What can you do today to make the difference between being good and being outstanding?
Friday, 1 June 2012
What we can all learn from the Olympics
This summer, the best of the best will congregate in London to battle it out for the title of Olympic Champion in their sport. To even qualify for the Games, being good is simply not enough. They have to be simply outstanding. For the winners, there is the promise of a lifetime of recognition, endorsements, privileges and being a hero for life. It doesn't matter whether they win by a millimetre or a hundredth of a second, the prize is the same. For the runner up, there is simply the medal and the memory. Years later, few people will remember who came second.
So what can we all learn from the Olympics? After all, life isn't a sport. Well, we can all be an outstanding friend, leader, family member or business person. We can all have an outstanding body. The thing is, being good simply isn't enough any more. If you want to succeed in business and rise above your competitors, for example, you have to be simply outstanding. Similarly, if you want an incredible relationship, you have to be an outstanding partner. Sometimes, it can only take the smallest bit of extra effort to make the difference. Roger Bannister, for example, was the first man ever to break the 4 minute mile barrier, and he did so by one hundredth of a second. His achievement is now written in history forever. One hundredth of a second was all it took.
What can you do today to make the difference between being good and being outstanding?
What can you do today to make the difference between being good and being outstanding?
Tuesday, 29 May 2012
Essential Fatty Acids - the easy way to burn more fat!
Thanks to very misleading marketing messages, we're now a society that is afraid of eating fat, when in reality, eating fat is essential to both health and maintenance of a lean physique. The key is in knowing which fats are good and which are bad.
Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are fatty acids that the body cannot synthesise but are required for key biological processes and optimal health. There are only two known EFAs for humans, alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid) and linoleic acid (an omega-6 fatty acid). These good fats are required by every cell in your body, but notably your brain, which comprises 60% fat.
7 reasons why you should take EFAs:
1) EFAs provide a wealth of health giving properties and will actually accelerate the rate at which you drop fat by increasing resting metabolic rate and fat oxidation. This in turn will give you more energy, increase your stamina and reduce your recovery time post training.
2) EFAs support your digestive system by helping to prevent leaky intestines that can lead to inflammation, IBS, auto-immune issues and allergies.
3) Research shows that EFAs are strongly linked to a decrease of depression. Omega-3 fatty acids such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and elcosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are crucial for the enzymatic pathways required to metabolise long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Low levels of DHA in the blood have been found to predict low concentrations of a cerebrosprinal fluid called 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), and when concentration levels of 5-HIAA are low, depression and suicide are tightly linked. Put simply, Omega-3s are strongly implicated in protection from depressive moods.
4) In the absence of a good EFA balance, we increase the risk of developing skin conditions such as dryness, dandruff, eczema, acne, cracked heels, greater susceptibility to sunburn and skin cancer.
5) EFAs are absolutely essential for our brains to function correctly.
6) In the cardiovascular system EFAs are required to transport cholesterol, reduce triglycerides and lower blood pressure.
7) A good balance of EFAs will help reduce inflammation arising from injury or inflammatory conditions such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
The best sources of EFAs:
EFAs become heavily damaged by processing in the manufacture of margarines, cooking oils, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and trans fatty acids, as well as by frying, deep fat frying and sauteing, so it's best to avoid all of these as much as possible. Examples of foods that are good sources of EFAs include salmon, sardines, flaxseed, soybeans, halibut, scallops and tuna. My advice is to safeguard yourself on a daily basis and supplement your diet with EFAs. It's the easiest thing you can do to improve your health and lose fat faster! Both Krill OIl and Udo's Oil are excellent sources of the ideal balance between omega-3 and omega-6 oils, and are available from all good health food stores.
Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are fatty acids that the body cannot synthesise but are required for key biological processes and optimal health. There are only two known EFAs for humans, alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid) and linoleic acid (an omega-6 fatty acid). These good fats are required by every cell in your body, but notably your brain, which comprises 60% fat.
7 reasons why you should take EFAs:
1) EFAs provide a wealth of health giving properties and will actually accelerate the rate at which you drop fat by increasing resting metabolic rate and fat oxidation. This in turn will give you more energy, increase your stamina and reduce your recovery time post training.
2) EFAs support your digestive system by helping to prevent leaky intestines that can lead to inflammation, IBS, auto-immune issues and allergies.
3) Research shows that EFAs are strongly linked to a decrease of depression. Omega-3 fatty acids such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and elcosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are crucial for the enzymatic pathways required to metabolise long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Low levels of DHA in the blood have been found to predict low concentrations of a cerebrosprinal fluid called 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), and when concentration levels of 5-HIAA are low, depression and suicide are tightly linked. Put simply, Omega-3s are strongly implicated in protection from depressive moods.
4) In the absence of a good EFA balance, we increase the risk of developing skin conditions such as dryness, dandruff, eczema, acne, cracked heels, greater susceptibility to sunburn and skin cancer.
5) EFAs are absolutely essential for our brains to function correctly.
6) In the cardiovascular system EFAs are required to transport cholesterol, reduce triglycerides and lower blood pressure.
7) A good balance of EFAs will help reduce inflammation arising from injury or inflammatory conditions such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
The best sources of EFAs:
EFAs become heavily damaged by processing in the manufacture of margarines, cooking oils, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and trans fatty acids, as well as by frying, deep fat frying and sauteing, so it's best to avoid all of these as much as possible. Examples of foods that are good sources of EFAs include salmon, sardines, flaxseed, soybeans, halibut, scallops and tuna. My advice is to safeguard yourself on a daily basis and supplement your diet with EFAs. It's the easiest thing you can do to improve your health and lose fat faster! Both Krill OIl and Udo's Oil are excellent sources of the ideal balance between omega-3 and omega-6 oils, and are available from all good health food stores.
Monday, 28 May 2012
Creating lasting change
If you've struggled with your weight your whole life, chances are you've developed some beliefs about why you can't have the figure you really want.
'I've tried everything.'
'I'm big boned.'
'Nothing works for me.'
and, 'I don't have time.' are some of the common reasons people give for not succeeding with their weight loss pursuits. In reality, these are just stories that people tell themselves so that they can take the path of least resistance and accept that, 'it's not my fault.' The truth is, no matter who you are, if you're overweight and unhappy with your body, you haven't tried everything (you haven't been to see my team at Phoenix Pro Fitness, for starters!). It's also not because you're big boned (even if you do have big bones, it bears no relation to your fat distribution) and you do have time, if you make it a priority and get someone who has a proven method to show you time efficient nutrition and training strategies.
The key to lasting change is threefold. Firstly, if what you are currently doing isn't working, you need to change your strategy. Doing more of what doesn't work won't get you any further. If you're not sure which strategy to try, seek out the people who have been there and done it.
Secondly, you need to address the beliefs that are holding you back and replace then. Be brutally honest with yourself. If you lack willpower or motivation, which is the most common cause of disappointing results, you weren't committed enough. Nowadays, people use the word 'decision' in a flimsy, meaningless way, like it's a preference. The word decision is derived from the latin words for 'to cut off from'. When you truly decide to do something there is no other option, it's a done deal, and if you can't find a way, you'll make one. DECIDE today that you are going to achieve your goal and don't look back, don't doubt yourself, just do it. The past does not equal the future unless you focus on it, so change your focus. This has an immediate impact on...
Number 3, your state. This is your mental and emotional mode and it has an enormous impact on whether or not you take action. If you're feeling happy, excited, or in love, you'll feel energetic and vibrant, and like you can achieve anything. And when you feel energetic and vibrant, you're much more likely to take action. Whilst everyone has ups and downs, ultimately you decide what you want to focus on (your story) and this has an immediate effect on your mood. Many people think change takes a long time to happen, but in reality it happens in the blink of an eye, when you truly decide.
If you really want to make a massive change in your life, assess your strategy, stop feeding yourself progress halting stories and focus on what makes you feel incredible (like seeing yourself at your goal weight, or crossing that finishing line, or fitting into that amazing dress). Recognise your limiting beliefs, discard them, and commit to change once and for all.
If you're looking for a proven program for massive change in your body, my Ultimate Two Week Body Blitz is for you.
Take action today!
'I've tried everything.'
'I'm big boned.'
'Nothing works for me.'
and, 'I don't have time.' are some of the common reasons people give for not succeeding with their weight loss pursuits. In reality, these are just stories that people tell themselves so that they can take the path of least resistance and accept that, 'it's not my fault.' The truth is, no matter who you are, if you're overweight and unhappy with your body, you haven't tried everything (you haven't been to see my team at Phoenix Pro Fitness, for starters!). It's also not because you're big boned (even if you do have big bones, it bears no relation to your fat distribution) and you do have time, if you make it a priority and get someone who has a proven method to show you time efficient nutrition and training strategies.
The key to lasting change is threefold. Firstly, if what you are currently doing isn't working, you need to change your strategy. Doing more of what doesn't work won't get you any further. If you're not sure which strategy to try, seek out the people who have been there and done it.
Secondly, you need to address the beliefs that are holding you back and replace then. Be brutally honest with yourself. If you lack willpower or motivation, which is the most common cause of disappointing results, you weren't committed enough. Nowadays, people use the word 'decision' in a flimsy, meaningless way, like it's a preference. The word decision is derived from the latin words for 'to cut off from'. When you truly decide to do something there is no other option, it's a done deal, and if you can't find a way, you'll make one. DECIDE today that you are going to achieve your goal and don't look back, don't doubt yourself, just do it. The past does not equal the future unless you focus on it, so change your focus. This has an immediate impact on...
Number 3, your state. This is your mental and emotional mode and it has an enormous impact on whether or not you take action. If you're feeling happy, excited, or in love, you'll feel energetic and vibrant, and like you can achieve anything. And when you feel energetic and vibrant, you're much more likely to take action. Whilst everyone has ups and downs, ultimately you decide what you want to focus on (your story) and this has an immediate effect on your mood. Many people think change takes a long time to happen, but in reality it happens in the blink of an eye, when you truly decide.
If you really want to make a massive change in your life, assess your strategy, stop feeding yourself progress halting stories and focus on what makes you feel incredible (like seeing yourself at your goal weight, or crossing that finishing line, or fitting into that amazing dress). Recognise your limiting beliefs, discard them, and commit to change once and for all.
If you're looking for a proven program for massive change in your body, my Ultimate Two Week Body Blitz is for you.
Take action today!
Thursday, 24 May 2012
The simple reason why you're exercising but not losing fat
We see it time and time again; people who are training hard, but still have fat lying all over the place and very little energy. Sometimes, this can be down to poor exercise strategies, but more often than not, it comes down to diet.
What happens when our diet is full of sugar, alcohol and processed foods (no matter how low in calories) is that we become acidic. The pH of our blood rises and our ability to transport oxygen in the blood via haemoglobin molecules becomes compromised. This results in a decline in energy, since oxygen is used to fuel our cells and create and release adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Add to that that our bodies are composed largely of oxygen (bearing in mind that water is 33% oxygen) and it's easy to see why a poor diet leaves us feeling well below par both physically and mentally.
So how does this affect fat loss? Well, the human body is a very clever machine, and when we feed it with toxins and poisons (drugs, alcohol, nictoine etc.) it does everything it can to protect itself. (If you've ever had way too much to drink, you don't need me to tell you that your body has a pretty reliable method of getting rid of it!). Similarly, when you eat a lot of overly acidic, processed and refined foods, micro-organisms (ie. yeasts, funguses, molds etc) proliferate, so your body reacts within it's own interests in order to protect itself.
The body uses its fat cells to store acids and remove them from the bloodstream in order to re-establish a healthy pH. Incidentally, in the absence of a sufficient aerobic base, heavy anaerobic training can exacerbate the situation by promoting a build up of lactic acid, which further contributes the the body's already acidic state.
So, if you are carrying excess fat and are already training regularly, check your diet. Are you eating plenty of vegetables and low sugar fruits such as tomatoes, avocados and grapefruit? Are you getting your protein from fish and high quality lean meats? Are you avoiding refined carbohydrates and eating fibre-providing complex carbs? And are you eating plenty of good fats such as flaxseed, Omega 3s and avocado, which help to disburse saturated fats in your blood and protect your cells from acid damage? These foods should constitute the majority of your diet, and you should also check that you aren't flooding your body with other toxins from drugs, caffeine, nicotine or alcohol.
If all of these factors are genuinely in place, then it's time to take a closer look at your training regime.
What happens when our diet is full of sugar, alcohol and processed foods (no matter how low in calories) is that we become acidic. The pH of our blood rises and our ability to transport oxygen in the blood via haemoglobin molecules becomes compromised. This results in a decline in energy, since oxygen is used to fuel our cells and create and release adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Add to that that our bodies are composed largely of oxygen (bearing in mind that water is 33% oxygen) and it's easy to see why a poor diet leaves us feeling well below par both physically and mentally.
So how does this affect fat loss? Well, the human body is a very clever machine, and when we feed it with toxins and poisons (drugs, alcohol, nictoine etc.) it does everything it can to protect itself. (If you've ever had way too much to drink, you don't need me to tell you that your body has a pretty reliable method of getting rid of it!). Similarly, when you eat a lot of overly acidic, processed and refined foods, micro-organisms (ie. yeasts, funguses, molds etc) proliferate, so your body reacts within it's own interests in order to protect itself.
The body uses its fat cells to store acids and remove them from the bloodstream in order to re-establish a healthy pH. Incidentally, in the absence of a sufficient aerobic base, heavy anaerobic training can exacerbate the situation by promoting a build up of lactic acid, which further contributes the the body's already acidic state.
So, if you are carrying excess fat and are already training regularly, check your diet. Are you eating plenty of vegetables and low sugar fruits such as tomatoes, avocados and grapefruit? Are you getting your protein from fish and high quality lean meats? Are you avoiding refined carbohydrates and eating fibre-providing complex carbs? And are you eating plenty of good fats such as flaxseed, Omega 3s and avocado, which help to disburse saturated fats in your blood and protect your cells from acid damage? These foods should constitute the majority of your diet, and you should also check that you aren't flooding your body with other toxins from drugs, caffeine, nicotine or alcohol.
If all of these factors are genuinely in place, then it's time to take a closer look at your training regime.
Tuesday, 22 May 2012
Why social media is killing your business
Go to any business seminar these days, and every one will tell you that you need to be using social media. Which is great, because you're already doing that, right? Tick!
Unfortunately, most people's use of social media is driven by the following motivators:
1) It makes you feel like you are actually doing something to help you grow your business, when actually what you are doing is mindlessly surfing around, discovering things about other people in your network that is probably not going to affect your bottom line one iota. This is significantly easier than writing an article, or developing a new program, because it requires no thought or effort whatsoever.
2) It makes you feel like you are significant. It honestly shocks me the amount of times I've seen people from the fitness industry, good people, who I know personally, picking fights and knocking down others on facebook. What this says to me when I read these comments is that you haven't set a very high standard for yourself, if you are turning to petty facebook squabbles to make yourself feel important. And if you haven't set a very high standard for yourself, chances are, you haven't set a very high standard for your business either. And I can guarantee that if I'm thinking that, then your potential clients will be too. And they'll be taking their money elsewhere, thank you very much.
3) It makes you feel like you are succeeding because you have more friends/followers/a higher Klout rating than ever before. As far as I can see there is absolutely no point in Klout whatsoever other than to massage your ego. If you haven't seen it, it basically tells you how much influence you have in the world and on which topics. Apparently, I have 57% influence in the areas of Audrey Hepburn, dieting, William Shakespeare, Phoenix Suns and Heaven. WTF?!! I'm also apparently an expert in fitness. No shit Sherlock. Please, don't waste your time on useless social media that does nothing but leach time from your day. And please, judge your success by the amount of people you help in a day, or even what goes in your bank account, but not by how many followers or facebook friends you have, and DEFINITELY not by your Klout score!
Don't get me wrong, I DO think you are missing a trick if you aren't using social media to grow your business. The key is in the way you use it. Most people spend all day every day checking their twitter and facebook accounts like raving addicts, then wonder why they've reached the end of the day and got nothing done. I know this because I was one of them! But, now, successfully rehabilitated, I have learnt to use social media to my advantage and not to my demise.
My advice to you is to remove facebook and twitter from your phone, and set two 10 minute slots per day where you check your accounts and post useful, informative articles or posts to your profiles which underline you as the 'go to expert' in your area, and drive traffic to your website. If you aren't driving traffic to your website or blog, do not kid yourself into thinking that your social media activity is doing anything useful for your business whatsoever, because it's not.
If every day you take that one hour that you waste on social media, you will have an extra THIRTY 12hour days per year in total to improve yourself, or work on projects that will help more people, make you more money and genuinely grow your business.
Unfortunately, most people's use of social media is driven by the following motivators:
1) It makes you feel like you are actually doing something to help you grow your business, when actually what you are doing is mindlessly surfing around, discovering things about other people in your network that is probably not going to affect your bottom line one iota. This is significantly easier than writing an article, or developing a new program, because it requires no thought or effort whatsoever.
2) It makes you feel like you are significant. It honestly shocks me the amount of times I've seen people from the fitness industry, good people, who I know personally, picking fights and knocking down others on facebook. What this says to me when I read these comments is that you haven't set a very high standard for yourself, if you are turning to petty facebook squabbles to make yourself feel important. And if you haven't set a very high standard for yourself, chances are, you haven't set a very high standard for your business either. And I can guarantee that if I'm thinking that, then your potential clients will be too. And they'll be taking their money elsewhere, thank you very much.
3) It makes you feel like you are succeeding because you have more friends/followers/a higher Klout rating than ever before. As far as I can see there is absolutely no point in Klout whatsoever other than to massage your ego. If you haven't seen it, it basically tells you how much influence you have in the world and on which topics. Apparently, I have 57% influence in the areas of Audrey Hepburn, dieting, William Shakespeare, Phoenix Suns and Heaven. WTF?!! I'm also apparently an expert in fitness. No shit Sherlock. Please, don't waste your time on useless social media that does nothing but leach time from your day. And please, judge your success by the amount of people you help in a day, or even what goes in your bank account, but not by how many followers or facebook friends you have, and DEFINITELY not by your Klout score!
Don't get me wrong, I DO think you are missing a trick if you aren't using social media to grow your business. The key is in the way you use it. Most people spend all day every day checking their twitter and facebook accounts like raving addicts, then wonder why they've reached the end of the day and got nothing done. I know this because I was one of them! But, now, successfully rehabilitated, I have learnt to use social media to my advantage and not to my demise.
My advice to you is to remove facebook and twitter from your phone, and set two 10 minute slots per day where you check your accounts and post useful, informative articles or posts to your profiles which underline you as the 'go to expert' in your area, and drive traffic to your website. If you aren't driving traffic to your website or blog, do not kid yourself into thinking that your social media activity is doing anything useful for your business whatsoever, because it's not.
If every day you take that one hour that you waste on social media, you will have an extra THIRTY 12hour days per year in total to improve yourself, or work on projects that will help more people, make you more money and genuinely grow your business.
Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Thoughts on FitPro
Last weekend I spent 2 days presenting at the FitPro convention at Loughborough University. I was there lecturing on behalf of team Technogym, an industry leader in the fitness equipment field.
The brilliant thing about conventions like FitPro is that they bring together industry front runners from around the world in a wide array of fitness related fields, so that others can benefit from a wealth of results and business boosting knowledge, all on one campus.
Whilst I was busy presenting 5 seminars over the 2 days, I still managed to catch presentations by high performance coach Humphrey Walters, nutrition expert, John Berardi and U.S Info Marketer of the Year, Sean Greeley, as well as brainstorming ideas with bootcamp king, Paul Mort, leading fitness presenter, Rachel Holmes, and fitness IT expert, Tim Goodwin. The interesting thing about this little group of people is that only Humphrey and Rachel are resident in the UK... so it was great to have the opportunity to learn from all of these guys under one roof.
The point of this blog is to highlight the value of events like FitPro, both to fitness professionals and their clients and networks. I came back brimming with new ideas of how I can help even more people achieve their goals, as well as a list of new equipment I know will help our members at Phoenix Pro Fitness achieve the results they want even faster. I also met other professionals with whom I know I will work with in the future to keep moving the fitness industry forward.
So, if you are a fit pro and you weren't there, why not?! And if you are a client of a fitness professional, or someone who subscribes to a fit pro's newsletter etc, and they weren't there, tell them that it is within YOUR interest (and theirs) that they go to the next one (FEB in May). I really do believe that in order to continue raising the bar the fitness community must commit to self investment and improvement and attend events like these... it's a win win situation for everyone.
The brilliant thing about conventions like FitPro is that they bring together industry front runners from around the world in a wide array of fitness related fields, so that others can benefit from a wealth of results and business boosting knowledge, all on one campus.
Whilst I was busy presenting 5 seminars over the 2 days, I still managed to catch presentations by high performance coach Humphrey Walters, nutrition expert, John Berardi and U.S Info Marketer of the Year, Sean Greeley, as well as brainstorming ideas with bootcamp king, Paul Mort, leading fitness presenter, Rachel Holmes, and fitness IT expert, Tim Goodwin. The interesting thing about this little group of people is that only Humphrey and Rachel are resident in the UK... so it was great to have the opportunity to learn from all of these guys under one roof.
The point of this blog is to highlight the value of events like FitPro, both to fitness professionals and their clients and networks. I came back brimming with new ideas of how I can help even more people achieve their goals, as well as a list of new equipment I know will help our members at Phoenix Pro Fitness achieve the results they want even faster. I also met other professionals with whom I know I will work with in the future to keep moving the fitness industry forward.
So, if you are a fit pro and you weren't there, why not?! And if you are a client of a fitness professional, or someone who subscribes to a fit pro's newsletter etc, and they weren't there, tell them that it is within YOUR interest (and theirs) that they go to the next one (FEB in May). I really do believe that in order to continue raising the bar the fitness community must commit to self investment and improvement and attend events like these... it's a win win situation for everyone.
Thursday, 29 March 2012
Chia: the dieter's superfood
Chia is the latest superfood to storm America, and with good reason. This small seed, which is a member of the mint family, is absolutely rammed with health promoting properties and contains more omega 3s than salmon, more fibre than flaxseed, a wealth of antioxidants and minerals and is a complete source of protein. It's not surprising then, that chia has been dubbed a 'dieter's dream' as well as an ideal foodstuff for runners.
Chia is only currently available in the UK as a bread ingredient, but that's likely to change over the coming months as the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes looks set to allow chia seeds in
a wide variety of products including nuts and seed mixes. Nutritionists recommend a tablespoon a day to boost your mineral, protein and omega 3 intake.
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