PAUSE for thought….

In happier times…

Love her, loathe her, laugh at her or lament her, you no doubt
had strong opinions on reality TV star, Jade Goody, in the past.

Right now, I’m sure that attitude has changed, as you witness her fight for survival being played out in the British media.

Not one of you (or I) would want to switch places with her for even 30 seconds, knowing what she has to face up to in the coming days, weeks and ultimately, final months…

It gets you thinking – about how SHORT life can be.

On the one hand you’re tempted to think;

“Sod it! Just do what you like! Enjoy life!”

You eat too much, you drink too much, you do things that may be bad for your health, and sometimes you can’t be bothered to exercise.

On the other, all of us have to look after ourselves, wanting to be around for our children, our friends and family.

So, do me (and yourself) just one small favour this week please…

Reflect on how precious LIFE is…

Think about how LUCKY you are to live a full and active LIFE…

KEEP IT that way!

Look after yourself, use your body, fill it with healthy and nutritious fuel, and experience a life that is worth living, within your own skin – even just a little bit more than you may currently do.

I appreciate what I have EVERYDAY – and I don’t mean the material things.

I’m sure, when you reflect, you all do too.

So celebrate the fact!

STAY active…

You can’t fake an ‘earned’ butt!

I just can’t believe the risks some people will take to land themselves the perfect butt.

2 ladies in the States are in serious health after agreeing to let a ‘fake’ doctor inject them with industrial silicone, in the hope that they’d end up with butt cheeks like Jennifer Lopez.

I mean, how simple do you have to be to believe that a shapely, contoured backside can be ‘moulded’ with one simple injection? Would the gyms up and down the land, not to mention across the globe be empty if that were the truth?

The ONLY way to earn yourself a ‘top butt’ is to put the work in – same old story…

Eat sensibly and cut out sugar to uncover your cheeks, and then work hard in the gym to sculpt and ‘tone’ them, if that’s the word you want to use.

With that in mind, here are my top 10 butt ‘miracle cures’ that can be practiced at home or in the gym, for miraculous results.

Unfortunately, ‘miraculous’ doesn’t equate to easy. Nothing in life worth ‘owning’ is…

So, in ascending order, from beginner to more advanced, here are my 10 favourite butt shapers:

Floor Bridge
Alternate Arm and Leg Raise
Static Lunge
Step Up
Hip Pull Through
Front Loaded Squat
Reverse Lunge
Squat Jump
Bulgarian Split Squat
Alternate Jumping Lunge

If you work with my as a client, you will have used many of these in your quest to shape your butt.

If not, you can type any one of them into a search engine and find out how they’re done.

BUT, as always, unless you get your ‘butt’ into gear and sort out your nutrition, your ‘ass’ will continue to own that extra padding…

Add a little ‘bounce’ to your diet!

Remember that washing powder advert on telly a few years ago; “Add a little ‘bounce’ to your wash!”?

I know, I blatantly stole that strapline for this article, but with good reason…

Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to what could be the biggest saviour in your diet…

BOUNCE Protein Balls…

Packed full of quality protein and good fats, these pocket snacks are JUST the thing you need to keep you going between main meals, and what’s more they’re wheat, gluten and dairy free!

They’re also 100% natural and low carb! What more could you ask for?

They come in a variety of flavours; almond, cashew and pecan and… wait for it… ‘fudgie walnut’!

Yum yum!

I wholeheartedly support the eating of these little treasures.

They pop into your bag, they’re healthy and they’re cheap too.

A box of 12 costs just £15.99

You can check the range out at Bouncefoods.com

You can also check out your nearest stockist by typing in your postcode on the ‘Stockists’ page.

So, if you’re looking for a great ‘on-the-run’ snack – THIS is IT!

I expect to see some balls in your bags very soon…

Good news and bad news…

The great divide: ‘Over 30′ v ‘Under 30′

I’m not sure what to make of the latest research… (i.e. let’s ask 10 random people their views and then take an average to represent the entire nation!)

Apparently, when asked what their biggest addictions were, the under 30′s replied;

1. Coffee
2. Chocolate
3. Facebook

Alcohol and Drugs didn’t even make the top 10!

Can you believe that? No alcohol in the top 10??

Fantastic news!

But, what worries me more is that, as a growing nation of Facebookers, we’re going to be sitting at our computers even longer, meaning skipping meals and relying on coffee and chocolate to keep us alert, leading to greater obesity and less activity.

Can you believe it? Facebook an ‘addiction’??

Stay on course

“Right turn Clyde…”

I shouldn’t laugh, but a story in yesterday’s paper made me giggle.

A girl who booked a holiday to Costa Rica only realised she had got the wrong flight when she hopped into a cab and showed the driver where she needed to go, and was told she was in the wrong country! Instead of Costa Rica, she had been flown to Puerto Rico!

1,300 miles off course! Apparently there some some kind of ‘cock-up’ at the Travel Agents and the wrong flight code had been entered… So she ended up spending another £800 on flights to get back to her original destination, losing 4 days of her holiday!

Oops!

That’s what happens when you take your eye off the ball…

A small slip up here and there, a moment of distraction, and before you know it, all chaos breaks loose! Sound familiar?

A word to the wise; keep an eye on what you’re eating. Look out for potential pitfalls and food ‘hazards’. Look for alternatives and don’t let yourself go miles off course, by relaxing and not forward planning.

If you want to get to your destination asap – a smaller waist, slimmer legs, smaller bum etc – then take minimal wrong turns, shortcuts or dead ends.

Steer clear of dodgy agents like wine merchants, fast food joints and snack shops.

Instead plot your course, stick to it and get to your final destination in the quickest possible time…

Otherwise, find yourself ‘miles’ from where you want to be!

Diets can STINK!

A Croatian man has apparently lost 160 pounds of weight, by existing on a diet of garlic and onion!

When his doctor told him that at 26 stone he needed to lose weight or risk dying, the man took it upon himself to try something different… No kidding!

On a funny note, my guess is, that with heavy and persistent garlic breath, the 160 pounds of weight he lost was in fact his girlfriend, as she ran for the hills to avoid the smell!

Can 2 halves make a whole?

Bright idea number 642 from the Labour government…

Alan Johnson, Secretary of State for Health, has called for food manufacturers to reduce the size of their chocolate bars and fizzy drink cans, in a bid to fight rising obesity in the UK.

He believes that by making these unhealthy snacks smaller, people will eat less…

That ain’t gonna work Alan!

People with cravings for sweet foods will simply buy more, to fuel their appetite.

Why do you think ‘fun size’ snack bars like Mars, Bounty, Snickers etc are so popular?

Because you can unwrap and devour several without feeling quite so guilty, because subconciously your brain is telling you that they’re not as bad for you as one big bar.

More sales = more profits for the food companies, and more profits = more manufacturing to meet the demand, meaning that as a nation, we end up consuming more.

Higher consumption = higher levels of obesity.

Doesn’t take a genius to work that one out!

Once again, the government and food companies make more money while the nation prepares to get fatter!

‘Doner’ Make this MISTAKE!

Now, heaven forbid you would ever darken the doors of such an establishment, especially after reading all my nutrition articles HERE, but PLEASE don’t even THINK about eating a Doner Kebab in the near or distant future… I BEG OF YOU!

Recent research suggests that your average kebab contains 1,000 calories, some as much as 1,900!

If that doesn’t put you off, think about the fact that your average Doner Kebab contains the equivalent of 1.5 wine glasses of cooking oil – 140g of FAT!

Glug that down in one go and tell me that you’d be happy…!

A kebab can also contain close to an adult’s entire daily recommended intake of salt, and that’s before adding any sauces to the greasy pile!

What’s more, some of the kebab meat sold can contain a variety of different ‘species’…!

And we wonder why Britain has an obesity problem?

It’s amazing what people will eat under the guise of ‘FOOD’…

"Row, row, row your bike, gently down the street"

Ok, so I stole a line from a kids nursery rhyme, but it seems to fit the description of this fitness gizmo that’s been around for a while it would seem, but has only just caught my eye.

It’s called the ‘Rowbike’ and as the name suggests it’s a hybrid vehicle combining a bicycle with a rowing machine mechanism that drives the pedals.

The innovative ROWBIKE is propelled along the road, reaching speeds as high as those of a bicycle when the rider rows his arms and legs similar to stationary rowing machine, but steers like a traditional bike, with the added benefit of taking one of the world’s most complete and effective workout outdoors.

Designed by the man who brought you the ROLLERBLADE, this machine offers a full-body cardio workout that is not only low-impact but pretty unique, as you can see.

Now I’d love to give one of these a go in the local park, but I can’t say I’d want to risk life and limb out there on the main roads. What happens if you need to do an emergency stop? Would you become impailed on the pulley system?

If you love your cardio and you’re looking for something new to spend your hard earned cash on, take a look at their website HERE.

Otherwise, feel free to stick to your regular Concept 2 rowing machine and some bodyweight circuits. Cheaper, simpler and less eye-catching!

"Row, row, row your bike, gently down the street"

Ok, so I stole a line from a kids nursery rhyme, but it seems to fit the description of this fitness gizmo that’s been around for a while it would seem, but has only just caught my eye.

It’s called the ‘Rowbike’ and as the name suggests it’s a hybrid vehicle combining a bicycle with a rowing machine mechanism that drives the pedals.

The innovative ROWBIKE is propelled along the road, reaching speeds as high as those of a bicycle when the rider rows his arms and legs similar to stationary rowing machine, but steers like a traditional bike, with the added benefit of taking one of the world’s most complete and effective workout outdoors.

Designed by the man who brought you the ROLLERBLADE, this machine offers a full-body cardio workout that is not only low-impact but pretty unique, as you can see.

Now I’d love to give one of these a go in the local park, but I can’t say I’d want to risk life and limb out there on the main roads. What happens if you need to do an emergency stop? Would you become impailed on the pulley system?

If you love your cardio and you’re looking for something new to spend your hard earned cash on, take a look at their website HERE.

Otherwise, feel free to stick to your regular Concept 2 rowing machine and some bodyweight circuits. Cheaper, simpler and less eye-catching!