconut in a large pan over a low heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring often (the coconut will colour). Or if you’d prefer, simply combine the dried ingredients raw.

3. Allow to cool a little (if you’ve chosen to toast) and then pulse (quickly) in your food processor a couple of times to chop the nuts a little.

4. Add the wet ingredients and mix together until well combined.

5. Use a big wet serving spoon to press firmly into a small slice tin lined with baking paper.

6. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes to set.

7. Once set, remove from the tin and cut into squares.

Pick up ingredients for this recipe Brought to you by: The Wholefood Collective

at The Wholefood Collective -

Eat well. Save big. @thewholefoodcollective www.thewholefoodcollective.com

Nutrition

your

perfect

week

Want to get off the diet seesaw and commit to making healthy eating a permanent way of life?

This one-week meal plan shows you how.

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7-DAY MEAL PLAN

BY SHOSHANA PRITZKER, RD, CDN, CSSD, CISSN

Year after year, you decide you want to lose weight and get serious about clean eating. Your kitchen gets a makeover and you ditch every morsel of food that is 'bad' for you or will 'make you fat'. Then, finally, you reach the magic number on the scale, flash your brand-new abs for a few weeks and let your guard down to relax a bit — hey, you deserve it, right? Before you know it, you’ve gained it all back and then some. You’ve done it again — you’ve fallen victim to diet cycling.

I

nstead of reaching for the latest

contest-prep meal plan or trendy quick fix, consider turning your back on yo-yo dieting for good. Didn’t think that’s what you were doing because you’re following a competition diet, not a fad diet?

Think again. Yo-yo dieting is the cyclical loss and gain of weight, regardless of the diet source. And guess what? It’s pretty hard on your heart and body. According to a recent report from the American Heart Association, weight cycling may put you at a greater risk of heart disease or dying from a heart attack.

If that’s not enough to deter you, researchers from the UK determined that repeated dieting may lead to weight gain because your brain interprets the diets as short stints of famine, resulting in your body storing fat in preparation for a future 'famine'. This compensatory mechanism may explain why you end up overeating after coming off a low-calorie diet. While this is only a small factor contributing to weight gain post-diet, it’s something to consider.

Your best bet for weight loss is to keep your diet consistent year-round. Taking in only a few hundred calories less than your body needs and exercising regularly is a

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much better way to lose and maintain your weight than by going on and off low-calorie, restriction-type diets.

Finding a sustainable diet that provides your body with the nutrients it needs without leaving you feeling bored and deprived will help you be successful on your fitness journey for the long term. Start with this seven-day meal plan that’s based on a balance of macronutrients and designed to jump-start your metabolism to burn fat and provide energy for tough workouts and long days. If you feel it’s lacking calories for your body type, simply increase the calories of each macronutrient (protein, carbs and healthy fats) at one or a few of the meals and snacks. On the flip side, if this is too much food for you (remember, fit girls need more calories than our couch-potato friends!), go ahead and eliminate the carbs from one of your meals every day.

Diet fact: a study published in the November 2016 issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that lowcarb and high-carb/low-fat diets resulted in similar weight loss; that’s why we went with a balance of macronutrients. That means we get to eat our carbs and lose weight, too!

Remember to allow yourself one to two treat meals per week.

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Your perfect 7-day meal plan DAY 1

DAY 2

DAY 3

DAY 4

DAY 5

DAY 6

DAY 7

2 Ezekiel waffles + ½ cup ricotta cheese + ¼ cup sliced strawberries

½ cup oatmeal (cooked in water or nonfat milk) + ¼ cup blueberries or sliced banana + 1 tbsp chopped walnuts + 1 scoop whey protein powder

½ cup oatmeal (cooked in water or nonfat milk) + ¼ cup blueberries or sliced banana + 1 tbsp chopped walnuts + 1 scoop whey protein powder

1 container plain non-fat Greekstyle yoghurt

1 string cheese + 1 small apple

1 medium banana + 2 tbsp natural peanut butter

85g grilled filet mignon or sirloin steak + 1 medium sweet potato + 1 tbsp butter + 1 cup steamed veggies of choice

1 cup diced grilled chicken breast + 1 cup cooked brown rice + 1 cup steamed broccoli + ¼ cup low-fat shredded cheese

2 slices Ezekiel bread (toasted) and topped with ¼ avocado and 2 poached or sunny-side up eggs + salt and pepper, to taste + ½ medium grapefruit on side

100-calorie pack nuts of choice

2 hard-boiled eggs

1 scoop whey protein powder + 1 cup brewed coffee (blend with ice)

85g grilled white fish + 1 cup cooked brown rice + ¾ cup green beans

85g grilled chopped chicken breast + 1 cup spaghetti squash + ¼ cup tomato sauce + ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese + 1 cup steamed broccoli and side salad

85g grilled filet mignon or sirloin steak + 1 cup roasted potatoes + asparagus spears + side salad

calories 1432, total fat 44g, saturated fat 16g, protein 143g, carbs 117g, fibre 15g, sugar 23g

calories 1425, total fat 55g, saturated fat 12g, protein 109g, carbs 131g, fibre 25g, sugar 47g

BREAKFAST 2 hard-boiled eggs + 1/3 cup oat bran cooked in ½ cup non-fat milk

2 slices Ezekiel bread (toasted) + ¼ avocado + 4 egg whites

2 rice cakes + 2 tbsp natural peanut butter + 1 container plain non-fat Greekstyle yoghurt

1 light multigrain English muffin + 4 scrambled egg whites + 1 slice cheddar cheese

SNACK 1 string cheese + 1 small apple

100-calorie pack nuts of choice

2 hard-boiled eggs

celery slices + 2 tbsp natural peanut butter

LUNCH 2 cups lentil soup + 2 tbsp shelled sunflower seeds

1 cup cooked quinoa + ½ cup diced grilled chicken breast + 2 tbsp crumbled feta cheese + diced cucumber and tomato

2 slices Ezekiel bread (toasted) + 1 slice cheddar cheese + 4 slices deli turkey meat + 1 cup fruit of choice

1 low-calorie wholegrain tortilla + 1 (115g) can tuna drained and mixed with ¼ avocado and seasonings of choice + lettuce and tomato

¾ cup low-fat cottage cheese + ½ cup diced pineapple

1 container plain non-fat Greekstyle yoghurt + ¼ cup fresh berries of choice

¼ cup guacamole + fresh sliced veggies of choice

1 scoop whey protein powder + 1 cup brewed coffee (blend with ice)

SNACK

DINNER zucchini noodles + 6 jumbo prawns sauteed with 1 tbsp butter and chopped garlic, salt and pepper and tossed with ¼ cup cannellini beans

85g grilled salmon + 1 medium sweet potato + 1 tbsp butter + 1 cup steamed veggies of choice

Cheesy Chicken Quesadilla: 1 low-calorie wholewheat wrap filled with ½ cup grilled chicken + 2 tbsp lowfat shredded Mexican-style cheese + salsa and sauteed capsicum and onions on side

1 (85g) 90-93 per cent lean ground beef burger + 1 whole-wheat hamburger bun + 1 slice cheese of choice + grilled veggies of choice + 1 ear of corn on the cob

NUTRITION FACTS calories 1384, total fat 55g, saturated fat 18g, protein 108g, carbs 126g, fibre 27g, sugar 51g

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calories 1397, total fat 52g, saturated fat 16g, protein 115g, carbs 121g, fibre 22g, sugar 23g

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calories 1396, total fat 58g, saturated fat 19g, protein 119g, carbs 110g, fibre 24g, sugar 30g

calories 1386, total fat 57g, saturated fat 17g, protein 124g, carbs 99g, fibre 26g, sugar 16g

calories 1411, total fat 60g, saturated fat 25g, protein 90g, carbs 130g, fibre 20g, sugar 24g

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XXXXXXXXXXXXXX 7 DAY MEAL PLAN

Find a diet that provides your body with the nutrients it needs to be successful in the long run.

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Photo by Charlie Suriano

DIETS

Health

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WHICH DIET

...how to know which one is right for you 6 POPULAR DIETS DEMYSTIFIED.

BY AMELIA RICCI

T

here are so many new diets this year that

it can be hard to choose which one might be right for you. Any diet can have you losing weight on the scales, but it is body composition that’s the ultimate goal. To explain further, our body will look more ‘toned’ if we create shape with weight training to grow lean muscle and reduce the body fat that sits on top of the muscle so definition is seen. It is also important to consider whether a diet can be sustainable in the long term. When we talk of a diet, we often refer to something that implies restriction or only lasts for the short term; however, the word ‘diet’comes from an ancient Greek word diaita, meaning ‘a mode of living’.

I have reviewed six popular diets and shared their pros and cons based on recent research. These diets have been rated with help from a panel of nutritional experts. In this study, various diets were rated using seven categories: how easy it is to follow, its ability to produce short-term and longterm weight loss, its nutritional completeness, its safety, and potential for preventing and managing diabetes and heart disease.1 I’ve also reviewed the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet, which is a government initiative to get Australians healthier, and interestingly the diet focuses on behavioural types to

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coach participants to success.2 What does each diet look like and could you implement a lifestyle diet that suits your needs?

THE FLEXITARIAN DIET

This dietary regime is great for those who do not want to commit to a fulltime vegetarian regime, but who want to eliminate most meat from their diet. It combines the words ‘flexible’ and ‘vegetarian’.

HOW DOES IT WORK: Meals revolve around plant-based rather than animal-based proteins. The main principle is adding things to your diet such as tofu, beans, lentils, peas, nuts, seeds, and eggs. Eating more vegetables and fruit is emphasised, as well as moderate exercise for 30 minutes three times a week or intense exercise for 20 minutes twice a week.

PROS: Most people can easily add more vegetables to their daily diet and cook more nutrient-dense recipes simply by filling their plate with larger portions of veggies. Vegetarian recipes are delicious and provide variety.

CONS: The diet follows a 3-4-5 approach: 300 calories for breakfast, 400 calories for lunch, and 500 calories for dinner. With two snacks at 150 calories each, the total is approximately 1500 calories, which could be hard to sustain if you undertake an intense exercise regime.

EFFECT ON HEALTH: Research suggests plant-based diets may help to reduce cholesterol, keep blood pressure in check, and reduce the risk of heart disease. That’s in large part because plant protein is higher in fibre than animal protein, with less fat and no cholesterol. However, it’s important to carefully plan your flexitarian diet so that you don’t get stuck without your meals and opt for convenience foods — for example, processed vegetarian foods, which have little nutritional value.

THE 5:2 DIET

This regime has been popular recently as it follows a simple formula, yet could be a challenge to stick to for the long-term. It is suggested that when we intermittently fast, we’re tricking our bodies into thinking we may be experiencing a famine, in which case the body switches into maintenance mode and burns energy from fat stores.

HOW DOES IT WORK: The 5:2 diet, also known as ‘the Fast Diet’, is currently the most popular intermittent fasting diet. It was popularised

by British doctor and journalist Michael Mosley. It’s called the 5:2 diet because five days of the week are normal eating days, while the other two restrict calories to 500-600 per day. The recipe suggestions for this diet focus on whole foods for the fasting days to ensure essential nutrients are eaten.

Your calories are so precious that it’s better to spend them on foods with nutritional value — for example, lean protein and vegetables. Then on the other five days of the week you are free to do what you like with your calories.

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Health PROS: It could work in the short term to create a calorie deficit, but could be hard to maintain. For example, those with low blood sugar levels may feel faint on such low calories and athletes may need to adjust their training volume to reduce training on the fasting days. Some who’ve lost weight with this diet have said they had success initially before switching to other more sustainable diets. Perhaps could suit people who don’t want to feel they are constantly watching calories or ‘on a diet’ or who have generally good ‘normal’ eating habits (as long as ‘normal’ doesn’t mean bad food choices for most of the week!).

CONS: The experts in this study expressed concern about the Fast Diet, particularly that its lack of guidance could result in poor food choices and overeating on non-fasting days.1 It is just an eating plan and does not prescribe exercise, so you would need to seek alternative guidelines for exercise.

EFFECT ON HEALTH: Some people should not fast, including women trying to conceive, those who are already pregnant, and children, which seems obvious, but if we consider the definition of diet as a long-term regime, this may not be the solution. It’s also not suitable for diabetics who could suffer a drop in blood sugar.

THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET

For many years, this diet has been talked about because those living in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea seem to live longer and suffer less than most Australians from cancer and cardiovascular ailments.

HOW DOES IT WORK: The diet follows an approach of including plenty of fresh produce and a reduction of red meat, sugar, and processed foods. There is an emphasis on fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans, nuts, legumes, and olive oil, and suggests eating fish and seafood at least a couple of times a week. It encourages poultry, eggs, cheese, and yoghurt in moderation.

Red wine is also allowed in moderation.

PROS: It is easy to follow, as fresh salads, fish, and a diverse range of foods are included.

CONS: It could be expensive to eat a lot of fish, and all meals are prepared fresh, which takes time.

EFFECT ON HEALTH: Research suggests that people who follow a Mediterranean-style diet have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to others.

THREE-DAY DIET

This program asks you to follow a restrictive regime for three days in order to lose weight. The menu allows no deviation or substitution.

HOW DOES IT WORK: Like most verylow-calorie diets, they will work in the short term to create a calorie deficit, but may in fact reduce muscle mass as well as fat. This diet gives a menu of 800-

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1000 calories per day. The meal options do not include many vegetables. For example, the lunch for day one is plain tuna with a cup of black coffee. The plan doesn’t allow for additions, not even green vegetables or a drop of sauce or dressing for the tuna meal.

PROS: This diet will result in weight loss on the scales due to creating a large calorie deficit.

CONS: Due to the low calorie intake, at the end of the diet the weight may be put back on, as this is not a long-term solution.

EFFECT ON HEALTH: This diet could lead to constipation due to it being low in fibre, and it’s likely that after the three days, excessive eating could result due to the intensely restrictive food plan you must follow. This also leads to feelings of failure, so it can be a deterrent to try to lose weight in future.

MIND DIET

The main focus of this diet is to prevent Alzheimer’s disease by eating foods that encourage healthy brain function, with the emphasis being on including 10 ‘brain healthy’ food groups.

HOW DOES IT WORK: Focusing on foods that specifically affect brain health, the MIND diet recommends at least two servings of green vegetables daily. It also includes poultry, fish, plenty of fruit and vegetables, nuts, olive oil, and recommends berries for a snack. It also allows red wine.

PROS:It’s a diet for health rather than weight loss, so would work for someone very active.

CONS: Rather than recipes, you are given guidelines, so you would need to find your own inspiration.

EFFECT ON HEALTH: The diet advocates avoiding five ‘unhealthy’ groups: red meats, butter and margarine, cheeses, pastries and sweets, and fried or fast food — and

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this is surely a step in the right direction for many of us. By increasing the 10 food groups to enhance brain health, there will likely be a side effect on improved energy levels and possible weight loss, as well as the strong support for better brain function.

Amelia Ricci

Fitness Expert, Mother & Model Award Winning Trainer

CSIRO TOTAL WELLBEING DIET

This diet is high in protein, incorporates low GI carbohydrates, and encourages a wide range of foods to be consumed. It does not just focus on nutrition and exercise, but also considers the personality type of the individual and their behavioural traits in relation to eating and dieting.

**It is important to consult an Accredited Practising Dietitian should you have any specific health concerns and make the decision that best suits your individual needs.References 1 Best Diets, US News (2016). Retrieved from <http://health.usnews.com/best-diet>.2 CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet (2017). Retrieved from <www.totalwellbeingdiet.com>.

HOW DOES IT WORK: You complete a survey to identify your diet type and from there you are given an eating plan including a wide range of whole foods and recipes. The CSIRO’s ‘knowing your diet type’ survey is completed upon commencement and aims to motivate people to make changes in behaviour for the long term.

PROS: Weight-loss tips are given according to your personality type, and this may help to identify triggers to overeating that have prevented success with diets in the past.

CONS: There are not many cons, as this diet is scientifically proven by the CSIRO; however, the average of 5kg lost over the 12-week program may be seen as a drawback for some. The CSIRO diet is more a guide to an improved and healthier lifestyle, which is extremely positive and could lead to assisting people overcome a range of health conditions.

EFFECT ON HEALTH: The diet focuses on long-term weight maintenance and also rewards the dieter with a refund on the purchase price if successfully completed, which means that may have effects not only on physical but also mental health.

TAKE-HOME MESSAGE

A diet needs to fit seamlessly into your lifestyle, and there is no one regimen that will suit everyone. If you have food intolerances or other health issues, this will have an impact on the diet suitable for your needs. In the fitness industry, many of us are preparing for a photo shoot or competition for several months at a time. Taking the approach of using whole foods and clean eating, incorporating a wide range of fresh produce is always a step in the right direction. Another healthy tip is to fill the bulk of your plate with fresh salad and vegetables. By making these plant-based foods the focus, you will find that the fibre will keep you fuller for longer, the vitamins and minerals will give you energy, and you will gain other benefits such as healthy hair, skin, and nails.

AMELIA’S SAMPLE DIET Meal 1: Protein pancakes with hidden zucchini grated in the batter Meal 2: Protein shake with berries, nuts, and seeds Meal 3: Tuna and lentil patties with garden salad and a slice of gluten-free bread Meal 4: Home-made hummus with cucumber slices Meal 5: Barramundi with steamed greens and low-carb potatoes

During my early years undertaking strict competition preparation, I would have to say that I fell under the category that the CSIRO diet describes as an ‘overthinker’2. When I started dieting, overthinking food choices led to stress and constant thoughts about food, which derailed my efforts! These days I adopt a healthy eating plan, not a diet, and I encourage you to do the same. Find a dietary regime that, as the Greeks say, is your ‘mode of living’.

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Nutrition

Feed the Machine Knowing what you eat and when to eat it can make all the difference in your physique goals.

Here, we break it down for you.

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KNOW YOUR MACROS

BY STEVE DOWNS, CSCS

Y

ou’ve undoubtedly heard the

old adage that your body is similar to your car when it comes to fuel and performance: if you fill up a Maserati with low-grade fuel or dump a little water in the petrol tank to squeeze in as many litres as possible, the automobile will be sluggish and perform far from optimally.

Your body is exactly the same. So if you’re investing countless hours working out, you better pay attention to the food you eat if you want to look and feel your best.

How much should you eat?

Before you can consider what to eat and when, you must first assess how many calories you should be consuming daily.

The Institute of Medicine recommends that active women ages 19 to 30 should eat about 2400 calories daily. That sounds like a lot, but when divided into four to six small meals of precise nutritional balance, it makes more sense. Women older than 30

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should eat about 2200 calories for the same activity level.

You can personalise this requirement by calculating your basal metabolic rate (amount of calories needed for subsistence).

A good rule of thumb is 10 calories per 500g of bodyweight for women. So if you weigh 61kg, that’s 1350 calories needed to survive.

Multiply this by 1.55 if you exercise three to five times a week and the total equals about 2100 calories. You can find more detailed calculators online that factor in height, weight and age.

Know your macros

Each of the three macronutrients — fat, protein and carbohydrates — plays an essential role. Carbohydrates power exercise and movement as an energy source, plus fuel brain function, metabolism, anabolic growth, recovery and operation of the organs. (About 60 per cent of your carb intake is needed by the brain.) Correct timing of carbs around exercise promotes anabolic hormone activity and reduces that of catabolic hormones.

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Nutrition

Protein is needed to build muscle, but it’s also critical for cell structure, regulation of the body’s organs, enzymatic stimulus, hormone creation, healing and more. Some proteins, such as the peptide hormone insulin, transmit messages to other cells to signal activity, including anabolism. Protein is actually the second most prevalent substance in the body behind water.

Finally, fat is a critical energy source that’s also needed for hormone regulation, and it provides insulation for maintenance of the body’s core temperature. It also helps the absorption of

Nutrition Diet) will have far more beneficial effects for exercise enthusiasts. Based on the estimates of necessary calories from above, a woman taking in the aforementioned 2100 calories would require 945 calories in carbs, 735 in protein and 420 in fats. Because carbs and protein comprise 4 calories per gram, this would entail 236 grams of carbs and 184 grams of protein.

Fat equals 9 calories per gram, so that equals 47 grams.

If you divided these macro quantities into six meals, each would consist of 39 grams of carbs, 31 grams of protein and 8 grams of fat. The important part — creat-

is critical in order to super-compensate glycogen levels, prevent protein breakdown and enhance anabolism while reducing catabolism. Eating 30 to 35 grams of carbs in a fast-glycemic carb meal (such as fruit, white rice or oatmeal), along with 10 to 15 grams of protein high in leucine (lean beef, salmon or soybeans), will do the trick.

(Remember, leucine helps with protein synthesis.) It’s okay if your protein source also contains a few grams of fat, such as low-fat cottage cheese or Greek yoghurt.

For convenience, a quarter scoop of whey protein mixed with a bottle of Gatorade, plus a handful of raisins and almonds, can

STUDIES SHOW THAT AS LITTLE AS 5 PER CENT OF DEHYDRATION IS LINKED TO DECREASES IN ATHLETIC OUTPUT. fat-soluble vitamins. Be sure to include unsaturated fats, plus omega-3 fatty acids for heart and joint health, in your diet.

Nutritional balance made simple

The National Health and Medical Research Council's Australian Dietary Guidelines (2013) recommend adults consume 45 to 65 per cent of their daily diet in carbs, 15 to 25 per cent in protein, and 20 to 35 per cent in fats. These are rather wide ranges, however.

Following a 45:35:20 ratio of carbs, protein and fat (also known as the Macrobolic

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ing a meal plan — becomes a maths game for you to figure out. But realising that a 115g serving of chicken breast equals 35 grams of protein, a baked sweet potato (with skin) is 38 grams of carbs and 14 whole almonds contain 7 grams of fat, you can see these aren’t big meals.

Meal timing

A little-understood aspect of nutrition is meal timing and its effect on performance.

There are three basic phases of exercise nutrition. The first is the energy phase, which provides the glycogen needed to fuel your activity. Carbohydrate consumption

substitute. Consume this meal about 30 minutes before your workout.

The anabolic phase covers the 45-minute window immediately post-exercise. Here, your body is starved for glycogen and requires amino acids for muscle repair.

Carbs are critically important because they are protein-sparing — meaning they prevent muscle degradation. Take in 50 to 65 grams of high-glycemic carbs and 20 to 25 grams of protein at this meal, plus 4 to 5 grams of fat via almonds or something similar. Eat this meal as soon after training as your appetite will allow (within 15 to 20 minutes is best). A good recommendation

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KNOW YOUR MACROS is 0.6 to 1 gram of carbs per kilogram of bodyweight at a 3:1 carbs-to-protein ratio.

Finally, the four hours after training constitute the growth phase. For your next meal, about one hour post-workout, reduce your carb intake and increase your protein and fat. Try a 2:4:1 carbs-to-protein-to-fats ratio, with protein equal to about 0.6 grams per kilogram of bodyweight. This would equate to 15 to 20 grams of carbs, 35 to 45 grams of protein and 10 to 12 grams of fat. Fortunately, protein sources such as lean red meat, fish and sushi also contain creatine, another important post-workout requirement to replenish ATP stores in muscle.

Later meals (and those earlier in the day before the workout) should follow the 45:35:20 balance using complex carbs, lean protein and unsaturated fats. These meals can be adjusted pre-workout and post-workout slightly to account for preand postworkout consumption.

Water: critial performance fuel

Hydration is important for health and performance. As you sweat, your body loses

fluid and electrolytes. Studies show that as little as 5 per cent of dehydration is linked to decreases in athletic output, and the less hydrated you become, the worse it gets.

The recommended intake of water is your weight in kilograms divided by 0.024 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; this is how many millilitres of water your body requires each day. So for a female weighing 61kg that would be just over 2.5 litres of water daily. Thirst is often slow in indicating dehydration, so be sure to imbibe at regular intervals. Drinking a 250ml glass of water every two hours is more beneficial than large amounts drunk less often.

Consume water before, during and after each workout in even greater amounts.

A 2012 study showed that drinking small mouthfuls of water repeatedly while training improved performance by 17 per cent.

If increasing muscle mass is your goal, increase your caloric intake by 10 to 15 per cent, but use the mirror to monitor any weight gain. For strength, slightly decrease carbs and increase protein. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking to lose weight, reduce overall calorie intake and reverse the ratio of carbs to protein (less carbs will enhance thermogenesis), plus reduce fat intake slightly.

Be sure to map out your daily diet based on caloric intake, macro ratios, and activity levels and schedule. If you plan ahead, it becomes less daunting and you will not sweat the details. Give your body the fuel it needs and feed the machine right!

Final considerations

Your dietary intake should always be goal-specific. The plans laid out here are for a highly active fitness enthusiast performing a routine entailing 60 per cent strength training and 40 per cent cardio.

Macronutrient timing meal plan 45% Carbs/35% Protein/20% Fat MEAL

CARBS (g)

PROTEIN (g)

FAT (g)

Meal 1

39

31

8

Meal 2

39

35

8

Pre-workout

30-35

10-15

3-4

Post-workout #1

50-65

20-25

4-6

Post-workout #2

15-20

35-45

10-12

Meal 6

39

33

10

Totals*

237

184

47

*Be sure to adjust meals 1, 2 and 6 based on the pre-workout and post-workout meals. If on the lower end of those ranges in your workout-focused meals, increase the outside feedings accordingly to equal the proper macro totals. Avoid overeating or under-eating for best results.

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Ambassador CLEAN EATING

Easy clean eating I

t happened like this: I had a text

on a Monday morning saying my personal training session with ‘Pauline’ (not her real name) was cancelled.

‘I’m away at a health retreat,’ the message said. I was very happy for Pauline, as she had been working long hours, quite often neglecting her diet and being overstressed with work. Curious, I researched what the health retreat she was attending offered.

According to the website, you could exercise as much or as little as you liked, the food served at the retreat was organic, LHI (low human intervention) meals designed to create ‘an ideal balance between macro and micronutrients’. All this seemed a great way to detox.

I was delighted that Pauline was taking part in this, but it got me thinking about how complicated and difficult this diet might seem to some as a lifestyle choice.

It’s easy to create your own health retreatstyle meals at home to enjoy the health benefits every day.

Why organic?

I buy organic food, as pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides are of great concern to me. I can’t help thinking that if these sprays can kill living species such as insects, then they can also harm our health. I also believe organic food has a higher level of nutrition and is better for us and the environment.

Organic food is more expensive than

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non-organic food, but as, to me, food is medicine, the best quality and most nutritious food is worth the extra cost. I see this as an investment in my health.

Macronutrients and micronutrients

Macronutrients are the nutrients that give your body energy to perform essential functions. The word ‘macro’ means large, and these nutrients are needed in large quantities. The three macronutrients are fats, carbohydrates, and proteins, and essentially all the foods we eat will fit into one of more of these categories. Each of these nutrients provides calories and helps you carry out essential functions such as walking, thinking, converting food into energy, growing, and repairing yourself.1 Micronutrients are also essential to your body, but you need smaller amounts. The word ‘micro’ means small, so you need smaller amounts of micronutrients than of macronutrients. Micronutrients are usually called vitamins and minerals. There are 28 essential micronutrients your body needs to survive. There are also many other vitamins and minerals that perform important functions, but you would probably be able to live without them.1 The foods we eat provide many of the micronutrients that our bodies need, so a diet high in fresh fruit, vegetables, and protein sources is very important.

What does ‘detox’ mean?

According to the Cambridge English Dictionary, detox occurs when you stop taking unhealthy or harmful foods, drinks, or drugs into your body for a period of time in order to improve your health. Simply put, think about it as eating natural and clean foods that you have cooked and prepared from scratch. Eliminating junk food, processed and packaged foods, or ingredients that you can’t recognise or pronounce, would be a great detox and a healthy way of life.

You don’t need a food app on your smartphone if the only thing in the ingredients list is the food itself. And these separate ingredients can come together to make a delicious meal.

For example, organic eggs, wild rocket leaves, avocado and sweet potato topped with Bragg apple cider vinegar and extra virgin olive oil with a sprinkle of Himalayan rock salt makes a delicious and satisfying salad.

Keep it simple and your body will love you for it.

The addictive part of food

Do you wonder why weaning yourself off takeaway food or even some types of confectionary seems impossible sometimes?

Dr David Kessler, in his book The End of Overeating, explains that a combination of sugar, salt and fat, as found in most fast and processed food, is addictive to the pleasure centre in our brain.

But you can adopt a gentle approach to eliminating these ‘foods’ from your diet.

Be kind to yourself by taking one step at a time with your clean eating.

Mindful eating

What does mindful eating mean to you?

I like to think of mindful eating as adding value and nourishment that repairs and renews my cells, plus it can taste great instead of making you feel that you’re denying yourself tasty food. I believe I am privileged to be eating such nourishing food and to have the many choices that are available.

And how did Pauline enjoy her health retreat? The first thing she said to me when she returned was, “Eating this way was just everything you’ve already suggested to me — but it was good to be immersed into it for a full week at the retreat. Now I know what you mean!”

This was music to my ears, as I knew she had been converted. I’m sure you’ll enjoy your clean eating journey and the way it makes you feel too.

Please come and say hi at my website www.lesleymaxwell.com.au

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Photos by Andrew K

How to enjoy the benefits of health retreat-style food every day.

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Reference 1 â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Nutrition facts: Macronutrients and micronutrientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (2017).

Universal Class. Retrieved from <https://www.universalclass.com/articles/ health/nutrition/nutrition-facts-macronutrients-micronutrients.htm>.

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Motivation

The negatives of thinking

negatively

BY GREG DOLMAN

Halt those negative thoughts in their tracks.

H

ave you ever stopped to

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Photos by Shutterstock

observe the range of thoughts that are, or have been, going through your head? It’s interesting to just stop every now and then and be truly aware of your thoughts and, especially if those thoughts are negative ones, to also note how long they have been going almost nonstop.

It’s really important to focus on the negative thoughts that can overcome our lives and what we can do to either erase them or, at the very least, water them down.

Let’s use the example of a situation that arises that has the potential to be stressful. The potential is only coming from the mind, unless you are living the scenario.

The latter aside, if the mind is the driver of the stress, then the first thing that we need to do is identify whether our mind is in the past or the future. If you’re a regular reader of my articles, you will know which direction this section is heading. For those who aren’t familiar with my approach to stress, I will give you a brief overview.

Our mind will either remember the past or future in pictures, just like watching a movie. The difference between the two is the same, but different. For example, when we focus on a past event, we will usually replay a certain scenario or situation over and over in the movie cinema within our mind.

If this movie is about a oxygenmag.com.au

NEGATIVE THINKING stressful situation from our past, we need to stop and ask ourselves why the heck we would want to go over a situation that has been set in stone and cannot be changed!

This stress can be stopped as soon as possible if we pull our mind back to this moment. This does take quite some practice, but after some time the past negative thoughts can be put back into the ‘memory draw’ that they came out from.

On the other side of the coin, we have the negative thought process that ‘lives’ in the future. This place hasn’t happened yet, but with our movie constantly playing over in our head we are only visualising what may happen in the future.

Whether this be tomorrow, next week, or next month, the main emotion that assists with our negative future thought process is fear!

This emotion is a very powerful one that can not only rule our lives, but can also hasten many decisions — and some not for the better.

A good example of fear in action was the affect that 9/11 had on a large percentage of the world’s population. Many people were wondering if the next world war was upon us and what was going to come of the ‘payback’. The imagination of many went into overdrive over what the foreseeable future was to hold for us all. It was all based on the fear of what might happen. A world war didn’t happen, although a war on terrorism certainly did, but that’s another story. The main point is that fear is a very powerful emotion that can totally take over our lives.

My attitude toward fear is to stay in this moment. This moment will keep my mind from travelling to the past or future, which will reduce my negative thought process in one big swoop.

I have had much experience with many clients who feel they are surrounded by or drowning in negative thoughts. The first thing is to settle their thoughts and ask them to be in the moment when they are with me. I then ask them what they are stressing about at that given moment — ‘very little’ is usually the response.

With this realisation comes a sense of peace or feeling a load has lifted, which is usually followed by a combination of both surprise and relief from the client. The client doesn’t realise how ‘simple’ the practice of being in the moment is.

‘THE MAIN EMOTION THAT ASSISTS WITH OUR NEGATIVE FUTURE THOUGHT Being in the moment PROCESS IS has and still does save me FEAR!’ from my busy mind many times a week. I practice being in the moment regularly, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t have my challenges too.

It is with my challenges that I learn what works and what doesn’t. This is the very basis of how I got into what it is I now do, through much personal experience.

Negative thoughts can have an everlasting effect on us if we are unaware or in denial that we have the negativity floating around inside us. I am sure the reader has heard of the saying ‘sh#t on the liver’? In a nutshell, this comes from Chinese medicine beliefs that, emotionally, the liver is the organ that anger and anger-related emotions such as rage, betrayal and so on are housed in. So anyone who is angry more times than not is referred to as having ‘sh#t on the liver’.

When touching on emotions and how they affect various body parts, this can happen for many different reasons, but for the purpose if this article I will stick with purely the negative. Carrying negative emotions will eventually manifest in our body through a muscle spasm, ache, or pain — if we haven’t had an injury forced upon the specific body part.

We all suffer at various times throughout our lives when a muscle will feel tight for really no known reason at all. We haven’t bumped it or twisted it, but nevertheless the tightness or pain has appeared.

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Then it can either disappear as quickly as it appeared, with or without the assistance of an external kind such as a pill, potion, or manipulation to name a few.

Having awareness of what we are thinking, and how much time we ‘devote’ to that thought process, is a real learning experience. If you have been stressing just before reading this article, how are you feeling this very moment? I would think that by reading this article, if you’re fully taking onboard all that you’re reading, your stress level should be quite less now than it was before you picked up this great magazine.

This is just one example of how we can relieve ourselves of emotions or thoughts that we really don’t need to carry around.

Some people go running to declutter their heads, some go for a walk, and some just stop and focus purely on their breathing patterns and control the mind’s noise. The bottom line is we need to find what works for us, and it doesn’t matter what option you choose, as long as it brings a positive result for you.

A couple of different options to beating negativity are either being positive or saying positive affirmations. A great affirmation that works well for me is, ‘I 100 per cent release the need to block all answers needed on my life’s journey’. In short, this means that I am self sabotaging and need to stop doing it for me to move forward through life fearlessly!

Both of the above examples must be accompanied by a deep belief within our core self. Our belief that we don’t need negativity in our life is a big step to changing our mindset for the better.

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Health

No more I n a world where everything

is about finding the most efficient, quick and convenient solutions, the concept of simply following a healthy, sustainable, wholefoods eating plan with consistency and patience over time is somewhat hard to grasp.

It’s not quite the ‘one click’ modern-day technology concept introduced to, of course, make selling as easy as possible in a life that we have all seemingly made as busy as possible.

I understand our mentality; I am a part of that world, the one where we require immediate closure, results, and satisfaction, as time is precious. However, just like any skill takes time to learn and more time to master, so does healthy living!

FAD DI

Forget the quick fix and remember instead these four steps and three T’s to transform your thinking (and action!) about your diet and body goals into a sustainable and realistic healthy eating lifestyle..

WORDS MARK ROBINSON, APD

FOUR STEPS TO MASTERING LONG-TERM GOALS

It’s not reasonable to expect to achieve your all-time body goals — those that you have imagined your entire life, even though that life has not aligned with them — after just one week of no takeouts coupled with a ‘lean, green, seaweed, alkalising, cold-pressed kickstarter juice’ each morning. This is comparable to a baby anticipating skipping the crawling stage and progressing directly to the track sprint stage. Unfortunately, physiological results take time.

IT’S A FOUR-PRONGED ATTACK THAT TAKES PLACE, WHERE WE:

first, change our psychosocial cognitive thoughts about healthy living second, shake up our emotional feelings about healthy food choices and exercise third, transform our physical actions of eating and drinking the healthier choices and doing the exercise, and fourth, with time, turn these new thoughts, feelings, and actions into healthy habits, which slowly become a way of life.

It’s at this fourth stage that physical appearance results start to become noticeable, which triggers greater motivation and momentum to continue lifting the bar and chasing new goals.

Some will enter a fifth stage, which is that of peak performance! This level takes us

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FAD DIETS

ETING

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81

Health

beyond what may actually be totally sustainable to an everyday lifestyle; it pushes out the finish line to a sometimes non-imaginable point in order to achieve the one percentile results in whatever the chosen discipline may be. Typically, our elite-level sports professionals are required to temporarily live in this fifth phase throughout stages of their careers in order for peak performance.

Unfortunately, I believe most of the population compare themselves to the one percentile, fifth-level residents — whether it be a comparison of athletic execution or physical appearance of muscle tone, size, definition, and body fat percentage. It’s not a realistic comparison; rather, it can be used as a motivator to provide a visual of how you can become your very best version of yourself with consistent hard work over time.

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To relate this back to nutrition, let’s remember that fad diets preach quick fixes and miraculous immediate results without acknowledging the necessity for sustainability!

Sustainable results require the acceptance and practise of the abovedescribed four steps en route to mastering and then maintaining your long-term goals. A fad diet does not advocate for nor educate on any of those stages — namely thoughts, feelings, actions and habits — thus a person invariably reverts back to their original unhealthy habits without any new practical learnings.

your choices to simply feed your soul — by rewarding yourself with a treat when you feel you most deserve it. This makes it manageable and achievable.

We should not view a healthy lifestyle as a life of dieting and obsessive exercising; rather, it’s the passionate creation of healthy habits, which make you feel better about yourself, provide you with greater energy levels, boost your immune system, enhance your mood, fight fatigue, balance hormones, create muscle tone and functional strength, and improve general self-esteem.

80:20 FOR SUSTAINABILITY

A sustainable healthy eating lifestyle centres around three things: your total daily nutritional intake, your type of nutritional intake, and the timing of this daily consumption. Think of this as the

A sustainable healthy eating lifestyle revolves around making functional food choices that match your goals 80 per cent of the time and allowing 20 per cent of

THE THREE T’S

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“A SUSTAINABLE HEALTHY EATING LIFESTYLE CENTRES AROUND THREE THINGS: YOUR TOTAL DAILY NUTRITIONAL INTAKE, YOUR TYPE OF NUTRITIONAL INTAKE, AND THE TIMING OF THIS DAILY CONSUMPTION.”

MARK ROBINSON Mark (Health Man Mark) is an Accredited Practising Dietitian, World Champion fitness model, and co-owner of Team 360Health. He has degrees in nutrition and dietetics, exercise science, and psychological science.

To contact Mark, email mark@team360health. com.au or visit www. team360health.com. au Make sure you catch Mark on the Healthy Living Stage on Saturday and Sunday at 00am OR 00pm or on stand no.

000 at the Fitness Show in Sydney on 28/29/30 April.

depending on your specific, prioritised goals, these ratios will differ for each individual. For the slimming-down example again, a macronutrient ratio may look like this: 40 per cent protein, 30 per cent carbohydrate, and 30 per cent fats.

The timing of your meals and snacks is then the final step to achieving results while making it fit in with your lifestyle.

Typically, I recommend regular, smaller meals and snacks, approximately three- to four-hourly, in order to, first, maintain an efficient, well-working metabolism and, second, to ensure the body does not feel it needs to store and hold on to any meals as fat for a potential supposed time of need later. Rather, it understands there is regular, sufficient nutrition coming through, so it can metabolise and make use of each meal to its fullest, most-functional means — for example, increasing lean muscle or providing energy to working muscles.

RESULTS TAKE TIME three T’s to achieving your individualised goals in a sustainable and manageable fashion.

The total intake is, of course, the amount of daily calories you are consuming and, dependent on your goals, a calorie deficit, excess, or equilibrium will be created in relation to your energy (calorie) output.

In simple terms, if the general goal is to slim down, then reduce the daily calorie intake and increase the daily energy output through physical activity.

It gets a little more specific when we move on to the type of nutritional intake, which refers to your daily macronutrient distribution — or ratio of macros. Your macronutrients are protein, carbohydrate, fats, and alcohol.

I hope to have motivated you all to continue striving toward your goals, while acknowledging that they are not achieved overnight. Like anything that is worth waiting for, so is your ideal body shape or your personal best sporting performance.

In a world full of quick-fix, so-called solutions and abundant in persuasive propaganda press coupled with biased, non-researched personal opinions, I get that it is hard to make sense of it all.

Remember, if anyone is promising a shortcut to your goal, they more than likely want your money. In this article, I’ve discussed the importance of aligning your lifestyle with your goals! Thus, your nutritional choices require matching with what you are trying to achieve. Remember the three T’s to a sustainable and realistic eating pattern and enjoy the journey.

3Each provides calories and thus makes up your daily total caloric intake. Again,

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Motivation

BY DANIELLE APPI,

OXYGEN COVER GIRL AND AMBASSADOR

A

simple Google search for ‘detox’

will present you with pages and pages of amazing products promising to help eliminate dangerous toxins, impurities, and poisons and flush your system of the evils of modernday consumption. A fabulous by-product of a detox is, of course, the subsequent loss of kilos from your waistline — although the significant lightening of your purse is generally not mentioned.

Marketers, the ‘Masters of Spin’, have perfected the art of manipulating a few words here and there from semi-relevant scientific research in the matter to then produce ‘irrefutable’ evidence that the environment we are living in is slowly creating a permanent state of toxicity in our food, water, and bodies.

In fact, the threat is so major that we must help our systems eliminate this toxic buildup by buying their $600 program. Oh, and if you could sign up at least a dozen of your nearest and dearest, that would be kinda cool too! For their own health’s sake of course … because you care so much about them!

I read this quote from Craig Harper, my motivational guru, the other day and it made so much sense: “Don’t confuse the people who genuinely care about you with the people who pretend to care because (for now) you are of value to them.” Sad but true.

Despite a large body of evidence indicating that our amazing bodies detox naturally on a daily basis, there are still hundreds of companies willing to peddle their products, and it would seem even more consumers are desperate enough to spend their hardearned dollars on them.

So what am I suggesting we do to rid our mind, bodies, and souls of a toxic buildup from modern-day living other than wasting our retirement funds on ‘miracle potions and tonics’?

Here are a few ideas for detoxing physically, mentally, and emotionally that are guaranteed to help you feel generally healthier, lighter, and happier — the natural way (and without the need to refinance your house in the process).

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Detox your mind, body and soul

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DETOX YOUR LIFE PHYSICAL DETOX LESS

MORE

Sugar, processed foods, and GMOs, which are all known to place stress on your pancreas.

Citrus fruits, green vegetables, and garlic, which are proven natural ways to detox our bodies.

Caffeine and alcohol, which cause our kidneys to work overtime and are dehydrating.

Water and herbal teas, which are proven to be more gentle and hydrating for our systems.

‘Dirty dozen’ foods that are most affected by pesticides. Buy organic varieties of these foods wherever possible: apples, blueberries, broccoli, capsicums, carrots, celery, cherries, cucumber, grapes, kale, lettuce, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, spinach, strawberries, and zucchini.

‘Clean 15’ foods that are less affected by chemicals: asparagus, avocado, cabbage, eggplant, grapefruit, kiwi fruit, mangoes, mushrooms, onions, pineapple, rockmelon, sweetcorn, sweet peas, sweet potato, and watermelon.

Poisonous habits such as smoking and using chemical substances that create a toxic and unnatural environment in your body.

Movement that sees you breaking a regular sweat. Sweating assists in the natural removal of toxins from our system, with the added benefit of releasing natural chemicals such as endorphins. Add in regular saunas and dry brushing to assist in the removal of toxins held in your skin and improve circulation.

Air fresheners, synthetic fragrances, hand sanitisers, many cosmetics and body lotions, and chemical cleaners. There is so little research to-date on the long-term effects the chemicals in these products have on our overall health and wellbeing, but there has been enough evidence produced so far for us to understand that we must be mindful in our use of them.

Homemade non-toxic DIY cleaners with ingredients such as bicarb soda, lemon juice, and vinegar. Source non-toxic and natural cosmetics and beauty products. Keep more plants in your home that will improve your indoor air quality.

METAL AND EMOTIONAL DETOX LESS

MORE

Technology time. Give yourself scheduled tech breaks if you feel like you are spending more and more time with your virtual friends than your actual friends; if you find yourself getting easily upset and offended by people’s comments or your ‘lack of likes’; if you can’t go for longer than a few minutes without checking your device; or if you are feeling more depressed after viewing your feeds rather than inspired.

Talking and connecting to others one-on-one. In this age of technology and communication via social media, we are spending less and less time in the physical presence of people who make us feel good. If you are feeling increasingly lonely, isolated, and distanced from your family and friends, this is a clear signal that you need to reconnect with the people around you. And when you do hang out with people, make it a priority to give them your undivided attention, turn your phone to silent or put it out of sight, and enjoy their company fully.

Negative thinking patterns that hinder your progress. Shed feelings of unworthiness, ‘less than’ or ‘not good enough’. Negative feelings such as shame, fear, and anxiety all need to be controlled if you are going to reach your full potential and become the best version of yourself possible.

Counting your blessings. If you are continually battling with negative thoughts and feelings about yourself, it might help to start a gratitude journal. Make a daily habit of taking five minutes in the morning or at night to write down all of the positive things in your life. It is welldocumented that positive thoughts help create a more positive reality. So get journalling!

Emotional baggage. Remove it completely from your life. This includes people who drain your energy, poison your atmosphere with their presence, and anyone who is less than supportive and loving in their actions toward you.

Actively seeking out people who make you feel good. When you are in their presence, you laugh more, have more fun, forget about your woes, and just enjoy being with them. People you feel no need to compete with, compare to, or be ‘better than’. People who inspire and help you to be healthier. People who motivate you to accomplish what you want. And people who encourage and support your goals and dreams.

Stress. Identify the leading causes of stress in your life and do something proactive to reduce their impact on a daily basis. Stress is known as the silent killer and will often manifest in our bodies as an injury, illness, or disease if we do nothing to address it.

Nourishing for your soul. Research tells us that spending time in nature, breathing in fresh air, and being 100 per cent aware of our surroundings can do wondrous things for our mental state, boost our immunity, reduce our stress levels, and nourish our souls. While you’re at it, leave the phone at home!

Giving too much power to your feelings and emotions. The ones that tell you that your butt is too big, you’re not smart enough, you’ll never be pretty enough, or you aren’t capable of succeeding. Sure, you can acknowledge that we all have those feelings occasionally, but understand that you have the power to disagree with them and create your own story. It’s when we start buying into those emotions that our thoughts create our reality.

Breathing! Learn how to really breathe and take time throughout the day to stop and check in with how you’re feeling. While the physical and mental benefits of meditation are well-documented, realistically not many of us make the time or are disciplined enough to make this a daily habit. Rather than a full-on meditation session, aim to stop for one minute several times a day to breathe and check in with your feelings. Use that minute to take five slow, deep breaths. Hopefully, over time you will find the benefits of this encourage you to want more. If you do need help in how to slow down, there are many meditation apps you can download.

Unnecessary clutter. Clean out the wardrobe, give your house a spring clean, declutter your desk, delete old emails, and remove yourself from all those e-newsletters and blogs that keep clogging up your in-tray daily. Remove any excess ‘stuff’ that is taking up your time, energy, and thoughts without actually adding anything positive to your life.

Simplicity. Once you have conducted your physical, mental, and emotional ‘cleanse’, don’t undo all of your hard work by letting the toxicity build up again. Keep things simple and uncluttered. Use this ‘clutter-free’ zone you’ve created to create a picture of your ideal state of health, happiness, and lifestyle. Then do more of the things that are going to help you get there — not further away.

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Motivation

d n ? ou. a t g gh y A n D N si ei for LI E o B l w t’ f BY o ing die d ‘ ri e ainthe T eg s r si i h T ER TT PO

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INTUITIVE EATING

Nourish your intuition W

ith so many different diets on the market, you

would be excused for feeling a tad overwhelmed.

Which is the best diet for me? Which diet will help me reach my goals pronto?

And, perhaps most importantly, which is sustainable for the long term? This last question is the difference between not only reaching your goal, but also being able to maintain it, which is arguably the whole point, right?

Dieting success is a funny concept. How often have you said, ‘Oh, the diet worked.

I just regained all the weight because I couldn’t stick to it’. There is no disputing that a fiercely motivated woman can whiteknuckle her way to temporary success — it’s the losing and regaining of the same weight (and then some) over and over again that is problematic.

Here are a few sobering statistics that we often conveniently forget when starting a diet. Research shows that one- to two-thirds of weight is regained within one year, and almost all is regained within five1. Author of Body of Truth Harriet Brown points out that the success rate for long-term (defined as five years or more) significant weight loss is about the same as your chance of surviving metastatic lung cancer: that’s an abysmal 5 per cent2.

In fact, the data suggests that dieting to control weight is not only ineffective, but it is the best way to gain weight over the long term3. Yep, you read right — the best longterm strategy for increasing your body’s natural set point, which FYI is actually a range of roughly five to 10 kilos rather than a ‘point’ on the scale.

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So what’s the alternative?

The intuitive eating (IE) approach, a term often used interchangeably with ‘non-dieting’, was founded by dieticians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch out of frustration with the traditional approach of placing external limits on a very personal decision — what, when, and how much we should eat.

The underlying goal of IE is to normalise one’s relationship with food, tune in to internal wisdom, and accept that all bodies are good bodies (yes, even yours) because of what they enable us to do rather than how they look.

Here is a quick overview of the 10 principles of IE4.

“Your body is not an ornament; it is the vehicle to your dreams.” – Taryn Brumfitt, founder of the Body Image Movement

The 10 principles of intuitive eating Principle 1: Reject the diet mentality.

Dieting provides us with a fantasy of perfection. We daydream that possessing a perfect body, unveiling our quote-unquote real selves, is the key ingredient to living a more gratifying life. When we give up on the dream of perfect thighs and dimple-free derrières, we are accepting that there is no magic pill, potion, or plan that is going to transform our lives. We have to look beyond our physical appearance and find value in our innate talents and character as human being persons first and foremost.

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Motivation Principle 2: Honour your hunger. Once you red-line it and hit ‘ravenous’ on your internal hunger metre, all intentions of eating mindfully are out the window.

Learning to recognise and respond to subtle hunger cues is the first step to rebuilding trust between yourself and food. Food is not something to be feared; it should be appreciated and celebrated for its role in nourishing your body.

Actually, eating when you’re hungry is the ultimate in DIY self-care.

Principle 3: Make peace with food. To steal a line from Shakespeare: “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” Food is amoral, not immoral; chocolate doesn’t sit on the shelf twirling its moustache and letting out an evil mwah ha ha. When we make certain foods off limits based on their supposed moral value, we set ourselves up to feel deprived, which inevitably leads to binge eating followed by a double helping of guilt.

Principle 4: Challenge the ‘food police’.

The food police monitor the unreasonable rules that we live by, such as not eating carbs after 6pm or ditching fruit because of the simple sugars. These are the guys in riot gear who run around our heads bellowing through the loud speaker how useless, hopeless, and undisciplined we are for jaywalking down the confectionary isle.

When we replace our inner critic with a nurturing voice, we are better equipped to evaluate our eating choices with curiosity instead of harsh judgement.

Principle 5: Feel your fullness. The BFF

of Principle 2 — and these gals make a great team. One helps you to recognise when to eat while the other helps you find your Goldilocks spot — the point at which your stomach feels ‘just right’. Master Principles 2 and 5 and you will never have to weigh, measure, or watch a clock before eating again in your life.

‘WE CANNOT HATE OURSELVES INTO A VERSION THAT WE’LL LOVE.’ Principle 6: Discover the satisfaction

factor. Good food is truly one of life’s greatest pleasures, and its symbolic representation of love and celebration is woven into the fabric of our culture. When you enjoy rather than endure what you eat, you can find satisfaction in reaching that Goldilocks point and then easily push the plate away knowing that your next meal — and the one after it, and the one after that — will be equally satisfying. Seriously, there is no need to suffer through green beans and steamed chicken breast and nausea if that’s not your idea of delish.

Principle 7: Cope with your emotions

without using food. This is by far a biggie!

Food, in the short term, can be a very useful strategy for numbing out negative emotions. But food will not fix the prob-

lem, and sticking your head in a bucket of deep fried chicken from the Colonel is the same as sticking your head in the sand.

If anything, using food as a crutch rather than the odd quickie Band-Aid will only allow the emotional wound to fester. A sound piece of advice is that it’s best to face your stuff rather than stuff your face.

Principle 8: Respect your body. We can-

not hate ourselves into a version that we’ll love. Go back and read that line again! Bodies come in many different shapes and sizes. This is called body diversity and is as natural as people with blue eyes or brown, dark skin or pale, tall or short. You can not guilt yourself into growing an extra five inches or shame yourself into shrinking your shoe size, so we need to let go of the idea that all bodies are meant to be a size 8 or come with a six-pack. Move on already and #embrace.

Principle 9: Joyful exercise. Dread

hitting the gym? Can’t get motivated, or find yourself faking injuries to your trainer? Sure, we are all told that HIIT is optimal, everyone should be pushing heavy weights, and if you’re not busting a foofer valve in the gym then you just aren’t giving it your all, but forcing yourself to do something you hate won’t help you build a positive association with exercise. Finding an activity that you enjoy and shifting your focus from burning calories to how your body feels when you move it joyfully will help you establish healthy lifelong habits around exercise.

Principle 10: Gentle nutrition. Ask your-

self, I wonder what I feel like? What would nourish me right now? How much will I need to feel satisfied? How will that sit in my stomach? What foods will make me feel light, energetic, and invigorated? How can I show myself kindness and compassion through my nutritional choices? You don’t need to eat perfectly 24/7 to be healthy. It’s what you eat consistently over time that matters. So make food choices that honour your health and satisfy your taste buds and you will be well on the way to never dieting another day in your life.

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Nutrition

Sugar

BY JEMMA O’HANLON

S

ugar is always a hot news

topic, and we often hear that sugar is bad for our health and we should ‘quit’ sugar — so is this true? The term ‘sugar’ is commonly understood to refer to table sugar — sucrose — the type of sugar that we add to our drinks or in baking. It is naturally-occurring and is extracted from sugar beet and sugar cane.

‘Sugars’ are carbohydrates — our body’s preferred source of energy. When we eat carbohydrates, our body breaks them down to glucose. Glucose is the primary energy source for our bodies and the preferred fuel source for our brain, nervous system, and muscles.

Added sugar vs natural sugar

Different types of sugars are a natural component of many foods, including fructose in fruit and lactose in milk. These foods provide many other beneficial nutrients such as dietary fibre, vitamins, and protein.

Sugar can also be added to foods, commonly in the form of sucrose, but also in many other forms such as honey, glucose syrup, or rice malt syrup.

There are many reasons sugar may be added to foods, including: l as a preservative — sugar acts as a

natural preservative in foods such as jams and chutneys, helping to prevent the growth of micro-organisms and reducing food spoilage l for texture — sugars give texture to a variety of foods (for example, in cakes or for more crunch in biscuits), and l to enhance the look and taste — sugar can improve the look and flavour of food, including its colour. This is known as the Maillard reaction and, for

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What's all the fuss about? example, results in a golden brown colour in baked goods.

The scientific evidence available to date shows that a small amount of added sugar can be included as part of a healthy, balanced diet. However, many adults and children currently overconsume added sugar, which may contribute to an excess intake of calories, which over time can lead to weight gain.

‘Sugar-free’

Everywhere you look — online, in supermarkets, department stores, and on television — there are ‘sugar-free’ recipes, foods, and drinks. This does not always mean calorie-free or that the item is a healthy option though! Often when you take a closer look, these recipes are not actually sugar-free — they may be sweetened with dates, rice malt syrup, or maple

syrup.

These ingredients all contain or are pure sugar and contribute that sweet taste that cakes or other desserts need. Recipes that are marked as being ‘sugar-free’ often contain a similar number of calories as their traditionally-made product.

It is important to note that all types of sugar can contribute to weight gain if you overconsume it — even if it’s rice malt syrup, maple syrup, agave syrup, coconut sugar, organic, less refined, or in a fancy packet that comes from a tropical island!

Some of these products claim to provide extra nutrients or to be better for you due to being less refined; however, any extra nutrition is negligible as you only consume very small amounts of these products. A lot of clever marketing has led to certain types of sugar being promoted as being healthy, but in the end it’s all still just sugar.

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SUGAR having a positive relationship with food and not eliminating any food groups, with the exception of those who have food intolerances.

When it comes to enjoying a sweet treat every now and then, the key is to keep your portions trim, eat slowly, and savour every mouthful. After all, food is one of life’s great pleasures. It should be enjoyed, and we should not feel deprived. Being physically active and aiming to do some exercise that you enjoy on most days of the week is also an important part of a healthy lifestyle.

So what’s the verdict? A little sugar is okay. It’s about learning what a healthy balance is and understanding that no foods are ‘bad’.

The issue is when we overconsume highsugar foods, just like it’s an issue if we overconsume any other food. Enjoying a healthy, varied diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, wholegrains, dairy, and healthy fats is the best way to maintain good health and will help to minimise the amount of added sugar in your diet.

JEMMA O’HANLON Jemma is an Accredited Practising Dietitian with a love for long macchiatos, raspberries, and cacao beans. With more than 10 years’ experience working in the food industry, Jemma currently heads up the nutrition and product development teams at Jenny Craig and Curves.

For more hot tips in nutrition, be sure to follow Jemma on Instagram @ jemmaohanlon

What about sweeteners?

Sweeteners, or sugar substitutes, are food additives that sweeten food without adding calories. Commonly used sugar substitutes include stevia, aspartame, and sucralose. All additives, including sweeteners, undergo a comprehensive safety assessment before being approved by the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code for use in foods or drinks. If you’d like to add sweetness to your tea or coffee without the extra calories, sweeteners can be a good option.

The bottom line: a balanced diet and regular activity!

In terms of enjoyable, healthy eating, we need to focus on eating a wide variety of foods in moderation, and all foods can be included. A healthy, balanced diet is about

For more on healthy eating, contact an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) — they’re the experts in food and nutrition. APDs provide practical, tailored advice based on the latest science and can help motivate and support you to take charge of what you eat. Visit the ‘Find an APD’ section of the Dietitians Association of Australia website at www.daa.asn.au to find an APD in your area.

JEMMA’S TOP TIPS TO ENJOY

THE GOOD SUGARS

 Enjoy a low calorie veggie juice to kickstart your day — my favourite is beetroot, carrot, fresh mint, and ginger  Enjoy fresh fruit on top of your breakfast — think chopped banana on porridge or grated apple and a dusting of cinnamon on your Bircher muesli  Enjoy a skinny latte as a mid-morning pick-me-up — yes, you can enjoy coffee in

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moderation and get a protein boost at the same time!  Choose plain low-fat Greek yoghurt and top with fresh berries for a satisfying snack  When you crave something sweet, try a small handful of trail mix — make your own; I love the combo of cashews, almonds, pepitas, sunflower seeds, goji berries, and cacao nibs.

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Fit Mum

The

mum DIET

BY KELLY RENNIE

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THE MUM DIET

Adopt these five simple diet and lifestyle habits to become a healthy and fit mum.

A

always busy. What with kids to look after, lack of sleep, and a timetable fit to burst, finding the time and energy to identify and eliminate bad habits can seem like a tall order.

When it comes to counting calories and getting into shape, simplicity is the key to success.

We need to create a lifestyle that contributes 100 per cent to our goals and makes it difficult to deviate.

1

3

s a mum, life is

Fill the cupboards with good food and lose the junk

One of the best things you can do for your health and fitness goals is to take the time to clean your cupboards out. How easy is it to deviate from a diet plan when we know we have chocolate and biscuits waiting in the kitchen for us? By eliminating the temptation and replacing these foods with nutrient-dense, healthy options, you are more likely to stick to your plan when rushing about.

You need to look at food as a fuel source.

Good foods balance hormones, increase your energy, and make you more productive during the day. Unhealthy, processed foods do the exact opposite. By cultivating the habit of eating vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats, you are also setting a great example for your children.

2

Get rid of toxic and addictive substances

We all reach for the coffee or glass of wine on occasion, but are we doing it for the right reasons? Many of us are dependent on our morning coffee to function through the first few hours of the day. Likewise, we rely on our evening glass of wine to wash away the stresses of our daily activities. We need to ask ourselves if we are drinking these things for the right reasons. Sure, they give us a short-term energy and mood boost, but at what cost? Would we be better off just eating healthy and exercising and optimising the natural amount of energy life gives us?

Stay hydrated

If you want to perform optimally during the day, enjoying even energy levels, then staying adequately hydrated should be one of your top priorities. There are a ton of benefits to increasing your water intake, including better skin, more energy, more strength, and better cognitive function and focus. Hydration also helps keep appetite in check, as half the time when we think we are hungry, we are actually thirsty. Start by drinking at least eight whole glasses of water a day and then adjust from there, depending on your needs and activity level.

4

Mindful eating

Learning to cultivate the habit of mindfulness may be one of the best things you can do for your overall health and wellbeing. By observing our thoughts and emotions, we come to realise that they don’t control us. Consequently, our response to the stresses in our lives progressively lessens. Because of this, we no longer reach for the ‘comfort food’ to lessen our emotional pain. Rather, we see this urge arise within us, let it stay there without acting on it, and then simply choose a healthier option. Over time, the healthier options become our default responses.

5

Use proven supplements to fast-track your progress

There are so many supplements out there it can be confusing (not to mention expensive) to

SAMPLE MEAL PLAN Bringing all of this together, we have constructed a sample meal plan that any busy mum can follow with great results. Add these foods to your shopping list today!

BREAKFAST: Banana pancake with berries SNACK: Handful of nuts and an apple, or rice cakes with nut butter LUNCH: Chicken, pumpkin and avocado salad SNACK: Hummus with carrots and cucumber sticks DINNER: Chicken Florentine and steamed vegetables, including sweet potato HYDRATE: Herbal teas and/or water

find what works. That’s why it is always a good idea to ask a health professional for advice on what will work best for you.

With that said, there are a few supplements out there that have been proven to help us. Fundamentals such as magnesium, B vitamins, multivitamins, and omega-3 fish oil have all been scientifically proven to have a positive effect on women’s health. Add them to your diet today to get the additional benefits.

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Health

Diet Trend OR

TRAP?

By ALLISON YOUNG

Should you be drinking bone broth and snacking on seaweed?

Oxygen sets the record straight on 10 top food crazes.

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FOOD CRAZES Put down what you’re eating and listen up: just because a certain snack or diet gets mad props on the Internet doesn’t mean it’s legit.

Some food fads are just over-hyped,overInstagrammed trends that won’t benefit your muscles or your midsection (case in point: juice cleanses).

Others are actually science-based with proven health and weight-loss benefits. The key is knowing the difference.

So we dug through the research and asked experts to decode 10 top diet trends.

Here’s the verdict:

Is Paleo a passing trend?

Is fasting healthy?

We all know starving yourself doesn’t work (cue cake cravings), but intermittent fasting — as in eating 500 calories one to two days a week or going 12 to 18 hours in a day without food — has been linked to improved blood sugar levels, boosted immunity, decreased risk of heart disease and cancer, increased longevity and weight loss.

Plus, fasting spikes levels of growth hormone to protect your hard-earned muscle gains. The idea is that without a constant supply of quick carbs circulating through your system, your body starts to burn fat. There are possible downsides: restricting calories can cause brain fog and rebound bingeing, but proponents argue that once you get over the hangry hump, it’s easy.

Bottom line: “It definitely has its benefits, but it’s not for everybody,” says Ariane Hundt, MS, clinical nutritionist and fitness trainer.

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As you know, cave-man eating includes foods consumed by our hunter-gatherer ancestors: vegetables, seafood, grass-fed meat, eggs, nuts, seeds. “It’s an anti-inflammatory diet based on whole foods, lean proteins and good fats that allows you to maintain muscle mass,” Hundt says. That’s not to say all experts give it a thumbs up: “The diet eliminates foods that offer significant health benefits, including whole grains and legumes,” adds Jackie Newgent, RDN, culinary nutritionist and author of The All-Natural Diabetes Cookbook (American Diabetes Association, 2015).

Bottom line: Paleo shuns junk food in favour of whole foods (nice!), but it’s still a 'diet' with restrictions.

Are probiotics really a cure-all?

Your gut contains an army of probiotics, healthy bacteria that can affect everything from your energy to your digestion.

But will eating probiotics in food form or supplements give you a health boost? “More isn’t necessarily better,” says registered dietitian and certified sports dietitian Rebecca Mohning. “Different strains of probiotics offer different benefits, so eating a variety of fermented foods is your best bet.”

Probiotic supplements are best if you have a weakened immune system, an allergy to dairy or if you’re taking antibiotics — and aim for a broad spectrum, multi-strain supplement with as many as 10 to 12 strains, suggests Rochelle Sirota, RD, CDN, a nutritionist in New York City.

Bottom line: Say yes to fermented foods usch as yoghurt, sauerkraut, kefir and kimchi.

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Health

Is kelp the new kale?

Kelp has been called “the most nutritious veggie in the world”, probably because the seaweed is loaded with iodine, manganese, magnesium, iron, calcium and copper. “Seaweed contains a significant amount of minerals that makes it distinctly different from land-based vegetables,” says Newgent says. So, yes, like kale, it’s a nutritional star, but adding seaweed won’t save you from an otherwise unhealthy diet. (Psst: and don’t assume just because it says seaweed on the label you’re munching on something healthy; reading the ingredient list is still a must.)

Bottom line: Your total diet is more important than a single superfood.

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Is sugar really as bad as smoking?

Move over, tobacco. A study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that a sugary soft drink a day could age your immune cells the same as smoking. High sugar intake is also linked to diabetes, heart disease and obesity. “Sugar is evil from the standpoint that it adds a lot of calories without providing any nutritional value,” Mohning says. But that’s not to say you have to totally sideline your sweet tooth. The World Health Organisation says to keep your sugar consumption below 5 per cent of daily calories, or six teaspoons a day.

Bottom line: Skip the sneaky sugars in storebought sauces and crackers and enjoy it as dessert once or twice a week, Mohning suggests.

Can mealdelivery services really deliver?

Who needs to cook when you can get perfectly portioned Paleo, gluten-free, low-salt, vegan or raw meals delivered right to your door? “It works for people who want to understand what a healthy portion is and for people who don’t get the concept of clean eating,” Hundt says. The downside: it doesn’t teach you how to handle food triggers such as eating out, emotional eating or stress eating — “and there’s so much power to cooking,” Hundt adds.

Bottom line: Meal delivery services may be pricey and restrictive, but they can kickstart a healthy eating plan.

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Can you build muscle on a vegan diet?

You don’t have to eat like a cave man to get enough protein — vegans can build muscle mass, too.

“Aiming for 20 grams of protein at each meal is a good minimum goal for active women,” Newgent says. “The key is to have planned, protein-rich vegan foods on hand, such as quinoa at breakfast, edamame or tofu at lunch, and beans or lentils at dinner.”

Bottom line: Vegan eating isn’t automatically healthy (hello potato chips!) or protein-rich, so plan ahead.

FOOD CRAZES

Does bone broth really have health benefits?

Is full-fat dairy better?

It’s been drilled into us that whole milk is bad and skim milk is good, and on the surface, it makes sense (skim does have half the calories and 40 times less fat), but science disagrees.

A review published in the European Journal of Nutrition found that fullfat dairy does not raise your risk of cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes and that if you want to shed excess weight, full fat may be your better bet.

So what’s the dealio? Fats are important for nutrient absorption and hormone production, plus they can keep you satiated — and away from sugary processed food, Mohning says.

Bottom line: Don’t overdo the saturated fat, but opting for the 2 per cent Greek yoghurt or a glass of whole milk as a post-workout recovery beverage won’t hurt your heart or waistline.

Bone broth is a social media darling, but is Grandma’s remedy really a cure-all?

Granted, there have been no scientific studies specifically on bone broth, but components of the homemade stock, namely cartilage, gelatin, collagen and minerals, have proven health benefits. “Bone broth is anti-inflammatory, helps reduce joint pain and promotes healthy digestion,” Hundt says. Unfortunately, traditional store-bought stock doesn’t cut it; your best bet is to make it from scratch.

Bonus: the low-cal brew also doubles as a sports drink, replenishing lost electrolytes without the added sugar and food colourings of Gatorade.

Bottom line: It’s not a magic elixir, but it sure beats sugary processed drinks.

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Are cheat days legit?

Permission to cheat, granted! A recent study published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology suggests that planned splurges can actually motivate you to stick to your diet goals long term.

What’s more, treat meals make your body produce leptin, a feel-full hormone that helps your body burn fat. Not that you have permission to eat everything in sight: “Don’t eat until your digestive system is thrown off and your energy level drops hard,” Sirota warns.

Bottom line: Cheat days can boost self-control — just don’t go cray cray. £

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International

BY ILDIKO BROWNING

Creating her own recipe for success She’s a high-flying (literally!) champion fitness model and author of The Bikini Model Cookbook, but Caithleen Heffernan has had her share of highs and lows to reach the strong mental and physical place she’s in today.

C

aithleen Heffernan started

reading fitness magazines 19 years ago.

“I always wanted to look like an Oxygen cover model,” she says. “The girls to me had such a healthy glow and ideal look. Being fit like that has been something I’ve really strived for with my fitness goals.”

Caithleen has three passions in life: cooking, fitness, and flying. She has two careers: one you see more publicly, and a second one that she keeps more private where she’s flying a jet through the northern skies of Canada.

On the surface, everything in Caithleen’s life may look easy, but it hasn’t always been this way. Caithleen lost her house in May last year in one of the largest natural disasters Canada has ever seen. Her house bulldozed and most of her contents destroyed, she was forced to start new.

She describes the terrifying moment of evacuating the city: “I drove through the worst part of that fire,” she says.

“I was in total darkness, surrounded by smoke, and the fire was hitting my windows. It was a very frightening situation and happened very quickly. One minute I was doing my dishes in my kitchen, having a normal day, and the next I was surrounded by chaos.”

After the fire, Caithleen decided to begin training for a fitness competition with coach Kim Oddo. She felt a distraction was necessary to separate herself from what had happened.

“I used some of my favourite competition recipes from The Bikini Model Cookbook, which is a cookbook I wrote after years of

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contest prep and bikini modelling,” she says.

“I use the recipes all year round but I find when I’m on a tighter diet I generally go back to my competition faves, because they become easy staples in my kitchen.”

Caithleen sells The Bikini Model Cookbook through her website on its own and it’s included in the membership along with more new recipe updates.

The multi-talented fitness model competed in two categories at the ABBA and won first place Masters over 35 Bikini and also first place in the open category under 35 in her height division.

“There were so many fit and beautiful women there, and I felt so lucky to have placed where I did,” she says.

“I love competitions, because you get to really push yourself and your limits and see your own potential like never before. I also love my regular healthy lifestyle and maintaining a healthy balance.”

Caithleen finds the hard thing about competing is that as far as trophies go, there is only one first place — but that’s not the part that she finds hard.

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PROFILE “I honestly found winning to be difficult, because it was a loss for others," she says. "I felt and know their disappointment.

“The most important thing while doing a competition or any fitness challenge is to focus on you. That’s a big reason why I created the #bffchallenge.

“I wanted to create something for women to challenge themselves with a you against you mentality — where everybody is a winner just for taking the challenge and making positive lifestyle changes.

Caithleen leads by example, resetting her own goals regularly.

“I like to keep us all focused on our goals repeatedly and setting new ones each month,” she says. “Just like my Bikini Fit girls each month, I have to re-evaluate my life, my goals, and my wants now.

“I get it; sometimes life gets you down.

I know down, and this isn’t my first time there. It’s how you deal with life when you are down that’s important.

“It all starts with your choice of thoughts, what you decide to believe, the foods you choose to eat to nourish your soul, and the actions you are inspired to do from this new positive mindset.”

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Training

[ 100

By Erin Calderone, MS, CSCS Photography by Peter Lueders

May/Jun 2017

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]

IT'S ALL IN THE HIPS

THE HIPS HAVE IT MOVE OVER, ABS: WHEN IT COMES TO CORE STRENGTH, YOUR HIPS ARE IN CONTROL. oxygenmagAU

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Training

I

f you were asked to ID your

core muscles, what would you name? Probably the rectus abdominis, the obliques, the lower back, maybe even the glutes. Sure, those are the glamour players that get the most press, but when it comes to primary core function, there are some other very important muscles to consider — those in your hips.

In actuality, the pelvis and hips are your seat of postural power, and this central region is responsible not only for propelling you forward, backward or sideways but also for keeping your back and knees happy when standing or sitting. And since the primary functions of your core are to transfer force from one extremity to another and to act as a stabiliser/initiator of a movement, the hips should absolutely be included when programming your core training.

Chain reaction

More than 20 muscles cross, insert into or originate in your hips, all pulling,

THE MUSCLES IN YOUR POSTERIOR CHAIN THEN HAVE TO SUPPORT YOUR ENTIRE UPPER BODY, CAUSING TIGHTNESS AND PAIN IN YOUR LUMBAR AREA. pushing, relaxing and contracting at any given time. With all this kinetic activity around a single, central location, it’s no wonder your hips can become problematic.

Most issues stem from an imbalance between opposing muscle groups, and if one muscle is out of balance — either too tight or too lax — it causes a chain reaction that can affect you from head to toe. Sedentary jobs and lifestyles have a lot to do with this problem. For example, if you sit all day, your hips are continually flexed, causing the fibres of the psoas and iliacus (hip flexors) to shorten while the abdominals and glutes relax. When you finally stand, those tightened muscles pull your pelvis forward and the abs and glutes — whose job it is to correct this

THE MOVES

shift — are caught sleeping on the job.

The muscles in your posterior chain then have to support your entire upper body, causing tightness and pain in your lumbar area, shoulders and neck.

But hip issues aren’t relegated to the sedentary sect, and athletic women might have the opposite problem: since many female-centric exercises focus on posterior-chain development, the muscles in the glutes and hamstrings are overstimulated and tight, pulling the pelvis rearward and causing it to tuck when standing. Now the lower back is completely flat, which over time could lead to bulging discs.

The list of push-me-pull-you examples could go on for pages, but the simple takeaway is this: implementing programs like this one, which includes strength and mobility work, can balance out your hips and once again make your core a nuclear powerhouse both in the gym and out of it.

STRENGTHEN

Begin your leg workout with these moves, focusing on quality over quantity. Once your hips are responding, add a couple of these moves to your workout for maintenance.

MUSCLES TARGETED

MOVE

102

SETS

REPS

WEIGHT

TEMPO

Stability-Ball Hip Series

gluteal complex, hamstrings, deep rotators

3-5

10-15 each move per side

bodyweight or 1-2kg ankle weights

4 counts each rep

Standing Single-Legged Knee Drive

hip flexors, opposing leg hip stabilisers

3-5

10-15 each side

light/moderate band or 2.5-10kg cable resistance

slow until stability is established, then increase tempo

Band-Assisted Single-Legged Squat

gluteus medius, deep external rotators

3-5

10-15 each side

bodyweight + moderate resistance band

4 counts down, 2 counts up

Rotating Airplane

internal/ external rotators, stabilisers, abdominals

3

8 each side

bodyweight

4 to 6 counts

May/Jun 2017

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IT'S ALL IN THE HIPS GET TO KNOW YOUR HIPS Front

PSOAS

Rear

RECTUS FEMORIS ILIACUS GLUTEUS MEDIUS GLUTEUS MINIMUS PIRIFORMIS the most superior of the deep muscles

GEMELLI superior and inferior GLUTEUS MAXIMUS OBTURATORS deep under the glutes

GRACILIS AND PECTINEUS

TENSOR FASCIA LATAE ILIOTIBIAL BAND ADDUCTOR LONGUS

ADDUCTOR MAGNUS

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ADDUCTOR BREVIS

QUADRATUS FEMORIS the most inferior of the deep gluteal muscles

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Training !

If you get a cramp in the stabilising hip, stop and stretch using a figure-4 or pigeon stretch before switching sides.

A B

D

E

STABILITY-BALL HIP SERIES

Lie on your side on a stability ball and extend your top leg so it’s straight. Bend your bottom leg, place your knee down and hug the ball with your bottom arm for stability (A). Keep your hips stacked and brace your core to prevent rolling as you perform this sequence slowly and deliberately:  Lift your top leg as high as possible without bending at the waist (B). Lower it to touch the ground briefly, then raise back up.  Lift and hold your leg at hip level, rotating it outward and inward slowly from the hip (C).  Lift and hold your leg at hip level, then bring it forward (D) and rearward (E) as far as possible while keeping your hips stacked.

STANDING SINGLE-LEGGED KNEE DRIVE

!

Your arms help activate your core and prevent rotation at the pelvis.

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Attach an ankle strap to a cable machine (or secure a band with an ankle strap to a stationary object). Stand on one foot facing away from the anchor and find your balance, then extend your working leg behind you. Drive your working knee up to hip-height while driving your same-side elbow back, as if sprinting. Slowly return to the start and repeat right away. Do all reps on one side before switching.

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Hair & Makeup: Nancy J / Model: Tawny Macias / Pants: Wear It to Heart / Sports Bra: VSX Sport / Shoes: Nike

C

IT'S ALL IN THE HIPS What the heck is a labrum â&#x20AC;Ś and how can I prevent injuring it?

BAND-ASSISTED SINGLE-LEGGED SQUAT

Stand sideways to a stable object and anchor a band at knee-height. Step inside the loop with your outside leg and position the band just above your knee, lifting your inside foot off the floor.

Squat down as far as you can while keeping your chest lifted. Return to the start. Do all reps on one side before switching.

ROTATING AIRPLANE

Stand on one leg, knee soft, and extend your arms to the sides at shoulder-height. Hinge at the hips and lower your torso and raise your opposite leg simultaneously until both are parallel to the ground, hips level. Find your balance, then slowly rotate your entire body away from the standing leg until your hips are open and stacked and your arms are perpendicular to the floor. Rotate back to airplane and repeat. Do all reps on one side before switching.

!

Press outward with your working leg to keep your knee properly aligned as the band tries to pull it inward.

!

Move your body as a single unit; donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let your shoulders and hips disengage and rotate separately.

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The acetabular labrum is a connective tissue cushion in the 'cup' of the pelvis that creates a snug fit for the head of the femur, kind of like a gasket. Athletic tears most often occur on the front of the labrum and are common in sports such as golf, baseball, hockey, soccer and football, where rotation of the hip is often combined with hyperextension. A tear to the back of the labrum is less common but can be accomplished with weighted hyperflexion of the hips, such as when doing a heavy, deep squat.

Prevent injuries like these by ensuring the muscles on all sides of the joint are strong and extensible: stretch both your quads and hamstrings, strengthen weak glutes and/or hip flexors, and train both internal and external rotators in the hips.

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105

Training MOBILISE

Integrate these moves into your warm-up, or do the routine as a stand-alone to release some end-of-day tension. When foam rolling, pause on each tender spot for 20 to 30 seconds, and when doing static stretching, hold and breathe for 30 seconds each side.

MOVE

MUSCLES TARGETED

REPS/TIME

Foam Rolling: Hip Flexors

hip flexors

2-3 minutes per side

Foam Rolling: Gluteals and Piriformis

gluteal complex, piriformis and deep hip rotators

2-3 minutes per side

Supine Adductor Stretch

adductors

repeat 2-3 times per side

Dynamic Stretch: Reverse Lunge and Reach to Standing Figure-4

total hip complex

8-10 reps each side

!

FOAM ROLLING: HIP FLEXORS

Hit your rectus femoris, which also helps flex the hip, by rolling all the way down the front of your thigh until just above the knee.

Lie facedown and position the foam roller underneath one hip, extending that leg behind you. Bend your other knee to the side for support.

Keeping your hips level, roll slowly back and forth over the hip flexor, pausing on any tight or painful areas.

FOAM ROLLING: GLUTEALS AND PIRIFORMIS

!

If you find a tender area deep in your hip joint, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your piriformis.

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Sit on the roller and cross your left ankle over your right knee.

Lean toward the left side and roll back and forth, side to side, to hit your entire gluteal group.

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IT'S ALL IN THE HIPS Happy hips = kick-arse performance

!

This is a passive stretch; use the strap, not your muscles, to raise and lower your leg.

SUPINE ADDUCTOR STRETCH

Lie on your back and wrap a strap or band around one foot, then extend that leg over your hip, foot flexed. Ground your glutes and open your leg to the side until you feel a stretch in your inner thigh. Hold and breathe, then return to the start. Do all reps on one side before switching.

DYNAMIC STRETCH: REVERSE LUNGE AND REACH TO STANDING FIGURE-4

Lunge back with your right leg, then reach up and over your body with your right arm and reach back to touch your hamstring with your left hand. Return to the start, then lift your right leg into a figure-4 position at hipheight, grabbing your knee and foot and pulling gently upward and inward. Do all reps on one side, then switch.

oxygenmagAU

!

As you improve, challenge your core and balance further by performing this move hands-free: place your ankle above your opposite knee and drop down into a standing figure-4 with your hands on your hips.

Research backs a hip-healthy program for sports performance and strength. One recent Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research study done on female volleyball players showed that those who did integrated hip/core exercises (similar to the rotating airplane in this workout) as part of their training increased their hip abductor strength by almost 17 per cent. Another study published in the same journal showed that stretching alone does not increase your hip range of motion during functional movements and that in fact you need to ingrain a new movement pattern into your regular training in order for it to become second nature. This can be done during the dynamic warm-up, by taking your joints actively through their full range of motion (for example: reverse lunge and reach to standing figure-4) while activating your core and priming the nervous system to control a new movement pattern.

May/Jun 2017

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WOMEN WHO EMBODY THE FEMALE FITNESS PHENOMENON!

INJURY TO INCREDIBLE

Alicia defying the odds

ALICIA

GOWANS The WBFF Pro on her way to LA

Photos by Dallas Olsen

SO YOU WANT TO COMPETE?

Pick your perfect event with our competition calendar

Transforming herself Amanda's amazing journey of inspiration

REAL-LIFE #Fitspo

Incredible women living the Oxygen lifestyle

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Spotlight

Leading by EXAMPLE WBFF Pro Alicia Gowans has had to fight her way back from an injury more than once in her life. The most recent, a serious back injury almost 18 months ago, has been followed by a string of achievements that prove when the passionate fit mum says her goal is to show people that anything is possible with the right approach, she does it leading by example.

F

rom a young age, Alicia

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May/Jun 2017

Photo by Dallas Olsen

Gowens was driven to achieve her goals, so when the talented young ballerina suffered a stress fracture in her back at the age of 19, she wasn’t going to let it stop her.

“I wasn’t sure what the future would hold for me," she says, "but I knew I would no longer be able to pursue dance any further. I was devastated, but I had to accept that I was not going to be able to continue to do what I was passionate about.”

As a means of healing her injury, Alicia turned to weight training to strengthen the muscles around her spine and regain her mobility. Learning about her body in the process, she fell in love with the world of fitness and the amazing benefits of being and feeling strong.

“I have always tried to focus on the positive — always choosing to focus not on what I have lost, but rather on what I have gained,” she says.

Determined not to let her injury completely alter her life’s path, Alicia found a new passion, and within a decade she had joined the elite in a new sport, winning the International Natural Bodybuilding Association Miss

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PROFILE Australia title in 2014, and then going on to represent Australia at the Natural Olympia world rankings later the same year, taking out two fourth places among highly competitive lineups.

Having competed successfully in the other federations, Alicia turned her focus to competing in the World Beauty Fitness & Fashion (WBFF) professional bodybuilding federation.

“From the moment I decided to compete in bodybuilding, the WBFF was always where I wanted to be,” she says. “It was my desired end goal, and in my mind the ultimate achievement for me would be to gain the coveted Pro status among the best of best.”

Alicia found that in her transition from ballet dancer to fitness model, she had to completely change her focus and the way she looked at her body; where she once wanted to be petite, agile, and sinewy, she now wanted to be strong and developed.

Photo by Dan Galic

“I have always tried to focus on the positive — always choosing to focus not on what I have lost, but rather on what I have gained.”

“I went from thinking, ‘I hope my butt doesn’t look big’ to ‘I hope my butt does look big’,” she says.

“It was a long process to transform myself into a fitness model. There were lots of ups and downs along the way, but every part of the journey has been worth it.”

Alicia followed her WBFF Pro Card win in 2015 with a trip to compete at the WBFF World Championships, where she took out top 10 placings. Just when everything was on a roll, life had other plans.

At the end of 2015, and only six weeks after competing in the WBFF Worlds show in Las Vegas, tragedy struck again for Alicia when she sustained multiple fractures to her vertebrae, along with a major bilateral bulging disc.

“I was devastated”, she says. It was a shock, because there was really no major trauma to it. I was just doing the same lifts that I had done a thousand times before.

“I had rolled and released, properly engaged and primed. My body was in good shape. It was a warm-up set, so not very heavy, and I was even wearing a belt.”

Alicia was determined not to let this

CONNECT WITH ALICIA Instagram: aliciagowans_wbffpro Facebook: Alicia Gowans WBFF Pro

FAST FACTS Name: Alicia Gowans City: Brisbane, QLD Occupation: Fitness Specialist and Head Coach, Owner & Founder of Ally’s Angels & Alphas, General Manager Oasis Health Club Age: 33 Height: 169cm Weight: Off-season: 62kg On-season: 58kg

beat her.

“I didn’t want to have surgery, so I turned to an osteopathic group to help me heal my back without going under the knife,” she says.

Alicia spent the first few months just foam-rolling, releasing with a triggerpoint ball and doing neural glides just to be able to function. With some hard work, determination, and the help of her loved ones, she gradually began to regain her strength.

While being injured was difficult, it allowed Alicia to reconnect with her body in a different way. For the first time in a

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ALICIA’S WEEKLY TRAINING

Training for me depends on the phase and goal, but typically I like to train legs at least three times a week, focused largely on glutes and hamstrings, with two to three big compound lifts followed by supersets to increase muscular fatigue.

I supplement these sessions with two upper-body days and a metabolic conditioning session to keep my body fat levels right where they need to be.

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111

Spotlight ALICIA’S WEEKLY DIET I eat clean all the time as a lifestyle and am always focused on structuring my nutrition around my goals. My diet in a typical week would involve a carb rotation cycle with three to four low days, supplemented with high days.

I train mostly during the day, so I like to use carbs predominantly around my training, sticking to higher fat and protein meals in the mornings and evenings. For me, I find this allows me to get the most out of my sessions, with maximum growth, while limiting body fat.

very long time, she was forced to stop in her tracks and listen to her body on every level, and during her year-long rehabilitation she learnt some ‘amazing things’ about herself.

One of those things was about the true strength of her own mind.

Alicia set her sights on returning to the competitive WBFF stage. Focused on pursuing her passion for competing in the WBFF, she made the decision to target the Atlantic City WBFF Pro-Am in December 2016.

The comeback to stage for Alicia was full of ups and downs. There were re-injuries, new injuries, challenging business

“I was absolutely thrilled!” she says.

“I couldn’t believe it when they called my number. It was one of those surreal moments that you have dreamt about for so long, and to finally have it all come together was just such an amazing experience.”

Alicia’s comeback to the Pro WBFF stage is not her only achievement in the past year. She has also been recognised by the WBFF for her continued efforts with the brand, recently being inducted as a global WBFF ambassador, as well as co-hosting the 10th Anniversary of World Championships in Toronto and the

on Alicia’s radar this year?

“I want to continue to inspire men and women at any age to focus on biomechanics and learn from their bodies, to build stronger biomechanical structures, and change their bodies in the way they want,” she says. “To be the best, the strongest, the happiest, and bestlooking — in their own eyes — versions of themselves!

“I am doing a lot of work around my online coaching business, Ally’s Angels & Alphas Competition Prep and Fitness Lifestyle Coaching, to increase my reach and ability to help more people — looking at new and innovative ways to get more people focused on not only a healthy lifestyle, but also in chasing and achieving their dreams.”

So the journey continues for the Pro bodybuilder, mum, business owner, and fitness lover. Preparations have already commenced for Alicia’s comeback to the Worlds stage.

“My excitement and enthusiasm is barely containable,” she admits. “I can’t wait to bring the best possible version of me to stage again at WBFF Worlds 2017, but also to show everyone out there that anything is possible when you don’t give up, work hard, and are surrounded by the right people who believe in you as much as you do”!

“I went from thinking, ‘I hope my butt doesn’t look big’ to ‘I hope my butt does look big’.” and personal circumstances, as well as everything that goes with managing her own team of athletes who also compete.

As challenging as it all was, Alicia finally made it on to the stage.

“I really was unsure how I would go,” she says, “but I knew I had done everything possible to bring the best version of me that I could to stage. To me, getting back on stage felt like such a huge achievement, and I was so happy to be up there.”

At the 2016 Atlantic City Pro show, Alicia was crowned Fitness Champion!

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European Pro-Am last year.

“Being able to contribute to the brand I love so dearly and be actively involved in the WBFF is phenomenal, and I am so grateful for all the opportunities the WBFF has and continues to provide me with,” she says.

“The WBFF is such a great organisation to be a part of. And, really, it is not just an organisation, but rather a family that looks after one another and creates amazing opportunities for its athletes.”

So, apart from the Worlds, what else is

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Competition Calendar

Enjoy 10% off purchases from our website until the 31st May 2017 using code

WBFF Fitness & Fashion Event, 6th May — QLD www.wbffshows.com.au

INBA South Australia, 26th August Victoria, 2nd September New South Wales, 9th September Team Australia Pro/Am, 16th September Venues and further competition details to come. www.inbaglobal.com.au

ICN Australia Melbourne Championships, 7th May 2017 – VIC QLD Rookie of the Year, 7th May – QLD Perth Classic, 13th May – WA Sydney SuperBodies, 20th May – NSW Brisbane Classic - Male Muscle & Model, 20th May – QLD Brisbane Classic Weekend - Miss Athletica, 21st May – QLD Mornington Peninsula Titles, 27th May - VIC City National Championships, 3rd June – NSW All Female Classic, 11th June – VIC WANT - World Amateur Natural Titles, 23rd June – PHUKET www.icompeteaustralia.com.au

ANB Muscle Model Extravaganza, 6th May - SA South Pacific Titles, 6th May - QLD South Coast Titles, 7th May – NSW Melbourne Titles, 13th May – VIC Brisbane Titles, 13th May – QLD Oceana International, 20-21st May – NSW Ms Fitness Australia, 3rd June - WA www.anb.com.au

NABBA/WFF South Pacific, 7th May - WA Melbourne International, 21st May - VIC Southern Hemisphere, 28th May – QLD Sydney Grand Classic, 4th June – NSW NABBA World Championships, 17th June – RUSSIA WFF Universe Championships, 24th June - BRAZIL www.nabba.com.au

AWNBS Sydney Showcase, 7 May 2017 — NSW Victorian Titles, 21 May 2017 — VIC Queensland Titles, 28 May 2017 — QLD www.awnbs.com.au

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WORDS OF WISDOM FROM THOSE IN THE KNOW

exhale

WHO ARE YOU?

"The difference between who you are and who you want to be is what you do."

TRANSFORM FUTURE OF FITNESS SPOTLIGHT HOW SHE FUELS BOOST INSPIRE

116 122 124 126 128 130

Photos by Dallas Olsen

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115

Transform

Nicky Jacobson It’s been just over a decade since injury forced Mornington gym owner Nicky Jacobson to give up her beloved cardio and impact training, which led to her discovering a new love: resistance training.

As she reveals, that’s only part of the story.

CONNECT WITH Nicky Instagram: Ultimatefitness_nickyj Facebook: Ultimate Fitness

I

started going to the gym with

my mum after high school, as I was an apprentice chef and had to give up my dancing due to so many hours of doing weekly step and circuit classes. I didn’t really start lifting weights properly until after having my children.

When both of my kids were in primary school, I completed my certificates III and IV and started working at Beach House Mornington. It was here that I really fell in love with the industry and got serious about my training and started to sculpt my body with less cardio.

After I had started to lift weights, I felt strong, fit, and healthy. Although I own a 24-hour gym (and my husband can’t understand why I get up so early), I need to focus on myself first; then I can

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Photos by Melita Jagic

FAST FACTS Name: Nicky Jacobson City: Melbourne Occupation: Gym Owner, Ultimate Fitness

By Nicky J. Age: 42 Height: 156cm Weight: Off-season: 50kg On-season: 47kg

concentrate on making the classes for my members about their fitness goals and not just mine.

In 2006, my husband and I ran the full Melbourne Marathon (42.19km), and due to the amount of training, on top of taking Body Step classes, I unfortunately was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis. It was extremely painful, especially first thing in the morning. After trying two lots of cortisone injections, dry needling, deep tissue massages, you name it, I was booked in for surgery.

The week before my operation, I had my pre-op consult with my surgeon. I asked if he could guarantee fixing me 100 per cent, as this was my job and lifestyle — and the answer was ‘no’. I was told no more impact sports, no more running, and no

Body Step classes. As upsetting as this was at the time, I felt it was still the best option to take.

This is when I fell in love with resistance training.

Along my journey, I have also gained numerous qualifications, with every qualification being a choice at different stages of my life. Throughout my career I have learnt to always listen to your own body, take advice from qualified people, and include your rest days.

It is never too late to start. Make sure you are consistent, find someone with industry knowledge, learn correct techniques, and enjoy the journey.

Set yourself little goals and make sure you reach them. Keep hydrated and fuel your body with good foods.

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COMPETITOR PROFILE

Bec Giuliani It may be quicker to list the things that Bec Giuliani doesn’t fit into her busy schedule, but the newly crowned WBFF Diva Fitness pro reveals it’s okay to give yourself a break sometimes.

I

am a registered

CONNECT WITH BEC

Photos by Dallas Olsen

Instagram: @bec_giuliani nurse, a current student, a future breast cancer nurse, FAST FACTS and a recent WBFF Diva Name: Bec Giuliani Fitness pro, all of which I am City: Zeehan, incredibly proud to claim.

Tasmania Being a nurse, I am a shift worker. And for those Occupation: Registered out there who too are shift Nurse workers or equivalent, you Age: 26 may appreciate how difficult Height: 165cm it can be to obtain a routine, Weight: and often sleep will be 65kg sacrificed.

I am someone who values my health and wellbeing and prioritises it heavily among other busy life commitments. I am not saying my lifestyle is any busier than the next person. I appreciate we all have different desires and values that shape our priorities; priorities influence our choices, and our choices dictate our actions.

I have recently decided to commence studying again after nearly four years off. I have always had a strong interest in breast cancer nursing. I was heavily influenced by one breast cancer nurse I was fortunate enough to work closely with during one of my clinical placements as a student. Her passion and love of this field truly influenced this passion within me.

Learning to juggle study, work, and training certainly poses many difficulties.

Many people do come up to me with a curiosity and to congratulate me almost on how I manage to fit everything in, and I am not going to lie or sugarcoat things. It is not easy.

I find myself at times exhausted, using less than 100 per cent effort in tasks. I forget most things, I lose motivation, my dedication to nutrition falls, I finish assignments the day they are due, I request extensions — the list goes on. And for those out there who make progressive steps forward, but trip up every now and then, I will be the first person to raise my hand and say I don't know what I am doing half the time, I don’t always have control, I get sad, I feel insecure, I mess up — we all do.

So if you feel you want to get back into shape but are faced with too many other overwhelming factors, just sit for a moment and consider your values. It might help you to gain perspective, re-evaluate your priorities, or even cut yourself some slack.

The road to achieving good health and wellbeing is a great journey, and I wish you all nothing but success and happiness on your way.

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Transform

Off the couch and on to the stage Her knees crippled with arthritis, and with surgery presented as her only option, Amanda Humphries found herself turning to food for comfort. Unable to continue her job as a group fitness instructor, her world as she knew it fell apart. Turning injury and weight gain around with the help of weight training and a strong mindset, this is her story.

BY ILDIKO BROWNING

A

manda Humphries has

worked in the fitness industry for 11 years, and therefore believed she should have all the answers.

While working as a group fitness instructor at Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club, she found her weight fluctuating, reaching 89kg at her highest point. At the time she was doing 16 hours of pure cardio a week, and she was continually exhausted and hungry, all the while thinking that this was her best option for trying to keep the weight off. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My time at the gym doing cardio did help, but I hit a plateau that I just couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t

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SUCCESS STORIES

FAST FACTS Name: Amanda Humphries City: Gold Coast, QLD Occupation: Personal Trainer Age: 47 Height: 167cm Weight now: 61kg Weight before: 89kg

AMANDA’S WEEKLY FOOD PLAN

‘At the beginning, I couldn’t even stand up straight, and now I can squat my own body weight and conduct Olympic lifts!’ get past,” Amanda says. “I managed to lose some weight, but at the time nothing seemed to work.”

Losing her sister a few years earlier had found her struggling to cope with her loss, and it was also through this loss that she began an unhealthy relationship with food.

No matter what the emotion was that I was trying to cope with, I medicated myself with food,” she says.

“Even though I had the knowledge of training and healthy eating as a background in my job, my binges were out of this world.”

Amanda was at her lowest three years ago when her arthritis was so bad in her knees that she was crippled with pain and could not straighten her leg. Her instructing days came to a grinding halt and her overeating began again.

“I got to the point where I couldn’t stand looking at myself and I was so miserable,” she says.

“I was given the option of total knee replacements as my only option to correct the situation, with my surgeons only agreeing to do it when I was in my 60s.”

With 60 being a long way off for Amanda, who was only in her 40s at the time, she thought there had to be a better option. It was during this time that her sister-in-law gave her a book on ketogenic lifestyle. She decided to put this into practice and found an instant response.

With her knees slowly improving, the weight loss started to follow, and so too Amanda felt her life changing. Two years ago, when her knees were finally feeling stronger and she felt comfortable enough to take her training to the next level, Amanda started weight training.

“If the experts were going to tell me there was nothing more they could do, then I was going to take things into my own hands,” she says.

oxygenmagAU

Breakfast: Kangaroo fillet steak with approx. 120g of salad made with lettuce, cucumber, and celery, with a dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, and home-made dukkha Morning tea: Coconut yoghurt Lunch: Barramundi or white fish with approx. 120g of salad (same as breakfast) Post-training: Pea Protein shake made with almond milk and 15ml of liquid coconut oil Afternoon tea: White fish or chicken with approx. 80g of vegetables Dinner: 130g salmon with broccoli and asparagus

“I was so intimidated when I first started training, as the weights room was full of guys all lifting these huge weights and I didn’t have a clue what I was doing.”

The first year of rehab was all around building strength in her knees, and over time she was getting stronger and her knees were coping better than ever before.

“At the beginning,” she says, “I couldn’t even stand up straight, and now I can squat my own body weight and conduct Olympic lifts!’

It was this change that encouraged Amanda to move way from instructing cardio classes and begin her training to become a personal trainer.

The final piece to Amanda’s puzzle was the desire to compete as a figure

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Transform

‘I have learnt that what we choose to eat has a far greater impact on our health than any amount of time spent in the gym.’ competitor, which she did with both the INBA and the ANB. Doing this purely for herself, as the final step in her journey to recovery, she received two third places, a fourth place and a fifth place.

Amanda attributes the motivation to keep going to the fact that she could now interact with her family and engage in normal life again.

“Not only did I realise that I was not too old, I felt I didn’t have to accept this old, overweight, infirmed image of myself any longer!” she says.

“I find that if I don’t keep maintaining my mobility on a daily basis, I can feel the tenderness in my knees, and that is all I need to keep me going.”

Out of this experience, Amanda feels she is a completely different person. She feels so much more positive and, in a way, credits arthritis for showing her how amazing life can really be.

“I have learnt so many lessons, but the

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main one is that I am strong enough to achieve anything I set my mind to,” she says.

“I have learnt that what we choose to eat has a far greater impact on our health than any amount of time spent in the gym.”

Amanda believes that without the journey she has endured, she would still be instructing an overwhelming number of cardio classes per week and still battling with her weight and not seeing any results.

Without the decision to make the lifestyle changes she did, and without the help she received to make those changes, she believes she’d still be sitting on the couch today, unable to walk without pain and waiting to be 60 so she could have surgery.

“Surround yourself with knowledgeable people, because it is almost impossible to do everything on your own without getting the right advice,” she says.

“Having a motivation and support system is the key.”

AMANDA’S WEEKLY WORKOUT Monday Chest and triceps Tuesday Legs Wednesday Cardio — sled sprints Thursday Back Friday Shoulders and triceps Saturday Cardio — sled sprints Sunday Recover and relax!

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SUCCESS STORIES

“Surround yourself with knowledgeable people, because it is almost impossible to do everything on your own.”

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Fit Factor

Future of fitness

These five women have the drive that is the ‘Fit Factor’.

I started working out in 2002. I was going through a divorce, and working out and eating well were the only things I could control when everything else in my life was falling apart. It started out that it was a way of meeting new people. Now, it’s my lifestyle and passion.

Training with others or alone:

I prefer training alone. It’s my time and I just like to get in and get things done. I also find it difficult to work out with others, because rarely do we have the same goals or trouble areas. However, my girlfriends and I get together once a month to train and eat lunch together, and I really enjoy that.

Anja Zeidler Lucerne, Switzerland Age: 23 Height: 175cm Weight: 68kg

Accomplishments:

Athletic accomplishments:

I never competed and I don’t plan to in the future. But I always did modelling and love standing in front of the camera. I got myself in shape for many magazine shoots all over the globe. They have published me in 15 different issues in 15 different languages. It was funny to read my name in Korean and Russian.

I do NPC Bikini competitions. I placed Top 10 at the 2015 Masters Nationals, second in the 2015 Northern Indiana, Top 10 at the 2013 Masters Nationals, and first in the 2013 KY State show. I won Overall titles in 2010 and 2009.

Favourite cheat food:

ATTENTION ALL FIT WOMEN

Can you inspire others to be fit?

Send your details to editorial@challengermediagroup.com

I am a healthy flexible dieter, which means I allow myself to eat everything, but the amount matters! Ninety per cent of what I eat is unprocessed, natural foods. The other 10 per cent is ‘treats’ — that would be Oreo cookies!

Workout plan:

Three times a week I train at the gym. I train lower body twice and upper body only once. On top of that I do two to three HIIT outdoor workouts, and every now and then I do a hike in the Swiss alps.

Jessica Allinder Kentucky, USA Age: 38 Height: 165cm Weight: 54kg

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Anja photo: BeaZeidler | Jessica photo: Kevin Talley | Kessalyn photo: Dallas Olsen | Lexa photo: James Patrick | Megan photo: Paul Buceta

The beginning:

INSPIRATION

Favoured cardio style:

Interval sprints. I may hate them as much as I love them, but there is nothing better than giving it every ounce of effort you can give. Then taking a minute to catch your breath and hitting it again. Cardio is one of the best stress relievers for me, and if I’m not a sweaty mess by the time I’m done, I’m not pushing hard enough.

Balancing family and fitness:

Mondays are my days to prepare meals for the week to come so I can stay on track with my nutrition. A good night’s sleep is key in being prepared to tackle the day.

I try to get all my work in at the salon, so that when I’m home I can spend time with my husband.

Kessalyn Franklin Gladesville, NSW Age: 28 Height: 165cm Weight: 67kg

Support for the journey:

Place to work out:

I run around my neighbourhood, train in my studio, Soulful Fitness, doing our Pilates Reformer and Yoga classes, and I do my lifting at North Shore Gym in Lane Cove.

Don’t they say, ‘It takes a village…’? I think I have a village of supporters in my fitness journey. My husband (who must deal with my sass on the daily), my parents, my coaches, and my girlfriends have all been so encouraging through low-carb days, strict training regimens, and prepping while on vacations.

Fitness tip:

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Never show up to the gym without your plan; whether it’s written down or in your mind, make sure you know what you intend to do when you get there or you’ll just end up wandering around feeling unsure and defeated!

Megan Graham Boston, Massachusetts Age: 40 Height: 165cm Weight: 53kg Inspiration:

As a teenager, I worked out to condition myself for sports, and in my early to midtwenties I felt a bit lost as I searched for a way to take care of my body and maintain a connection to my athletic nature. My younger brother gave me a book by Cory Everson about weightlifting for women, and I started reading it — and doing it. I was surprised by the changes that I could make in my physique while still maintaining a feminine look.

Cheat food:

Cupcakes and cheeseburgers are my favourite foods, although I don’t think of any food as a cheat. I feel good when I eat healthfully, but I also include things that aren’t quite as healthy. I’ve found that this is the key to avoiding bingeing. I don’t ever make myself feel bad for something I’ve eaten. I simply move on and make my next meal a healthy one.

Favourite physical feature:

My legs. They are big and strong. I used to be so embarrassed of my big thighs, but now I can understand that I have such a great advantage to have strong, big thighs. They are beautiful and today make me very proud.

Lexa Mendenhall Gilbert, Arizona Age: 29 Height: 158cm Weight: 53kg

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Loving Oxygen:

I love the fact that Oxygen shows women the beauty of strength, loving our bodies, and being true to ourselves and focuses so strongly on health. Beauty is so much more than skin deep. The most beautiful women are strong women who are authentic.

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Spotlight PROFILE

Amanda Saccomanno CONNECT WITH MANDY Website: www.mandysacs.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ wwemandyrose Instagram: @mandysacs Twitter: @Wwe_mandyrose

W

Photos by Sarah Lyons / Stylist BodyByBrazil.com / MUADonna Fossati

FAST FACTS City: Yorktown Heights, New York, USA Occupation: WWE Superstar Height: 162cm Weight: 60kg hen WWE NXT Superstar

Amanda Saccomanno, known around the world as Mandy Rose, stepped on stage in her very first fitness competition in the WBFF in Boston four years ago, little did she know the first placing that earned her a WBFF Pro card would be the first step on her way to starring on one of the biggest stages of all, the WWE. She followed that first win by being crowned WBFF Bikini World Champion in 2014. Moving from the comp stage to the wrestling ring, she appeared in the 2015 season of WWE Tough Enough, where a runner-up placing snared her a multi-year deal with the WWE, which led to a spot in the main cast of the 2016 season of the American reality television show Total Divas.

Describe your life before you started training.

Before I started training, I was a student at Iona College finishing up my Bachelors degree in Speech Language Pathology.

After graduating with my degree, I had to go on to get my Masters; however, I was waiting to hear back from programs and decided to get into fitness training in the meantime.

How different do you feel now compared to then?

I feel better physically, but also mentally.

I am in such a better place knowing that I am taking care of my body.

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Was there is pivotal moment that motivated you to start training?

If so, what was it?

After graduating from college and working two jobs, I wanted to start putting myself first and finding something that I was passionate about.

Once I started training and seeing the changes in my body and how it made me feel, there was no turning back.

I could see a lot of close friends’ and fellow classmates’ priorities, such as going out partying, were things I didn’t want to be part of, which was a pivotal moment that motivated me to start training.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of training for you, and why?

Seeing the changes in my body and, more importantly, the way it made me feel.

Another rewarding aspect would have to be placing first at my very first fitness competition in WBFF.

What have you had to overcome to get to where you are today? Did that change you in any way?

I am the quintessential example of ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’. Getting into the world of WWE and sports entertainment, I had to overcome the perceived assumption that I was not just a pretty face.

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How She Fuels

By Maura Weber

Shannah Baker IFBB Bikini Pro Shannah Baker stays upbeat with positive plans for the future.

S

hannah loves setting goals

Photos by Dallas Olsen

for herself, and she makes sure they vary in difficulty. “I always try to make sure that I have goals each day that allow me to feel like I’ve made progress," she says.

"This helps a lot when the days get harder the closer I get to a show."

She says her first goal of becoming an IFBB Pro was a huge accomplishment for her personally and that being invited to the Arnold Classic in Australia for her pro debut was the icing on the cake.

Shannah, who is sponsored by APS nutrition is a full-time athlete and she has just completed her Cert III and IV in Personal Training. She will be studying nutrition starting mid-year and plans to travel overseas to compete in the USA.

SHANNAH’S FAVOURITE APS PRODUCTS White Lightning is quite strong so I

usually only take ¾ scoop before fasted cardio and then another ¾ with my pre-workout mix. White Lightning is an energiser and one of the strongest fat burners on the market.

Mesomorph, also known some places as Morph3, is a strong pre-workout.

I take ½ a scoop as a pre-workout.

(Remember to start at a low dosage when unfamiliar with a supplement.)

Chain’d Reaction is an intraworkout BCAA and recovery aid for muscle growth as well as being the best tasting BCAA I’ve had! I have one scoop in my water during training. It can be taken after your session too.

Watermelon and Blue Raspberry are delicious and the sweetness is not overpowering.

Carnisport is a blend of five different types of Carnitine designed to assist in performance and weight loss. This product is non stimulant and I have two with breakfast and 2 before bed (8-12 hours apart).

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SHANNAH’S SAMPLE ONE-DAY MEAL PLAN:

Shannah’s favourite APS products

Meal 1: Turkey mince, egg whites, pumpkin Meal 2: White fish, pumpkin, greens Meal 3: Chicken, greens, nuts Meal 4: Chicken, boiled eggs, mix veg/salad Meal 5: White fish, greens

“MY TIP IS ALWAYS STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF.” oxygenmag.com.au

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Boost TRAINING

By Adam Gonzalez

The ultimate whey Whey Gold provides the nutrients you need to accomplish your physique goals.

B

uilding lean muscle tissue

is a 24-hour-a-day proposition.

While your focus is often on intense workouts, you also have to provide your body with the crucial nutrients for repairing muscle tissue damaged during workouts. While your workouts are the most challenging aspect of the equation, your nutrition is the easiest part of the process to overlook.

To get the most from your workouts, it’s essential that you consume the proper amount and types of protein to maximise your results.

Whey Gold from Ultimate Nutrition provides exactly what you need before and after workouts. Here’s more about this product’s multiple benefits.

Fuels Your Muscles

but every protein provides a unique range of these building blocks. Whey Gold is high in branched-chain amino acids, a unique group that includes leucine, isoleucine and valine. You’ve probably heard about BCAAs because of their role in creating gains. These amino acids stimulate protein synthesis, spurring the growth of muscles. BCAAs also encourage the release of insulin, an effect you want around your workouts to support the recovery process by driving amino acids and other nutrients to your muscle tissue. In addition, BCAAs blunt the release of cortisol, the stress hormone that tears down muscle tissue.

Each serving of Whey Gold provides more than four grams of BCAAs, an ideal dose for recovery and growth.

When you train with intensity — performing cardio, weight training or a combination — your body needs fast-digesting whey protein to fuel the recovery and repair the damage that occurs to muscle tissue. It’s important to consume plenty of fast-digesting protein before and after workouts, as well as at other times of day to ensure you have amino acids in your system. When you don’t, your body turns to other lean muscle tissue, breaking it down to support recovery and growth. And this can be a zero-sum game: taking from one muscle group for another undercuts your long-term progress. Getting in protein immediately before and after workouts helps ensure that you’ll have protein in your system. Your body will be able to use the protein provided by Whey Gold to protect all your lean tissue while supporting recovery and long-term gains.

Supports Recovery

Reduces Muscle Breakdown

Whey Gold from Ultimate Nutrition is an affordable and tasty protein product.

All protein is constituted of amino acids,

Amino acids are divided into two groups — essential and nonessential.

Nonessential amino acids are the crucial ones that you need for basic survival and function. They are so critical that your body can make them from other amino acids, meaning that you do not need to get them from your food or supplements. Essential amino acids, though, cannot be made by the body and need to be consumed. And many of these essential amino acids are crucial for supporting accretion of lean muscle tissue and secondary functions that support training and recovery. This means you need to consume a high amount of these amino acids. Whey Gold is rich in essential amino acids such as arginine, threonine and phenylalanine, in addition to BCAAs.

Each one-scoop serving of Delicious Vanilla flavour provides 20 grams of protein with only 140 calories. The product mixes easily in water, and you can consume multiple servings throughout the day, including when you awake, as a snack, before and after workouts, and before bed.

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Your body will be able to use the protein provided by Whey Gold to protect all your lean tissue while supporting recovery and longterm gains.

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Make Your Mark

by Margie Warrell

Author Margie Warrell’s voice is authentic and wise, and her advice is a magical mixture of inspiring and practical.

Drawing on a mixture of psychology, science, and hard-won wisdom, Margie cuts to the heart of what keeps people stuck in excuses, rationalising their choices, and not taking the actions they know could change everything. Make Your Mark is a book to be read with an open mind and pen in hand.

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BE FEARLESS IN THE PURSUIT OF WHAT SETS YOUR SOUL ON FIRE!

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Photo by Dallas Olsen

Inspire