Snacking 101: A Helpful Guide
A topic that often causes a lot of confusion is snacking. Is it even good to snack and if so, which are the best options? Here's a quick low down to help you out!
A topic that often causes a lot of confusion is snacking. Is it even good to snack and if so, which are the best options? Here's a quick low down to help you out!
Following the burnt toast post on our Fitter Food Facebook page (our response to the Food Standard Agencies 'Going for Gold' campaign) we’ve received some messages about cancer and nutritional guidelines, supplements or lifestyle changes that may prevent or help to support your body in the fight against this disease. It’s a difficult, controversial subject to discuss.
Sometimes even the healthiest intentions and goals can be compromised if you’re not suitably prepared. Forward planning your nutrition is incredibly important and yet is often overlooked by many people who then find themselves wondering why they can't stick to their healthy eating principles...
Today we want to give a huge shout out to our Fitter 365 member Vicki Agnew. If you picked up the latest copy of Women's Running mag you may have seen her smiling face beaming back at you from the front cover, we want to share a bit about her pretty inspirational journey as we know others will relate to her story. Congratulations Vicki, you're a real inspiration and we're delighted to have you as a member. Over to Vicki..
In my last blog I wrote about the highs and lows of running a half marathon (check it out here). As much as I had a fantastic time and feel proud of what I achieved, I also made some big blunders by not sleeping enough, not eating properly and ignoring some niggling injuries. I firmly believe I'd never have made it to the starting line had I not implemented some really cool stuff prior to the race that made me a stronger runner. Here I share five things that supported my running goals.
At the same time all the Facebook updates appeared last month about winning or losing out on a space in the London marathon I was greeted with a Facebook memory about completing my Royal Parks Half Marathon. I never made it to running a marathon as the experience left me with a pair of knackered knees and some of other health issues that stopped me from running for a couple of years. I consider it a blessing now as I dread to think where I’d be if my body had allowed me to run a marathon, I often joke with Matt that I simply can't be trusted once those trainers are on.
Stuck in a health rut? Typically this kind of rut involves a degree of excessiveness or poor choices regarding food, alcohol, caffeine, smoking, exercise, work, recreational drugs and even spending money. Often it's hard to change these habits because they're providing a source of happiness or distraction and at the same time creating a cycle of dependency by squashing the bodies natural sense of motivation and positivity.
Across Fitter Food we're often talking about daily habits that support your health goals, including batch cooking, walking and exercise, it might surprise you to know how you end your day is also really significant. Overnight we build lean body mass and repair, in fact our immune system really works it's magic whilst we sleep. There are a number of steps you can easily implement alongside putting on your favourite Pj's that will support a good night's sleep and allow your body to complete it's task list of essential chores. Check em out:
In my last blog I discussed how men tend to approach nutrition and whilst they have their “commandments” and attachments to condiments they’re generally speaking a little more laid back about the role nutrition plays in their health. Us ladies on the other hand are pro’s at making this a full time business alongside other demanding roles in our lives, like having a career, being a mother, sister, friend, etc. I’ve been totally guilty of this myself in the past, if you bring on the detail I will over analyse, overwhelm, over Google and overthink all of it!
We've been using kettlebells for years, long before they became popular and we are still using them long after they have gone out of fashion it seems. For good reason too – they are awesome. When carried out correctly, kettlebell training is the ultimate fat burning and strength building tool and I'm about to tell you why.
Fellas, it's no secret, testosterone levels are on the drop. In fact, testosterone in men has dropped rapidly over the last 50 years. This is due to many factors such as nutrition, alcohol consumption, smoking and other lifestyle factors, however you CAN do something about it. Now some things are a little out of our control but many things are and can be changed in order to optimise your bodies natural testosterone production.
I've had the opportunity to work with several blokes and I'm currently living with a rather large eating machine of a man (Matt!) so I’ve been afforded a great insight into how guys approach nutrition. One of the key things I'm always keen to coach guys about is how to recognise the signs their nutrition and lifestyle is working against their efforts in the gym and therefore hindering progress towards their performance or body composition goals. Here are the 5 signs your man food needs a makeover...