Your exercise and nutrition over Christmas...

your exercise and nutrition over Christmas

How can you have your cake and eat it this festive period?

This Christmas is obviously going to feel a little different from years gone by but I will still try to make the most of it and take a little time off work, relax and spend time with my wife and kids. As much as I want to reach for the mince pies and Bailey’s at 11 am, I also want to try and still eat my 5 a day, stay in shape and not ruin my hard-earned gains in the gym. Statistics show that we put on an average of a kilogram of weight every year, MOST of which is gained at Christmas and then never fully lost. Unfortunately after what feels like the whole year spent in some form of lockdown or restriction – that weight gain is even greater this year.

So how can you go into the festive season and have your cake and eat it?

Well, the calories that you take in and the energy that you expend should be taken into account over a longer period than just a few days over the Christmas break. So, a week’s break ‘off the routine’ shouldn’t have any long-term negative effects.

However, the short-term impact can be enough to put you off really overindulging! If you eat an excess of refined carbs or sugars and drink more alcohol calories than usual, this can cause a big spike in blood glucose levels, followed by a blood sugar crash. This means your energy levels will likely crash and you could well end up with a headache, feeling irritable, bloated and sluggish. Then the vicious cycle starts again making us crave more stodge and more sugar. It’s a catch 22 scenario! Nobody wants to feel like this, especially during an already busy and sometimes stressful time, with kids (potentially) running riot.

If we’re not in complete lockdown (!) We're also likely to be sitting in the car more as we drive to visit family and friends and be sat in front of the TV more when we watch The Grinch or Home Alone for the thousandth time. Getting up and out for some fresh air and walking will help alleviate tight hip flexors, short hamstrings, ease strain on your lower back and aid digestion.

My advice? Moderation is key.

It is a time of year for celebrations and enjoyment, but it doesn’t mean that you need to forget your health completely…

· Aim to eat well 5 days out of 7. This allows you some flexibility for Christmas gatherings.

· Don't write a whole day or even a week off! If you have a treat or a mince pie don't worry! Just ensure the next meal or snack you eat is nutritious to help rebalance your blood sugar levels and keep total calorie intake on track.

· If you make a bad choice or are in the position where you can't choose a healthy option easily, don't beat yourself up. But make sure you follow it up with a good choice! The chances are you can still stick to your basal daily calorie intake by eating lighter meals before and/or after your cheat meal.

· Drink plenty of water; alcohol is a diuretic causing you to dehydrate faster. Try to break up every couple of alcoholic drinks with a glass of water to help rehydrate. The brain often confuses the sensation of dehydration for hunger so you could end up snacking unnecessarily when all you needed was a drink (non-alcoholic!). If you’re really dehydrated try using a sports electrolyte solution like ‘Zero’s’ that contain magnesium, potassium, sodium and calcium, as water alone simply won’t always do the job.

· It's almost impossible to keep in a calorie deficit to keep you losing body fat over Christmas, so don't set yourself up to fail. Giving your body a break from intense exercise and a calorie-controlled diet can actually help boost your metabolism, a process called 'anabolic burst cycling'. Instead, aim not to lay down any EXTRA body fat that will take time to burn off in January, and come back well-rested and raring to go!

· Life is too short not to enjoy the festive period, after all, you've (hopefully!) exercised and followed your nutrition plan for most of the year, you deserve a treat! Just don’t overdo it. Use the time to enjoy some food and drink, give your mind and body a rest and get ready to start the New Year already fit and healthy. Still aim to include some exercise – go for walk, a bike ride, fit a short exercise session in or follow my 30-min online workouts and keep yourself feeling fit and functional!

Drop me a message if you are wanting more advice on how to keep on track! Merry Christmas!

Training clients with injuries

I recently wrote a blog for Fitpro on bespoke training for specific injuries.

Introduction:

Dave Whiteley was a keen gym-goer, with a love for weight training. His world changed when he was involved in a horrific motorcycle accident, which resulted in 9 major breaks and 14 other fractures. He was told he would most likely need to have his right leg amputated for the best chance of recovery, he opted to keep it, surgeons managed to save it but no-one knew whether he would walk again. He then spent 3 months in hospital and 6 months in a wheelchair.

Dave knew he needed some help with his rehab and wanted to regain his health and fitness. He was fighting a daily mental and physical battle struggling to come to terms with his physical limitations caused by the pain he endured with every step he took.

Dave was introduced to me via a word of mouth referral at the Gym I’m based at. That was 7 years ago. For Dave to even seek help from anyone, let alone a Fitness Professional was a big step. He’s old school – comes from the school of hard knocks, he was in the Parachute regiment years ago and now runs a successful pub. He’s driven and motivated but also hugely stubborn and there’s no middle ground with him, which he freely admits!

My first steps with him were to liaise with the NHS physio who had initially worked with Dave and have his X-rays looked over with a specialist Physio I work with at the gym. I also contacted his wife (with Dave’s permission) to get an idea of how Dave’s accident had impacted his home life.

My practical concerns were;

· Would I cause any more damage if I pushed too hard or chose the wrong muscle actions?

· How much of a difference could I actually make to his lower body that was now full of metal pins?

· How much could I help his psychological state when I have no formal qualifications in this area?

Programming:

Programming for someone like Dave to had to include a periodised training plan that we discussed together so he knew what to expect, why we were doing it, how long for, what I hoped he would achieve from it and ultimately what we’d be able to progress onto on the next phase. Once the foundation work had been done with rehab, re-building his core, mobility and stability I was then able to build him more hypertrophy based programmes – like the Chest and Triceps session you see in the video clips.

Swiss ball rollout to engage and strengthen the core and improve hip stability and control

Seated chest press machine, the goal here is to maximize the resistance Dave can press through his chest without overloading his hips so he can purely focus on the muscles we’re trying to build – in this case his Pectorals.

Cable pec fly, Dave is kneeling so as to reduce strain and load through back and hips but to make him focus on core as well as the chest, anterior delt and triceps through the continuous tension the cables provide.

TRX triceps press, a perfect example of how to train triceps whilst promoting core engagement, strength and stability through the rest of the body

No matter what we’re working on in any phase of training I always get Dave to perform some core work at the start of each session. This is to activate his TVA and obliques to help him stabilise and get his kinetic chain working effectively on his heavier lifts and help to prevent him from loading incorrectly through his lower back or hips.

When programming for someone with metal framework, a replaced hip and a worn knee I’m mindful not to put excessive repetitive strain through major lower body joints. For example, if I get Dave to perform a standing movement that loads through hips, I’ll deliberately follow it with a seated or lying movement so as to minimise lower body load and strain but still keep intensity up on the upper body muscles.

Conclusion:

My goals for Dave have always been to ensure he can come into the gym and have structured workouts that he can follow safe in the knowledge that he won’t hurt himself, exacerbate any old injuries but relish, enjoy, see visible results in his physique and keep his confidence sky high!

Tips for other PT’s with a similar client; instead of programming entirely for what YOU think is best for the client, you need to include training modalities and exercises that the CLIENT enjoys and believes are good for him in order to get the best long term and sustainable result.

Don’t be afraid of asking for help and seeking the advice of other professionals who are experts in their chosen fields – like Physios and trained NLP or CBT practitioners. I believe our job as Fitness Professionals requires now more than ever for us to be a jack of all trades, and understand the mental as much as the physical aspects to long term health, fitness and happiness for US and OUR clients.

2 years ago Dave became one of the first people in the UK to have all his metal work removed from his body. He had built so much strength and stability throughout his entire body the surgeons said he would thrive without it. This is testimony to him as much as it is to me and he continues to train with me on a weekly basis with intensity and ability that belies his age and injury history.

Living the plant-based life - a PT's experience

Introduction

I’ve just completed a month living on a plant-based diet. No meat, fish, eggs or dairy of any kind. Why have I done it? Because I was getting an increasingly large number of clients and members of the gym asking me my thoughts on Veganism, and plant based diets. Some wanted to know what all the fuss was about, some wanted to know if it was superior for fat loss or muscle gain. Others wanted to know if plant based diets are superior for optimal health and wellbeing. Documentaries such as ‘The Game Changers’, ‘Knives over Forks’ and ‘Cowspiracy’ have further turned people’s attention to plant based eating.

I, as many of my clients do, understand the ethical debate and the sustainability issues of global cattle farming practices and was keen to see whether a plant-based diet could sustain adequate protein intake and nutrients for avid gym-goers. I decided the only way I could truly advise others was to live it… embrace it…and see what happened!

I went cold turkey, pardon the pun. I went fully plant based overnight. I had my bloods done the day before I started. I wanted a clear set of markers that I could compare at the end of the months experiment. I kept my total calorie intake (approx. 3300 a day) and exercise output the same, as it would be through a ‘normal’ month.

So, what happened?

Domestic bliss

‘You’re doing what?!’ said the wife. That was Laura basically saying ‘you eat 6 eggs for breakfast, a tin of tuna as a light snack, you never get bored of chicken and a 32oz Tomahawk is not a food challenge, it’s an aperitif! How the hell are you going to give all that up for a week let alone a month?’

Going plant based in a family home of 4 is hard. Fact. The kids won’t eat it so that means extra meal prep from the word go. Anyone with young kids knows that ham and cheese sandwiches/rolls/wraps are diet staples, Laura ate her normal diet through the day but ate my plant-based meals on an evening with me (sometimes). I did get the kids to eat falafel which was a success.

What did I learn?

Tofu - this stuff requires marinating (a lot) to give it taste. I did like it in a stir-fry and I even baked it a few times to make a firm crunchy tofu that I could serve with a sweet potato and veg and enjoy it.

Tempeh- sounds like ‘temper’, which it made me have in a bad way. You need to steam this stuff first to take away the bitter taste. I didn’t do this (the first time) and it tasted like mouldy mushrooms with a hint of sweaty sock. It’s full of protein and loaded with gut healthy bacteria. I did have another go with it and it tasted good... Honestly, I’d eat it again.

Other evening meals that were a success; Quorn mince chili (the vegan one) and Linda McCartney meatballs. (Laura even prefers these now to the meat version!)

Without doubt, the best meal was black bean chili. We use a slow cooker 3x a week in our house to help with the mad rush of evenings after work and school. Black beans are perfect in it, good protein, fibre, taste, and takes on seasoning and flavor well. One problem is that you have to soak them overnight before you can cook with them. More prep time and organisation needed.

Breakfasts

A lot of us are eating plant-based breakfasts already! Porridge oats soaked in almond or coconut milk overnight, chia seeds, blueberries or raspberries and a shot of Vegan protein. Tastes good, all nutrition boxes ticked. Nuff said. Not much change from my usual. Vegan pancakes were easy and tasted good. I really missed eggs though. I had dreams of eating an omelette.

Lunches

Lunches required no more prep than usual. I made a lot of Buddha bowls comprising of a combination of red lentils, falafel, avocado, tomatoes, peppers, olives, black beans, spinach, grated carrot. I really enjoyed these and they made a refreshing change. I tried some Vegan cheese…once… It was disgusting.

Snacks

I found that in order to hit my daily protein requirements. (I usually have 170-180g a day) I needed to buy a Vegan Pea and Quinoa flour protein powder and I had up to 3 shakes a day. I ate loads of fruit, nuts, gluten free bagels with nut butters, alpro soy yogurt and I found some good vegan protein bars. I found I needed to put a lot more thought into snacks than I ever would on my normal diet.

Hitting your Macros

Within a few days of eating plant based and logging on MyFitnessPal, it was obvious my carb intake was up by about 100g a day. This was due to the fact that there aren’t many ‘pure’ plant based protein sources available. Lentils, black beans, falafel, chickpeas and tofu are all regarded as protein rich plant based foods, but they all contain plenty of carbs too. This would make it a lot harder if you were trying to stay in a calorie deficit for fat loss on a plant based diet and trying to keep your protein intake up.

Fibre and a good clear out

Many of us fail to eat enough fibre. It helps to eliminate stools and toxins from your body, which means your colon is working efficiently. If you are constipated this could mean your fibre intake is too low. If you typically eat foods low in fibre, they take longer to digest, lead to irregular bowel movements, loose stools and can also cause stomach pain.Fibre also helps you feel fuller for longer, can improve cholesterol and blood sugar levels and can assist in preventing some diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and bowel cancer. One big positive of eating plant based is that you’re almost guaranteed to increase your fibre intake due to the quality of the carbs you’d eat. My daily fibre intake went up from approx. 45g a day to sometimes near 70g. I could really feel this, I mean literally. I have no doubt it did my insides some good, a thorough clear out and I felt ‘cleaner’ inside within a week of eating plant based.

The pros

I have definitely felt the benefit from an increased fibre intake and the variety and quality of some of the plant based meals I’ve eaten. I will definitely continue to include red lentils; falafel, black beans and the occasional quorn mince chili in my weekly meal prep. I did feel mentally sharper and more alert. Hard for me to scientifically prove if this was solely down to eating plant based, but I hadn’t changed any other variables. I would put this down to an improved micro biome gut balance by making my blood more alkaline from having no real acidic food sources; this in turn can increase neurotransmitter pathways making me feel like I experienced a higher level of cognitive function. Disease cells require an acidic environment to proliferate and an alkaline body has been proven to have a more robust immune system.

I’m not saying we must eat only plant-based foods to achieve a more alkaline body but it definitely helps to include more plant-based foods into your diet.

I’ve felt no detrimental changes in energy and athletic performance when exercising. However, I can’t tell you if that would be the same after 6 months or a year of eating plant based.

The cons

Food is to be enjoyed

It’s not that I didn’t enjoy some of the plant-based meals I ate, but I missed the taste of eggs, chicken, beef and fish. If the options are there and they provide me with health benefits and taste good – I’m going to eat them until the time comes when I believe it’s either nutritionally, ethically or environmentally wrong to do so.

Too much sodium

If I ever ate some of the meat substitute products like meat free chicken nuggets or sausages I found that I was consistently just swapping cholesterol for sodium. What’s the lesser of two evils? I felt like I needed to sometimes eat some of the meat substitutes, as there’s only so much Tofu I can get through in a week, just to mix up tastes and textures. I needed to eat the entire pack of meat free chicken nuggets to get my protein in, but ended up consuming well over my days sodium requirements in one meal.

Vit B12

Vitamin B12 is hugely important in the formation of red blood cells and DNA. We need it. For most of us we get our B12 from animal products, fish eggs and dairy, it’s much harder to get from eating plant based. I needed to buy some nutritional yeast and consume fortified plant based milks and even then I struggled to get enough B12 on a daily basis.

Iron

Dietary iron is found in two forms, heme and non-heme iron. Heme iron, which is present mainly in meat, poultry and fish, is well absorbed. Non-heme iron, which accounts for the majority of the iron found in plant based foods is less well absorbed. More than 95% of ‘useable’ iron in the human body is in the form of heme. We need both for optimal health, as too much consumption of heme iron from meat can be carcinogenic.

Protein

Plant proteins are less bio-available than animal proteins; they do not contain the same array of essential amino acids (meaning we need to get them from our diets). Most plant proteins are deficient in leucine- this is essential for stimulating protein synthesis. You can eat enough plant-based proteins to make up for these deficiencies, but you will need more total protein and an extremely well planned out diet to do so. I had to consume up to 3 Vegan protein shakes a day to hit my requirements. Do we NEED animal protein? NO. Is animal protein a superior source of essential amino acids? YES.

Take home:

Correlation doesn’t equal causation – higher rates of heart disease in red meat eaters aren’t surprising. One reason is that these studies rarely differentiate between processed and non-processed meat. Meat eaters also tend to eat more calories, which can lead to weight gain, which could lead to increased heart disease risks. The problem lies with total calorie intake not because animal protein is inflammatory.

I believe the ‘flexitarian’ approach otherwise known as ’eat everything in moderation’ is the key to optimal health. Don’t be influenced by plant-based preachers, TV or social media propaganda or unfounded claims.

My blood results after 30 days of living a plant-based diet did show some positive changes. My HDL’s – the good cholesterol- were up. I have reduced my total cholesterol from 4.1 to 3.6. My HbA1c (Insulin and diabetic markers) have reduced from 30 to 26. Optimal range for a male of my age is 20-42. This shows that my average blood sugar levels were down over the last month, which is definitely a good thing! My Iron levels had stayed roughly the same. I do take a daily liquid iron supplement as previous blood test had shown I wasn’t absorbing enough from diet alone. So this makes it hard to tell whether the plant-based diet had any impact on it.

My LDL’s were a bit high, a minor threat to my cardiovascular health, but a threat non-the less. Eating more fibre has helped my LDL’s. But, every time you eat, bile gets released to assist with the digestion of fat, to make bile you need cholesterol to allow you to excrete it in your poo. Our liver and intestines make about 80% of the total cholesterol we need but we need about 20% from food. Ergo, you need some cholesterol in your diet. Through my entire month on plant based I ate zero cholesterol. I need some animal produce to get some cholesterol in.

Summary

I will and have already, continued to eat more plant-based foods in my daily and weekly diet. I’ve enjoyed more variety, tastes and textures. The increased fibre intake has been a big plus and I’ve realized that I can have more meat free days or combination of meat and plant based meals in a day and not cause any detriment to my exercise performance at the gym. I respect anyone who follows a plant-based life based on his or her personal ethical beliefs or desire to be healthier. The current global food system is no doubt damaging our environment. There’s an argument for and against plant-based being better or worse for the environment than a meat eaters diet – but I’ll leave that for another blog.

I believe I can optimize my health further by eating more plant based foods and simply cut down my meat intake frequency. I love eggs, chicken, beef, turkey and fish and I’ll continue to eat them all – in the right amounts. I’ll have my bloods checked again in another 6 months and see if I’m right!