Author Archives: Leanne Rose

November 21, 2014

HOW STRESS CAN SABOTAGE YOUR WEIGHT-LOSS GOALS.

Over-eat

Forget stress eating—new research shows that crazy long to-do lists do more than encourage you to reach for that triple chic muffin. Try these simple stress busters to keep your metabolism up to speed.

Take a spin. Twirl around in a circle and say what’s bothering you out loud. You’ll feel silly and may even laugh. It’s hard to laugh and be stressed at the same time!

Get outdoors. When you go outside, you realise that you’re not the centre of the universe but just a part of it. So your problems don’t seem as big. To turn your stroll into a walking meditation, say ‘peace’ each time you take a step. Five minutes a day keeps stress at bay.

Give thanks. Keep a running appreciation list on your phone. Being thankful every day puts frustrations in perspective.

Deck out your desk. Place a photo of a loved one or some fresh flowers near your computer. It’ll remind you that your world is not simply about paperwork, computers and deadlines – there is more to life than your desk.

Cut the clutter. Straighten up your drawers or clean out the cupboards. Rifling through things takes up time and creates frustration. These are mindful things that bring order to your life.

Find a new hobby. New endeavours enrich our lives and give our minds a rest from our daily to-do list. How about taking a new art class, hiking, singing, or getting involved in a book club?

November 14, 2014

YOGA FOR RUNNERS: DOWNWARD-FACING DOG.

Mediation

Everyone knows Yoga is a great stress buster. But it also packs serious perks for runners, like improving flexibility, easing aches and pains, and helping you recover from long runs and races faster.

The Downward-Facing Dog pose will help you to stay strong and balanced while you train.

Instructions: Start on hands and knees. Place your palms a handprint’s distance in front of your shoulders. Tuck your toes under and lift knees off floor.

Pull your hips up and back away from your hands. Keep knees bent and focus on lengthening your torso – press down into your hands, pull up on your arms – then shift your weight onto your legs.

Without losing that sense of direction or length in your torso, begin to lift thighs up as you reach your heels back and down, which will straighten your knees.

Engage your quads by pulling your kneecaps up. Hold for five to 10 breaths. Lightly lower both knees back to floor.

Benefits: Down Dog stretches the hamstrings and calves, and creates length in the spine.

November 7, 2014

DO I REALLY NEED TO STRETCH?

Dynamic

This is one of the biggest controversies in fitness.

Will stretching help you get a better workout? Probably.

Does it matter how you do it? For the average person, probably not.

Research shows that long static stretches, in which you hold the area still for 60 to 90 seconds, can cause a decrease in force and power, but by only about 3-6%.

And if you hold the stretch for a shorter duration, there’s not much difference at all.

Regardless, according to a majority of studies, dynamic stretching – moving while you stretch – doesn’t negatively affect performance, therefore this form of stretching is recommended after a warm-up.

October 31, 2014

OVERCOMING THE DREADED PLATEAU.

Beat_Stress

There are two opposite tactics here that can both work.

  • Plan A: Increase your intensity – add intervals to your cardio or intense strength circuits two or three times a week. This shoves your brain and muscles out of cruise control, and your body will start burning stored calories to do the activity.
  • Plan B: Take a day off. If you’re exercising too hard or too often, you may be overtraining, causing your body, which thinks it’s under attack, to shift into preservation mode and stockpile resources, especially fat.
October 24, 2014

WHAT’S SMARTER – WORKING OUT IN THE AM OR PM?

Running

Some studies show that early birds lose more pounds, whilst other research says that you perform better if you wait until muscles are warmer.

But science isn’t needed to explain the “stuff happens” principle: The later you plan your session, the higher the odds that something – work, fatigue, social events – will get in the way!

October 17, 2014

SHOULD YOU DO CARDIO AND WEIGHTS ON DIFFERENT DAYS?

Lose_Fat_1

If you’re going all out, keep workouts separate, because whichever comes second will certainly suffer.

But if you can work out only a few days a week and want to max your calorie burn, pair them up and do cardio first.

A study found that running before lifting weights resulted in a slightly higher afterburn effect on your metabolism than lifting weights and then running does.

Alternatively, do a mash-up circuit of both strength exercises and cardio.

October 10, 2014

WHAT EXACTLY IS ‘CLEAN EATING’?

Broccoli

Clean eating is a deceptively simple concept. Rather than revolving around the idea of ingesting more or less of specific things (for instance, fewer calories or more protein), the idea is more about being mindful of the food’s pathway between its origin and your plate.

At its simplest, clean eating is about eating whole foods, or ‘real’ foods – those that are un- or minimally processed, refined, and handled, making them as close to their natural form as possible.

However, modern food production has become so sophisticated that simply eating whole foods can be a challenging proposition these days.

Thanks to extensive research that has linked eating whole foods with good health, we do know that largely plant-based diets are healthy.

Multiple studies have shown that diets heavy on fruits and vegetables can curb or prevent certain life-threatening conditions and diseases, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

Plus, there’s research linking diets high in fruits and veggies to healthy weight management and glowing skin and hair.

Cooking does alter your food, but it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. While it’s true that some nutrients are lost during cooking, like vitamin C, other nutrients are increased when foods are cooked, like lycopene, so it’s best to eat a wide variety of foods, in both their raw and cooked forms.

When cooking food, the focus should be on maintaining the integrity of what you are consuming and avoiding high-fat cooking methods such as deep-frying or stewing in animal or vegetable fats.

When cooking, opt for flash-cook methods such as stir-frying and ones without additives like steaming. For fruits and veggies, raw is best, but steaming is a close second in terms of preserving nutritional value and keeping the food’s natural integrity.

October 3, 2014

OIL CHANGE.

Oils

There’s no need to reach for extra-virgin olive oil every time you cook. These six healthy alternatives have the same 120 calories and 14 grams of fat per tablespoon as the “gold” standard does.

But unlike extra-virgin olive oil, some can stand up to the high heat of stir-frying, while a mere drizzle of others can transform a dish.

And because each delivers a special set of nutritional benefits, switching things up won’t just make your meals tastier, it can give you a health boost too.

Peanut
Mildly nutty peanut oil is a great choice for healthy frying, because it can be heated to a higher temperature than many other oils, foods cook faster in it and have less time to absorb the extra calories and fat.

GREAT FOR

  • Frying chicken and potatoes
  • Stir-frying veggies, tofu, and rice

Safflower
This oil may help you lose weight and control your blood sugar. And because it’s almost flavorless, safflower oil lets the other ingredients in your dish shine through.

GREAT FOR

  • Whisking into vinaigrettes
  • Brushing onto veggies or fruit before grilling

Canola
Compared with other cooking oils, canola has the lowest price and one of the lowest saturated-fat contents. Its neutral taste and medium-high smoke point means you can even use it for baking.

GREAT FOR

  • Mixing into muffin, cake, and batter (or any recipe calling for vegetable oil)
  • Sauteing veggies, chicken, onions, or garlic

Flaxseed
Most of us don’t get enough omega-3 fatty acids, which help protect brain cells and may guard against cancer. Flaxseed oil is a good source of these nutrients, but their benefits are destroyed by heat, so store bottles in the fridge and add the oil only to cold or already cooked dishes.

GREAT FOR

  • Blending into smoothies
  • Stirring into porridge

Toasted Sesame
This fragrant oil is not only packed with the powerful antioxidant vitamin E, but it may also lower blood pressure, according to recent studies. Toasted sesame oil is pricey though, so use just a little to punch up finished dishes.

GREAT FOR

  • Drizzling into soups and over steamed veggies
  • Whisking with soy sauce and vinegar to make a sauce for Asian noodles or dumplings
September 26, 2014

DON’T SAY NO TO ALL FATS.

Seeds

Banishing high-cal ingredients, such as cheese and nuts, seems a good idea for dieters. But fat takes longer to digest than protein and carbs, so it keeps you full longer.

It also adds flavor, which ups satisfaction. Sprinkle nuts or seeds over your salad or spread pesto on your sandwich. Besides whittling your waistline, you’ll also increase your nutrient intake.

Research has found that just three grams of monounsaturated fat – the amount in less than a teaspoon of olive oil – helps the body absorb more cancer-fighting lycopene, lutein, and beta-carotene.

September 19, 2014

MORE THAN JUST A QUICK RINSE.

Washed

Fresh fruits and vegetables are a dieter’s dream, but the pesticide residue on them can keep your calorie-burning machine from performing at its peak.

Pesticides may affect your thyroid’s ability to function and there’s evidence that they also harm the functioning of mitochondria, the parts of a cell that convert fuel into energy.

Government researchers say you need to scrub fresh produce for at least 30 seconds to remove the residue.

You can also minimize your exposure by purchasing organic produce, especially the kind with an edible peel, as well as organic beef and dairy products, because regular cattle feed can contain high concentrations of pesticides.