Category: Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Pump(kin) it up! 🎃

Well it is Hallowe’en today so I kinda had to focus on the most famous (and only?) of hallowe’en vegetables! The pumpkin!

So they’re not just great for carving cool spooky lanterns, in fact their nutritional benefits are so good – they’re scary!

Not only is pumpkin really low calorie (only 26kcals in 100g), it also contains no saturated fats or cholesterol, and is rich in fibre, anti-oxidants and B vitamin. They are super high in vitamin A – a single serving giving you over 4 times your daily recommended amount of this vital vitamin. It’s great for eye health and for essential immune function – great to ward off those seasonal colds at this time of year.

It’s particularly good for helping you recover from your workouts. Pumpkins are high in vitamin C – which as well as boosting your immune system also helps the body produce collagen. This is vital for maintaining the structure of your bones and keeping them strong! It’s full of beta-carotene which is a fantastic natural anti-inflammatory, which will help reduce your post-workout recovery time! On top of that it’s also rich in potassium (it has more potassium than bananas). This helps to restore the body’s electrolyte balance after a heavy workout which means you will recover faster and keep those muscles functioning properly.

It doesn’t end with the flesh – the seeds are also brilliant too. They are also full of anti-inflammatory compounds and rich in healthy fats, protein and fibre and recent evidence suggests they can help with pelvic floor issues (having an impact via anabolic action on pelvic floor muscles and relaxing the bladder muscles and bladder overactivity. So sprinkle them over your brekkie or grab a handful for an on the go snack!

It’s such a versatile veg – you can use it in casseroles or stews, make a yummy soup, oven roast it, throw it in a curry, and you can use it in baking too – it makes a great egg or butter replacer in muffins and loaf cakes, and you can even make a pumpkin butter!🤗

The pumpkins sold for carving aren’t the best for cooking as they’re grown to have less ‘meat’. So if you’re buying purely to eat it’s worth going for other pumpkins or squashes, but the carving ones are still perfectly edible. So as you’re carving those pumpkins today save a bit of the flesh and try roasting it or throwing it in a casserole etc.

Happy Hallowe’en guys!

🎃👻

Xx

Tuesday Tip: Ice baths for recovery? 🧊

Common post workout recovery options include sports massage, active recovery and cold water immersion, with the latter gaining popularity as ice baths have become a must in “self-improvement/discipline” circles recently. Social media is full of celebrities and fitness personalities sharing their cold water immersion practices, with dedicated tubs/barrels etc.

But are they really any better than other recovery methods and could they even be hindering your recovery and strength gains?

Studies have shown that cold water immersion didn’t provide much benefit for strength related outcomes when compared to just resting or other methods of recovery such as massage. In fact it was less effective. Several studies have also found that ice baths can negatively impact muscle and strength adaptations. A recent overview of studies found that taking an ice bath immediately after a workout leads to less muscle growth than resistance training alone.

While taking an ice bath after your workout won’t completely prevent muscle growth, you might gain less muscle than if you didn’t. This is because the cold reduces muscle protein synthesis – the process the body goes through to build new muscle – by limiting blood flow to the muscles. If you decrease the amount of blood flowing to the muscles, you also reduce the availability of amino acids the body needs for muscle synthesis.

For competitive athletes, it may be a viable recovery option leading up to a competition in conjunction with adequate rest and food, particularly at time where fatigue needs to be quite low. So it may help give that extra push as far as feeling recovered goes and even slightly contribute to some performance increases. If you’re someone looking to increase muscle mass, cold water immersion should be used sparingly (e.g. only after very hard training sessions) as it can interfere with hypertrophy (muscle growth). Daily cold water immersion will not completely negate muscle growth, but may take away from your hard work in the gym, a trade-off that is not really worth the hassle as the recovery benefits don’t seem to be anything revolutionary . So the next time you see your favorite influencer present daily ice baths as a MUST DO for recovery and performance, remember that their claims are not really supported by the current scientific evidence.

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Xx

Tuesday Tip: Over eating at night 🍫

Do you find yourself managing to control your eating all day and then once the evening hits you can’t stop eating everything in sight? It’s such a common issue and can really derail your weight loss goals. So here are a few tips that might help break the habit.

# Eat enough earlier

First off, make sure you are eating properly for the rest of the day, regularly across the day. I know you want to ‘save calories’ for later in the day so it may seem counterintuitive but in my experience one of the main reasons clients struggle with over eating in the evening is because they’ve skipped breakfast or lunch or over restricted during the day. Eating more food at the start of the day generally helps solves this problem and it can be a great strategy even if you’re ‘not usually hungry in the morning So make sure you factor in some calories for earlier in the day and distribute them across the day.

# Find a distraction

Part of the evening eating is habit – so try to create a new habit in place of the usual snacking as you get in the door/after dinner. So perhaps go straight for a dog walk, have a shower, spend 15 mins on your hobby etc.

Changing your food environment is also a game-changer e.g. moving the biscuit packets out of sight or putting cut-up fruit & veg in your fridge ready to use, keep the wine and crisps in a different room etc.

# Factor in ‘treats’

Rather than being ‘good’ all day, feeling deprived and miserable and being more likely to end up bingeing or saying ‘f*ck it’ and over eating. Instead incorporate those foods you enjoy into your days in quantities you can accommodate in your calories. This will greatly improve your relationship with food and help you to crave them less over time. It doesn’t need to be all-or-nothing!

If you’re not convinced, try these tips out for a few days and see if it makes a difference for you!

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Xx

Tuesday Tip: Simple fat loss tips 👍🏻

If you want to lose fat/weight and keep it off then the simpler you can make it the better.

If you’ve been struggling to be consistent with things then maybe try these tips to get back on track.

# 1 Staple meals

Have a handful of “staple meals” that are easy to make. Come up with 3-5 meals that are enjoyable, fit in with your calorie goals and easy to prepare. These meals are ones you can then have for most of your lunches and dinners during the week. This removes ‘decision’ fatigue and means you can stay on track.

#2 Increase activity

Now as you know from my previous posts – you can’t use exercise to lose weight. You can however help by increasing your general activity levels. Just start by adding 500- 1,000 more steps per day.

#3 Plan 24 hrs before

Planning meals for an entire week can be overwhelming and may feel too time consuming when you’re busy. Instead of planning your meals for the entire week, take five minutes at night to plan your next 24 hours (using those staple meals). This way, you’re prepared each day, even if your weekly schedule changes.

#4 Plan B and next choice mentality

Try to develop a plan b and next choice mentality. So be ready with a plan B if your carefully planned day of meals goes awry – instead of panicking and giving up or thinking ‘f*ck it’, just choose something that’s the next best option. For example, if you’ve planned a home cooked meal and suddenly end up having to eat out you can still choose something that keeps you roughly on track.

Of course Sometimes, you’ll eat more than you planned. Instead of dwelling on it, just focus on getting back on track with the next meal – a ‘next choice’ mentality – rather than writing off the entire day.

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Xx

Tuesday Tip: Collagen – worth the hype? 💊

Collagen supplements are a common topic, in relation to skin, joint health and fitness but does it actually work and do you really need the supplements?

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body. It provides structure and elasticity in muscles, tendons, ligaments, skin, blood vessels, and connective tissues. As we age, collagen levels drop, resulting in wrinkles, saggy skin, joint pain, stiffer tendons and ligaments, and weaker muscles. A diet high in sugar, excessive sun exposure, and smoking also diminish collagen levels. As a protein source, collagen is an excellent one, with more protein per calorie than other sources and less sodium and sugar.

Social media is full of endorsements from celebrities for collagen products. They’re certainly no miracle product but there is a growing body of evidence suggesting it can improve skin, joint health, promote wound healing, and fend off muscle wasting. Studies show improvements in skin elasticity, blood circulation to the skin and less dryness. Interestingly a small study of men with age related muscle loss showed that collagen combined with weight lifting led to more muscle gain than just lifting weights alone. While research is mixed, a few studies have also shown that collagen can help with arthritis pain and sports-related joint pain.

Although research is limited it is promising and it’s certainly worth considering including more collagen in your diet but you really don’t need to spend money on supplements or fancy drinks etc. As with anything it’s always best to get your nutrients from a healthy, balanced diet.

If you’re a meat eater the easiest option is bone broth, chicken, pork or salmon skin. Egg yolk is also a great source as are any foods with gelatin in (haribo included lol!). For vegans or vegetarians it’s more challenging but foods like soybeans and other legumes, spirulina and agar, both derived from algae can help. In addition eat plenty of leafy green vegetables, citrus, eggs, berries, tomatoes, cabbage, pumpkin seeds, avocados, and garlic, which can provide your body with nutrients to support it’s own collagen growth.

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Xx