born2movefaqs-blog-blog

[born2movefaqs-blog-blog]

Too old to train... Really?

The older you are the more important it is to train. We're all born to move beyond our 20's after all!

Ok so you might be at your physiological peak in your mid twenties but we're not talking about training to get rippling ab's, to bench 125kg or training to become a muscle bound, bikini wearing, greek goddess! No, we're talking about moving your body to maximise what it can do so you can live your life to the full. And more often than not you will look a whole lot better for it!

What happens when you age? In your 30's you start to notice that your body does not respond as well as it once did, the difference is subtle but it's definitely different. In your 40's it's harder still, fat accumulates far easier from eating the same foods you've eaten throughout your 30's. Entering your 50's your body starts to lose 1%-2% muscle mass per year (less muscle = reduced metabolic efficiency and accelerated fat gain), which equates to a massive 10%-20% reduction per decade.

eek! Don't fret age is not all doom and gloom! Some of the healthiest, leanest, good looking bodies we see in our gym are of those in their 40's and 50's! But it's because they work at it, which allows them to live their life in the body they want. 

Why bother? The reason we say it is even more important to train as you age is because of these ageing stat's. A loss of muscle tissue means an increase in fat tissue due to physiological adaptations in your body. As a concequense your body will be at a higher risk of accelerated ageing, lack energy and most concerning it will increase your chance of suffering all sorts of chronic disease!

When you're in your twenties age is on your side -it's relatively easy to stay lean, fit and healthy but as you age you have to work harder at it. So don't think training is for kids, it's actually the opposite. Kids can get away with it, we just have to work a little harder and learn to love the process, which is possible I promise!

born2move You, improved. 

[born2movefaqs-blog-blog]

Sweet potato, why make the change?

We now know that eating 'low fat' and 'diet' versions of food isn't going to make us lose weight and drop body fat. People are realising more and more that sugar, and simple carbohydrate in particular, is making the world a fatter place.

Unfortunately for all the jacket potato, chip and mash fans out there potatoes are one example of a complex carbohydrate that acts like a simple one. Now I'm not advocating that potatoes are as bad as eating a round of white bread sandwiches but due to their starchy nature I am afraid to say they still need to be reduced to a minimum or eliminated altogether if you wish to see fantastic fat loss results. 

'So what am I going to eat if I can't eat potatoes!?'

This is a question we get asked regularly by clients and my simple answer is to suggest replacing white potatoes with sweet potatoes. Now this doesn't mean that sweet potatoes should be eaten in excess or that deep frying a sweet potato makes chips healthy; this is just a suggestion of how to make that leap to cutting out the potato and simple carbohydrate.

'Why sweet potato? Surely it has more sugar in it than a normal potato?'

Again a common question asked by clients and one I can understand given the name 'sweet potato.' Unlike when carefully choosing your fruit and veg, the glycemic index is not the only important issue here. However, it should be noted that a sweet potato does have a lower glycemic index than the common potato and as such is a much healthier choice:

Glycemic index of root crops 

Sweet potato, 54

Boiled potato, 56

New potato, 57

Mashed potato, 70

Baked potato, 85

http://www.southbeach-diet-plan.com/glycemicfoodchart.htm

Choosing food that is lower on the GI scale promotes normal blood sugar levels and enables the body to stay in a fat burning mode.

On top of this the reason why the sweet potato is a better choice lies in the way it is broken down in our bodies.

White potatoes behave like simple sugars: they break down quickly into glucose and cause a sharp insulin response. The sharp insulin response is due to the starch, which is made up of long strings of glucose, being rapidly digested.

The sweet potato on the other hand digests slowly, causing a gradual rise in blood sugar. This leaves you feeling satisfied for longer. It will reduce insulin spikes and troughs leading to fewer cravings, a more efficient digestion process and ultimately a healthier, leaner body. 

The final nail in the potato's coffin

Not only does the sweet potato digest slower in the body and rank lower on the glycemic index table, it also has much higher nutritional benefits. 

Nutritionists at the CSPI (Center for Science in the Public Interest) ranked the sweet potato as the number one vegetable for nutrition. Factors considered were: 'the content of dietary fibre, naturally occurring sugars and complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, iron and calcium. fat content (especially saturated fat), sodium, cholesterol, added refined sugars and caffeine' The outcome of their study was that the sweet potato recorded a score of 184 with the second placed vegetable scoring just 83.

Sweet potatoes are high in beta-carotene, vitamin A, vitamin B6 and vitamin C; fibre, thiamine, niacin, potassium and copper. They are also a good source of protein, calcium, vitamin E. A sweet potato delivers twice the RDA of vitamin A, 42% of the recommended vitamin C and when eaten with the skin on provides more fibre than oatmeal.    

The high levels of Vitamin A and beta-carotene means sweet potatoes are a fantastic for your skin. 'The substances on many pricey skin-care products like retinol and retinoic acid are actually derived from Vitamin A. Plus beta-carotene combats the free radicals which result skin ageing.'

Put simply, while some nutritional changes are hard, costly or time-consuming, swapping white potato for sweet potato is easy. 

They are readily available from all supermarkets and you can treat a sweet potato just like a regular one; mashed, baked, boiled, wedgies and roasted they taste great! 

By Ali Crawford born2move ltd. 

References.

http://www.naturalnews.com/034135_sweet_potatoes_nutrition.html

http://www.foodreference.com/html/sweet-pot-nutrition.htm

http://www.livestrong.com/article/535879-the-nutrition-for-diabetics-in-a-sweet-potato-vs-a-baked-potato

http://www.janetzappala.com/ask-coach-2/white-vs-sweet-potatoes-the-glycemic-index

http://www.southbeach-diet-plan.com/glycemicfoodchart.htm

[born2movefaqs-blog-blog]

Top 10 Worst Nutrition & Dietary Mistakes People Make

Tom (one of born2move's super duper Trainers) just sent me a great link titled 'Top 10 Worst Nutrition & Dietary Mistakes People Make'. Nora Gedgaudas, the author of this post and someone that born2move have leant a lot from over the years has nailed it. She discusses the top 10 mistakes that people believe to be true that are actually leading to ill health and fat gain. We like this post so much because what she talks about rings so true with peoples misconceptions around health and well-being here at born2move. 

Here are the top 10 mistakes she discusses in here blog, sound familiar?

1. Relying on superficial descriptions such as 'natural' or even 'organic' on labels to determine whether a food is truly healthy.

2. Relying on the media, your doctor or even 'conventional' nutritionists/dieticians to provide accurate nutritional information.

3. Believing that junk food/alcohol 'in moderation' is ok.

4. Following 'government guidelines' or 'The Food Pyramid' for healthy eating.

5. Thinking that being 'slim' means you are healthy - using weight as your litmus of good health.

6. Using vitamins to 'make up for' unhealthy eating habits.

7. Believing that exercise can 'make up for' unhealthy eating habits.

8. The belief that 'genetics is destiny'.

9. The belief that eating healthy means having to give up enjoyment of food, good flavour, fat dietary cholesterol or animal source foods.

10. The belief or assumption that eating a quality diet is too expensive or too difficult or too complicated to maintain. 

To read nora's full blog click this link: Primal Body Primal Mind

[born2movefaqs-blog-blog]

Why do you recommend sleep, de-stressing and daily R&R so much when all I want is fat loss

On a very basic level stress makes you fat! Ok that was a bit dramatic.

Stress alone won’t cause you to pile on the pounds but stress is a very important part of the fat loss equation. A great diet and diligent exercise routine are never wasted effort, but chronic high stress can put a serious damper on the benefits you should be getting from your healthy endeavors (Mark Sissons, 2011).

The reason stress can impact on your fat loss efforts is because of it’s effect on your bodies endocrine system (aka your hormones). When under stress (even a constant low level) the body releases the stress hormone; cortisol, which jacks up your glucose levels (insulin). Due to the high levels of insulin and cortisol receptors on your stomach (cortisol) and around your love handles (insulin) excess fat storage occurs. Have you ever seen that type A personality guy, the one always rushing from meeting to meeting with a big pop belly?? CORTISOL!

If you are struggling to strip body fat and you’re stressed out of your eyeballs you must address it. 

[born2movefaqs-blog-blog]

Why are fish oils (omega-3's) so important for fat loss?

Quite simply, every single person will benefit from adding a high quality fish oil supplement to their diet!

Omega-3s “burn body fat in 3 different ways”

“First off, they allow the body to burn fat in situations where fat burning is turned off, such as after a high-carb meal or after high-intensity exercise (where the body preferentially burns glycogen).” 

“Secondly, high amounts of omega-3s increase insulin sensitivity. If your body is sensitive to insulin, less insulin is produced after a meal, which means less fat is stored. Similarly, if the body is sensitive to insulin, and the hormone is properly managed, more stored fat is released and incinerated each day.” 

“Thirdly, omega-3s increase the heat of your cellular “furnaces”, which are otherwise known as the mitochondria and the peroxisomes. Omega-3s make these organelles burn more and more energy, thus turning you into a fat-burning machine.”  As if that weren’t enough to convince you, including more omega 3 in your diet is considered one of the simplest and most effective ways to reduce inflammation. This doesn’t just mean in relation to sports injuries. We’re talking headaches, everyday muscular aches, chronic joint pain, arthritis, poor exercise recovery and repetitive strain injuries. What’s more, if you’re not consuming foods high in omega 3, or a good quality omega 3 supplement, then not only are you not helping reduce inflammation, you’re actually compounding the problem! History shows us that humans living ‘in nature’ would typically consume around 35-40 grams of omega 3 each day, a ratio equivalent to the amount of omega 6 in their diet. This ratio is crucial to every aspect of your health – from your ability to build hormones, to your energy levels, your sex drive, the quality of your sleep, and most certainly your moods. But that’s just the start of it. According to Charles Poliquin, every single disease or illness known to man is positively affected by the introduction of more omega 3’s in your diet. The problem is, it’s not so simple to consume that perfect 1:1 (omega 3 to omega 6) ratio these days. In fact, recent research shows that most people are eating nearer to a 1:20 ratio, which is not only nowhere near what we should be consuming, but ratios like that can actually be damaging. What’s even more alarming is how easy it is to unknowingly sabotage your health and your body fat. 

Let’s look at where you find omega-3 essential fatty acids. They’re most commonly found in natural animal foods such as fish, eggs, seeds, beef, and – to a lesser degree – green vegetables, especially the dark green ones, and there are three main types of omega 3’s:

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA): EPA is found primarily in fish (bigger fish) and fish oil. 

Docosahexanoic Acid (DHA): DHA is especially important to your body, and is also found primarily in fish (smaller fish) and fish oil. 

Alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA): ALA is found mostly in seeds, vegetable oils, and leafy green vegetables. It is converted into EPA and then into DHA in your body. 

Doesn’t sound that hard, does it? Eat some fish, get your veggies in, and don’t miss out on the red meat now and then. Maybe a few capsules from time to time to top you up.

Don’t be so sure. The quality of the foods you’re eating plays a drastic role in the omega 3 content. What’s more, even the freshest, oiliest, best quality (wild as opposed to farmed or genetically modified) fish – salmon, for example – only has 2.6 grams of omega 3 per 100grams. Just how much fish are you going to eat each day to get your 35-40 grams? At those levels, you’d need to consume almost 2 kilos of fish a day. And if you’re overweight or suffering with any health complaint, you may need even more than that!

Of course, you could vary it with some beef or eggs, but first make sure you check out this chart. It depicts quite clearly how cattle fed on grain (a totally unnatural feed for these animals), can in 3-6 months lose all their omega 3 fatty acids.

Also, the same rule applies with cage and even some free-range eggs. Couple this information with the knowledge that all food processing not only reduces omega-3 but increases omega 6 and you have a sure recipe for a fatter and less happy you.

So what to do? Quality really does matter. In fact its crucial to your fat lose goals and your overall health.

Here are some ways to make sure you do your best with omega 3 from your diet:

When you can control it, only eat organic and grass-fed meat. 

Only eat wild organic fish. Other fish need to be kept to a minimum as they will contain high levels of mercury (highly toxic!). When you choose seafood go for the smaller oilier fish. 

Eat green veggies at 3 meals each day. 

Animal protein is a must at least 4 times per day (yep, that does mean eating meat and veg for breakfast, you will feel great) 

Only eat seeds or nuts that are raw (cooking destroys the Omega-3 EFA’s) and organic (otherwise they are irradiated, which also destroys the Omega 3 content). 

Eliminate processed foods or foods containing trans fats. You already know there’s more than a handful of reasons why these ‘foods’ are not good for you, and now you have one more. Even when sticking to the above, you will still be in need of a high quality supplement. It’s a crucial way to ensure you have adequate levels of Omega 3 EFA’s. We never ever buy supplements off the shelf, and wouldn’t recommend you do either. 

We believe everybody should supplement with Omega 3 capsules or liquid and the results we’ve had using this with our clients speak for themselves. Of course cavemen didn’t need to down capsules or liquid, but they lived an all-pure 100% organic lifestyle. It’s not only bad foods that rob you of Omega 3’s, but toxins, chemicals and everyday stress which is about 100 times what it used to be. 

The quality of fish oil you take is super important. You can buy the highest quality fish oils available from the following link:

Omega-3 Fish Oils

[born2movefaqs-blog-blog]

Why is the cleansing so important for long term fat loss?

Even if you eat the highest quality food available, you stick to the born2move nutrition programme rigorously, you train effectively 4-6 times per week, you go to bed and wake up on time, you de-stress every day, you drink your require level of double back filtered watered every day and take all your supplements consistently you still might not be able to lose weight or achieve optimal health. No matter how healthy you are you will still experience internal and external toxin exposure that builds up inside your body preventing fat loss. This build up can occur very quickly in unhealthy individuals but if you're really looking after yourself the build up will take 3-6 months before you need to do something about it i.e., rejuvenate your internal environment.

Your digestive system is one of the most important detoxification pathways and as a result should be a major focus for a complete cleanse. The health of your digestive system is also incredibly important to assimilate foods (send nutrients to the right places) and deal with catabolic effects (accelerated ageing) from exercise.

Your digestive system is arguably the most important system in the body and you have to make sure it is in good working order from day one in order to achieve the best results. No matter who you are born2move recommend you begin any body transformation programme with a total body cleanse last between 1-2 weeks and then repeat this process every 3-6 months thereafter. 

There are a number of cleanse programme that we love but our favourite is the 10 day Healthy Starter Programme+ from Nature's Sunshine. This cleanse is our favourite for many reasons but mostly because it fits alongside normal food, easy to follow, does not require too much preparation and most importantly it works to support every detoxification pathway throughout the entire body. The Healthy Starter Pack+ is a powerful and effective ten day course of five cleansing herbal products which collectively help cleanse the whole body of cellular waste.  Healthy Starter Pack Contains: • Psyllium Hulls • Digestive Health • Liver Health • Cranberry & Buchu Combination • HS II Liquid Chlorophyll is a great tasting ‘minty drink’ which the whole family can  enjoy throughout the day. Chlorophyll is the substance responsible for a plant’s green colour. Among its many benefits, Chlorophyll is a good natural cleanser and it helps eliminate body odour.  Add Liquid Chlorophyll to water for a great tasting drink that has effective cleansing properties, making it a valued addition to your cleanse programme. Probiotic Eleven is a milk-free, potent probiotic supplement, providing important strains of friendly flora which naturally inhabit the intestinal tract. These aid the digestion and absorption of nutrients, and help to maintain a healthy immune function.  Probiotic Eleven provides billions of beneficial intestinal micro-organisms that offer a whole range of health benefits. It contains 6.5 billion friendly micro-organisms, including  lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacterium longum. Nature’s Sunshine’s Probiotic capsules are enteric coated which means they release the friendly bacteria in the intestines where it is needed and not in the stomach.

You can purchase the Healthy Starter Programme from born2move or via our online shop. 

[born2movefaqs-blog-blog]

Why should I take supplements?

Why shouldn’t you take supplements is a probably a more appropriate question. Many people respond to this by saying you can get all you need from a balanced diet. This is very bad advice for two main reasons:

Who eats a balanced diet? When people say eat a balanced diet have you ever wondered what that means...? A balanced diet requires a perfect balance of the 3 macronutrients and thousands of micronutrients at every meal - even if you are eating incredibly healthy grass fed meats and bio-dynamic vegetable sources this perfect balance would be impossible to achieve. 

Not possible in the modern day - we once lived in a world where food was naturally free from pesticides, herbicides fungicides, GM foods and pollution. Unfortunately this time passed us by about 10,000 years ago and is getting worse and worse by the day. This has had a serious effect even on the highest grade of food available today (biodynamic - grade above organic). Our soil and air quality is so poor today it is impossible to grow foods how mother nature once intended. Throw into the mix all the preservatives, sweeteners, processes, stabalisers, hormones and genetically modified organisms now used by food manufacturers we all need support no matter how good our nutrition is. 

As an absolute basic day to day supplement protocol you should use a high quality, organically sourced, pesticide free multi-vitamin (Super Supplemental), Omega-3 fish oil and a greens drink (liquid chlorophyll (or Green Zone - born2move’s personal favorite). You can purchase all of these supplements at a 20% discount from born2move studio's or via our online shop www.born2moveshop.com  

[born2movefaqs-blog-blog]

What percentage of proteins, carb's and fats should I eat at every meal?

There is not one definitive rule and everyone has different opinions. However, we have a ratio we believe is optimal and one that will achieve the greatest results. It's important to note that this is simply a guide and everyone is slightly different. 

We recommend you aim for:

60% carbohydrates (from 10-15 portions of veg per day and small amounts of fruit)

25% proteins (from organic animal sources but mainly fish)

15% fats (oils, fish, omega-3 supplements, seeds, nuts, avocados etc)

Important note: Omega-3 supplements

We don't consider Omega-3's a supplement. We consider them a food due to the huge deficiencies and massive health benefits associated with omega-3 fish oils. If you had to put oils in order of importance for optimal health they would come second behind water. 

Make sure you source omega-3 supplements correctly. They must be high grade, organic, from wild fish, stored in dark/cool places, in dark bottles and NOT extracted from the liver of the fish! You pay for quality so the £5 for 100 capsules from your local high street shop or supermarket are NOT the fish oils we recommend!! 

There are a number of fantastic suppliers but we personally recommend the following oils for their excellent quality assurance and value for money:

Omega-3's you can trust!

[born2movefaqs-blog-blog]

Can I eat too much protein?

Yes you can eat too much protein. Use the following calculation to work out your daily protein requirements:

(body weight (kg) x 0.8) x 4 = you weight of animal protein based food in grams per day

It’s incredibly important to note that your source of protein is key. Non organic, grass fed protein sources like battery farmed chickens, grain fed cattle etc might even lead to excessive fat gain and negative effects on your health.

[born2movefaqs-blog-blog]

What should I have after training?

Within 20 minutes of finishing a workout your body is primed to make optimal use of post workout nutrition. Organic, clean (no sweeteners) shakes are ideal because you can get it down you straight after training and they require no preparation. This will aid recovery and enhance your results - fat loss and lean muscle development.

Do not dillydally; instead, have your shake straight away for immediately replenishment - you won’t get everything out of your workout if you skip this step. MAKE THIS A POST WORKOUT RITUAL!!!! 

You can purchase fantastic quality post workout shakes from the born2move gym, via our online supplement shop or purchase a post workout shake from our shake bar straight after training.

[born2movefaqs-blog-blog]

What should I snack on?

Nuts, seeds, raw vegetables and leftovers from dinner (the night before) and lunch (in the afternoon around 3-4pm). Go to the born2move food blog for inspiration: http://born2move.tumblr.com/

[born2movefaqs-blog-blog]

Where do I get my carb's from if I'm not eating bread, pasta and rice?

Nutritionally dense sources of carbohydrates - vegetables are the preferred choice and fruits are second. Don’t go crazy on fruits in the absence of fats or proteins (e.g. have fruits with nuts and seeds). The danger of having fruit on its own is the natural sugar content of fruit causing insulin spikes and cravings for other sugary things that are less healthy (devoid of nutritional value like chocolate).

Only eat English fruits because these fruits have a lower sugar content (apples, pears, plums and ALL berries - the number 1 fruit choice!) and freely consume an abundance of organic vegetables!

[born2movefaqs-blog-blog]

What's the best time to train?

Try your best not to train too late as exercise raises cortisol levels and can effect your sleep. With that said if training late is your only option than still commit to the training. However, if you have the option to training before 6pm than go for it! Training before breakfast is also a popular time for people that work a 9-5. Make sure you have a workout feed before you train to prep your body to maximise the workout. Good pre breakfast workout feed might look like this:

Pre Training Upon waking - 500ml water 10mins later - apple or a banana with almond nut butter 30mins later - train 

Post Training Immediately after workout - lactose, grain, sugar free whey protein (Nutri Burn) within 30mins - breakfast 

[born2movefaqs-blog-blog]

Why is bread and pasta bad?

We are simply not designed to consume the volume of bread and pasta (and any other grain based products for that matter) in the quantities that we are today! 99.99% of a genes were developed before agriculture (agriculture began 10000 years ago). Everything that we eat causes our genes to respond positively (lean, healthy, high energy, positivity, muscular, optimal, longevity etc) or negatively (fat, lazy, depressed, anxious, unhappy, low energy, cellulite, accelerated aging etc). When we eat substances (bread and pasta for example) that are essentially foreign to our genetic make up our body will not achieve the body shape that you have always dreamed of.   

Here are just some problems with bread and in particular gluten (note: gluten free flour based products are a little better but should also be avoided! See FAQ ‘Is healthy bread ok to eat, it’s gluten free and how about other gluten free foods?’): 

Leads to insulin and leptin spikes causing chronic ill health, accelerated aging and FAT GAIN, eek!

Grains lead to deficiencies in minerals including calcium, iron, magnesium and zinc

Grains contain thyroid-inhibiting substances, as well as ‘foreign proteins like gluten and gladin - extremely common source of allergies and sensitivities that can lead to both physical and mental or emotional disorders. 

Gluten can effect all organ systems (including your brain, heart and kidneys), your extended nervous system, your moods, your digestive system, and even your musculoskeletal system - negatively effecting the way your muscles form and how your body is shaped! 

This short list of problems is literally only scratching the surface. Bottom line is avoid grain and in particular gluten as it will simply act as a barrier to what you really want; a fit, healthy, lean, strong, energy filled improved, you.

[born2movefaqs-blog-blog]

Surf & Turf Salad (warm)

Steak, crab, spring onions, spinach, sugar snaps, tomatoes, roasted pine nuts, ev olive oil, balsamic vinegar 

[born2movefaqs-blog-blog]

Is healthy bread ok to eat?

NO! Not even if it's gluten free. There is not such thing as healthy bread. Gluten is one of the most destructive substances you can put in your body and bread manufacturers have capitalised on this by producing gluten free bread. However, their are still problems with this:

The bread will still lead to insulin spikes causing fat gain and sleepiness.

Oats, corn and cornstarch are typically considered a good gluten free source by some but they are still potentially suspect to inherent cross reactivity issues, even when they may be sold as gluten-free products

Buckwheat and soy flours are almost always contaminated with gluten due to processing and storage methods

The safest way to avoid gluten (one of the most damaging things you can put in your body) is to avoid anything that contains grain, period!

[born2movefaqs-blog-blog]

Is decaf coffee ok?

No, it’s heavily processed and toxic. It will increase acid levels and stimulate insulin spikes. If you are going to drink coffee drink it before 4pm, make sure it’s black, no sugar, small, organic and limited yourself to 1 small cup per day.