​The most common mistakes I find with clients trying to lose weight:
 
Sabotaging eating habits:
 
Some people can’t resist cheese or chips after work. Then there are those of us who can’t resist a Cookie Time at the check out. We all have our sabotaging eating-triggers. Writing down not only what you eat, but also where, how and with whom, can help you identify the situations and foods that cause you to eat too much. Once you zero in on your overeating triggers, you can figure out how to deal with them. For example, if you notice that you tend to eat late at night when you’re chilling out in front of the tv, you could look at keeping healthier snacks, such as popcorn, on hand or budget those calories into your day.
 
Tip: Be mindful and track your food.
 
Skipping breakfast:
 
Boost your metabolism and get your day off to the best start. You’ll be less likely to overeat later in the day.
 
Tip: It doesn’t need to be anything fancy. Try eggs, porridge, toast & avocado, a smoothie or even dinner left overs.
 
Eating a days worth of food when you get home from work:
 
Having a large gap between lunch and the evening meal can result in overeating when you get home or making poor dinner choices. When we’re tired or overly hungry we’re more likely to grab a high-energy-food to tide us over.  Snacks around 100 calories at 3pm can keep your metabolism furnace burning. Think: nuts, fruit, protein shake, tuna, veg.
 
Tip: Take a healthy snack to work, rather than having when you get home.
 
Eating an unbalanced diet:
 
Below is a very common diet. Although there are some great foods listed it is very high in carbohydrates.
We also need Protein and Good Fats to balance our nutrient requirements.
 
Breakfast: Cereal with dried fruit, milk, low fat berry yoghurt, fruit juice.
Snack: Fruit
Lunch: Ham Sandwich
Snack: Muesli bar
Dinner: Pasta
 
Tip: Try switching up snacks for higher protein foods such as; tuna, boiled eggs, a protein shake or cottage cheese. Good fats are also very satisfying unlike many carbohydrates which can leave you feeling bloated, fatigued and sometimes craving more quick energy. Try including good fats such as: nuts, seeds and avocado.
 
Overestimating water intake:
 
Water makes up 2/3 of our body and plays a major role in digestion, absorption and excretion.  It also lubricates joints and cartilage. Thirst can be mistaken as hunger, which can result in overeating. It regulates our temperature, assisting with working out and recovery. Staying hydrated also keeps us more alert and energized.
 
Tip: Keep a bottle on the desk, in the car, in your bag. Aim for a glass before meals. Set yourself targets by 10am, 1pm, 3pm and 7pm.
 
Overtraining and not getting adequate sleep:
 
It is the rest that allows you to recover so you can be strong, and thereby handle the increased weight, and increased number of sets and reps needed to gain further. Aim for 8 hours of sleep and consider a rest day from training. Getting adequate sleep will also help with stress! If you don’t know if your program is balanced, see your trainer for a program.
 
Tip: Minimise food and screens before bed.
 

 Hormones are the chemical messengers that travel via our bloodstream to every organ and tissue, and regulate processes in the body; they’re involved in everything from growth and metabolism to reproduction and mood, and include the main sex hormones estrogen, testosterone and progesterone, plus melatonin (sleep), cortisol (stress), adrenaline (fight or flight) and thyroid (metabolism).
 
What are good foods for general hormone health for women?
-Foods high in B vitamins (especially vitamins B6 and B12)
Foods high in B12 include; organic meats, fish, eggs, and dairy products.
Foods with high B-6 content include whole grains, whole-grain cereals, liver, bananas, green beans, carrots, chicken, eggs, meat, fish, spinach, and walnuts.
 
-Improve gut health
Reduce processed foods, hydrogenated oils, added sugar, antibiotics and stress. You many even benefit from reducing your gluten. The top foods that support good gut bacteria include: kefir, fermented vegetables, (some research shows kombucha can help), some yoghurts, plant foods and fiber. 
 
-Add more good fats (balance omega 3s to 6s)
Coconut oil, avocados, salmon, egg yolks and nuts (walnuts) and seeds (chia seeds, olive oil, fermented cod liver oil, hemp seed oil and flax-seed oil).
 
Do you have any nutrition tips for women with PCOS?
-eat as naturally as possible
-eat every 3-4 hours
-increase water
-eat protein over the day
-increase foods high in omega 3 fats over the day
-continue to eat a small amount of complex carbohydrates
-consider the toxins in and around the home such as cleaning products (try using lemon, vinegar and baking soda), skincare and even containers (opt for BPA-free).
 
 what are good foods to choose / avoid for inflammation?
 
-A variety of fruit and vegetables. When you look into your trolly you should see an abundance of colour! They all provide antioxidants and different nutrients.
-Green tea.
-Tart cherry.
-Omega 3 fats (see above)
-Not only do herbs and spices add flavor to food, they can also reduce inflammation and boost immunity. Try: cinnamon, turmeric, cayenne, cumin, garlic, ginger.
 
Avoid alcohol, coffee, stress, packaged/processed foods, foods high in omega 6, saturated fats, trans fats, refined carbohydrates and MSG. Some people may benefit from eliminating or reducing gluten and dairy.
 
 are there any supps you'd recommend for hormones, digestion/ IBS, inflammation?
Some people may benefit from taking supplements.  The main ones I would suggest are B vitamins, omega 3s (fish oil), magnesium, probiotics and vitamin D.
 
If sleep came in a pill or there was a pill to reduce stress I would highly recommend it! Unfortunately there is no such thing. Take some steps towards these by:
 
-Having a sleep routine
-Reducing caffeine
-Doing things you enjoy (training, being outdoors, be mindful, learn to breathe, having a bath, reading a good book, garden, surround yourself with “your team” of positive family and friends, indulge your senses (as an example of smell, try using essential oils around the home).
 
 for IBS how long would you suggest people follow a low FODMAP diet to get symptoms under control?
-This is different for everyone. Most people should notice a difference within a week or 2 if it is going to help. However some people may benefit from staying on it for about 6-8 weeks. Like any “diet” or elimination process many people struggle to stay motivated. Therefore starting with 1-2 weeks and reassessing the symptoms might be a good place to start.
 
 any general tips for colitis / Crohn's disease/ celiacs disease?
-Keep a food diary (include digestion, mood and reations)
-Eat a diet high in antioxidants, fibre and good fats
-Reduce inflammation and improve gut health
-Keep weight at a healthy level
-Reduce toxins (pesticides, toxins, cigarettes, alcohol and harmful chemicals)
-Reduce stress and get enough sleep and rest
-Watch your caffeine & alcohol intake

When in high stress, adrenalin communicates to every cell in your body that your life is literally in danger so it diverts what is normally a good blood supply away from your digestive system to your arms and your legs because that will power you to get out of the danger that your body thinks you’re in. This is known as Fight or Flight. 

The sympathetic nervous system prepares the body for intense physical activity and is often referred to as the fight-or-flight response (think sharks chasing you!). The parasympathetic nervous system has almost the exact opposite effect and relaxes the body and inhibits or slows many high energy functions.
  
We don’t typically have sharks chasing us. However the sympathetic nervous system can be revved up by stress, running late, coffee, rushing around etc. Have you ever had to slam on the breaks and felt a rush or tingling sensation? That is adrenaline pumping through your body to go into fight or flight mode. Unfortunately over the day we can be exposed to many stressors. It’s important to recognise our stressors to help reduce our perception of the stress, avoid it or learn ways to reduce the stressor. Living in a constantly stressed out, adrenaline pumping body can lead to decreased gut health (example IBS), lack of energy, decreased immunity (colds, disease, aging skin) just to name a few.
 

• Sympathetic Nervous System: Fight or flight (sharks chasing you)
• Parasympathetic Nervous System: Rest and Digest (Restoring, calming)

 
To balance out our busy lives there are ways to create more “calm”. See list of ideas below. Everybody and every BODY is different and it’s about finding what works for you.
From the list you can them create personalised strategies to change unhealthy habits. If you would like more assistance please contact me. 
 
 
Stress and Sleep

Impactors

Lack of sleep or routine
Running late
Alcohol
Coffee
Poor gut health
Being organized
Life wheel being out of balance
Pain
Sugar
Light/devices
Temperate
Relaxing environment
Poor health
Sore muscles

Improvers

Adequate quality sleep
Relaxation
Meditation
Mindfulness
Essential Oils
Quality Nutrition/Gut Health
Appropriate exercise
Self care – paint toe nails, read a book, take a bath, get a massage, self massage
Gratitude
Have a cuddle
Play with your pet
Call a friend
Try something new
Be creative – paint, draw, colour
Read
Plan a trip
Get organised
B Vitamins
Magnesium

Easter is upon us. Chocolate and hot cross buns line the supermarket shelves.
Over the past week I’ve been having conversations about what Easter means to clients in terms of their eating habits.
Some people are worried about mindless chocolate snacking. Others considered Easter the best time to get outdoors and train, therefore food choices aren’t going to change. I also had people mention they weren’t phased by chocolate, they would however opt for a few hot cross buns. Therefore I’ve put together a couple of tips for the long weekend.
 
Tips for Easter:

• Stay active
• Consider starting a tradition of giving Pj’s or a plant instead of chocolate
• Try making some bliss balls for an alternative treat
• Stay mindful when eating treats. Think about what you’re doing. Enjoy the taste, texture, smell and eat slowly!
• After Easter, remove the excess chocolate from the house–turn your chocolate into a cake and take it into work on Tuesday to share with the office!
• Keep in mind hot cross buns contain over 200 calories with a high amount of sugar. To put this in perspective a piece of bread contains about 100 calories with far less sugar.
• Eat quality chocolate, and don’t be fooled by carob – it generally still contains added sugar.

​Tired? Not sleeping well? Looking for more energy?
 
It’s very easy to grab quick and convenient foods when busy, stressed or low on energy. However it’s even easier to overlook simple ways to improve your health, training and recovery thus pepping up your energy levels.
 
Magnesium is a critical mineral responsible for over 300 enzyme reactions and is found in all of your tissues, but mainly in your bones, muscles, and brain. You must have it for your cells to make energy, for many different chemical pumps to work, to stabilize membranes, and to help muscles relax.
 
See below for more reasons to increase your leafy green vegetables with your meat and rice at lunch or add to your morning smoothie. Even try throwing some nuts and seeds into your salads or stir fry in the evening.
 
Magnesium’s role:
 
Bone strength: Although vitamin D and calcium play the biggest roll in maintaining bone integrity, researchers have found that even a mild ongoing magnesium deficiency can lead to a significant amount of bone loss.
Enables energy production: Magnesium helps the body process and utilize carbohydrates better. As such, low magnesium status would be expected to have wide-ranging adverse effects on blood sugar control.
Nervous System: Magnesium plays a key role in the activity of our brain cell messages. Studies have shown that when magnesium in our diet is low, we have increased risk of depression due to these brain cell messengers.
Muscular: Magnesium plays a vital role in the functioning of muscles, especially in contraction and relaxation. One of the first signs of a magnesium deficiency is muscle spasms, tremors, cramps and weakness. Magnesium also plays a role in protein metabolism. Because protein is essential for the development of muscles, a lack of magnesium can also affect muscle growth. Many people find taking a magnesium supplement in the evening can assist with muscular relaxation and therefore improved sleep. Poor sleep quality has been shown to affect weight loss, energy levels, concentration and recovery, just to name a few.
Inflammation control: A diet low in magnesium has been linked to unwanted increases in the inflammatory process. While some amount of inflammation is necessary to support normal immune function and tissue repair after injury, chronic and low-grade inflammation has increasingly been tied to increased risk of heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.
 
Why are people deficient? Many of us eat a diet that contains practically no magnesium, a highly-processed, refined diet that is based mostly on white flour, meat, and dairy (all of which have no magnesium). When was the last time you had a good dose of sea vegetables (seaweed), nuts, greens, and beans?
Much of modern life conspires to help us lose what little magnesium we do in our diet. Magnesium levels are decreased by excess alcohol, salt, coffee, phosphoric acid in fizzy drink, profuse sweating, prolonged or intense stress, chronic diarrhea, excessive menstration, diuretics (water pills), antibiotics and other drugs, and some intestinal parasites.
This is all further complicated by the fact that magnesium is often poorly absorbed and easily lost from our bodies. To properly absorb magnesium we need a lot of it in our diet, plus enough vitamin B6 and selenium to get the job done.
 
Stop Draining Your Body of Magnesium
• Limit coffee, fizzy drink, salt, sugar, and alcohol
• Learn how to practice active relaxation
• Check with your doctor if your medication is causing magnesium loss (many high blood pressure drugs or diuretics cause loss of magnesium)
 
Eat Foods High in Magnesium
Include the following in your diet as often as you can:
• Kelp, spinach, wheat bran, wheat germ, almonds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, cashews, buckwheat, quinoa, brazil nuts, millet, pecans, walnuts, rye, tofu, soy beans, lima beans, kidney beans, brown rice, figs, dates, collard greens, avocado, parsley, beans, barley, and garlic.
 
You can take Magnesium Supplements
 

• Some may need much more depending on their condition.
• Most people benefit from 400mg day.
• The most absorbable forms are magnesium citrate, glycinate taurate, or aspartate.
• Avoid magnesium carbonate, sulfate, gluconate, and oxide. They are poorly absorbed (and the cheapest and most common forms found in supplements).
• Side effects from too much magnesium include diarrhea, which can be avoided if you switch to magnesium glycinate.
• Best taken before bed.
• Most minerals are best taken as a team with other minerals in a multi-mineral formula.
• Taking a hot bath with Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) is a good way to absorb and get much needed magnesium.
• People with kidney disease or severe heart disease should take magnesium only under a doctor's supervision.

 
​

Salt/Sodium
 
Do you ever go to buy salt and think, should I buy ionised or just plain salt?
Or should I completely omit it?
 
As stated in the New Zealand Eating Guidelines:
 
Choose and/or prepare foods and drinks:
 
•   with unsaturated fats instead of saturated fats
•   that are low in salt (sodium); if using salt, choose iodised salt
•   with little or no added sugar
 
Salt is a crystalline mineral made of two elements, sodium (Na) and chlorine (Cl).
Sodium and chlorine are absolutely essential for life in animals, including humans. They serve important functions like helping the brain and nerves send electrical impulses.
 
Most of the world’s salt is harvested from salt mines, or by evaporating sea water or other mineral-rich waters. Salt is used for various purposes, the most common of which is adding flavour to foods. Salt is also used as a food preservative, because bacteria have trouble growing in a salt-rich environment.
The reason salt is often perceived as unhealthy (in large amounts), is that it can bind water in the bloodstream and raise blood pressure. But even though studies have suggested that lowering salt intake can reduce blood pressure there is no evidence that lowering salt definitely prevents heart attacks, stroke or death.
 
Iodine is an essential nutrient for humans. Although only required in very small amounts, it is an important constituent of thyroid hormones. These hormones maintain the body’s metabolic state and support normal growth and development in children. As iodine is essential for normal brain development, it is particularly important that the unborn baby (fetus) and young children have adequate intakes.
 
The great majority of sodium in the Western diet comes from processed foods. In 1924 Iodine was added to table salt as people were becoming deficient. However due to the rise in processed food consumption containing a huge amount of salt (not typically iodised) and therefore less iodised salt used in the home there is once again a need to consider the amount of iodine we consume. 
 
To overcome this, aim to eat mostly whole and unprocessed foods. You can then control how much iodised salt you use. Or even better, use a small amount of pink Himalayan Salt which contains iodine, magnesium, zinc, iron and calcium. This is particularly beneficial for those who sweat profusely. If flavour is an issue, try flavouring your meals with extra herbs and spices.
 
Please note:
Dietary sources of iodine include seafood (fish, shellfish and seaweed), commercially prepared bread, iodised salt, milk and eggs. The Ministry of Health’s Food and Nutrition Guidelines for Healthy Adults: recommend choosing iodised salt when using salt, but do not recommend increasing overall salt intake.
 
For more individualised advice please see Nutritionist, Eleanor Browne or your Doctor.
 
Source: Ministry of Health
 
 

​Ingredients:
6T coconut oil
4T raw cacao   
3T nut butter (I like sunflower seed butter as its cheaper)
2T honey (I generally use 1T or sometimes even leave it out of I'm putting dried fruit it it)
1t vanilla extract/ peppermint / orange / what ever takes ur fancy /
Optional 1/2 cacao nibs if you want to re-create Whittakers berry biscuit chocolate
 
Instructions:
Mix all together to create a smooth consistency.
Pour into a lined fudge tray (or ice tray).
Allow to set in the fridge for 1-2 hours (or in the freezer it will be quicker). 

Thank you to Julia Wilkinson from Tones Yoga & Pilate for this recipe. 

​*You can use any nut butter eg. peanut butter, tahini, cashew... 

​Rapaki:
Approx. 6.5km return
Starts at corner of Centaurus Road and Rapaki road.
Gradual incline straight to the top.
 
Flower Track to Taylor’s Mistake:
Approx. 8km return
Start from Sumner. Track entrance at base of Scarborough Road.
Very steep windy track. Amazing view and pretty garden along the way.
 
Godley head track from Taylor’s Mistake:
Approx. 8km return to old cannon’s.
Start from the car park then travel along cliff edge.
Stunning undulating track.
 
Harry Ell:
Approx. 8km return.
Track start on the left side of the road just up from the Sign of the Takahe.
It heads up to the Sign of the Kiwi.
You can then return or continue along the road to the left along Summit road for more incline to the carpark.
Undulating to the top. Great views. Can be muddy but sheltered by trees.

SEE NEW ZEALAND INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT NEWSLETTER: HERE

We hear so much about Workplace Wellness, how can a programme benefit employee health and productivity?
 
The World Health Association defines Health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Employees are an integral part of a business therefore investing in their health and wellbeing can have a positive financial return. For a business this can be represented in increased productivity through reduced absenteeism, improved team cohesiveness, employee retention and reduced presenteesim.  Providing employees opportunities to improve their health can increase employee job satisfaction through feeling valued and supported which can also increase recruitment prospects.
 
What are some of the identifying factors that a company may be able to identify that would trigger them seeking advice on a wellness programme?
 
-High level of sick leave recorded
-High level of stress reported
-Increased injuries (workplace or non-workplace)
-Team in-cohesiveness
-Low employee retention rates
 
Do you believe a company can measure a return on a wellness programme and what would that look like?
 
You can’t manage what you can’t measure.  Accurate and credible evaluation of your wellness programme initiatives is crucial in order to quantify the benefits of the wellness programme to your company and measure return on investment.
 
Understanding the key drivers of your organisation will assist you to choose improvement priorities or outcomes that are important to your organisation. For example, it could be customer satisfaction and/or corporate social responsibility (e.g. banking industry); it could be to reduce the burden of absenteeism (e.g. manufacturing and blue collar); it could be innovation and retention of key staff (e.g. Government funded research agencies); improve morale and team work (e.g. retail); increase staff engagement and reduce presenteesim (e.g. call center environments).
 
Keep in mind data and markers of progress such as; attendance, weight loss, fitness and self-rated improvements in energy take time.  Therefore a successful wellness strategy takes time to be effective. Once the appropriate data has been collected, repeat the measure to calculate the return.
 
How can a company introduce a policy or programme with a few simple steps?
 
There are key elements of a successful program.
  
-Management Participation: They need also to be seen getting on board and involved.
-Develop an internal Wellness Committee (or individual “champion”): who will drive the program and rally staff.
-Identify the key drivers and then needs of an organisation. You can use an employee interest survey and health risk assessment (confidential).  
-Develop a clear plan to address these areas of health from the start to ensure the program has momentum and continues to engage staff. 
-Outsource: Depending on the needs and budget of an organisation consider outsourcing support and expertise. 
-Marketing and branding: Positive, fun and engaging communication (e.g. presentation from wellness provider) to introduce the program or policies. This gives employees the opportunity to raise concerns and develop an understanding of the benefits within the workplace.