When we enter the month of March, I remember the Carry On movie ‘Carry on Cleo’ with Charles Hawtrey saying “beware the ides of March!” – well I’ve just looked that up and ‘Ides’ means 15th of the month…well this month it’s a Sunday so if you are superstitious, stay in bed! Actually, there is no evidence that the ‘ides’ has any superstitious significance, so panic over!
I have had a nasty bug this past week (and I know I’m not alone) resulting in a course of antibiotics. I have to confess that I knew I was pushing myself too hard and getting the work/life balance a bit wrong.
You see I was working (teaching classes, writing, choreographing, researching and PT etc) but not taking the time I need for my own balance, dog walking, a little bit in the gym training, a bit of stretching/yoga and good old fashioned sleep. It’s tempting to think that when you are tired you need to put your feet up and sleep, read a book or watch TV. We see that as down time – well, yes a bit of that is obviously essential, however a bit of exercise is also ‘you’ time and is as essential as sleep to our health. Hands up, I got the balance wrong and boom, I got sick! I’m not quite 100% yet but I’ve learned my lesson.
Big Balls And What To Do With Them!
Has returned to Friday nights and was very much appreciated by last week’s class members, I took a slower, more yoga/Pilates approach based on the needs of the group and it was lovely; I certainly felt much better afterwards and much looser with a pleasant hint of muscle ache in the buttocks, thighs abs and upper arms, perfect! We have a few spaces available so it’s not too late to book Fridays 6.30-7.15pm .
Boom!
Super coach Steve does it again – this weekend some his boys from ONE Pro cycling were competing in the Revolution Series at the London Velodrome where they competed as part of separate Daily Telegraph and Rest of the World Teams with some success. The Revolution Series are composed of predominantly demonstration events on the Track but make exciting entertainment along with being very good for ‘exposure’ – so great for OPC to be invited. Yesterday, it was back on the road where they took a strong 1, 2 & 5 placing in the Severn Bridge Road Race over a a windy 110km!
Flatter Abs?!
Certain foods are renowned for bloating the abdomen – bread, yeast, sugar to name but three. These foods feed the over growth of the gut bacteria, ‘candida’ which causes IBS symptoms, gut bloating, wind, discomfort and suppresses the immune system. If untreated it can cause significant health problems.
Candida can get out of control during periods of stress, following a course of
antibiotics (all gut bacteria, including the good bacteria have been killed off and the candida grows back more quickly – imbalancing gut flora). Taking oral contraceptives, eating lots of fermented/pickled foods also helps to breed candida.
10 common candida symptoms
1 Skin and nail fungal infections (eg athlete’s foot or toe nail fungus)
2 Feeling extremely tired (including chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia)
3 Digestive issues such as bloating, constipation, or diarrhea
4 Autoimmune disease such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, lupus, scleroderma, multiple sclerosis
5 Difficulty concentrating, poor memory, lack of focus, ADD, ADHD and ‘brain fog’
6 Skin issues such as eczema, psoriasis, hives, and rashes
7 Irritability, mood swings, anxiety, or depression
8 Vaginal infections, urinary tract infections, rectal itching or vaginal itching
9 Severe seasonal allergies or itchy ears
10 Strong sugar and refined carbohydrate cravings
Research has also shown that people who eat a high starch diet (bread, rice, yeast, pasta, potatoes) and lots of sugar – including alcohol – often carry their weight around their middle region. This was explained in greater detail in a previous newsletter attached below for you to review…
So to achieve a flatter tummy and narrower waist then ditch the starch, sugar and alcohol. Cut it out completely for 4-6 weeks and then re-introduce a little occasionally.
Combine this with effective abdominal training (based around training the transverse abdominus in particular) cardio vascular exercise to burn off the excess fat stored and resistance training to firm the muscles of the trunk.
(Note: flat abdominals are not an indication of strong or healthy abdominals some folks no matter how hard they train will not get a ‘6 pack’, but if it jiggles when you jump then some progress can be made!)
Have a fantastic week, keep happy healthy and fit and I’ll see you at class/training!
Helen x
