‘Spread a little happiness’

To pass the time, while waiting for an appointment the other day, I picked up a newspaper and had a quick flick through.

From the very front page, it was filled with doom and gloom;

House prices falling…
Recession hitting jobs…
Banks failing…
Murder…
Assault…
Robbery…

As I sat there thumbing my way through the pages I thought to myself; why do people buy newspapers and why do they read them on the way to work?

What sort of way is that to start your day, filling your head with negative thoughts and misery?

The last thing people need as they start their day’s work is to be downhearted and depressed!

What is it with our fascination with bad news?

As a race we seem to be so obsessed with knowing about what’s going wrong in our world, that we rarely take the time to appreciate the good.

I made a decision, there and then.

I put the paper down, took a deep breath, and decided that for the rest of the day I would focus only on the positive things in life:

The warm weather
The fresh air and the birds singing again
Helpful, happy people
A good training session

When I got home later I switched on my laptop and bypassed the bad news in search of the good;

The child stars of Slumdog Millionaire being given a fresh start in life…
The Hindhead road project which has rehomed badgers and dormice that would otherwise have perished…
The funny story about ‘Bisto’ gravy changing its name to ‘aaah… Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday’ etc!

For your health and sanity it’s important to focus on positivity. They say you become a mix of the 5 people you engage with most. If those around you are depressed, moaning and pessimistic, how long do you think it will be before you follow suit?

While we all enjoy a good gossip and a moan occasionally, I honestly believe that the media revels in bad news and misery, due to our obsession with misfortune. Bad news sells papers.

Try my ‘Happiness’ experiment…

Pick a day – any day in the coming week…

As much as you can control, avoid all bad news that day.

Don’t buy a paper, don’t listen to the news, walk away from depressive conversations and switch channels if faced with economic downturn, evil or less than positive news.

Listen to music radio instead of talk channels.

Watch a comedy on TV -something lighthearted and entertaining.

Wean yourself off the negative and focus instead on more positive things.

Without the ‘doom and gloom’ reaching your earholes you’ll be surprised how much better you feel.

Your conversations will steer towards happier topics, your mood will lift and then you’ll actually be looking for the good instead of adding more woe and sorrow to your daily thoughts.

Surround yourself with positivity and you’ll end up less stressed, less tired and more capable of spreading a positive frame of mind to others in your life.

Believe me, it’s a chain reaction.

As the musician Sting once wrote;

“Even when the darkest clouds are in the sky, You mustn’t sigh and you mustn’t cry, Spread a little happiness as you go by… Keep out the gloom, Let in the sun, That’s my advice for everyone”

Diabetes – Don’t let it get YOU

‘Food’ for thought…

Cases of Diabetes have risen by 60% in the last decade…
The UK has now overtaken the US, for new cases of Diabetes…
10% of NHS spending goes on treating the condition…
That works out to £1 million an hour…
Diabetes is estimated to take up to 7 years off your life…

Here’s a Press Release I have just written, voicing my concerns at the rise in Diabetes. I thought I’d share it with you all:

Wednesday, 25 February 2009, Guildford: Leading Fitness Coach and Fat Loss Expert Simon Dainton has reacted strongly to news that the UK is now overtaking the US in the number of new cases of Type 2 Diabetes, in both the adult and the child population.

At a time when the NHS are spending £1 million an hour on treating the disease, Dainton has stated that people need to be far more aware of their risks of developing the condition.

“With cases of Type 2 Diabetes rising by 60% in the last decade, people have got to start realising that they are putting themselves at a far greater risk if they don’t address their eating habits.” Dainton says. “Just because we have a far greater food choice these days doesn’t mean that people can simply eat what they like, when they like. There are always repercussions to doing this”.

Dainton goes on to state: “While excess sugar in the diet is the prime cause of Type 2, most people still don’t realise just how much sugar they are ingesting. Sugar is not solely confined to sweets, biscuits and cakes. It is a prime ingredient in most processed and convenience foods, even foods that many would consider savoury, like white bread and microwave meals.”

Drawing comparision to the current ‘credit crunch’, Dainton says; “Too many people have been sticking their heads in the sand and overspending, and now we are paying the price with recession. The same can be said for the nation’s eating too much sugar, which will come back to bite them in future years as they pay the price with diabetes.”

“Unless the government addresses the condition, making more people aware of the dangers, and labeling prime foods with proper health warnings, people will continue to keep their heads in the sand and carry on regardless. Type 2 Diabetes is completely avoidable with sensible eating, and right now food companies are being allowed free-rein to produce whatever products they like under the guise of freedom of choice.”

While Simon believes that regular exercise will help the battle against obesity, he states that it needs to be effective; “Most people head for the cardio machines in the gym – the bikes, treadmills and Cross Trainers. While they will help burn calories and strengthen your heart, they are not the best solution for fat loss. Most people need more resistance training, to raise their metabolisms and keep them burning fat 24 hours a day – even women.”

Dainton concludes; “Combining a reduced sugar diet with effective exercise will help people lose weight, control their food cravings and greatly reduce the chances of developing Diabetes. Avoiding the condition involves a lifestyle change, not a quick fix – one that we need to pass down to our children”.

Diabetes – Don’t let it get YOU

‘Food’ for thought…

Cases of Diabetes have risen by 60% in the last decade…
The UK has now overtaken the US, for new cases of Diabetes…
10% of NHS spending goes on treating the condition…
That works out to £1 million an hour…
Diabetes is estimated to take up to 7 years off your life…

Here’s a Press Release I have just written, voicing my concerns at the rise in Diabetes. I thought I’d share it with you all:

Wednesday, 25 February 2009, Guildford: Leading Fitness Coach and Fat Loss Expert Simon Dainton has reacted strongly to news that the UK is now overtaking the US in the number of new cases of Type 2 Diabetes, in both the adult and the child population.

At a time when the NHS are spending £1 million an hour on treating the disease, Dainton has stated that people need to be far more aware of their risks of developing the condition.

“With cases of Type 2 Diabetes rising by 60% in the last decade, people have got to start realising that they are putting themselves at a far greater risk if they don’t address their eating habits.” Dainton says. “Just because we have a far greater food choice these days doesn’t mean that people can simply eat what they like, when they like. There are always repercussions to doing this”.

Dainton goes on to state: “While excess sugar in the diet is the prime cause of Type 2, most people still don’t realise just how much sugar they are ingesting. Sugar is not solely confined to sweets, biscuits and cakes. It is a prime ingredient in most processed and convenience foods, even foods that many would consider savoury, like white bread and microwave meals.”

Drawing comparision to the current ‘credit crunch’, Dainton says; “Too many people have been sticking their heads in the sand and overspending, and now we are paying the price with recession. The same can be said for the nation’s eating too much sugar, which will come back to bite them in future years as they pay the price with diabetes.”

“Unless the government addresses the condition, making more people aware of the dangers, and labeling prime foods with proper health warnings, people will continue to keep their heads in the sand and carry on regardless. Type 2 Diabetes is completely avoidable with sensible eating, and right now food companies are being allowed free-rein to produce whatever products they like under the guise of freedom of choice.”

While Simon believes that regular exercise will help the battle against obesity, he states that it needs to be effective; “Most people head for the cardio machines in the gym – the bikes, treadmills and Cross Trainers. While they will help burn calories and strengthen your heart, they are not the best solution for fat loss. Most people need more resistance training, to raise their metabolisms and keep them burning fat 24 hours a day – even women.”

Dainton concludes; “Combining a reduced sugar diet with effective exercise will help people lose weight, control their food cravings and greatly reduce the chances of developing Diabetes. Avoiding the condition involves a lifestyle change, not a quick fix – one that we need to pass down to our children”.

Put a pin in the map…

Picture somewhere you want to go… Anywhere in the world…

Wouldn’t it be great to take a holiday, get away from the stress of everyday life, recharge your batteries and come home feeling like you’re ready to take on whatever life throws at you?

So… what are you waiting for?

Just BOOK IT!

Clear some space in your diary and decide when you could feasibly ‘get away’.
Grab some travel agent brochures or get online and start researching.
Keep that dream destination in your mind.

DON’T wait until the current economic climate recovers…
DON’T hold out until that project your’re working on is finished…

Believe me, once you sort out one drama, another will appear to replace it, so don’t waste time!

I have clients who holiday 2-3 times a year…
I have clients who make holidaying a way of life…

They always seem to be that little bit more relaxed, jovial and calm.

I also have clients who rarely go away and relax…

These are the clients that find it harder to lose body fat, the ones who are constantly stressed and the ones who are tired and run down.

Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, but the more stress you carry, the less healthy you will be and the harder you will find it to stay in shape and on top of your eating.

EVERYONE needs a holiday.

We all suffer from stress and exhaustion and the longer we plough our way through it, telling ourselves it will get better, the worse it seems to become.

To lose fat and keep it off, your body needs to be in a state of balance.

Do yourself a favour and recharge your batteries.

Get away for a little while and see what a difference it makes to your mood, your focus, your energy and your fat loss efforts.

Your body, and your family, will both thank you!

From things that irritate me, to the things I love…
The things I prefer to focus my energy on!
Some of these should make you smile…

01. Car Park machines that are ‘out of order’
02. Frosty mornings
03. Clean sheets
04. The smell of fried onions
05. Playing with my ears
06. Quenching my thirst
07. Feeling the sun on my face
08. Holidays!
09. My girlfriend, Lucy
10. Laughing out loud
11. Listening to the rain from indoors
12. The 80′s – Nostalgia
13. Birds singing
14. Listening to new music
15. Watching films
16. A warm car
17. Curry!
18. Feeling out of breath
19. Fresh air
20. An exercise called ‘Renegade Rows’
21. Technology
22. My mischevious dog, Biscuit
23. Convertible cars
24. Buying the last thing in stock
25. Research online – addictive!
26. Group Training
27. My friends
28. The countryside
29. Old pubs
30. Trying new foods
31. Gossip magazines
32. Feeling ALIVE!
33. ‘Buy one, get one free’
34. A healthy bank balance
35. Cheesecake
36. Smiling
37. Relaxation
38. Sleeping
39. Silence
40. Cinnamon

40 things that really annoy me!

Apologies if I start to sound like a moaning old man, but let’s admit it…. we all love a good old moan once in a while!

It’s a great stress reliever and it ends up putting a smile on your face once you’ve got things off your chest.

Here are my Top 40 bug-bears.

See just how many you ‘secretly’ agree with!

01. Shop assistants who don’t acknowledge you when you pay
02. Drivers that don’t use their indicators
03. People that don’t use the word ‘PLEASE’
04. A bad hair day (welcome to my life!)
05. Looking for something that was in your pocket all the time!
06. Waiting at a packed bar to order drinks
07. Slow, steady cardio
08. Drivers that don’t say thank you when you let them pass
09. Throwing away vegetables and fruit you never ate
10. Watching myself on video
11. People that jump the queue – anywhere!
12. Loud music from passing cars (or am I just getting old?!)
13. Lateness
14. Slow service in a restaurant, when you’re hungry
15. Being too busy to workout as much as I’d like
16. People that wait til the last minute to dig out their wallet / purse
17. Cars that take up 2 parallel spaces
18. Egg Skin
19. Waking up and realising the alarm’s about to go off
20. Waiting to board a flight with non-allocated seats
21. Coffee and Cigarette breath
22. People that eat with their mouth open
23. Sitting facing backwards on a bus or a train
24. Diesel fumes
25. Drivers that throw litter out of car windows
26. The speed that time flies
27. Low batteries on my phone or my ipod
28. People who do their weekly shop at petrol station stores
29. Unlicensed kids on mopeds
30. Damp feet and cold hands
31. Being hungry
32. Coned off roads where no roadworks are going on
33. Unstocked supermarket shelves
34. Listening to people eating
35. Having an itchy nose when your hands are full
36. Persistent coughing
37. People not replying to texts or emails
38. Busy public transport
39. Badly behaved children
40. People that don’t say thank you when you hold the door for them

What would you add to your own list?

Aiming to rise above the petty things in life that so often irritate us is a great way to reduce stress and learn to be more patient and tolerant.

I am trying to do so… Are you?

30 ‘Secret’ Facts about ME – Simon Dainton

Want to get to know me a little better?

Here’s your chance to snigger at some of the skeletons that might be hanging in my closet.

Everyone is curious and wants to learn more about the people around them.

Listing a few ‘little known’ facts about yourself gives others a greater picture of who you are.

Here are 30 little known facts about me, Simon Dainton…

Remember… Don’t laugh!

1. I was born in Clapham in 1972. I’m half English, quarter Welsh and, quarter Scottish, but I speak with the Queen’s English!

2. I sang solo in the choir at school but can’t sing as an adult…

3. I’ve appeared on TV twice in my life – once in a Nativity Play when I was 8 and once on ITN News last year.

4. I lived in the South of France for 6 months and was fluent in French.

5. I can touch my nose with my tongue

6. I jogged up Ayres Rock in Australia to catch the sunrise. I can still visualise the sun rising over the red earth plains.

7. I do 100 push ups a day – no excuses

8. I fell into crocodile infested waters near the Indian Ocean, and swam in a creek inhabited by a freshwater crocodile in Australia.

9. Sometimes I get butterflies before a workout

10. Hippos nearly capsized my raft in Kenya as they passed underneath!

11. I competed in 1 Triathlon and hated it!

12. I climbed Mount Kenya and avoided altitude sickness…

13. I cry at sad movies

14. I love the smell of petrol and freshly cut grass

15. My biggest gripe is people that don’t say please or thank you

16. I can still visualise thinking I was drowning as a child

17. I turned my wardrobe into a tardis when I was 9!

18. I want to trek the Himalayas and visit Tibet

19. I’ve had 1 celebrity client… maybe 2…

20. I passed my driving test on the 5th attempt!!

21. My girlfriend is 10 years younger than me…

22. I have a unique way of tying my shoelaces

23. I still scare myself in the dark

24. I’ve had one operation in my life – when I was 6

25. I’ve never broken a bone in my body

26. I’ve already decided on the names for my future children;
Max, Isobel and Lilly

27. I can’t skip, roll my R’s or dance with any conviction!

28. I’ve been made redundant once, but lived to tell the tale!

29. I love the feeling of digging my hands into dry sand

30. 2 of my least favourite foods are rhubarb and gammon steak, but not together! (Saying that, if you served me either I would still eat them)

Interesting, irrelevant, silly or incisive…

Whatever they may add up to be, they still give me plenty of conversation topics for parties, breaking the ice, and having something to say, if ever I find myself trapped in a lift!

Why not try and list 30 little-known facts about yourself?

You might be surprised what you conjure up!

30 ‘Secret’ Facts about ME -Simon Dainton

Want to get to know me a little better?

Here’s your chance to snigger at some of the skeletons that might be hanging in my closet.

Everyone is curious and wants to learn more about the people around them.

Listing a few ‘little known’ facts about yourself gives others a greater picture of who you are.

Here are 30 little known facts about me, Simon Dainton…

Remember… Don’t laugh!

1. I was born in Clapham in 1972. I’m half English, quarter Welsh and, quarter Scottish, but I speak with the Queen’s English!

2. I sang solo in the choir at school but can’t sing as an adult…

3. I’ve appeared on TV twice in my life – once in a Nativity Play when I was 8 and once on ITN News last year.

4. I lived in the South of France for 6 months and was fluent in French.

5. I can touch my nose with my tongue

6. I jogged up Ayres Rock in Australia to catch the sunrise. I can still visualise the sun rising over the red earth plains.

7. I do 100 push ups a day – no excuses

8. I fell into crocodile infested waters near the Indian Ocean, and swam in a creek inhabited by a freshwater crocodile in Australia.

9. Sometimes I get butterflies before a workout

10. Hippos nearly capsized my raft in Kenya as they passed underneath!

11. I competed in 1 Triathlon and hated it!

12. I climbed Mount Kenya and avoided altitude sickness…

13. I cry at sad movies

14. I love the smell of petrol and freshly cut grass

15. My biggest gripe is people that don’t say please or thank you

16. I can still visualise thinking I was drowning as a child

17. I turned my wardrobe into a tardis when I was 9!

18. I want to trek the Himalayas and visit Tibet

19. I’ve had 1 celebrity client… maybe 2…

20. I passed my driving test on the 5th attempt!!

21. My girlfriend is 10 years younger than me…

22. I have a unique way of tying my shoelaces

23. I still scare myself in the dark

24. I’ve had one operation in my life – when I was 6

25. I’ve never broken a bone in my body

26. I’ve already decided on the names for my future children;
Max, Isobel and Lilly

27. I can’t skip, roll my R’s or dance with any conviction!

28. I’ve been made redundant once, but lived to tell the tale!

29. I love the feeling of digging my hands into dry sand

30. 2 of my least favourite foods are rhubarb and gammon steak, but not together! (Saying that, if you served me either I would still eat them)

Interesting, irrelevant, silly or incisive…

Whatever they may add up to be, they still give me plenty of conversation topics for parties, breaking the ice, and having something to say, if ever I find myself trapped in a lift!

Why not try and list 30 little-known facts about yourself?

You might be surprised what you conjure up!

Quit the excuses ladies!

I get so insensed when I overhear women complaining about their weight gain and the fact that they can’t seem to lose it!

Don’t get me wrong… I don’t mean the actual complaint itself.

The very fact they are complaining means that I can potentially help them.

What I mean are the excuses that tumble out of their mouths for why they can’t seem to lose it!

Men, you have your own faults, but for today let’s focus on the ladies.

I hear women say; “Ooh no! I ‘m not lifting weights. I’ll get bulky and look like a man! It’s not natural!”

Girls, you need to realise that to successfully lose that excess weight and keep it off, while looking great instead of a saggy balloon,
you need to weight train. NO question of it.

If you believe that you can achieve the body of your dreams by restricting yourself to jogging or using the exercise bike, then you are either genetically extremely lucky or you are spending hour upon HOUR locked away in a gym somewhere, where your friends and family have forgotten that you even exist!

While I don’t mean shifting ridiculously heavy weights and chalking your hands, I do mean lifting weight that challenges YOU.

The days of restricting yourselves to light pink dumbbells for high reps are over!

You need to start with your own bodyweight – push ups, squats, lunges, step ups, planks…

Once you are proficient, you then move on to more challenging resistance than just your bodyweight.

Resistance training increases your lean muscle mass, giving you more shape and more curves. (Plastic surgery on the cheap!)
It leads to more calories being burned, greater stamina, strength and ability to perform the more challenging everyday tasks.

I also hear women say; “Yes, but I barely eat anything and I still can’t lose the weight! My diet is really good!”

Face it girls. If you eat like a bird, you’ll look like one;

Round stomach, puffed out chest and lots of plummage, or the human equivalent, a bum that sticks out a mile!

You need to invest to win!

Invest in quality, nutritious calories. Eat healthy foods and you can actually eat MORE – spread out thinner over the course of the day.

MORE protein (meat, fish, eggs, natural yoghurt, nuts and seeds)
MORE vegetables and fruit
NO Processed junk, not even the stuff that is marketed for weight loss – fat loss shakes, chocolate bars and calorie controlled meals
MORE water – the epitomy of good health and wellbeing
NO caffeine – coffee, tea or energy drinks
NO alcohol – drink this and your fat cells start hoarding!

What’s more, a ‘good diet’ doesn’t mean eating a lettuce leaf and a tomato and calling it a salad!

It means putting together PROTEIN + VEGETABLES /FRUIT + WATER… EVERY time you eat….

If you can’t or won’t do these 2 things – eat properly and weight train – DON’T go telling the world that you just can’t seem to get results.

Face the hard truth – you can’t be bothered!

Quit the excuses ladies!

I get so insensed when I overhear women complaining about their weight gain and the fact that they can’t seem to lose it!

Don’t get me wrong… I don’t mean the actual complaint itself.

The very fact they are complaining means that I can potentially help them.

What I mean are the excuses that tumble out of their mouths for why they can’t seem to lose it!

(Men, you have your own faults, but for today let’s focus on the ladies.)

I hear women say; “Ooh no! I’m not lifting weights. I’ll get bulky and look like a man! It’s not natural!”

Girls, you need to realise that to successfully lose that excess weight and keep it off, while looking great instead of a saggy balloon, you need to weight train.

NO question of it.

If you believe that you can achieve the body of your dreams by restricting yourself to jogging or using the exercise bike, then you are either genetically extremely lucky or you are spending hour upon HOUR locked away in a gym somewhere, where your friends and family have forgotten that you even exist!

While I don’t mean shifting ridiculously heavy weights and chalking your hands, I do mean lifting weight that challenges YOU.

The days of restricting yourselves to light pink dumbbells for high reps are over!

You need to start with your own bodyweight – push ups, squats, lunges, step ups, planks…

Once you are proficient, you then move on to more challenging resistance than just your bodyweight.

Resistance training increases your lean muscle mass, giving you more shape and more curves. (Plastic surgery on the cheap!)

It leads to more calories being burned, greater stamina, strength and ability to perform the more challenging everyday tasks.

For those of you who have tried the resistance training route, how have you found it?

Did you see results?

Did you prefer it to cardio or not?

I’m sure you’ll have mixed experiences, but more often than not, you’ll have seen positive change.

I also hear women say; “Yes, but I barely eat anything and I still can’t lose the weight! My diet is really good!”

Face it girls. If you eat like a bird, you’ll look like one;

Round stomach, puffed out chest and lots of plummage, or the human equivalent, a bum that sticks out a mile!

You need to invest to win!

Invest in quality, nutritious calories. Eat healthy foods and you can actually eat MORE – spread out thinner over the course of the day.

MORE protein (meat, fish, eggs, natural yoghurt, nuts and seeds)

MORE vegetables and fruit

NO Processed junk, not even the stuff that is marketed for weight loss – fat loss shakes, chocolate bars and calorie controlled meals

MORE water – the epitomy of good health and wellbeing

NO caffeine – coffee, tea or energy drinks

NO alcohol – drink this and your fat cells start hoarding!

What’s more, a ‘good diet’ doesn’t mean eating a lettuce leaf and a tomato and calling it a salad!

It means putting together PROTEIN + VEGETABLES /FRUIT + WATER… EVERY time you eat….

If you can’t or won’t do these 2 things – eat properly and weight train – DON’T go telling the world that you just can’t seem to get results.

Face the hard truth – you can’t be bothered!