In my last post, I wrote about how after years of being sceptical about the gym environment, I now find myself shamelessly addicted and quite the convert. I admitted that my scepticism came from my preconceived ideas about gym-buff stereotypes and not liking some of the trends that sweep through the fitness industry.
Tag Archives: common sense
I never thought I’d become a gym junkie!
Keeping in theme with 2017 – the year of fun! Today I’m talking about recent obsession; the Les Mills classes at my local gym.
I never thought I had it in me to become a gym junkie (or whatever the correct title is for someone addicted to group atmospheres and endorphin rushes), yet here I am, quite the convert. I’ve always preferred outdoor sports; jogging, walking, hiking, swimming and team sports, such as netball and tennis. Sure I played badminton indoors in eighth grade, became quite a stickler for my fave pilates DVD, and wasn’t opposed to using the treadmill on rainy days, but that was the extent of my ‘indoor training’.
I had this stigma that gyms are for people that …
Sneaky Swaps Part 2: A Sweeter Life
It’s early January. New Year’s resolution season! The time of year that we resolve to change ourselves for the better, implement new habits, commit to carefully-planned routines and promise ourselves that we WILL use our gym membership (for the record, I only put this last one in here to stay relatable … I genuinely look forward to gym classes). Among the lists of admirable intentions, is often something nutrition-related, and more recently sugar – specifically the refined white stuff -seems to be something that people are determined to give the flick. AND FOR GOOD REASON.
The “Fluff” Around Buff
To all the mums that are worried about their teenager’s newfound obsession with protein powders, weights and “getting big”, you can thank me later. Please grab your teen, park them in front of this article and let me work my magic.
I don’t want to seem sexist, but to make this post easier to write, I’m assuming the the reader is a teenage male with a mother forcing him to at least “hear read this girl out, she makes some candid points” However young girls, and gym/protein/exercise buffs of all ages and genders can benefit from the points made here, so be my guest, pull up a chair (or park yourself at your standing desk) and read on.
Where Do We Stand With Protein?
I’ve talked about fats, I’ve covered carbohydrates, it would be rude to overlook the third and final macronutrient; protein. There’s probably not as much contention around protein when compared to carbs and fats – unless you’re in the body-building world of Gym Goers. I guess because we’ve been educated from a young age about the importance of eating enough of it.
The Smarts About Plants
Many roads lead to Rome animal sabbaticals.
- Ethical eaters; avoid animals foods in the name of justice.
- Health-conscious foodies; want an excuse to get more veggies and fibre into their day.
- Converts; find meat-free meals tastier and easier to digest
- Intuitive eaters; feel they do better without flesh, eggs and dairy.
This time last year, I thought long-term vegan diets were a disguised form of starvation. I was in the process of healing my digestive system from the years of damage that my autoimmune liver disease (and the pharmaceutical treatments I trialled … to no avail I might add) had caused. My depleted state saw me crave gelatinous connective tissue from animals bones, rich and fatty soups and muffins rich in eggs and butter.
In defence of a humble macronutrient
Last week I had a jolly old time writing these two posts about fat;
- This one explained why, despite what you may have heard, saturated fats aren’t the devil, won’t kill you or make you fat (unless you sit around eating sticks of butter all day … that’s still a commonsensical no-no)
- Then this one gave some handy hints as to how you can ditch the processed manmade oils that are the real problem and embrace more beneficial fats, without overdoing it all at once and making yourself super sick!
Easy Does It …
Yesterday I wrote about fats.
- The fundamental reasons we need them to maintain a healthy state of being.
- Why we’ve been “fed” misleading information about this humble macronutrient for several decades now.
Fats 101: who else out there is cofuzzled???
Virtually all of us have grown up in the low-fat era. We’ve been told to avoid eggs, swap butter for margarine, cut all the fat off our meat and steam/grill/poach everything. Our dairy should be “low-fat” after the age of 5, and the “rule of thumb” is to buy the “lite” versions of everything; ice-cream, mayonnaise, coconut milk, you name it. Times are thankfully a changing, however for many members of the general public (and this might even include your lovely self), the low-fat dogma is still heavily and deeply ingrained in their psyche and old habits/thought-patterns die-hard.
Continue reading Fats 101: who else out there is cofuzzled???