Coronavirus: Staying Healthy During A Pandemic
Staying healthy during a pandemic. First things first, most of us appear to be grappling with the fact that amid a pandemic some individuals seem to be completely losing their minds like its Black Friday in Argos. What happened to keep calm and be kind.
The impact of scaremongering and the knock-on effect of panic buying are a little concerning but for those not completely losing their sh** thank you.
Coronavirus certainly isn't to be taken lightly. It's serious and so is our health. But it’s the same news over and over again. Death tolls, symptoms and isolation. From what I am reading and hearing in the news there seems to be a clear lack of conversation around the basics of what it means to be healthy and I am still to see a healthcare professional educating the public on a variety of topics that should include how to strengthen your immune system and nutrients that can promote health internally.
Washing our hands and social distancing is clearly a good idea and no diet will prevent you from catching Coronavirus but having a robust immune system is going to go a long way to aiding and speeding up the recovery should you become infected with Covid-19 or with any other type of virus or flu for that matter.
So how do we go about staying healthy during a pandemic?
If your body is a house, then the foundation of your house is the health of your gut and immune system. It's your immune system that defends your body against harmful things, like bacteria and viruses, protecting you from infections and diseases. Unfortunately, there is no magic pill but there are a few things we can certainly do as part of a healthy lifestyle that can affect how well it functions.
Okay, now the important stuff on how to promote a healthy gut and a strong immune system and what you can do to limit disrupting immune pathways and impairing your body's ability to fight bacterial and viral infections.
Foods rich in Vitamin C and Zinc go a long way to protecting the body against colds and flu and directly support the functioning of your immune system.
Kiwi, broccoli, kale, and cauliflower along with oranges are great sources of Vitamin C. Good quality organic meat, seeds, nuts, and eggs are all high in Zinc.
If you aren't doing so already it would be a wise decision to invest in a Vitamin D supplement again to bolster the immune system.
When it comes to fruit and vegetables a good tip is variety and colour so have as much on your plates as possible. Opt for frozen fruit and vegetables over tinned or canned if possible. Do you best to eat single ingredient foods, get creative with herbs and spices all of which will be high in antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. And stay hydrated.
Prioritise your sleep. Inadequate sleep can lead to many aspects of your immune system not firing on all cylinders, along with increasing the risk or respiratory infection. Aim for no less than 7 hours and aid the quality: dim lights in the evening, stay off phones and tablets an hour before you plan on going to bed and invest in some blackout curtains.
Stay active and train if you can but don't go crazy. Now isn't the time for maximal effort type training. Light jogging, yoga, and bodyweight exercises are great options for now and do your best to stay active and keep your steps up. The importance of staying fit and active and how this correlates to protecting the body against disease shouldn't be underestimated.
And try not to stress! The last thing you need is elevated stress hormones. If you don't meditate then the Calm app is a great way to learn and recommended. Learning how to meditate will help with your sleep, stress, and confidence. You can try for free for 7 days. Give it a go you won't regret it.
Stay up to date here https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus. And please respect the guidelines from the government.
If you are unsure regarding supplementation please consult a healthcare practitioner before doing so.
Take Care. Stay Fit, Strong & Healthy.
Combat Sitting with the Squat | Stretch.
It’s probably fair to say that most of us know that sitting down on our bums all day isn’t great for our body’s however we all need to earn a living and it just so happens that this living requires us to be sat at a desk for large parts of the day. For most of us anyway.
So, what can we do to combat the negative effects sitting down all day has on our bodies? Well, the answer is lots. And before I show you a super-effective movement lets quickly why sitting sucks.
So why is sitting down so bad? Let’s assess our body’s when we are sat down and if you aren’t sitting now have a look around and assess others who might be sitting. Limp right? Shoulders rounded? Spines flexed? Almost weightless and slumped. Seats, sofas and chairs made for comfort a deceptive comfort because I know that living with tightness and back pain isn’t comfortable.
Our muscles completely switch off, muscles around our hips the muscles supporting our trunk our spine collapsing our shoulders almost in front of our ears. We just aren’t built to spend hours in a 90-degree position with our muscles shutting off leading to severe tightness and chronic weakness.
Your ability to move, walk and run can become inhibited. Hip mobility and function become severely impaired which will affect balance and stability and the health of your spine Your abdominals that play a crucial role in keeping you upright become weak and shut off. Enough already…the list is honestly endless, and you should by not get the point.
So, what is the Squat Stretch and why should you be doing it?
Humans for thousands of years have been able to squat and crouch down without an issue. The ability to be able to squat low in my opinion is a good indicator of not just your flexibility, mobility but also your health. I cannot stress enough the importance of being able to squat down low with your feet flat. If it feels restricted, uncomfortable and you can’t get low start practicing.
Tip #1 – Squat and hold in the lowest position you can get into. Hold for as long as you can. Start with maybe 30 seconds holds and then on 1-minute holds. Repeat 3 to 4 times each day.
Tip #2 – Hang and hold. Fully straighten your legs and hang similar to of you are trying to touch your toes. Keeps your legs locked out, take deep purposeful breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. Hold for 1 minute and repeat 3 to 4 times.
Tip #3 – Try the Squat Stretch. Don’t worry so much about the range and where you can and can’t get to. You might not be able to fully straighten your legs and you might not be able to squat down. Work your range and I assure you it’ll improve if your practice daily.
Give your body space and freedom it deserves and if you have any questions please do get in touch.
Stretch. It feels good. Your body will thank you.
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
Exercise Education: How To Plank?
The moment you realise that 5 minute plank you hold is actually ineffective.
The plank is a great exercise for building strength throughout the entire body but hanging out in your lower back or your lumbar is completely counterintuitive.
Okay so next time you set up imagine pulling your hip up towards your ribcage or tucking into a posteria pelvic tilt. It'll essentially be the complete opposite of having your ass in the air with an arch in your lower back.
If you want to go TURBO PLANK imagine trying to slide your elbows down and dragging your feet up and closing that space below you. Your body shouldn't actually move a great deal other than your facial expressions when you feel everything switch on.
Let me know how you get on
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.