Chocolate Moove or Powerade?

The answer to this question is really pissing me off…

And of course there is a story that lead to me asking the question in the first place – so perhaps I will just tell you the story first…

Let’s set the scene a little:

Sitting in a café trying to look creative – I was busy writing away in my little notebook..

A Grandmother (I’m assuming) of three little boys came in.

They looked like they had just completed an awesome fun day in the swimming pool.  They were full of energy and straight to the glass door to get a promised drink.  The oldest boy (only about 11ish) reached for the Powerade and  Gran’s instant reaction was a disapproving look and clear instruction to put it back.

No go from Gran.  Great choice Gran kids certainly don’t need that type of drink to re-hydrate from a splash in the pool with all that sugar to buzz them up.

So then Gran suggested a flavoured milk to the children which they all happily grabbed and all was right with the world.

Good on you Gran, she is doing her bit to make healthy choices for her grandchildren.  I’m also going to assume that to support her choice she is thinking milk is great for growing bones etc etc.

SO why am I pissed off?

Well sadly after a little research into our safe and healthy little flavoured milk  -it turns out that the sugar content AND salt (sodium) content in the flavoured milk was more then in the Powerade.

Actually double the sodium and 10gms more sugar.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting that Gran would have made this choice knowingly  – and here we are with the real reason why I’m so cranky.  I’m sick of so many drinks and foods being touted as healthy alternatives when in fact they have altered what we once new as being good for us into something that we barely recognise.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who remembers a yummy glass of cold fresh raw full fat milk and as a treat maybe even having some milo (or a lot) to flavour it up now and then.

Clearly the modern day version is not the same anymore and certainly not good for our kids.

PLUS I forgot to mention the Vegetable Gum 407 thickener and emulsifier they add to stop it from going off.  YUK (this is also used in industrial and pharmaceutical products.  Great !

What’s the solution?

WATER

Plain old boring fresh water.

The sooner you get your kids used to it the better.

Even if you think they won’t drink it – eventually they will – the human body craves it eventually.

And don’t even get me started on Energy Drinks and Juice concentrate.  Argggh maybe that’s my next post…

Read those labels and stay fussy

Charlie G Hunter

Starting Monday Diet

The weekend has come around again (as it does) and I am mentally preparing to clean up my act, get off the sugar’s and alcohol and to be honest I’m Soooo sick of feeling blaaaah 

This 4 extra kilos I put on over the holidays is really haunting me – not sure if it’s because I carry guilt with the ‘’should know betters” or if it’s because – dare I say it – I’m getting older..  ARGGGHHH

I mean let’s face it I can’t stop the years going by and the numbers going up each birthday BUT I can slow down the aging process if I just take care of myself and stay active. 

Easier said than done hey?

They say, your habits shape your future and I hate to admit it but the habits of my 30’s are way too unhealthy to take with me into my 40’s and 50′s.

So something has to give… 

Don’t get me wrong I’m enjoying the older and wiser routine – I feel like I could conquer the world mentally – but physically I might need to conquer it from a sitting down position…

So here is the plan; map out exactly what I’m going to eat – just one week in advance,  my planning usually SUX big time,  by lunch time I am wandering around the kitchen looking for something to grab – fast and furious because – well you know I’m busy and want to get back to work..

Yeah or I’m just downright lazeee when it comes to cooking for myself.

Usual Wonder Woman issues

too busy saving the world to stop and fuel my invisible plane which means afternoon crash landings or a nanna nap…

When will I ever learn…

So because I’m making significant changes this year (and that’s my mantra before bed) AND practising what I preach

I am making Sunday my planning day. (It’s now official)

That means weighing out the chicken breast, making sure I have enough fresh salad ingredients to get me through the week, removing all nibbly snacky items from eye level and the fruit bowl filled, fridge cleaned out.

Lunch is sorted – one piece of chicken and veg/or salad depending on the weather.  Pur-fect!

Fast easy and decent sized lunch. – No options, no decisions to be made because I have discovered that when I’m left up to the most dangerous question of all…

“What do I feel like for lunch?”

Well let’s face it who has ever answered that question with

‘’a tiny piece of plain chicken breast with salad or veg?”  – Not me that’s for sure..

Then the dinners – I’m mixing it up this time having a Decent size breakfast,  BIG lunch and a small dinner – I learned through my latest qual at Integrative Nutrition that this way of eating was very popular in Eastern cultures and helps the body digest and burn off fat at night time.

If you have a good breakfast, big lunch and weeny dinner (early not late) then your liver is like the pool cleaner guy who comes in and revs up your system while you sleep.  If you have a massive late dinner then your body is still too busy digesting food – so when the pool cleaner guy arrives the stomach is still busy and no fat burning occurs.

That’s why you can wake up sluggish and still sleepy. (and not losing weight)

AND as a side note – that’s where the terminology of Supper came from – Supper meant supplementary meal.  (smallish)

The second most important supplement to my Starting Monday routine is taking quality probiotics to clean out my gut flora.

Tastes like shit but it’s really really, really good for you.

AND flu season is upon us soon – that nasty virus from The States will be here in no time so best to get your immune system in tip top shape NOW and then you don’t need to worry.  I haven’t had the flu in three years and never taken a flu shot.

If I look back over the times I did the Starting Monday Diet in the past to work out what worked and what failed, it all comes down to the planning.

Whenever I have winged it and thought I could do it because I should be able to by now…  Massive FAIL.  BY Thursday I would be chowing down on some calorie laden reward for getting through the 3 day famine.

The successes always began with a sit down session – pad and paper – meal plan, shopping list and checking out the diary for what challenges I have ahead of me and how I’m going to overcome them.

So wherever you are at with your health journey – get crystal clear with your week ahead.

One step a time with meal planning.

Pour yourself a nice cup of something good – sit down with your pad and paper and figure out how you are going to get through this week ahead.

Right through until your day of treats.  Mine is Sunday

• Be kind to yourself,
• Be realistic with the process,
• And make room for challenges,
• Don’t expect miracles in weight loss but just feeling better makes it worth while…

Wish me luck and I wish you the same…

Charlie G Hunter

Check out my latest Fat Burning Program here

Just getting healthy day by day

Laughter is the Best Medicine

Need a quick health boost? Rent a comedy or get together with girlfriends. Seriously, laughter can improve your mood and has other health benefits too. Maybe laughter really is the best medicine!

Learn about infographic design.

 

True Confessions of a Health Coach

Me and my Travelling buddy having an alcohol free day…LOL

Well it’s back to work and 2013 is definitely here – no getting around the fact that holidays are coming to an end..  Christmas already seems like forever-ago (if that’s a word) and believe it or not they are advertising Easter in the shops..

Give me a BREAK!

Hubby and I went overseas for our rest and relaxation period with our travelling buddies:

Thailand in fact – so nice and lots of fun was had by all….  Thai people are so friendly with an incredible way of being happy with whatever little they have..  So refreshing and certainly a culture shock but a great way to forget about everything you have waiting for you back home.

We celebrated our holidays a little too much – don’t get me wrong I don’t regret enjoying all the fabulous flavours and good foods but celebrating something EVERY night –takes its toll on your liver eventually.  We planned an alcohol free day – actually now I think about it we were going to have at least two,  but we lost track of what day it was,  so alcohol free Tuesday got remembered on Thursday and so on and so on.

Plus we packed our gym gear, but that ended up being unpacked in almost pristine condition.  Hang on, no there was that one time we trained – Ah yeah I remember – but that was it..

I blame the excited little voice in my head reminding me “you’re on holidays – AND you’re walking so much today – that counts for something”   haha I fall for it every time…

Even if I walked the Great Wall of China in a day it wouldn’t have covered the amount of sugar I ate and drank the night before – but hey I never do the math when I’m drinking.   

SO what am I left with?

Extra on-board luggage that I can’t unpack over night – that’s what!    Damn…feels like about 10kilos worth too…

Holiday photos are great and of course the blurry memories too – BUT I can’t fit into my favourite jeans without the extra muffin top so I have to ask myself WHEN will I ever learn…

According to the scales I am about 3 kilos heavier then when I left – may not seem much to some people, but 3 kilos of extra fat is not healthy.  Plus I forgot to tell you I didn’t quite get rid of the extra holiday kilos I gained last year so in reality I’m about 4 kilos above my healthy happy “Look at me, Look at me” weight that I like to BE ME in….

You know what I mean?   Everyone has an ideal ‘body look’ – I hate saying weight range – it’s so clinical – to me it’s the place where I am body happy – body happy means I can stand in front of my wardrobe and I can choose from anything I have because Its going to fit like a glove and I can say to myself – oh yeah baby look at me – I still got it..  ha..

Yes well sadly it’s been way too long since I have done that.

AND there is nothing worse when your hubby says – why don’t you wear that nice black little something you used to wear – and you reply – ”um no I can’t wear that because it doesn’t fit anymore”.   Ouch…

And here’s the thing – it’s not just the clothes you can’t wear  – it’s the fact my energy levels suffer, my daily happy vibes are pretty dull and being in the health and fitness industry – well it certainly makes me feel a little hypocritical that’s for sure.

Plus the most important part of all this extra kilo stuff is that is just plain unhealthy to carry that wasted fat on your body.  If I put my ego aside and stop worrying about how I look to other people I have to face the reality that Fat will age my body quicker than it needs to. 

Extra fat from stupid crappy sugary foods and fatty liver from too much alcohol with cause my body to break down from the inside out and become a toxic haven for disease.

Again if you don’t think 4kilos is much to worry about – go to the gym and pick up a 4 kilos hand weight and think about carrying that around all day.  4 Kilos of muscle is at least useful and helpful to your body (and burns fat) – but Fat is just useless and a great way to get older quicker.

Well I’m almost 44 and sadly it’s taken me nearly 20 years to realise that I need to start practising what I preach and turn my SHOULD’s into MUST’s and take some action about doing something for me  and my health rather than “what will people think of me” kind of BS that has gotten me NO-where to date…

No more ego driven health choices for me…

2013 is going to be about making decisions based on MY bodies health and longevity rather then what others will think if I don’t succeed OR because I’m a Personal Trainer I should have abs and prance around in a singlet top and tiny shorts to advertise how  good I look…

NO Way That’s not for me – plus I’m not good at prancing. 

I have finally decided I not only want to BE healthy but I want to Feel healthy, Think healthy and Smile healthy –and let go of that picture perfect clean cut body that screams lettuce and tuna for breakfast plus 400 reps of bicep curls before lunch or running like Forrest Gump all day and instead enjoy the idea of preparing good healthy fresh foods for ME and my hard working body not because I ‘have to’ but because I WANT to…because I deserve it..

Instead of the ”couldn’t be bothered’s” – find the “can’t wait to get started” kind of healthy meal planning.

A daily dose of fresh seasonal fruits and crispy vegetables with small serves of protein topped with healthy fats and a little treat to make me feel warm and loved.

This is going to be my 2013 resolution.

Let go of the People Pleasing Perfect PT Image and say hello to Healthy, Lean and Fighting Fit, Fabulous Feeling 44 years young, Loving ME, for ME  BODY.

Wonder Woman look out!

Of course first of all I need to work a little harder to get rid of this 4kilos BUT a good clean up meal plan and detox will kick that off and get me on my way….

Why am I sharing this with you now? 

Well let’s put it this way – I’m over being preached to about all the different diets that aren’t sustainable and how we are marketed too as though we are one size fits all BEINGS.

Clearly we are NOT one size fits all… 

It’s truly ridiculous.

I don’t want to live the rest of my life counting calories and saying no to every social event on the calendar for fear of binge eating every dessert on the trolley because I’ve starved myself for the last 6 months to be a size that my body isn’t designed to sustain.

I’m going back to basics,  trusting myself, being kind to myself, being fussy with the foods I eat but also accepting I need comforting sometimes too.

AND if sometimes that’s with food/alcohol (insert comfort thing here)  then so be it – hopefully as I learn more about myself and become true to my cause the comfort needs will change and the void that I’m trying to fill will be healed.

AND maybe not,  but at least I’m not going to pretend anymore that Weight Loss Success can only be achieved when you live on the mountain top with your lettuce leaves and treadmill as your only friend  patting yourself on the back for being your goal weight and dreaming of hamburgers with the lot.

Thanks for letting me share    – I’m feeling better already….

Now for some good old fashioned detoxing and fat burning exercises ASAP…

Stay tuned I will keep you posted on my progress…

Here is to living a life of self acceptance, extra baggage and all, so I can be the best ME/BODY I can be…..

Thanks for your company and bring on 2013..

Charlie G Hunter

Slightly unHealthy Health Coach and unfit Personal Trainer (at your service)

Coffee vs. Tea

Coffee or Tea? New studies suggest both in moderation can have great health benefits. Check out this infographic and see what benefits your favorite offers.

by PolicyExpert.Browse more data visualization.

 

Swap Out Soda

Do you still drink soft drink? Even just one per day can have serious negative impact on your health.

Take a look at this infographic. Maybe now is the time to finally kick that fizzy drink habit! It may be difficult at first but keep drinking that water and you’ll begin to crave it instead. Bonus is you can drink as much water as you want!!! And the benefits are amazing.

Goji Berries can make you Sick

After enjoying  my ‘healthy lunch’ I was ready to get back to work BUT my mind drifted off into the usual land of

‘how can I procrastinate’ to pass the time.

Seriously though I was feeling unsatisfied with my usual ‘salad for lunch’ and my mind wandered about what sort of treat I could indulge in.   Naturally all the guilt kicked in so decided to plan a trip to the supermarket and disguise it as the need to ‘get dinner’ when really I was on a stealth mission for a healthy treat.
(do they exist)

So the hunt was on – as I portrayed the healthy person on the outside knowing that anything I placed in my basket was open for the world to judge me on.  My internal voices were cheering to check out the baked goods and biscuits but thank fully years of training helped me steer clear.

Then as I almost made it to the checkout with my chicken dinner and veg in the basket the Health Food isle caught my eye and I thought just maybe there really is a healthy little something that could be a treat as well.

There it was the most beautiful shiny packet screaming all the right keywords and being presented at eye level.

Dark Chocolate Goji Berries and all their healthy goodness.

This was going to be my healthy treat – after all I could tick all the boxes..

Antioxidants, tick
Gluten Free, tick
Free from colourings, tick
REAL FRUIT Goodness, tick

Finally something I can walk up to the counter and be excused for eating…

As I arrive back to the office ready with my little treat in hand to get me through my afternoon. I can’t wait a second longer to rip open the packet and taste the first mouthful.

Of course I must read the label and see why and how these lovely little tasty treats are so good for me.

First of all I notice that a banana a kiwi fruit and a carrot have equal quantities of antioxidants as one handful of Goji berries. WOW that’s great so there is no reason why I couldn’t eat these instead of my fruit and vegetable serving then? Right?

Then as I’m eating my second handful I read that, ‘This product should be consumed as part of a healthy diet.’

Well that’s great news isn’t it because that’s what I’m trying to achieve today.

Funny thing is that whilst I’m dishing up about my fourth or maybe fifth handful I notice the serving size portion.. 10gms.
10gms?

Seriously, so I go and weigh 10gms of chocolate covered Goji berries and do you know how many that is… 18 Goji berries.

Okay, so that really made me a little curious…

Who the hell only eats 18 Chocolate covered Goji berries in one sitting.
Is there truly anyone out there who would go to the trouble of buying this packet – rip it open and count out 18 and then put the packet away for next time?

I’m thinking NO!

The label says loud and clear – enjoy a small handful and part of a healthy diet.
It also says antioxidants work to inhibit effects caused by free radicals so what if it’s a day where I feel like I need to clear out my free radicals and I need more then 18 stupid Goji berries..

This is what the label really should say:

• Yes there is a little Goji Berri inside the dark chocolate inside this packet.
  Generally Goji Berries are well known to be good for you however once they are wrapped and smothered in wonderous dark rich chocolate they are NOT good for you anymore.
• Unless you are one of those people who says no to everything you will not be able to eat the recommended quantity of only 18 of these things.
• We recommend that you do not operate any heavy or dangerous machinery after consuming the usual 9- 12 handfuls in one sitting as you may feel nauseous and slightly irritable.
• Be prepared to have a strong desire to finish off the packet even though you feel sick.
• Chocolate covered Goji berries in this quantity are not deemed as being healthy anymore in fact they will make you feel approx 3- 6 kilos heavier within approx 10 minutes of eating them.

Please Note: As for the anti-oxidant message we have put on the label and all the amazing benefits of this product we only put that on to make you buy our brand instead of the one sitting next to us on the shelf..

Both products will make you feel ill and are not deemed as healthy alternative to perhaps an apple. Which you should have chosen in the first place instead of thinking you could somehow eat chocolate and still call it healthy.

Now THAT would be truth in labeling……

Charlie G Hunter

Returning from Injury

Well done to anyone contemplating coming back from injury/surgery to get back into training and fitness.

There is usually a secret fear that you will do some sort of damage to a somewhat weaker part of the body and this can be quite confronting to deal with.

Allow me to explain a little about the BIGNESS (yes that is a word) or important role your THINKING and belief system has over your injury towards the healing process of your recovering body part.

First of all I have an extensive background working with people on the psychology of injury so I’m not just making this stuff up.

Your body is a slave to your thoughts.

It will observe your thoughts and act accordingly.  So if you are constantly being cautious to the degree that you are looking at your KNEE (for example) and suggesting it can’t do something – then your knee will remain weak and obsolete.  It’s as though you need to encourage your knee (or whatever) to work for you at getting better by thinking about it in a strong and positive light.

Look it may sound silly (talking to your knees) but you are already doing it.  When you say I have a crook knee or bad back
I can’t do that – you are telling yourself you are incapable of doing something so the muscle components around that area switch off and get used less and less.  This is why it hurts when you go to use it next time – because it’s weak and lacking confidence.

Then you say “SEE I told you I had a bad knee” – so you re-establish your beliefs even further and avoid using it even more.   It’s a bit of a vicious cycle and of course you need to build the strength up gradually but the difference is doing it with confidence rather then trepidation which is based on fear.

The problem is people get all Gung-ho and say “Right power of positive thinking I will just pretend its good and go hard – force it into recovery!” NO that’s not what I am saying.  Whilst a body part is healing – it takes time according to what you are eating, how old you are and the level of nutrients or healing power your body has (everyone is different) Plus your previous level of fitness will also help, however it still takes time and you need to allow the strength to come back gradually but always with confident thoughts of strength, ability and trust in yourself.

This works with any injury no matter how big or small.  Five years ago I worked with a very well known first grade player in the NRL who had two surgeries on his spine and was told his likely hood of playing again was minimal.  It took 12 months to get him on the field again BUT we were working on his belief system not the injury because without his belief that he could get stronger and fitter it wouldn’t matter if his back was better he would never risk the injury again by playing again.   He is still playing today and doing well with a very strong back and no injuries to date from this past year.

Of course care needs to be taken but if you begin to have faith in your bodies ability to heal and become stronger then it will listen to you and obey.

Body builders are a perfect example of wanting to heal faster and stronger – they are constantly snapping there muscles so they repair stronger and stronger each time.  Your body is designed to re-build stronger with every injury – the only reason it wouldn’t do that is if it has listened to command central (which is yout brain/thoughts) which says – oh be careful I can’t do that because of my bung (fill in blank).

As previously mentioned the factors that will help a speedy recovery is the nutrient factor and eating enough GOOD protein which is like a first aid kit for your body and lots of fresh real foods that are nutrient rich – if you can’t find the nutrient rich variety try some vitamin C, E & D which are all excellent for strong bones, healing power and re-growing tissue.

I will leave you with this little saying from a powerful little book by

James Allen titled: As You Think

Strong Pure and Happy thoughts build up the body in vigor and in grace,

The body is a delicate and plastic instrument and responds readily to the thoughts by which it is impressed,

and habits of thought will produce their own effects, good or bad, upon it.

Looking for Motivation

If I had a dollar for everytime I heard the phrase “Im just not motivated to start” or “Im waiting to get motivated?” as though it’s going to turn up, surprise delivery at the front door…  well let’s just say I would be driving a different car then my current little model…

So what IS motivation – why is it we are lacking something that we need so desperatley but we can’t quite put our finger on what it is we need to get us there…well that’s because its all in our head…  we actually need to go through a plan of action steps to kick start our motivation..

It all has to do with goal setting and emotions so things get a little tricky because people tend to shy away from the term goal setting and as for our emotions, well nobody likes associating emotions with business. When in fact – business is an incredibly emotional process… Working with people’s fear constantly so this tends to get in the way…

How do we Get Organised enough so that Motivation drives us to completion – and we don’t get hung up procrastinating on other mindless tasks that keep us looking busy but stop us from really getting anywhere.. (I am a Master of procrastination)

THESE are the 5 steps:

FIRST – Define what is holding you back… now you might need to get a little deep for this one – take a moment and really ask yourself what is the FEAR Factor holding you back.. fear of failure, fear of success, fear of not being good enough or criticism etc …

Maybe it’s just too much information and you are looking at EVERYTHING you need to do to get the job done so you don’t do any of it!  Sound familiar?

SECOND – Once you have identified the cause, be REALLY honest about the effect this is having on your business.  Perhaps you are stressed because it’s nagging you in the back of your mind, or maybe it is leaving you with a feeling of being defeated which prevents you focussing on other things.  Maybe it’s costing your business money..

Around this step you should be feeling a sense of emotion from the cause and effect and re- energizing yourself into a place where you want to get things done..

This is all about Facing your Fear and doing it Anway…

THIRD – Set a deadline for the project to be completed and Visualize the project completed, allowing yourself to feel how good that will be once it’s done… even go as far as seeing yourself tick it off your to do list..  Phew I’m almost feeling it already..   To make this less overwhelming work backwards from the completion date and break it up into do-able chunks so the tasks are much smaller – this should reduce some pressure..

FOURTH – Develop a plan (Must Do) This step is so important – developing a plan is like programming it into your brain – it’s a way for your minds eye to get on track and help you stick with the plan.  Work out 3 things each day or week that you can do towards this project.  Be realistic with your commitments and make sure you have a reward in place once you have completed the project.

FIFTH – Yipee – you should feel a tonne lighter after getting this far - so reward yourself and plan out how you will celebrate your achievement.  This is just as important as planning because this will help you conquer other projects and your brain will remind you of your celebration and relief when the next thing crops up.  We need to be kind to ourselves and take up these rewards for our efforts..  It might only be a massage or a trip to the movies – whatever it is do something you enjoy and consider away from work.

Brian Tracy wrote a book “Eat the Frog” which is an excellent book
to teach you to do the stuff you don’t want to do first before anything else
each day.   Imagine if you implemented that into your business how much you would
accomplish.

If after all this you still are pondering about getting started:

I would seriously suggest contemplating how much you really want this project done in the first palce…

1.  Is this something that could and should be outsourced?

2. Should you being doing it or paying someone else to?

So there you have it…

Get started and Just Do It…

Think Healthy Live Healthy

Charlie G Hunter

The Healthy Life Coach

How good is Ginger?

Ginger Root

WOW just recently my husband and I have been using Ginger in our protein shakes to give them a little buzz.

We have to say since using this little knobbly spice it really has spiced things up!  Before you go off on another tangent let me give you the:

10 amazing benefits of Ginger

1. All this dieting or even stress can kill your appetite WHICH can make you feel even worse. Eating fresh Ginger will get the fire going again.
2. Ginger improves the absorption for the nutrients in your body – Thats got to be good!
3. If you suffer from nauseous? or travel sickness have a chew on some ginger..(coat in honey)
4. Sinuses blocked up – especially around hayfever time? Yep Ginger clears the blockage..
5. This one helped our household – Flatulence – windy? Please eat some Ginger…
6. Maybe you get the gurgly tummy or suffer from cramps after eating – Yep, Ginger!
7. Ginger has great anti-inflammatory properties so float it in your bath with nice oils.
8. If you have just had some surgery and get a little queesy post-op – Chew some Ginger
9. Ginger tea is awesome for sore throat and congestion plus it warms you up on the inside as well
10. Spice up the libido with a big bowl of ginger soup – well not just ginger but go heavy on the ginger..

So there you have it some excellent reasons to buy yourself a little knob of Ginger to keep handy in the kitchen.

You can grate it into some juices or even use it fresh in your stir frys – or like us we just add some to our smoothies and shakes.

You may need to experiment witht the flavour but you can see by all the good things that come out of ginger there is plenty of reasons why its worth the effort..

For more info check out the post on Food Matter.tv for more recipes