Mind and Body,
Health and Wellness,
Image and Self Esteem are all inextricably linked.
Just as mind and body are closely linked, so too is image and our sense of wellbeing.
For example, the state of our mental health will affect our physical health and vice versa. So too will the state of our self esteem affect our external image and our external image will affect how we feel about ourselves.
And so, my 10 Key Tips are:
1. Cut out Sugar – Sugar is a reasonably recent discovery (last century) and our body is simply not designed to deal with it. Sugar and sugar related foods can be blamed for many diseases such as Diabetes, Coronary Heart Disease and Cancer. If you want to age quickly, eat sugar. It's been written by many a cancer specialist that cancer cells thrive on sugar. What would be the best way to kill anything??? Starve it or cut off it's lifeline - that's sugar. My belief is - to stay cancer free and age well - don't eat the stuff.
2. Moderate Exercise – There’s no need at all to slug it out at the gym for hours on long gruelling workouts. In fact, science proves that the excess free radical activity that’s generated from over exercising can do more damage than good. Quick short bursts of good quality heart pumping exercise like dancing, swimming, walking and jogging are enough. Follow that with some resistance training to shape the torso but more importantly to give both the core and the upper body strength. It’s vital to keep from the waist up, strong and upright. When muscles and bones are strong, we stay youthful for life and ward off diseases like osteoporosis.
3. Stretch – So you’ve gone walking with a little jog, done some squats and lifted a few weights. Don’t forget to stretch out those muscles that you’ve just worked. It’s so easily forgotten. Why are you stiff and sore later in the day or even the next day after a workout? It’s because you’ve not stretched. This simple and enjoyable activity after exercising or even if you don’t exercise will help elongate muscles and improve flexibility.
4. Meditate and Visualise – I can’t stress how incredible the effects of meditation and visualisation are! What body and what level of health and fitness do you want? What do you want from life? Meditate on it. Visualise it and believe it. It’s powerful. It’s an amazing way to destress and change what you want to change in your life.
5. Detoxify – The main organs of detoxification in the body are the lungs, bowel and skin. It’s well worth detoxing the body a couple of times a year and not with chemicals and tablets you buy over the counter. What’s the point of putting chemicals into the body that promise to send chemicals out. There is no detoxing program out there that will rid the body of all the lead, mercury and petrochemicals we carry. But there is a good old fashioned one using ingredients in your pantry right now that you can try. Check out my previous post, I've laid it out there for you. It’s very successful in ridding the body of many of those same chemicals. It improves your skin, makes you feel much lighter, improves energy and you feel the benefits of it for weeks afterwards.
6. Know your Personal Colouring – Colour is powerful and spiritual. When you stand naked and look in the mirror you emit a certain colour. When wearing a colour that clashes with what comes from you naturally we have a tendency to look ill, tired and listless. Not the message we want to send out to the world. We want to attract the world to us and the use of colour is instrumental. When wearing colours that enhance us, we look vibrant, healthy and welcoming. It then attracts compliments and in turn boosts our esteem.
7. Know your body shape - You’ll save thousands of dollars on the right clothing when you know what suits you. Cuts, shape and lengths are all crucial to fit. Think of architecture. To create a beautiful building needs a blueprint and a floor plan. Knowing our shape and how to dress it is a little like the blueprint for the amazing creation that is our body.
8. Take Good Quality Vitamins – The debate about whether we need vitamins will forever go on, but my personal opinion based on experience and medical facts are – take good quality vitamins. We hold toxins in our body, most of us don’t eat organic, we’re stressed out, we take over the counter drugs like panadol and antibiotics, we breath in car fumes, we work in air conditioning and we absorb chemicals from the air and from food. In order to prevent the ageing affects of premature disease you need a good quality supplement. Some of the best for an antiageing affect are good quality omega 3 fats, grapeseed extract, coenzyme Q10 for skin and heart, Resveratrol (the fountain of youth) and a good quality probiotic for a healthy gut. Check out my site at http://www.annemike.usana.com/ to learn more about the best vitamins on earth!
9. Use paraben free, antioxidant laden, mineral oil free skincare – Never underestimate the antiageing affects of clean, exfoliated, well moisturised skin. Face AND Body. Remember, the skin is a detoxification organ. We sweat out toxins. Our skin is a barometer of what’s going on inside us. Health problems show in our skin and it’s the difference between looking 40 when you’re 50 or looking 50 when you’re 40.
10. Have a massage at the very least 3 times a year. Massage is particularly beneficial for the ageing affects of stress. There’s something very therapeutic about the stimulation of the skin, the circulatory system and the lymph system. Whether you massage for reasons of sports injury, pain or deep relaxation, it’s proven to lift spirits, boost endorphin release, deeply moisturise dry skin and destress.
Remember – whatever is going on inside us is a true reflection of what’s happening on the outside and whatever the image being projected to the outside is a reflection of our health and self esteem on the inside.
For more information email me on anne@resetreshaperestyle.com
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Good old fashioned detox helps to make the Skin look brighter, help toward Weight Loss and lift your mood!
There’s so much out there about detoxing the body. How necessary is it and what do we choose?
There’s lemon detoxes, herbal and chemical detoxes available from the local chemist or your naturopath. I’m sure all of them have their individual benefits, but I’ve just experienced one that is famous for cleansing the liver and ridding the body of excess petrochemicals, toxins and particularly mercury. Today, now that it’s all over – and it was only a 7 day process – I feel great and my skin looks fantastic. So this blog entry will be to tell you about my experience.
So why should we detox?
There’s 2 or 3 schools of thought about detoxification. There’s one part of the medical fraternity who believe we need to clean out our colon by literally hosing it out, there’s another who believes we should simply eat healthy with loads of fibre and detoxing should never be necessary. Then there’s the school of belief who feel an assisted detox, whether it be simply eating nothing but fruit or soup all week, or buying some herbs or tablets to clean out the bowel is absolutely vital.
My thoughts are – I’m in agreement that the body needs to have a detox from time to time.
We human beings are constantly absorbing toxins every minute of the day whether it’s via the food we eat, the air we breath or the toxic cocktail we constantly load onto our skin via cosmetics. The more we allow the toxic buildup, the more chance we have of disease taking hold. But be aware, there is no detox out there that will completely eliminate every form of chemical in our body. There is absolutely no such thing. By ‘detoxing’ as we know it, we’re simply elminating some of the excess load that our kidneys, liver and pancreas need to deal with.
Kind of like, helping our house cleaner along by picking up piles of excess clothes we’ve left all over the house to make her job a little easier, but knowing full well within a month or two, the house is going to look just as bad!!
So my detox this week was the good old fashioned ‘ghee flush’. Naturally, if you’re uncertain, go and check with your physician first about detoxing to get appropriate advice. I absolutely do not believe in buying tablets from the chemist or buying sachets to mix in water – I’m never totally sure about what chemicals they’re still putting INTO my body, in order to send others out. So the ghee flush is simply the cost of a tub of ghee and a bottle of castor oil – that’s it. Nice and effective. The ghee works on cleansing the liver and the castor oil helps eliminate loads.
Today I feel lighter, cleaner, my skin looks great and my energy is high. Two or three other friends of mine have also just completed it and I can actually see the difference in their skin. My experience was that the ghee was a little hard to take. It’s just the texture – swallowing fatty oily liquid triggered off the gag response with me, but I really was fine. My husband did it as well and he had no problem at all.
Here’s the instructions – give it a whirl if you dare. I promise, if you stick with it for the whole 7 days, you’ll feel great.
Ghee Flush
Ghee is clarified butter which contains virtually no milk proteins or lactose.
Ghee can be made by preheating your oven to around 60-120deg Cel (250 deg F) then place a large block of quality Butter into a container;
Leave it in the oven for 45-60 minutes then take it out and carefully pour the golden fat from the top (Ghee), making sure that the white liquid at the bottom stays in the container.
Discard the white liquid, and keep the extra ghee in Glass Jars in the refrigerator for use in cooking.
For the Ghee Flush place some Ghee in a container eg:(glass) in a bowl of warm water until melted. To be taken away from food, about 1 hour after a meal.
Day 1. 1 teaspoon of ghee in the morning and at night.
Day 2. 2 teaspoons Ghee morning and night.
Day 3. 3 teaspoons Ghee morning and night.
Day 4. 4 teaspoons Ghee morning and night.
Day 5. 5 teaspoons Ghee morning and night
Day 6. 6 teaspoons Ghee morning and night
Day 7. 2 tablespoons of Castor Oil in the morning, about 1 hour after breakfast.(and stay home)
If diarrhea occurs take 2 capsules of activated charcoal.
The charcoal will stop the diarrhea and bind up any toxins before they can be reabsorbed.
Going through this technique does two major things:
1) it helps shock the intestinal nerves into doing what they are supposed to do naturally;
2) it helps get rid of a variety of toxins such as petrochemicals, pesticides and heavy metals especially mercury and excess bile derived cholesterol included.
If you give it a whirl, please leave a comment and let me know how you went:o))
Anne,
http://www.resetreshaperestyle.com/
Email: anne@resetreshaperestyle.com
There’s lemon detoxes, herbal and chemical detoxes available from the local chemist or your naturopath. I’m sure all of them have their individual benefits, but I’ve just experienced one that is famous for cleansing the liver and ridding the body of excess petrochemicals, toxins and particularly mercury. Today, now that it’s all over – and it was only a 7 day process – I feel great and my skin looks fantastic. So this blog entry will be to tell you about my experience.
So why should we detox?
There’s 2 or 3 schools of thought about detoxification. There’s one part of the medical fraternity who believe we need to clean out our colon by literally hosing it out, there’s another who believes we should simply eat healthy with loads of fibre and detoxing should never be necessary. Then there’s the school of belief who feel an assisted detox, whether it be simply eating nothing but fruit or soup all week, or buying some herbs or tablets to clean out the bowel is absolutely vital.
My thoughts are – I’m in agreement that the body needs to have a detox from time to time.
We human beings are constantly absorbing toxins every minute of the day whether it’s via the food we eat, the air we breath or the toxic cocktail we constantly load onto our skin via cosmetics. The more we allow the toxic buildup, the more chance we have of disease taking hold. But be aware, there is no detox out there that will completely eliminate every form of chemical in our body. There is absolutely no such thing. By ‘detoxing’ as we know it, we’re simply elminating some of the excess load that our kidneys, liver and pancreas need to deal with.
Kind of like, helping our house cleaner along by picking up piles of excess clothes we’ve left all over the house to make her job a little easier, but knowing full well within a month or two, the house is going to look just as bad!!
So my detox this week was the good old fashioned ‘ghee flush’. Naturally, if you’re uncertain, go and check with your physician first about detoxing to get appropriate advice. I absolutely do not believe in buying tablets from the chemist or buying sachets to mix in water – I’m never totally sure about what chemicals they’re still putting INTO my body, in order to send others out. So the ghee flush is simply the cost of a tub of ghee and a bottle of castor oil – that’s it. Nice and effective. The ghee works on cleansing the liver and the castor oil helps eliminate loads.
Today I feel lighter, cleaner, my skin looks great and my energy is high. Two or three other friends of mine have also just completed it and I can actually see the difference in their skin. My experience was that the ghee was a little hard to take. It’s just the texture – swallowing fatty oily liquid triggered off the gag response with me, but I really was fine. My husband did it as well and he had no problem at all.
Here’s the instructions – give it a whirl if you dare. I promise, if you stick with it for the whole 7 days, you’ll feel great.
Ghee Flush
Ghee is clarified butter which contains virtually no milk proteins or lactose.
Ghee can be made by preheating your oven to around 60-120deg Cel (250 deg F) then place a large block of quality Butter into a container;
Leave it in the oven for 45-60 minutes then take it out and carefully pour the golden fat from the top (Ghee), making sure that the white liquid at the bottom stays in the container.
Discard the white liquid, and keep the extra ghee in Glass Jars in the refrigerator for use in cooking.
For the Ghee Flush place some Ghee in a container eg:(glass) in a bowl of warm water until melted. To be taken away from food, about 1 hour after a meal.
Day 1. 1 teaspoon of ghee in the morning and at night.
Day 2. 2 teaspoons Ghee morning and night.
Day 3. 3 teaspoons Ghee morning and night.
Day 4. 4 teaspoons Ghee morning and night.
Day 5. 5 teaspoons Ghee morning and night
Day 6. 6 teaspoons Ghee morning and night
Day 7. 2 tablespoons of Castor Oil in the morning, about 1 hour after breakfast.(and stay home)
If diarrhea occurs take 2 capsules of activated charcoal.
The charcoal will stop the diarrhea and bind up any toxins before they can be reabsorbed.
Going through this technique does two major things:
1) it helps shock the intestinal nerves into doing what they are supposed to do naturally;
2) it helps get rid of a variety of toxins such as petrochemicals, pesticides and heavy metals especially mercury and excess bile derived cholesterol included.
If you give it a whirl, please leave a comment and let me know how you went:o))
Anne,
http://www.resetreshaperestyle.com/
Email: anne@resetreshaperestyle.com
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Everything you ever wanted to know about a Total Makeover but weren't sure what to ask!
Come and join me on this makeover with my good friend Ally.
She’s a great sport and has agreed to allow me to show you some of her photographic record of the makeover I gave her last week. We both had a ball and by the end of the day were both exhausted. I want to share this experience with you so you can see what kind of fun we both had and most importantly, how fabulous Ally looked at the end of it all. Here's where we began.
We started by going through her wardrobe, working out what still works and what’s passed it’s use by date. Followed by an instructional makeup, where I showed Ally how to bring out her natural beauty. Ally has a sunny complexion, jewel green eyes, with a golden sunkissed underglow. Man, she looked gorgeous with a deep terracotta shadow around her eyes and a touch of bronzer.
Then we hit the shops. Ally has a gorgeous hourglass shape and is after a certain look. An hourglass shape with a great pair of legs looks great in shapes that set a good bustline, a great waist and pins off and really gets that sexy ‘goddess’ look happening but still with a sense of style without being too 'out there'. So we were looking for dresses that really worked for her, a great cut pair of trousers and a jacket that would be suitable for business but not look too ‘tailored’. And we found exactly what she wanted.
I have favourite boutiques that I like to take clients to. I rarely will take a client to a department store, simply because it’s overwhelming, confusing and rarely is there someone to help us. The reason I like private boutiques is because you’ll always get help when you need it and I would like to thank Anna at Network at Greenslopes because she worked just as hard, helping to make Ally feel beautiful.
Mind you, I’m tough! I’ll make you try on stuff you would never normally even consider. Check out the results!
After seeing and photographing Ally in at least a dozen different outfits, then she had to make a decision on what she felt she really needed. Considering her lifestyle and work needs and budget, she went for the items that she knew she’d get great wear from.
Do you think she’s having fun??? Yet another garment that really made her look and feel just how she wanted to look and feel.
Then it was off to the hairstylist to warm her up and shape the hair beautifully and set off her natural facial shape.
Here’s what Ally herself had to say.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you! Anne, for a fun, wonderful experience of my "makeover" on 15 October 2009.
As my small business has been growing steadily, I felt that I had all the skills and the training to be a successful businesswoman, but there was a gap - my image and my self confidence. I knew I needed to change my image to project myself differently, more professionally. I heard Anne talk about her makeovers, and I knew this could be the answer. I wasn’t disappointed by Anne's skill in motivating, persuading and inspiring my transformation.
Anne helped me to see my beauty that I could not see myself.
By showing me how a belt over a dress shows off my hourglass figure
By helping me feel proud and confident about my body, face and hair.
Anne saw the potential in me and gently coaxed me to see it too, to bring out the WOW factor!
When we went through my wardrobe Anne was gentle about suggesting what was not suitable, however I appreciated many of her suggestions and as a result we discarded a big box full of clothes.
I love how she did my makeup, accentuating my eyes and showing me how the right colours can make SUCH a difference to the way I look (and feel)
I found Anne's enthusiasm infectious, especially when we found a dress or outfit that suited me and the feminine professional "look" that we were searching for. - Allison Thomas, Tantric Massage, Personal Organiser and Coach.
Someone said to me once that if you're not doing something to make another person feel great about themselves, you're not doing enough. My vision for my Personal Styling and Image business is to bring out the true beauty of every client even if they lost site of it themself many years before. I watched Ally's body language and self esteem blossom on our day out. I know now that she has a whole new approach to life and business.
I love that Ally finished her day with me feeling absolutely wonderful and gaining that missing confidence.
Make sure you call or email any time if you want to talk about giving your personal image a 'workout':)
She’s a great sport and has agreed to allow me to show you some of her photographic record of the makeover I gave her last week. We both had a ball and by the end of the day were both exhausted. I want to share this experience with you so you can see what kind of fun we both had and most importantly, how fabulous Ally looked at the end of it all. Here's where we began.
We started by going through her wardrobe, working out what still works and what’s passed it’s use by date. Followed by an instructional makeup, where I showed Ally how to bring out her natural beauty. Ally has a sunny complexion, jewel green eyes, with a golden sunkissed underglow. Man, she looked gorgeous with a deep terracotta shadow around her eyes and a touch of bronzer.
Then we hit the shops. Ally has a gorgeous hourglass shape and is after a certain look. An hourglass shape with a great pair of legs looks great in shapes that set a good bustline, a great waist and pins off and really gets that sexy ‘goddess’ look happening but still with a sense of style without being too 'out there'. So we were looking for dresses that really worked for her, a great cut pair of trousers and a jacket that would be suitable for business but not look too ‘tailored’. And we found exactly what she wanted.
I have favourite boutiques that I like to take clients to. I rarely will take a client to a department store, simply because it’s overwhelming, confusing and rarely is there someone to help us. The reason I like private boutiques is because you’ll always get help when you need it and I would like to thank Anna at Network at Greenslopes because she worked just as hard, helping to make Ally feel beautiful.
Mind you, I’m tough! I’ll make you try on stuff you would never normally even consider. Check out the results!
After seeing and photographing Ally in at least a dozen different outfits, then she had to make a decision on what she felt she really needed. Considering her lifestyle and work needs and budget, she went for the items that she knew she’d get great wear from.
Do you think she’s having fun??? Yet another garment that really made her look and feel just how she wanted to look and feel.
Then it was off to the hairstylist to warm her up and shape the hair beautifully and set off her natural facial shape.
Here’s what Ally herself had to say.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you! Anne, for a fun, wonderful experience of my "makeover" on 15 October 2009.
As my small business has been growing steadily, I felt that I had all the skills and the training to be a successful businesswoman, but there was a gap - my image and my self confidence. I knew I needed to change my image to project myself differently, more professionally. I heard Anne talk about her makeovers, and I knew this could be the answer. I wasn’t disappointed by Anne's skill in motivating, persuading and inspiring my transformation.
Anne helped me to see my beauty that I could not see myself.
By showing me how a belt over a dress shows off my hourglass figure
By helping me feel proud and confident about my body, face and hair.
Anne saw the potential in me and gently coaxed me to see it too, to bring out the WOW factor!
When we went through my wardrobe Anne was gentle about suggesting what was not suitable, however I appreciated many of her suggestions and as a result we discarded a big box full of clothes.
I love how she did my makeup, accentuating my eyes and showing me how the right colours can make SUCH a difference to the way I look (and feel)
I found Anne's enthusiasm infectious, especially when we found a dress or outfit that suited me and the feminine professional "look" that we were searching for. - Allison Thomas, Tantric Massage, Personal Organiser and Coach.
Someone said to me once that if you're not doing something to make another person feel great about themselves, you're not doing enough. My vision for my Personal Styling and Image business is to bring out the true beauty of every client even if they lost site of it themself many years before. I watched Ally's body language and self esteem blossom on our day out. I know now that she has a whole new approach to life and business.
I love that Ally finished her day with me feeling absolutely wonderful and gaining that missing confidence.
Make sure you call or email any time if you want to talk about giving your personal image a 'workout':)
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
10 Tips to get noticed by those who matter
It’s all about Image!
Underestimate it’s power and be prepared to suffer the consequences.
While working as a Professional, Personal and Business Stylist since 1998, thought I'd pass on 10 key tips for how you can use your personal image as a tool to get noticed by those who matter. Whether it’s the boss, that special someone, your team, clients, or you just want to make more of an impact in your chosen field, consider these points.
1. Image is a perception – Think about how others perceive YOU!
What others say, and how you leave people feeling after you deal with them is a sure barometer.
2. Know what colour works for you as it can be powerful.
Black is safe, but colour speaks volumes. It can make you look healthy, vibrant and welcoming when chosen well or pastey, lethargic and ill when it’s not.
3. Know your unique body shape! It’s far simpler than you think.
No, it’s not all about columns, goblets and bells. Body shape is simple and when you know your unique features, choosing garments well will save you literally thousands.
4. How’s your grooming and hygiene.
Nails, hair, skin, makeup, fragrance and body smell. Believe me, people notice the things you never realised were an issue. Judgements are made immediately on grooming alone and people will avoid you and you won't know why.
5. Body Language speaks louder than words.
I’ve seen deals broken because of lousy eye contact, handshakes, conversation, mixed messages and general nervous behaviour at crucial moments.
6. The written and spoken word on business cards, email etc.
Your emails, letters, business card and your presence on social media all add up to an image of YOU. Bad grammar and spelling might reflect a cute personality, but in a world where image is everything, it’s too risky.
7. What shows on the outside is a reflection of what’s going on inside.
Your personal state of health will show in your skin, posture, eyes, nails, hair and teeth. And that's just the visible bits. Your personal nutrition and health program will show in your whole image. How’s your digestion? What’s going on in the gut will reveal more than you think.
8. How do you network and who do you network with?
You are judged on your relationships. The office grapevine and political network is a jungle – and we haven’t even touched on social networking!
9. Behaviour, Emotional Intelligence and Etiquette.
Best not choose the office Christmas party to let the boss know how unhappy you’ve been all year and careful how you behave when it's deadline time. It’s the social events where you’re observed more than ever.
10. Dress for your audience whether it’s one person or many!
If the audience expects a suit, wear one. If soft knits or casual dresses are more expected, then wear them. But never, ever, ever, ever dress down to come to another level. Always be a step above.
I could go on and on. It's such an underestimated area. Keep a look out for more articles or if you'd like to know more about the power of image, from the inside out and outside in, tell me what you'd like to see more of!
Anne Noonan
Owner of Reset Reshape Restyle
Personal, Professional and Business Stylist and Wellness Coach
www.resetreshaperestyle.com
Underestimate it’s power and be prepared to suffer the consequences.
While working as a Professional, Personal and Business Stylist since 1998, thought I'd pass on 10 key tips for how you can use your personal image as a tool to get noticed by those who matter. Whether it’s the boss, that special someone, your team, clients, or you just want to make more of an impact in your chosen field, consider these points.
1. Image is a perception – Think about how others perceive YOU!
What others say, and how you leave people feeling after you deal with them is a sure barometer.
2. Know what colour works for you as it can be powerful.
Black is safe, but colour speaks volumes. It can make you look healthy, vibrant and welcoming when chosen well or pastey, lethargic and ill when it’s not.
3. Know your unique body shape! It’s far simpler than you think.
No, it’s not all about columns, goblets and bells. Body shape is simple and when you know your unique features, choosing garments well will save you literally thousands.
4. How’s your grooming and hygiene.
Nails, hair, skin, makeup, fragrance and body smell. Believe me, people notice the things you never realised were an issue. Judgements are made immediately on grooming alone and people will avoid you and you won't know why.
5. Body Language speaks louder than words.
I’ve seen deals broken because of lousy eye contact, handshakes, conversation, mixed messages and general nervous behaviour at crucial moments.
6. The written and spoken word on business cards, email etc.
Your emails, letters, business card and your presence on social media all add up to an image of YOU. Bad grammar and spelling might reflect a cute personality, but in a world where image is everything, it’s too risky.
7. What shows on the outside is a reflection of what’s going on inside.
Your personal state of health will show in your skin, posture, eyes, nails, hair and teeth. And that's just the visible bits. Your personal nutrition and health program will show in your whole image. How’s your digestion? What’s going on in the gut will reveal more than you think.
8. How do you network and who do you network with?
You are judged on your relationships. The office grapevine and political network is a jungle – and we haven’t even touched on social networking!
9. Behaviour, Emotional Intelligence and Etiquette.
Best not choose the office Christmas party to let the boss know how unhappy you’ve been all year and careful how you behave when it's deadline time. It’s the social events where you’re observed more than ever.
10. Dress for your audience whether it’s one person or many!
If the audience expects a suit, wear one. If soft knits or casual dresses are more expected, then wear them. But never, ever, ever, ever dress down to come to another level. Always be a step above.
I could go on and on. It's such an underestimated area. Keep a look out for more articles or if you'd like to know more about the power of image, from the inside out and outside in, tell me what you'd like to see more of!
Anne Noonan
Owner of Reset Reshape Restyle
Personal, Professional and Business Stylist and Wellness Coach
www.resetreshaperestyle.com
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Do You Need Vitamins?
Man, what a huge subject. There are entrepreneurs, doctors, wellness specialists, pharmacists, nutritionists, dieticians, students, paramedicals, nurses, alternate therapy specialists, naturopaths, journalists, the guy next door and the list goes on and on and you'll hear just as many opinions. Every paper you pick up, most of the books in the local bookstore will all have their take on whether we need vitamins and/or what kind of nutrition we should be taking or what kind of fad diet we should be on.
Do we really need Vitamins and can't we get all the vitamins we need from our food?
I love picking the Sunday paper up and reading the Health and Beauty section just to have a laugh about what the latest diet is, what kind of foods they're telling us to eat in order to lose weight. Last Sunday's lift out section I think was loaded - every page - with diet advice.
But Vitamins, Minerals and Antioxidants! Do we need to take them especially if we eat well?
The following is my opinion. You may disagree. But it comes from years of observation, learning, researching and full on experience.
In my work as a Stylist and Wellness Coach, I see the phrase 'your outer beauty is totally reflective of what's going on inside' played out pretty much every day. The degenerative disease numbers are getting out of control and the pharmaeceutical industry has a lot to answer for - did you know death by prescription drugs is the 3rd highest cause of death in the US?
So? What's that got to do with whether we need vitamins or not?
Let me ask you a few questions. Just think about it and see how many you answer YES to.
1. Do you drink coffee, alcohol or smoke AT ALL?
2. Do you eat all food purchased only from the local supermarket rather than totally organic or farmers market produce?
3. Do you live and work in a totally toxin free environment?
4. Do you live within 50 kilometres of a major city?
5. Have you ever been or are you on medication?
6. Have you ever taken an antibiotic?
7. Have you recieved vaccinations?
8. Do you have amalgams in your teeth?
9. Do you eat any kind of confectionary?
10. Do you or have you ever drunk any kind of soft drink?
11. Do you eat takeaway foods?
12. Do you eat any food that contains refined flour, e.g. cakes, bread, cookies, pastry?
13. Do you, at any time of your day, inhale car exhaust?
14. Do you have any kind of stress in your life?
15. Have you ever had an emotional trauma in your life?
There's a lot more questions but let's stop there. How many did you answer yes to? There will be some that you will have answered no. But there's hardly a person in Australia who'd be able to answer no to all of them. Think about why there's so much disease. Now think about what we're eating and how we live. Do you think our lifestyle has anything to do with the reason why we're getting sick? We can't avoid it, it's the way it is. As I said, it's my opinion, but there's been no study done any time anywhere to prove to me that we don't need high quality, potency guaranteed vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
I also believe in Quantam Physics. We as human beings have the power to heal ourselves with positive energy. But that's a very advanced 'out there' science. Most of us will never grasp it in this lifetime. So for right here, right now - I believe the purest, most proven, ranked number 1 product in the world created by an Albert Einstein Award winning microbiologist who is changing the face of disease.
I don't know what you want out of life. But what I want is for it to be long and full. And I want it full of great moments, great health, strength and I want to be able to keep doing all the things I can do now. There's no old people's home or illness in my future - I'll make sure of it.
I refuse to give into the lifestyle or the expectation of age - THIS is the reason I take Usana vitamins.
Anne
http://www.annemike.usana.com/
http://www.resetreshaperestyle.com/
Do we really need Vitamins and can't we get all the vitamins we need from our food?
I love picking the Sunday paper up and reading the Health and Beauty section just to have a laugh about what the latest diet is, what kind of foods they're telling us to eat in order to lose weight. Last Sunday's lift out section I think was loaded - every page - with diet advice.
But Vitamins, Minerals and Antioxidants! Do we need to take them especially if we eat well?
The following is my opinion. You may disagree. But it comes from years of observation, learning, researching and full on experience.
In my work as a Stylist and Wellness Coach, I see the phrase 'your outer beauty is totally reflective of what's going on inside' played out pretty much every day. The degenerative disease numbers are getting out of control and the pharmaeceutical industry has a lot to answer for - did you know death by prescription drugs is the 3rd highest cause of death in the US?
So? What's that got to do with whether we need vitamins or not?
Let me ask you a few questions. Just think about it and see how many you answer YES to.
1. Do you drink coffee, alcohol or smoke AT ALL?
2. Do you eat all food purchased only from the local supermarket rather than totally organic or farmers market produce?
3. Do you live and work in a totally toxin free environment?
4. Do you live within 50 kilometres of a major city?
5. Have you ever been or are you on medication?
6. Have you ever taken an antibiotic?
7. Have you recieved vaccinations?
8. Do you have amalgams in your teeth?
9. Do you eat any kind of confectionary?
10. Do you or have you ever drunk any kind of soft drink?
11. Do you eat takeaway foods?
12. Do you eat any food that contains refined flour, e.g. cakes, bread, cookies, pastry?
13. Do you, at any time of your day, inhale car exhaust?
14. Do you have any kind of stress in your life?
15. Have you ever had an emotional trauma in your life?
There's a lot more questions but let's stop there. How many did you answer yes to? There will be some that you will have answered no. But there's hardly a person in Australia who'd be able to answer no to all of them. Think about why there's so much disease. Now think about what we're eating and how we live. Do you think our lifestyle has anything to do with the reason why we're getting sick? We can't avoid it, it's the way it is. As I said, it's my opinion, but there's been no study done any time anywhere to prove to me that we don't need high quality, potency guaranteed vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
I also believe in Quantam Physics. We as human beings have the power to heal ourselves with positive energy. But that's a very advanced 'out there' science. Most of us will never grasp it in this lifetime. So for right here, right now - I believe the purest, most proven, ranked number 1 product in the world created by an Albert Einstein Award winning microbiologist who is changing the face of disease.
I don't know what you want out of life. But what I want is for it to be long and full. And I want it full of great moments, great health, strength and I want to be able to keep doing all the things I can do now. There's no old people's home or illness in my future - I'll make sure of it.
I refuse to give into the lifestyle or the expectation of age - THIS is the reason I take Usana vitamins.
Anne
http://www.annemike.usana.com/
http://www.resetreshaperestyle.com/
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Why Low GI makes you feel full and can help reduce belly fat
Eating a low GI (glycemic index) meal will keep you feeling fuller for longer, King’s scientists have discovered in what could be the key to how the GI diet works.
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Researchers from the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics in King's College London have found that low GI (glycemic index) meals increase gut hormone production which leads to the suppression of appetite and the feeling of fullness. This is the first study to provide clues as to how a low GI meal produces satiety.
When you read ‘low GI’, also read protein and fat. When you read 'carbs' only think green leafy and colourful vegetables.
A low GI way of eating is also a high fat, healthy way of eating. For example, healthy fats, not trans fats or bad fats need to be a part of your diet. Nuts, olives, avocado, cream, meats, cheeses are all considered high fat, but they’re also low GI. Think about the French way of cooking – lots of cream, plenty of meat but no starch and no sugar and all in small portions. This way of eating – like the Mediterranean way – is what keeps us fuller for longer, halts the insulin resistance process and in turn reduces the middle weight gain. Meat and other fatty carbs like avocado, nuts and eggs actually don't have a GI - better still for a healthy filling diet.
I don't know about you, but I've no desire to 'diet'. The word diet conjures up that feeling of being hungry. I can't function when I'm hungry and the only way I feel good, focussing on what I have to do and happy within myself is with a diet loaded with good fats.
The trick is to stay fuller for longer.
GI is a ranking assigned to carbohydrates according to their effect on the body’s blood sugar levels. Remember, all carbohydrates when broken down create blood sugar. A low GI meal takes longer to digest and releases sugar into the bloodstream more slowly than a high GI meal. A low GI diet is known to cause reduced appetite but the mechanisms behind this have so far remained unknown. To address this Dr Tony Leeds, Senior Lecturer in Nutrition and Dietetics, and Reza Norouzy at King’s College London looked at the effects of a single low versus high GI meal on gut hormone levels in 12 healthy volunteers.
Each participant ate an identical medium GI meal for dinner, fasted overnight, and was given either a low (46) or high (66) GI meal for breakfast. Blood samples were then taken every 30 minutes for 150 minutes, and levels of the gut hormone GLP-1 and insulin measured. GLP-1 is a hormone produced by the gut that has been shown to cause a feeling of fullness and suppression of appetite.
Volunteers who ate a low GI breakfast had 20 per cent higher blood plasma levels of GLP-1 and 38 per cent lower levels of insulin compared to those who had consumed a high GI breakfast. These results show for the first time that eating a low GI meal increases GLP-1 production and suggest a physiological mechanism as to why a low GI meal makes you feel fuller than a high GI meal.
Determining the GI of foods
To find out what foods are high or low GI, head to www.glycemicindex.com. The GI is measured against 100, as glucose and it’s affect on blood sugar is the benchmark. A low GI is a food ranked at 40 and below. Mid GI is 40 to about 60 and above 60 is considered high GI. The sugar you consume will be the key culprit in the accumulation of fat around the middle. This also means that we need to be very wary of fruit. It’s been said that fruit is "nature’s candy". Tasty, and we think it's healthy, and to a degree and taken very sparingly it is. But overdosing on the fruit, a lot like overdosing on fruit juice, is not going to do our blood sugar level any good. For example, we may think that munching on dates is nice and healthy - their GI is 110 - way too much sugar.
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Go very easy on it and if you’re in the habit of loading up your plate with a pile of fruit for breakfast, could be well worth reconsidering. You’re in effect starting your day with a sugar load and can almost guarantee you’ll be hungry by mid morning.
Finally, what's the consequences of a high GI diet?
Eating high GI all the time will constantly spike your blood sugar and will put your arteries into spasm. (See Dr Ray Strands 'Releasing Fat'). A high GI diet is a sugary one. It includes starchy vegetables, lots of fruit, breads, pastas, rice, confectionary, cakes, biscuits, desserts, alcohol, some chocolate (not all), many grains and refined foods containing white flour. We eat sugar and it's natural response is to make us hungry again very shortly after eating it and we need another sugar hit. We don't crave salt or fat when we eat a lot of sugar, the body craves the next hit of sugar just as it would the next hit of niccotine. With the constant swings of high and low crashes throughout the day we're consuming way too many empty calories to keep ourselves going. What happens then? It literally opens the pathways to disease - diabetes, cancer and heart disease to name a few. We get cranky, irritable and don't know why. At work we lose concentration, get foggy headed and can become listless. Weightgain is an inevitable result and in the dangerous middle area.
Out of all the diets out there, the one message that we need to take home out of this is - sugar is the biggest killer. It's the one thing responsible for so many middle age problems of weight and disease. So cut it out - and live long and strong.
Professor Peter Emery, Head of Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, and one of the paper’s author’s comments: "The findings of this study are an important first step in understanding how low GI foods can help to address issues of weight control and what part they should play in a balanced diet."
Source: King's College London Press Release 18 Mar 2009
Researchers from the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics in King's College London have found that low GI (glycemic index) meals increase gut hormone production which leads to the suppression of appetite and the feeling of fullness. This is the first study to provide clues as to how a low GI meal produces satiety.
When you read ‘low GI’, also read protein and fat. When you read 'carbs' only think green leafy and colourful vegetables.
A low GI way of eating is also a high fat, healthy way of eating. For example, healthy fats, not trans fats or bad fats need to be a part of your diet. Nuts, olives, avocado, cream, meats, cheeses are all considered high fat, but they’re also low GI. Think about the French way of cooking – lots of cream, plenty of meat but no starch and no sugar and all in small portions. This way of eating – like the Mediterranean way – is what keeps us fuller for longer, halts the insulin resistance process and in turn reduces the middle weight gain. Meat and other fatty carbs like avocado, nuts and eggs actually don't have a GI - better still for a healthy filling diet.
I don't know about you, but I've no desire to 'diet'. The word diet conjures up that feeling of being hungry. I can't function when I'm hungry and the only way I feel good, focussing on what I have to do and happy within myself is with a diet loaded with good fats.
The trick is to stay fuller for longer.
GI is a ranking assigned to carbohydrates according to their effect on the body’s blood sugar levels. Remember, all carbohydrates when broken down create blood sugar. A low GI meal takes longer to digest and releases sugar into the bloodstream more slowly than a high GI meal. A low GI diet is known to cause reduced appetite but the mechanisms behind this have so far remained unknown. To address this Dr Tony Leeds, Senior Lecturer in Nutrition and Dietetics, and Reza Norouzy at King’s College London looked at the effects of a single low versus high GI meal on gut hormone levels in 12 healthy volunteers.
Each participant ate an identical medium GI meal for dinner, fasted overnight, and was given either a low (46) or high (66) GI meal for breakfast. Blood samples were then taken every 30 minutes for 150 minutes, and levels of the gut hormone GLP-1 and insulin measured. GLP-1 is a hormone produced by the gut that has been shown to cause a feeling of fullness and suppression of appetite.
Volunteers who ate a low GI breakfast had 20 per cent higher blood plasma levels of GLP-1 and 38 per cent lower levels of insulin compared to those who had consumed a high GI breakfast. These results show for the first time that eating a low GI meal increases GLP-1 production and suggest a physiological mechanism as to why a low GI meal makes you feel fuller than a high GI meal.
Determining the GI of foods
To find out what foods are high or low GI, head to www.glycemicindex.com. The GI is measured against 100, as glucose and it’s affect on blood sugar is the benchmark. A low GI is a food ranked at 40 and below. Mid GI is 40 to about 60 and above 60 is considered high GI. The sugar you consume will be the key culprit in the accumulation of fat around the middle. This also means that we need to be very wary of fruit. It’s been said that fruit is "nature’s candy". Tasty, and we think it's healthy, and to a degree and taken very sparingly it is. But overdosing on the fruit, a lot like overdosing on fruit juice, is not going to do our blood sugar level any good. For example, we may think that munching on dates is nice and healthy - their GI is 110 - way too much sugar.
Go very easy on it and if you’re in the habit of loading up your plate with a pile of fruit for breakfast, could be well worth reconsidering. You’re in effect starting your day with a sugar load and can almost guarantee you’ll be hungry by mid morning.
Finally, what's the consequences of a high GI diet?
Eating high GI all the time will constantly spike your blood sugar and will put your arteries into spasm. (See Dr Ray Strands 'Releasing Fat'). A high GI diet is a sugary one. It includes starchy vegetables, lots of fruit, breads, pastas, rice, confectionary, cakes, biscuits, desserts, alcohol, some chocolate (not all), many grains and refined foods containing white flour. We eat sugar and it's natural response is to make us hungry again very shortly after eating it and we need another sugar hit. We don't crave salt or fat when we eat a lot of sugar, the body craves the next hit of sugar just as it would the next hit of niccotine. With the constant swings of high and low crashes throughout the day we're consuming way too many empty calories to keep ourselves going. What happens then? It literally opens the pathways to disease - diabetes, cancer and heart disease to name a few. We get cranky, irritable and don't know why. At work we lose concentration, get foggy headed and can become listless. Weightgain is an inevitable result and in the dangerous middle area.
Out of all the diets out there, the one message that we need to take home out of this is - sugar is the biggest killer. It's the one thing responsible for so many middle age problems of weight and disease. So cut it out - and live long and strong.
Professor Peter Emery, Head of Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, and one of the paper’s author’s comments: "The findings of this study are an important first step in understanding how low GI foods can help to address issues of weight control and what part they should play in a balanced diet."
Source: King's College London Press Release 18 Mar 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
The World is Shifting - Can You Feel It?
Have you ever sat down and thought about the impact you make on the world?
Many women say to me that since they turned 50 they took another look at their life and decided to take a new direction, ramp up what they’re doing or change it altogether. It’s like they experience some kind of rebirth. Deepak Chopra even talks about it in his book “Ageless Body, Timeless Mind” about the change that happens midlife – and not so much a menopausal change but a total rebirth where women really start to grow into themselves. They find it’s the time for them to realise their greatness.
A few shifts have happened to me since I turned the big 50 this year. I took the time to totally reassess how I did things and start making more of an active difference to society.
I love what I do by helping women find their style and feel so much better about themselves. I get such a buzz from seeing the look on a clients face move from a lack of belief in how they see themselves to total astonishment when they see the woman they CAN be. But nothing is more gratifying than hearing that a client feels better, healthier, fitter, more energetic, stronger or younger. Reason being is because so many people I see from day to day are suffering from chronic fatigue, digestion problems, auto immune deficiencies right through to cancer, heart disease and diabetes. These conditions unfortunately seem to be the kinds of things we seem to accept with the onset of age.
But it doesn’t have to be.
What really makes me hopeful and excited is that I believe I have the perfect vehicle to make them feel so much better and improve their condition and age like the powerful, youthful, inspiring women we all want to be.
I went to a medical seminar (with a difference) a little while ago and the doctor opened up the session with the words ‘the world is shifting – can you feel it?’ The whole room unanimously answered with a resounding 'Yes, absolutely'. He made it very clear that we most definitely do not have to accept ageing and all that we assume comes with it. Everyone is aware to some point, of the shift that’s going on. Be it economically, healthwise, politically or the way we all think.
Two key ways that I’ve noticed the shift in our thinking is in the world of business and health. The world of business entrepreneurialism is moving more to Social Entrepreneurialism and health is moving from the Medical to the Holistic.
As found in Wikipedia, the definition of a Social Entrepreneur: “Social entrepreneurship is the work of a social entrepreneur. A social entrepreneur is someone who recognizes a social problem and uses entrepreneurial principles to organize, create, and manage a venture to make social change. Whereas a business entrepreneur typically measures performance in profit and return, a social entrepreneur assesses success in terms of the impact s/he has on society as well as in profit and return. While social entrepreneurs often work through nonprofits and citizen groups, many are now working in the private and governmental sectors and making a real impact on society.”
Now, a new breed of entrepreneur is growing in profile—the for-profit social entrepreneur. This is a business person who is interested in making-money, the bottom line of every business, but is also concerned with spreading good in the world.
I googled 'Social Entrepreneurship' and one of many, Filipe Santos has written his take on the subject. He has published an INSEAD working paper called “A Positive Theory of Social Entrepreneurship.” He also directs the INSEAD Social Entrepreneurship Program (ISEP)
“Social entrepreneurs see a problem that they feel compelled to resolve, show the world a solution, and start implementing it,” says Santos. “They deploy it through entrepreneurial action and get others engaged and interested in helping – unlike social activists who may use force and political pressure to achieve their goals.”
“Social entrepreneurs are motivated by value creation, by the social impact of what they are doing,” says Santos. “They are happy to see this value spill over to the whole of society.”
Have you ever looked at an opportunity that would allow you to make a real impact on society? If not, would you be open minded to simply take a look?
If this is not for you, that’s OK, I totally understand. Maybe you’re already a Social Entrepreneur. But let me ask you this. Have you ever considered a business where you knew you were doing great things for humanity and contributing toward making a change? What if you knew you could do incredible things for people with the conditions I mentioned above, improve their quality of life, do the charity work you might have dreamed of doing but never had the extra money or the time. Would you like to help children who will never know a life of plenty, make a significant impact on people’s health both physically and financially all while earning an income at the same time and making that social change.
The company that’s doing that is the one I’m proud to say I work with - Usana Health Sciences. We are not a company of hype nor empty promises. We are quietly making a dramatic change and contributing to the shift.
If this even sparks your curiosity then I’d like to invite you to a one off business seminar at the Brisbane Hilton Hotel on Monday evening the 12th October commencing at 6.30 for a 7.00pm start. It will only cost $20. A doctor and scientist from the US, a Naturopath from Sydney and a Social Entrepreneur will explain in detail exactly what kind of company Usana is, the impact it’s making on disease prevention, what they’re doing, how they’re doing it and why their product has been ranked number one in the world. Why not come, listen and make your own judgement?
Bookings will however be absolutely essential, so make sure you contact me if you’d like to come along.
"The World is Shifting - Can You Feel It?"
Anne Noonan
http://www.resetreshaperestyle.com/
http://www.annemike.usana.com/
Ph: 0417 761 998
Email: annen@tpg.com.au
Many women say to me that since they turned 50 they took another look at their life and decided to take a new direction, ramp up what they’re doing or change it altogether. It’s like they experience some kind of rebirth. Deepak Chopra even talks about it in his book “Ageless Body, Timeless Mind” about the change that happens midlife – and not so much a menopausal change but a total rebirth where women really start to grow into themselves. They find it’s the time for them to realise their greatness.
A few shifts have happened to me since I turned the big 50 this year. I took the time to totally reassess how I did things and start making more of an active difference to society.
I love what I do by helping women find their style and feel so much better about themselves. I get such a buzz from seeing the look on a clients face move from a lack of belief in how they see themselves to total astonishment when they see the woman they CAN be. But nothing is more gratifying than hearing that a client feels better, healthier, fitter, more energetic, stronger or younger. Reason being is because so many people I see from day to day are suffering from chronic fatigue, digestion problems, auto immune deficiencies right through to cancer, heart disease and diabetes. These conditions unfortunately seem to be the kinds of things we seem to accept with the onset of age.
But it doesn’t have to be.
What really makes me hopeful and excited is that I believe I have the perfect vehicle to make them feel so much better and improve their condition and age like the powerful, youthful, inspiring women we all want to be.
I went to a medical seminar (with a difference) a little while ago and the doctor opened up the session with the words ‘the world is shifting – can you feel it?’ The whole room unanimously answered with a resounding 'Yes, absolutely'. He made it very clear that we most definitely do not have to accept ageing and all that we assume comes with it. Everyone is aware to some point, of the shift that’s going on. Be it economically, healthwise, politically or the way we all think.
Two key ways that I’ve noticed the shift in our thinking is in the world of business and health. The world of business entrepreneurialism is moving more to Social Entrepreneurialism and health is moving from the Medical to the Holistic.
As found in Wikipedia, the definition of a Social Entrepreneur: “Social entrepreneurship is the work of a social entrepreneur. A social entrepreneur is someone who recognizes a social problem and uses entrepreneurial principles to organize, create, and manage a venture to make social change. Whereas a business entrepreneur typically measures performance in profit and return, a social entrepreneur assesses success in terms of the impact s/he has on society as well as in profit and return. While social entrepreneurs often work through nonprofits and citizen groups, many are now working in the private and governmental sectors and making a real impact on society.”
Now, a new breed of entrepreneur is growing in profile—the for-profit social entrepreneur. This is a business person who is interested in making-money, the bottom line of every business, but is also concerned with spreading good in the world.
I googled 'Social Entrepreneurship' and one of many, Filipe Santos has written his take on the subject. He has published an INSEAD working paper called “A Positive Theory of Social Entrepreneurship.” He also directs the INSEAD Social Entrepreneurship Program (ISEP)
“Social entrepreneurs see a problem that they feel compelled to resolve, show the world a solution, and start implementing it,” says Santos. “They deploy it through entrepreneurial action and get others engaged and interested in helping – unlike social activists who may use force and political pressure to achieve their goals.”
“Social entrepreneurs are motivated by value creation, by the social impact of what they are doing,” says Santos. “They are happy to see this value spill over to the whole of society.”
Have you ever looked at an opportunity that would allow you to make a real impact on society? If not, would you be open minded to simply take a look?
If this is not for you, that’s OK, I totally understand. Maybe you’re already a Social Entrepreneur. But let me ask you this. Have you ever considered a business where you knew you were doing great things for humanity and contributing toward making a change? What if you knew you could do incredible things for people with the conditions I mentioned above, improve their quality of life, do the charity work you might have dreamed of doing but never had the extra money or the time. Would you like to help children who will never know a life of plenty, make a significant impact on people’s health both physically and financially all while earning an income at the same time and making that social change.
The company that’s doing that is the one I’m proud to say I work with - Usana Health Sciences. We are not a company of hype nor empty promises. We are quietly making a dramatic change and contributing to the shift.
If this even sparks your curiosity then I’d like to invite you to a one off business seminar at the Brisbane Hilton Hotel on Monday evening the 12th October commencing at 6.30 for a 7.00pm start. It will only cost $20. A doctor and scientist from the US, a Naturopath from Sydney and a Social Entrepreneur will explain in detail exactly what kind of company Usana is, the impact it’s making on disease prevention, what they’re doing, how they’re doing it and why their product has been ranked number one in the world. Why not come, listen and make your own judgement?
Bookings will however be absolutely essential, so make sure you contact me if you’d like to come along.
"The World is Shifting - Can You Feel It?"
Anne Noonan
http://www.resetreshaperestyle.com/
http://www.annemike.usana.com/
Ph: 0417 761 998
Email: annen@tpg.com.au
Sunday, September 27, 2009
More secrets to losing belly fat - and it's not what you think!
I've been on my personal 'losing belly fat' journey and finally I can see it's starting to work WITHOUT dieting - but watching what I do eat and being careful about one particular food - sugar. Sugar and all it's various forms is the main culprit with the weight that accumulates around the middle.
I've reduced my middle so far since starting this blog by about 2 inches. Have a way to go yet, so I'm hoping to give more and more postive reports with each post.
Here's some of the habits I'm finding I'm being quite successful in changing.
Forget low calorie and low fat shopping. The low fat/low calorie way of eating is still being taught by lots of diet aficionados out there and it is slowly being proven that it just doesn’t work. We think we need to eat ‘low fat’ because naturally anything that’s full fat has to be fattening. That’s one of the biggest myths out there. When you understand good quality essential fat as opposed to the wrong kinds of dangerous fats you’ll know why low fat isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
But won't I get fat if I eat fat?
The body must have good fats i.e. omega 3s. We already overconsume omega 6, so you’ll find that good fats in the form of fish and marine oils, olive oils, avocado, leafy greens, lard, ghee, duck and goose fats etc that are all found in the Mediterranean and French way of eating are the way to consume fat. Bad fats are the transfats found in foods like margerines, pies, pastries, cookies, processed foods, deep fried foods, takeaways etc. This is the kind of fat that will put the weight on, not the good quality fats.
Low fat often means added sugar. So watch your food labels. Sugar is the killer so when a food is labeled ‘low calorie’, just see how they work that out. Is it a low calorie fat content with a high sugar content? If so, put it back. Coke and all soft drinks are low fat but as we well know they’re loaded with sugar and therefore considered to be full of ‘empty calories’ i.e. calories that have no nutritional content whatsoever.
Why not go for low calorie? Let me explain the best way I know how what I’ve discovered about low calorie. I did that for years and I hated the ‘hungry’ feeling. You must never allow yourself the hungry feeling. Our body needs a certain amount of calories to operate – let’s say the average man or women needs 2000 calories a day i.e. nutrient rich not empty calories.
Let’s say, like I did, in order to get the weight off we drop to 1500 calories per day when the body is used to 2000 calories per day by choosing differently or cutting things out. If you would normally consume 500 extra calories of alcohol or sugar, and by cutting out your chocolate a day or a few beers a day habit, then it’ll work. But what if you aren’t a drinker or a consumer of a lot of sugar, and you feel you eat well but still want to drop calories? So many of my clients say they think they eat very healthy, don't have a sweet tooth, but can't understand why they're only putting more weight on.
For a few days you’ll notice you might lose weight and things are looking positive. But what happens then is – it stops and you find the body won’t lose any more weight. The cells of your body all have a brain and are very smart and know exactly what’s going on. What’s happening is, your body has gone into ‘starvation/storage’ mode. It thinks, ‘hello, we’re in food shortage mode, looks like we’d better start storing’. And what happens – you don’t lose weight at all, in fact after a low calorie diet, most people put all the weight back on, and more.
Many dieters think they need to drop calories and go nuts with exercise. That’s a dangerous thing to do to your body - IF, it's not used to a full on exercise program. A prime example is watching shows like ‘The Biggest Loser’. Those poor guys have their calories greatly reduced and are put in a ‘killer exercise’ pressure cooker environment. What happens almost 90% of the time is, they go home and put the weight straight back on. That method of weightloss overstresses the body and can lead to some chronic health problems.
You can’t just do one or the other – you have to do both.
Statistics prove that most people would prefer to diet as exercise isn’t everyone’s favourite choice. But to lose belly fat, you do need an enjoyable, doable combination of both. You can’t exercise like a mad thing and keep up your bad habits. One really will cancel the other out. And you can’t ‘diet’ and forget about doing some core exercises, some resistance training or cardio work. Your body absolutely craves movement, so developing a combined routine of careful selected eating that keeps you full and satisfied – not dieting – and good quality exercise will get that belly fat off.
Why should we not ‘diet’.
Too many diets are actually damaging to the body and can rob it of essential nutrients and fats. Think about the cabbage diet, the soup diet, the all fruit diet and any of these other crazy ways of eating. What damage is being done eventually shows up in all sorts of health problems. When we suddenly change the body’s way of eating and rob it of too many nutrients, we think we’re improving it, but in fact can be creating a health risk and a serious one.
Fat that is accumulated around the middle over a long period of time, cannot be dropped off quickly. It takes time, dedication, concentration and a sensible approach.
More on diet secrets and exercises in a future post.
Anne Noonan
Style and Wellness Coach
www.Resetreshaperestyle.com
Email: annen@tpg.com.au
Ph: 0417 761 998
I've reduced my middle so far since starting this blog by about 2 inches. Have a way to go yet, so I'm hoping to give more and more postive reports with each post.
Here's some of the habits I'm finding I'm being quite successful in changing.
- My love of chocolate! I'm still a choccy nut, so if I'm really feeling like that 'full bar of choc' I'll go for my Usana Choc fusion bar - OR - have a square or two of a good quality dark chocolate. It has a much lower level of sugar without the super sweet taste instead of the milky sugary confectionary style of chocolate.
- When out socially, I would always go for a brownie or a muffin or something snacky with a friend when meeting for coffee. Now this might be hard to start with, but if you're a coffee lover, go the full fat way and it'll fill you enough to know that you don't need the muffin. AND... if you're a savoury lover and having the odd champagne at a networking event, don't go for the deep fried or chip like savouries - they're a killer. Not this time because of sugar, but because of trans fats.
- Don't overdo the fruit. That was one of hardest things to change for me. I love all forms of melon, oranges, anything juicy, anything sweet and of course - it's fruit isn't it? Surely I'm fine filling up on fruit and loads of it??? Not necessarily. It's been said in health reports that fruit is really nature's candy. Don't overdo the fruit and it's never a good idea to eat fruit WITH your meal. If you must have it, have a very small portion away from meals. I now stick to one piece of my favourite a day. This '5 servings of fruit and vege a day' has to be taken very carefully.
- I found new snacks. I need to snack and I have a bad habit of often going to the fridge as I work from home so I used to pick lots of dried fruit like prunes, dates, dried apple etc. But did you know they're loaded with sugar? Dates particularly have a very high GI. Now I stick to protein if I can. Have some boiled eggs in the fridge, pieces of chicken, a soft creamy cheese - protein and fat are far better to snack on. Why? because you only need a very small portion to feel full.
- I don't buy low fat anything - I've taken out all the skim milk, low fat yoghurts, low fat cookies as they usually contain a fair level of sugar. (a little more of this is below)
- I make sure I take a lot of essential fats - fish oil, coconut oil and good old fashioned full butter. AND... I've stopped cooking in olive oil - it's very unstable at high temperatures. I know cook in ghee or lard - far healthier and very stable at high heat.
Forget low calorie and low fat shopping. The low fat/low calorie way of eating is still being taught by lots of diet aficionados out there and it is slowly being proven that it just doesn’t work. We think we need to eat ‘low fat’ because naturally anything that’s full fat has to be fattening. That’s one of the biggest myths out there. When you understand good quality essential fat as opposed to the wrong kinds of dangerous fats you’ll know why low fat isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
But won't I get fat if I eat fat?
The body must have good fats i.e. omega 3s. We already overconsume omega 6, so you’ll find that good fats in the form of fish and marine oils, olive oils, avocado, leafy greens, lard, ghee, duck and goose fats etc that are all found in the Mediterranean and French way of eating are the way to consume fat. Bad fats are the transfats found in foods like margerines, pies, pastries, cookies, processed foods, deep fried foods, takeaways etc. This is the kind of fat that will put the weight on, not the good quality fats.
Low fat often means added sugar. So watch your food labels. Sugar is the killer so when a food is labeled ‘low calorie’, just see how they work that out. Is it a low calorie fat content with a high sugar content? If so, put it back. Coke and all soft drinks are low fat but as we well know they’re loaded with sugar and therefore considered to be full of ‘empty calories’ i.e. calories that have no nutritional content whatsoever.
Why not go for low calorie? Let me explain the best way I know how what I’ve discovered about low calorie. I did that for years and I hated the ‘hungry’ feeling. You must never allow yourself the hungry feeling. Our body needs a certain amount of calories to operate – let’s say the average man or women needs 2000 calories a day i.e. nutrient rich not empty calories.
Let’s say, like I did, in order to get the weight off we drop to 1500 calories per day when the body is used to 2000 calories per day by choosing differently or cutting things out. If you would normally consume 500 extra calories of alcohol or sugar, and by cutting out your chocolate a day or a few beers a day habit, then it’ll work. But what if you aren’t a drinker or a consumer of a lot of sugar, and you feel you eat well but still want to drop calories? So many of my clients say they think they eat very healthy, don't have a sweet tooth, but can't understand why they're only putting more weight on.
For a few days you’ll notice you might lose weight and things are looking positive. But what happens then is – it stops and you find the body won’t lose any more weight. The cells of your body all have a brain and are very smart and know exactly what’s going on. What’s happening is, your body has gone into ‘starvation/storage’ mode. It thinks, ‘hello, we’re in food shortage mode, looks like we’d better start storing’. And what happens – you don’t lose weight at all, in fact after a low calorie diet, most people put all the weight back on, and more.
Many dieters think they need to drop calories and go nuts with exercise. That’s a dangerous thing to do to your body - IF, it's not used to a full on exercise program. A prime example is watching shows like ‘The Biggest Loser’. Those poor guys have their calories greatly reduced and are put in a ‘killer exercise’ pressure cooker environment. What happens almost 90% of the time is, they go home and put the weight straight back on. That method of weightloss overstresses the body and can lead to some chronic health problems.
You can’t just do one or the other – you have to do both.
Statistics prove that most people would prefer to diet as exercise isn’t everyone’s favourite choice. But to lose belly fat, you do need an enjoyable, doable combination of both. You can’t exercise like a mad thing and keep up your bad habits. One really will cancel the other out. And you can’t ‘diet’ and forget about doing some core exercises, some resistance training or cardio work. Your body absolutely craves movement, so developing a combined routine of careful selected eating that keeps you full and satisfied – not dieting – and good quality exercise will get that belly fat off.
Why should we not ‘diet’.
Too many diets are actually damaging to the body and can rob it of essential nutrients and fats. Think about the cabbage diet, the soup diet, the all fruit diet and any of these other crazy ways of eating. What damage is being done eventually shows up in all sorts of health problems. When we suddenly change the body’s way of eating and rob it of too many nutrients, we think we’re improving it, but in fact can be creating a health risk and a serious one.
Fat that is accumulated around the middle over a long period of time, cannot be dropped off quickly. It takes time, dedication, concentration and a sensible approach.
More on diet secrets and exercises in a future post.
Anne Noonan
Style and Wellness Coach
www.Resetreshaperestyle.com
Email: annen@tpg.com.au
Ph: 0417 761 998
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
They don't call it 'Gut Instinct' for nothing
Our Immune System is a miraculous operating system. It protects us at the mental, emotional and physical level. But it begins in our Gut. Right in the deep centre, the heart of our body, lies our Alimentary Canal - our Digestive System. It begins in our mouth and we sit on the end of it! Emotions, illness and disease almost always centres in there.
It’s been proven that toxins in the gut can even affect brain function.
We simply do not live in a clean, toxin free society. So it’s not an accident that we get cancer or any other autoimmune condition.
It’s not the ‘seed’ but the ‘soil’.
The reason a plant won't grow, wilts or dies is not the plants fault. It’s the environment it’s been planted in. It’s not the bug we catch, it’s the body – the environment that a germ lands in will either allow that germ to grow and thrive or die. It’s the choices we make and the environment we create wholly and solely that will determine whether we live well or with illness.
So where do the ‘toxins’ that upset our digestive system come from? All gut problems can be tracked back to chronic stress, alcohol and smoking, prescription drugs, lack of fibre, no exercise, poor food choices and too much sugar.
Auto immune means an overactivity of the immune system where the body literally starts attacking itself and stems from digestive problems. Conditions like Lupus, Fibromyalgia, MS, Coeliac, Psoriasis, Thyroid and Scleroderma are an example.
As we constantly ingest food, we have a digestive system that’s forever saying ‘how do I deal with this and what do I do with that?’
Our digestive system works really hard.
It starts with chewing, which is the beginning of the breakdown process. If we don’t chew thoroughly enough it means we’ll ingest food particles that are too big. The body recognises them as foreign substances, and so allergies begin. White sugar suppresses the immune system and migraines have been treated by bowel cleansing. There have been recorded instances where doctors have found substances up to 20 years old locked in a bowel.
Not overdoing drinking while eating is also very important. The saliva is more important for the breakdown process than fluid like water or juice because of the enzymes our saliva produces. If you must drink, have it before you eat. Whole foods are harder to eat and therefore take longer and require more active chewing. Better for us.
The digestive system is the absolute foundation of health – it’s the starting point.
No good digestion means no good health. So if the digestion is treated first, just about everything clears up. Naturopaths treat acne, psoriasis, eczema and many skin disorders from a digestion point of view.
There is no reason for us to believe that we decline as we get older. Stress creates havoc as we age especially with the digestive system. Stress keeps our body in the ‘flight or fight’ response state. Naturally when we’re in that state, blood automatically goes to our arms and legs in order to let us fight if we need to. It flows away from our alimentary canal. That’s OK if we are running from a danger. But too many of us live in a 24/7 stressed state, which means if blood is not flowing around our digestive system it’s simply not operating efficiently. Blood flow brings oxygen and nutrients – with no blood flow, the digestive tract is in trouble.
If you have nausea after certain foods or after taking supplements – it’s not the food or the supplements that are doing it. You’d need to take a look at your digestion.
So how can we take control of what’s happening in our gut? For a start, we can educate ourselves. And one of the best seminars on this topic is happening in October in Brisbane. Dr Wood, Research and Development Scientist from one of the world’s leading Nutritional Medicine Companies will be in Brisbane for one night only. This seminar is a MUST SEE!
At this one night only seminar, you'll learn how to take total control of your health. Dr Wood will blow the lid off a lot of nutrition myths and prove that we can take charge of just how fast we'll age and how we'll age. Being youthful, strong and vibrant all our life is simpler than we think.
When: Monday evening, 12th October, 6.30 pm for a 7.00pm sharp start
Where: Brisbane Hilton Hotel, 5th floor ballroom
Booking: Call Anne 0417 761 998 or email: annen@tpg.com.au or for more information.
Cost: $20 per ticket – BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL.
It’s been proven that toxins in the gut can even affect brain function.
We simply do not live in a clean, toxin free society. So it’s not an accident that we get cancer or any other autoimmune condition.
It’s not the ‘seed’ but the ‘soil’.
The reason a plant won't grow, wilts or dies is not the plants fault. It’s the environment it’s been planted in. It’s not the bug we catch, it’s the body – the environment that a germ lands in will either allow that germ to grow and thrive or die. It’s the choices we make and the environment we create wholly and solely that will determine whether we live well or with illness.
So where do the ‘toxins’ that upset our digestive system come from? All gut problems can be tracked back to chronic stress, alcohol and smoking, prescription drugs, lack of fibre, no exercise, poor food choices and too much sugar.
Auto immune means an overactivity of the immune system where the body literally starts attacking itself and stems from digestive problems. Conditions like Lupus, Fibromyalgia, MS, Coeliac, Psoriasis, Thyroid and Scleroderma are an example.
As we constantly ingest food, we have a digestive system that’s forever saying ‘how do I deal with this and what do I do with that?’
Our digestive system works really hard.
It starts with chewing, which is the beginning of the breakdown process. If we don’t chew thoroughly enough it means we’ll ingest food particles that are too big. The body recognises them as foreign substances, and so allergies begin. White sugar suppresses the immune system and migraines have been treated by bowel cleansing. There have been recorded instances where doctors have found substances up to 20 years old locked in a bowel.
Not overdoing drinking while eating is also very important. The saliva is more important for the breakdown process than fluid like water or juice because of the enzymes our saliva produces. If you must drink, have it before you eat. Whole foods are harder to eat and therefore take longer and require more active chewing. Better for us.
The digestive system is the absolute foundation of health – it’s the starting point.
No good digestion means no good health. So if the digestion is treated first, just about everything clears up. Naturopaths treat acne, psoriasis, eczema and many skin disorders from a digestion point of view.
There is no reason for us to believe that we decline as we get older. Stress creates havoc as we age especially with the digestive system. Stress keeps our body in the ‘flight or fight’ response state. Naturally when we’re in that state, blood automatically goes to our arms and legs in order to let us fight if we need to. It flows away from our alimentary canal. That’s OK if we are running from a danger. But too many of us live in a 24/7 stressed state, which means if blood is not flowing around our digestive system it’s simply not operating efficiently. Blood flow brings oxygen and nutrients – with no blood flow, the digestive tract is in trouble.
If you have nausea after certain foods or after taking supplements – it’s not the food or the supplements that are doing it. You’d need to take a look at your digestion.
So how can we take control of what’s happening in our gut? For a start, we can educate ourselves. And one of the best seminars on this topic is happening in October in Brisbane. Dr Wood, Research and Development Scientist from one of the world’s leading Nutritional Medicine Companies will be in Brisbane for one night only. This seminar is a MUST SEE!
At this one night only seminar, you'll learn how to take total control of your health. Dr Wood will blow the lid off a lot of nutrition myths and prove that we can take charge of just how fast we'll age and how we'll age. Being youthful, strong and vibrant all our life is simpler than we think.
When: Monday evening, 12th October, 6.30 pm for a 7.00pm sharp start
Where: Brisbane Hilton Hotel, 5th floor ballroom
Booking: Call Anne 0417 761 998 or email: annen@tpg.com.au or for more information.
Cost: $20 per ticket – BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
3 Diet and Nutrition Secrets that WILL eliminate belly fat!
Let’s start with what won’t get rid of it!
Every trainer out there will tell you just can’t simply do loads and loads of stomach crunches and expect to get a lovely flat set of abs. I think we all know that – so let’s just get that out of the way. If you carry a lot of fat across the belly area, don’t do much else in the way of exercise and aren’t conscious of your diet, you’ll find you’re up for an uphill battle. Alternatively, most of us hate exercise. You absolutely can’t ‘diet’ belly fat away. There has to be a few more secrets involved.
Secret number 1
You have to want it. I thought I wanted a flat stomach. I changed my eating habits, I exercised more, I got the weight off. But it’s still taken me a while to get the toned flat look I want. Why? My coach looked me in the eye and said ‘well do you want it badly enough?’ That threw me!
If I want it badly enough I need to be conscious of just how many extra red wines I throw in during the week, how much extra chocolate and how many splurges I allow myself when meeting up with friends. It’s called ‘eating amnesia’. How many times I have “just a small choccy rumball” with my coffee, how many mornings I choose to sleep in and rest rather than get up and go for my morning walk or jog and just how long I choose to sit at the computer rather than give myself an hour of some other kind of exercise or stretches all figure toward ‘how much I want it’.
It takes discipline and a true desire – just like anything else that’s worth pursuing.
Secret number 2
Find out what kind of eater you are and stick to it. What does this mean? There are three kinds of eaters – the Protein Type, the Mixed Type and Carb Type. Think about how you feel after a meal. What kind of meal gives you that complete sense of relaxed satisfaction (not stuffed or overly full). Then an hour or so after that meal you still feel good i.e. you’re focused, you’re relaxed, you’re not thinking about eating again, you’re not agitated or fidgety and looking for a sugar fix. We all respond differently after certain styles of eating. Here’s a brief summary of each:
The Protein Type – is a true carnivore. Feels great after a meat dinner, with good quality fats, lesser carbs, light on the fruit, not heavy on starches or pasta and rice, just feels great after good quality fat and protein. They usually have big appetites and enjoys meat, fish, avocado, chicken, eggs, full cream dairy choices, salty tastes rather than sweet. These people love their food and look forward to the next meal and put great thought into the week’s menu.
The Carb Type – loves their steam veges, salads, eats little meat or can be a vegetarian. Likes like grilled fish. The carb type sometimes forgets to eat, can be so busy that they realize at the end of the day they’ve not eaten, and then won’t need a lot to satisfy them. Food doesn’t rule them, can sometimes be fussy eaters and will often forget breakfast. Often prefers rices, legumes and tofu.
The Mixed Type – these guys fall somewhere in between. Will eat small amounts of meat, or will usually stick with chicken or fish. Prefered meal might be a giant plate of salad greens with thinly sliced meat tossed on top for a touch of protein. Enjoy their food, but might prefer a fruit choice at lunch rather than sitting down to a meal. Will choose pasta or rice dishes with protein added.
The Protein Type simply can’t adopt the Carb Type of eating. They’d be hungry all the time, agitated, cranky and simply won’t concentrate on the task at hand. Eating like a carb type would also rob them of appropriate vitamins, minerals and essential nutrients that this particular type need. Conversely, the carb type couldn’t adapt to the protein way of eating as it would be too much for their system.
So take note of what kind of eating keeps you happy and fill your diet with the healthy choices in that range. Try and wipe out sugars, starches, trans fats, desserts of all kinds, cookies, cakes, chips etc. They’re the killers in any diet.
Secret Number 3
Slow right down and chew. I’m pretty sure most parents and for that matter, stressed office workers and business owners would be ‘fast eaters’. It’s the hardest habit I have yet to break. You get into the habit of eating quickly, getting the meal out of the way to get on with what needs to be done with the kids, in the home, at work. Most eating times are either on the run, in front of the telly or on your lap.
This is one of the hardest habits to break. If you can’t make all meals a slow sit down exercise, then at least make an effort for most of them to be a slower, calmer experience. Your digestion does not operate effectively when eating quickly or while you’re stressed or moving. Your concentration is on the task and therefore food is not absorbed correctly, you don’t get the benefit of the nutrients and in the end feel dreadful.
Chewing thoroughly until the food is almost liquid is absolutely vital to getting the weight off. The ‘full’ sensation that triggers the brain that the stomach has had enough takes a full 10 to 20 minutes. We can still be wolfing down food thinking we’re not satisfied in less than that and when the trigger mechanism kicks in we realize we’ve overdone the calories. By taking your time and chewing slowly and not getting the next forkful ready to go until the first mouthful is liquified and down not only allows lesser food to be in the stomach in the 10 minute time frame, but the digestion process operates far more effectively and the nutrient content of the food is more effectively absorbed.
I've got so much more information to share with you and I look forward to delivering it in the form of more keys to effective belly fat loss in the next post. For more information make sure you leave a comment, ask a question or contact me.
Anne Noonan
Style and Wellness Coach
http://www.resetreshaperestyle.com/
PH: 0417 761 998
Email: annen@tpg.com.au
Every trainer out there will tell you just can’t simply do loads and loads of stomach crunches and expect to get a lovely flat set of abs. I think we all know that – so let’s just get that out of the way. If you carry a lot of fat across the belly area, don’t do much else in the way of exercise and aren’t conscious of your diet, you’ll find you’re up for an uphill battle. Alternatively, most of us hate exercise. You absolutely can’t ‘diet’ belly fat away. There has to be a few more secrets involved.
Secret number 1
You have to want it. I thought I wanted a flat stomach. I changed my eating habits, I exercised more, I got the weight off. But it’s still taken me a while to get the toned flat look I want. Why? My coach looked me in the eye and said ‘well do you want it badly enough?’ That threw me!
If I want it badly enough I need to be conscious of just how many extra red wines I throw in during the week, how much extra chocolate and how many splurges I allow myself when meeting up with friends. It’s called ‘eating amnesia’. How many times I have “just a small choccy rumball” with my coffee, how many mornings I choose to sleep in and rest rather than get up and go for my morning walk or jog and just how long I choose to sit at the computer rather than give myself an hour of some other kind of exercise or stretches all figure toward ‘how much I want it’.
It takes discipline and a true desire – just like anything else that’s worth pursuing.
Secret number 2
Find out what kind of eater you are and stick to it. What does this mean? There are three kinds of eaters – the Protein Type, the Mixed Type and Carb Type. Think about how you feel after a meal. What kind of meal gives you that complete sense of relaxed satisfaction (not stuffed or overly full). Then an hour or so after that meal you still feel good i.e. you’re focused, you’re relaxed, you’re not thinking about eating again, you’re not agitated or fidgety and looking for a sugar fix. We all respond differently after certain styles of eating. Here’s a brief summary of each:
The Protein Type – is a true carnivore. Feels great after a meat dinner, with good quality fats, lesser carbs, light on the fruit, not heavy on starches or pasta and rice, just feels great after good quality fat and protein. They usually have big appetites and enjoys meat, fish, avocado, chicken, eggs, full cream dairy choices, salty tastes rather than sweet. These people love their food and look forward to the next meal and put great thought into the week’s menu.
The Carb Type – loves their steam veges, salads, eats little meat or can be a vegetarian. Likes like grilled fish. The carb type sometimes forgets to eat, can be so busy that they realize at the end of the day they’ve not eaten, and then won’t need a lot to satisfy them. Food doesn’t rule them, can sometimes be fussy eaters and will often forget breakfast. Often prefers rices, legumes and tofu.
The Mixed Type – these guys fall somewhere in between. Will eat small amounts of meat, or will usually stick with chicken or fish. Prefered meal might be a giant plate of salad greens with thinly sliced meat tossed on top for a touch of protein. Enjoy their food, but might prefer a fruit choice at lunch rather than sitting down to a meal. Will choose pasta or rice dishes with protein added.
The Protein Type simply can’t adopt the Carb Type of eating. They’d be hungry all the time, agitated, cranky and simply won’t concentrate on the task at hand. Eating like a carb type would also rob them of appropriate vitamins, minerals and essential nutrients that this particular type need. Conversely, the carb type couldn’t adapt to the protein way of eating as it would be too much for their system.
So take note of what kind of eating keeps you happy and fill your diet with the healthy choices in that range. Try and wipe out sugars, starches, trans fats, desserts of all kinds, cookies, cakes, chips etc. They’re the killers in any diet.
Secret Number 3
Slow right down and chew. I’m pretty sure most parents and for that matter, stressed office workers and business owners would be ‘fast eaters’. It’s the hardest habit I have yet to break. You get into the habit of eating quickly, getting the meal out of the way to get on with what needs to be done with the kids, in the home, at work. Most eating times are either on the run, in front of the telly or on your lap.
This is one of the hardest habits to break. If you can’t make all meals a slow sit down exercise, then at least make an effort for most of them to be a slower, calmer experience. Your digestion does not operate effectively when eating quickly or while you’re stressed or moving. Your concentration is on the task and therefore food is not absorbed correctly, you don’t get the benefit of the nutrients and in the end feel dreadful.
Chewing thoroughly until the food is almost liquid is absolutely vital to getting the weight off. The ‘full’ sensation that triggers the brain that the stomach has had enough takes a full 10 to 20 minutes. We can still be wolfing down food thinking we’re not satisfied in less than that and when the trigger mechanism kicks in we realize we’ve overdone the calories. By taking your time and chewing slowly and not getting the next forkful ready to go until the first mouthful is liquified and down not only allows lesser food to be in the stomach in the 10 minute time frame, but the digestion process operates far more effectively and the nutrient content of the food is more effectively absorbed.
I've got so much more information to share with you and I look forward to delivering it in the form of more keys to effective belly fat loss in the next post. For more information make sure you leave a comment, ask a question or contact me.
Anne Noonan
Style and Wellness Coach
http://www.resetreshaperestyle.com/
PH: 0417 761 998
Email: annen@tpg.com.au
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Increased fibre intake decreases weight and body fat among women
When asked what kind of food do you think keeps you fuller for longer, most people would say fat or possibly protein. But it’s actually fibre. It’s slow to digest thereby keeping us feeling satiated for longer. Fibre is a healthy mix of carbs and fat while at the same time cleans out the bowel. But beware - we're not talking about going to the supermarket and stocking up on 'fibre rich' cereals. Read on, to see what we mean.
A recent study among 252 women followed over 20 months investigated the impact of different types and amounts of fibre on body weight and body fat.
Across the 20 month time frame, almost 50% of the women gained weight and body fat. Among the women who did not gain weight, each gram of dietary fibre consumed on top of their usual intake contributed to a 0.25kg decrease in body weight and 0.25% decrease in body fat. Different types of fibre appeared to contribute to the changes in body weight and body fat, most likely due to the fact that eating high fibre foods helps reduce the amount of energy (kilojoules) people eat over time.
It didn’t matter whether the women were active or how much dietary fat they ate – the effect of fibre on reducing weight and body fat was the same. But please don’t take this as meaning exercise is now no longer necessary, ‘I’ll just eat fibre’. Exercise is vital as it helps the fibre do its job way better. If there's one thing the body is not designed for, that's movement. The body must move. With exercise the digestion process is kept moving efficiently and so if you want to drop kilos and lose the belly fat, it's essential that the body eliminates waste effectively. This means, fibre and plenty of water is essential to keep flushing the system of toxins. If you can have a good healthy bowel movement twice a day, you're on track. Much less than this, and I'd suggest you go and find out why, OR increase your fibre intake.
So my message is - Adding good quality fibre like wholegrain foods, fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts can boost your daily fibre intake, which may in turn help keep your weight in check. Think twice about buying all bran cereals that promote lots of fibre – that’s definitely not considered good fibre. Bran husks have absolutely no nutritional value about them at all. Good quality fibre that is mainly fruit and vegetable derived, is well known to keep you full and satisfied for longer than any other kind of food. It in turn prevents us from heading toward the fridge to fill up on sugars or carbs while holding the hunger pangs at bay.
Source: Journal of Nutrition, March 2009
A recent study among 252 women followed over 20 months investigated the impact of different types and amounts of fibre on body weight and body fat.
Across the 20 month time frame, almost 50% of the women gained weight and body fat. Among the women who did not gain weight, each gram of dietary fibre consumed on top of their usual intake contributed to a 0.25kg decrease in body weight and 0.25% decrease in body fat. Different types of fibre appeared to contribute to the changes in body weight and body fat, most likely due to the fact that eating high fibre foods helps reduce the amount of energy (kilojoules) people eat over time.
It didn’t matter whether the women were active or how much dietary fat they ate – the effect of fibre on reducing weight and body fat was the same. But please don’t take this as meaning exercise is now no longer necessary, ‘I’ll just eat fibre’. Exercise is vital as it helps the fibre do its job way better. If there's one thing the body is not designed for, that's movement. The body must move. With exercise the digestion process is kept moving efficiently and so if you want to drop kilos and lose the belly fat, it's essential that the body eliminates waste effectively. This means, fibre and plenty of water is essential to keep flushing the system of toxins. If you can have a good healthy bowel movement twice a day, you're on track. Much less than this, and I'd suggest you go and find out why, OR increase your fibre intake.
So my message is - Adding good quality fibre like wholegrain foods, fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts can boost your daily fibre intake, which may in turn help keep your weight in check. Think twice about buying all bran cereals that promote lots of fibre – that’s definitely not considered good fibre. Bran husks have absolutely no nutritional value about them at all. Good quality fibre that is mainly fruit and vegetable derived, is well known to keep you full and satisfied for longer than any other kind of food. It in turn prevents us from heading toward the fridge to fill up on sugars or carbs while holding the hunger pangs at bay.
Source: Journal of Nutrition, March 2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009
So what’s belly fat got to do with health?
Someone said to me once, ‘oh it’s middle age, that’s what happens when you turn 40. Why else do they call it ‘middle aged spread?’’ So I thought, it was normal to start spreading and bloating as I got older but I hated it. I felt uncomfortable, I looked awful in clothes, I had little energy and I’d get seriously puffed as I walked up stairs.
And yet, I knew plenty of people my age and older who looked great. They were fit, strong and very young looking. I thought they were freaks, it can’t be normal to look like that when you’re 50 – surely they must starve themselves and work like crazy to keep that shape. Surely they must be impossible to live with, they can’t possibly enjoy going to a restaurant, they mustn’t enjoy life! That sure wasn’t for me!! I still wanted to eat, drink and do as little exercise as I was currently doing.
Until…..
I was watching Oprah one afternoon, as you do… And Dr Mehmet Oz was the guest. He just happened to be talking about middle age spread and belly fat and actually said ‘if a woman’s waistline is over 90cms, then it has the same affect on her as if she had breast cancer.’ Well Oprah said the same as me ‘WHAAAAT?” The audience collectively dropped their jaws on the ground and you could almost see all of them frantically feeling their waist and wishing they had a tape measure.
I didn’t even have to go and find a tape measure as I just knew my waist measurement would be in the danger zone – and it was! I knew it was time to do something about it.
Killer Fat!
I’ve always had a big bust and seem to carry my weight around the bust, under the arms around the back and on the abdomen. I’ve got slim arms and legs and a narrow hip, so I guess you can call me an apple shape. And so, I just slotted myself into the ‘apple’ category. You know how all the TV shows say we’re either an apple or a pear or an inverted triangle or an hourglass or whatever. I’m a stylist, I’ve been telling women that for years and saying ‘Oh, I’m an apple shape, this is the clothing drama I have..”
Well girls, it appears an “apple”(or a well rounded one) is not necessarily normal or healthy – here’s why!
I feel I’ve always looked ‘hefty’ and I blamed my bustiness for the reason why I always had trouble with clothes. But as time has gone on, my thickening waist became a worry. Never more so than when I went for an insurance policy standard medical and heard the doctor say, “I’m not worried about your weight, it’s your waist measurement that’s of concern. You do realize that’s the killer fat area don’t you?”
Ah, no – I didn’t – better tell me!!!
Many physicians will tell you that the weight that is accumulated around the hips and thighs is dramatically different both physically and metabolically to that which accumulates around the mid section – and that applies for both men and women.
Back in our early primitive days, weight that accumulated around the thigh and hip was primarily used as storage e.g. in times of starvation, lack or pregnancy – even though today, with today’s overabundance of food, we wouldn’t look at it that way, but it’s considered normal to carry fat in that area. However, fat that is slowly accumulated around the middle section is not made up of increased number of fat cells but actually increased size of the cells. And this is what’s dangerous. They get bigger and bigger and lead to insulin resistance, high blood pressure and eventually can lead to diabetes, heart disease and stroke. When I was young, those diseases really didn’t mean anything to me. I’ve now seen exactly what heart disease, diabetes and stroke actually look like. It’s not where I want to be, so I had to do something
So how does it get there when you think you've done nothing different?
Like a lot of women I was a size 10 most of my life, even after two kids I seemed to bounce back. It wasn’t until I hit my late thirties and crept into my forties that I noticed I wasn’t changing my lifestyle habits but weight still crept right round the middle (apple) section.
I’d head off to work with toast and coffee, be starving by 10am, go for another coffee and a couple of cookies to see me through til lunch. Lunch usually consisted of something with bread or chips, would be sleepy by 3pm, looking for a chocolate bar and another coffee to give me a boost of energy, and by the time I got home I was famished.
I found myself starving by the time I got home, hooked into a champagne or two while cooking dinner and a nibble on some nuts, chips or olives to stave the hunger while dinner was being prepared, which usually consisted of a lot of pasta, rice or potatoes and fried meats. No vitamins, no essential fatty acids, way too many carbs and loads of sugar. For some strange reason I was often cranky, incredibly sleepy by 8.30 and rarely went for a walk or did exercise. I thought, well I run about in the office, go up and down stairs a lot and deal with stress all day – isn’t that enough exercise? No wonder I’m tired.
What was happening was I spiraling toward insulin resistance, diabetes type 2, my blood pressure was rising, my sleep was broken, I woke up tired every morning and did exactly the same thing day after day. Hence, the middle was bloating out, my skin was also puffed and unhealthy looking, my hair was dry, my nails brittle, my temper short and hormones started to fly all over the place.
My ‘insurance’ doctor warned me that if I didn’t do something pretty toot smart that I’d be looking down the barrel of full blown diabetes as I was already showing signs of glucose intolerance, was in full blown metabolic syndrome and would have a life sentence on me if I didn’t get my act together. My husband was in a worse state and he knew it which was why he was avoiding going to see the doctor. He used to fall asleep at the dinner table and in front of the computer and was morbidly obese. Not a healthy pair at all! (In fact I’ve loaded up photographs of us on my website, you can actually see the growing ‘apple’s in both of us). http://www.resetreshaperestyle.com/
So we decided to do something about it. We got the weight off, and that process will be discussed in a future blog entry – BUT … I still now need to tighten the last of the belly roll. Just because I started getting fitter and started dropping the weight doesn’t mean I totally managed to completely get that belly down, tone up and create the shape I want. That’s the final step – to make sure the tape measure really does show the right number at the end of this journey.
So join me in future posts when I’ll talk about the process. What do we eat, how do we eat it and how do we change our exercise routine. It’s not all that you think either!!
See you in the next post
Anne Noonan
Style and Wellness Coach
Ph: 0417 761 998
http://www.resetreshaperestyle.com/
www.annemike.usana.com
Email: annen@tpg.com.au
And yet, I knew plenty of people my age and older who looked great. They were fit, strong and very young looking. I thought they were freaks, it can’t be normal to look like that when you’re 50 – surely they must starve themselves and work like crazy to keep that shape. Surely they must be impossible to live with, they can’t possibly enjoy going to a restaurant, they mustn’t enjoy life! That sure wasn’t for me!! I still wanted to eat, drink and do as little exercise as I was currently doing.
Until…..
I was watching Oprah one afternoon, as you do… And Dr Mehmet Oz was the guest. He just happened to be talking about middle age spread and belly fat and actually said ‘if a woman’s waistline is over 90cms, then it has the same affect on her as if she had breast cancer.’ Well Oprah said the same as me ‘WHAAAAT?” The audience collectively dropped their jaws on the ground and you could almost see all of them frantically feeling their waist and wishing they had a tape measure.
I didn’t even have to go and find a tape measure as I just knew my waist measurement would be in the danger zone – and it was! I knew it was time to do something about it.
Killer Fat!
I’ve always had a big bust and seem to carry my weight around the bust, under the arms around the back and on the abdomen. I’ve got slim arms and legs and a narrow hip, so I guess you can call me an apple shape. And so, I just slotted myself into the ‘apple’ category. You know how all the TV shows say we’re either an apple or a pear or an inverted triangle or an hourglass or whatever. I’m a stylist, I’ve been telling women that for years and saying ‘Oh, I’m an apple shape, this is the clothing drama I have..”
Well girls, it appears an “apple”(or a well rounded one) is not necessarily normal or healthy – here’s why!
I feel I’ve always looked ‘hefty’ and I blamed my bustiness for the reason why I always had trouble with clothes. But as time has gone on, my thickening waist became a worry. Never more so than when I went for an insurance policy standard medical and heard the doctor say, “I’m not worried about your weight, it’s your waist measurement that’s of concern. You do realize that’s the killer fat area don’t you?”
Ah, no – I didn’t – better tell me!!!
Many physicians will tell you that the weight that is accumulated around the hips and thighs is dramatically different both physically and metabolically to that which accumulates around the mid section – and that applies for both men and women.
Back in our early primitive days, weight that accumulated around the thigh and hip was primarily used as storage e.g. in times of starvation, lack or pregnancy – even though today, with today’s overabundance of food, we wouldn’t look at it that way, but it’s considered normal to carry fat in that area. However, fat that is slowly accumulated around the middle section is not made up of increased number of fat cells but actually increased size of the cells. And this is what’s dangerous. They get bigger and bigger and lead to insulin resistance, high blood pressure and eventually can lead to diabetes, heart disease and stroke. When I was young, those diseases really didn’t mean anything to me. I’ve now seen exactly what heart disease, diabetes and stroke actually look like. It’s not where I want to be, so I had to do something
So how does it get there when you think you've done nothing different?
Like a lot of women I was a size 10 most of my life, even after two kids I seemed to bounce back. It wasn’t until I hit my late thirties and crept into my forties that I noticed I wasn’t changing my lifestyle habits but weight still crept right round the middle (apple) section.
I’d head off to work with toast and coffee, be starving by 10am, go for another coffee and a couple of cookies to see me through til lunch. Lunch usually consisted of something with bread or chips, would be sleepy by 3pm, looking for a chocolate bar and another coffee to give me a boost of energy, and by the time I got home I was famished.
I found myself starving by the time I got home, hooked into a champagne or two while cooking dinner and a nibble on some nuts, chips or olives to stave the hunger while dinner was being prepared, which usually consisted of a lot of pasta, rice or potatoes and fried meats. No vitamins, no essential fatty acids, way too many carbs and loads of sugar. For some strange reason I was often cranky, incredibly sleepy by 8.30 and rarely went for a walk or did exercise. I thought, well I run about in the office, go up and down stairs a lot and deal with stress all day – isn’t that enough exercise? No wonder I’m tired.
What was happening was I spiraling toward insulin resistance, diabetes type 2, my blood pressure was rising, my sleep was broken, I woke up tired every morning and did exactly the same thing day after day. Hence, the middle was bloating out, my skin was also puffed and unhealthy looking, my hair was dry, my nails brittle, my temper short and hormones started to fly all over the place.
My ‘insurance’ doctor warned me that if I didn’t do something pretty toot smart that I’d be looking down the barrel of full blown diabetes as I was already showing signs of glucose intolerance, was in full blown metabolic syndrome and would have a life sentence on me if I didn’t get my act together. My husband was in a worse state and he knew it which was why he was avoiding going to see the doctor. He used to fall asleep at the dinner table and in front of the computer and was morbidly obese. Not a healthy pair at all! (In fact I’ve loaded up photographs of us on my website, you can actually see the growing ‘apple’s in both of us). http://www.resetreshaperestyle.com/
So we decided to do something about it. We got the weight off, and that process will be discussed in a future blog entry – BUT … I still now need to tighten the last of the belly roll. Just because I started getting fitter and started dropping the weight doesn’t mean I totally managed to completely get that belly down, tone up and create the shape I want. That’s the final step – to make sure the tape measure really does show the right number at the end of this journey.
So join me in future posts when I’ll talk about the process. What do we eat, how do we eat it and how do we change our exercise routine. It’s not all that you think either!!
See you in the next post
Anne Noonan
Style and Wellness Coach
Ph: 0417 761 998
http://www.resetreshaperestyle.com/
www.annemike.usana.com
Email: annen@tpg.com.au
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Secrets to Losing Belly Fat - how it got there and how to get rid of it and keep it off!
This is the first of a series of blog entries that will concentrate on belly fat and how to lose it. This is an area I personally have been working on for quite a while. I've dropped over 12 kgs in weight, which I'm really pleased about (as I HAD to) and I can share some of those tips with you - but now my personal issue is firming up around the middle and losing the last little roll of annoying fat.
It's a really important subject for me because as I work as a Style and Wellness Coach, I need to be able to show my wonderful 50+ aged clientele that they not only can learn how to put a great wardrobe together but I can show them how to wear it with pride and feel confident they really do look great. A 40, 50 or 60+ woman really can be fit, strong, youthful and attractive.
Why? Because everyone wants to be employable, noticed, remembered, memorable, inspiring, attractive, empowered and empowering.
So fellas, I'm talking to you here too!
But first, my acknowledgements.
I'm working closely with my coach, Dr Rhonda Anderson of http://www.fitandwell.com.au/. She has qualifications as long as her arm, has inspired me to be the best I can and so I'll share some of my knowledge and learnings from her. She's open to queries should you wish to talk to her about personal fitness coaching. I'll also share with you some of the material I'm learning through my qualification as a Nutritionist, the Naturopaths and Clinical Nutritionists I currently work with as an associate for Usana Health Sciences and the many books from doctors I've learned so much from over the last number of years namely Dr Ray Strand, Dr Myron Wentz, Dr Ross Walker, Dr Mehmet Oz, Drs Monica and Gerald Lewis, Dr Mercola, Dr Bruce Lipton, Dr Al Sears and Dr Joe Vitale, to name a few. As you'll see - these doctors are a wonderful mix of medical, alternative health and spiritual.
Much of it is my own experience and information I've gathered as I'm a voracious reader and question asker but I must acknowledge my own coaches and mentors. I'm more than happy to direct you to certain books or personal doctors and Naturopaths right here in Brisbane who have helped me along my way as I have them to thank for a lot of new knowledge and improved health.
I am no doctor or specialist but I am over 50! Saying that, I've battled my own weight issues, health issues, menopause issues, done my homework, worked hard and feel that considering how I felt 10 years ago - I know for sure in my 50s I'm heading toward being stronger, fitter, slimmer, healthier, more youthful, more successful, more dynamic and more focussed and a damn sight hotter than I was ten years ago too!!
And if you think I'm going to tell you I went on a strict diet or employed a young, ripped 'bootcamp' style trainer and spent hours in the gym, you can relax. That's not what you'll hear. I hate exercise and have always hated diets but I did have to develop a few new habits and I feel so much better for it. So over this course of blog entries, that's what I'll share with you. I'll give you the honest good, bad and ugly.
So join me in the 'get the belly fat off' journey as I share with you all that I've learned and hopefully along the way I can report a gradually decreasing waistline. This series will be broken up into sections like:
So let's get on with it - it's going to be kept real. Remember this isn't coming from the mouth of a doctor or specialist, it's from a woman who's been through it all and actually still going through it.
Am planning a few workshops coming up so email me any time if you want to be invited.
Anne Noonan
Personal Style and Wellness Coach
Email: annen@tpg.com.au
Web: http://www.resetreshaperestyle.com/
It's a really important subject for me because as I work as a Style and Wellness Coach, I need to be able to show my wonderful 50+ aged clientele that they not only can learn how to put a great wardrobe together but I can show them how to wear it with pride and feel confident they really do look great. A 40, 50 or 60+ woman really can be fit, strong, youthful and attractive.
Why? Because everyone wants to be employable, noticed, remembered, memorable, inspiring, attractive, empowered and empowering.
So fellas, I'm talking to you here too!
But first, my acknowledgements.
I'm working closely with my coach, Dr Rhonda Anderson of http://www.fitandwell.com.au/. She has qualifications as long as her arm, has inspired me to be the best I can and so I'll share some of my knowledge and learnings from her. She's open to queries should you wish to talk to her about personal fitness coaching. I'll also share with you some of the material I'm learning through my qualification as a Nutritionist, the Naturopaths and Clinical Nutritionists I currently work with as an associate for Usana Health Sciences and the many books from doctors I've learned so much from over the last number of years namely Dr Ray Strand, Dr Myron Wentz, Dr Ross Walker, Dr Mehmet Oz, Drs Monica and Gerald Lewis, Dr Mercola, Dr Bruce Lipton, Dr Al Sears and Dr Joe Vitale, to name a few. As you'll see - these doctors are a wonderful mix of medical, alternative health and spiritual.
Much of it is my own experience and information I've gathered as I'm a voracious reader and question asker but I must acknowledge my own coaches and mentors. I'm more than happy to direct you to certain books or personal doctors and Naturopaths right here in Brisbane who have helped me along my way as I have them to thank for a lot of new knowledge and improved health.
I am no doctor or specialist but I am over 50! Saying that, I've battled my own weight issues, health issues, menopause issues, done my homework, worked hard and feel that considering how I felt 10 years ago - I know for sure in my 50s I'm heading toward being stronger, fitter, slimmer, healthier, more youthful, more successful, more dynamic and more focussed and a damn sight hotter than I was ten years ago too!!
And if you think I'm going to tell you I went on a strict diet or employed a young, ripped 'bootcamp' style trainer and spent hours in the gym, you can relax. That's not what you'll hear. I hate exercise and have always hated diets but I did have to develop a few new habits and I feel so much better for it. So over this course of blog entries, that's what I'll share with you. I'll give you the honest good, bad and ugly.
So join me in the 'get the belly fat off' journey as I share with you all that I've learned and hopefully along the way I can report a gradually decreasing waistline. This series will be broken up into sections like:
- What's belly fat, how does it build up and why is it dangerous
- What won't get rid of it
- Diet and nutrition secrets that are easy to do and NO you won't be doing 'on' a diet
- Why diets don't work anyway
- Hormonal issues that can send the belly fat skyward
- Key essential vitamins and minerals that are crucial to eliminating the 'side effects' of belly fat
- Why how we eat can save our life
- Food habits and emotions
- What to eat, when to eat and how do I fit it into a busy schedule?
- Do you need the help of a guided program?
- Exercises that you can do in your own loungeroom that will eliminate belly fat
- Mixing it up and making it fun
- Maintenance of that fabulous new waistline
- How to dress the new body and choose your perfect wardrobe
- Meditation - yes it can help get rid of belly fat
- Don't give up - it's not all too hard!!
- A few recipes you'll love
So let's get on with it - it's going to be kept real. Remember this isn't coming from the mouth of a doctor or specialist, it's from a woman who's been through it all and actually still going through it.
Am planning a few workshops coming up so email me any time if you want to be invited.
Anne Noonan
Personal Style and Wellness Coach
Email: annen@tpg.com.au
Web: http://www.resetreshaperestyle.com/
Sunday, September 6, 2009
There’s a critical nutrient that declines as we age. In order to keep a young looking skin and delay aging, we can’t live without it….
One of the key processes of aging is free radical production. We have free radicals living inside each one of us and depending on our lifestyle choices, they can cause potential damage to our tissues and DNA.
If there’s one thing that affects us all, it’s dealing with the aging process and I for one would like to limit free radical production particularly now that I’m officially in my 50’s. When left to run wild, free radical activity can cause diseases and illness that lead to us living too short and dying too long.
One nutrient that scientists have recently discovered that can boost a long healthy life and keep us looking young is CoQ10. Now if you’re below 30, it’s not so much a problem because the body produces it. But as we age it’s reduced production becomes a problem. Naturally I believe in a good, healthy wholefood diet. But there’s no amount of antioxidant laden foods that are going to give the 40 or 50+ body, the amount of CoQ10 it needs while this crucial nutrient is naturally slowly diminishing.
The reason our aging bodies find it harder to produce natural CoQ10 is due to such factors as;
* Increased metabolic demand – we simply demand more from our bodies that doesn’t come as easily as when we’re in our twenties.
* Oxidative stress, which leads to inflammation and subsequently disease
* We don’t take enough of it in through foods
* The effects from disease and illness diminish it further
The kinds of affects we notice when we keep up our CoQ10 nutrients are things like:
* Improved energy and heart health
* Immune system protection
* Increased alertness and focus
* Supports a healthy nervous system
* Youthful appearance through vital skin
i.e. all the things we want to keep thriving while we age.
But here’s another key reason why CoQ10 is vital – Statin Drug intake
Are you or someone you know taking a Statin Drug like Lipitor? The medical profession these days seem to be very quick in diagnosing false high cholesterol levels. Some of the more well known holistic doctors believe over 90% of people placed on statin drugs should not have been. Cholesterol levels can be kept healthy through lifestyle and dietary choices and the side effects from Statin Drugs can be frightening.
But there’s one more reason why CoQ10 is proving very popular –
Younger Looking Skin
The addition of CoQ10 as an ingredient in Beauty Products is really elevating the beauty industry to new heights. Because it’s a vital nutrient that treats the skin from the inside you’re actually getting that affect of real improvement to the quality of the skin not just an our masklike treatment. I actually found a company that sells a foundation with added CoQ10.
It’s a highly potent antioxidant and free radical scavenger, which makes it a relatively new discovery for the beauty industry even though the health industry has known about it for years. CoQ10 is one of the best researched of all the anti-inflammatory vitamins. So it protects heart, brain and kidneys particularly. The reason it’s so incredible for the skin is because it is particularly effective with tissue repair and the uptake of oxygen in the blood to the cell. Naturally oxygenated blood is vital in the repair of any kind of tissue.
Check out the ingredients in the skincare you use right now! Do you know if what you’re using addresses the free radical damage of your skin and the antioxidant requirement of the cell. Does it contain antioxidants and phytonutrients?
CoQ10 is naturally found in beef, spinach, sardines, tuna and peanuts. Naturally not the kinds of foods we would eat loads of in order to get appropriate amounts, so a quality supplement is extremely important.
Naturally eating well, drinking loads of water, good quality sleep and exercise are the key elements to a young looking skin. I’ve found the other key elements are a quality skincare routine with a product line that is loaded with antioxidants and phytonutrients is vital as well as taking the right omega 3’s, vitamins and nutrients on the inside. This combination of skin health from the inside out – is an absolute winner!
But not just any CoQ10 supplements will do.
Don’t compromise your health by grabbing anything on special from the local pharmacy. Why not choose a supplement that has been proven
* Bioavailable
* Potency Guaranteed
* Follows Strict Good Manufacturing Processes (GMPs)
* Received multiple awards for quality
* Belongs to the worlds most recognized company for nutritional health
* Has science at it’s core
* Is medically proven and journaled in reputable medical journals.
Usana’s Coenzyme Q10 – otherwise known as Coquinone is now available by simply contacting Anne on annen@tpg.com.au, or go to our website at www.annemike.usana.com or call any time for more info on 0417 761 998
Combine this with a nutritional program for the skin from the worlds’ most accoladed nutrition company and you have one of the most superior formulas on the planet today for a youthful skin and vital health.
If there’s one thing that affects us all, it’s dealing with the aging process and I for one would like to limit free radical production particularly now that I’m officially in my 50’s. When left to run wild, free radical activity can cause diseases and illness that lead to us living too short and dying too long.
One nutrient that scientists have recently discovered that can boost a long healthy life and keep us looking young is CoQ10. Now if you’re below 30, it’s not so much a problem because the body produces it. But as we age it’s reduced production becomes a problem. Naturally I believe in a good, healthy wholefood diet. But there’s no amount of antioxidant laden foods that are going to give the 40 or 50+ body, the amount of CoQ10 it needs while this crucial nutrient is naturally slowly diminishing.
The reason our aging bodies find it harder to produce natural CoQ10 is due to such factors as;
* Increased metabolic demand – we simply demand more from our bodies that doesn’t come as easily as when we’re in our twenties.
* Oxidative stress, which leads to inflammation and subsequently disease
* We don’t take enough of it in through foods
* The effects from disease and illness diminish it further
The kinds of affects we notice when we keep up our CoQ10 nutrients are things like:
* Improved energy and heart health
* Immune system protection
* Increased alertness and focus
* Supports a healthy nervous system
* Youthful appearance through vital skin
i.e. all the things we want to keep thriving while we age.
But here’s another key reason why CoQ10 is vital – Statin Drug intake
Are you or someone you know taking a Statin Drug like Lipitor? The medical profession these days seem to be very quick in diagnosing false high cholesterol levels. Some of the more well known holistic doctors believe over 90% of people placed on statin drugs should not have been. Cholesterol levels can be kept healthy through lifestyle and dietary choices and the side effects from Statin Drugs can be frightening.
But there’s one more reason why CoQ10 is proving very popular –
Younger Looking Skin
The addition of CoQ10 as an ingredient in Beauty Products is really elevating the beauty industry to new heights. Because it’s a vital nutrient that treats the skin from the inside you’re actually getting that affect of real improvement to the quality of the skin not just an our masklike treatment. I actually found a company that sells a foundation with added CoQ10.
It’s a highly potent antioxidant and free radical scavenger, which makes it a relatively new discovery for the beauty industry even though the health industry has known about it for years. CoQ10 is one of the best researched of all the anti-inflammatory vitamins. So it protects heart, brain and kidneys particularly. The reason it’s so incredible for the skin is because it is particularly effective with tissue repair and the uptake of oxygen in the blood to the cell. Naturally oxygenated blood is vital in the repair of any kind of tissue.
Check out the ingredients in the skincare you use right now! Do you know if what you’re using addresses the free radical damage of your skin and the antioxidant requirement of the cell. Does it contain antioxidants and phytonutrients?
CoQ10 is naturally found in beef, spinach, sardines, tuna and peanuts. Naturally not the kinds of foods we would eat loads of in order to get appropriate amounts, so a quality supplement is extremely important.
Naturally eating well, drinking loads of water, good quality sleep and exercise are the key elements to a young looking skin. I’ve found the other key elements are a quality skincare routine with a product line that is loaded with antioxidants and phytonutrients is vital as well as taking the right omega 3’s, vitamins and nutrients on the inside. This combination of skin health from the inside out – is an absolute winner!
But not just any CoQ10 supplements will do.
Don’t compromise your health by grabbing anything on special from the local pharmacy. Why not choose a supplement that has been proven
* Bioavailable
* Potency Guaranteed
* Follows Strict Good Manufacturing Processes (GMPs)
* Received multiple awards for quality
* Belongs to the worlds most recognized company for nutritional health
* Has science at it’s core
* Is medically proven and journaled in reputable medical journals.
Usana’s Coenzyme Q10 – otherwise known as Coquinone is now available by simply contacting Anne on annen@tpg.com.au, or go to our website at www.annemike.usana.com or call any time for more info on 0417 761 998
Combine this with a nutritional program for the skin from the worlds’ most accoladed nutrition company and you have one of the most superior formulas on the planet today for a youthful skin and vital health.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
How to tell if you're going to live a long life!
I was watching the Channel 9 Today show not so long ago and they had an interesting segment on that caught my attention. Lisa was interviewing a doctor on his expert view on longevity and he had 4 key points that will determine if we'll live well into our nineties of course not counting any unexpected accidents.
They were:
* Be the life of the party! It's been proven that extroverts or people who enjoy life and have no trouble mixing with others live longer. If you're the stay at home type who'd much prefer to curl up with a good book than connect with others (and you can be forgiven for that surely, many of us may prefer that) then it may be time to bring some balance into your life. It's our connection with others that lifts our spirits, encourages laughter and usually extroverts are born leaders.
* Embrace Technology! This is also a call to stay connected. The members of the older generation who show a willingness to learn how to text, to email, to surf the net and join social networks and not be afraid of the new techie world are also showing signs of serious longevity.
* Run 40 minutes a day! This is a crucial one. As we age and as illness creeps in, it can be very hard to actually run for 40 minutes a day and I'm not sure you'd want to take it literally. What he meant was, that at least for 40 minutes a day, we need to so something that will make us sweat and puff. A vigorous walk, a cross training session of jog and walk and some resistance training every day no matter what our age is key advice.
and finally....
* Have a flat belly after menopause! Too many of us believe that middle age brings middle aged spread. That is so the wrong way to think. Even the famous Dr Oz has told us that if women have an expanding waistline or one that's over 90cms it can have the same affect on her as if she had breast cancer. Girls, your waistline is so important. If it's on the expansion trail, shapewear will help us to a degree, but that'll only mask a spreading middle. It's vital to work on it and get it down.
So how did you go? Have you answered yes to all those points and feel confident you're heading into a healthy old age? If you've only managed to answer yes to one or two, then make it a goal to keep working on the rest.
More about longevity in future posts. Feel free to leave a comment, I'm always open to hear about what women find helpful as my mission is to help women to become empowered about ageing. I don't beleive for a minute that we have to age the way our mothers or grandparents seem to expect to age with disease as an inevitability. The way we age will be completely up to us as many diseases happen by choice.
They were:
* Be the life of the party! It's been proven that extroverts or people who enjoy life and have no trouble mixing with others live longer. If you're the stay at home type who'd much prefer to curl up with a good book than connect with others (and you can be forgiven for that surely, many of us may prefer that) then it may be time to bring some balance into your life. It's our connection with others that lifts our spirits, encourages laughter and usually extroverts are born leaders.
* Embrace Technology! This is also a call to stay connected. The members of the older generation who show a willingness to learn how to text, to email, to surf the net and join social networks and not be afraid of the new techie world are also showing signs of serious longevity.
* Run 40 minutes a day! This is a crucial one. As we age and as illness creeps in, it can be very hard to actually run for 40 minutes a day and I'm not sure you'd want to take it literally. What he meant was, that at least for 40 minutes a day, we need to so something that will make us sweat and puff. A vigorous walk, a cross training session of jog and walk and some resistance training every day no matter what our age is key advice.
and finally....
* Have a flat belly after menopause! Too many of us believe that middle age brings middle aged spread. That is so the wrong way to think. Even the famous Dr Oz has told us that if women have an expanding waistline or one that's over 90cms it can have the same affect on her as if she had breast cancer. Girls, your waistline is so important. If it's on the expansion trail, shapewear will help us to a degree, but that'll only mask a spreading middle. It's vital to work on it and get it down.
So how did you go? Have you answered yes to all those points and feel confident you're heading into a healthy old age? If you've only managed to answer yes to one or two, then make it a goal to keep working on the rest.
More about longevity in future posts. Feel free to leave a comment, I'm always open to hear about what women find helpful as my mission is to help women to become empowered about ageing. I don't beleive for a minute that we have to age the way our mothers or grandparents seem to expect to age with disease as an inevitability. The way we age will be completely up to us as many diseases happen by choice.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
50+? Why it's a good idea to get a Personal Trainer
I've never in my life had a Personal Trainer. In fact I've never in my life joined a gym. I thought I did OK walking every morning, having the odd jog, joining an aerobics class in a school gym once a week many years ago, doing my own style of floor exercises on the mat in front of the telly. I even invested in the aerobics and exercise videos that Jane Fonda, Cher, Cindy Crawford goodness knows who else put out way back in the 80's when working out in your loungeroom in high cut leotards and leg warmers were the go.
Of course way back then, I had the body that just seemed to maintain itself through stress, lousy eating, a burning metabolism and a crazy schedule. But now that I've officially joined the 'over 50's', it's a whole new ballgame.
If you've hit the big 50 and allowed yourself to get soft and jiggly, then it's time to sit up and think about an exercise plan to make sure you see your 60th, 70th and beyond. As I mentioned, a Personal Trainer was never ever in my immediate sights. A young gorgeous buffed 25 year old male as my motivator was not exactly what I wanted and that, in my naive view, was the typical description of a PT. Nor was I turned on by the other thought of a young athlete or army bootcamp style of exercise guru turning up at my door at 6am and screaming at me to hit the floor and give them 20!!
Until I woke up and found one my age, and who had gone through some of my experiences. When you're 50+ you've no doubt had kids, had an operation or two, maybe done a knee joint, experienced back troubles and so an exercise plan is so not a matter of just hitting the gym and working the machines without a clue. Nor does it mean signing up for pump class and going at it for an hour thinking you've done great and expecting to see the body change after a few weeks.
Someone who is educated in what age means and will take the time to see what ravages your 50+ body has already experienced will design a plan that you can cope with and know that damage won't be done to sensitive joints or an ageing heart. I soon learned all the exercise I was doing, that I was also quite proud of myself for, was pretty much all wrong. I overdid some and used the wrong technique with others and wondered why it really wasnt' changing my body shape. The PT I found simplified things for me and just tweaked a few of my movements to show me the correct way to work certain muscles.
Strength and resistance work is key to keeping the 50+ body youthful. For the health of your bones, your muscles and your nervous system. And if you need to fatburn don't think you have to jog solidly for an hour. Now, after I've worked with her for a few weeks, I'm thankful and excited that I actually can see the results I've been dying to see for a lot of years.
Invest in yourself and your health. I wish I could say I was the person you could come and see to help get your body into shape, because it's a subject I'm passionate about - after all I truly believe 50 is the new 40. But I'm not a Personal Trainer, I'm a Stylist. So once you do get your body into shape, I can help you style it. I can even help you with the dietary program and the nutrition, but that's not going to help without a great exercise plan to go along with it. But as much as we can hate exercise, trust me your body really will thank you for it.
Check out more at www.ResetReshapeRestyle.com
Of course way back then, I had the body that just seemed to maintain itself through stress, lousy eating, a burning metabolism and a crazy schedule. But now that I've officially joined the 'over 50's', it's a whole new ballgame.
If you've hit the big 50 and allowed yourself to get soft and jiggly, then it's time to sit up and think about an exercise plan to make sure you see your 60th, 70th and beyond. As I mentioned, a Personal Trainer was never ever in my immediate sights. A young gorgeous buffed 25 year old male as my motivator was not exactly what I wanted and that, in my naive view, was the typical description of a PT. Nor was I turned on by the other thought of a young athlete or army bootcamp style of exercise guru turning up at my door at 6am and screaming at me to hit the floor and give them 20!!
Until I woke up and found one my age, and who had gone through some of my experiences. When you're 50+ you've no doubt had kids, had an operation or two, maybe done a knee joint, experienced back troubles and so an exercise plan is so not a matter of just hitting the gym and working the machines without a clue. Nor does it mean signing up for pump class and going at it for an hour thinking you've done great and expecting to see the body change after a few weeks.
Someone who is educated in what age means and will take the time to see what ravages your 50+ body has already experienced will design a plan that you can cope with and know that damage won't be done to sensitive joints or an ageing heart. I soon learned all the exercise I was doing, that I was also quite proud of myself for, was pretty much all wrong. I overdid some and used the wrong technique with others and wondered why it really wasnt' changing my body shape. The PT I found simplified things for me and just tweaked a few of my movements to show me the correct way to work certain muscles.
Strength and resistance work is key to keeping the 50+ body youthful. For the health of your bones, your muscles and your nervous system. And if you need to fatburn don't think you have to jog solidly for an hour. Now, after I've worked with her for a few weeks, I'm thankful and excited that I actually can see the results I've been dying to see for a lot of years.
Invest in yourself and your health. I wish I could say I was the person you could come and see to help get your body into shape, because it's a subject I'm passionate about - after all I truly believe 50 is the new 40. But I'm not a Personal Trainer, I'm a Stylist. So once you do get your body into shape, I can help you style it. I can even help you with the dietary program and the nutrition, but that's not going to help without a great exercise plan to go along with it. But as much as we can hate exercise, trust me your body really will thank you for it.
Check out more at www.ResetReshapeRestyle.com
Sunday, July 12, 2009
You're Not so Cranky any more Mum!!
I was at a health conference not so long ago and a very young looking 60 year old woman was on stage and she said something quite profound. "If you believe in practising wellness, when you hit 60, you'll look 40 and feel 20. If you don't, you'll hit 60, feel 70 and look 90" The whole room seemed to nod in agreement, rolled a few eyes and I saw a few ribs being elbowed by the person next to them.
Many years ago when I was in my 20's I thought nothing of wellness and I look at many 20 somethings today who party hard, binge drink, eat whatever is fast and convenient and think how are they going to age? Will it be too late for them when they start waking up to the fact that they need to do something about their health? The good thing is, it's never too late and our body is designed to win no matter what we manage to put it through.
I've worked with so many women to help them look better, dress better, learn the colours that work for them and to know their body shape so that they shop better, all in the vain hope that they'll look younger. Belive me, it certainly works - to a degree. But the real message is in how much effort they want to put into making their bodies look and feel younger BEFORE the colour, style and wardrobe overhaul.
Any doctor, naturopath or fitness expert will tell us we need to do 4 things to achieve a youthful, strong, flexible, lean, healthy body. That's simply:
Many years ago when I was in my 20's I thought nothing of wellness and I look at many 20 somethings today who party hard, binge drink, eat whatever is fast and convenient and think how are they going to age? Will it be too late for them when they start waking up to the fact that they need to do something about their health? The good thing is, it's never too late and our body is designed to win no matter what we manage to put it through.
I've worked with so many women to help them look better, dress better, learn the colours that work for them and to know their body shape so that they shop better, all in the vain hope that they'll look younger. Belive me, it certainly works - to a degree. But the real message is in how much effort they want to put into making their bodies look and feel younger BEFORE the colour, style and wardrobe overhaul.
Any doctor, naturopath or fitness expert will tell us we need to do 4 things to achieve a youthful, strong, flexible, lean, healthy body. That's simply:
- Eat Better
- Get Some Exercise
- Reduce Your Stress
- Take Supplements
OK, let's look at that and see how easy it is. Sure, eating better sounds easy - anyone can do it, can't they? We all 'know' what we need to eat to be healthy but do we want to? Do we have the time, considering work schedules, stress levels, family commitments, deadlines, travel commitments, new shopping habits, food preparation habits and then knowledge about what goes with what, how do we cook it, what will it taste like etc. Eating right makes a lot of sense but isn't necessarily the easiest routine to put in place. A Personal Trainer said to me only recently 'oh surely, it's easy for people to just grab an apple and a yoghurt rather than a fattening sugary bar'. I can tell you it's not that easy or that natural for someone who runs a crazy lifestyle, who is overweight to simply break habits and fall smoothly into a new eating regime. If it was, we wouldn't find losing weight so tough and we'd all be healthy and look great.
Number 2 - Get some exercise. Again, we know what we have to do. We know we should be jogging, going to the gym, swimming in summer, running the dog. But for the same reasons above, do we do it? Is it such an easy thing for us to fit into our schedule and create a new habit around. We will if we need to badly enough. We always will if our doctor threatens us to. We try and many of us do a great job, but sometimes we wonder why we're not dropping the weight or feeling any better.
Number 3 - Reduce Stress. Oh sure! Who has time to meditate and when the boss yells at us to get the report in like yesterday, we can physically feel the blood pressure rise. When our spouse is cranky and the kids are playing up and we have deadlines to meet, dinner to cook, elderly parents to care for - it can become too much. We can do our best to stay as calm as possible but our subconcious has other ideas.
Number 4 - Take a Supplement. Let me tell you, I used to pop a supplement with the hope that everything I was going through above, with not eating right or exercising and knowing my stress levels were through the roof. They did nothing for me. My health was spiralling downwards and I was at a total loss as to what to do.
Until I found a broad spectrum, pharmaceutical grade, optimally balanced antioxidant and multimineral that changed my life. Not straight away. It took me a while to notice. I remember my son at the age of about 13 saying to me after I'd been on them for about 6 months 'mum you're not so cranky any more'.
I realised then I'd been on a downward rollercoaster. I was exploding into rages at home, at work, waking up nauseous, eating rubbish and when I tried to exercise my heart nearly exploded out of my chest. I was losing my ability to focus, to reason with people and there was always a knot in my stomach.But since being on the world's number 1 vitamins I've noticed my skin has improved by taking pure filtered fish oils, grapeseed extract and COQ10. My energy, concentration, weight, strength have all gone through a noticeable improvement. I can feel it. I'll never be off them. I can't begin to tell you what improvements I've seen in people around me who have noticed all sorts of fabulous improvements in their cholesterol levels, their blood pressure, their diabetes and general sense of wellness.
Degenerative Disease will age us fast. Heart disease, diabetes, cancer and so many others can be prevented with good quality nutrition and that comes from a powerful vitamin and antioxidant program. One of the worlds recognised leaders in degenerative disease, a man who has recently won the Albert Einstein Award said 'there is only one proven, effective way to prevent degenerative disease. That's Nutrition, Nutrition, Nutrition! Eat well and supplement well, and you'll live a long, youthful life'! Those words have stuck with me and I tell everyone about our nutritional program.
So when I say it's tough to eat, exercise, reduce stress etc - I mean it - it's tough. But it's not tough to find the RIGHT supplement. That's easy to take and while you're taking it and seeing and feeling improvement, you can slowly work on your eating habits, your exercise and how you deal with stress.
Check out www.annemike.usana.com for more info. And stay tuned to this blog as I'll keep updating with more articles and true stories.
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