Monday, 17 October 2011

Tips for Sticking To Your Weightloss Programme





Colette Morris  SAC Dipl. (Diet &Nutrition)
LFGC Founder
    
Get a 10% discount on Herbalife Products at our Online Herbalife Shop - http://healthyweightloss.herbalcoach.com/  
Colette Morris is a qualified Nutritionist and Herbalife Independent Distributor so if you want advice on your diet for weight loss, weight gain or sports nutrition, email LondonFitGirlsClub@gmail.com  or simply click on the tab here  to join our program. 

Sunday, 16 October 2011

Diet Questions Time Sundays - All About Raw Food Diets


As we are about to start our Raw Food Detox, I thought it would be good to share some background to Raw Foods.

Why Eat Raw Food?

The Rawfood diet has been around for a few years now, it is a diet based on the beliefthat eating raw foods are more healthy for your body.  Cooking foods can diminish its nutritionalcontent and value. Certain vitamins are destroyed by heat.  Although most food is eaten raw, heating foodis acceptable as long as the temperate stays below 104 to 118 Fahrenheit.

A raw food detox can be very energizing and appealing. Instead of eatingprocessed foods that only ten to fill your body with toxins, on a raw fooddetox you will eat lots more fresh fruits and vegetables that will help yourbody get rid of these toxins, and which will help you feeling more energisedand healthier. 

Your body is always in the process of cleansing out the toxins, but it canonly do so much, especially if you continue to consume the foods that containthe toxins your body has just cleansed itself off.  However, a raw diet helps to replace thetoxic foods with clean foods, and helps to speed up the detoxification process.

On this diet, you are consuming only fresh fruits and vegetables, which aremade up primarily of water. Because the body doesn’t need to work very hard todigest these foods, the body has the ability to remove the toxins at thecellular level. But this is not going to be easy, your body will still cravethe toxins that it has become accustomed to, such as cakes, sweets,coffee.  You may experience skin problemsin the first few days, headaches, tiredness and some nausea.  The first few days can be rough, but bydrinking lots of water, continuing to eat and exercise you will find you feelbetter than you did before going on the programme.

What Do I Eat On a Raw Food Diet?


There are different ways that people follow a raw food diet. Most people whofollow a raw food diet are vegan. Some consume raw animal products, such as rawmilk, cheese made from raw milk, sashimi, ceviche (raw fish), or carpaccio (rawmeat). Some people eat only raw foods, while others include cooked food forvariety and convenience. The percentage of raw food is usually 70 percent ormore of the diet.

Fruits


Staple fruits include:

  • Apple
  • Avocado
  • Banana
  • Blueberry
  • Dates
  • Grapes
  • Lemon
  • Lime
  • Mango
  • Orange
  • Raisins
  • Raspberry
  • Strawberry
  • Young coconut

Vegetables


Staple vegetables include:

  • Bell peppers: red, orange, yellow
  • Celery
  • Garlic
  • Ginger
  • Jalapeno pepper
  • Kale
  • Lettuce
  • Onion
  • Spinach
  • Tomato
  • Zucchini

Nuts and Seeds


Dried, raw, and preferably organic.

  • Almonds
  • Cashews
  • Macadamia nuts
  • Pine nuts
  • Flax seeds
  • Chia seeds
  • Hemp seeds
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Raw almond butter
  • Nut "nutter"
  • Nut "milks"
  • Seed crackers (e.g. chia, flax)

Grains


  • Millet
  • Buckwheat
  • Quinoa
  • Oats
  • Cereal
  • Granola
  • Bread

Beans and Legumes


Dried, raw, and preferably organic.

  • Lentils
  • Chickpeas
  • Adzuki beans
  • Mung beans

Oil


  • Cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil
  • Raw, virgin coconut oil
  • Raw coconut butter
  • Chia oil

Beverages


  • Water
  • Vegetable or fruit juice – freshly squeezed or frozen, unpasteurized
  • Young coconut water
  • Herbal tea (made with water heated to less than 118 F)

Miscellaneous


  • Young coconut
  • Carob powder
  • Raw cacao nibs
  • Raw protein powder
  • Raw vegan ice cream
  • Fermented foods such as miso, kimchee and sauerkraut

Herbs, Spices, and Condiments


  • Bragg’s raw apple cider
  • Bragg’s liquid aminos
  • Cayenne pepper
  • Celtic sea salt
  • Chocolate, raw
  • Cinnamon, ground
  • Cumin, ground or seeds
  • Curries
  • Dill
  • Nama shoyu (raw soy sauce)
  • Raw honey
  • Himalayan salt
  • Seaweed
  • Sundried tomato
  • Vinegars

Sweeteners


  • Raw honey
  • Agave nectar
  • Coconut nectar
  • Stevia
  • Date sugar
  • Yacon

Animal Products


**In addition to plant foods, some raw foodists eat raw animal foods such asraw eggs, fish and meat, and non-pasteurized, non-homogenized milk, yogurt andcheese.

  • Fish
  • Beef
  • Spence and Co. gravlax
  • Proscuitto
  • Milk
  • Raw milk cheese
  • Organic egg

**Consuming raw or undercooked meat, fish, milk, or eggs products mayincrease your risk of foodborne illness.

Don't forget to sign up to our 5 day Raw Food detox.... Click on the tab at the top of this blog...  http://londonfitgirls.blogspot.com/p/join-our-5-day-detox.html

Colette Morris  SAC Dipl. (Diet &Nutrition)
LFGC Founder
    
Get a 10% discount on Herbalife Products at our Online Herbalife Shop - http://healthyweightloss.herbalcoach.com/ 
Colette Morris is a qualified Nutritionist and Herbalife Independent Distributor so if you want advice on your diet for weight loss, weight gain or sports nutrition, email LondonFitGirlsClub@gmail.com  or simply click on the tab here  to join our program. 

Saturday, 15 October 2011

At The Gym Getting Ready For My Detox

Hello Peeps, there's no pain without gain! Here I am at the gym getting ready for our 5 day detox which is kicking off Monday.

Don't forget to sign up to receive your emails. Click on the tab at the top of this blog!

Count Down to 5 Day Detox.... Whose In?

 Yep, it's getting to that time of year when the christmas parties will soon be upon us.  Rather than wait until the last minute to find you have gained a few extra pounds and can't get into any of your party dresses, wny not come and join us on a 5 day detox and 30 day weight loss programme. 

Sign up below to get your daily instructions and menu to aid you with our 5 day programme. 
















Note that there is a two day lead into the programme which will help you to prepare your body to get rid of all the toxins gathered throughout the year. 

Why wait until after Christmas to go on a diet!  Come join us now and lose the weight, so eating over the holidays won't matter....




Colette Morris  SAC Dipl. (Diet &Nutrition)
LFGC Founder
    
Get a 10% discount on Herbalife Products at our Online Herbalife Shop - http://healthyweightloss.herbalcoach.com/  
Colette Morris is a qualified Nutritionist and Herbalife Independent Distributor so if you want advice on your diet for weight loss, weight gain or sports nutrition, email LondonFitGirlsClub@gmail.com  or simply click on the tab here  to join our program. 

Saturday, 8 October 2011

Diet Question Time Sundays – What Can I Do About Flatulence ?

 Thisis a very interesting question I have been asked time and again. So let's lookat what flatulence is all about, what are the causes , and what foods can weavoid to eat as well as some tips on how to avoid flatulence.

So let's look atsome of the causes :

Thereare mainly three main causes for flatulence
·       This could be swallowing more air than usual
·       or eating food that is difficult to digest
·       or  if you already have anunderlying health condition that affects your digestive system.

Swallowing Air: -
It isperfectly normal to swallow air while breathing and eating, sometimes it iseasy to swallow a little more usual without realising it.  For instance chewing gum or smoking  causes you to inhale more air than you wouldnormally, or even sucking on things in your mouth like pen tops, or your fingercan also cause you to inhale large amounts of air, and the biggest cause  not chewing your food  properly and thoroughly may cause you toswallow more air if you just tend to swallow large pieces of food and not chewslowly.

Eating  food that is hard to digest:

Herewe look at food that is hard to digest and which causes flatulence.
Muchof the foods that we eat are made up of carbohydrates, and some carbohydratescannot be digested easily  , these areknown as an insoluable carbohydrates . 
Foodsthat contain a high amount of an insoluable carbohydrates include
beans,broccoli, cabbage, raisins, pulses, lentils, prunes, apples, and the all timefavourite brussels sprouts.

Underlying health conditions: - 

Ifyou have underlying health conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Coelicor bloating or other bowel conditions, you may wish to see your clinician or anutritionist to improve your dietary requirements. 

Tips to help improve flatulence:

Eatsmaller regular meals, it is recommended by most nutritionists to each up tosix small meals per day.  Eating smallermeals will help your digest system become more efficient as it is processing smalleramounts of food more efficiently than have larger meals.
Trychewing your food longer and slower, this will reduce the amount of air thatyou swallow with your food, and will also break down the food into much moresmaller digestible pieces. 

Avoidchewing gum, because you swallow air when you are chewing. It is never a goodidea to eat chewing gum when your stomach is empty as you are just churning upmore gastric acid and wind. 

Drinkcarbonated water occasionally, because when your burp it has a relievingeffect.

Eatyour main meal of the day early, try to avoid eating late, as lying down aftera meal increases the build-up of gases and they can more easily enter yourbowel from your stomach.

Regularexercise is essential to help your body function more effectively.   Exercise is important as it helps ourrespiratory system, and circulatory system and our digestive system. Exercisehas been found to be the most effective remedy of flatulence.

SO now its your turn, if you suffer from Flatulence, what tips can you give to others.... comments in my comments box below :)




Colette Morris  SAC Dipl. (Diet &Nutrition)
LFGC Founder
    
Get a 10% discount on Herbalife Products at our Online Herbalife Shop - http://healthyweightloss.herbalcoach.com/ 
Colette Morris is a qualified Nutritionist and Herbalife Independent Distributor so if you want advice on your diet for weight loss, weight gain or sports nutrition, email LondonFitGirlsClub@gmail.com  or simply click on the tab here  to join our program. 

Tuesday, 4 October 2011

7 Tips to Speed Up Metabolism



  1. Step up your exercise routine.  Be more active, step up your activities do more cardio and interval training and toning as this will certainly get your metabolism going.
  2. Green Tea is another great way to speed up your metabolism.  Green tea is a thermogetic drink.  It raises the body temperature slightly which in turn speeds up your metabolism.It also contains caffeine which is a diuretic and will also help to speed up your metabolism.
  3. Eat regular meals. Ensure you space out your meals and eat 6 - 8 regular meals per day, this will help to keep your blood sugar stable. There is medical evidence that suggests eating small regular meals throughout the day, rather than one or two large meals, may help to keep your metabolism ticking over.
  4. If you love spicy foods, then why not add a chilli or two.  Again research shows that chillies heats up the body temperature which in turn will kick start your metabolism and keep it ticking over for a couple of hours after you have eaten.
  5. Eating proteins will ensure that you don't slide back into eating cakes and biscuits, and will also protein burns off pretty easily. 
  6. Getting into a sauna, hot tub or steam room will also get your metabolism running, not only will you lose sweat , but the heat will help to break down fat. 
  7. The opposite is also true, to take a dip into a chilled pool, again the body will try to heat itself up and as a consequence your metabolism speeds up. 
 
So there you are 7 useful tips to help you kickstart your metabolism, let me know how you get on.  Share your tips in my comments below..
 
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Colette Morris  SAC Dipl. (Diet &Nutrition)
LFGC Founder
    
Get a 10% discount on Herbalife Products at our Online Herbalife Shop - http://healthyweightloss.herbalcoach.com/ 

Colette Morris is a qualified Nutritionist and Herbalife Independent Distributor so if you want advice on your diet for weight loss, weight gain or sports nutrition, email LondonFitGirlsClub@gmail.com  or simply click on the tab here  to join our program. 

Monday, 3 October 2011

Night Adventure With 10,000 Others

 
Hi, Colette here from theLondon Fit Girls Club UK.  Yesterday 1stof October Stephanie and I along with 10,000 others completed a night walk forthe Cancer Research Society.  The nightwas packed with amazing people who had gone through major challenges offighting cancer, some beating it, whilst others were fighting, and othersrecovering from it. 

Many of those who came out onthe walk had lost loved ones or friends to Cancer one way or another.  Let’s face it who hasn’t been affected by this atrocious illness.  However with the advancement of technologysome cancers can be detected really early and the prognosis for recover isexcellent. 
I started out 8.30pmyesterday evening to meet Stephanie at the Indigo 02.  Our journey was severely hampered by thetransport services who had decided that weekend to do extensive work on anumber of tube stations, which meant buses where running instead of the tube!Arghhhh!  The Jubilee line was up thecreek, so was the Northern Line via Bank, Metropolitan line was out betweenHarrow Weald and Baker Street, and even the district line had delays….
Not withstanding thisStephanie and I set out with a determination to get to the event.  So here we are after we both made it despitethe transport nightmare in London that weekend.


We had fun warming up withall the others who were there to walk 13 miles. Our photo’s were taken by official photographers, we felt so special,but in reality the special people are the ones battling the illness of cancer,or those that have beaten the big C.

We were split into three different groups;
·       Speed Walkers
·       Striders
·       Strollers
You had the Speed Walkers whowere up for breaking records, and were expected to complete the course in 3-4hours then there were the striders, those who had an upbeat walk, although notas fast as those speedwalkers.  The striderswere expected to complete the course in 4 – 5 hours.  Finally, the strollers, as the name suggests,those who were there to complete the course at a leisurely pace and expected tofinish within 5 – 7 hours.
Stephanie and I were in the‘Striders’  group. Neither of us knewwhether we were going to complete the course in 4 – 5 hours but thought whatthe heck, we are going to go for it anyway.

The evening was hyped up byspeakers on the stage in the arena. These speakers where people who had gone through the trauma of Cancer.Some were just diagnosed with the Big C and others had lost loved ones.  It was really inspirational hearing some ofthese stories.  It truly makes you humbleto be alive and living a healthy life on a daily basis.  I felt honoured I was able to complete my 13mile walkathon with such great people.
So then 11.30pm, we were allput into our groups and slowly headed out of the arena to music pumping outmotivation and inspiration tunes. Stephanie and I looked at each other and we knew that this was it…. NoTurning back!
It took us half an hour toget to the starting line, but when we got there it was so exciting, we hadspectators cheering us on as we started out on our epic 13 mile journey.  It was a slow start at first, there were somany others all dressed in fancy dress, lighted costumes, but all were therefor the same reason…. To support the Cancer Awareness cause.

The journey took us from theIndigo 02 through North Greenwich, Bermondsey and Deptford to Tower Bridge,then back through Southwark  and back tothe 02 Arena.  Needless to say this tookus quite a while to complete.  Along ourjourney cars tooted in support, we had by-standers applauding us as we wentpast it was a great atmosphere and the support was tremendous. 



Finally after four hours and 50 minutes, Stephanie andI completed the course.  Well done toboth of us and to the many others who also completed the course raising fundsfor Cancer Research.  We of course wereraising £2011 which was a goal set by Stephanie herself, as 2011 was asignificant year for her, one which she struggled again for the second time tobattle with cancer and one where in June of this year she was finally given the‘all clear’. 

So, we would truly begrateful if you would all share this post and if you haven’t done so already todonate what ever you can using the following link.



Colette Morris  SAC Dipl. (Diet &Nutrition)
LFGC Founder
    
Get a 10% discount on Herbalife Products at our Online Herbalife Shop - http://healthyweightloss.herbalcoach.com/ 
Colette Morris is a qualified Nutritionist and Herbalife Independent Distributor so if you want advice on your diet for weight loss, weight gain or sports nutrition, email LondonFitGirlsClub@gmail.com  or simply click on the tab here  to join our program. 

Friday, 30 September 2011

Affirmations - Can They make You Thin?

 What is an affirmation?
Put simply it is something you say to yourself over and over until you believe it to be so.  

Many of us may be using affirmations in a negative way - if you believe you can't do something or something will go wrong or you wont pass a test, then your conscious mind and unconscious mind are working together to ensure these things happen. 

Have you ever said to yourself, right I'm on a diet, then immediately a little person in your head says to you, but I want chocolaate, cakes, all the forbidden things I cant have, because I have just said I want to lose weight and go on a diet....


Next time you have this little person in your head tempting you to go down the route of destruction, say something positive and affirm this over and over until you believe it to be so. 


Here are a few affirmations I use daily to help be achieve my goals:

I'm feeling thinner and healthier and have more energy each day


Today I am going to stick to my diet and will not be tempted by _______
More calories in equals exercising to get more out which will help me reach my target weight of _____

 You get the drift?  So now your turn, send me your affirmations in the comments box below....
 


 
Colette Morris  SAC Dipl. (Diet &Nutrition)
LFGC Founder
    
Get a 10% discount on Herbalife Products at our Online Herbalife Shop - http://healthyweightloss.herbalcoach.com/ 
Colette Morris is a qualified Nutritionist and Herbalife Independent Distributor so if you want advice on your diet for weight loss, weight gain or sports nutrition, email LondonFitGirlsClub@gmail.com  or simply click on the tab here  to join our program.