Find Your Feet. The Power of Movement
Spring is here. It's time to embrace the light and the longer days.
The aim of what you're about to read is simply for you to realise how incredibly beneficial walking or moving is for your health. Do not underestimate its value.
It is embedded in our genes and ingrained deep within our biology. We've been on this planet 10's of thousands of years but within the last 50 to 100 years we have decided to completely neglect everything our bodies are designed to do. Let's all get motivated and empowered to get out and move more. Remove your phone from under your face, get away from the desk top, immerse yourself in some music or a podcast, even ask a friend or colleague to join you.
Harvard Medical School published some powerful findings. Here are just a few:
It counteracts the effects of weight promoting genes. Harvard researchers investigated 32 obesity promoting genes in over 12,000 people to establish how much these genes actually contribute to overall body weight. They discovered that, among the study participants who walked briskly for about an hour a day, the effects of those genes were cut in half.
It can ease joint pain. Several studies have found that walking reduces arthritis-related pain, and that walking five to six miles a week can even prevent arthritis from forming in the first place. Walking protects the joints — especially the knees and hips, which are most susceptible to osteoarthritis — by lubricating them and strengthening the muscles that support them.
It boosts immune function. Walking can help protect you during cold and flu season. A study of over 1,000 men and women found that those who walked at least 20 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week, had 43% fewer sick days than those who exercised once a week or less. And if they did get sick, it was for a shorter duration, and their symptoms were milder.
Incredible.
But the benefits don't stop there. Research has shown that briskly walking after a meal lowerspostprandial blood pressure and triglyceride levels. Your blood pressure is a useful marker for overall health, so if your blood pressure is a little on the high side then moving more each day is an important health hack to get started with.
The additional daylight and sun exposure will increase Vitamin D synthesis which can improve your mood and energy. I have written an entire blog on the benefits of Vitamin D.Try getting out of the habit of eating lunch at your desk. Accomplishing a 20 minute walk over your lunch period isn't asking a lot regardless of how busy you are. Spend more time on yourself and your health. Imagine how much more you would have moved over the week, month and year. Start with 20 minutes and slowly increase over the weeks until it has formed as more of a habit.
Ultimately it's about creating a healthier environment for the body and taking every opportunity, no matter how small to be as healthy as we can be.
Thank you for reading.
Luke
Health Hack! Magnesium Rich Foods
It makes sense to fuel our bodies with the best possible food we can. Or at least try to more often than not.
I have mentioned magnesium and important a number of times whether it be through supplementation or food.
Magnesium is involved in over 300 chemical reactions within the body and if you exercise frequently levels can soon become depleted. It helps to maintain normal nerve and muscle function, promotes a healthy immune system, can regulate blood pressure and keep our bones strong.
If you needed anymore of a reason to up your magnesium levels check this study out!
There was a double blind placebo controlled study published in the journal of research and medical sciences. All participants had chronic sleep issues.
Now for the results.
The group taking the magnesium supplement had dramatically improved sleep onset meaning they fell asleep quicker. Overall sleep time and efficiency improved meaning sleep cycles were more efficient.
Furthermore there were improvements in melatonin and reduced serum cortisol all from improved levels of magnesium. And trust me when I say these are both crucial for creating a great sleep environment.
How to up your Magnesium game.
Anything green will help along with fish, nuts, seeds and various fruits. Keep focussing on whole foods, vegetables and fruits. It doesn't need to be perfect it just needs to be the best you can make it.
Thanks for reading
Luke
Mastering Your Mindset Volume 4: Why We Sleep
Wow!! What a book. I am super confident this book will have a positively profound impact on your life. That I guarantee. An incredible read and truly eye opening.
I love sleep. I respect everything it gives me. I purchased this book purely based on how much I value my sleep and have personally experienced what a period of poor sleep can do to the body and mind. It can be completely debilitating.
Your sleep will effect all walks of your life from your mood, training, cognitive function, hormones and concentration. Have one poor nights sleep and I am sure you'll agree you know about it then next day.
When you actually take a moment to think about it why do we sleep? It has taken more than 3 million years to develop this 8-hour sleep necessity and within 100 years we have decided to swipe off 20% off that leaving so many of us living in this sub optimal state believing 4 to 6 hours of sleep is adequate to live on. If you fall into this category then its not. You're doing yourself a massive injustice.
Sleep is the foundation of life.
From a health and fitness standpoint sleep is the greatest legal performance enhancing drug we in the modern age have access to and are neglecting. Fellas take note if you sleep 5 to 6 hours per night you will have a level of testosterone 10 years a man your senior. A lack of sleep will age you by a decade. That will have a massive impact on not only your sex drive but also your ability to build and retain muscle.
For those who have a fat loss goal sleep is essential. Take a moment to think about it but do you gravitate towards refined sugary food when you're under slept and/or over worked. Ghrelin a hormone that instructs you when to eat gets ramped up. People sleeping 5 – 6 hours per night will on average eat 200 to 300 extra calories each day because of an under slept state. Add that up its about 70,000 extra calories a year which is about 10-15 pounds of obese mass each year.
We live in a massively dark deprived society. Its almost as light at night as it is during the day. There is artificial light everywhere. That lamppost beaming through the blinds, iPads, iPhones and laptops. The list is endless all of which contribute to poor sleep and suppress Melatonin the hormone of darkness which instructs your body when its dark and when its time to go to sleep.
1 hour of iPad reading vs 1 hour of book reading in a dim light that one hour of iPad reading delayed this release of this hormone by 3 hours. Its 50% less in terms of its peak and furthermore you don’t get the same amount of REM sleep which leaves you struggling to wake up and feeling less refreshed or restored by your sleep.How guilty are we all of laying in bed looking at our phones or watching Netflix?
So how do you go about improving your quality of sleep?
- Regularity - going to bed at a similar time each night consistently / wake up at the same time.
- Light - last hour before bed try to stay away from screen and also start to dim the lighting throughout your house or where you live
- Keep it cool – your brain needs to drop around 2 degrees Fahrenheit to initiate sleep which is why it’s always easier to fall asleep in a room that’s too cold rather than too warm.
Fat Loss Food For Real People Volume 5: Fat – Loss Pill?
Holy Sh**! A Weight Loss Pill hailed as the holy grail in the fight against obesity .
What a tag to have. The NHS is buckling in front of us and this pill is going to save it from its knees.
Hallelujah.
You would assume that given such a name to live up to the results are outstanding. Ready yourself.
Those who took the drug lost an average of nine pounds / 4kg in just over 3 years 🤦♂️
Hold on 4kg in over 3 years. What the f***. If you’re considered obese it’s not hard for you to lose 4kg. You could literally go for a 10 minute walk and you’ll lose weight. 4kg in over 3 years is criminal.
The only winner here the company manufacturing this drug who’ll no doubt make millions 💰
What is interesting is the link between obesity and depression. I have always been a huge advocate of exercise being the single most effective anti depressant you will ever have access to. There is no pill as effective.
As per the article ‘Suicidal thoughts or behaviour were reported in 21 people taking Lorcasin compared to 11 people given placebo, however those taking the weight - loss drug had a history of depression’.
Is it really surprising they all have a history of depression? They’re all obese. Imagine how shit that must feel. And then on top of that they told take this pill twice a day and you’ll lose 4kg in the next 3 years. It’ll likely be too little too late but that’s all we have. No support network. No actual advice. Problem = Pill.
And I’m not even going to look at the negative effects taking pills has on the gut. And what can poor gut health be linked to....depression.
Unless there is a massive shift towards the practise of a more functional approach and changes in lifestyle then the future is sadly very fat.
Exercise Education Volume 3: Are we so different?
Should guys and girls train differently to one another? Do we respond differently to reps, sets and or weight for example?
An interesting question and a topic I have seen written and blogged about a fair amount. The old Man v Women debate and whether there is an optimal rep range for females or males. I have read articles ranging from ‘men require more rest to women who respond better to a rep range of 15 reps and up’ blah blah blah.
Ultimately what are the majority of us seeking? We all want to be a little leaner with better muscle definition, for females I will often hear ‘toned’. A word I am confident I know what means or looks.
Less body fat and more muscle essentially means ‘toned’.
Definitely less body fat with a non overly athletic figure but deemed in good shape. And for sure it'll mean different things for different people.
That aside and not beating around the bush its exactly the same thing I want and most guys training want. Given all of our differences both sexes are in pursuit of exactly the same thing.
Does this therefore mean we should train completely differently?
Guys maybe want a more muscular look rather than females but we can all agree on the more muscle to fat ratio.
If as a female you want to change aesthetically how you look you can build muscle or lose body fat right? It’s impossible to change your bone structure so the ONLY thing you can change about your structure are your muscles or body fat.
In order to do this what should you do?
You would follow the same principles I would in which to get this look. Your head is in the same place as mine, your arms and legs are your quads and biceps are.
Our limbs and muscles are all in the same place and respond to stress in the same way.
The health and fitness industry does come with some great information but also a lot of BS.
You need to train regularly, train hard, train smart and put good food in your body exactly like I also need to and you'll feel and look great.
Here we have an industry massively geared towards female training with often conflicting information but there isn’t a magic diet or exercise all you need to do is follow the above principles.
Mastering Your Mindset Volume 3: Are You Ready?
Hopefully a thought provoking question.
Are you ready to lose weight? Do you even want to? Or has it turned into something you either feel you need to justify to yourself or others.
I’m trying? I want to? I need to?
If you’re reading this and fat loss or weight loss are your primary focus ask yourself aloud or in your head am I putting everything in place I need to ensure I am one step closer to where I want to be tomorrow, next week, next month, next year.
If you aren’t putting these things in place then maybe you aren’t as ready as you think you are. As much as I hope this to be thought provoking I also hope it allows you to reflect on what it is you actually want rather than what you think others want.
I am certainly in no way trying to make anyone feel guilty that has tried and failed to lose weight, it's really f’ing hard. It might however be worth asking yourself if the reason you aren’t in a better place with how you look is if you have ever been ready at all or that you have made the task to big and put needless pressure on yourself.
I have mentioned previously the importance of discipline and adherence being key determining factors of whether you're successful or not, two things I have also admitted I struggle with. Doing anything consistently is bloody hard. However I really enjoy training, I enjoy how it makes me feel and as a result I feel I look better. I train for my mind first, the body is simply a result. And I know how I feel when I don't train. Rubbish. These are my key drivers.
This mentality didn't happen over night, I could easily find a reason why I shouldn’t train.
It might also take some time for you. You just need to figure out what drives you and then what you need to put in place. Its easy for me to sit here and write about how you might not be ready but when that moment comes and you decide you are what are the steps you need to be taking!
Your why. The 'when it gets really f'ing tough' what do you need to remind yourself of to push through.
Find some solid reasons. Key drivers could be as simple as becoming easily out of breath running around with your kids. You might have seen someone else in the gym that has inspired you. Do you stand on escalators because you don't want to be out of breath.
These are all key motivators to potentially get you moving forward. In order to first start moving forward you'll need to establish your 'why'.
- Tip 1: Surround yourself with the right people and tell your nearest and dearest what you intend on doing, and ask for help. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
- Tip 2: Accountability. Links closely with the Tip 1 but accountability can often be crucial.
- Tip 3: Be selfish! If it means being unsocial then it’s a compromise you need to make. If it means not eating at your partners favourite restaurant then they absolutely need to appreciate that and be on board.
- Tip 4: OUTPUT! OUTPUT! OUTPUT! Bloody move at every single opportunity you get. Life is so easy. Escalators, lifts, buses, taxis, trains. There was once a time none of these modes of transport even existed. So get moving, turn yourself into as much of a calorie burning moving machine as you can. Don't stand still. Every step you take it literally a step in the right direction.
- Tip 5: Plan. Write down on a piece of paper all the things that have thus far prevented you from achieving the body you feel more confident in. This doesn’t mean a shredded 6 pack or the instagram thigh gap its means you feeling more confident in how you look. Get all these factors on paper and strategise and plan. It could be sugary sweets or foods. Remove them from the environment you spend most of your time in. Alcohol - either opt for lower calories alcohol spirits or stop drinking full stop until you get things moving in the right direction.
- Tip 6: Target Setting. The end goal is important, but not yet. The first 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 and 8 and more important. You don't need a full body transformation in this time. Consistently exercising, moving more, drinking less alcohol, eating healthier are all great targets rather than losing 2 stone in 2 weeks.
- Tip 7: Speak to a professional and seek advice or find someone who has already walked the walk. If you don't know who to speak to email me [email protected]. Il be more than happy to help.
- Tip 8: Self Belief.
Fat Loss Food For Real People Volume 4: Binge Eating!
Binge Eating. It’s the dirty little secret none of us like to admit we do. What I consider binge eating, and what you consider binge eating may be two different things, for me, and I am happy to openly admit it is something I struggle with, walking past an off license or somewhere that sells something of the chocolate variety, walking in making a purchase, for no particular reason, consuming and telling myself it’s okay I trained hard today. For me, that is binge eating and something I do FAR too often. For others it could be classed as eating late at night or going mad at the weekends having starved yourself Monday to Friday. Whatever it is, it is a behaviour many of us have.
There are probably multiple factors as to why you and I ‘binge eat’. You might actually not be eating enough throughout the day, you might not give a shit about the additional calories, or you might have a mild addiction to the feeling binge eating gives you for that very short period of time. Whatever it may be lets look at the most likely cause and what we can put in place to reduce the amount we 'binge'.
So what’s the deal with this uncontrollable desire?
Whether its drinking, eating, shopping, different binge behaviours actually have similar causes and unbeknown to us all there are a multitude of factors causing us to do so.
It’s definitely deeper than just eating something, our brains release a chemical called dopamine when we eat something that is palatable and tasty. And non-surprisingly it feels really good, so much so we do it again, and again until its becomes so ingrained in our behaviour we barely notice it. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for our waistlines.
Its this daily feel good hit of dopamine we essentially become addicted to. And looking at the bigger picture, it can be this small daily decision you're making that might also be inhibiting you from losing weight/fat if that is your goal. And if weight-loss/fat-loss is your goal then you shouldn't be consuming refined high fat high sugar foods anyway.
On top of this small feel good hit many of us have to deal with the daily stresses and pressures of life, providing for a family, working long hours, dealing with people in the office you cant stand the sight of. All of these factors can lead to behaviour that becomes harder and harder to control.
What can you put in place to help?
- Adequate calories. You might not actually be eating enough throughout the day. So have a look at your main meals and do they contain an adequate amount of protein. If you aren't consuming enough calories of lets say decent nutritious food the the likelihood of eating something high in fat and sugar will be higher.
- Breaking the habit! Try a different route that is less likely to take to past something you potentially might walk in. It sounds silly, but you might not even be aware of how habitual this behaviour has become and what triggers you.
- Make a better choice. Rather than buying something deemed unhealthy maybe buy some fruit. Pineapple or mango both taste sweet and might do the job of something wrapped or packaged.
- Stay disciplined. Find a reason as to why you want to prevent or reduce your current binge behaviour. Summer is almost here and with the recent heat wave I have already witnessed a mass panic. Use it to your advantage.
- Make a better decision. You don't have to walk far to find something free of something, gluten free, low calorie, vegan. Its out there and accessible find out a few options that will help you with whatever it is you want to achieve.
Indulging is fine and training hard certainly gives me more freedom with my food choices. Overindulging and sitting on your arse all day in and office though is not something I would recommend.
Ultimately like anything your level of discipline and adherence will be the determining factors but implementing the above might help you stay on the straight and narrow.
Special Edition: Being Fit For A Fight
My intention for this blog was never for it to go down the road of a 'self-help type blog'. The idea of putting this together grew very much organically in that I had something right at the end of my finger tips I knew would motivate others as much as it has me.
Natasha has inspired me to be able to stand still and appreciate the 'relatively' good health I am in and how easy it is for me to take for granted that I simply just function day in day out. My heart beats, my lungs breath.
How would I react if all of a sudden that were to come crashing down?
Natasha was 30 years old when she was diagnosed with Stage 3 Bowel Cancer back in 2015. Earlier that year she had already achieved a sub two hour half marathon, cycled 310 miles from Newcastle to London riding through the night for over 24 hours.
Is it fair that someone so health conscious, someone who has so much respect for their body can be struck down with such a life threatening illness?
Why is it that only in moments of misfortune do we realise how lucky we truly are. We are more concerned with where the nearest socket is to charge a phone rather than what we have right in front of us.
Having been diagnosed with stage 3 Bowel Cancel (I can assure you stage 3 is definitely a stage you do not want to hear) to be lining up with hundreds of others for the 2018 London Marathon in under a month I knew I had an incredibly empowering story I needed to share.
April is Bowel Cancer Awareness month and Natasha is currently raising money with the aim that fewer and fewer people will hear similar life changing news.
If you wish to donate please do so here;
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/natanddomrunlondon
Natasha’s blog page 'Fit for a Fight' is dedicated to spreading the message that being physically and mentally fit is essential in, not only warding off disease and ill health but also so you will be best placed to fight with everything you have in the event that the worst luck befalls you.
Fat Loss Food For Real People Volume 3: Fat Loss Strategies For The Normal Bloke
Question. Can you get leaner without starving yourself? Can you build muscle and drink beer? Can you drop body fat and still look a carbohydrate directly in the eye? Can you be in a more confident place with how you look and feel whilst still enjoying your life and seeing your mates?
The answer is yes of course you can. The below before and after images are not going to break the internet, nor will they make the front page of Men’s Health, but it does prove a point that with a combination of training hard, being focussed on what it is you want…and importantly why you want it, you can achieve such things without any drastic changes to your lifestyle.
With my above client we simply implemented what I call 'Fat Loss Strategies for the normal bloke'
That is a little tongue in cheek, and there was a lot of sweat and hard work but if you’re willing to train hard 2 to 3 times per week, be more aware of what you’re eating, cut the crap where you can and move more you can actually look pretty good.
Below my client trained with me 2 to 3 times per week, added in a run or two now and again, upped protein levels because they were a little low, focussed a little more on rest, recovery and sleep and achieved pretty good results in a 6 weeks period.
What is important here is that there was little to no calorie deficit, calories were not tracked and carbohydrates were consumed. You don't need to completely transform how you look, a drastic transformation requires drastic changes in lifestyle, nutrition and training and its bloody hard.
If you're however willing to make a few lifestyle changes that'll actually benefit your overall health you can.
We kept the process simple. In order for fat loss to occur, which was the primary goal either energy in (food/drink) we consume or energy out (exercise) had to be manipulated. During this particular process output was going to be the main focus.
Increasing TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) so for example moving more throughout the day, lifting weights 2 to 3 times per week and adding some steady state cardio in which worked well for this particular person lead to some fantastic changes.
I have worked in the City long enough now to know that client entertaining, socialising with friends, travelling for extended periods of time with work is something that cannot be escaped. And it is not my style to tell someone they can't enjoy a wine or beer with their partner or friends, I certainly do. It's not realistic. But that does not mean to say that great things cannot be achieved.
Think about what it is you want and why you want it. Delve deep into that. And lastly don't be afraid!! You don't need to be a size 4 or have wash board abs to improve your confidence and how you feel about yourself. Make a number of small adjustments to your lifestyle and if done consistently you'll see results.